Deliciously Ella founder Ella Mills releases new cookbook How To Go Plant-Based

Ditching meat has never been easier, thanks to Ella Mills.

The blogger and bestselling author behind the Deliciously Ella brand is known for her no-fuss approach to a vegan diet, which has given rise to an app, podcast, online store and restaurant in London’s Mayfair.

Now the mother of two daughters has released her definitive guide to adopting a meat-free diet, How To Go Plant-Based, which boasts 100 family-friendly recipes plus scientific data, insight from doctors and nutritionists and a FAQ from Mills’ social media followers on how to flourish with this lifestyle.

Here, Mills shares two of her favourite recipes from the new book.

Creamy Beetroot and Walnut Spaghetti

The most vibrant dish in the book, this bright pink spaghetti is a real winner. The mix of walnuts, pine nuts and white beans gives it a lovely texture, the coconut milk makes it beautifully creamy. The beets bring the colour and the garlic and parsley really add to the flavour. The result is sweet and mild, almost like a korma sauce.

Serves 4

• 100g walnuts
• 50g pine nuts
• 300g cooked beetroot, drained, peeled and roughly chopped
• 25g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• 1 × 400g tin small white beans (cannellini or haricot), drained
• 200ml tinned coconut milk, shaken well to disperse the cream
• lemon juice, to taste
• 4 servings spaghetti or other long pasta (75g per person)
• sea salt and black pepper

Toast the walnuts and pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a high heat until the pine nuts are golden, then transfer to a food processor along with the beetroot, parsley, 2 tbsp of the olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Blitz until you have a thick puree.

Heat the remaining tbsp of olive oil in a large casserole and fry the onion for 5-7 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic and fry for another minute.

Transfer the beetroot puree to the pan along with the beans and coconut milk and mix everything together. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes to heat everything through. Check the seasoning then stir in lemon juice to taste.

Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the pack, then drain well and return to the pan. Stir the sauce through the pasta and serve immediately.

Banana and Olive Oil Loaf (no added sugar)

I make this recipe all the time for the girls, it’s brilliant and they absolutely love it. It’s soft and spongy and the prunes or dates make the loaf lovely and sweet — you really don’t miss sugar at all. It’s perfect on its own, but equally delicious as a pudding with coconut yoghurt.

Makes 1 loaf

• 200g self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 tbsp coconut yoghurt
• 75ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 100g prunes or medjool dates, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 75g sultanas or raisins

Preheat the oven to 160C fan. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the banana, coconut yoghurt, olive oil, vanilla, prunes and flaxseed. Stir in the sultanas. Add the banana mixture to the flour and mix well — it will seem dry at first but it will come together.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin, level out the top and bake for 50–60 minutes, until risen and golden. Test with a skewer. I it comes out clean the loaf is ready. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out.