Tinned peppers are great blended up to add to a tomato sauce or soup.
Dairy-free cheese will provide familiarity and texture.
Firm tofu gives bite and texture, as well as all-important protein.
Nori helps you get a fishy, salty flavour and can be used to wrap sushi rolls.
Capers offer a really individual, salty flavour.
Soy cream introduces lovely silky, creamy textures.
Dairy-free ice cream should always be in the freezer because, well, movie night.
Fantastic feasts.
Here are some delicious feasts you can create using the recipes in this book. Create your own takeaways at home, or create a spread to wow a whole dinner party, using just this book.
SPANISH SPREAD.
Fancy a fiesta? Make the ultimate Spanish spread. Just add Sangria, salsa and a little bit of sunshine.
Pettigrew’s Paella.
Spanish Tapas.
Proper Spanish Aioli.
THE BIG INDIAN TAKEAWAY.
If contrasting curries is your thing then we’ve got you covered! This wonderful spread of curries, naan and rice represents the best of our favourite cuisine.
Big Bhaji Burger.
Creamy Korma.
Rogan BOSH!.
Saag Aloo Curry.
Fluffy Naan Bread & Raita.
Onion Fried Rice.
THE BIG THAI TAKEAWAY.
To magic up your own Southeast Asian takeaway look no further than these recipes. You’ll find deep, subtle yet strong spices and explosions of flavour.
Pad Thai.
Tom Yum Soup.
Thai Red Curry.
Massaman Curry.
(Rich Satay) Bangin’ Veggie Kebabs.
Perfectly Boiled Rice.
THE BIG CHINESE TAKEAWAY.
Create an Indo-Chinese takeaway in your own home. Let your guests wrap their own pancakes, and pick and choose from all the bowls in the middle of the table. Just add chopsticks.
Sticky Shiitake Mushrooms.
Crispy Chilli Tofu.
Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu.
Shiitake Teriyaki Dippers.
Hoi Sin Pancakes.
Special Fried Rice.
THE BIG BBQ.
Feeling like an all-year-round taste of summer? These dishes will delight any BBQ party or brighten up any dining room. Griddle and nibble to your heart’s content.
Portobello Mushroom Burgers.
The Big BOSH! Burger.
Lemon & Chilli Griddled Greens.
Ultimate BBQ Coleslaw.
Guacamole Potato Salad.
Bangin’ Veggie Kebabs.
ITALIAN HEAVEN.
If you like pasta and pizza as much as we do, then look no further. This is the perfect dinner-party spread.
Spaghetti Bolognese.
Perfect Pizza.
World’s Best Pesto Lasagne.
WEEKEND LUNCH.
A British dinner of comfort and joy!
Mushroom & Guinness Pie.
‘Fish’ & Chips.
Sticky Toffee Pudding.
A TEX-MEX-STYLE FIESTA.
Combine these dishes for a serious taste of Tex-Mex goodness. We hope you like guacamole (who doesn’t?). Feel free to dial down the chilli if you prefer!
Jackfruit Tacos.
Sweet Pepper Fajitas.
Burrito Samosas.
Ultimate Chilli.
Big Bad Nachos.
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings.
THE MEZZE PLATTER.
Take a trip to the Middle East with the ultimate mezze spread. The flavours of hummus, falafel and olives are deliciousness in every mouthful. If you have the time, trust us, the Mezze Cake is worth it.
Mezze Cake.
Tomato & Pomegranate Salad.
Falafel BOSH! Bowl.
Popcorn Falafel.
Baba Ganoush.
All the Hummus.
THE BIG BOSH! ROAST.
No Sunday (or Christmas Day!) is complete without a roast dinner and all the trimmings. There are step-by-step instructions.
Mushroom Wellington.
Rosemary & Thyme Roast Vegetables.
Red Wine Gravy.
Creamy Carbonara.
This is everything a carbonara should be: creamy, rich and comforting. The smoky, flavourful mushrooms complement the thick, satisfying pasta sauce perfectly. A truly fantastic option for a delicious midweek dinner.
SERVES 4.
6 portobello mushrooms (about 250g).
5 tbsp soy sauce.
20ml maple syrup.
20ml apple cider vinegar.
20ml olive oil.
130g cashew nuts.
