January is here and so are the usual new year’s good intentions (going to the gym, eating less sugar and call your grandma more, anyone?). 

If half of your friends have already gone vegan in 2018, Veganuary might be a good excuse to try to include more plant-based food in your diet. If your idea of vegan snack is the usual carrot and hummus combo, look no further. Here is Stylist.co.uk’s perfect plant-based menu for a deliciously vegan party. 

Cornmeal baked okra with tamarind drizzle

As well as being high in fibre, antioxidants and low in calories, okra is also a versatile little thing popping up in many a Caribbean dish from curry, pan-fried with garlic and onion, to being a key ingredient in Cou Cou, a wet polenta dish. For your Christmas party, serve them as a snack with the deliciously moreish sweet and sour tamarind drizzled over the top or to dip in. (This recipe serves 6)

What you’ll need

• 175g okra, de-stemmed
• 150ml vegan buttermilk
• For the cornmeal crust:
• 175g fine cornmeal
• 1 stalk of thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
• 1 heaped tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• rapeseed oil, to drizzle

For the tamarind drizzle:

• 3 tsp tamarind paste
• 6 tsp juice from an orange
• ½ tsp hot chilli sauce, or ½ small chilli, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 tsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

What to do

Pre-heat the oven to 200°. For the crust, mix together all the ingredients in a large freezer bag. Put the okra into a bowl and pour over the buttermilk, ensuring that the okra is fully coated. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the buttermilk coated okra into the freezer bag of polenta, allowing any excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Tie the top of the freezer bag, allowing room in the bag to shake it and turn it upside down to fully coat the okra in the polenta. Pop the okra onto a baking tray and drizzle each with rapeseed oil, then bake for about 20 minutes, until golden, crispy and cooked through. Serve immediately with the tamarind drizzle.

For the tamarind drizzle, in a bowl whisk together the tamarind paste, hot sauce and orange juice until smooth. Pour 2 teaspoon of this liquid into a mortar, add the coriander leaves, the garlic (and the scotch bonnet, if you are using this rather than the hot sauce), and using a pestle, bash together with a pinch of salt until a smooth paste is formed. Mix the paste into the bowl with the tamarind and orange mixture and whisk until even. Season to taste and pour into a dipping bowl.

Recipe and picture provided by Shivi.

Tangy cauliflower tacos with vegan nacho dip

The secret to making perfect tacos: making sure every single element packs a delicious punch. We’ve combined juicy coriander roasted cauliflower, tangy lime corn salad and vegan nacho cheese sauce to enjoy with a delicious margarita. (This recipe serves 4)

What you’ll need

For the coriander roasted cauliflower:

• ½ cup coriander
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• Sunflower seed oil, to cook
• Grilled Corn salad
• 3 ears of corn
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the nacho cheese sauce:

• 1 cup cubed cook potato
• ½ cup cubed cooked carrot
• ½ cup cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. sunflower seed oil)
• ½ cup non-dairy milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 5 pickled jalapeno slices (optional but highly recommended)
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt

What to do

To make the coriander roasted cauliflower:

Pre-heat your oven to 180˙C. To a blender, add oil coriander, spring onion, garlic cloves, water and salt and mix until smooth. Set aside. Add cauliflower florets to a parchment-lined baking tray, and top with the coriander sauce. Mix with your hands until well coated. Bake the cauliflower for 35-40 minutes, until soft and crispy on some edges.

To make the grilled corn salad:

Heat a grill pan (or regular pan) over medium-high heat. Lightly coat corn ears with oil and place on heated grill. Cook the corn, turning often until it is charred on most sides (around 12-15 minutes). Once cooked, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, and holding the corn upright, cut the kernels off the cob. Transfer the kernels to a bowl along with lime juice, red onion, coriander, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste).

To make the nacho cheese sauce (makes 1 cup):

Add the cooked potato, carrots, soaked cashews, oil, milk and lemon juice to a blender. Blend on high for 20-30 seconds, then add in the jalapeño slices, pickling liquid, smoked paprika, onion powder, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, corn starch and salt and blend for another minute. If your sauce is thicker than you’d like, thin it out with 1-2 tbsp water. Serve warm and store in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 week.

