Keen to try Veganuary but don’t know where to start? Let Katy Beskow, author of new cookbook Vegan Roasting Pan, inspire you with these easy, oven-to-table dishes the whole family will love…
Vegan one-pot BBQ cauliflower wings with roasted peppers and lime
These wings are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, with a spicy barbecue sauce – delicious with roasted peppers and a squeeze of lime. Serve with warmed tortilla wraps, if you like. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 200ml barbecue sauce (ensure vegan)
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 100g panko breadcrumbs
- One medium cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets with some stem remaining
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 unwaxed lime, halved
- Handful of chives, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise, chilled, to serve
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. In a large bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, oil and chilli flakes until combined. Arrange the panko breadcrumbs on a plate. Dip the cauliflower florets into the barbecue sauce mix, shake off any excess, then roll in the panko breadcrumbs. When the florets are coated, place in a roasting pan. Repeat until each floret is coated.
- Add the pepper slices and halved lime to the pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and use tongs to turn the florets, then return to the oven for a further 10-15 mins until the cauliflower wings are evenly golden. Remove from the oven and scatter with the chives. Serve with vegan mayonnaise and squeeze over the warm lime juice, when the lime halves are cool enough to handle.
Heart-friendly cauliflower:
Cauliflower contains a plant compound called sulforaphane. Acting as an antioxidant, sulforaphane reduces the inflammatory damage caused by oxidative stress, which plays a central role in the development of heart disease. The cruciferous vegetable is an easy one to add to your diet.
One-pot vegan butterbean, fennel & tomato bake with orange and thyme
This simple and delicious bake can be eaten either hot or cold, with some crusty bread. Fresh thyme is better than dried in this vibrant recipe. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 2 fennel bulbs, sliced into even wedges
- 1 unwaxed orange, zested and juiced
- Drizzle of sunflower oil
- 500g mixed baby tomatoes
- 1 sprig of thyme, leaves picked
- 1 x 400g can butterbeans, drained and rinsed
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Lay the fennel wedges into a roasting pan and squeeze over the orange juice (reserve the zest for later). Drizzle with a little sunflower oil and roast in the oven for 30 mins.
- Carefully remove from the oven and stir in the tomatoes, thyme and orange zest. Return to the oven for a further 10 mins. After 10 mins, stir in the butterbeans and cook for a further 5 mins until the butterbeans are hot. Remove from the oven and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Choose citrus fruits wisley…
Citrus fruits can often be waxed with animal ingredients, including shellac, making the waxed varieties unsuitable for vegans. Shop for unwaxed fruits, which will be stated on the label or packaging.
One-pot courgette Rotolo with vegan cream cheese & spinach in a marinara sauce
This supper is elegant enough to be served for dinner guests, but simple enough to enjoy midweek with the family. Use your favourite vegan cream cheese (found in most supermarkets) to make the rich rotolo filling. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 500g passata
- 1 garlic clove, very thinly sliced
- Generous handful of basil leaves, finely chopped
- Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 large courgettes, very thinly sliced into ribbons
- 4 heaped tbsp vegan cream cheese
- Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Handful of baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
- Small handful of chives, finely chopped
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Stir together the passata, garlic, basil and parsley in the bottom of a deep roasting pan. Season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 30 mins.
- Meanwhile, lay the thin courgette slices between kitchen paper or a clean tea towel for 15 mins to absorb some of the excess moisture.
- In a bowl, stir together the cream cheese, olive oil, spinach and chives. Spread one side of each courgette strip with the cream cheese mixture using the back of a teaspoon.
- Remove the pan from the oven and discard the foil. Roll up each courgette slice, then carefully place in the hot sauce.
- Return the pan to the oven for a further 30 mins, then season with salt and pepper before serving.
Keep moving with courgettes:
Courgettes are a good source of potassium, which helps keep muscles working properly, as well as vitamin C and folic acid, while half of a large courgette counts as one of your 5-a-day.
Vegan maple roasted fig & pecan salad
Sweet, juicy figs with lightly toasted pecans come together in this elegant one-pot vegan salad. Team with peppery rocket and radishes for contrast. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 4 figs, halved lengthways
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rounds
- Small drizzle of sunflower oil
- Small handful of pecans
- 2 generous handfuls of rocket
- Handful of flat-leaf parsley, torn
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- ¼ unwaxed lemon, juiced
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Arrange the fig halves in a roasting pan and brush all over with maple syrup. Add the onion rounds and drizzle everything with a little sunflower oil. Roast in the oven for 15 mins. After 15 mins, carefully add the pecans to the roasting pan and bake for a further 5 mins.
- Toss together the rocket, parsley, radishes and lemon juice in a bowl. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and stir through the roasted figs, onion and pecans.
Benefits of figs:
Figs are rich in fibre and prebiotics, feeding your gut bacteria and promoting a healthy gut environment. A study in 150 people with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) found that those who consumed about four dried figs twice daily experienced a significant reduction in symptoms, compared with the control group.
One-pot vegan orange, tofu & chilli noodles
Put the wok away and throw the ingredients into a roasting pan! Crispy baked tofu, broccoli, cashews and soft noodles are baked with orange and soy. Ready-to-wok noodles can be found in supermarkets, but check that they do not contain eggs. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
- 1 x 280g block of extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into bite-sized cubes
- Drizzle of sunflower oil
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 200g tenderstem broccoli
- Generous handful of sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally
- 300g ready-to-wok noodles (ensure egg-free)
- ½ unwaxed orange, zested and juiced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp roasted cashews
- One spring onion, finely chopped
- Small handful of coriander leaves, torn
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Place the tofu in a deep roasting pan and drizzle with the sunflower oil and soy sauce. Bake in the oven for 20 mins, then remove from the oven and use tongs to turn the tofu. Throw in the chilli, broccoli and sugar snap peas and cook for a further 10 mins.
- Meanwhile, soak the noodles in hot water for a couple of mins, until they are easy to separate. Drain away the hot water.
- Add the noodles to the pan, tucking them in around the tofu and vegetables, then scatter over the orange zest and squeeze over the juice, followed by the sesame seeds and cashews. Return to the oven for 5-6 mins until the noodles are hot.
- Remove from the oven and scatter over the spring onion and coriander leaves.
Vegan Roasting Pan by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £15) is out now.
