Áine Carlin’s Eat. Clean. vegetarian recipes

We’ve teamed up with Áine Carlin, the UK’s best-selling vegan author and creator of the new book COOK SHARE EAT VEGAN, who has selected two recipes for our Eat. Clean campaign inspired by the naturally-derived ingredients in our products!

Crispy cinnamon tacos

with a lime & jalapeño soured cream
SERVES 4 – 6

There are few things in life that give me more pleasure than tacos. With endless filling possibilities, wrapped in either crispy or soft tortillas (both have their virtues), they are the food equivalent of ‘onesize-fits-all’. I’ve never met a person who doesn’t relish wrapping their lips around one and if I ever did, I’m fairly certain we would not get along. If you’re seeking a fail-safe dinner party hit then these crispy cinnamon tatties – my current favourite taco incarnation – are most likely it, though I guarantee most questions will be about the lime and jalapeño soured cream, which is borderline life-changing.

Ingredients

750g salad potatoes, halved lengthways and cut into 5mm thick slices
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
grated zest of 1 lime
sea salt flakes and black pepper

Lime & jalapeño soured cream
150g cashews, soaked and drained
100ml water
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños
sea salt flakes and black pepper
Sweetcorn & radish salsa
100g sweetcorn kernels, preferably raw
4 radishes, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon roughly chopped dill
sea salt flakes and black pepper

To serve
10–12 taco-sized tortillas
200g rocket leaves
lime juice

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), Gas Mark 7.
2. To make the soured cream, place the cashews in a blender with the measured water, lime juice, vinegar and jalapeños. Season and blend for at least 10 minutes, or until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula every few minutes, bearing in mind that the cream will go through several stages until you achieve the desired smooth consistency. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
3. Place the potatoes in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle over the cinnamon, cumin and coriander, then drizzle with the maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season generously and toss to combine. Roast in the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until golden and crisp, shaking the pan from time to time. Remove from the oven, season and toss through the chopped coriander and lime zest.
4. To make the salsa, place the sweetcorn kernels in a large bowl with the chopped radish, celery, spring onion and chilli. Add the lime zest and juice, season generously and stir to combine. Add the parsley and dill, stir and set aside until needed.
5. Heat the tortillas on a lightly oiled griddle pan and keep warm in a clean tea towel.
6. Spread each tortilla with a light smear of soured cream, then top with some rocket leaves. Followed by crispy potatoes, sweetcorn salsa and some more soured cream. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice, dust with cinnamon and serve.

Sticky gingerbread bites

SERVES 10 –12

I don’t really play favourites when it comes to baking but I must say I have a serious weakness for gingerbread. More like a tray bake, these small squares are sticky sweet and seriously moist – perfect for eating alongside a festive cocktail. I like to pile them up high on a cake stand and either paint them with edible gold leaf or sprinkle them with gold dust. Demure they are not, and all the better for it.

Ingredients

110g plain flour
50g spelt flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice
pinch of sea salt flakes
1 small banana
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger,
peeled and grated
120g light brown sugar
1 tablespoon black treacle
1 tablespoon maple syrup
125ml soy milk (or other plant milk)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Pomegranate glaze
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon satsuma juice
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dairy-free margarine

To serve
handful of pomegranate seeds
edible gold leaf or dust (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan), Gas Mark 5. Line a 30 x 20cm brownie tin with baking paper.
2. Sift the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt into a large bowl.
3. Mash the banana to a smooth purée and transfer to a separate bowl along with the grated ginger, sugar, black treacle, maple syrup, soy milk, water, oil and balsamic vinegar. Whisk thoroughly until completely combined.
4. Make a well in the centre of the flour, pour in the wet mixture and fold together gently to form a batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and transferring to a wire rack.
6. Meanwhile, add the glaze ingredients to a shallow frying pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes until reduced, thickened and syrupy.
7. While the bread is still warm, pour or brush over the glaze, covering it entirely. Sprinkle over a generous handful of pomegranate seeds and for a final, festive flourish, paint on some edible gold leaf or sprinkle over a little gold dust, if you fancy. Leave to cool completely before cutting into bitesized squares.