Bean & Avocado Dip
Serves 10

Ingredients:

400g cooked kidney beans
400g cooked chickpeas
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup slivered almonds, roasted (roasting instructions)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons soy-based yoghurt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Hot sauce to taste

Preparation:

Combine about half of kidney beans and about half of chickpeas in a food processor or blender, and pulse until mashed but still chunky. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and stir in remaining kidney beans and chickpeas as well as avocado, red onion, almonds, yoghurt, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Serve with whole wheat pita crisps or oat crackers.

Nutritional analysis:

229 calories
6 g protein
2 g saturated fat
10 g monounsaturated fat
1 mg cholesterol
19 g carbohydrates
3 mg vitamin E
320 mg sodium
15 g fat
2 g polyunsaturated fat
6 g fibre
46 mg calcium

Source The Portfolio Eating Plan 

BEETROOT SALAD 1
Serves 8

Ingredients
750g fresh beetroot
2tbsp orange blossom water
Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
¼ tsp cumin
1½ tbsp icing sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
A little sea salt

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas Mark 7.  Wrap each beetroot in foil and bake for 1-1½ hours, depending on the size, until fully cooked.  Unwrap the beetroot and cool slightly.  Peel and dice beetroot (or grate if you prefer).  Mix all other ingredients in a salad bowl, add the beetroot and mix well.  Taste and adjust seasoning as required.  Serve at room temperature, or slightly chilled.

Source: The Guardian Weekend, 21 July 2007

Nutritional Analysis

*Recommended daily allowance (Food labelling regulations)

BEETROOT SALAD 2
Serves 8

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 cooked beetroot, peeled
2 carrots
2 apples
6 tbsp raisins
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Cut beetroot into cubes, coarsely grate carrots and apples.  Place in a bowl and add raisins, oil and vinegar.  Mix well.  Season with salt and pepper.

Nutritional Analysis

*Recommended daily allowance (Food labelling regulations)

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp hot curry powder
300g (11oz) peeled sweet potato, diced
250g (9oz) peeled butternut squash, diced
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp basil leaves, torn
500ml (1¼ pint) vegetable stock (1 stock cube)
500ml (9floz) Alpro Light soya milk

Preparation
Heat the oil in a large saucepan.  Add onion and garlic and cook until soft.  Add the curry powder and cook for a further minute.

Add the sweet potato and butternut squash, stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Add salt, basil leaves, stock and soya milk, bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is cooked.

Blend or process vegetable mixture until smooth.

Serve soup hot or cold with chopped basil or chives and/or a swirl of vegan yogurt.

Nutritional Analysis

*Recommended daily allowance (Food labelling regulations)

CARROT AND CORIANDER SOUP
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 large carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 large onion
2tsp ground coriander
3 cups (750ml) vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Preparation
Fry the onion in the oil until soft.  Add the carrots and coriander and stir.

Cover in vegetable stock and bring to the boil.  Simmer until the carrots are cooked (at least 20 minutes).

Blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source of recipe: Recipes for vegans

Nutritional Analysis

*Recommended daily allowance (Food labelling regulations)

CHICKPEA SALAD SANDWICH
Serves 2

Ingredients
7oz/210g chickpeas
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise or Tahini
1/4 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp/2g nutritional yeast
Salt, to taste
1/2-1 stalk celery, finely diced
Fresh dill, to taste
Pinch of garlic powder (optional)
4 slices wholemeal bread

Preparation
Mash the chickpeas in a bowl, using a fork or potato masher.  You can leave a few chickpeas whole or just partially mashed for variation of texture.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spread the mixture onto half the bread slices and make into sandwiches with the remaining bread.  Eat with a side salad, such as a Pea and Red Pepper Salad.

This spread will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. 

Source: VegWeb

Nutritional Analysis (based on a sandwich made with tahini, not mayonnaise)

*Recommended daily allowance (Food labelling regulations)

Corn Soup - A Guatemalan recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

kernels from 3 fresh corns or 1 can of sweetcorn
1 onion, sliced
3cl flour
1.5cl soya margarine
6dl soyamilk or equivalent

Preparation

Cook fresh corn in boiling water for 5-10 minutes until tender. Drain and keep thewater. If using canned corn, drain and keep the liquid. Melt the margarine in a saucepan and cook the onion until it is soft. Sprinkle in the flour and mix well. Cook a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from heat and slowly pour in the soyamilk, stirring to give a smooth consistency. Add the corn kernels, along with salt and pepper to taste, and about 1dl of the saved liquid. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, stirring as the mixture thickens. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot with the salad and/or fresh tortillas.

GREEN PEA SANDWICH
Serves 4

Ingredients
15oz/420g sweet green peas
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise or Tahini
1 tbsp ground flaxseed/linseed
2 tbsp/20g finely minced sweet onion
¼ cup/25g finely minced celery or ½ tsp crushed celery seeds
¼ cup/35g sunflower seeds and/or pine nuts
Lettuce
Seasoned salt
Black pepper
8 slices wholemeal bread

Preparation
In a bowl combine peas, minced vegetables, flaxseed/linseed, mayonnaise (or tahini) and seasonings.  Stir well, mashing slightly.  Stir in seeds.  Refrigerate overnight if possible.  Layer onto ½ the bread slices with lettuce or salad greens (for extra crunch) and make into sandwiches with the remaining bread.  These sandwiches may be served with a Thai soya bean salad.

Recipe source: VegWeb

Nutritional Analysis (based on a sandwich made with tahini, fresh celery and a pine nut/sunflower seed mix)

*Recommended daily allowance (Food labelling regulations)

Houmous Dip
Serves: 4

Ingredients

400g cooked chickpeas
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
oil
lemon juice
1.5dl tahini
olive oil and paprika to serve
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Cook the garlic in some oil over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, uncovered, until the garlic is softened. Leave to cool then add to the chick-peas and tahini and whizz in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve in a bowl with a little olive oil poured over and sprinkle with paprika.

Source: Tesco

WARM LEEK AND WHITE BEAN SALAD WITH MUSTARD DRESSING
Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
1 x 410g can white beans, such as cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 heaped tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Salad leaves

For the dressing
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp wholegrain mustard (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 pinch each salt, pepper and sugar

Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and then add the leeks.  As soon as the leeks begin to soften, turn down the heat to fairly low and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until the leeks are very soft-take care that they do not brown.

Add the rinsed white beans and parsley, and toss then with the leeks until heated through and nicely combined.  Turn off the heat.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, add to the pan and stir.  Divide the salad leaves between four plates and add the warm leek and bean mixture.  Serve straight away with toasted bread.

Recipe source: The Guardian

Nutritional Analysis

*Recommended daily allowance (Food labelling regulations)

FRENCH LENTIL SALAD
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 cups/384g dried French green lentils
2 large carrots, shredded
1 medium bell pepper, diced
¾ cup/115g pitted kalamata olives, chopped
1/3 cup/20g chopped parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup/30g toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Olive oil as needed

Preparation
Bring a large pot of water and lentils to a boil.  Cook lentils until just tender (about 20 minutes).  Drain any excess water.  Transfer lentils to a large serving bowl. Add carrots, bell pepper, olives, parsley and garlic and stir well. Stir in balsamic vinegar and walnuts, and salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle oil over salad to taste.

Source: Vegetarian Times

Nutritional Analysis