Mark Moriarty’s step-by-step guide to flavour-filled, exciting vegan cooking

From irishtimes.com 

By Mark Moriarty

Vegan food has come a very long way in Ireland and aren’t we lucky that it has?

If you had asked me 20 years ago where vegan food sat in Ireland, I’d probably have pointed you towards a worthy lentil stew and left it at that. Back then it lived on the fringes. It was a mix of the admirable, the earnest and, if we’re honest, rarely reached centre stage. Fast-forward to now and it’s impossible to ignore how much has changed. Vegan food has grown up alongside us, moving from niche cafes to supermarket aisles, restaurant tasting menus and home kitchens all over the country. It’s no longer about compromise; it’s about choice, curiosity and confidence.

For my own part, I’ll admit something that probably won’t surprise anyone: I’ve rarely, if ever, cooked completely vegan. Not through any resistance, but because my cooking instinctively leans on butter, cream and cheese for comfort and depth. Take those away and you’re suddenly exposed. There’s nowhere to hide. Every ingredient has to pull its weight, and every decision matters. I’ve always found that a challenge, and it explains why I laughed out loud/cried when I realised at the last minute that a recent private dinner I was hosting included two vegans. Five courses. No dairy safety net. No quiet grating of Parmesan at the last minute. Instead, I had to rethink everything from the ground up. What gives richness without cream? What creates savouriness without cheese? How do you build excitement across five plates when restraint is the rule?

The answer, it turns out, was vegetables, treated with the same respect I’d usually reserve for a prime cut of meat. I found myself gravitating towards cabbage and cauliflower, two ingredients that have been quietly waiting in the wings for their moment. Cooked properly, they’re packed with flavour. Add spice for warmth and complexity, acid to lift and sharpen, and texture to keep things interesting, and suddenly you’re not missing anything at all.

In these two recipes, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing: showcasing cabbage and cauliflower in all their glory. I’d still love a bit of dairy in there, of course – old habits die hard – but I can promise you the dishes are delicious all the same.

The cauliflower relies on the slow caramelisation on the pan, in much the same way as a piece of meat would. Malaysian spices are sweet with heat at the same time while the crunch of the cashew adds texture. Creamy coconut ties everything together while adding that creamy element.

The cabbage is another vegetable that benefits from time on the pan – the residual heat will also cook it the whole way through. Natural ingredients such as garlic and lemon are then manipulated with low heat and salt to create sweet garlic purée and preserved lemon peel, the two coming together to provide a punchy dressing that’s great to have in the fridge at all times.

Mark Moriarty’s vegan recipe for cauliflower roasted in Malaysian spices

Serves:2   Cooking Time: 20 mins   Prep Time: 20 mins

Mark Moriarty's cauliflower roasted in Malaysian spices with coconut, crispy chilli and garlic, cashew and lime. Photograph: Harry Weir

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small cauliflower
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• ½ tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• Sea salt
• 200ml coconut cream
• 2 tsp cornflour, mixed with 30ml water
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
• Coriander leaves, for garnish
• Mint leaves, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Place an ovenproof frying pan on a medium heat and add the oil. Trim the outer leaves off the cauliflower, then cut the cauliflower head into quarters and place in the pan, flat side down. Fry for three to four minutes until golden brown, then turn them on to the other flat side and fry for three to four minutes.
3. Mix the spices together in a small bowl, then sprinkle them over the cauliflower quarters and season with salt. Place the pan in the oven to finish roasting for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
4. While the cauliflower is roasting, heat a small saucepan and add the coconut cream. Stir in the cornflour and bring to a simmer to thicken, while stirring regularly, then take off the heat and allow to cool. Finish by stirring in some lime juice and lime zest.
5. Heat a frying pan and add some oil. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook over a low heat until the garlic is golden brown and crispy, then stir in the chilli flakes and remove from the heat.
6. Remove the roasted cauliflower from the oven. Spoon some of the lime coconut cream on a serving plate, and add a wedge of roasted cauliflower. Spoon over some of the crispy garlic and chilli and finish with some toasted cashew nuts. Garnish with some sliced spring onions, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Mark Moriarty’s vegan recipe for roasted cabbage with confit garlic and preserved lemon dressing

Serves:2   Cooking Time:  20 mins   Prep Time:  20 mins

Mark Moriarty's recipe for roasted cabbage with confit garlic and preserved lemon dressing. Photograph: Harry Weir

Ingredients

• 1 whole garlic bulb
• Sea salt
• 1tbs olive oil
• 1 savoy cabbage
• 2tbs vegetable oil
• 2tbs preserved lemon zest, diced
• 1tbs wholegrain mustard
• 3tbs olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• Handful fresh parsley, chopped
• 1tbs sesame seeds, toasted
• 2tbs pumpkin seeds, toasted
• Black pepper and sea salt

1. Start by making the confit garlic. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Place the full bulb of garlic on a piece of tinfoil. Season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil, then wrap the garlic in the tin foil, place on an oven tray and roast for two hours at 160 degrees. Remove and allow to cool.
2. Remove the outer loose leaves of the cabbage, then cut the savoy head into quarters. Place a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and add some vegetable oil. Place the cabbage quarters in the pan flat side down and cook for four minutes until browned. Then turn them on to the other flat side and cook for four minutes or until browned on that side. Then remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid. Leave for 15 minutes with the lid on, while off the heat, so the cabbage continues cooking and softens.
3. To make the dressing, squeeze some browned garlic pulp from six/garlic cloves into a small bowl. Add the diced, preserved lemon zest, mustard, olive oil and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
4. To serve, place the cabbage pieces on serving plates and spoon over some of the confit garlic and preserved lemon dressing. Add some chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. Then, garnish with some toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds.

https://www.irishtimes.com/food/2026/02/21/mark-moriartys-step-by-step-guide-to-flavour-filled-exciting-vegan-cooking/