Maple Dijon Dressing

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

60 ml olive oil extra virgin

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup

pinch sea salt

Vegan Lemon Polenta Cake

150g ground almonds, 150gfine polenta (not instant), 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp, bicarbonate of soda (gluten-free if necessary), ¼ tsp fine sea salt, 100ml light olive oil, plus a little extra for greasing the tin, 200g caster sugar (we used coconut sugar) 2 large lemons, at room temperature, 250ml almond-milk plain soy yogurt, at room temperature 75g icing sugar (we used maple syrup)

To serve: berries of your choice (optional)

You will need: a 20cm springform cake tin.

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan, and line and lightly grease the sides of a 20cm springform cake tin. Measure the ground almonds and polenta into a bowl, add the baking powder, bicarb, and salt, and fork to mix.

2. Pour the oil into a wide-necked large measuring jug, add the coconut sugar and finely grate the zest of the 2 lemons on top. Stir together for a minute, then beat in the yogurt until completely incorporated. Then simply pour your jug of wet ingredients into your bowl of dry ingredients, making sure everything is completely mixed.

3. Scrape into the prepared tin, and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the cake is beginning to nudge away from the sides of the tin, and a cake tester comes out clean. Make the syrup, though, as soon as the cake goes in the oven.

4. Put the icing sugar (or maple syrup) into a small saucepan and add 75ml of juice from your zested lemons. Heat, whisking gently to beat out any lumps, just until the sugar’s dissolved into the juice, and pour straightaway into a little jug to cool.

5. When the cake’s cooked, transfer it to a wire rack and, with your cake tester, prick it all over, going in deep, to help the syrup run down into the cake. Pour or spoon the syrup over, trying to be patient, so the syrup doesn’t just make a large pond on top.

6. Leave the cake, drenched with its syrup, to cool and, before unclipping, run a slim palette knife round the edges to help dislodge it where the syrup has stuck it to the tin. If you don’t feel confident of getting the cake off the base in one piece, don’t worry. Serve the cake plain, or with berries of your choice.

Fudgy Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Truffles

1 cup sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (1 small sweet potato is ~1 cup, 1/3 lb, or 150 g)

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (ensure dairy-free as needed)

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 Tbsp cocoa/cacao powder

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp sea salt

For Rolling

1 Tbsp cocoa powder/cacao

Method:

1. Place the peeled, cubed sweet potato into a steamer basket over boiling water, cover, and steam until very soft (it should be easy to poke with a fork), about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil by adding them to a small glass or metal bowl and carefully placing the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula or spoon, until melted and no lumps remain, about 5 minutes. You can also melt it in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments until melted. Remove from heat.

3. To a food processor, add the steamed sweet potatoes and melted chocolate chips and coconut oil along with the remaining ingredients (cocoa powder, maple syrup, and salt). Process for several minutes until completely smooth.

4. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe bowl and let it set in the freezer until firm and scoopable, about 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon cocoa powder in a small bowl and set aside.

5. Once the truffle mixture is firm, scoop out heaping 1 tablespoon-sized portions and roll into balls in your hand (work quickly here so they don’t soften too much!). Dip the truffles into the bowl with the cocoa powder and then re-roll them between your hands (this helps to evenly distribute the powder in a thin coating).

6. Enjoy immediately or, ideally, allow the truffles to firm up a bit back in the refrigerator or freezer for another 15 minutes. Best enjoyed chilled, straight from the refrigerator.

7. Store leftover truffles in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

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