Vegan and plant-based diets have seen tremendous growth over the years, as more people are starting to opt for a healthier lifestyle and better eating habits.
Perhaps you fancy going vegan yourself, have someone else to cater for, or just want to cut down on your animal product consumption and eat more plant-based meals. Whatever the reason, The Fry Family Food Company is here to help, with a whole collection of really tasty vegan and plant-based recipes you will want to cook time and again.
With a simple swop, this family favourite becomes meat-free without losing all the flavour and comfort of your everyday spaghetti and meatballs.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
½ tbs olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 tbs fresh basil, roughly chopped plus extra for serving
Cooked spaghetti or courgette noodles, for serving
¼ cup vegan parmesan shavings, optional, for serving
METHOD
Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add oil.
Sauté onion and garlic.
Next, add Fry’s No-Meatballs, frying until they’re well browned.
Add tomato passata, dried mixed herbs, and ½ cup water, simmering gently for 10 – 12 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced and the meatballs well coated.
Add chopped basil and mix through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Spoon the meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti or courgette noodles.
Top with fresh basil leaves and vegan parmesan shavings, if using.
500g penne pasta, cooked al dente
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup water
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tbs chutney
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
3 tbs plant-based butter or vegetable oil
2 tbs flour
2 cups plant-based milk
½ tbs Dijon mustard
¼ tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 cups vegan cheese, grated
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant.
Add Fry’s Pea Protein Mince and grated courgette and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring.
Stir through the chutney, tomato paste, and add the water.
Simmer for 5 minutes and adjust seasoning.
Remove from heat and combine with the cooked pasta in a medium-sized casserole dish.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
For the sauce, melt the plant-based butter in a small pot over medium heat.
Whisk in the flour and fry for 30 seconds, continuously stirring.
Stir in the plant-based milk, as the sauce simmers and starts to thicken.
Add the mustard and spices and season to taste.
Remove from heat and pour over the top of the mince and pasta mix.
Top with grated vegan cheese and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Keep the family happy with these easy yummy hot dogs done three-ways. Even better, with one simple swop, these hot dogs are meat-free – perfect for a family-focused Meat Free Monday.
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
Potato crisps to serve, optional
Fresh dog
50g mixed salad leaves
½ cup pickled carrots
¼ cup vegan mayo
¼ cup sweet chilli sauce
Coriander sprigs, to serve
Guac dog
1 avo, smashed with lime juice and seasoned to taste
½ red onion, finely sliced
1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
Coriander sprigs, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Slaw dog
½ cup finely shredded slaw mix
½ cup shaved fennel
2 sweet and sour pickles, sliced plus 1 tsp pickle juice
3 tbs vegan mayo
METHOD
Fry the hot dogs over medium heat until nicely browned and cooked through.
Split the hot-dog rolls and spread both sides with plant-based butter, if using.
Fresh dog
Mix the mayo and sweet chilli sauce. Assemble the roll starting with salad leaves, then the hot dog, add the pickled carrots. Top with coriander and a drizzle of the mayo sweet chilli sauce.
Guac dog
Top some guac over the hot dogs, scatter over the red onion, sliced red chilli, and coriander.
Finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
Slaw dog
Combine the topping ingredients and adjust seasoning.
Place the hot dog in the roll and top with the slaw.
All the yum, none of the meat. Meat-free family burger night with one simple swop.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
Plant-based butter, optional
Seasoned fries or sweet potato, for serving
Sesame seed burger buns
Classic Cheese
1 head cos lettuce, shredded
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, sliced in rings
4 slices vegan cheese
2 – 3 large gherkins, sliced
Tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Med-Inspired
1 small handful rocket
2 cups plant-based yoghurt
1 small Mediterranean cucumber, grated
½ lemon, juice, and zest
¼ cup crispy onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Sweet onion
Caramelised onion or onion marmalade
1 small handful rocket
4 slices plant-based cheese
Vegan mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Fry the Big Fry Burgers until well browned and cooked, add BBQ basting sauce while the burgers are cooking.
Spread plant-based butter over the rolls, if using.
Classic Cheese
To assemble, layer the topping and the burgers between the rolls, finishing off with a squeeze of tomato sauce.
Med-Inspired
Combine the plant-based yoghurt, grated cucumber, and lemon juice.
Assemble the burgers starting with rocket, the yoghurt mix, and topped with crispy onions.
Sweet onion
Assemble the burgers by starting with a layer of mayonnaise, rocket, burger, cheese, and top with caramelised onions.
Enjoy with your choice of fries or sweet potato fries.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 tbs vegetable oil, plus extra for brushing
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
250g button mushrooms, sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
2 cups vegan cheese, grated
1 tbs parsley, finely chopped
METHOD
Heat a medium pan, add the vegetable oil and sauté the onions over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and thyme and fry until the mix is nicely browned and softened, adjust seasoning. Remove from the heat.
Cook the Big Fry Burgers on the braai and chop them into smaller bits.
