Recipes

Funky food to get your mouth watering

Turning veggie can sometimes seem a bit daunting at first, and even seasoned veggies can feel at a loss when they have to start cooking for themselves.

Here are some tried and tested suggestions for quick and easy meals...
just a handful to start with but we're adding to this page all the time so keep checking back!

Got a favourite recipe you'd like to share with others? Email us! Or, if you're a SAAC member, hop over to the forum and post it for everyone to see.

nB: most of the recipes below use quantities suitable for one portion, as (in our experience) students usually cook for themselves.
Quite a few of them, however, are fine for freezing, so if you've got freezer space why not make more and then freeze individual portions for a super-quick homemade meal later in the week!

Roasted Veg Pasta

Time taken = 30 mins, including 15 mins idle

This is really easy to make and costs barely anything. Full of nutrients to help you study hard and save all those animals! These ingredients are easily found in any supermarket, and you can choose different veg if you prefer.

What you need:

Handful of pasta

1/2 tin of tomatoes

1 Tbsp oil (olive is best)

1/2 pepper

4 mushrooms

1/2 onion

1/2 courgette

Pinch salt (sea salt best)

Optional Ingredients:

Small handful grated vegan cheese like Redwoods or Sheese

1 clove Garlic

Pinch Mixed Chopped Nuts

Pinch Flaxseed/Linseed (they're the same thing)

  1. First prepare the veggies for roasting: chop them into roughly inch sized pieces and mix with the oil, salt and (optional) garlic in an oven dish
  2. Put in the oven on a medium heat and leave for half an hour
  3. 15 minutes after you put the veg in the oven, start the pasta boiling in water
  4. Check on the veg and stir if necessary. Leave the pasta to simmer
  5. When the pasta and veg are done (veg should have a roasted look about it!), mix together in the drained pasta's saucepan
  6. Add in the tinned tomatoes, and optional nuts and seeds. When heated through, transfer to a plate, sprinkle over the cheese and... eat!
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Tofu Veg Stir-fry

Time taken = 10 mins

A great way to get your vitamins and minerals. Alexia says, "This was a favourite among my friends at uni as it's so cheap, quick and tastes like takeaway"!

What you need:

1/2 packet firm tofu (Cauldron is easy to find in supermarkets now)

Pre-packed stir-fry veg OR leftover veg from other recipes, sliced

1 Tbsp oil

Rice or wheat noodles

Soy sauce or a 1/2 jar of stir-fry sauce (any flavour but check ingredients for animal products)

Optional Ingredients:

Few cashew nuts

Lemon juice

Pinch dried minced garlic

Pinch powdered ginger

  1. Chop the tofu into chunks and slice the veg (if you're not using pre-packed)
  2. Add the noodles to boiling water
  3. If using rice noodles, turn off heat & leave to soften (approx 4 mins)
  4. If using wheat noodles, bring back to the boil and simmer as instructed on the packet
  5. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan
  6. Add the tofu, veg & (optional) nuts, garlic and ginger to the wok and fry for 2 mins, stirring continuously
  7. Throw in a few splashes of soy sauce and (optional) lemon juice, or the stir-fry sauce if that's what you're using
  8. Keep stirring for a further 2 mins
  9. Finally, mix in the drained noodles & heat through together, or simply layer noodles & veg on your plate. Yum!

Keep stir-fry light and crunchy: get the wok really hot then use a spatula to keep the veggies moving so that they don't burn. Use fresh garlic and ginger to really brighten up the taste!

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Simple Spaghetti Bolognaise

Time taken = 20mins

This looks and tastes like a home cooked meal but doesn't take much effort and is cheap because the ingredients make a good few dinners. If you like Marmite, adding a spoonful of this will bump up the vitamin B12 content.

What you need:

Handful spaghetti

Handful veggie mince like Fry's or Realeat (many supermarket brand versions are also now vegan)

1/2 tin of tomatoes

1 Tbsp oil (olive is best)

1/2 onion

2 mushrooms

Optional Ingredients:

1/2 tsp marmite

Vegan parmesan cheese

Pinch flaxseed

  1. Dice the onion and mushroom
  2. Start boiling the spaghetti in a saucepan, ensuring all the strands have collapsed into the water. Stir well from time to time.
  3. Mix the onion and mushroom with the mince and oil in a frying pan over a medium heat
  4. Add the (optional) marmite and seeds to the frying pan, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick
  5. Mix in the tinned tomatoes then turn down the heat, leaving to simmer for a few minutes
  6. Put the spaghetti on a plate and cover with the mince mixture, sprinkling with the parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

If you don't like veggie mince, try using 1/4 tin green lentils instead!

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Warming Bean Casserole

Time taken = 50 mins, including 35 mins idle

This is a really simple, hearty dish to keep you full and warm on those cold winter nights. Mix and match whichever root vegetables take your fancy!

What you need:

1 carrot

1 parsnip

1/4 swede

1/2 onion

1/2 leek

1/2 tin mixed beans

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes

Dried mixed herbs

1/4 cup quinoa

Optional Ingredients:

1 clove garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

Vegetable stock cube

  1. Turn on the oven to a medium heat - about 180ºC or gas mark 4
  2. While the oven is warming up, peel the vegetables & chop into large chunks, roughly slice the onion and crush or finely chop the (optional) garlic
  3. Put all the ingredients except the quinoa in a casserole dish or oven proof pan and mix together with 1 cup water
  4. Put the lid on the dish and place in the oven
  5. 20 mins later, stir the casserole and make sure the veg are starting to soften then put back in the oven
  6. Put the quinoa in a saucepan with 1/2 cup water, bring to the boil then reduce the heat & allow to simmer gently for 15 mins
  7. When the quinoa is translucent and the water has all been absorbed, turn off the heat, cover and leave for a further 5 mins
  8. Take the casserole out of the oven, stir & make sure all the veg are thoroughly cooked, then serve in a nest of quinoa. Real comfort food!

If you don't have an oven you can make this dish in a large covered saucepan on the hob. Also goes really well with a baked potato.

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Chocolate Cake

Time taken = 40 mins, including 30 mins idle, plus time to cool

This chocolate cake is absolutely scrummy... just make sure your friends don't scoff the lot!

What you need:

1/2 pint soya milk

4 Tbsp vegetable oil (canola is good)

2 tspn vanilla essence

7oz self raising flour

2oz powdered drinking chocolate (several brands are vegan)

4oz sugar

3 tspn baking powder

Optional Ingredients:

1/3 tspn salt

  1. Turn the oven on to gas mark 5 (190ºC)
  2. Mix the soya milk, oil and vanilla essence in a jug
  3. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl
  4. Gently stir the wet and dry mixtures together until smooth (without beating)
  5. Immediately (don't hang around or it doesn't work!) divide the mixture between two sponge tins and bake for 30 mins
  6. Check the cakes are cooked by sliding a knife into the middle (it should come out clean), leave to cool and turn out of tins
  7. Sandwich together with jam, cut into slices and become the toast of the town!
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