'Five Ingredient Vegan': Recipes from bread and butter pudding to no-fish cakes

The latest book from Katy Beskow, author of ‘15 Minute Vegan’, does exactly what it says on the tin

A traditional pud is just what is needed on a cold day (Photography by Luke Albert)

Zesty bread and butter pudding

This traditional British pudding is delicious, comforting and warming on a cold winter’s day. There’s no need to use vegan butter on the bread, as the vanilla-marmalade custard absorbs and moistens it beautifully.

Serves 6-8

800ml vanilla soya milk
4tbsp cornflour
6tbsp thick-cut marmalade
8 thick slices of white bread, cut diagonally into quarters
4tbsp sultanas

Heat the vanilla soya milk in a pan over a low-medium heat until hot but not boiling. Spoon in the cornflour and use a balloon whisk to mix until combined. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes until thickened, whisking frequently.

Stir in the marmalade and cook for a further minute.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Arrange the quarters of bread in a deep baking dish, allowing them to overlap. Sprinkle the bread with the sultanas. Pour over the hot vanilla-marmalade custard, then leave to stand for 10 minutes to allow the bread to absorb some of the custard.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until golden and bubbling at the corners. Serve hot. Vanilla-flavoured soya milk can be found in most supermarkets and health-food stores.

(Luke Albert)

Cumin-roasted cauliflower and mango salad

Lightly spiced and roasted cauliflower, sweet mango ribbons, coriander and always-pretty watercress are combined in this refreshing lunch that is delicious either warm or cold, in any season.

Serves 2 generously

1 cauliflower, broken into florets
1tbsp sunflower oil
½tsp ground cumin
1 mango, peeled, stoned and sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
2 generous handfuls of watercress
Small handful of coriander, roughly torn
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220C and arrange the cauliflower florets evenly on a baking tray.

In a small bowl, mix together the oil and ground cumin. Use a pastry brush to coat the cauliflower with the cumin oil. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden and crisp at the edges.

In the meantime, toss the mango ribbons, watercress and coriander together on a serving plate.

Carefully remove the roasted cauliflower florets from the oven and toss into the salad. Season with sea salt and black pepper and drizzle over any hot oil from the tray.

For added protein and extra crunch, scatter a few toasted flaked almonds over the salad.

The no-fish cakes recipe from the book (Luke Albert)

No-fish cakes

All the flavour and texture of fish cakes – but completely vegan. These no-fish cakes are golden and crisp on the outside, while being fluffy and fragrant inside. The secret? Canned jackfruit. Jackfruit is a fruit grown in South Asia; it has a naturally meaty texture and is able to absorb flavours well. It is now widely available in large supermarkets, Asian supermarkets and health-food shops, sold canned or vacuum-packed.

I love serving these with wedges of lemon for squeezing, and a little unsweetened soya yoghurt, sprinkled with fresh dill.

Makes about 10

4 baking potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
400g canned jackfruit, drained and rinsed
4tbsp vegan mayonnaise
2 spring onions, very finely chopped
Generous handful of flat-leaf parsley, very finely chopped
Generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper
4tbsp sunflower oil

Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the potatoes. Boil for 20-25 minutes until softened. Drain, then return to the pan and mash until smooth. Allow the mashed potato to cool to a temperature that is comfortable to handle.

Separate the chunks of jackfruit into strands, discarding any tough parts. Add the strands to the pan along with the mayonnaise, spring onions and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, then stir to combine all of the ingredients.

Once combined, take heaped tablespoon-sized amounts of the mixture and shape into patties about 5-6cm in diameter. Place on a plate, then refrigerate for 1 hour (this will help to firm them up for easier cooking).

Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan until hot. Carefully add up to four of the patties to the pan and cook over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes until golden, then use tongs to turn them over and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining no-fish cakes. Serve hot. Cook the no-fish cakes in two batches to avoid overfilling the pan, making turning easier and ensuring even cooking.

‘Five Ingredient Vegan’ by Katy Beskow (Quadrille £20) Photography ©Luke Albert