To serve: grill some tortillas, and top them with nacho sauce, roasted cauliflower, corn salad, avocado, radishes and extra lime juice.

Recipe and picture provided by AllPlants.

Pumpkin and roasted onion toastie

Sweet, salty, melty… there’s a toastie, then there’s this piece of perfection. Sure, it might seem a little tedious to have to use your oven (it’s a toastie, after all), but we promise the extra steps go a long way in creating melty cheesy magic. Best of all, you can make the toasts into ‘soldiers’ and serve as a snack at your party. (This recipe makes 4)

What you’ll need

For the pumpkin and roasted onion toastie:

• ½ butternut squash, thinly sliced
• 2 white onions, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dairy-free butter
• 8 slices dairy-free cheese (like vio-life)
• 8 slices sourdough bread

What to do

Preheat your oven to 180˙C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Transfer the sliced butternut squash and sliced onions onto the tray, side by side. Coat with salt and the tablespoon of salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the butternut squash is soft and onions browned.

Take two slices of bread to make the first toastie. Layer two slices of cheese, topped with butternut squash followed by roasted onions. Spread a little butter (if using) on the outside of each slice of bread.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Transfer toastie and cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn it over once golden on the bottom side, and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Apply some pressure onto the toastie with a spatula for 30 seconds or so, to squeeze it all together.

Remove from heat, and repeat with remaining toasties.

Recipe and picture provided by AllPlants.

Chocolate tahini truffles

These guys are the easiest party trick. They come together in 15 minutes, but have enough richness to convince a crowd that countless hours of time and effort went into making them – exactly what you want to impress your friends. (This recipe makes around 20)

What you’ll need

For the chocolate tahini truffles:

• 1 cup cashews
• 12 large medjool dates, pitted
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 3 tbsp cacao powder
• ⅛-¼ tsp salt (to taste)

Isli puree with crispy coated panko aubergines

A delicious vegan snack that also looks fancy? Count us in. This aubergine extravaganza is the best way to start a party – just be sure to serve it up alongside some bubbles. 

What you’ll need

For the aubergine puree:

• 2200gr aubergine (large) cooked & strained
• 32gr garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 100gr walnuts, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 200gr extra virgin olive oil
• 35gr lemon juice, fresh
• 80gr apple vinegar
• Sea salt

For the aubergine crisps:

• 250gr aubergine, long & thin
• 40gr icing sugar
• 150gr panko bread crumbs
• 70gr Katakoriko (Japanese potato starch)
• 2gr table salt
• Oil for deep frying

What to do

Wash the aubergines and pat dry. Puncture the skin in several places with a fork. Place over charcoal, turning until the skin is blistered and blackened. Remove and cool for a few minutes until easy to handle. Peel off the blacked skin.

While the aubergines are on the grill, pulse the garlic, walnut and 30gr olive oil together in a food processor until smooth.

Add the aubergine a little at a time to the bowl of the food processor and pulse on and off. Add lemon juice, vinegar and remaining olive oil and pulse until well combined. The aubergine puree does not have to be perfectly smooth.

Season with sea salt. For the eggplant crisps. Mix together the icing sugar, potato starch, panko and salt in a large bowl. Cut the aubergines in half through the middle width wise if thick. Omit if smaller and thinner. Using a Japanese mandolin thinly slice the aubergines lengthways into slices as thin as possible. In batches mix the sliced eggplant into the panko sugar mixture pat to coat then shake to remove the excess. Deep fry until golden brown. Remove and place on paper to absorb oil then place on wire racks to crisp up.

Sprinkle salt and sumac. Once crisp place in a paper lined container with silica gel bag to remove moisture. To serve place the crisps in a bowl and the puree in the other, garnish with cress and olive oil.

Recipe and picture provided by Ruya restaurant.

Baked chickpea sticks with tahini sauce

These chickpea sticks taste as good as they look and their crispness comes from being baked. The sticks are made from chickpea flour, retaining all the nutrients, and they are a great source of plant-based iron. These are fun to eat and great to share – perfect as party food or a pre-dinner snack. 

