Lucy says: “When cauliflower is not being ‘rice’ for paleos, it can be ‘chicken’ for vegos.

“The sticky, chewy business of baking rice with flavours is with us to stay, my friends. It’s a classic lazy approach disguised as a big flavour move. (It’s actually both!) And so satisfying, because it’s basically set and forget. Cauliflowers are the greatest sauce-trappers, too.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (70g) white miso paste 2 garlic cloves, crushed ¼ cup (60ml) honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped, whites and greens separated 8cm piece of ginger, peeled and julienned
• 1 large cauliflower, cut into 8 wedges*
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups (440g) white rice ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice 
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced.

Blend the miso, garlic, honey, soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, spring onions (white parts only) and a quarter of the ginger in a food processor until smooth.

Toss the cauliflower through this mix, making sure to coat it really well.

In a large roasting tray big enough to fit the cauliflower in a single layer, combine the olive oil, rice, remaining ginger, Chinese five spice and salt.

Cover with 3 cups (750ml) of water and gently shake the pan to level out the rice. Place the cauliflower into the water, then cover tightly with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for a further 25 minutes, basting with any remaining marinade for the final 5 minutes. Serve with sesame seeds and the green parts of the spring onions.

Lucy says: “Unbridled sparkly goodness. 

“This salad should be glistening and bright in colour. The bright orange and purple should stay separate from the dark little spots of lentils and the glossy ghostly white of the goat’s curd. If you over-toss it before serving you will end up with a murky toned pink wash from the beetroot everywhere. It’s a wintry rainbow of caramelised roots, perfect on its own or with a side of heavily buttered baguette, tossed with spaghetti or atop buttery couscous.”

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup (90g) salted butter, melted
• ½ cup (125ml) honey
• 600g (1lb 5oz) small carrots (orange, purple, white), scrubbed well, leaves trimmed
• ½ bunch thyme sprigs
• head of garlic, halved across its fat belly with the skin on
• 2 oranges
• 5–6 baby beets, scrubbed well, leaves removed
• ½ cup (125ml) hot water
• fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 400g (14oz) tinned baby lentils, rinsed and drained
• ⅓ cup (75g) goat’s curd
• 50g (1¾oz) rocket (arugula)

For the salad dressing:

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons orange juice (reserved from the salad)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives
• fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) fan-forced. Lightly oil a 40 x 50 cm (16 x 20 inch) deep baking tray with the extra virgin olive oil.

Combine the butter and the honey in a small mixing bowl.

Cut the carrots in half lengthways – or leave whole if thin – and place on the oiled tray. Add the thyme and garlic. Remove the peel from one of the oranges in strips and add them to the tray. Pour the honey butter mixture over it all and toss well.

Cut the beets in sixths, place them on the tray and turn them over to coat.

Add ½ cup (125ml) of hot water to the small mixing bowl you used for the honey butter and swirl it around to collect anything left in the bowl. Pour this over the veg.

Season well with a good crack of black pepper and a decent sprinkling of salt. Place the tray in the oven to roast for 20 minutes, or until caramelised.

Meanwhile, trim the remaining pith from the peeled orange and cut the flesh into segments. Juice the remaining orange and set the juice aside for the dressing.

Combine the dressing ingredients and season.

Remove the tray from the oven, add the lentils immediately, then allow it to cool slightly.

Before serving, top with the orange segments, crumbled goat’s curd, a scrabble of rocket and the dressing.

Lucy says: “Kinda ratatouille without the sophisticated stacking. 

“Ultra. Ratta. Tarte. Tatin. Sounds exactly like an 80s frat or sorority house. Although there is no hazing on this guy, the beauty of the layering is that you don’t need to stress about the size of the veg all matching so you can create that perfect layered effect of overlapping circles.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 zucchini (courgette), cut into 5mm (¼ inch) rounds
• 1 brown onion, cut into thin rings
• 1 eggplant (aubergine), cut into 1cm (½ inch) rounds
• 2 tomatoes, cut into 5mm (¼ inch) rounds
• fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
• 230g (8½oz) fresh ricotta (the deli kind in a basket)
• ½ cup (50g) grated cheddar
• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• ¼ cup (60g) basil pesto (storebought is fine)
• 2 sheets readymade frozen puff pastry, cut into 30cm (12 inch) rounds
• small handful of basil leaves, to sprinkle on top

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan-forced. Grease a 28cm (11¼ inch) non-stick ovenproof frying pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Layer the zucchini in the pan first, then the onion, eggplant and tomatoes – seasoning each layer with S+P as you go.

Drizzle with another tablespoon of olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and add 2 tablespoons water, then return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the pan, around 10 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 250°C (480°F) fan-forced.

Combine the ricotta, cheddar, lemon zest, garlic and pesto in a medium bowl.

Spoon the ricotta mixture on top of the tomatoes, leaving a 2cm (¾ inch) bare edge around the circumference to tuck the pastry into.

Place both the pastry sheets on top of the cheese and tuck in at the sides. This will give you an extra crispy layered puff. If you can get your hands on some homemade or really thick puff, then you’ll only need one layer.

Pop the pan back in the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, watching carefully for puffy perfect crispness. Rotate the pan if there is a hotspot and any areas are getting too dark.

This next step is pretty daring: let the pan cool slightly to avoid anything too hot and too dangerous, then flip the pan straight onto your serving plate.

You can decorate with a few flicky little basil leaves.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Every Night Of The Week Veg: Meat Free Beyond Monday; A Zero-tolerance Approach To Bland by Lucy Tweed (£18.99, Murdoch Books) is out now