Seasonal Spuds are ideal for Veganuary

At Seasonal Spuds, their aim is to share their obvious and very genuine passion for potatoes and provide ideas and inspiration to help you get the best out of them. 

There are two aspects to the seasonality of our spuds here in the UK. The first is about celebrating the arrival of our freshly harvested new season crops. The second is about welcoming the changing of the seasons with different flavours, textures and food combinations so that you can enjoy spuds in a myriad of interesting ways throughout the year. Try our favourite seasonal potato recipes and get potato cooking advice from the experts.

And as the not-so-humble potato was introduced to Britain by Sir Thomas Harriot in 1586 (that's nearly 440 years ago) the potato has made itself very comfortably at the heart of the British diet. And it's an ideal ingredient for vegan meals, so is a wonderful menu item for Veganuary dishes, especially for those who haven't yet tried their hands at vegan cooking and dining.

And Seasonal Spuds have invited That's Food and Drink to share some exciting recipes for you to try for Veganuary, using sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Waffles, created by Emma Hatcher.

Ingredients

1 large, sweet potato (300g)

300ml almond milk

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for cooking

180g gluten free plain flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Small bunch dill, finely chopped

Small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

400g frozen spinach, defrosted and drained

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon dairy-free butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dairy-free crème fraîche, sour cream or yogurt, to serve

Method

1

Preheat the oven to 220ºC / 200ºC fan / Gas mark 7. Prick the sweet potato all over with a fork, place on a tray and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until tender. Let cool, then cut in half and scoop out the flesh. Place in a bowl to one side.

2

Pour the milk into a jug and stir through the apple cider vinegar. Leave to one side for 5 minutes, then stir in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

3

Sift the flour, baking powder and smoked paprika into a large bowl, then stir through the chopped herbs. Make a well in the centre of the flour mix and pour in the milk mixture.

4

Mash the sweet potato flesh well with a fork, add to the batter and whisk to combine.

5

Preheat a waffle maker and brush with a little olive oil. When ready, pour the batter into the waffle maker and cook for 6 minutes, or until the waffles are puffed and golden all over. Keep the cooked waffles warm while you repeat with the remaining batter.

6

While the waffles are cooking, prepare the spinach. Add the oil to a pan and place over a medium heat. When glossy, add the spinach and cook gently until warmed through.

7

Add in the nutmeg and dairy-free butter and season well. Serve alongside the waffles with a few dollops of dairy-free crème fraîche, sour cream or yogurt.

Sweet Potato Tortilla,  recipe created by Luke Willcox - New Product Development team.

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 small red onion, finely diced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp oregano

250g chickpea or gram flour

250ml water

50g vegan cheese, cubed

1 roasted red pepper, from a jar, roughly chopped

Method

1

Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 180ºC fan / gas mark 6. Place the cubed sweet potato and diced onion on a baking tray and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and oregano. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.

2

Whisk together the chickpea flour with the water, adding a pinch of sea salt. When the sweet potato is cooked combine with the chickpea flour mix and the vegan cheese and roasted pepper. Season to taste.

3

Preheat the grill. Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet or oven-proof pan. Fry on the hob over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until browned and bubbles are beginning to appear on the surface. Place under the grill and cook the top until browned and puffy. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing into wedges. Serve with a side salad.

Sweet Potato Burritos,  recipe created by Laura Higgins .

Ingredients

For the dressing

1 large avocado, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

Juice 1 lime

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp coconut yoghurt

Pinch cayenne pepper

For the sweet potato & assembly

600g sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 tortilla wraps

100g warm cooked wild rice

100g warm cooked kidney beans

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method

1

Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 180ºC fan / gas mark 6. Place the cubed sweet potato on a baking tray and toss with the olive oil and spices. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender.

2

To make the dressing, whizz together all of the ingredients in a small food processor or with a hand blender, until smooth. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a little water until you achieve the consistency you want, a tablespoon at a time.

3

To assemble the burritos, warm the tortilla wraps according to the packet instructions. Place on the work surface and divide the sweet potato between the 4 wraps. Top with the rice, kidney beans and spring onions, then drizzle with the avocado dressing. Fold in the outside edges, then roll to enclose the filling.

You can learn more and find loads more recipes at https://www.seasonalspuds.com