Whenever I ask Mr Thrifty what he wants for tea (that’s supper to those of you on the other side of the pond), he invariably says ‘potatoes’. I’m a big fan of the humble spud as well, and this is one of our favourite ways to eat it.

I wasn’t sure what to call this dish. Inspiration came from here, where it’s called Mexican Potato Casserole, but my version looked more like a hash than a casserole.

First, potatoes are roasted with olive oil and Mexican spices, then they’re topped with a mixture of sauteed vegetables, veggie mince (crumbles), salsa and vegan cheese, before being returned to the oven to warm through. I mix the cheese in rather than put it on top, because it melts a lot easier that way and doesn’t dry out.

I’ve made this a few times before. This time I added some diced avocado, fresh tomatoes, coriander (cilantro) and spring onions (scallions) on top before popping it in the oven. Next time I’ll add the toppings AFTER it comes out of the oven, to keep the avocado from turning a rather unappetising shade of green and to provide a raw contrast to the cooked ingredients.

We served it with vegan sour cream (Tofutti brand), and it was most excellent.

Spicy Mexican hash

1. Preheat oven to 230C (450F). Scrub potatoes, but don’t peel them. Cut into bite-sized chunks. Place in a roasting tin and toss with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with the taco seasoning mix and toss again.

2. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then turn potatoes and continue to roast until potatoes are cooked through and getting crispy on the outside, about 30 to 45 minutes total.

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and saute onion for five minutes, until softened. Add red pepper and continue to saute for an additional 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute.

4. Add veggie mince (crumbles) to the skillet, along with 60ml (1/4 cup) of water. Saute until water is absorbed and mince is softened. Add sweetcorn and cumin, and mix well. Continue to cook for another couple of minutes.

5. Finely shred vegan cheese and add to the skillet. Mix until cheese begins to melt. Then add salsa, mix well, and heat through.

6. When potatoes are finished roasting, transfer them to a shallow casserole dish. Top with mince/veggie mixture and return to oven for 15 minutes, until heated through.

7. Remove from oven and add toppings. Serve with vegan sour cream.

Makes two generous servings.

Taco seasoning mix

1. Mix all ingredients together.

Makes 1-1/2 tablespoons.

Sorry for the lack of posts, peeps, I’ve been unbelievably busy and not had time to give proper attention to my blog.

I’ve been making mostly quick meals that I’ve made before, so nothing much exciting to report from the kitchen.

However, since rediscovering my favourite vegan bran muffin recipe, I’ve made a couple of variations… one with dried blueberries, which was delicious, and another with dried apricots, which was just as yummy. I also tried a variation with fresh blueberries, and although they were good, the blueberries made the muffins a bit soggy. I think dried fruit is better in these muffins.

For the apricot muffins, I substituted oat bran for the wheat bran, and used agave syrup instead of date syrup. I also used a bit of orange extract, which added a nice subtle orange flavour.

As before, I used Orgran No Egg, but Ener-G Egg Replacer will work just as well.

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Grease a muffin tin, or use muffin liners.

1. In a large mixing bowl, add water to the powdered egg replacer according to the package directions for the equivalent of two eggs. Whisk mixture together until foamy. Then whisk in soya milk, oil, agave syrup, sugar and orange extract until well blended.

2. Stir in bran and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add to the liquid mixture, and fold gently until just combined. Fold in apricots.

4. Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin tin, filling just to the top.

5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, rotating tin halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

These are soooo delicious! I’ve made veggie ribs before, with wheat gluten. They were good, but faux meat made almost entirely from gluten always seems to sit a bit heavy in my stomach afterwards (which is why I like to add other ingredients like tofu or besan when making seitan).

These ribs are not made with gluten at all, but with a product somewhat unappetisingly called “bean curd sticks”.  The sticks are soaked in water for several hours to rehydrate them, then coated with a savoury paste and baked. Barbecue sauce is slathered over the top and they are baked again.

The veggie ribs are nice and chewy, and absorb all of the flavours beautifully. They will make a regular appearance on the menu at Chez Thrifty.

The recipe is originally from the book Kathy Cooks by Kathy Hoshijo, but I found it via i eat food. I changed the quantities and ingredients slightly. When I saw the price of barbecue sauce at the supermarket, I decided to make my own, based on an Epicurious recipe. Any barbecue sauce can be substituted.

Barbecued veggie ribs

1. Put the bean curd sticks into a large bowl. Pour boiling water over and let soak until soft enough to cut. Then drain and cut into 10 to 15cm (4 to 6 inch) lengths. Put sticks back into bowl and cover with fresh boiling water. The sticks will float, so weigh them down with a plate on top so they stay submerged. Let stand again until the sticks have completely softened. Drain and squeeze out excess water, then cut off any hard bits that remain. Return sticks to bowl.

