Vegan Recipe of the Week - Spaghetti and Meatballs

I thought it would be nice to make some vegan meatballs to go with spaghetti instead of my usual pasta sauce. Serves 4.

Here is what you need:

For the meatballs:

1 tin of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 white or red onion, chopped finely
6 button mushrooms. chopped finely
40g breadcrumbs
handful of basil and parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:

1 500g carton of pasata
1 tsp apple cyder vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp mixed Italian herbs
Salt
Pepper

Spaghetti
Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Method:

Rinse and mash the beans in a large bowl and set to one side.

In a frying pan, add some olive oil and then when hot add the chopped onions, garlic, mushrooms and fresh herbs. Saute for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the onions are turning brown, then add the balsamic vinegar and turn up the heat for 30 seconds to reduce. Once the heat is off add the spices and seasoning.

Add the sauteed mixture to the mashed beans, then stir in the nutritional yeast and breadcrumbs. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for an hour.

Meanwhile make your sauce by adding all of the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and heating gently for around 10 minutes.

Take your chilled bean mixture from the fridge and shape into 16 meatballs. Heat a little olive oil in a griddle pan and fry the meatballs until coloured all over (around 3 minutes).

Pour your pasta sauce into a casserole dish and gently place the meatballs into the sauce. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven uncovered at 180C for around 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile boil the pasta according the the instructions on the packet and drain. Place into bowls.

Take the sauce and meatball mixture from the oven, give a quick stir to incorporate the meatballs and pour over your spaghetti. Sprinkle with some vegan parmesan and a little fresh basil.

Eat and Enjoy! If you enjoyed this recipe, please click here to see more of my recipes.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Recipe of the Week - Sour Cream and Chive Dip

This makes a lovely thick creamy dip, perfect for nachos or potato wedges.

You will need:

70g Cashew Nuts

2 tsp Cyder Vinegar

1 tsp Lemon Juice

1 tbsp chopped fresh or dried chives

pinch of salt

Method:

Boil some water in the kettle and pour over the cashews in a bowl to cover them completely. Leave to soak for 40 minutes. Then drain and rinse.

Place the cashews into a blender with the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and 60ml water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more water if needed to get the right consistency.

Transfer to a ramekin and add the chives, stir in to combine.

Dollop on top of nachos, salsa, red onions and jalapeños. Eat and Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this recipe, there are plenty more here.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Sausages

A lot of people ask me what sausages I use in my cooking and where I get them from. Sometimes, I pick up vegan gourmet sausages from specialist shops and events, but mainly, I stick to two brands which can both be bought on the high street or at the supermarkets.

The first is Linda McCartney Sausages - the original style are vegan-friendly and say so on the front of the box. Be careful as some of the flavoured varieties contain egg. These sausages are perfect for breakfast and for sausage and mash. They can be cooked from frozen in the oven and can be purchased from all of the major supermarkets as well as Holland & Barrett. They retail for around £2 a box of 5.

The second is Vegetarian's Choice, now these sausages are grill or fry only and are available from Holland & Barrett. They are about half the price of the Linda McCartney sausages at around 99p per box of 5. They are thinner and a different texture to the Linda McCartney brand but these are great for sausage casseroles and stews, as they stay firmer when cooking in liquid. The Linda McCartney sausage tend to act like a sponge in a casserole and go a bit bloated and chewy.

Both of these are staples in my freezer for everyday meals. Which sausages do you use? Let me know in the comments below.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...Ten Acre Crisps

I was lucky enough to be sent some samples of the new Ten Acre Vegan Crisps range to try so I could review them for you, and let me tell you, I was impressed.

The flavours are interesting and quirky, they come with their own unique names and a fab website too. All of the flavours are vegan and gluten-free and they are registered with The Vegan Society.

The flavours include Sweet & Sour, BBQ, Bombay Spice, Chicken Soup, Ready Salted, Sweet Chilli and perhaps the most exciting for vegans...Cheese & Onion.

It is hard to find vegan cheese and onion crisps, so this is a real treat. The crisps all have a hand cooked finish, are not overpowering with flavour and come in a decent sized portion of 35g bags. My favourite is the Sweet & Sour flavour.

I'm really excited about this new crisp range. Click here to read all about their flavours and ask your local health food shop to start stocking them for you. We will have some for sale on our "The Vegan Grindhouse" Streetfood Truck.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Strawberry Tart

This stunning dessert is really easy to make and tastes divine. Serves 8.

Here is what you will need:

Shortcrust pastry (click here for recipe) or 1 pack of Jus-rol Shortcrust

1 punnet of strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

1 tub of Tofutti Cream Cheese Original

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp strawberry coulis

1/4 jar of redcurrant jelly

100g icing sugar

Method:

Roll out your chilled pastry and line a large tart dish. Prick the base with a fork and line with parchment paper. Fill the base with baking beans and blind bake for around 15-20 minutes at 160C until golden brown.

Remove the beans and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, place the cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar and beat together until creamy and soft. Spread the mixture all over the base of your cooled tart case.

Drizzle the strawberry coulis over the cream mixture and swirl with a fork.

Add the strawberries on to the filling.

In a small saucepan, place the redcurrant jelly and a tablespoon of water and heat gently until melted. Brush the redcurrant glaze over the strawberries and leave to set in the fridge.

Eat and Enjoy! If you enjoyed this recipe, please click here to see more.

VVx