From: Linda McCartney´s Home Cooking, p. 153
After spending most of the weekend on the sofa trying to get rid of a cold, I felt up to some cooking on Sunday evening. The baked apples are easy to make and a great (and healty!) dessert for the whole family.
I think that using less sugar (3 or 4 teaspoons in total) is still sweet enough. Adding 1/2 tsp cinnamon gives a lovely wintery flavour. Also great when served with custard or vanilla ice cream (dairy or plant-based).
From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 67
My daughter asked for Sausage Rolls for her birthday party. The children loved them and nobody ever noticed that the sausages were vegatarian. I cut the pastry-covered sausages in rather small pieces so the children could just take them with their hands and put them right into their mouths.
Vegan: Make sure your sausages are vegan. Omit brushing with beaten egg (the colour of the Sausage Rolls will then be lighter) or brush with some plant-based milk instead.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free puff pastry and make sure that the sausages are gluten-free, too.
From: Linda McCartney´s Home Cooking, p. 73
A recipe I would not have tried out without my goal of cooking as many recipes as possible from Linda´s book. I only made 1/3 of the original recipe, but found it was enough for three. The salad is very rich with the cheese and the sour cream and makes a meal in itself. As recommended, I served it on a bed of lettuce and surrounded it with tomatoes- a good combination.
Variations: Instead of using only sour cream, substitute half of the sour cream with plain yoghurt.
From: Linda McCartney´s Home Cooking, p. 57
This soup really surprised me as it has a very creamy consistency I would not have thought possible for a soup that does not use any dairy products. The secret is blending half of the soup after the cooking time- the white beans will work the magic. Definitely a recipe to make it into my repertoire.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta. I tried some red lentil pasta in this soup but found that the lentil taste was too strong. I would recommend using gluten-free pasta made from corn flour.
From: Linda McCartney´s Home Cooking, p. 64
A great basic that should never be missing in your fridge. Hummus is vegan and gluten-free and versatile to use. Try it as a dip with vegetable sticks, as a filling for pitta bread alongside a crisp salad and falaffel, or as a sandwich spread.
Variations: You can experiment with spices such as a tandoori curry blend or harissa. Hummus with some chopped dried tomatoes and a little tomato paste is great in summer, and in autumn you can add some cooked pumpkin before blending.
From: Linda McCartney´s Home Cooking, p. 70
A surprisingly balanced and moreish salad– especially for somebody like me who always thought that uncooked celery is inedible. I think that the combination of the strong flavours of the beetroot and celery and the milder flavour of the egg go very well together.
I have tried making this salad with lemon juice only, but find that the sharp acidity of the vinegar harmonizes better with the beetroot than the sour taste of the lemon juice. Therefore, I would prefer using either a combination of lemon juice and vinegar, or only vinegar.
Leaving the salad for at least an hour before serving helps the flavour develop. Add the sliced egg just before serving.
My children enjoy these crispy nuggests (they call it tofu chicken), and they are a great snack with some home-made barbecue sauce or tomato ketchup.
1 egg, 1tbsp. tamari or soy sauce, 1tsp. paprika powder, 60g cornflakes, 25g rice flour or any other flour, a 200g block of firm tofu.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Beat the egg with the tamari sauce and paprika powder and put it on a small plate. Measure out the flour on another plate. Crush the cornflakes (I use a pestle and mortar, but crushing them with your hands in a bowl will be just as good) and pour onto a third plate. Cut the tofu in 1cm thick slices.
Now dip the tofu slices first into the flour and turn until all sides are covered. Repeat the same with the egg mixture and finish with a coating of crushed cornflakes.
Bake for 20 minutes and serve immediately.
Preparation time: 15 minutes plus 20 minutes cooking time.
Sometimes, I cut smaller pieces of tofu and put them on small wooden skewers. Makes a great party food and children enjoy eating them with their hands and dipping them into the tomato ketchup.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free cornflakes and any gluten-free flour you like.
Vegan: Mix 30g of flour with the tamari sauce and paprika powder and add as much plant-based milk as necessary to form a creamy dough. Cover the tofu pieces in this dough, then turn in the crushed cornflakes and bake for 20 minutes at 180°C.
A creamy cold soup with leeks, potato and cream.
Trying out this soup, I was surprised by how easy it is to make and how elegant and tasty the result is! I think it is just as good warm as it is chilled and would make a great starter for a dinner party. My daughter and I enjoyed it for lunch with some fresh bread and a salad, which was also great.
From: Linda McCartney’s Home Cooking, p. 76
A very colourful winter salad that makes you happy as soon as you look at your plate. It is packed with flavour and vitamins and can make a meal in itself.
I would suggest serving it as a starter just on its own, or with some pita bread and hummus as lunch.
The recipe serves 4 as main course or 8 as a starter.
Leave out the onions and use 1tbs of honey (and optional 1 tsp of mustard) in the dressing.
Oranges can be substituted for chopped apples or pears, and currants for chopped dates or dried apricots.
For a milder flavour of the original recipe, try using a shallot instead of the onion.
From: Linda McCartney´s Home Cooking, p. 53
Even though this soup consists of only a few ingredients, it surprises with its balanced taste. Roasting the vegetables gives extra flavour and the rice is an interesting alternative to using potatoes.
It can be eaten hot or cold and is a great starter for a dinner party or family dinner.
The recipe serves 4 as starter or two for lunch.
Vegan: Substitute the single cream with soy or oat cream.