5 garlic cloves.
190ml plant-based milk.
10g nutritional yeast.
150g silken tofu.
300g spaghetti.
125g garden peas.
handful flat-leaf parsley or rocket leaves, to serve.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray. Liquidiser. Small saucepan of boiling water on a high heat. Large saucepan of salted water on a high heat.
Slice the mushrooms thinly. Pour the soy sauce, maple syrup, cider vinegar and olive oil into a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the mushrooms, making sure the slices are well covered in the marinade and set aside.
Meanwhile, put the cashews in the small saucepan filled with boiling water and boil for 15 minutes.
Take the mushroom slices out of the bowl and lay them out evenly on the lined baking tray. Add the whole garlic cloves and pour over the marinade. Bake in the hot oven for 25–30 minutes, until they have shrunk in size and begun to crisp very slightly.
Drain the cashews and put them into the liquidiser along with the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast and tofu. Whizz to a very smooth cream and then set aside.
Add the pasta to the large pan of boiling salted water and cook until al dente, following the instructions on the packet. Add the peas for the last minute of cooking. Fill a mug with pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and peas through a colander and tip the pasta back into the cooking pot.
Pour the carbonara cream and 3 tablespoons of the pasta water over the pasta and stir everything around until the pasta is well covered in the cream. Take the mushrooms out of the oven and fold them into the creamy pasta. Add another splash of pasta water, if needed, to give a nice, loose, creamy consistency.
Garnish with the fresh parsley or rocket (or any other green, leafy salad) and serve immediately.
Mushroom Pho.
Nothing beats a hearty pho soup. Traditionally, pho is made with a deep stock that’s been brewing for hours, or even days. We’ve used a shortcut but retained the pho richness through the delights of shiitake mushrooms, star anise and tamarind paste. Just make sure you have enough liquid and add more water if you need to.
SERVES 6.
2 onions.
4 garlic cloves.
15cm piece fresh ginger.
3 fresh red chillies.
16 shiitake mushrooms.
6 tbsp sesame oil.
150ml fresh orange juice (not from concentrate).
2 tbsp tamarind paste.
4 star anise.
2 cinnamon sticks.
3 litres water.
100ml soy or tamari sauce.
100ml maple syrup.
10 button mushrooms.
300g flat rice noodles.
4 spring onions.
2 handfuls fresh coriander.
2 handfuls fresh mint.
150g beansprouts.
200g pak choi.
sriracha and soy sauce, to serve.
Large saucepan on a medium heat.
Peel and coarsely chop the onions and garlic. Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon and chop coarsely. Rip the stem from one of the chillies and chop, removing the seeds if you prefer a milder flavour. Trim and roughly slice 6 of the shiitake mushrooms.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the sesame oil in the large saucepan and add the chopped onion, garlic, chilli, ginger and the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring continuously until everything has softened.
Add the orange juice, tamarind paste, star anise and cinnamon sticks and continue to stir for another 3 minutes. Add the water, soy or tamari sauce and maple syrup.
Turn up the heat, bring to the boil, then turn it down again and simmer for 10 minutes, until reduced by about one-sixth. Strain the liquid into a large bowl through a sieve. Rinse the pan.
Put the pan back on a high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons sesame oil. While the oil is warming, trim the remaining 10 shiitake and the button mushrooms and add them to the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes, until very slightly browned. Pour all the pho liquid back into the pan. Add the rice noodles and cook for about 3–4 minutes, or according to the timings on the packet.
Finely slice the spring onions and put them in a small pile on a large plate. Pick the leaves from the coriander and mint and put them on the plate. Trim and finely slice the remaining chillies, removing the seeds if you prefer a milder flavour, and put them on the plate along with the beansprouts.
Trim and quarter the pak choi and add it to the soup. Take the whole pan to the table along with the plate, with a ladle for people to serve themselves and chopsticks for them to add their own fresh herbs, vegetables and chillies. Serve with soy sauce and sriracha on the side. Best eaten as soon as it’s ready!.
Guacaroni.
Macaroni meets guacamole! This dish is as perfect as its name suggests and we think it’s one of the finest pasta salads you will ever taste. It’s great eaten hot or cold, served alongside a BBQ, as a lunchtime salad or with a bit of green salad as a quick main course.
