This really is a feast – layers of succulent aubergine and tangy kalamata olive and tomato sauce, all topped with vegan mozzarella and crunchy pine nuts. Mouthwatering. Any leftovers keep well for a couple of days and can be reheated for a quick lunch.

Serves 4

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil, plus extra to grease
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 140g tomato purée
• 80g kalamata olives, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 60g plain or white spelt flour
• 2 aubergines, trimmed and cut lengthways into 5mm-thick slices
• 200g vegan mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4 and lightly grease a medium-sized baking dish with oil.

Put 2 tablespoons of the oil into a large pan with a lid and place over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until softened. 

Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, olives, herbs, vinegar, a teaspoon of salt and a quarter of a teaspoon of pepper, then bring to a gentle simmer. 

Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring now and again, until slightly reduced. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Meanwhile, place the flour in a wide shallow bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Coat each slice of aubergine in the seasoned flour and set aside. 

Put another 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. 

Working in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan, fry the floured aubergine slices for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden.

Continue until all are fried, adding more oil as needed.

Cover the base of the greased baking dish with a thin layer of the tomato sauce, then add a layer of aubergine and continue layering until you have used up all of the ingredients. 

Mix the grated mozzarella with the pine nuts and scatter over the top of the dish.

Season with a little more salt and pepper and bake for 30–40 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately.

This dish has become a takeaway and ready-meal favourite, but it is easy to make your own – then you know exactly what you’re eating. Once you’ve prepared all the vegetables, this is ready to eat in 20 minutes. Tamarind paste is available in jars.

Serves 2

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 2 ½ tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 2 ½ tbsp unrefined or light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 1 tbsp water, or 3 tbsp lime juice
• 200g flat rice noodles
• vegetable oil, to fry
• 150g broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
• 3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 100g bean sprouts
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 50g roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped

To serve:

• handful of coriander leaves
• lime wedges

Method

Put the soy sauce, sugar and the tamarind mixture or lime juice in a small saucepan and place over a medium heat. Warm through until the sugar dissolves completely, then remove from the heat.

Soak the noodles in hot water for 5–7 minutes until tender, but not completely soft.

Put 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a large frying pan and place over a high heat. Add the broccoli, garlic, bean sprouts and most of the chilli and spring onions – set some aside for later. 

Stir-fry for 2 minutes until the garlic is aromatic, taking care not to let it burn.

Drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the chopped cashew nuts, tossing them with the vegetables and separating any noodles that are sticking together. 

Add the soy sauce mixture and cook for another 3–5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the noodles have soaked up most of the liquid and are tender. 

Taste and, if necessary, adjust the seasoning with more tamarind or soy sauce.

Plate up the noodles with the remaining spring onions and chilli scattered over the top and garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

Packed with flavour and so moreish, sweet potatoes are a great source of minerals and vitamins, particularly C and E. They are also rich in fibre, which is great for the digestive system. And all the veggies in this count towards your five a day.

Serves 4

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 600g sweet potato, peeled
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and very finely chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 5 tbsp gram (chickpea) flour or plain white flour
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to fry
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To serve:

• 2 ripe avocados
• chopped coriander leaves
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
• lime wedges (optional)

Method

Coarsely grate the sweet potato. Place it in the centre of a clean tea towel, roll the towel up and squeeze out as much liquid as possible over a sink, twisting the towel as you go.

Tip the sweet potato into a bowl and mix with the red onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, flour and 4 tablespoons of olive oil.

Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper, then use clean hands to bring everything together.

Add a tablespoon of oil to a large non-stick pan and place it over a medium-low heat. Take 2 tablespoons of the sweet potato mixture in your hand and tightly compact it into a ball, then gently flatten it into a disc and place it in the hot pan. 

Repeat with more of the mixture, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. 

Fry the rösti for 4–5 minutes until golden on one side, then gently flip over and fry for another 4–5 minutes, until golden and cooked through. 

Transfer to a plate and continue until you’ve used all the mixture, adding more oil as needed.

Halve the avocados, remove the stones and slice the flesh. Plate up the rösti and avocado, season and scatter over the coriander leaves and chilli. 

Drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve immediately with lime wedges if desired.

Linda McCartney’s Family Kitchen: Over 90 Plant-Based Recipes To Save The Planet And Nourish The Soul by Linda, Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney (£26, Seven Dials) is out now