Gluten-free vegan versions of quarantine cooking hits such as spaghetti bolognese and banana bread

Luke Hines' latest release Eat More Vegan is packed with 80 paleo-friendly, gluten-free and plant-based recipes.

Bangin' banana and walnut bread

Banana bread is statistically the most sought-after bread in online searches and for very good reason – it's absolutely delicious! This version is free of refined sugars, inflammatory oils and contains real bananas. So, ditch that store-bought version for one that is easier to make than ever. Please note that adding the sweetener to this recipe is optional, as very ripe bananas are already sweet enough (like you).

INGREDIENTS

• 125ml (½ cup) melted coconut oil
• 2 large overripe bananas, mashed
• 2 flax eggs* (see recipe below)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut nectar (optional if you like a sweeter bread)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or powder
• 200g (2 cups) almond meal
• 100g (1 cup) walnuts, roughly crushed, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• vegan butter*, to serve (optional, see note)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 22cm loaf tin with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, mashed banana, flax eggs and sweetener, if using, and whisk together until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures and mix well. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 55 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
5. Remove the bread from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then remove from the tin, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Slice and serve with some vegan butter, if you like. The loaf will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge and for up to 3 months in the freezer (I like to pre-slice it so that it's easy to take one piece out at a time).

*How to make flax eggs: To make a flax egg, mix 1½ tablespoons of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water in a bowl. Transfer to the fridge and leave for 15-30 minutes, or until the mixture has begun to bind and thicken and is all "goopy", like an egg. It's as simple as that. For more flax eggs, just scale up the quantities (for two flax eggs, double them, and so on). And if you don't like flaxseeds? Simply substitute the ground flax out for the same quantity of ground chia seeds. Too easy.

Makes: 1 loaf

Parsnip spaghetti with sunflower bolognese

I absolutely love this recipe! I really enjoy the al dente mouthfeel from the parsnips, but feel free to swap them out and use any other of your favourite spiralised vegetables such as zucchini noodles or sweet potato noodles.

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 parsnips, peeled
• 500g (4 cups) cauliflower florets
• 60g (½ cup) sunflower seeds
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• ½ onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 170g can tomato paste
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
• sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper
• plant-based parmesan**, to serve (see note)
• 1 handful of basil leaves, to serve

METHOD

1. Using a mandoline, spiraliser or sharp knife, cut the parsnips into fine vegetable noodles. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, pulse together the cauliflower, sunflower seeds, garlic, onion and mixed herbs to form a rough, chunky paste.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium–high heat, add the cauliflower mixture and saute for 8-10 minutes, or until softened and lightly golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lovely and thick.
4. Meanwhile, cook the parsnip noodles in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes, or until just tender, then drain and divide among bowls. To serve, spoon the bolognese over the noodles, season well with salt and pepper and scatter over the plant parmesan and a few basil leaves to finish. Enjoy.

Serves: 4

Broccoli masala with cauliflower rice

I like to refer to this richly flavoured dish as a "supermarket curry", because each and every ingredient is readily available at your local supermarket. That means there is no excuse not to whip this delicious meal up and get your kitchen smelling fantastic with its wonderful aromas.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 4cm chunks
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 5cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 160g (1 cup) macadamia nuts, toasted and crushed
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 500ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
• 250ml (1 cup) coconut cream
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves

Cauliflower rice (makes 800g)

• 1 head of cauliflower (about 800g), florets and stalk roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• sea salt

METHOD

1. Set a steamer basket over a saucepan of simmering water. Add the sweet potato, cover with a lid and steam for 10 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside.
2. Add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt and half the macadamias to a food processor and blitz until smooth.
3. Melt the coconut oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the spices are lovely and fragrant.
4. Pour the tomato mixture into the pan and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, coconut cream and cinnamon stick and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced slightly. Add the sweet potato and broccoli, cover with a lid and simmer for a further 8 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and the sauce has thickened up nicely.
5. Meanwhile, make the cauliflower rice. Place the chopped cauliflower in a food processor and pulse into tiny rice-like pieces (this usually takes six to eight pulses). Melt the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the cauliflower rice and saute for 4-6 minutes, or until softened. Season with salt to taste.
6. Remove the cinnamon stick from the curry and divide among bowls.
7. Scatter over the coriander leaves and the remaining macadamias, and serve with the cauliflower rice.

Serves 4

Cauliflower and "chorizo" scramble with spicy green sauce

This plant-based chorizo mixture packs all the flavour and punch of its traditional counterpart along with all the vegan goodness of fresh produce. The recipe below is a great starting point, but feel free to adjust the spices if you like things hotter. When it comes to the cauliflower, be sure to cut it down into lovely small chunks to help it cook quicker and more evenly.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 head of cauliflower, roughly cut into 1cm chunks
• 1 handful of baby rocket leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground
• black pepper

Chorizo sauce

• 1 long red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 100g (1 cup) pecans, toasted
• 150g cherry tomatoes, chopped

Spicy green sauce

• 125ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive, avocado, macadamia or hemp oil
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 handfuls of coriander, stalks and leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 small red chillies, roughly chopped
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

METHOD

1. For the chorizo sauce, add the chilli, garlic and onion powders, paprika and pecans to a food processor and pulse to combine. Transfer to a bowl, stir through the tomato and set aside.
2. For the spicy green sauce, rinse and wipe dry the food processor, then add all the ingredients and blitz until well combined. Set aside.
3. Heat the coconut oil and turmeric in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and saute for 6-8 minutes, or until it begins to become golden brown around the edges and softens slightly.
4. Add the prepared chorizo sauce and continue to saute until everything is fragrant and the cauliflower pieces are completely coated in the mixture.
5. Spoon the cauliflower and chorizo scramble into shallow bowls and add a generous drizzle of the green sauce. Add the rocket leaves, season well with salt and pepper and enjoy.

Serves 4

*How to make vegan butter

• 125ml (½ cup) coconut oil
• 124ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• ½ tsp sea salt
• pinch of ground turmeric

1. Blitz all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and reamy. Pour into a suitable container, seal with a lid and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until set. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Makes 250g

**How to make plant parmesan

• 120g (¾ cup) cashew nuts
• 25g (⅓ cup) nutritional yeast flakes
• ¾ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

1. Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a fine meal similar to finely grated parmesan cheese.

Makes 140g

This is an edited extract from Eat More Vegan by Luke Hines, published by Plum, RRP $26.99. Photography: Mark Roper. Buy now