vegan main meal – JenCooksPlants

BBQ Jackfruit

So you have a can/jar of jackfruit in the cupboard and you have no idea what to do with it. I’m here to help 🙂 What you don’t want to do with jackfruit is just eat it like it is – you have to spice and flavour that baby up, just like it’s a block of tofu, because it really is pretty tasteless on its own.

If you wanna keep your looks (who doesn’t…) apparently jackfruit is high in antioxidants, so get ON this stuff! Although it’s a fruit, and you can eat it as a fruit, most of us vegans use it as a meat substitute because of the texture, and it’s ability to take on savoury flavours. Have to admit, I tried raw jackfruit a year or so back, and I can’t say I enjoyed it… savoury cooked jackfruit though – GIMME.

BBQ jackfruit is probably the easiest and tastiest thing to do with a tin of jackfruit, and you can then use it in whatever dinner/lunch (or breafast?!) you like. I use mine in burgers, but you can also use as a baked potato topping, in tacos, on a pizza or as part of a warm buddah bowl. The choice is yours.

I like my jackfruit pretty spicy, but feel free to omit the chili powder if that’s not your bag. Jackfruit is much more soft and juicy if you cook it for a long time (and keep adding water as you go), but if you’re in a hurry you don’t need to cook the jackfruit for more than about ten minutes in the sauce. I’d suggest going for the long haul though, you won’t regret it.

Ingredients

1 x can/jar of jackfruit in water (approx 400g)

1 tsp oil for frying (e.g. sunflower oil)

1/2 small brown onion, roughly chopped

3 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped finely

1 Tbsp hot smoked paprika (use less if you prefer non-spicy)

1 Tbsp agave (or sub with brown sugar or maple syrup)

1/2 tsp chili powder (omit if you don’t like spicy)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup premade BBQ sauce (check if vegan – a fair few of them include honey)

Instructions

Drain the jackfruit and separate into smaller parts. Chop up the hard ends if they aren’t coming apart easily.

Add the oil to a frypan/skillet and heat on medium. Add the onions and cook until translucent, around 8 minutes (be careful not to burn – turn down if they start to brown).

While the onions are cooking, combine the paprika, agave, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper into a small bowl.

Add the minced garlic to the onions and stir, cooking for a minute or so, and ensure the garlic does not burn.

Add the jackfruit and the spices, and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook on medium for around a minute, stirring every so often so the bottom doesn’t stick.

Turn the heat to low and add the BBQ sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Stir to combine thoroughly. Leave to cook for around 30 minutes (up to an hour if you can stand the delicious smell!), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add more water if it starts to dry up. You want the sauce to be sloppy, but still sticking to the jackfruit when you serve it up.

Serve in buttered, toasted buns with lettuce, cheese and pickles and you have yourself a delicious pulled jackfruit burger!

Time to make: 10 minutes to prep the ingredients, 30 minutes to cook the jackfruit = 40 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 1.5, Pretty darn easy once you have all your spices mixed and jackfruit shredded.

#nowplaying : Idles – Mr Motivator

Spicy tofu & brussels sprout fried rice

main meal, tofu

Here’s a combo that you might not think goes together, but it really does. Brussels sprouts and fried rice? Nah. Oh, but YEAH.

Many people aren’t keen on that stinky little vegetable, but I’m a huge fan of sprouts. They’re usually only found as part of a roast dinner (hidden under the gravy), but after trying this recipe it’s clear that they’re a lot more versatile than just being a side dish. One cup of these little green machines gives you over 100% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin K and C, as well as containing high amounts of folate and fibre. Ugly vegetable, yet very good for you.

The combination of agave and sriracha on the crispy tofu gives it a sweet-but-spicy edge and I try to crisp up the tofu in the oven as much as possible without over cooking. The tofu can be pan fried too if you prefer that method. I like to just stick it in the oven and forget about it.

Try not to overcook your sprouts also – I know it’s quite a British thing to do (sorry Brits!), but let’s leave some of the nutrients intact, shall we?! Add some carrots and some seeds and you have a healthy as hell meal. You’re welcome 😉

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Sprout Fried Rice

2 cups of cooked, day old brown rice (white is fine if that’s all you have)

1.5 cups sliced Brussels sprouts (as thick or as thin as you want, just cook longer if you cut them quite thick)

1 large carrot, cut into half rounds

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of agave (or maple syrup)

1 tablespoon oil (any vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger (I used the stuff in a tube – lasts forever and it works well!)

