April 26, 2018 by thevegspace

Recipe: Spicy Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing (Vegan)

I’ve mentioned before that salads really aren’t my thing, but there are of course exceptions to any rule, and salads that involve a) lots of peanut butter and b) lots of chilli are most definitely one of those exceptions. This Spicy Thai Salad would be perfect as a standalone lunch, (you could add in some rice noodles if you want a bit more bulk), or equally as a side salad to serve with a vegan BBQ or summertime buffet.

How spicy your salad becomes is of course entirely up to you – I used one red chilli in the salad and another (with seeds) in the dressing, but where you put the chilli(s), how many and whether you remove the seeds is totally your decision.

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February 3, 2018February 5, 2018 by thevegspace

Recipe: Easy Vegan Sushi Platter

I’m really not a roses and chocolates kinda girl. All the Valentines’ recipes for pretty pink soups and dainty heart-shaped desserts doing the rounds at the moment really aren’t for me. But a heart-shaped vegan sushi platter? Now you’re talking…. (I know, my poor husband…!).

The idea of an ‘easy’ sushi platter might be a bit hard to believe, and I’m not promising this is super-speedy, (you’re probably looking at about 40 minutes prep time, and then 30 minutes assembly of the sushi – you could prep the night before if you don’t have time to do it all in one go). But there’s nothing difficult about making sushi, just follow the instructions and my little videos below, and you can’t go wrong. (Probably).

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July 19, 2017October 14, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Pea & Wasabi Vegan Mayonnaise

In collaboration with Taking the Pea

Oh, the humble green pea – I wonder how many I’ve eaten in my life? Is it in the ten-thousands or even the hundred-thousands? I have no idea, but I still love them dearly – whether accidentally slathered in ketchup alongside chips and a veggie burger, or straight from the pod whilst no-one is looking in the veg patch.

It was only when I started eating more vegan food and paying attention to things like protein content, fibre and fat that I realised what little green power-houses they are – packed with healthy, plant-based protein, high in fibre and low in calories – in short, the perfect snack for vegans.

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July 15, 2017May 5, 2018 by thevegspace

Recipe: 5 Fruity Vegan Salad Dressings

The very simplest of green leaf salads can be totally transformed by a knock-your-socks-off salad dressing, and I’ve been making the most of all sorts of lovely fresh fruit we’ve had around over the last few weeks to experiment with these brightly-coloured vinaigrettes.

These fruity dressings keep well in the fridge, and are such a lovely gift to take along to a BBQ or summer lunch party – made in under 5 minutes, poured into a sterilised bottle and tied with a pretty label round the neck, they are always really well received.

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June 8, 2016October 17, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Tenderstem & Cucumber Soba Noodle Salad

Isn’t it funny how some things we usually eat hot also work really well cold, but others don’t? Like cold pasta, (eg. fusilli or penne), in a salad is delicious, but somehow cold tagliatelle seems really wrong. And cold tomato soup is gorgeous as gazpacho, but cold cauliflower soup sounds revolting. Cold waxy potatoes in salad are wonderful, but cold chips are less so!

My point is that whilst I usually prefer my noodles hot, these gorgeous soba noodles work really, really well cold – they retain their bite and nutty flavour and are great for soaking up the flavours of punchy dressings, like this creamy and crunchy peanut and sesame one.

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May 26, 2016October 14, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Olive BBQ Flatbreads with Marinated Artichokes

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The never-ending debate is re-surfacing again for the summer…. what on earth do vegetarians & vegans want to eat at BBQs? Fake sausages just dry out and turn to cardboard, and I’m getting a bit bored of halloumi.

So, here’s an idea which is deceptively easy and a sure-fire crowd pleaser at any BBQ… garlicky, olive-y flatbreads cooked quickly over the coals, topped with marinated artichokes and cherry tomatoes. Totally delicious, and great served with hummus, baba ganoush or other middle-eastern style bits and pieces.

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May 18, 2016October 14, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Wild Rice & Watercress Salad

Here’s one of those ‘bung it all in and see what happens’ sort of suppers – supposedly celebrating all the fabulous produce that early British summertime brings, (though I fear that summer might in fact have been and gone…. oh well, it was fun whilst it lasted).

If you’re a regular reader you’ll have noticed that I’m not much of a salad fan…. I rarely find a salad filling and satisfying enough to count as a main meal in its own right, but adding grains like giant cous cous (here), bulgur wheat (here), or rice (here) transforms a collection of vegetables (ie. a side dish), into a proper stand-alone main course.

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May 11, 2016April 22, 2018 by thevegspace

Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato & Pine Nut Scone Fingers (with homemade sun dried tomatoes!)

Here’s a really gorgeous savoury scone recipe, which I’ve cut into fingers for the sole purpose of dunking into a nice big bowl of soup. By all means cut these into rounds or squares instead, (in fact little round ones halved, with something lovely on the top would make a really gorgeous party nibble or canapé.). The flavours are punchy, just how I like them – along with the sun-dried tomato is cayenne, mustard and garlic, then the crunch of pine nuts. These are just as good, (in fact better!), than any cheese scone I’ve had recently!

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March 7, 2016October 18, 2017 by thevegspace

Recipe: Kale Pesto & Cauliflower Picnic Pies

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Who needs a pork pie when you could have a pretty little curly kale pesto pie instead? Not me!! I know, picnic season seems such a long way off, but I love serving picnic-style finger-food when we have friends for lunch, even in the depths of winter. I made these before realising that it’s British Pie Week too, a happy coincidence!

You may not have guessed that the ingredients for these pies are almost all from the freezer cabinet – yes, even the curly kale and parsley. I was challenged by Iceland to create a recipe from their range of frozen ingredients for their #PowerOfFrozen campaign, and took a trip to my nearest store, which I hadn’t visited before. Continue reading “Recipe: Kale Pesto & Cauliflower Picnic Pies” →

The Veg Space

easy vegan comfort food recipes

Category: Light Lunches