Spiced Butter (Air Fryer) Hasselback Squash

by Lou Robbie

Cooking methods have evolved over the years. Traditional methods of steaming, boiling and roasting will remain but air frying is a new enough method and a great addition. I decided to hop on the air frying wagon a couple of months ago and have not regretted it one bit.

Air fryers are very economical to run and so efficient! And whats more they are great for cooking vegetables in a speedy tasty manor.

Butternut squash is a great winter veg, I spied the hasselback version and was dying to try it out. Basted in a spiced butter it is a delicious side dish. If you don’t own an air fryer you can make the same dish in a casserole or roasting dish in the oven, it will take about an hour at 180C.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients

Method:

  1. Cut the top off the butternut squash.
  2. Carefully cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
  3. You’ll need 2 chop sticks to make incisions in the squash. Take one half of the squash and place a chop stick on either side. Hold the sticks in place along with the squash with one hand and chop multiple thin slices with a sharp knife down as far as the sticks with the other hand. they should be about 4mm thick. Repeat with the other half of the squash.
  4. Melt the butter in a pot or microwave and add in the paprika, cumin, chilli, salt and pepper, give it a stir.
  5. Remove the grill place and pour the spiced butter into the air fryer basket
  6. Place both of the pieces of squash in the basket, flat side down in the spiced butter.
  7. Air fry for 25 minutes, basting with the butter half way through.
  8. Check the squash is fully cooked by piercing with the tip of a sharp knife.
  9. When its fully cooked remove carefully from the basket, baste again with the spiced butter and serve.

Glazed Tofu

by Liz Child

Looking for a quick and simple, yet utterly delicious, centerpiece for your veggie/vegan guests this Christmas? This glazed tofu is the answer. It is gorgeously caramelised on the outside and beautifully tender inside. Firm tofu is a wholesome, healthy and satisfying protein, but definitely a blank canvas that needs a good marinade to shine. This sweet glaze is spiked with mustard and garlic and is honestly, so moreish. Enjoy!

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 2-4 depending on sides and appetite)

  • 400g extra firm tofu (2 of our blocks)
  • 4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 heaped tsp garlic granules
  • 1 heaped tsp dijon mustard
  • a splash of just-boiled water
  • salt to taste

Method

  1. Place your blocks of tofu into a small, lined roasting dish. Sprinkle the first sides with 2 tsp of smoked paprika and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Turn the blocks over.
  2. Score the tops of the blocks of tofu in shallow, diagonal cuts. Then sprinkle these top sides with the remaining smoked paprika and soy sauce. Pop the dish in a hot oven to roast for 30 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile prepare the glaze by whisking together the sugar, mustard, garlic granules, salt and hot water into a smooth sauce.
  4. Remove the tofu from the oven and brush liberally with the glaze. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes or so until dark brown, sticky and delicious! You can check on the tofu every 5 minutes and baste with any glaze that has pooled around the bottom of the dish. Enjoy alongside all your usual Christmas roast trimmings.

Cauliflower Schnitzel Tray Bake

by Liz Child

There is nothing more satisfying and healthy than a big plate of local, seasonal vegetables. This dish is so simple to put together, and it’s faff-free, all being baked on one tray. So perfect for a mid-week meal. The crunchy, breaded cauliflower brings delicious texture to the plate (we recommend doing the same technique with butternut squash slices too) and the creamy garlic and herb dip makes every mouthful delectable! Hope you enjoy it!

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the cauliflower schnitzel:

  • 2 large slices from the middle of a cauliflower (pop the rest of the cauliflower back in the fridge to use in another recipe)
  • around 8 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • around 8 tbsp bread crumbs

Vegetables for the tray:

  • 4 medium potatoes
  • 2 parsnips
  • 2 carrots
  • 10 brussels sprouts
  • olive oil, salt & pepper to taste

For the garlic & herb dip:

  • 100g cashew nuts
  • 100ml water
  • 2 tsp vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • a large handful of chopped herbs eg chives, parsley, sage, rosemary
  • salt & pepper to taste

