Category: Mains

1. Beetroot and Sweet Potato Savoury Cakes Recipe

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 4th Apr 2018

   

   Beetroot and Sweet Potato Cakes

   I was out at a restaurant once, and I had a dish similar to this as a starter. The beetroot cakes were delicious, although I think theirs were made with regular potato. I really wanted to have a go at making my own Sweet Potato Savoury Cakes!

   I decided to make them using sweet potato instead of regular potato in the hope to make them a little healthier, given that I was already going to be deep frying them. If you haven’t got a deep fryer, I recommend getting one, it opens a whole load of doors when it comes to making tasty treats! (Like doughnuts, and chips, and these... obviously).

   Recipe

   Servings: 10

   Total Time: 50M

   Ingredients:

    

   • 4 Large sweet potatoes
   • 200g Cooked beetroots
   • 1 Sprig fresh coriander
   • 1 Large red onion
   • Plain flour
   • Almond milk
   • Breadcrumbs
   • 1 Tablespoon vegan margerine

   Method:

   • STEP 1: Peel your sweet potatoes and chop into chunky pieces and place in a pan of water and bring to the boil. Boil until nice and soft.
     
     
   • STEP 2: In the meantime, dice your beetroot into small pieces (about 1x1cm) along with your onion and coriander.
     
     
   • STEP 3: Once your sweet potato is nice and soft, drain in a colander and then place in a bowl with your beetroot, onion, coriander and your vegan margarine and mash together using a masher.
     
     
   • STEP 4: Once your mix is cool enough to handle, you want to split it into 10 equal balls, and then shape them with your hands to form cakes.
     
     
   • STEP 5: In three separate containers, you want plain flour, almond milk and breadcrumbs. I haven’t included amounts, because that all depends on the containers you use, but you want about 3cm of depth.
     
     
   • STEP 6: To breadcrumb your cakes, you want to first place one into the flour, and evenly coat it, then place it into the almond milk, and evenly coat it. Finally, move it into the breadcrumbs and (you guessed it) evenly coat it! Then place onto a papered baking tray. Repeat this for all of the cakes.
     
     
   • STEP 7: Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or simply store in the freezer until ready to use and cook from frozen.
     
     
   • STEP 8: When you’re ready to cook, heat up some oil in your fryer. To test if your oil is hot enough yet, drop a small piece of bread in and see if it bubbles.
     
     
   • STEP 9: Cook your beetroot and sweet potato cakes two at a time until they are golden brown. If you’re cooking from fully frozen, you’ll then want to place in the oven on 150c for a few minutes just to make sure they’re piping hot in the middle.

   How did you get on?

   We had good intentions of this being a relatively healthy dinner. In the end, we had it with chips, salad and red onion chutney and it was worth every mouthful.

   The big question though, is it better as sweet potato or just plain potato? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

   <<Back to Mains

   Written by Jack Ricketts
   -Him-Bivore
   Marketing has always been my career focus. I am striving to promote a plant-based lifestyle to the masses through positive campaigns and sharing the benefits of veganism. The animals, and the planet, need us more than ever to make a change. 
   You can find me on Instagram

   

2. Vegan Soya Mince Lasagne Recipe

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 15th Mar 2018

   

   Vegan Soya Mince Lasagne

   Jump to Recipe>>

   Lasagne is a dish known worldwide and is a much-loved dinner in my family, so it seemed obvious that sooner or later, I would have to try making it vegan! I’ve included the steps of how to easily make this dinner gluten-free too. So whether you’re vegan, dairy free, gluten free, egg free or nothing-free, you’ll love this vegan lasagne!

   Working with vegan mince, especially the cheaper own brand frozen versions, means you have to add a lot of flavour yourself, which is why I add soy sauce when frying it off. I find this gives it the salty richness found in traditional lasagne, which I imagine is exactly the craving that’s brought you to us, right? 

   If you’re using a fresh chilled vegan mince, such as Naturli or Naked Glory, you can get away without adding the soy sauce however i have found it helps add some brown to the mince, so if i was using it for anything where it wasn’t going to be smothered in sauce, I would probably still add it!

   Choosing your ingredients for a dish like this is key for the overall outcome at the end. When selecting vegan mince and vegan cheese, brand and preference are massive contributors. The vegan market has come a long way since I first wrote this recipe, so I thought I would come back and update with my new favourite brands to use in my lasagne. 

