It’s not every day that you open a cookbook to find yourself dog earing page after page and making a shopping list in your mind to make as many recipes as soon as possible!

Who knew blended butter beans made the most fabulous gravy and that nutritional yeast was a protein power house?

I sure didn’t and given that the protein question is the one that makes vegans shudder at the thought, this book is packed with all the plant based protein knowledge you could ever possibly need to stop the narrow minded and/or condescending and/or just unaware ‘meat is the only protein’ types in their tracks.

The book itself is easy to read and easy to navigate with helpful contents lists at the beginning of each chapter, and the beautifully rustic style photography will have you planning your meals for weeks ahead.

This book is a protein bible for vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike.

The Publisher is offering a lucky winner in the UK, Ireland, US or Canada a copy of the book, see below to enter! Or if you can’t wait or want more copies, check out the purchase details here.

Spicy Chickpea Fries, page 37

This was the first recipe I came across and knew I had to make. I was utterly intrigued and whilst I’ve seen a vast array of incredible creations made from chickpea flour, fries was not one of them. I panicked about lumps when making the batter but actually it made no real difference to the end baked product, the lumps were mostly gone and those that weren’t were undetectable, not a lump of dry flour which I had feared.

It is the spicing that makes these so over the top delicious. They have a familiar flavour, similar to a frankfurter hot dog but something else also that we couldn’t quite put our finger on, but we loved it whatever it was. This is one of those recipes that will end up with it’s page taped in the book.

Black Bean and Avocado Salad, page 46

This is a proper hearty salad, full of comforting textures from beans and avocado. This is a take on a classic Mexican style bean salad which is foolproof and will please the masses. I couldn’t find black beans for this recipe, they are surprisingly hard to find here without a huge supermarket, so I went with black eye beans instead!

Quinoa Crunch Blueberry Muffins, page 73

Now these were a definite hit! Who doesn’t love blueberry muffins? But there’s something about eating a muffin that’s oh so delicious but also reaping with health benefits.

The quinoa crunch is genius and something I will apply to many different recipes I’m sure and the soft, perfectly moist crumb is just sweet enough, as a muffin should be.

Caribbean Tofu, page 132

Tofu is something that I’m quite sensitive about. Bad cooked tofu or maybe that should be ‘tofu not cooked to my liking’, is something that I can’t stand. I can’t deal with the sloppy slimy texture of soft tofu or that which hasn’t been crisped to deliciousness.

This tofu ensures that doesn’t happen with a wonderful marinade that not only flavours the tofu but also coats it in a sticky sauce that crisps and browns and makes tofu a superstar that it deserves to be.

We often hear top chefs talking about cooking an expensive fish or meat with ultra respect, that applies (cruelty free) here, tofu demands the respect it deserves in order to give you it’s amazing talents.

Sesame Berry Squares, page 66

I was so excited to make these, I love that kind of recipe where its a simple mixture that makes something special, as in a shortbread style base and a crumbly topping. Two different uses of the same single mixture.

These treats are decadent enough to be a dessert yet healthy enough to be breakfast, a snack or workout fuel.

I love the use of hemp seeds which usually only ever appear sometimes on top of oats and the addition of chia seeds to the jam is brilliant.

BBQ lentils, page 52

BBQ flavours are now a regular feature in my cooking now that I have a BBQ lover around and I’m certainly not complaining. I’ve always enjoyed the flavour in a sauce say, but I didn’t think of applying it to main dishes. This lentil dish shows just how great those herbs and spices can be in making a simple staple like lentils into an extraordinary flavour packed dish which has a BBQ chicken lover asking for more!

I will make this recipe over and over and can think of so many ways to serve it. Here we had it with rice but it would be great with pasta or in a tortilla wrap or with quinoa or a grain like millet or farro or piled into a jacket potato.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Protein content per serving: 12g

Recipe Note: This recipe makes for a bit of a zippy barbecue sauce. just the way we like it. So if you prefer taking it easy with the vinegar, switch to only 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of apple cider vinegar and increase the water to ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml).