SERVES 4–6.
320g macaroni.
3½ tsp salt.
4 ripe avocados.
2 limes.
2 tbsp olive oil.
½ tsp garlic powder.
½ red onion.
2 fresh red chillies.
12 cherry tomatoes.
20g fresh coriander leaves.
Large saucepan of water on a high heat. Large mixing bowl.
Add the macaroni and 2 teaspoons of the salt to the boiling water and cook until al dente, following the instructions on the packet.
Halve and carefully stone the avocados by tapping the stones firmly with the heel of a knife so that it lodges in the pit, then twist and remove the stones, then scoop the flesh into the mixing bowl. Halve the limes and squeeze the juice into the bowl, catching any pips in your other hand. Add the olive oil, garlic powder and the remaining salt to taste and mash the avocado using the back of a fork. Peel and mince the onion. Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder flavour. Finely chop the tomatoes, chillies and coriander and add to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients together.
Drain the macaroni and tip into the bowl of guacamole, stirring to make sure the pasta is well covered. Serve immediately as a side dish or light lunch, or box it up ready for tomorrow’s lunch.
Curry-Crusted Sweet Potatoes.
We’ve mixed up the traditional stuffed potato by putting our filling on the outside in this recipe. The flavours work a treat with a fresh lime crust contrasting really well with a delicious sweet potato. This is one to freestyle with and try different flavour combos. It works great in the oven or cooked on a BBQ.
SERVES 2.
2 large sweet potatoes (about 300g each).
vegetable oil, for greasing.
salad leaves, to serve, optional.
1 x portion Guacamole (shop-bought or see here), to serve, optional.
FOR THE CURRY PASTE.
5cm piece fresh ginger.
3 garlic cloves.
1 fresh red chilli.
1 lime.
8 sun-dried tomatoes, plus 1 tbsp oil from the jar.
30g fresh coriander (leaves and stalks).
40g desiccated coconut.
10g panko breadcrumbs.
1½ tsp salt.
1 tsp garam masala.
1 tsp ground cumin.
2 tsp water.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Food processor. Baking tray. Foil.
Prick the whole sweet potatoes with a fork and put them on a plate. Microwave on high for about 10–15 minutes until quite soft (alternatively put the potatoes in a 220°C oven and bake for 25 minutes, remove them from the oven and reduce the heat to 200°C). Remove and set aside to cool down slightly. Score the skins with a sharp knife.
Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon. Peel the garlic. Rip the stem from the chilli, cut it in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder flavour. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the food processor, catching any pips in your other hand. Put all the rest of the curry paste ingredients into the food processor and whizz to a thick paste.
Cut 2 squares of foil big enough to fully wrap your sweet potatoes in and grease one side with oil. Take half the curry paste and use your hands to encase one of the potatoes with a thick layer of paste. Repeat with the second potato.
Tightly wrap the sweet potatoes in the foil squares, put on the baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Take the sweet potatoes out of the oven, remove the foil and serve with a small side salad and a big spoonful of guacamole, if using.
Sticky Shiitake Mushrooms.
If you’re a fan of sticky, sweet, pan-Asian cuisine you will love this dish (seriously, it’s bangin’!). It’s quick and easy to put together and guaranteed to impress. Serve with freshly cooked rice and chopsticks.
SERVES 2.
240g shiitake mushrooms.
3 tbsp cornflour.
2 tbsp groundnut oil.
2 garlic cloves.
3cm piece fresh ginger.
½ tsp water.
1 tbsp sesame oil.
2 tbsp light brown sugar.
4 tbsp dark soy sauce.
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar.
1 tsp sriracha sauce, or to taste.
1 spring onion, to serve.
250g pre-cooked basmati rice (shop-bought or Perfectly Boiled Rice), to serve.
1 tsp sesame seeds, to serve.
Wok or large frying pan on a high heat.