   Any fresh vegan mince from the chilled section is usually pretty good, my personal go-to is the Naked Glory meat-free mince, but any brand will do just fine. I find the chilled minces keep their texture better, and give an overall meatier feel when you find the little chunks, just be sure to break it up well in the pan as it cooks to avoid chunks too big for your lasagne!

   Cheese choice is another vital factor not to be overlooked. If you're a seasoned veteran of the vegan cheese world you will already be aware that not all vegan cheese is equal. While a lot comes down to personal taste, you also need to consider how you want the cheese to look on your dish. Many vegan cheese options just 'dry out' rather than melting properly, so looking for a cheese that melts well is vital. One great trick for melting vegan cheese is making sure you've put a generous amount on so it can all melt together into one big layer of stringy deliciousness.

   My favourite cheese of all time is the Vegan Applewood, it's a vegan version of their popular smoked cheese, it melts beautifully and has a taste I absolutely can't resist. I think in the UK it's only available in ASDA, and is also reasonably priced (compared to most vegan cheese) coming in at around £2.20 per block.

   If you're in a rush, you might even be able to find a ready-to-use vegan white sauce in the supermarket (if you'd told me a year ago I would be able to say that, i wouldn't have believed you) so check out your supermarkets in the 'Free From' section to see what they have!

   Make sure you let me know which mince + cheese combination you've used in the comments below, and be sure to tag us in your foodie creations on instagram (we might even feature you on ours!).

   

    

   Servings: 4-6
   
   Total Time: 1H 20M
   
   Ingredients:

   • 350g soya mince
   • 1 white onion, finely diced
   • 2 tbsp soy sauce
   • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
   • 550ml / 2.25 cups soya milk
   • 60g / 0.25 cups vegan margarine
   • 75g / 0.5 cups plain flour (or gluten free flour)
   • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
   • 1 tbsp dried oregano
   • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
   • 115g / 1/2 cup cup tomato paste
   • vegan lasagna sheets (gluten free versions can be found in the 'free from' section of most supermarkets
   • grated vegan cheese (to top)

   Method:

   • Fry off your mince with your onion, soy sauce and garlic till browned, then add your oregano, garlic, tomato paste and tinned tomatoes and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   •  In a separate saucepan on a low heat, melt your margarine. Then add your flour and whisk well, let this cook for about a minute. Whisk in your soya milk a bit at a time and turn up to a medium heat. Continue to whisk constantly until it comes to the boil and begins to thicken, don’t stop whisking it otherwise your sauce might burn to the bottom of your pan. Once thickened, add some salt and pepper and your nutritional yeast, whisk in and remove from the heat.
   • In a 8 x 5 inch ceramic dish, place a layer of the mince into the bottom of your dish, then do a layer of lasagna sheets. Then place a layer of your white beschmel sauce on top of that, followed by another layer of lasagna sheets, followed by more of the mince and then a final layer of lasagna sheets. Finally add the rest of your white sauce on top and top with grated cheese.
   •  Bake for 30-40 minutes at 180c until golden brown, allow to sit for a few minutes and serve!

   What did you think?

   We certainly didn’t miss meat and dairy cheese in this recipe. How did you find it compared? Did you do anything different to our recipe? We’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments below and if you appreciated this post, please do give it a share!

   

   If you liked this Soya Mince Lasagne Recipe, I have a sneaky feeling you might also like our Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe as well! Why not check it out and save the recipe for another time? 

   <<BACK TO MAINS

   Written by Amy Northwood
   Her-Bivore
   My passion for food and conservation has led me to where I am now! My aim is to show people that veganism can be diverse, tasty and adapted to fit every lifestyle and budget!
   You can find me on Instagram

   

    

3. Homemade Vegan Pizza

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 10th Feb 2018

   

   Homemade Pizza Recipe

   Everybody loves pizza, right? vegans included! What could be better than sitting down to eat your own, homemade cruelty free vegan pizza. Get the whole family involved with the preparations and cooking to really make a meal of it. 

   This recipe is great because it's so easily adjusted for everyone's individual taste. You can use whatever toppings you want, and easily experiment with even those less-traditional pizza topping ideas you have. 