What you’ll need

For the baked chickpea sticks:

• 115g (4oz) chickpea flour
• 500ml (18fl oz) cold water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 chilli
• 1 tsp seed mix 
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking

To garnish (all optional):

• sesame seeds
• paprika
• chopped herbs
• For the Tahini Sauce:
• 250ml (9fl oz) tahini
• 125ml (4fl oz) lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt
• 175ml (6fl oz) water

What to do

Make the tahini sauce. Use this versatile, oil-free sauce however you fancy. It’s rich in protein and minerals, including magnesium, potassium and iron. Plus, it’s super simple to make. Mix the tahini, lemon juice and salt in a blender and gradually add the water to create the desired consistency. Keep in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To make the sticks, blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the contents to a saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes. You will end up with a consistency similar to clotted cream or thick porridge. Pour into an oiled baking dish and refrigerate until set. This takes about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F), Gas Mark 4. Remove the mixture from the dish and cut into chip shapes. Place on an oiled baking tray to prevent them sticking and bake until they are golden brown; about 30 minutes. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds, paprika and chopped fresh herbs, or dip in Tahini Sauce.

Recipe from Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook by Camilla Fayed, is published by Aster. Photography by Nick Hopper.

Butternut squash & pistachio borek with sautéed spinach, golden sultanas & salted pistachios

Boreks are Middle Eastern or Turkish pies made with filo pastry and, as most shop-bought filo pastry is vegan, this is a simple starter to make. The sweetness of the roast squash and caramelized onion pairs well with the salty crunchy nuts. We make the filling quite thin so that the moisture in the squash doesn’t turn the pastry soft. You can use pumpkin instead, though I would stick to a starchier variety, not the wet Halloween-style pumpkin. The boreks are great served with sautéed spinach, golden sultanas and salted pistachios.

What you’ll need

For the Borek:

• 700g (1lb 9oz) butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into thin slices or small cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
• 6 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and chopped (1 tablespoon)
• 2 teaspoons of shop-bought Lebanese seven spice mix
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon blended oil (olive and sunflower or light olive oil)
• 500g (1lb 2oz) onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon soft dark brown sugar
• 60g (2¼oz) salted shelled pistachio nuts 
• 40g (1½oz) salted blanched almonds
• 225g (8oz) filo pastry, defrosted if frozen
• 100g (3½oz) vegan margarine, melted

For the spinach:

• 30g (1oz) golden sultanas
• 100ml (3½fl oz) warm water
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 500g (1lb 2oz) large leaf spinach with stems
• light olive oil
• 1 white onion, very thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• extra virgin olive oil
• 60g (2¼oz) salted shelled pistachio nuts 
• salt and pepper

What to do

For the Borek:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6. Mix the squash with the garlic, thyme, spice mix and olive oil in a large bowl, making sure it is well coated. Spread out on a baking tray and roast for 20–25 minutes until fully cooked. 

While the squash is cooking, caramelize the onions. Heat the blended oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes until golden brown. Add the sugar and cook for a further 5–8 minutes or until the onions are dark golden. Put the nuts in a bowl or on to a clean tea towel and use a rolling pin or similar blunt instrument to crush them slightly, then set aside. 

Remove the roasted squash from the oven once it is done, and reduce the oven temperature slightly to 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the sheets of pastry in half across to make 2 rectangles from each sheet. Keep the rectangles covered in clingfilm or baking parchment with a damp clean tea towel over the top. Brush one rectangle with a little melted margarine, then brush another and lay it on top to double the thickness. 

Place a small amount of the roasted squash, caramelized onion and crushed nuts in the centre of the pastry. Fold in the sides over the filling. Then fold the bottom up over the filling and continue folding the pastry over on to itself to form a closed parcel. You should get around 6 parcels, depending on the size of the pastry sheets. Place the parcels on the baking tray, brush the tops with the rest of the melted margarine and sprinkle with any remaining nuts. 

Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with the spinach, if liked.

For the spinach:

Soak the sultanas in the measured warm water and lemon juice for 30 minutes–1 hour. Wash the spinach thoroughly and drain, then trim the ends of the stems and discard any tough bits. Cut the leaves, including the stems, into 2 or 3 pieces depending on their size. Heat a splash of light olive oil in a frying pan, add the spinach and sauté over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it begins to soften. 

