SPICED SEITAN BALLS
Serves 3
The ‘meatiest’-tasting of all the fauxmeats, seitan packs more protein per kilojoule than beef and is now widely available at health stores. These savoury balls mean you won’t miss mince.
• 200g seitan
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbs baharat spice mix, plus extra for seasoning
• 2-3 tbs flour
• 75g breadcrumbs
• 2 tbs vegetable suet
• 100g Tuscan kale
• 1 can mixed beans
1│Dice the seitan, then blitz in a food processor. (Made from gluten protein, seitan is devilish only to coeliacs and has a good macro profile.)
2│Fry the onions and garlic until soft, then add the spice and seitan. Cook for a few mins, then remove and cool.
3│Combine the seitan with the flour, breadcrumbs and suet, plus 2-3 tbs of water, and shape into 12 ‘meat’ balls. Bake for 10 mins at 180°C.
4│Saute the Tuscan kale (it’s full of anti-inflammatory carotenoids!) with the beans, extra baharat spice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the ‘meat’ balls and a squeeze of lemon juice or flatbread and rice if you crave something a little more filling.
TUMERIC TOFU SCRAMBLE
Serves 2
Think eggs are a premium protein source? Well, they are, but this scramble cracks out even more protein than an omelette, along with the amino acid your muscles hunger for. It’s no yolk.
• 1 block firm tofu
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• Small pinch black salt, pepper
• Small pinch, garlic powder
• 2 portobello mushrooms
• 1 handful cherry tomatoes
• Olive oil -½ avocado, sliced
1│Sure, you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, but a scramble? That’s very simple. What’s more, a single serving of tofu dishes up about 40 per cent of your RDI for calcium, important for fat loss. Combine tofu with all the seasonings; mash with a fork.
2│Spread the tofu onto a lined baking tray and bake for 10–15 mins at 160°C. Meanwhile, grill or fry the mushrooms (these are a rare plant source of musclestrengthening vitamin D) and tomatoes with a light drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper.
3│Plate up the scramble with avocado for a protein-rich breakfast and a healthy hit of satiating fats. Now, that’s a brekkie of champions!
CHIRASHI GRAIN BOWL
Serves 2
• 100g quinoa
• 50g pearl barley
• 50g lentils
• 8 broccolini florets
• 1 handful salad leaves
• Sesame salad dressing
• 70g tofu, diced
• 60g edamame, cooked
• ½ avocado, smashed
• 150g red cabbage, pickled
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
For the miso eggplant:
• 1 eggplant, diced
• 15g white miso paste
• 20g mirin
• 10g sugar
• 10g soy sauce
1│Before grain bowls became a wellness cliche, they were a Japanese lunchtime staple. To make the miso eggplant, saute the eggplant, then add miso, mirin, sugar, soy and a dash of water. Simmer until soft.
2│Cook grains and fibre-rich lentils as per pack instructions. Steam the broccolini. Dress grains and leaves and fill the bowl.
3│Top with the tofu, beans, avo and veg, including a spoonful of the eggplant, arranged in a neat circle – the ‘chirashi’ style. Next question: chopsticks or fork?
'SNICKERS' PROTEIN BAR
Serves 16
Need your protein fix on the go? Bounce back faster post-training with a vegan bar containing quick-acting carbs and muscle-repairing amino acids. #recoverygoals
• 320ml almond milk
• 300g vegan chocolate protein
• 250g raisins
• 180g almonds, ground
• 150g coconut oil
• 300g vegan dark chocolate, plus extra for topping
• 50g almond butter
• 60g almonds, flaked
1│Blitz the almond milk, protein, raisins, ground almonds, coconut oil and dark chocolate in a processor.
2│Transfer to a tray and set in the fridge for 20 mins. Spread on almond butter butter. Melt the rest of the chocolate and drizzle over, followed by the flaked almonds. Set it in the fridge, then slice into bars. Bag for an instant post-gym snack.
RASPBERRY & CASHEW SHAKE
Serves 1
Keep things simple with a shake you can throw together in seconds. With a full meal’s worth of protein, this recipe will ensure your training sessions are fruitful. Geddit?
• 330ml coconut milk
• 35g vegan coconut protein powder
• 50g frozen raspberries
• 15g cashew butter
1│Pour milk in the blender first, so the powder doesn’t clump at the bottom.
2│Add the protein powder, berries and cashew butter. Blitz, stir, blitz again and drink it down for a quick, filling breakfast or the perfect recovery drink.
NUTTY STUFFED PUMPKIN
Serves 2
• 1 butternut pumpkin
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 3 celery, stalks, chopped
• 300g mushrooms, chopped
• ½ tin chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbs tamari
• 1 handful chestnuts, cooked
• 4 tbs tomato puree
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne powder
• Leafy greens
1│Slice pumpkin vertically, scoop out pulp and rub with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
2│Saute leek and celery in oil for 2 mins. Add mushrooms, chickpeas and tamari for 5 mins. Add chestnuts, tomato puree, herbs and spices. Simmer for 5 mins.