Thickly slice the mushrooms and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cornflour over the top and toss everything together with your hands, making sure the mushrooms are well covered. Pour the groundnut oil into the wok or pan and get it nice and hot. Tip in the mushrooms and fry for 4–6 minutes, until cooked through and slightly crisp on the outside. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger. Spoon the remaining 1 tablespoon cornflour into a small dish and mix it together with the water. Wipe out the wok with kitchen paper and put it back on a low heat. Pour in the sesame oil. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook until you release the aromas and they’re bubbling in the oil, about 1 minute. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir until caramelised, about 2 minutes more. Increase the heat slightly and pour in the cornflour mix, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, then stir for another minute until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the sriracha and stir it into the sauce. Tip the cooked mushrooms back into the pan and stir to warm through and completely cover in the sauce, a further 1–2 minutes.
Finely slice the spring onion. Serve the chewy mushrooms over hot basmati rice, garnished with the sliced spring onion and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Mini Chilli Bowls.
This is a quick-to-prepare, warming hug-in-a-bowl kind of dish that’s good for impressing your guests when time is against you! Feel free to up the chilli if you like a bit of a kick. This banging chilli is served inside a cool cone dish.
SERVES 3–6.
3–6 medium flour tortillas.
1 fresh red chilli.
1 red onion.
2 garlic cloves.
2 red peppers.
20g fresh coriander.
12 cherry tomatoes.
2 tbsp olive oil.
1 tsp paprika.
½ tsp ground cumin.
1 x 400g tin kidney beans.
1 x 400g tin black beans.
700g passata.
500g pre-cooked rice (shop-bought or Perfectly Boiled Rice).
50g dairy-free cheese, optional.
1 lime.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Muffin or cupcake tray. Lidded casserole or saucepan on a medium heat.
Turn the muffin or cupcake tray upside down and place 3 tortillas in the gaps between the cups, making 3 bowl shapes. Press each tortilla down firmly to get a flat bottom, to ensure the bowls will stand up. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 7–10 minutes until lightly browned and firm. Take out of the oven and leave to cool and harden on the tray. If you are cooking for more than 3 people, repeat this step with more tortillas.
Rip the stem from the chilli, cut it in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder flavour, then chop. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Cut the peppers in half and cut out the stems and seeds, then chop. Cut the stalks from the coriander and finely chop, reserving the leaves for later. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
Heat the olive oil in the pan and add the chopped chilli, onion, garlic and coriander stalks and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cherry tomatoes and peppers and stir for another 4–5 minutes. Add the paprika and ground cumin. Drain the kidney beans and black beans and stir into the sauce. Pour in the passata. Leave the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat the rice, following the instructions on the packet. Put a small layer of rice on the bottom of each of the tortilla bowls and top with a generous serving of chilli. Grate the dairy-free cheese, if using, on top and sprinkle over the coriander leaves. Cut the lime into wedges and place one on each plate to serve.
Quick Puttanesca Spaghetti.
The combination of lemon and fresh parsley in this dish creates a voluptuous pasta and the saltiness of the capers in brine will remind you of the sea. This flexible favourite of ours is great for when you’re low on fresh ingredients. It can be served with a side salad or makes a great quick meal all on its own.
SERVES 6.
2 small red chillies, fresh or dried.
20g flat-leaf parsley.
10 Kalamata olives.
4 garlic cloves.
4 tbsp olive oil.
1 tbsp capers, plus 1 tbsp of brine from the jar.
½ tsp salt, plus a little extra.
700g passata.
500g spaghetti.
220g Tenderstem broccoli.
1 lemon.
Large saucepan on a medium-high heat. Large saucepan of boiling salted water on a high heat.
Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce, and finely chop. Separate the parsley stalks and finely chop, reserving the leaves for later. Stone and roughly chop the olives.
Peel 2 of the garlic cloves. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the empty saucepan, crush in the garlic and add the chillies, parsley stalks, olives and capers and stir for 2–3 minutes. Add the ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the salty brine water from the jar of capers. Leave to cook for a minute, then add the passata. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Turn the heat to medium and leave to simmer while you move on to the next step.
Add the spaghetti to the pan of boiling water along with the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Cook until al dente, following the instructions on the packet.
Meanwhile, carefully slice the broccoli stems from top to bottom, creating thin strips. Add these to the spaghetti pan for the last 30 seconds of cooking time to quickly soften. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and return them to the pan. Pour over the sauce.
Roughly chop the parsley leaves and add them to the pan. Pour over the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and squeeze over the juice of a whole lemon, catching any pips in your other hand. Mix everything together and serve immediately.