Remove from the pan and drain in a colander. Add a little more oil to the pan, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden. Drain the sultanas and add to the onion, then return the spinach to the pan and warm through over a medium heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Finally, toss in the salted pistachios and then serve.

This recipe is from Mildred’s Vegan Cookbook by Daniel Acevedo & Sarah Wasserman is published by Mitchell Beazley. Photography by Matt Russell.

Carrot, butter bean & caraway dip with hazelnut & almond dukkah

The brilliant orange of this dip is wonderful and the taste is quite gentle and fragrant. It can be served alone, but we love the combination of this dip with the spice and crunch of our nutty dukkah and some warm grilled flatbread (omit the bread for a gluten-free option).

What you’ll need

For the dip:

• 500g (1lb 2oz) carrots, cut into slices 5mm (¼ inch) thick
• juice of ½ orange
• large pinch of sea salt flakes
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• pinch of sugar
• 75ml (5 tablespoons) olive oil, plus extra for roasting the carrots and to serve
• 50ml (2fl oz) water
• 400g (14oz) can butter beans, drained and rinsed
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 2–3 tablespoons hazelnut and almond dukkah (see below), to serve

For the Dukkah:

• 100g (3½oz) hazelnuts with their skins
• 100g (3½oz) whole blanched almonds
• 40g (1½oz) white sesame seeds
• ½ tablespoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 allspice berry
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
• large pinch of sweet paprika
• large pinch of Arbol chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

What to do

For the dip:

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. 

Toss the carrot slices with a little olive oil, the orange juice and sea salt in a bowl until they are evenly coated. Spread the carrots out on the lined baking tray and roast for about 15–20 minutes until tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. 

Toast the spice seeds in a dry frying pan over a gentle heat for a couple of minutes, stirring, until they release their aroma. Remove from the heat and then grind the spices with a pestle and mortar or an electric spice grinder. 

Blend all the ingredients, except the dukkah, in a blender, or in a measuring jug with a stick blender, until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl and top with a little olive oil and then the dukkah.

For the dukkah:

First toast the nuts and seeds. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4. Spread the hazelnuts and almonds out on a baking tray, keeping them separate. Bake for 15 minutes or so until the almonds have coloured a little and the hazelnut skins are beginning to break apart. 

On a separate baking tray, spread the sesame seeds out thinly. Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they toast evenly. Meanwhile, put all the whole spices in a small dry frying pan over a gentle heat and toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until they release their aroma. Remove from the heat and then coarsely grind the spices with a pestle and mortar or an electric spice grinder so that they still have some texture. 

Remove the nuts and seeds from the oven. When the hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, tip them on to a clean tea towel, bunch the tea towel around the nuts to form a sack and massage the nuts to rub the skins off. Open the tea towel and carefully pick out the nuts (some will still have a little skin left on them, but it’s fine if most of the skins have been removed). 

Chop both the hazelnuts and almonds until broken down but still chunky. Mix with the ground toasted spices and toasted sesame seeds along with the remaining ingredients in a bowl until well combined. 

Store the dukkah a clean airtight jar or container in a cool, dry place. It will keep for several weeks.

This recipe is from Cook Share Eat Vegan by Áine Carlin is published by Mitchell Beazley, £20. Photography by Danielle Wood.

Broad bean & mint dip

A great dip to make when fresh broad beans are in season, although frozen broad beans can be used at other times. This dip goes well with some slow-roasted cherry tomatoes and crusty bread.

What you’ll need

• 500g (1lb 2oz) podded broad beans
• 1–2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 7–8 sprigs of mint, leaves picked and chopped (10g/¼oz)
• 10g (¼oz) flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 100ml (3½fl oz) light olive oil
• salt and white pepper

What to do

Cook the broad beans in a saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 3–5 minutes, then drain and leave to cool, reserving 150ml (5fl oz) of the cooking water. Peel the broad beans, then blend with the remaining ingredients in a blender, or in a measuring jug with a stick blender, to a purée. Check for seasoning, transfer to a bowl and serve.

