What you need:

1 think slice crusty bread or 3 slices of a baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed

4 t  olive oil

salt and fresh black pepper

1 T  fresh lemon juice

3 ounces  fresh vegan cheese ( I prefer white cheddar), crumbled

Zest of 1 lemon

Heat your oven to 425 F and toast the bread cubes on a baking tray for about 5 minutes or until very golden and crispy.  Remove and chop into coarse crumbs and set aside.  Wipe the baking sheet clean.

Arrange the asparagus on the sheet and drizzle with 2 t  olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss and roast, rolling the asparagus over a few times until tender, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a large platter. 

Sprinkle the asparagus with the lemon juice and scatter the bread crumbs on top.  Drizzle remaining olive oil, top with the crumbled cheese and pop it back in the oven for about 2 minutes.  Remove and add lemon zest as garnish.  Season once more with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

What you need:

1 regular sized can  Thai Coconut Milk

1 1/2 – 2  Green Chillis (depending on how hot you want it)

2 C  Vegetable stock/broth

2  stalks  Lemongrass (chopped into 2 inch pieces and beated with the backside of a knife to get the flavor going)

1 pkg  White mushrooms, quartered

1/2 pkg  firm tofu, cut in small cubes, tossed in soy sauce and baked until firm and brown around the edges

1 T  soy sauce

Cilantro/corriander

1  Lime, cut in half

First, simmer the veg stock or broth with the lemongrass and the chillis.  You can slice the chillis however you want, just make sure the seeds are put in as well – you will straining this later, so its not a big deal if it looks messy at first.  Simmer for 40 minutes.

Then, add the coconut milk and the soy sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.  After that, strain the liquid through a strainer and put back on the stove.  It should be an off-white color and free of any stuff floating around in it.  Add the mushrooms and tofu and simmer for another 10-15 minutes to let the mushrooms cook.  Before you serve, add a few leaves of cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Enjoy!

What you need:

2 -3 Cans  Black beans (frijoles negros), drained and rinsed

2  Green bell peppers, seeded and rough chopped

1  medium onion, quartered

2 cloves  Garlic

1 t  dried oregano

1 t  cumin

1/2 t  chili powder

salt to taste

1/4 C  dry white wine

1 T  red wine vinegar

1 T  sugar

1/4 C  olive oil

2 cups water

Prepare a sauce, called sofrito, by combining green bell pepper, the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and a little of the cooking water in a blender. Blend on low until the mixture is smooth.

Add the sofrito to the beans in a pot with the rest of the water.  Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add salt and the wine, vinegar, and sugar. Continue to cook on medium heat, uncovered, until the bean mixture becomes thick, all while stirring and slightly mashing with a wooden spoon.

Add olive oil immediately before serving.

Gather together your ‘dry’ ingredients: breadcrumbs, peanut butter, chopped nuts, seeds, grated carrot, chopped onion… plus optional cooked rice, left-over pasta, sad mashed potato, spare cooked cauliflower, uneaten bulgar wheat, diced sweet pepper etc etc (what’s in your fridge?) and ‘wet’ ingredients, such as tomatoes (fresh or tinned), cooked spinach, leftover soup or stew, baked beans, and red wine. Seasoning can include soy sauce, herbs, mustard, paprika, bouillon, or whatever takes your fancy.

First mix a dollop of peanut butter into the breadcrumbs, wiping them together so they are really well mixed. Then add the dry ingredients and mix well so you have a colourful bowlful. Then add the moister ingredients which help stick the crumbly bits together and mix well. If you put a lot of wet ingredients, your nutloaf will be very close textured and dense, if only a few, the texture will be more open and crumbly when finished.

Grease a baking tin or dish with vegan butter or oil, and I sprinkle a few sunflower seeds (homegrown of course!) into the bowl where they stick to the fat and help the loaf turn out more easily as well as look pretty! Spoon the mix into the container and push it down firmly with a fork, making the top as flat as possible.  Then pop it into the oven and bake it until its done to your liking. The nutloaf mix can also be made into burgers and grilled or fried if you prefer.

You’ll notice no weights, temperatures and times in this guide to making my nutloaf, because it is totally up to you what you put in, as it’s adaptable to your preferences and what food you have available. The breadcrumbs and peanut butter are the base… the rest is optional!

I also enjoy doing creative things like a bi-coloured loaf, with a layer of mix with tomato, grated carrot and red pepper, and a layer of the mix with spinach and unloved broccoli florets. For Christmas you could try putting in a portion of stuffing into the centre as you put it into the tin, or a layer of cranberries. Be creative, have fun making it and enjoy eating it ‘with all the trimmings’ as part of a healthy Christmas meal.