Optional – sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, chopped roasted cashews

Spicy Tofu

1 pack (280g) Tofoo tofu (I love this stuff – no need to press the water out, just pat dry with a couple of handy towels and you’re good to go)

1 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)

1 tablespoon hot sauce (I use Sriracha, but you can use Frank’s or any other hot sauce)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon agave (can also use maple syrup)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Method

Prepare your tofu first so you can put in the oven and work on the fried rice.

Preheat oven to 200C

Prepare a baking tray with baking paper.

Mix all of the tofu ingredients apart from the tofu in a small bowl to make a marinade.

Drain the tofu and dice evenly.

Place the tofu into the marinade bowl and stir to combine, ensuring all of the tofu is coated.

Carefully place your tofu pieces one by one onto the baking paper. Keep the remaining marinade to coat the tofu halfway through.

Bake for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, turn over each piece of tofu individually and coat with the remaining marinade.

Bake for another 15 minutes or until browned, or as I like it, slightly burnt!

Now for the stir fry…

Add the vegetable oil and sesame oil to a cast iron skillet (or wok) and heat on medium high heat.

Add to the skillet the minced garlic and ginger, stirring occasionally for about a minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Add the sliced sprouts and carrots, and fry for around five minutes (longer if your sprouts are cut quite chunky), stirring occasionally.

Add the rice, soy sauce and agave to the skillet and stir to combine. Stir fry for another five minutes or so, until everything is heated through and the rice becomes dry.

Serve immediately and top with the tofu. Add some sesame seeds or crushed cashews.

Time to make: 20 minutes prep (because sprouts take AGES to prep!), 15 minutes to cook the rice and 30 minutes for the tofu = 55 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 2.5, the rice is really quick and easy but when you add the tofu it becomes more complicated.

Serves 2 (but honestly, keep some for leftovers as this is hella tasty the next day!)

#nowplaying Baxter Dury – Price of Tears

BBQ pulled tempeh sloppy Joes

burgers, main meal, tempeh

In my quest to veganise anything and everything, I’ve given Sloppy Joes the positivelyjen vegan once over. I missed out on the “joy” of Sloppy Joes before becoming vegan, because I was never really a fan of mincemeat (no surprises really considering what’s in the stuff…). Now that tempeh is on the scene there’s no turning back.

I remember the first time I tried tempeh… please don’t make my mistake and try it uncooked and not spiced – put me off the stuff for months. I persisted however, and now I’m picking up a packet every time I pay Whole Foods a visit. Not as versatile as tofu, but packed with more protein (19g per 100g – that’s EPIC) and more fibre than it’s more-processed cousin.

You can use vegan mince if you’re not a fan of tempeh (Fry’s do an awesome vegan mince), but in trying to keep things a bit healthy in the house, tempeh has slipped in there for the foreseeable. If you’re anti-spice too then feel free to leave out the jalapeño and chilli powder. Top with some green stuff (for the health), pickles, coleslaw (try my recipe here!) or your favourite vegan cheese.

Let the sloppiness begin.

Serves two people/four small burgers (or serves one if you’re really, really hungry)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbsp cup chopped jalapeños (I use ones from a jar – you can use fresh if you have them)

1/2 medium sized brown onion, finely chopped

200g packet of tempeh (I use Impulse Foods, which is organic and produced locally in the UK)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp BBQ sauce

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp sriracha

1 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp cumin

salt & pepper to tastse

1/3 cup water

4 small hamburger buns

Instructions

Heat the oil in a fry pan/skillet over medium heat and add jalapeños and onion. Stir to combine and continue cooking and stirring occasionally for around five to eight minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Add the garlic to the pan and stir for one minute until garlic is heated through.

Add the tempeh and water to the pan and break up the tempeh with a wooden spoon. Mix to combine with the onions and heat through (about five minutes – keep stirring every so often).

Add the remaining ingredients minus the buns, and stir to combine. Add more water here if needed – you want a sloppy but not runny consistency! Cook for a further five minutes or so, until everything is heated through.

Spoon onto your hamburger buns and add your favourite toppings.

Time to make: 5 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking time = 25 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 1.5, quick and easy this one. GET IN.

#nowplaying Radiohead – Man of War

Mexican corn and quinoa salad

salad

Alright guys – it’s nearly not salad weather anymore, woop! Not that I hate salad or anything, I just prefer my food cooked (I’d be a terrible raw til 4 participant).