Method

  1. Turn your oven on to 200C and get your steamer set up. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Cut your cauliflower into two thick steaks and pop them into the steamer for 8 minutes or until just tender.
  2. Meanwhile prepare two wide bowls, one with the natural yoghurt and one with the breadcumbs. Season the yoghurt with salt and pepper and mix well. When your cauliflower steaks are tender, drench them first in the yoghurt, then in the breadcrumbs, turning over a few times until nicely coated. Place the breaded cauliflower steaks on the baking tray.
  3. Cut your potatoes, parsnips and carrots and arrange on the tray alongside the cauliflower schnitzels. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then place in the oven to bake for around 30 minutes. You can carefully turn everything after 15 minutes to ensure an even bake.
  4. Prepare the brussels sprouts by cutting off the base and slicing them in half. Toss in a small bowl with a little oil and seasoning, these can be added to the tray for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  5. Prepare the garlic and herb dipping sauce. In a strong, small blender, blend the cashews, water, garlic & vinegar until completely smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir into a bowl with the chopped herbs.
  6. When the schnitzels and vegetables are cooked through and golden brown, divide between two plates and add a generous side of the dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Veggie Sausage Stuffing

by Lou Robbie

The festive meal at this time of year is all about the added extras!! Bread stuffing is a traditional side and a great one to experiment with. Veggie sausages are packed full of flavour and work perfectly in a bread stuffing. It’s easy to add in some seasonal ingredients like chestnuts and nuts to give it that Christmasy feel.

Tip don’t over mix the ingredients, its nice to have the texture of the nuts and seeds in the stuffing. Bake as a loaf or roll into balls.

Serve with your favourite veggie main meal. Here we have a spiced lentil stuffed squash with feta and pomegranate and a side of cranberry sauce, yum.

We hope you give it a try this festive season.

Lou 🙂

Ingredients: makes 10 portions -2 small loaves or make one one big tray

  • 6 good quality veggie sausages– chopped
  • 6 slices of stale bread bread (350g approx)
  • 100ml milk (dairy or non dairy)
  • 2 onions – finely diced
  • 50g butter (dairy or non dairy)
  • 100g cooked chestnuts
  • 50g walnuts
  • 30g pumpkin seeds plus extra to decorate, optional
  • 2 teaspoons dried herbs

Method

  1. Line 2 loaf tins with paper liners. Or bake one big one in an 9in x 9in square tin.
  2. Preheat the oven 180C.
  3. Tear up the bread and place it in a bowl. Pour the milk over it and leave to soak for a few minutes.
  4. Add the butter and finely diced onion to a frying pan. Sauté on low until the onion is soft.
  5. Add the soaked bread, chopped sausages, cooked onion, chestnuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and dried herbs to a food processor. Pulse to combine for a few seconds at a time.
  6. Spoon the mix into the loaf tins. Decorate with pumpkin seeds on top. Wrap, label and freeze one for another time if you wish.
  7. Bake the other one for 20 minutes, check that its piping hot all the way through.
  8. Slice and serve with your veggie main course.

Celeriac Soup with Smokey Mushrooms

by Liz Child

Our large, knobbly celeriac are finally back in season, perfect for all your winter soups and stews. If you haven’t tried celeriac before, it is a delicious and versatile vegetable which tastes like a cross between celery, parsnip and potato. As well and soups and stews, it is stunning raw in creamy salads like remoulade. You can also roast it or bake it in a gratin. We love pairing it’s sweet, herby, mild flavour with something strong flavoured like capers or these salty, smokey mushrooms. Give it a try and do share your favourite celeriac recipes in the comments, we are always looking for inspiration.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 6)

For the soup:

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 white onion, peeled & diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled & sliced
  • 3 sticks of celery, sliced
  • 1 celeriac, peeled & cubed
  • 1 stock cube or 1 tbsp bouillion powder
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the smokey mushrooms:

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 300g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

Method

  1. Put a kettle on to boil with 1 liter of water. Then, in a large soup pot, sauté the onion, garlic, celery and celeriac with the oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. After 5 minutes the vegetables should be slightly softened.
  2. Add the thyme, crumble in the stock cube and pour in the freshly boiled water. Give the pot a stir then get the lid on and simmer the soup for 15 minutes or so until the celeriac is soft enough to blend.
  3. Meanwhile, mix together the maple, soy, oil, garlic, pepper and smoked paprika in a bowl. Tumble in the sliced mushrooms and mix well to coat each slice in the marinade. Scrape the mushrooms into a large frying pan and stir fry until hot and beautifully browned.
  4. Blend the soup and taste for seasoning. Add more salt or pepper as needed then serve in bowls topped with the smokey mushrooms. Enjoy.

One Pot Tomato & Chickpea Spaghetti

by Liz Child


This beautiful budget meal saves you time, money, water and washing up! It’s a regular weeknight supper for us and is popular with the whole family. As the pasta cooks with all the ingredients and absorbs most of the water, it releases starch and creates a gorgeous, silky sauce. This recipe is fuss free too, all you need to do is give it stir every few minutes to ensure it doesn’t stick, it’s so simple and honestly, so delicious! We have a really nice delivery of organic tomatoes from Holland in at the moment as our Irish ones are out of season.

