The Recipes I Use Most Often, From My Own Blog
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A friend recently asked me “do you ever use your own food blog” and the answer is yes. All the time.
In fact, the whole reason I started School Night Vegan, back in 2017, was to keep track of the recipes I was making as a newly birthed baby vegan. My memory is terrible, so I’d make a lasagna one week then completely forget how to do a vegan cheese sauce the next week. Not much has changed, and even though I’ve made some of the recipes below well over 50 times, I still head to schoolnightvegan.com every time, to ensure I don’t deviate from the recipe (I think husband would cry if I forgot the secret ingredient to my chilli…
So that’s the theme of this week’s newsletter. Which recipes do I (a professional vegan food blogger) use most often from my own food blog. I’ve made a list of my top five below. I’m hoping you’ll find this list useful because it’s probably the most clear endorsement of any recipes from my blog. I love them all, obviously, and they’re all my children. But like real children, there’s always a favourite (Hi Mum 👋 ) and these are my top five golden children.
In other news, I’m moving house literally right now.
Like, I’m sat on a mattress on the bedroom floor. I’m also severely undercaffeinated because the movers packed the coffee machine first thing this morning, which was something I should’ve intervened on. As you can see, my front room is practically upside down, and I daren’t show you my kitchen or pantry for fear of permanently trauma bonding with you. But this is my excuse for not having written you a new recipe this week. Things are very much up in the air. But with any luck, I’ll be fully settled in Manchester with nicely stocked store-cupboards by the time you’re reading this, so back to normal next week!
In the meantime, I hope you’re having a wonderful May so far. I’m thinking about all of your unique and beautiful faces and how lucky I am to have a photographic memory so I can remember you all, clear as day, for the rest of my life.
LOVE YOU! Oh and Dog tax.
The Recipes I Use Most Often, From My Own Blog (In Reverse Order, for Suspense)
5. Easy Focaccia
Baking bread can be a faff, and let’s be honest, it’s not lock-down any more. That sourdough starter bit the dust at least four years ago (sorry Stinky, you were wonderful while you lasted). But there’s no easier bread than a focaccia. There’s no tricky shaping involved and virtually no kneading (zero actually, if you have a stand mixer).
You’ll also know, if you’ve been here for a while, that I love to go rogue with my focaccia toppings. This is the dough recipe I use for all of my focaccia transgressions. So this completely fool-proof and totally versatile focaccia recipe is your starting point for being the kind of person that has fresh, home-made bread in the kitchen at the start of the week (throw him that floor-length dress, he’s turning trad wife!).
4. Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
I’m a ride or die lemon cake stan, and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with this recipe. I probably make this monthly, or perhaps even more often when we get into birthday party season (wait, isn’t that just all year?). I use a neat little method to get the most flavour out of your lemon zest, which you can also do for basically any other bake too, so you’re baking and learning!
The texture, though, of this cake, is remarkable. I could be wrong, but I think the poppy seeds do something to the batter (maybe they work the same way as flax or chia seeds in baking??) and as a result, it just holds onto moisture without being heavy at all. It’s dangerous. I could eat an entire loaf of this cake in one day. Not even joking.
3. Vegan Chilli Con Carne
I know, I know, we all should be able to make a chilli without a recipe at this stage. But I don’t care. You know how sometimes you use the GPS in the car, even when you’re just going to the supermarket, and you’re very familiar with the route, just because it feels… safer? Well it’s the same vibe.
The evenings that I’m hankering for a chilli are the evenings when I don’t want to take any risks. This vegan chilli recipe is number one on Google, and there’s a reason why. Here’s my favourite five star review from the blog:
”Such a drool worthy recipe! I was so skeptical about the espresso and dark chocolate additions, but, noticed all the wonderful reviews and went all in. I can not fault the recipe! It seriously packs a punch! I’ll be making this again, and again, and again. Thank you!” Jade H
2. Easy Tofu Marinades
Ok, I’m cheating here, because this is technically four recipes in one, but I can tell from the look on your face that you’re going to let it slide (just this once). These are genuinely the only marinades you’ll ever need for making tofu taste better. I use the Sesame Gochujang one multiple times per week, usually just with rice, sliced cucumber and carrot (that’s dinner done!).
They also work brilliantly with tempeh, store-bought meat subs and even flavour sponge veggies like aubergine, courgette or mushrooms. I recently made oyster mushroom kebabs for the grill using the sticky BBQ marinade. They’re versatility personified!
1. Tikka Masala
And finally, but certainly not least, my vegan tikka masala. I make this recipe ALL 👏 THE 👏 TIME 👏 . I don’t know what was going on with me the day I developed this one, but I need to learn how to tap back into that flow state. The sauce is so deliciously creamy and perfectly spiced. You can use tofu, store-bought vegan chicken, tempeh or even chickpeas for your protein, and the result will still be utterly delicious.
In the recipe, the creaminess comes from vegan yoghurt and coconut cream. sometimes if I’m feeling like I need to boost the health credentials a little, I’ll swap this out for an entire block of silken tofu, blended until smooth with a little lemon juice. Nutritious and delicious!
Alright that’s it for this week folks. Thanks for being patient while I’m upping sticks! I’ll give you some updates on the house move next week, as well as an exclusive recipe. so grateful for your support folks! Can’t thank you enough.
Love you,
Richard x
I use your tofu marinades ALL THE TIME! Printed out and taped on the inside of the pantry door.
Are the tofu marinades freezable?