   We live in a futuristic age where you can buy hundreds of different types and brand of vegan cheese, so even if you think you hate them all, I’m certain you can find one you love if you keep looking. You can use any vegan cheese for this recipe, be that a hard cheese or a vegan mozzarella. If you prefer something a cheeseless pizza though, simply leave the cheese out and top with as many delicious veggies as you want!

   If you want to experiment a bit, you can also swap out the tomato sauce for something else entirely, this is a great way to change up a pizza if you’re feeling in a bit of a rut. Try hummus, bbq sauce, pureed butternut squash or pesto instead!

   If you're short on ideas, here's a few of my favourite topping combinations:

   • Vegan mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil

   • Quorn smoky slices/vivera bacon pieces and pineapple (yes pineapple belongs on pizza!)

   • Mushrooms, olives and chilli

   • Peppers, artichokes and red onion

   • Pesto and Rocket

   • Artichoke, spinach and pine nut

   • Cauliflower, spring onion and garlic

   • BBQ sauce, jackfruit and portobello mushrooms

    

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   Recipe

   Yield: 1 large pizza

   Total Time: 30 minutes 

   Ingredients

   For the Base:

   • 1 cup / 235ml warm water 

   • 1 tbsp  sugar

   • 1 tbsp active dry yeast

   • 1 tbsp olive oil

   • 2 / 240g plain flour

   • 1 tsp salt

   For the Sauce:

   • Tomato puree / passata

   • 1 tbsp chopped fresh or 1 tsp dried basil

   Method:

   1. Preheat the oven to 230c and grease a large pizza pan.

   2.  Mix together your warm water, sugar and yeast and then allow to sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. It should go nice and foamy.

   3. Add in your olive oil and gently stir to combine.

   4. Add your flour and use a spatula to fold the flour into the dry ingredients, it should form into a ball (you can add a little more flour if you need to).

   5. Transfer onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead until a smooth dough is formed, you can add more flour still if you need to.

   6. Roll out your dough into the desired shape and transfer onto your prepared tray. Using a fork, gently stab your dough all over to stop it from rising.

   7. Bake in the oven on the bottom shelf for 5 minutes, at this point we’re just pre baking the dough so we only have to worry about getting the top perfect later on.

   8. Mix together your passata and basil, then spread over your pizza.

   9. Top with vegan cheese and the toppings of your choice, return to the bottom of the oven and bake on the lower rack again for 15-20 minutes or until your pizza looks perfectly golden brown!

    

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   What did you think of this recipe? Did you do anything differently? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Don’t forget that you can share all your foodie makes with us using the hashtag #HBivore.

   Follow us on Facebook and like us on Instagram to keep up to date with our latest recipes, news and content. You can also use the form below to receive all our news straight to your inbox each week. 

    

   Written by Amy Northwood
   Her-Bivore
   My passion for food and conservation has led me to where I am now! My aim is to show people that veganism can be diverse, tasty and adapted to fit every lifestyle and budget!
   You can find me on Instagram

   

4. Vegetable Soup

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 8th Feb 2018

   

   

   Hearty Vegetable Soup

   I always find that soups are a bit of an underrated part of society, often seen as a starter instead of the main event. I love soups, which you can probably tell from my vast array of soup recipes such as:

   • Curried Parsnip and Spinach

   • Leek and Potato

   • Carrot and Fresh Sage

   • Autumn Pumpkin

   • Minestrone 

   I’m a big fan of vegetable soup simply for its ease and simplicity. I like to make a big batch every so often when I’m getting overrun with vegetables and then freeze it down for quick and easy meals.

   This is also a great one for taking to work! As a student paramedic, I often find myself in the depths of winter, and not being able to feel your fingers when you need to put in a cannula can be scary, so having a thermos of soup and a little thermal cup can (literally) be a life saver. It’s that little taste of home and comfort you need every now and then.

   If you haven’t got all these vegetables, or you’ve got some of your own that need using up, feel free to swap them in! This soup is designed to be versatile and convenient, as well as delicious.

