What To Cook With This Month
by Holly Thomson
Are you going vegan for Veganuary, or simply looking for more vegan recipe ideas to insert into your weekly routine? Julius Fiedler's cookbook Naturally Vegan is a fantastic place to find vegan recipes from across the world... that just happen to be plant-based.
Read our exclusive Q&A with Julius about the flavours that inspire him.
Recipes to try this month
Vada Pav - Spiced Potato Fritter Roles
Suan Lafen - Hot & Sour Soup
Jian Dui- Stuffed Sesame Balls
10 amazing ingredients to try this month
Sweet Potato Vermicelli, 400g
Sweet Potato Vermicelli, 400g
Sweet potato vermicelli is similar in texture to bean thread vermicelli, and turn transparent or glass-like when cooked - hence the name glass noodles or cellopane noodles. They are most widely used in Korean cuisine- where they're known as dang myun - to make japchae. This is a dish of vegetables stir-fried with sweet potato vermicelli. Sweet potatoes were brought to Japan in the 17th century, and then on to Korea in the mid-18th century to help alleviate famine. It has been a significant part of the diet in both countries since.
Chinkiang Black Rice Vinegar, 550ml
Chinkiang Black Rice Vinegar, 550ml
Also known as Zhenjiang black rice vinegar, this sweetened Chinkiang black rice vinegar is from the eastern Chinese city of Zhenjiang, or Chinkiang.
Expect complex, smoky notes – making it a great addition to dipping sauces or braised meat dishes and a good way to lift a noodle broth.
The acidic yet slightly sweet vinegar is great for cutting through fatty or meaty dishes and a little splash will transform wonton dishes, soups and noodles.
Sweetened Red Bean Paste, 500g
Sweetened Red Bean Paste, 500g
Red beans, or azuki or adzuki, are naturally sweet with a nutty flavour. When sweetened further, they become a great ingredient for Asian-style desserts. You can even spread the sweetened red bean paste on toast, or scoop it up with apple wedges to mix up your breakfasts!
Sweetened red bean paste is an authentic filling for Chinese mooncakes. It is also popular in Japan as a filling for dorayaki – sweet pancake sandwiches – and the chewy rice flour sweets, mochi.
Lamiri Harissa, 190g
Lamiri Harissa, 190g
Lamiri harissa brings the bold, smoky flavours of Tunisia straight to your kitchen. Imported from La Marsa, this family recipe has been passed down through generations of the Lamiri family, using Baklouti chillies dried in traditional wood-burning ovens for a deep, aromatic heat. Stir the paste into soups and stews, spread it over flatbreads or whisk it into tomato sauce to serve with lamb meatballs and a cooling spoonful of yoghurt. It’s also a classic way to bring richness and warmth to couscous dishes across North Africa.
Flavoured with tabil - a Tunisian blend of caraway and coriander - Lamiri harissa has warm, earthy undertones beneath its gentle smokiness. The family sources ingredients directly from local farmers, ensuring the freshest spices and fullest flavour. For a quick marinade, mix the harissa with yoghurt, lemon and crushed garlic; it’s fantastic with lamb, chicken thighs or monkfish. A little goes a long way, delivering instant depth wherever you use it.
Sous Chef urfa pepper - or isot biber - is a deeply aromatic Turkish chilli with a flavour unlike any other. The peppers ripen on the plant until they turn a deep purple, then undergo a traditional two-stage drying process: sun-dried by day and tightly wrapped at night to “sweat”. This slow curing concentrates their natural oils, giving the flakes a warm, rounded heat with smoky, almost raisin-like sweetness and a subtle citrus note.
Urfa pepper is essential in dishes like çiğ köfte and lahmacun, where its gentle warmth and complexity shine. But it’s just as good used simply - fry a pinch in butter and drizzle it over breakfast eggs, swirl it into yoghurt for a quick dip, or scatter it over roasted aubergines and grilled meats. Rich, savoury and versatile, it’s an easy way to bring authentic Turkish depth to everyday cooking.
Two Fields x Sea Sisters Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 120g
Two Fields x Sea Sisters Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 120g
Two Fields x Sea Sisters sardines make it effortless to serve a nourishing, flavour-packed meal. Enjoy the tender fillets piled onto toast with a squeeze of lemon, or add them straight from the tin to salads and grain bowls for instant protein. Sourced from well-managed Cornish fisheries, Sea Sisters sardines are a standout example of sustainable British seafood, preserved in small batches of Two Fields’ aromatic extra virgin olive oil.
These sardines are a versatile pantry staple you can turn into dinner in minutes – stir them into pasta, fried rice or tomato sauce for an easy boost of richness. For a quick snack, mash them with crème fraîche, lemon and herbs to make a zingy dip for crackers or crudités. The olive oil they’re packed in is produced in eastern Crete using regenerative farming methods, made from hand-picked, cold-pressed Koroneiki olives for a fresh, fruity flavour with a peppery finish. Beautifully packaged in fully recyclable tins, this British–Greek collaboration is as sustainable as it is delicious.
Emma Basic Roasted Black Sesame Seeds, 150g
Emma Basic Roasted Black Sesame Seeds, 150g
The seeds are already roasted, saving you time in the kitchen. The roasting process intensifies their rich, nutty flavour. They’re a great way to add extra protein and fibre to your dish.
Roasted sesame seeds are a tasty topping for baked goods. Scatter them over pretzels and burger buns.
Emma Basic is an additive-free food brand. Deciphering food labels can be daunting, so they’ve done the hard work for you. You can buy with confidence, knowing that what you choose will be 100% additive-free.
Thiccc Sauce Honey Butter Louisiana Sauce, 150ml
Thiccc Sauce Honey Butter Louisiana Sauce, 150ml
Sweet blossom honey tempers the heat of the cayenne chilli mash. The mild heat level is perfect for hot sauce novices. This sauce is less sharp than other hot sauces but with the same addictive tang.
Drizzle honey butter Louisiana sauce over wings, thighs and tenders. Roll up your sleeves and serve with a creamy blue cheese dip. This sauce is fantastic for buffalo cauliflower and plant-based chicken alternatives.
Emma Basic Dried Black Fungus Mushrooms, 80g
Emma Basic Dried Black Fungus Mushrooms, 80g
Black fungus, also known as wood ear mushroom, is a staple of Chinese cooking. The dried mushrooms must be soaked in warm water before use, where they rehydrate into springy, jet-black curls. Mild in flavour but fantastic at absorbing seasoning, they take on whatever you cook them with - soy sauce, garlic, chilli and aromatic oils all cling beautifully to their surface.
These versatile mushrooms are used in soups, braised dishes and Chinese hot pot, adding texture rather than overt flavour. They’re also delicious served cold in salads or tossed through fried rice. Try them in Pippa Middlehurst’s miso chicken claypot rice, where the black fungus soaks up the savoury, umami-rich sauce and adds gentle crunch to each bite.
