The holidays had me meat the challenge of vegan cooking as I learnt about easy plant-based dishes from a house guest. The chefs David and Stephen Flynn, known as the Happy Pear twins, were very helpful and surprise, surprise I didn’t miss the meat!
The identical twin chefs David and Stephen Flynn, aka the Happy Pear, who have a hugely successful YouTube channel and shop in hometown Greystones, Co Wicklow, share their tips on how to eat more vegetables. Whether you are new to a plant-based diet or are just looking to eat less meat and more veg, try one of these easy changes to your healthy eating habits.
1. Fill half your plate with vegetables
At every meal aim for at least half your plate to consist of colourful, fresh, raw or cooked vegetables. This simple rule boosts fibre intake (90 per cent of UK adults don’t eat enough fibre), as well as adding more essential vitamins and minerals.
2. Cook meals in advance
Cook soups, roast sweet potatoes or prepare lentil-based curries in batches to ensure healthy options are always within reach. That will help to remove the temptation of takeaways or sugar-laden snacks when you are feeling hungry.
3. Look to global cuisines for inspiration
Explore traditionally veg-heavy cuisines such as Thai, Indian and Mediterranean. These naturally centre on fresh plant-based ingredients and bold flavours that appeal to your taste buds.
4. Expand your salad repertoire
Instead of thinking of lettuce, tomato and cucumber as the only type of salad, try including beans, avocado, roasted sweet potato or butternut squash. You can even add brown rice or lentils for extra fibre and to make it more filling.
5. Cut up vegetables for snacking
At the start of the week cut up vegetables and store them in the fridge as an easy snack. Enjoy them with hummus or guacamole for extra veg and fibre. Or roast some tinned chickpeas or beans with tamari and nutritional yeast, which takes only ten minutes in an air fryer. These make a delicious snack for any time of the day.
6. Use more lentils
They are loaded with protein, fibre and other nutrients, and are really inexpensive. Our favourites are red lentils, which can easily be mixed into curries or soups.
7. Make a morning smoothie
Dave makes a big smoothie for his teenage daughter every morning before school. It includes frozen berries, blueberries, banana, almond butter, seeds, carrageen moss (for her skin) and a little apple juice and water. You can even add some spinach, kale or avocado to increase the vegetable content.
Creamy mushroom linguine
Serves 2–3
Ingredients
• 250g linguine pasta
• 1 large red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 250g mushrooms of choice (eg oyster, shiitake, chestnut)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• Salt and ground black pepper
For the creamy cashew sauce
• 100g cashew nuts
• 500ml non-dairy milk of choice
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
To garnish (optional)
• 1 fresh chilli, seeds removed and sliced finely
• 3 sprigs of fresh oregano or thyme, leaves removed from the stalks
Method
1. Place the cashew nuts in a small pot and cover with boiling water. Simmer gently for 5-10 min, then drain and rinse to wash away any residue.
2. Fill a large saucepan with boiling water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add your pasta and cook according to package instructions.
3. Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic. Finely chop the mushrooms.
4. Heat a large wide-bottomed pan over a high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, followed by the onion and ½ teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4-5 min, stirring occasionally, until the onions brown slightly. Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 4-5 min. Stir in the tamari or soy sauce, cook for an additional minute, then turn off the heat.
5. While the mushrooms are cooking, make the cashew sauce. Add the drained and rinsed cashew nuts and the rest of the sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend at high speed until smooth.
6. Drain the cooked pasta, reserving some pasta water, and return to the pan. Add the creamy cashew sauce and mix, making sure the pasta is well coated. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 1-2 min, stirring continuously, to allow the sauce to thicken. If the sauce is too thick, add a little reserved pasta water until you reach your desired creamy texture. If it is too watery, cook for a few minutes more, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed. Add the mushrooms and mix through, keeping a few aside to garnish.
7. Sprinkle with the reserved mushrooms – and, if you like, finely sliced fresh red chilli and/or fresh oregano or thyme. Serve hot.
Creamiest vegan butter ‘chicken’
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 500g oyster, shiitake or chestnut mushrooms
• 1 tbsp oil
For the marinade
• 4 tbsp vegan roasted red pepper pesto or harissa paste
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
For the sauce
• 50g cashew nuts
• 20g vegan butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 whole cardamom pods
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 onion
• ½ thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
• 2 large cloves of garlic
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 × 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 × 400g tin of coconut milk, cream from the top only
• ½ lemon
• Salt
To serve
• 15g fresh coriander
• 4 tbsp yoghurt
Method
1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover them with just-boiled water. Let them sit for at least 10 min to soften.
2. Cut the mushrooms into strips. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Toss the mushroom strips in the marinade until well coated.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add the marinated mushrooms and cook for 10 min, stirring regularly, until they start to char and turn golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. If your pan is small you may have to cook them in two batches to ensure they are properly cooked.
4. In the same pan used to cook the mushrooms, melt the vegan butter with 1 tablespoon of oil over a medium heat. Scrape up any leftover bits from the mushrooms to flavour the sauce. Add the cumin seeds, cardamom pods and turmeric. Cook for 1 min, until fragrant.
5. Peel and dice the onion. Peel and grate or finely dice the ginger. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Add the onion to the pan along with ¾ teaspoon of salt and cook for 4-5 min until softened. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the remaining spices and cook for 1 min.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and the top layer of cream from the coconut milk tin. Stir until combined then bring to a boil and simmer for 1 min.
7. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and add them to the sauce. Blend using an immersion blender or carefully transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
8. Return the blended sauce to the pan. Add the mushrooms and heat through. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, if needed, and the juice of ½ a lemon. Garnish with fresh coriander and a tablespoon of yoghurt to serve.
Mac ’n’ cheese
Serves 3
Ingredients
• 300g macaroni
For the sauce
• 100g cashew nuts
• 350ml oat milk
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp mustard
For the breadcrumb topping
• 40g breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or ½ tbsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• Salt and ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C fan/gas 7.
2. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, cook the macaroni according to the package instructions, then drain and rinse it under cold water to cool it down and stop it cooking.
3. Put the cashew nuts in a small pot and cover with boiling water. Put them over a medium heat and gently simmer for 5 min. Drain and rinse well to remove any residue.
4. Put all the ingredients for the sauce in a blender, along with a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Blend until smooth, adjusting with a little water if it is too thick.
5. Combine the breadcrumbs with the oil, chopped fresh thyme leaves (remove the leaves from the stalk first) or dried thyme, nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt.
6. In the saucepan you cooked the pasta in, mix the pasta with the sauce and cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until it reaches your desired level of creaminess.
7. Transfer the pasta mixture to a casserole dish, level it out, and evenly scatter the breadcrumb topping over it.
8. Bake for 10-15 min in the oven, or 3-5 min in the air fryer at 190C, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
The Happy Pear 20: Recipes and Learnings from the First 20 Years (Gill Books)