    

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   Recipe

   Yield: 4 portions

   Total Time: 1 hour 

   Ingredients:

   • 2 tbsp olive oil

   • 1/2 large white onion, chopped

   • 2 celery stalks, chopped

   • ½ courgette, chopped

   • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

   • 1/2 swede, peeled and chopped

   • 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

   • 1 yellow bell pepper

   • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped

   • 3 cloves garlic, minced

   • 1-2 tsp mild curry powder (or hotter if you prefer)

   • 1 tbsp chopped thyme or coriander

   • 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)

   • 1L vegetable stock or broth

   • 1 large handful of chopped kale or baby spinach

   Method:

   1. Heat your 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan on a medium heat. Once hot, add in all your vegetables but your leafy greens ( that’s your onion, celery, courgette, carrot, swede, parsnip, pepper and sweet potato). Gently sweat them off for about 10 minutes, until they start to soften.

   2. Add in your garlic, curry powder and chopped herbs, stir frequently for about a minute. 

   3. Pour in your tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock, bring the whole soup to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes or until your veggies are cooked. 

   4. Add in your greens and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, until your greens are cooked.

   5. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper, the amount of salt you’ll need to add will depend on your brand of veg stock.

   6. Divide into bowls and serve with fresh crusty bread. Alternatively, divide into containers and allow to cool completely before placing on the lid and either storing in the fridge or freezer.

    

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   What did you think of this recipe? Did you do anything differently? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Don’t forget that you can share all your foodie makes with us using the hashtag #HBivore.

   Follow us on Facebook and like us on Instagram to keep up to date with our latest recipes, news and content. You can also use the form below to receive all our news straight to your inbox each week. 

    

   Written by Amy Northwood
   Her-Bivore
   My passion for food and conservation has led me to where I am now! My aim is to show people that veganism can be diverse, tasty and adapted to fit every lifestyle and budget!
   You can find me on Instagram

   

5. Hasselback Sweet Potato with Garlic and Herb Butter

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 7th Feb 2018

   

    

   Hasselback Sweet Potato with Garlic and Herb Butter

   This baked sweet potato makes a great accompaniment to a dish, and a brilliant alternative to chips or mashed potatoes, as well as being a healthier option too.

   These sweet potatoes look fancy, and that's one of the reasons I love them so much. They’re actually so easy to create, but when you put the lines across, stuff them with flavours and herbs, it really gives the wow factor.

   I know for some people it can be quite daunting deciding on your own ingredients for the recipe (after all, you’re here looking for a recipe because you won’t want to do that bit!) so I’ve compiled a list of suitable herbs, you can choose one or two to chop up and they’ll work deliciously:

   • Thyme

   • Oregano

   • Basil

   • Rosemary

   • Coriander

    

   It's important you use a nice sharp, thin knife for cutting into your sweet potato, a thicker knife stands the risk of getting stuck each time, and a blunt knife is going to need too much force to get it though and will probably head to uneven wonky lines!

   When it comes to serving these potatoes, your options really depend on what dish they’re being a side to. One great option I love is serving them with some guacamole, vegan cheese, extra garlic butter or even top with some pine nuts.

    

    

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   Recipe

   Yield: 2 portions

   Total Time: 1 hour

   Ingredients:

   • 2 medium sweet potatoes

   • 2 cloves fresh garlic

   • 1 tbsp freshly chopped herbs of your choice

   • 1 spring onion, finely chopped

   • 1 tbsp vegan margarine, melted

   • Salt and pepper

   
   
   

   Method:

    

   1. Preheat the oven to 200c and line a baking tray with foil. Using a sharp knife, slice into each potato, going about â…” of the way down with each cut. You want about ½ cm between each slice.

   2. Mix all your other ingredients together, then using a pastry brush or your hands, rub your mix all over the potatoes, making sure you get into all the cuts. 

   3. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour depending on your potato size, and half way through run a fork across the potatoes to really open them up as they soften, giving them that signature hasselback look and allowing the flavours to really get through.

   4. Make sure your potatoes are cooked through and then serve with your favourite dishes.

    

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   What did you think of this recipe? Did you do anything differently? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. Don’t forget that you can share all your foodie makes with us using the hashtag #HBivore.

    

   Follow us on Facebook and like us on Instagram to keep up to date with our latest recipes, news and content. You can also use the form below to receive all our news straight to your inbox each week. 

    

   Written by Amy Northwood
   Her-Bivore
   My passion for food and conservation has led me to where I am now! My aim is to show people that veganism can be diverse, tasty and adapted to fit every lifestyle and budget!
   You can find me on Instagram