You’ll need a wide, deep pan with a lid. A big stock pot would work too or even a wok. Something that your pasta can lay flat in.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 400g spaghetti
  • 4 medium/large tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 liter freshly boiled water
  • optional chilli flakes, cheese or capers to serve

Method

  1. Gather and prepare all your ingredients and put a kettle on to boil with 1 liter of water.
  2. Place all the ingredients into the pan and pour over the freshly boiled water. Give the pan a stir with some tongs, then put the lid on and turn the heat up to high.
  3. As soon as the water comes back to boiling, remove the lid and stir again to loosen any bits of pasta trying to stick to the bottom.
  4. Replace the lid and after 2 minutes, stir again and replace the lid.
  5. Repeat step 4, twice. Now you should have cooked your pasta for around 7 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat off but leave the lid on for 5 minutes to allow it to finish cooking in the residual heat and the sauce to thicken up.
  6. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you need, I also like another drizzle of good olive oil. Serve in bowls with the topping of your choice. A sprinkle of chilli flakes, some salty capers or a generous grating of hard cheese perhaps? Enjoy!

Lentil Shepherds Pie

by Liz Child

The ultimate comfort food on repeat in our house all through the winter. Filling, warm, nourishing and oh so delicious on a cold night. We use meaty mushrooms and red wine for deep, dark flavours. Instead of plain potato mash, we mix it with swede (with loads of butter and black pepper) and drizzle with rapeseed oil before it goes in the oven for a gorgeous golden, crispy mash topping. Give it a try and see why it’s a firm, family favourite.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4 or 6 with sides)

  • 2 white onions, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 3 sticks of celery, trimmed and diced
  • 5 carrots, trimmed and diced
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms, roughly diced
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 vegetable stock cube (or a tbsp of bouillion)
  • 2 tins of cooked green lentils, drained
  • 1 small glass of red wine
  • Cornstarch slurry (1 heaped tbsp cornstarch stirred into 1 glass of cold water)
  • 1/2 a swede & around 600g of potatoes, peeled, chopped and boiled in salted water until very soft
  • 50g of vegan butter (or more to taste) with more salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper for the mash
  • a drizzle of cold pressed rapeseed oil

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C and get your potatoes and swede on to boil in salted water.
  2. Meanwhile, in a wide, oven and hob safe pan, sauté the chopped onion, garlic, carrot, celery and mushrooms with a tbsp of rapeseed oil, salt pepper and the dried thyme.
  3. Once the vegetables have softened, add the bay leaves, red wine, drained lentils and crumble in the stock cube. Stir and cook out the alcohol for a couple of minutes. Then add the cornstarch slurry and stir over a medium heat until thickened.
  4. Taste the lentil base and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt or pepper. Drain and mash the potatoes and swede with butter, salt and plenty of pepper. Then top the lentil base with the mash, rough it up with a fork and drizzle over some oil.
  5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling hot and golden and crispy on top. Enjoy with some steamed greens or a lovely crisp kale and apple salad.

Pumpkin & Chickpea Rolls

by Liz Child

November already! Get those carved pumpkins washed and in the oven to roast before they go mouldy. You can scoop out the flesh and freeze it in portions to add to soups, curries, stews, pies etc. Here’s a delicious snack you can make with some, all you need is a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry, a tin of chickpeas (or any bean/lentil you like) and some seasoning. We went for Moroccan flavours this time which are very similar to our sweet, warming pumpkin spice mix (which also needs using up – find the recipe for that here). Will you put your own twist on this recipe? Let us know what worked well in the comments.

Liz x

Ingredients (makes 12 small rolls)

  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 a medium kuri squash, roasted and completely chilled (or any pumpkin or winter squash like butternut)
  • 1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
  • oat milk for brushing and sealing
  • sesame seeds to sprinkle

