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Try a protein-rich veggie burger and chocolate chip cookies with these Happy Pear recipes

David and Stephen Flynn share recipes from their new book The Happy Pear: Vegan Cooking for Everyone.

LET’S FACE IT – we’re all spending a lot of time in our kitchens these days. If you’re looking to introduce more vegetables to your routine, and shake up the usual menu, you’ll find a lot to love in the new Happy Pear cookbook.

Where it differs from the Greystone brothers’ previous books is that it gives you a basic recipe and options to add to it. It walks you through the principles of flavour and texture, and gives you adaptable recipe grids and diagrams to show you how the same steps, techniques and ingredients underpin lots of different dishes. The book features breakfast recipes, salads, soups, burgers and desserts.

Stephen and David Flynn, the pair behind the Happy Pear, launch Vegan Cooking For Everyone this month. 

High-protein burger

High Protein Burger uncooked p120 - small

Ingredients:

  • 1 × 400g tin of black beans
  • 200g roasted sweet potato
  • 2 red onions
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 300g cooked quinoa
  • 100g cashew nuts
  • 2 tbps ground flax seeds
  • 6 tbps water
  • 2 tbsp psyllium husks
  • 1 small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Panko breadcrumbs
  • A little non-dairy milk (to help breadcrumbs stick)

Method: Makes 5 to 6 burgers

Wholefood burgers don’t try to mimic the texture and bite of a traditional meat burger, but rather are based around whole plant foods, making one a much healthier burger in terms of nutrition and fibre that can be just as tasty as its meat counterpart.

High Protein Burger cooked p125 - small

1. To roast the sweet potato, bake in the oven at 180°C fan/400°F/gas 6 for approx. 25 minutes, until softened and starting to crisp on the outside.

2. Drain and rinse the beans.

3. Cook the quinoa according to the packet instructions, then set aside.

4. Finely chop the cashew nuts.

5. You can use a flax ‘egg’ to replace hen’s eggs as a binder in vegan cooking. Soak the ground flax seeds in the water and leave to coagulate for 5 minutes or so. The ground flax will soak up all the liquid and form a gloopy, glue-like consistency that works perfectly as a binder. Set aside.

6. Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic.

7. Heat the oil in a medium-sized frying pan on a high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

8. In a large bowl, mash the beans, sweet potato, fried onion and garlic using a potato masher. Add the quinoa, cashew nuts, binder (the flax ‘eggs’ and psyllium husks), coriander, lemon juice, tamari/soy sauce, cumin seeds, salt and pepper.

9. Mix really well until thoroughly combined. The mixture should be nice and firm and easy to shape into burgers. Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed.

10. Shape into 120g to 150g burgers.

11. Heat another splash of oil in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Dip each burger into non-dairy milk and then into the panko breadcrumbs. Then add to the hot pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely charred and cooked through. (Cook the burgers in batches or in two pans if necessary so that you don’t crowd the pan.)

12. Alternatively, you could bake the burgers in the oven. Rub each side of the burgers lightly with oil and place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven at 180°C fan/400°F/gas 6 for 20 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.

13. Assemble the cooked burgers with whatever buns, sauces and toppings you like!

Basic vegan mayo

Mayo 2 p320 - small

Ingredients:

  • 150ml soya milk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml neutral-tasting oil, like sunflower, groundnut or grapeseed

Method: Makes 350ml
1. Put the soya milk, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder and seasoning into a blender or food processor and blend for 1 minute.

2. With the motor still running, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream until the mayo emulsifies. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Beetroot mayo

Mayo 3 p320 - small

  • 150ml soya milk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 to 2 tbsp beet juice
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml neutral-tasting oil, like sunflower, groundnut or grapeseed

Method: Makes 350ml
1. If you can’t source beet juice, you can make your own by peeling and grating ½ a beetroot, then put it into a colander set over a bowl and use your hands to squeeze out the juice. You only want the juice for the mayo.

2. Put the soya milk, lemon juice, mustard, beet juice, garlic powder and seasoning into a blender or food processor and blend for 1 minute.

3. With the motor still running, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream until the mayo emulsifies. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Spicy harissa mayo

Mayo 1 p320 - small

  • 150ml soya milk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 tbsp harissa paste or more to taste
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml neutral-tasting oil, like sunflower, groundnut or grapeseed

Method: Makes 350ml
1. Put the soya milk, lemon juice, harissa, garlic powder and seasoning into a blender or food processor and blend for 1 minute.

2. With the motor still running, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream until the mayo emulsifies. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Sweet umami mayo

  • 150ml soya milk
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp miso
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 150ml neutral-tasting oil, like sunflower, groundnut or grapeseed

Method: Makes 350ml
1. Put the soya milk, lemon juice, tamari/soy sauce, miso, maple syrup, garlic powder and seasoning into a blender or food processor and blend for 1 minute.

2. With the motor still running, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream until the mayo emulsifies. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Chewy oat chocolate chip cookies

Chewy Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies p272 - small

Ingredients:

  • Flax ‘egg’: 1 tbsp ground flax seeds and 3 tbsp water
  • 90g rolled oats
  • 30g desiccated coconut
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100g coconut sugar
  • 125g almond or peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 40g dark chocolate chips

Method: makes 7

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

2. Put the ground flax seeds and water in a small bowl and leave to coagulate for 5 minutes or so to make a flax ‘egg’.

3. Put the oats and coconut into a large bowl. However, if you don’t like coconut, leave it out and replace it with an extra 30g of oats. Add the baking powder, salt and sugar.

4. Put the nut butter, the maple syrup and vanilla extract into a bowl and mix well, until fully combined. Mix this mixture into the dry ingredients along with the flax ‘egg’ – this is easiest done by hand. Add the chocolate chips and bring together into a dough.

5. Weigh out 60g of dough for each cookie (you should get 7 cookies), then roll into a ball. Place the cookies on the lined baking tray with enough room between them for them to spread during cooking. Pat each one down flat with the palm of your hand.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 14 minutes, until they start to turn golden but before they start to burn. Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool fully.

High Res Jacket Happy Pear Vegan Cooking for Everyone

The Happy Pear: Vegan Cooking for Everyone by Stephen and David Flynn is published by Penguin Life and is available nationwide now. 

Author
David and Stephen Flynn
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