2. Preheat oven to 190C (375F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

3. Combine nutritional yeast, tahini, miso, margarine and paprika. You’ll have a thick paste. Add this to the sticks in the bowl, then use your hands to rub the paste into the sticks until they are evenly coated.

4. Lay sticks on prepared tray and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, flip sticks over, rotate tray and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, or until starting to crisp.

5. Remove from oven and coat with barbecue sauce. Flip the sticks over and coat the other side with sauce. Return to oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, rotating tray once.

Makes four servings.

Barbecue sauce

1. Saute minced onion over medium heat for two minutes. Add minced bell pepper and continue to saute for four minutes, until softened. Add garlic and saute an additional minute.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients, and 175ml (2/3 cup) water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more water.

3. Remove the barbecue sauce from the heat and adjust seasoning, adding salt to taste and more cider vinegar, hot sauce, and/or brown sugar to taste.

Makes 2 cups.

This has become another of our favourite sauces for Buddha bowls. It’s spicy and garlicky and very more-ish.

The sauce is loosely based on one for Ma Po Tofu.

Cauldron’s marinated tofu pieces were used for the protein part of the dish, though you could fry your own tofu or use tempeh or seitan instead.

The chilli bean paste we use is made by Amoy: Toban Jhan Chilli Bean Paste. It’s got a wonderful complex flavour that we both just love. We bought it from our local Chinese market. You can read more about chilli bean paste, and substitutions, here.

1. First, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat one tablespoon oil over low heat. Gently fry garlic and chilli until fragrant (about one minute). Add chilli bean paste and continue frying for another minute. Then add bouillon cube and mash to break it up. Reserve two tablespoons of water and pour the rest into the saucepan. Add soy sauce and sugar, and bring sauce to a simmer. Mix reserved water with cornflour (cornstarch), then add to simmering sauce and cook until thickened. Keep warm.

2. Cut veggies into bite-size pieces, and set aside.

3. Heat a large wok (I use cast iron) over medium heat. Saute fried tofu until heated through, then remove and keep warm.

4. Increase heat to medium-high. Add one tablespoon oil to wok. Lightly salt the oil, then stir-fry veggies until crisp-tender. Periodically, add a tablespoon of water to create steam and help soften the veggies.

5. When everything is cooked, put rice (or noodles or quinoa) into bottom of two large bowls. Top with veggies and tofu, then with sauce.

Makes two servings.

Yesterday, I wanted to make a quick yet flavourful meal and was in the mood for something spicy. I found a Thai curry recipe here, and adapted it to be vegan.

The squash was from our allotment and had been stored since September. Baby bear pumpkin, I think.

The curry was delicious! I liked it better than any other Thai curry I’ve made. It does require Thai red curry paste, which is fairly easy to find, though check the label as some brands contain fish sauce. Also be sure to buy red curry paste, not red curry sauce.

Instead of coconut milk, I used creamed coconut, which comes either in a 200g block or a small box of 4×50g sachets. I find the sachets the most convenient. The sachets cost around 60p a box, so one packet works out to just 15p, a lot cheaper than a tin of coconut milk!

Cauldron’s marinated tofu pieces are on special offer at Tesco at the moment for £1.18 (£1 off). They were perfect in this dish, as they absorbed the sauce and added a chewy element to the soft vegetables. You can, of course, fry your own tofu, or use tempeh or seitan.

1. Place creamed coconut into a glass measuring cup and add boiling water until the mixture equals 300ml (1-1/4 cups). Stir to dissolve coconut.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over low heat and fry the curry paste for a minute until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, stir and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the potato and squash and cook, covered, for about 12 minutes until almost tender.

4. Meanwhile, cook the rice. Put rice in a fine strainer and rinse under running water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add rice. Lower heat and cook at a gentle boil for 10 minutes, or until rice is tender. Drain well, then return to pot and cover.

5. When potato and squash are almost tender, add the rest of the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes.

6. Add tofu, then cover and cook for another 3 minutes, until tofu is hot. Season with salt to taste.

7. Spoon curry over basmati rice and sprinkle with fresh coriander (cilantro).

Makes two servings.

This is a great quick meal. Who needs takeaway when you can have this delicious meal on the table in about half an hour?

I have no idea if it resembles “authentic” spaghetti bolognese. But it tastes great!

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over low heat. Saute onion and red pepper for 10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and continue to saute for an additional minute.

2. Add veggie mince and saute a minute or two. Dissolve bouillon cube in 60ml / 1/4 cup boiling water. Add to veggie mince in skillet. Continue to saute until veggie mince has absorbed bouillon, about 5 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne and salt & pepper to taste. Gently simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions.

5. When spaghetti is cooked, drain and serve with bolognese sauce.

Makes two servings.