Recipes (April / May 2026)

Spring Sprout & Marrow Soup

Ingredients:

450g baby marrow, chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
4 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
3 cups vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste
*optional * ½ cup vegan cream or canned coconut milk

Instructions:

Chop the vegetables.

Melt butter in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, carrot until shiny and aromatic.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around to coat all the vegetables evenly.

Add vegetable stock and baby marrow, plus salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

Once bubbling, turn down the heat and gently simmer until marrows are soft.

Blend the soup into a smooth purée. Stir in cream before serving.

Serve with fresh bread or croutons.

Tip:
Baby marrow soup can be refrigerated and can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container. Simply reheat on the stove or in the microwave. Adding small amounts of water because the soup thickens when it cools.

Classic Homestyle Meatloaf

Ingredients:

300 – 450g plant-based beef
½ cup rolled oats or quick oats
⅓ cup onion, finely diced or grated
¼ cup tomato or barbeque sauce
2 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce or Soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180C

Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until well combined.

Shape the mixture into a loaf and place on a lined baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush generously with more tomato or barbeque sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes.

Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet Potatoes Filled with Spiced Lentils & Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes
4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed
1Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp cumin seeds
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tomatoes, chopped, or 410g can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1/4 Tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 Tsp sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground chilli powder
1/2 Tsp salt
4 cups firmly packed baby spinach2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup lemon tahini dressing

Lemon Tahini Dressing
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 Tsp maple syrup
1/4 Tsp salt
1/8 Tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Sweet Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the sweet potatoes on the lined baking sheet and prick each several times with a fork. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until fork-tender. Cook the lentils according to their package instructions. Drain well.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the seeds start to pop. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Decrease the heat to low and stir in the lentils, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, harissa, and salt, then stir in the spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted, adding water by the 1⁄4 cup if needed to prevent sticking.

Stir in the pomegranate molasses. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Cut each sweet potato in half and use a fork to coarsely mash the flesh, still in the skin. Place two halves on each serving plate and top them with a generous scoop of the lentils. Serve right away, with a drizzle of the tahini dressing and the optional fresh herbs.

Lemon Tahini Dressing
Combine all the ingredients, plus 1/4 cup warm water, in a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk until evenly blended. If the dressing is thicker than you’d like, whisk in water by the tablespoonful to achieve the desired consistency.

Spaghetti Carbonara-Style with Smoked Tofu

Ingredients:

Carbonara Sauce
60g cashew nuts
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp yeast
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Tofu Bacon Marinade
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 large tsp dark miso paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika powder
150g firm tofu & Pasta of your choice

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 200C.
Add all vegan carbonara sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until you get a smooth sauce.

Tip! Soak the cashews before to make blending easier.

For the tofu bacon marinade, in a bowl combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 large tsp or 1 1/2 tsp of dark miso paste, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and 1 tsp of smoked paprika powder. Mix them together well.

Cut 150g of firm tofu into small cubes and transfer into a small dish with a lid. Pour the tofu bacon marinade into it, close the lid and shake the dish so the marinade covers every single tofu cube. You can leave it to marinade for a while if you prefer.

Transfer the marinated tofu bacon bits to a lined baking tray and distribute evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 15min. Cook the spaghetti or paste to your preference. Once the pasta is ready and drained, pour the carbonara sauce over it and mix in the tofu bacon bits. Serve with a fresh green salad.

Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
320g Sheet of vegan shortcrust pastry
150ml maple syrup
150g light brown soft sugar
100g vegan baking butter
2 tbsp cornflour
300g Silker tofu, drained
1 tbsp Rum (optional)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
250g Pecans (150g roughly chopped, 100g left whole)

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 200C. Roll the pastry out slightly onto baking parchment so it fits a 23cm tart tin. Flip over into the tin using the parchment to help you, then remove the parchment and press the pastry into the base and up the side of the tin.

Trim the excess slightly but leave some overhanging. Slide the tin onto a baking sheet. Scrunch up the used sheet of parchment and use it to line the pastry case, then fill with baking beans or uncooked rice.

Bake for 15-20 mins, then remove the beans or rice and the parchment, and bake for another 5-10 mins until the pastry is sandy to the touch and golden.

Cut away the excess pastry with a serrated knife. Melt the maple syrup, brown sugar and butter together in a saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the cornflour until fully incorporated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Tip the tofu, rum (if using), vanilla and a large pinch of salt into a blender and blitz until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

Add the maple syrup mixture and blend again to combine, then pour into a bowl and stir in the chopped pecans. Pour the filling into the pastry case and decorate the top with the whole pecans. Bake for 25 mins, then reduce the oven temperature to 160C.

Bake for 30 mins more until the top is set and dark golden brown. Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into slices to serve.

Spiced Chai latte

Ingredients:
2 sticks of cinnamon
8 whole black peppercorn
1 star anise
3 cloves
1/2 tsp sliced ginger
3-4 black tea bags
500ml almond
2-3 Tbsp maple syrup

Instructions:
Toast the spices in a dry frying pan until fragrant.
Add 500ml of water and the ginger, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the tea bags. Steep for 10 minutes, then strain out the tea bags and spices.
On a low heat, heat the milk with the maple syrup (to make the milk frothy, blitz the milk first in a blender before heating).

Divide the tea between mugs, then stir in the milk, topping with some foam.