Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Valentine's night tonight... so this recipe feeds TWO and not FOUR. Sorry. There are loads of recipes for vegan spaghetti bolognese, but this one is quite fab. Suggest you give it a go.

Ingredients

Tbsp vegetarian bouillon or stock mix
300 ml boiling water
200g textured vegetable protein - chunky!
Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large carrot, finely chopped
Around 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Tsp salt
Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 glasses red wine (yippee)
Tbsp plain flour
Cold water

Method

First of all add the bouillon or stock mix to the boiling water, stir well and then in a good-sized mixing bowl, pour the stock over the TVP, mix through and leave to sit for at least 20 minutes as the stock is absorbed. When it's been well absorbed, drain well and leave to drain further for a few minutes.

Heat the oil in a large wok. When it's hot, add in the drained TVP and cook until it starts to brown. After this add the carrot and broccoli and continue cooking; then add the garlic, cook for a couple of minutes, and then add in the tomatoes, salt, herbs and two glasses of the red wine. Drink the third as, in the words of L'Oreal, you're worth it...

Let the Bolognese cook well and simmer for around 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make a paste with the tablespoon of flour and a little cold water. Keep adding the water, slowly, until you have 50-100 mls of the four and water paste.

Add the past to the Bolognese, gradually, until it thickens up nicely. Serve over spaghetti with some crusty bed and some vegan parmesan, if you've got it... my gang aren't that keen!

Broccoli and pak choi in garlic sauce

Total winner this one - dead easy and really quick. Tonight I put it together with some basmati rice but there's no reason why it couldn't feature with yummy noodles. Oh, and of course, it wouldn't hurt to hurl some tofu in if you were so inclined. Can never go wrong hurling a bit of tofu into the mix. The thing I like about this garlic sauce is that it tastes really authentic... almost as good as the one they serve up at our favourite restaurant, the Laughing Buddha in Didsbury.

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
Tbsp cornstarch
Tbsp soya sauce
Tbsp light brown sugar
Tsp sesame oil
100 ml vegetable stock
Three florets broccoli
One head of pak choi
Tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

Mix the garlic, cornstarch, soya sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl well, and then add the vegetable stock. Put this to one side as you'll need it in a mo. Wash and chop the broccoli and pak choi. Heat up the vegetable oil in a wok and add the broccoli, and stir fry for five minute or so. Add the pak choi and continue to cook for a further five or ten minutes until the pak choi has wilted. Then add the garlic sauce and stir continuously until the cornstarch has thickened up, should take five minutes at the most. Then you're done.

To serve:

This is great on basmati rice and if you're looking to impress, sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.