Method

  1. Mash the chickpeas with the spices, salt and pepper. If you don’t have pumpkin spice mix, just sprinkle in some cinnamon, ginger, chilli, cloves etc. Leave some chickpeas whole, they bring nice body and texture to the filling.
  2. Add cold roasted pumpkin flesh and mix it in. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed with more salt.
  3. Cut your sheet of pastry into 3 even pieces. Share out the filling between the 3 pieces and use a spoon to shape the filling into a sausage along the middle of each piece. Roll up the filling in the pastry, seal the edges with oat milk. Flip the sealed side over to the bottom and brush the tops with more milk. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cut each long sausage into 4.
  4. Space them out on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake at 200C for 10-15 minutes or until golden and hot through. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

by Liz Child

This autumnal treat is creamy, delicious and totally plant based. We use wobbly silken tofu in place of cream cheese and eggs for a healthy, protein-rich, planet-friendly dessert with that perfect ‘baked cheesecake’ texture. If you haven’t tried silken tofu yet, it’s such a useful ingredient to have in your kitchen. Use it cubed up in traditional miso soups, scramble it like an egg for breakfast or blend it into creamy desserts like this one. To ensure this cheesecake sets while it bakes, we also add corn starch, (we now stock a great organic cornstarch which you can add to your next veg box order). Happy baking!

Liz x

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 150g porridge oats
  • 50g butter (we use Naturli)
  • 50ml maple syrup
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp pumpkin spice blend

For the vanilla swirl:

  • 350g silken tofu
  • 200ml oat milk
  • 3 tbsp corn starch
  • 50g sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence

For the pumpkin swirl:

  • 350g silken tofu
  • 200g roasted pumpkin purée
  • 3 tbsp corn starch
  • 50g sugar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp pumpkin spice blend

Method

  1. Turn your oven to 175C. Line a loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment (I use a 23cm one).
  2. In a food processor, pulse together the base ingredients until they resemble a sticky crumb texture. Press evenly into the base of the lined cake tin with the back of a spoon.
  3. Wipe the blender clean then blend the vanilla swirl ingredients together until smooth, pour into a jug. Then blend the pumpkin swirl ingredients until smooth and pour into a separate jug. The pumpkin swirl will seem thicker at this stage, but it all even out in the oven don’t worry.
  4. Pour the vanillia and pumpkin swirl in turns into your cake dish. Swirl together with a spoon to create a marbled effect. Then bake for 50 minutes or until just set and starting to crack on top.
  5. Loosen the sides of the cheesecake from the tine with a knife and allow to completely cool. Carefully remove the cake onto a plate and store in the fridge. Enjoy in thick slices with whipped coconut cream dusted with more pumpkin spice.

Kale Pesto Pasta – with spicy roasted pumpkin & chickpeas

by Liz Child

Lots of you have told us that you don’t like kale but wish you did so you could enjoy the many health benefits of this mighty, Irish green. Here’s how we get our kids to eat loads of it, in pesto! If we have fresh herbs in the house we mix those in too for extra flavour. Doesn’t have to be basil either, you could make kale/parsley pesto or kale/dill pesto etc to go with whatever you are making for dinner. Here’s our basic pesto recipe which you can tweak to your liking. Pesto pasta is a quick, mid-week staple in our house and we love to top it with seasonal vegetables and chickpeas – this week’s pumpkin with chilli and fennel seeds was particularly delicious, find the recipe below.

Liz x

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the pesto:

  • 100g nuts/seeds (toasted for extra flavour)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • a big pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (for cheesy flavour – you could sub with hard cheese or leave it out if you like)
  • 100g greens (kale/spinach/fresh herbs) – washed and shaken dry
  • 100ml olive oil (plus extra for topping off the jar)
  • the zest & juice of 1/2 a lemon

Pumpkin & Chickpea topping:

  • 1/2 a kuri squash or butternut squash (seeds scooped out and flesh cut into bite sized chunks – you can leave the skin on)
  • 1 tin of chickpeas, drained
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • cooked pasta and an extra drizzle of olive oil to serve

Method

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 200C. Toss the chickpeas and pumpkin in a baking dish with the olive oil, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and fennel seeds, mix well. Place the dish in the oven to roast while you boil pasta and make the pesto – around 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the nuts/seeds (we used toasted sunflower seeds here) with the garlic, salt and nutritional yeast until crumbly.
  3. Tear in half of the kale (stalks and all) and pulse again to roughly chop. Repeat with the other half of the kale.
  4. Then add the oil and lemon and blend into a pesto consistency. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.
  5. Drain your pasta and while it’s still hot, stir through a generous amount of the pesto, we usually go for a couple of heaped tbsp per person. Drizzle with extra olive oil if you like for more healthy fats and flavour. Serve the pasta in bowls topped with the spicy roasted pumpkin and chickpeas and enjoy!
  6. If you are not using all the pesto right away, spoon it into a clean jar and protect the top from air with a little layer of olive oil. Lid on and store in the fridge. Enjoy within a week – stirred through pasta, spread into sandwiches, tossed through boiled potatoes or steamed greens…