3│Stuff pumpkin with the filling. Bake at 180°C for 30 mins. Serve with leafy greens (the vitamin K supports fat loss).
TEMPEH 'BLT'
Serves 1
Crispy bacon has long been the ‘gateway meat’ for lapsed vegetarians. But this smoky slice will stop temptation from touching you. The fact it’s healthy, too, is just a bonus.
• 100g tempeh, sliced
• 1½ tbs tamari
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 thick slices of sourdough bread
• 2 tsp light vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• ¼ avocado, mashed
• 1 vine-ripened tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 handful salad leaves
1│For a sandwich you can pig out on – minus said swine – opt for tempeh. Marinate it in the tamari and liquid smoke for a bacony flavour. Mmm.
2│Fry until crispy in hot oil. Add a dash of marinade and sizzle for a few mins.
3│Toast the bread (sourdough and tempeh are fermented, making this a weight-loss ally). Mix mayo and hot sauce and slather over one side, mashed avo on the other. Layer with the tempeh, tomato and salad leaves.
BLACK BEAN CHIMICHANGAS
Serves 2
Stripping the meat out of this Tex-Mex classic doesn’t mean ditching protein – or flavour. This hot, vegan take on chimichangas has your post-gym nutrition wrapped up.
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbs chipotle in adobo
• 1 small potato, diced and cooked
• 400g can black beans, drained
• 1 handful coriander
• 2 wholegrain tortilla wraps
• 2 tbs vegan sour cream
1│In a pan with oil, soften the onion, then add the garlic and spices, followed by the potato. Fry until crispy.
2│Tip in the black beans and stir for 5 mins until warmed. Mash the beans and potatoes, then add coriander.
3│Pile it on your tortillas. Fold into a tight parcel, then press on a hot, lightly oiled pan until crispy. Serve with vegan sour cream. Hot sauce optional.
PANCAKES WITH CREAMY KALE
Serves 2
Protein pancakes reinvented: rather than splicing its flour with whey, this recipe mixes powdered quinoa and chickpeas for more fibre and B vitamins. Give it a go!
• 150g quinoa, uncooked
• Salt
• 70g chickpea flour
• 1 handful kale, destalked
• 1 handful spring onions, sliced
• 1 small zucchini, grated
• 1 red chilli, sliced
For the sauce:
• 250g tahini
• 120g hemp seeds, shelled
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbs date syrup
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 4 tbs olive oil
1│Blend the quinoa (rich in magnesium, for muscle function) with 230ml of water and a pinch of salt, then add the chickpea flour and blend again.
2│Shred kale and massage with a pinch of salt then combine with the onions and grated zucchini. Whisk sauce ingredients and drizzle over veg.
3│Fry pancake batter in batches, flipping until golden. Top veg with chilli.
BBQ TOFU & RAINBOW SLAW
Serves 4
Meat eaters might mock its plain taste, but tofu is a succulent flavour sponge if used correctly. This recipe will send any residual doubt up in flames. Trust us.
• 750g fresh, firm tofu
• 50g barbecue spice rub
• 100ml barbecue sauce
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 small beetroot, peeled and grated
• ½ red onion, finely sliced
• ¼ red cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 red chilli, finely sliced
• 50ml orange juice
• 1 tbs maple syrup
1│Slice tofu into 12 strips and dip in the spice rub. Bake on a rack for 45 mins at 170°C until tofu firms up, turning once.
2│When cool, stick tofu on skewers and brush one side with sauce. Caramelise under the grill for 5 mins, brush the other side and repeat.
3│Mix carrot, beetroot, onion, cabbage and chilli with juice and syrup. Serve up!
PB AND BEAN BROWNIES
Serves 6
Dairy-free desserts needn’t be a compromise in terms of moisture or moreish flavour. And they don’t have to be void of nutrition, either: these brownies are laced with healthy plant proteins.
• 300g black beans, cooked
• 250ml rapeseed oil
• Splash of vanilla essence
• 100g peanut butter
• 420g soft brown sugar
• 120g plain flour
• 20g baking powder
• 120g cocoa powder
• 120g dark chocolate
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 handful blueberries
• Soy yoghurt, to taste
1│These brownies are blended with protein- and fibre-rich black beans, which will steady your blood glucose, despite the added sweetness. They also offer a great replacement for eggs. Blend together the beans, oil, vanilla and the peanut butter (an excellent source of copper, the fat-burning mineral) with 200ml water until smooth.
2│Sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl, then add the wet mix to form a batter. Transfer to a tray lined with baking parchment and bake at 180°C for 25–30 mins.
3│Once the brownies have set in the middle (test them with a knife), serve them warm, topped with berries and a large tablespoon of yoghurt. Indulge your heart out.
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