THIS salad however, is a winner. Don’t tell your non-vegan friends it has quinoa in it though, because you know what they get like when they hear KEEN-WAH. All they need to know is it’s tasty and yum and shut up and eat it. Good.

Getting right into Mexican flavours lately, as you’ll see in some upcoming Instagram posts and posts on this here website. Mexican food can be super vegan friendly, and something I rarely came across growing up, so excuse me while I get all “must. veganise. every. Mexican. dish.” on you.

This salad is awesome the next day so make a big batch and eat it when you need it. Make the quinoa ahead of time and you’re laughing as well.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup corn kernels (I cooked two ears of corn under the grill and sliced it off, but feel free to use canned corn, or thawed frozen corn)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper/capsicum, halved
1 jalapeños, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lime, juiced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
6 or 7 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to the packet directions. Set aside to cool.

Place the halved pepper under the grill and char on both sides on medium-high heat, approximately 10 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and set aside.

When the quinoa is cooled down, add the remaining ingredients, along with the peppers/capsicum, and stir to combine.

Serve alongside your favourite Mexican dishes – of course!

Time to make: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes to cook quinoa/peppers, 5 minutes to combine = 35 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 2, pretty simple stuff here. Make it harder (but tastier) by grilling your corn before adding it to the rest of the ingredients

#nowplaying Modjo* – Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (not my usual style but it reminds me of better times 🙂 )

Get saucy – vegan lasagna sauce

main meal, sauce

Lasagna is just such a classic meal. I used to cook it all the time before going vegan, but was never sure how to transfer it over using plant based ingredients.

I should never have worried – the amount of plant based milks and cheeses around means lasagna will never go off the menu. Plus you only need to substitute for some soy mince or lentils, or just make it all from veggies. Most lasagna pasta sheets should be vegan (I use Biona Organic), so there’s no excuse!

This sauce can be used in any recipe you’d need a bechamel or white sauce. Lasagna is just one – give it a go on pasta, potato gratin or as a base for a mustard sauce or macaroni cheese. It shouldn’t be a prominent flavour in the food that you are adding it to, so don’t go crazy on the flavourings.

Ingredients

4 Tbsp vegan butter

1/2 small white onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 cups plant based milk (I use hemp milk but you can use soy or a milk that’s not too sweet)

juice of half a lemon

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp dried thyme (or one Tbsp of chopped fresh thyme if you have it to hand)

rock salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

Add the butter, onion and garlic to a medium sized saucepan and heat on medium heat until the onions are translucent and the butter has melted (around 2-3 minutes).

Add the cornstarch and stir until combined (it will be clumpy!).

While stirring, add the remaining ingredients apart from the thyme. Reduce heat and whisk until the sauce is at the required thickness.

Remove from the heat and stir in thyme.

Serve as lasagna sauce, over cauliflower/broccoli or in potato gratin.

Time to make: 5 minutes prep, 5 minutes on the hob = 10 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 2 – have to keep an eye on the sauce while it’s on the hob.

#nowplaying Yak – Use Somebody

Beetroot burger patties

burgers, main meal

Time time has come for me to stop relying on pre-made burgers and start making them myself… when I have time. Seeing as I was recently off work for two weeks (one spent in Dubrovnik though) it was time to start.

First up – beetroot burger patties. So pink, so “raw beef”-like (ew ew ew), but so delicious.

As always, with the food you make yourself you know exactly what’s in it, and this is one healthy patty. Chickpeas, carrots, beetroot, onion, flax… ALL the good stuff. Another high protein, iron and calcium recipe. Look at you go!

Ingredients

1 x 400g tin of drained chickpeas (keep that aquafaba for chocolate mousse!)

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves of minced garlic

1/4 large red onion, finely chopped (you could use half a medium white onion too)

1 small beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped (or use 1/3 of a 350g jar of sliced beetroot and some of the juice)

2 small carrots, finely chopped

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp fresh chopped basil

1 tsp fresh chopped parsley (or use herbs of your choice)

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 Tbsp water

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup to 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs

Method

Mix the ground flaxseed and water in a ramekin and set aside to thicken.

Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened (around 7-10 minutes).

Add the garlic and stir to combine for around one minute.

Combine all ingredients apart from the breadcrumbs in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until combined. You can use a food processor for this to get it mixed quicker, but I don’t have one! The chickpeas will mash quite easily, just persist until you have a slightly chunky mixture.

Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.

Split the patty mix into four and form into burger shapes.

