‘Bring on the cheese’ vegan Valentine’s menu

Main: Balsamic and garlic mushroom burgers

Serves 4

4 large flat mushrooms
4 tsp rapeseed or olive oil
4 Free From coconut oil alternative to jalapeño & chilli cheese slices
4 white batch rolls, halved
10g vegan butter alternative, melted
2 tbsp Wicked Kitchen garlic mayonnaise with caramelised onion flavour
4 iceberg lettuce leaves, sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes on the vine, sliced

For the marinade:
5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
10g fresh basil, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Put the mushrooms on a baking tray and brush with the oil; season. Bake for 10 mins or until starting to soften.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and pour over the marinade; set aside to marinate for 10 mins or up to 24 hrs ahead.

3. Heat a heavy-based griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, stalk-side down then put a smaller, heavy-based pan on top to flatten them. Griddle for 2-3 mins, flip, press down again and cook for a further 2-3 mins until charred. Continue the recipe from step 4 to finish.

4. Add a slice of cheese-alternative to the mushrooms, stalk-side up, and griddle for a further 1 min until starting to melt, then remove from the pan. Lightly brush the cut sides of the buns with the melted spread, then griddle in the pan until golden and charred.

5. To assemble, spread the mayo on each bun and top with lettuce, tomato, a mushroom and onions. Top with the other half of the bun to serve.

Tip: To make this recipe serve 2, simply halve the ingredients.

Dessert: Vegan raspberry mousse with coconut hearts

Serves 2

2 x 400g tins coconut milk, chilled overnight
50g icing sugar
100g frozen raspberries

1. Make the coconut hearts: carefully open 1 tin of coconut milk without shaking it and spoon the solid coconut cream from the top into a bowl. Save the coconut water for mixing into juices or smoothies.

2. Whisk the cream for about 30 secs until it starts to thicken. Add 15g of the icing sugar and whisk again for 1-2 mins until thick and fluffy.

3. Line a small baking tray with nonstick baking paper and spread the cream in a 1cm thick even layer. Freeze for 2-3 hrs until set, or until ready to serve.

4. Meanwhile, put the frozen raspberries and another 15g icing sugar in a small pan over a medium heat. Cook for 8-10 mins until the berries are broken down into a syrupy liquid. Remove from the heat and blitz with a hand blender until smooth. For a completely smooth coulis, push through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Set aside to cool, then store in the fridge until needed.

5. Open the second tin of coconut milk and spoon the solid coconut cream into a bowl. Whisk briefly until starting to thicken, then add the final 20g icing sugar and 2 tbsp of the cooled raspberry coulis. Whisk again for a few mins until thick, fluffy and an even pink colour.

6. Divide the mousse between 2 serving glasses, cover with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hrs before serving.

7. Just before serving, remove the tray of coconut cream from the freezer. Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to stamp out heart shapes, then return to the freezer for 5 mins to firm up. You will only need 2 for this dessert, but the remaining hearts can be layered between pieces of nonstick baking paper in a small freezer-proof container and kept in the freezer for up to 3 days.

8. To serve, spoon the remaining raspberry coulis over the top of the mousses and top with a coconut cream heart.

Tip: Make sure that both tins of coconut milk have been chilled for at least 8 hrs or overnight to allow the thick cream and watery liquid to separate.

Make ahead: All elements of this easy pud can be made ahead, making it easy to serve on the day. Freeze the stamped out coconut cream hearts for up to 3 days. The raspberry coulis will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and the whipped mousse in glasses will keep for 2 days, both covered with clingfilm.