This recipe is pretty much a vegan remake of a pork recipe I found by Valli Little (with a few extra ingredients added). I loved the sweet autumn flavours of apple and mustard in what is a simple but very appealing dish. Great for a quick, easy meal; filling and ‘meaty’ enough for even non-vegetarians it makes a fantastic Meatless Monday dinner. I served it with mashed potato but it would work well with mashed pumpkin, mashed sweet potato or great with couscous or creamy polenta. Choose your favourite side and serve this up as a warming end to winter or for us here in the Southern Hemisphere a tasty farewell to the end of summer. Choose a vegan sausage with plenty of flavour for the best results.

Vegan Bangers and Mash
Preparation time: 25mins // Serves 4

• 375g (13 oz) vegan sausages
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 2 leeks, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly chopped
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• ¼ cup sultanas (raisins)
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 400ml apple juice (fresh squeezed if available)
• 1 large red apple, cored and sliced into thin wedges
• 1 tbs parsley, roughly chopped

Cook the vegan sausages in a large frypan, until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat the oil in the frypan; cook the leeks over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Add the fennel seeds, stock cube and sultanas and continue to cook for a further minute, crushing the stock cube as you go.

Add the flour and combine well; cooking for a further 1-2 minutes.

Add the apple juice and bring to a simmer.

Add the sliced apple and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes, adding the sausages for the last few minutes, until gravy has reduced and apples are tender. Add more apple juice or a little liquid stock if need be.

Toss through the chopped parsley and serve over warm mashed potatoes or pumpkin or with aromatic couscous or soft, creamy polenta.