Combine with the onion and mushroom mix, season to taste.
Roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle directly onto a greased braai grid.
To this sheet add the onion, mushroom, and burger mix in an even layer, maintaining a 2cm border around the edge of the sheet.
Top with a layer of cheese and finally the second sheet of pastry.
Seal along the border and press gently with a fork to create a textured edge.
Brush with oil, close the braai grid and cook over medium coals for 15 – 20 minutes, until well browned and the pastry is cooked, turning often to avoid the pastry from scorching.
Once cooked, remove from the grid, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and slice into individual portions.
Easy Veggie Spaghetti Bolognese
With a simple swop, this family favourite becomes meat-free without losing all the flavour and comfort of your everyday spaghetti bolognese.
Serves: 4
METHOD
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 fresh bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Fresh oregano, for serving
Cooked pappardelle pasta or any pasta of choice, for serving
METHOD
Heat a glug of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and carrot and cook until soft, about 5 –8 minutes.
Stir in the Fry’s Pea Protein Mince and fry for 3 – 4 minutes.
Next add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, dried herbs, and bay leaves.
Reduce heat and cook for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, keeping an eye that the mixture doesn’t become dry.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups quick-cook maize meal
2 tbs plant butter, optional
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley for serving
METHOD
Bring a large pot with 2 cups of salted water to a boil.
Mix another 2 cups of water with 2 cups of quick-cooked maize meal.
Add the slurry to the boiling water while stirring and cook for 3 –5 minutes, until it starts to come away from the sides of the pot.
Remove from the heat, mix through the plant-based butter and season before covering and allow to steam for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook the Big Fry Boerie until browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove from the heat and cut into thirds.
Sauté onion and garlic until softened and fragrant.
Worcestershire sauce and stock.
Return the boerie to the pan, followed by the peas, and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the boerie is well coated.
Scatter over the chopped parsley and dish up over a serving of warm pap.
1 small red onion, sliced
2 tins canned peaches, drained and chopped
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp chili flakes
Pinch salt
2 cups finely shredded red cabbage, to serve
Fresh coriander, to serve
METHOD
Sauté the onion until softened.
Add the chopped peaches, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan. Heat over medium heat while stirring for about 5-10 minutes.
Stir in the chilli flakes and a pinch of salt.
Simmer over low heat, stirring often until the peaches are cooked down to a jammy consistency and most of the liquid has evaporated about 12 – 15 minutes.
Cook the Big Fry Boerie’s over medium heat until cooked through, in a pan on the stove or the braai.
Split the hot-dog rolls and toast them in a dry pan.
Spread with plant-based butter if used.
Layer a handful of shredded cabbage in each roll, followed by a Big Fry Boerie and topped with the chilli peach chutney and a few sprigs of coriander.
Keep the kids happy with this healthy, meat-free snack platter. It’s so easy to introduce meat-free Mondays to the kids when you can swop the meat with delicious alternatives.
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
2 tbs Dijon mustard or any mustard of choice
1 tbs maple syrup or honey
½ tsp grated garlic
Pinch salt
Hummus dipping sauce
½ cup hummus
1 ½ tbs lemon juice
1 tbs water
Salt and pepper to taste
Serving suggestions
Carrot batons
Cucumber spears
Mixed nuts
Grapes
Strawberries
Baguette slices
Mixed cherry tomatoes
METHOD
Cook the Fry’s Nuggets or No-Meatballs for 6 – 8 minutes over medium heat in a frying pan or air-fryer until crispy on the outside and cooked through.
Prepare one of your favourite dipping sauces by combining the ingredients.
Assemble the snack platter with chosen fruit, vegetable, and other accompaniment options alongside the Nuggets or No Meatballs and the dipping sauce.
Lunchbox Inspiration: Nuggets vs No Meatballs
Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS
Slices vegan cheese
2 tbs vegan mayo
Lettuce leaves
6 cucumber slices
A small handful of fresh fruit
Meatballs
4 slices vegan cheese
5 cherry tomatoes
4 sugar snap peas
METHOD
Nuggets
Bake the nuggets in a 180ºC oven or air-fryer for 6 – 8 minutes until the coating is crisp and the nuggets are cooked through.
Generously spread mayo on the insides of 2 cocktail burger buns.
Share lettuce between the 2 buns, then add 2 nuggets per bun along with a slice of cheese and top with the bun lid.
Use a star cookie cutter to cut shapes into 6 slices of cucumber.
Place all the food items into a lunchbox alongside a box of juice (optional) and seal.
Meatballs
Fry the No-Meatballs in a medium pan or air-fryer for 6 – 8 minutes until cooked through.
Brush the balls with sweet chilli sauce and using small picks, skewer the No-Meatballs and pineapple chunks, allowing 2 balls per stick.
Use a heart cookie cutter to cut shapes into 4 slices of vegan cheese.
Place all the food items into a lunchbox alongside a box of juice (optional) and seal.