This recipe is from Cook Share Eat Vegan by Áine Carlin is published by Mitchell Beazley, £20. Photography by Danielle Wood.

Beetroot & hazelnut cheese tartlets

With herby hazelnut cheese and juicy roasted beets, these little tartlets will be the star of your party – trust us. (This recipes makes 4 tartlets).

What you’ll need

For the hazelnut cheese:

• 100g hazelnuts, soaked in water overnight or boiled in hot water for 15 minutes
• 1 garlic cloves
• 60ml water
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 20ml coconut oil, melted
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed
• 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

For the roasted beetroot:

• 1 medium sized beetroot
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

For the pastries:

• ½ sheet ready rolled puff pastry
• 5ml olive oil
• 10g fresh chives, finely sliced
• 20g hazelnuts, roasted
• Equipment
• Mixing bowl
• Food processor
• Baking tray

What to do

Add the hazlenuts, garlic, water, lemon juice, coconut oil, thyme, rosemary, and nutritional yeast to a food processor, along with a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Process until smooth and refrigerate for at least a few hours but ideally overnight.

Preheat oven to 180°CFan/200°C/GasMark 6. Wrap the beets individually in tin foil with the fresh rosemary. Roast for one hour.

Brush a baking sheet with oil or line with baking parchment. Place the puff pastry on a floured surface. Using a large knife, cut out 4 squares that are 8x8cm. Use a smaller knife to score a 1cm margin to make an inner square, be careful that you do not cut all the way through the pastry. Brush the outer square edge lightly with olive oil. Use your finger for if you don’t have a pastry brush. Place on the baking sheets and bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes until risen and golden. Allow to cool down. When cool run the tip of the knife along the scored square mark and remove the top layers of the inner piece of pastry. Now the pastries are ready to fill.

Mix the hazelnut cream cheese with the chives, salt and pepper. Leave out a teaspoon of chives to sprinkle on top. Divide the cashew cream cheese between the4 pastry cases.

Use your hands to rub the skins off the beetroot. Cut each beet into 8 small wedges. Place two wedges on top of each tart and sprinkle over the roasted hazelnuts and the saved chives for decoration.

Recipe and image by VeganApron.com.

Curried chickpea & pine nut pasties 

If a samosa and a Cornish pasty had a lovechild, it would most probably look a little something like this. A happy marriage of pastry and curried chickpea filling, these mini baked wonders are worth the small amount of effort it takes to make them. The key to pastry is handling it as little as possible and making sure not to overwork the mixture: pulse until it just comes together and then wrap it tightly in clingfilm before refrigerating. Avoid the temptation to overfill the pasties, as they may prove difficult to seal. This recipe makes four so if you’re serving them at a party you’ll need to double (or maybe even triple) the quantities. 

What you’ll need

For the pastry:

• 100g gram (chickpea) flour
• 40g strong white flour
• large pinch of sea salt flakes
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons water, plus extra if necessary

For the filling:

• 400g canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1 spring onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 chilli, minced
• 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
• small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

What to do

For the pastry, place the flours, salt and garam masala in a food processor and pulse to combine.

With the engine running, gradually add the oil and the water to form a dough, adding an extra splash or two of water if needed. Turn the dough out on to a clean surface and shape into a ball, then wrap in clingfilm and transfer to the refrigerator for 20 minutes to rest. Meanwhile, make the filling. Place the chickpeas in a large mixing bowl and roughly mash. Season generously with salt and pepper, add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix together thoroughly. Season again to taste and set aside until needed. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), Gas Mark 7. 

Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and divide it into four equal-sized pieces. Shape one of the pieces into a ball, then roll it out into a circular shape to an approximately 5mm thickness. Cut the rolled pastry circle in half. Take a tablespoon of the filling and place it in one corner of the rolled pastry half, leaving enough room around the edges, then fold the pastry over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Using your hands, shape the samosa into a rough triangular shape, pinching the corners as you go. Place the pasty on a lined baking tray and repeat the rolling and filling process until all the pastry and filling have been used. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve hot or cold.

This recipe is from Cook Share Eat Vegan by Áine Carlin is published by Mitchell Beazley, £20. Photography by Danielle Wood.