Ingredients:

2 cups (384 g) dried green lentils

4 cups (940 ml) water

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup (80 g) chopped red onion

3 medium carrots, peeled and trimmed, minced

½ cup (120 g) organic ketchup

¼ cup (66 g) tomato paste

½ cup (120 ml) water

¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar (See Recipe Note.)

2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid smoke

2 tablepoons (40 g) agave nectar or pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons (30 g) Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

½ to 1 scant teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Method:

Rinse the lentils and drain well. Pick through them to remove any stones or other debris. Place them in a large pot and cover with the water. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered until tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Add water if necessary to make sure the lentils are barely covered. The cooking time will depend on the freshness of the lentils. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and carrots, lower the heat to medium, and cover with a lid. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).

In a 10-inch (25 cm) oven-safe dish, whisk to combine the ketchup, tomato paste, water, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, agave or maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add the cooked lentils and carrots and stir until they are coated with the sauce. Bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is slightly caramelized on the edges.

This dish can be covered and stored in the refrigerator once cooled for up to 5 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.

Seed and Nut Ice Cream, page 93

Ice cream is something I have always been a little apprehensive of making, much like some are fearful of pastry or bread making. This is however, mainly due to the fact that I didn’t own a machine and recipes always required frequent visits to the freezer to break up ice crystals and mix the ice cream base to ensure a smooth finish instead of an iceberg. It just seemed so much work and it filled me with anxiety to think that something might come up or I might forget to whip my ‘cream at the exact right time. No, it was not for me.

Then when I visited the US last year, my friend Somer made Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream as my request since it was a childhood favourite and I had seen a picture of her creation before my visit. I saw how the use of a machine made ice cream making such an easy process. I wondered why I didn’t have a machine already. Especially since vegan ice creams don’t require the cooking up of a fragile custard that could turn to scrambled egg.

This Seed and Nut Ice Cream, rich in tahini and nut butter, requires the simplicity of mixing the ingredients in a blender, just like Somer’s did, before adding to the ice cream machine to work it’s magic and make a super smooth, creamy and melt in your mouth ice cream. I added the optional xanthan gum for extra scoopability. The layers of flavour are impeccable and exciting on the taste-buds with a touch of sweet spice, especially the touch of ginger.

The flavour here is just incredible and the ingredients are beyond clever. It is very rich and I couldn’t finish off my 3 scoop serving if you paid me, but Lord it’s good.

Yield: I quart (950 ml), or 8 servings

Protein content per serving: 9 g

Recipe Notes:

• To keep your ice cream scoopably soft, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of dark rum and 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum into the mix while blending it all together.

• Note that maple syrup is less sweet than agave, so it might need to be increased according to taste. Dip a finger in the preparation before churning it, and adjust the amount Of syrup (or nectar) to taste.

• If you’re not a tahini fan, replace it with another seed or nut butter.

Ingredients:

FOR THE NUTS:

1 1/2 tablespoons (30 g) pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup (50 g) walnut or pecan halves

FOR THE ICE CREAM:

1/2 cup (128 g) tahini

1/2 cup (128 g) natural creamy cashew butter or peanut butter

12 ounces (340 g) soft silken tofu, or plain or vanilla vegan yogurt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (200 g) agave nectar or 3/4 cup (240 g) pure maple syrup, more if needed

1/4 cup (60 ml) full-fat coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method:

To make the nuts: Preheat the oven to 325 0 F (170 0 C, or gas mark 3).

In a medium bowl, combine the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the walnut or pecan halves and stir to coat. Place in an even layer on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Stir and bake for another 4 to 6 minutes until toasty and dry-looking, being careful not to let the nuts burn. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before coarsely chopping them. Set aside.

To make the ice cream: Freeze the tub of your ice cream maker for at least 24 hours.

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Taste a bit of the mixture to make sure it is sweetened enough to your taste and add more sweetener if desired, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time. Blend again if you made adjustments.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and follow the instructions to prepare the ice cream. Add the chopped nuts during the last 5 minutes of churning. Transfer to a container and freeze for 2 hours to firm up. The ice cream will be reluctant to be scooped out straight out of the freezer after more than few hours, so leave it at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.