Spiced Hoisin Meat-Free Meatballs With Sesame Veg

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ gas 6

Peel and grate (or finely chop) your garlic

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and grate (or finely chop) your ginger

Trim, then finely slice your spring onions

Add your meat-free mince (remove the paper if required!) to a large mixing bowl with the grated garlic, 1/3 of the sliced spring onion and half the grated ginger (save the rest for later!) and mix thoroughly until combined (clean hands are the best way!)

Divide the meat-free mince mixture equally and shape into 3 meatballs per person

Add the meat-free mince meatballs to a lightly oiled baking tray (or two!) and put the tray[s] in the oven for 14-15 min or until cooked through

While the meat-free mince meatballs are in the oven, add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

While the rice is cooking, slice 1/4 of your red chilli[es] thinly so that you are left with chilli rounds (save these for garnish!)

Cut the remaining chilli in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Top, tail and peel your carrot[s], then continue to peel lengths until you end up with a pile of carrot ribbons

Combine your hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and a small splash of water in a small bowl

Add the remaining grated ginger with 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and stir to combine – this is your spiced hoisin sauce

Wash your spinach, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the spinach and cook for 1 min or until beginning to wilt

Once wilted, remove the pan from the heat and add your toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, carrot ribbons and remaining sliced spring onion to the pan – this is your sesame veg

Transfer the sesame veg to a plate and cover to keep warm

Return the pan to a medium heat

Remove the cooked meat-free mince meatballs from the oven and add them to the pan with the spiced hoisin sauce

Cook for 2-3 min, coating the meat-free mince meatballs in the sauce until thickened and becoming sticky – these are your spiced hoisin meat-free meatballs