Coat each patty separately in the breadcrumbs, pressing them into the mixture slightly so they don’t fall off.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick fry-pan over medium heat.

Carefully place each patty in the fry-pan and cook for around 5 minutes on each side, or until browned nicely.

Serve in a soft fresh burger bun with all the burger-y trimmings.

Makes 4 decent sized patties

Time to make: 20 minutes prep, 10 minutes on the hob = 30 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 2.5, fairly straightforward

#nowplaying Billy Bragg – Talking With The Taxman About Poetry

Balsamic tofu skewers

main meal, tofu

I love a good skewer, and I love Mediterranean veggies and tofu, so here we are.

I used to make skewers by cutting up the ingredients, popping them on skewers, drizzling and grill. Grilling however is a right royal pain. Ain’t nobody got time to check and turn, check and turn, check and turn every five minutes.

The solution? Cook it all first and THEN stick it on skewers. I know, genius.

Of course feel free to use any veggies you wish (onions, aubergine, carrots etc.), but make sure you use this balsamic tofu recipe because it’s divine.

Ingredients

Roasted veggies (see earlier Mediterranean vegetables recipe for a how to)

1 block of tofu (approx 400 grams) sufficiently pressed and cut into cubes

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Italian seasoning (or sub for 1/4 tsp each of dried oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme)

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 200C

Place the pressed and cubed tofu in a shallow bowl with the balsamic vinegar, seasoning and salt and pepper.

Mix enough so that the tofu is evenly coated.

Cover with cling film and place in the fridge to marinate for around 30 minutes to an hour.

Remove marinated tofu from the fridge and transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Ensure there is no overlap and they are evenly spaced.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove from the oven when sufficiently crispy and assemble on skewers with the baked veggies.

If you need to heat them up a bit more pop them back in the oven for five minutes, then serve with roasted vegetables, orzotto or giant couscous.

Makes enough for four skewers, or two people

Time to make: 10 minutes prep, 30 minutes in the oven, 10 minutes assembly = 50 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 2, relatively easy but you will need to make the roasted veggies alongside if you’re making skewers.

#nowplaying Ocean Colour Scene – The Riverboat Song

Potato salad (vegan)

Potato, salad, sides

Who doesn’t love potato salad?! Actually, I never really liked it that much when I was younger, it always tasted really fatty and made me feel a bit bilious. Non-vegan potato salad (with bacon) IS really fatty and gross, so it’s no surprise I felt that way.

So here comes a less-fatty and gross potato salad for you lot to try out. You’re welcome.

I made the vegan bacon in advance (recipe here) and it’s amazing, but don’t feel like you have to use it. There are other vegan “bacon” alternatives on the market, but IMHO they’re not nearly as good as the stuff you can make yourself.

In this recipe I bake the spuds first to give them a bit of texture, but feel free to boil them instead if you want something a touch more healthy (just a touch…).

Here we have it, creamy, rich, and not at all biliousness-inducing vegan potato salad.

Ingredients

750g red potatoes (I used a 750g pack of Albert Bartlett spuds -they’re pretty versatile)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup vegan mayo (I use Granovita Mayola from Holland & Barrett, but there are other vegan mayo’s on the market that you could use)

1/4 cup sweet relish

1 tsp Dijon mustard (could also sub for seeded mustard – might try that next time!)

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 Tbsp fresh dill finely chopped (or dried if you don’t have fresh)

1/2 large red onion finely chopped

Optional

1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

Small handful of vegan bacon

Method

Preheat oven to 210C (400F).

Dice the spuds into bite sized pieces (around 1/2″ cubes).

Place spuds in a bowl with salt, pepper and the olive oil. Toss until combined.

Place spuds on an oven tray and bake for around 45 minutes or until crispy. Stir halfway through cooking to ensure an even crispness.

Set aside spuds to cool.

Combine the remaining ingredients (apart from the chives) until well combined. Place dressing mix in the fridge until spuds are fully cooled.

When cooled, add the spuds to the dressing and mix until spuds are fully coated.

Sprinkle with chives and vegan bacon, then EAT.

Makes enough salad as a side for 3-4 people

Time to make: 10 minutes prep, 45minutes in the oven, 5 minutes to combine = 60 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 1.5, easy once the spuds are done, just combine and serve

#nowplaying Super Furry Animals – BingBong

Roasted Courgette Orzotto

main meal, Risotto

Orzotto is a thing! I didn’t know it was a thing until I spent a week in Dubrovnik recently and tried some myself. Oh boy, it was GOOD.

