Making your December paycheque last until the end of January is a feat in itself, but when you throw in the often pricey festivities of Christmas, it’s truly an uphill slog. And many of us will be tempted to open up our food delivery apps and order a quick and easy dinner. However, there is another way.

In her new cookbook, Make It Vegan, Madeleine Olivia has developed 59 recipes that will help you rustle up a variety of delicious, simple and, most importantly, affordable meals – taking you from breakfast right through to a late dinner. So, we’ve picked three of our favourites for the ultimate vegan fakeaway, which include sticky ribs and dirty fries with a twist.

Olivia says: “My husband and I will sample every plate of vegan dirty fries on any menu we come across that features them. They’re chips (fries) with the dial turned right up. It’s also something we regularly recreate at home, especially when we’re craving a huge feast. The ‘meat’ for the fries is made from walnuts and mushrooms, creating a rich and textured alternative to make them extra filthy.

Of course, you can take the principle of this recipe and cheat by using frozen chips, some vegan mince and shop-bought guacamole and salsa (we often do).”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1kg (2lb 4oz) potatoes (preferably Maris Piper)
• generous drizzle of vegetable oil, for cooking
• ½–1 teaspoon chilli (hot pepper) flakes
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 100–150g (3½–5½oz) vegan cheese
• handful of coriander (cilantro)
• chopped handful of jalapeños
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the walnut ‘meat’:

• 100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) walnut halves
• 250 g (9 oz) mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or tamari for a gluten-free option)
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ red onion, roughly chopped
• ¼–½ teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke or use barbecue sauce (optional)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat a fan oven to 200°C (425°F).

Chop the potatoes into the desired chip shape (my favourite is chunky chips, but wedges also work really well), and add to a large saucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes to parboil.

Meanwhile, add a thin layer of oil to a large baking tray (pan) and heat in the oven.

Drain the potatoes in a colander, shake to fluff up, then leave to steam for five minutes.

Remove the baking tray from the oven and tip in the potatoes (being careful that you don’t splash the oil on yourself as it will be very hot). Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Turn the potatoes with a spatula to coat evenly. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, turn over and cook for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

While the chips cook, prepare your walnut ‘meat’, salsa and guacamole.

Add all the walnut ‘meat’ ingredients to a food processor, season with salt and pepper and blitz in bursts until combined to form a mince-like texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

In a large frying pan, heat a little oil and fry the walnut ‘meat’ over a medium heat for five to 10 minutes to crisp up. Set aside.

Add all the salsa ingredients to a medium bowl and mix. Season with salt and pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Mash the avocado in a bowl, add the coriander, lime juice and zest, and season generously with salt and pepper.

When the chips are ready, arrange the walnut ‘meat’ over the top, add with a layer of vegan cheese. Return to the oven for another five minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve in a large dish for sharing, or divide among plates, and top with the salsa and guacamole, plus a sprinkling of coriander and jalapeños.

Olivia says: “Seitan is a vegan meat alternative made from vital wheat gluten, which is simply the gluten removed from wheat. It can be used to recreate the texture of meat and is surprisingly simple to make. I love picking up meat alternatives from the shops, but it can be super fun to try making your own versions. Especially when you can change the spices and make it a bit different each time. You can follow the principle of this basic recipe, leave out the barbecue sauce, and just swap the spices for different versions, if you like.”

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the barbecue seitan:

• 120g (4 oz) vital wheat gluten
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 180ml (¾ cup) water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• olive oil, for cooking
• freshly ground black pepper

For the barbecue sauce (or use shop-bought):

• 100g (31/2 oz) tomato ketchup
• 100g (31/2 oz) soft brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegan
• Worcestershire sauce or apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat a fan oven to 200°C (425°F). Grease and line a 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8 in) baking dish.

Mix all the dry ingredients for the seitan together in a large bowl. Add the measured water, soy sauce or tamari, and liquid smoke and stir through until you have a dough. Knead the dough until it comes together, for 30–60 seconds. Try not to overwork the dough, as you want it to remain pliable.

Flatten the dough out on a work surface, cut it in half and shape into two equal oval pieces. Add to the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce together in a small bowl. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over a low to medium heat for a couple of minutes until bubbling.

Remove the seitan from the oven and generously coat each piece with the barbecue sauce.

Heat a large griddle pan with a little oil over a high heat. Add both pieces of seitan and fry on both sides for two to three minutes, or until browned. Remove from the pan and cut into slices. Drizzle over any remaining barbecue sauce, then leave the seitan to rest for five minutes before enjoying.

Olivia says: “Black beans are an amazing ingredient to use when replicating any type of beef or pork recipe. Their colour and earthy taste make them one of my favourite beans to use every week. Meatballs are such a comforting meal and can be served with pasta or inside a large crusty baguette.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 400g (14oz) tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 75g (¾ cup) rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon harissa paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 100g (1¼ cups) fresh breadcrumbs
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 baguette
• vegan cheese

For the tomato sauce:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• small pinch of chilli (hot pepper) flakes or good splash of tabasco sauce
• 400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar or good squirt of tomato ketchup
• ½ bunch of basil, torn

Method

Cook the onion and garlic in a frying pan with around a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat for five to 10 minutes, or until softened.

Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a food processor, add the black beans, oats, harissa, oregano, vinegar, breadcrumbs and seasoning and blend until everything comes together. Pulse and don’t over blend. Roll the mixture into 16–20 meatballs.

Heat around 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same large frying pan over a medium to high heat, add the meatballs and cook for 10–15 minutes, turning every few minutes so all sides are browned.

Meanwhile, start the tomato sauce by frying the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat for five to 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the remaining ingredients, fill the empty tomato tin halfway with water and add to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, simmer for five to 10 minutes and season.

When the meatballs are ready, add them to the tomato sauce and cook for 5 or so minutes (don’t over stir to avoid breaking the meatballs).

You can serve the meatballs with spaghetti or make a meatball sub. Simply add to a large baguette, then scoop over the tomato sauce and a layer of vegan cheese. Toast open under a preheated grill (broiler) until the cheese has melted, then close the sandwich up and enjoy.

Make It Vegan by Madeleine Olivia (Hardie Grant, £25) is out now.

Photography: Ali Green & Clare Winfield