Hi everyone I’m Hazel, I’ve been fully vegan since January 2020 and I hope some of these yummy recipes inspire you for veganuary. I never feel like I’m missing out with meals like these, the creamy gnocchi is a personal fave!
When I’m not eating lots of tasty food I can be found rollerblading on Brighton seafront or performing burlesque on stage. Who says vegans are boring aye!
Good luck on your vegan journey, remember not to be hard on yourself if you slip up, it’s a big lifestyle change but the most positive one you could be doing for yourself, the animals and the planet. You’ve got this!
You can find me on instagram @hazelsveganeats I’m always happy to advise on restaurants or easy vegan swaps. If you try these recipes I’d love to hear from you and see what you think.
Creamy Chilli Tomato Gnocchi Bake
Servings 2
Total time: 50 min
This is one of my favourite easy dinner party dishes. It really gives the wow impact of a restaurant meal but is so easy to do that you can still entertain your guests.
Ingredients
Gnocchi Bake
1 Shallot – finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves – crushed
Olive Oil • 1 tsp
1 Red Pepper – Finely chopped
Passata • 500 g
1/2 Can of coconut Milk
Mushrooms • 300 g
Spinach • 150 g
Gnocchi • 500 g
Salt and Pepper (to taste) • 2 pinches
Paprika • 1 tsp
Dried Chilli Flakes • 1 tsp
Fresh Basil • 30 g
Grated Vegan Cheese • 150 g
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Then finely chop the shallots and crush the garlic, add to a large pan with the olive oil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the finely chopped red pepper with salt pepper, chilli flakes, paprika and continue to cook until soft. Once softened add the fresh basil chopped, Passata and half of a can of coconut milk.
Once this has cooked and reduced slightly, use a hand blender to make smoother, it doesn’t need to be like baby food but definitely a lot smoother and no big red pepper chunks etc. Once smooth add in the sliced mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes and then add the spinach and half of the vegan cheese. Season to taste and add any extra salt/pepper/chilli you might like then put to one side.
Cook the vegan gnocchi according to the packet instructions but it is usually 2 minutes or until they float to the top of the pan of boiling salted water. Once cooked add the gnocchi to a baking dish and add the sauce we made. Stir well to ensure all the gnocchi is coated then add the remaining vegan cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Once cooked, serve with a little extra fresh basil and enjoy!
The Ultimate Vegan Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Mac ‘n’ Cheese is an absolute favourite amongst the vegan community and such a crowd pleaser. My boyfriend and I love to cook this at home and I really think it’s the tastiest one I’ve tried! I added some pre-made Tempeh bacon as a topping but this is optional – if you do like toppings get creative and add whatever you fancy.
Sauce
1 Onion
1 Carrot (large)
1 Sweet Potato (Medium)
Garlic Garlic bulb
Cashews • 50 g
Olive oil • 1 tbsp
Salt and Pepper (season to taste) • 2 pinches
Alternative plant milk of choice (unsweetened) • 300 ml
Mustard • 1 tsp
White Miso • 1 tsp
Dried Thyme • 1 tsp
Smoked Paprika • 1 tsp
Vegan Cheese • 30 g
Nutritional Yeast • 3 tbsp
Pasta
White Macaroni • 500 g
Salted water • 1 l
Toppings (Optional)
Tempeh bacon or vegan chicken
Pasta
Bring the water to boil and salt generously. Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions – you want it to be al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven once the sauce is ready.
Sauce
Cut up and roast the onion, carrot, sweet potato, garlic bulb together with olive oil salt and pepper for 20 mins at 180 degrees, keep an eye on it and ensure it isn’t burnt. (If any burnt bits do happen cut these off and discard)
Bring more water to boil (no salt needed) and add the cashews, cook for 30 minutes or until soft, this can be done whilst the veggies are roasting. Once the cashews are soft drain.
In a food processor/ blender add the cooked cashews to 300ml of alternative plant based milk (I like unsweetened soy but others work well too) then add the mustard, miso, thyme, smoked paprika, roasted veg, vegan cheese, nutritional yeast and blend until smooth. Once smooth, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Choose a baking dish large enough for your pasta and add the pasta and sauce and stir so every piece is coated. Put in a preheated oven at 180 degrees and cook for 20 minutes or until Golden Brown.
Toppings (Optional)
Once cooked in my dish I added some crispy Tempeh bacon pieces to have on top but you can eat the dish plain which is gorgeous or go wild. Good toppings could be crispy onions, vegan Pesto, vegan sausage or Chorizo, Truffle oil… You get the idea so get creative.
Raw vegan lemon infused raspberry cheesecake cupcakes
Servings: 8
Total time: 4 h 20 min
These mini treats are absolutely delicious, full of nutrients and no refined sugars. You can keep them in the freezer too for when you fancy a little sweet treat!
Ingredients
Base
Almonds • 125 g
Medjool Dates • 125 g
The Filling
Soaked Cashews • 200 g
Coconut Milk • 100 ml
Maple Syrup • 100 ml
2 Lemons
Vanilla bean paste • 1 tsp
Raw Icing
Soaked Cashews • 200 g
Almond Milk • 100 ml
Coconut Oil • 100 ml
Maple Syrup • 3 tbsp
Raspberries • 100 g
Vanilla bean paste • 1 tsp
Just blend until they form a sticky dough then put these in the base of your cupcake moulds. I used silicone cupcake ones.
Filling
Blend together all the ingredients until smooth, set some aside then you can blitz some with some fresh raspberries to make a pink layer. On top of the base do a white layer first, then a pink layer. Leave in the freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Topping
Blend all topping ingredients until smooth but thick enough to pipe (you can pop in the fridge to firm up a bit) then decorate your mini vegan cheesecakes and enjoy! They can be eaten frozen or if you like them soft you can wait 10 minutes.