Orzotto is basically a risotto made with pearl barley instead of rice. The food in Dubrovnik has quite a heavy Italian influence (think pizza, pasta, grilled veggies… all the good stuff!), and orzotto is no exception.

You can substitute the veggies in this with any other roast veggies and I’m sure it’ll taste just as good. Be sure to roast your veggies with olive oil, balsamic, garlic, salt and pepper before you mix it in too, as it just makes the flavour so much tastier.

Pearl barley – not just for soup apparently!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 small/medium courgette (zucchini), cut into 1/2 cm thick rounds

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of crushed garlic

200g pearl barley

2 handfuls of roughly chopped spinach

1/2 cup white wine

1 litre vegetable stock

1 tsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 tsp chopped fresh basil

sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

optional 1 Tbsp vegan parmesan – I use Violife Prosociano which I pick up from Ms Cupcake in Brixton

Method

Preheat oven to 220C (425F)

Heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the finely chopped onion

Heat the onion on medium heat, stirring until translucent (about five minutes)

Add two cloves of crushed garlic and stir until combined

Stir in the pearl barley and spinach and cook for a couple of minutes

Add the white wine and stir. Allow the wine to evaporate.

(Optional – drink the remainder of the bottle of white wine ;-))

Add the stock in 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring occasionally, and allowing each cup of stock to fully evaporate before adding more stock

While the pearl barley is cooking, prepare the roast courgettes

Add the sliced courgette rounds to a small bowl and top with 1 of the cloves of crushed garlic, 2 Tbsp of the olive oil, the balsamic and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

Place the courgette rounds on a baking tray and cook for 25 minutes (longer if you cut thicker rounds)

Continue cooking the pearl barley mix for 30 minutes, adding more stock after the current stock evaporates

When the pear barley is ready, remove from heat and stir in the corgette, basil and parsley (and parmesan if using) and a generous amount of salt and cracked black pepper

Serve by itself or with a side salad and more roasted veggies

Makes enough orzotto for two people

Time to make: 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes on the hob = 50 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 3, you will need to keep an eye on the pearl barley, stirring to keep from sticking to the pan, and adding stock every few minutes.

#nowplaying The Charlatans – Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over

Pistachio crusted tofu

main meal, tofu

Spent a good hour in the kitchen the other night whipping up a vegan storm. The tastiest part of the meal was the pistachio crusted tofu, and considering the ingredients list it didn’t take too long to prepare.

With the tofu, pistachio and tahini combo, this recipe will ensure you’re well on your way to hitting your daily protein, iron and calcium recommended intake.

And we like that kind of thing 🙂

There’s quite an ingredient list and takes some assembling – but don’t be put off. The final product is worth it!

Ingredients

Marinated Tofu

1 block of tofu (I used Dragonfly natural tofu, 250g)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp water

Tahini paste

2 Tbsp tahini

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

some water – you want the tahini to be a spreadable consistency. (I used around 1 1/2 Tbsps, but do what’s right for the tahini you have – some are thicker than others)

Pistachio crust

1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios

1/2 Tbsp fresh basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Just gonna put all this pistachio crust in my mouth now.

Method

Preheat oven to 200C

For the marinated tofu, combine the soy sauce, water and olive oil in a small baking dish that will fit the tofu when laid flat

Cut the tofu into four slices (I cut mine in half and half again), and then place the tofu flat into the baking dish

Marinate for up to 20 minutes, turning over every five minutes or so

While the tofu is marinating, combine the tahini paste ingredients except the water and stir to combine. Add water gradually, until you reach a spreadable paste-like consistency

Place the tofu into the oven for 10 minutes

While the tofu is cooking make your pistachio crust. Finely chop (or put in a food processor) the pistachios, then add to the chopped basil, oregano, thyme and salt and pepper into a small bowl

After the tofu has been in the oven for ten minutes, remove and carefully spread the tahini paste on top of the tofu. Spoon on the pistachio crust evenly on top of the tahini paste and press lightly so it sticks

Place back in the oven for 10 minutes or until the pistachios have browned

Serve with roasted veggies and quinoa/rice/cous cous

Makes enough tofu for two people

Time to make: 30 minutes prep, 20 minutes in the oven = 50 minutes

On a scale of easy (1) to pull your hair out difficult (5) = 4, lots going on with this one!

#nowplaying White Denim – Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)