BISH BASH BOSH! Three vegan recipes to try at home this weekend

The plant-based recipe platform has had more than 1 billion views to date, and the duo, both 34, are now on their second cookbook, BISH BASH BOSH! "It had to be called BISH BASH BOSH!" says Firth, throwing his arms into the air gleefully.

This one, they explain, is full of all their favourite meals - especially ones nicked from restaurants, takeaways and childhood memories; ones they'd wanted to "veganise" but hadn't managed to squeeze into their debut collection.

It's only been 12 months since the first BOSH! recipe collection was released, but in that short time, the friends have seen a major shift in attitudes towards veganism and the availability of plant-based products.

In the first book there was no seitan, little jackfruit, and "we didn't really do any of these quirky fake meats, we just wanted vegetables", they note. But this time around they've been vegan adventurers. Expect seitan burgers, 'pulled pork' jackfruit and 'tofish' finger sandwiches.

"The landscape has completely changed," says Theasby. "Now you can go into Sainsbury's and buy banana blossom, whereas before you'd walk in and barely find jackfruit, and now jackfruit's a staple."

The general feeling and chat surrounding it has developed too. Firth believes we've got to a place "where it is OK to eat vegan 'chicken nuggets' and to present them at a dinner table to a meat-eater - and not have to have an argument about it".

In fact, when a few years ago they might have come up against quite a bit of griping and hassle from non-vegans, these days, not so much. Partly, Firth reckons, it's "because our stance is quite chill", and even little knocks from family and friends have practically subsided. "The mocking in the last two to three years has kind of stopped," he muses. "More and more people are trying a little bit of vegan food, and it's becoming more and more OK to dabble."

Theasby admits that some people "still don't get vegan food", so part of their plan with BOSH is to make the whole no-animal product lifestyle more alluring, and one way to do that is to go huge on plates that are kaleidoscopic with colour.

"It's good to package it in a nice colourful way," says Theasby.

"Colour is a great way to promote plant-based food," adds Firth. "Less beige, more rainbow."

After all, even though it's more than possible to survive solely on chips as a vegan, Firth is adamant: "You won't thrive."

"It'd be really, really easy to be an unhealthy vegan," agrees Theasby - but that's not their style, hence chapters on nutrition and meal planning, so you can find a healthy balance that suits you.

The potential health benefits of veganism weren't what first drew them to it though. For Theasby, he was on a "crazy" challenge that eliminated meat and booze from his diet, for which Firth "ridiculed him". And then they watched Netflix documentary Cowspiracy on a huge screen - and that was it, for both of them.

"I remember at the end of it, just being [like], 'Woah, oh my god, I've got to go vegan'. I was really annoyed," recalls Firth, who, four years ago, would be found happily munching down on steak or fish and chips. "I was annoyed because I loved what I ate and I didn't want to make the switch," he says, but after Cowspiracy, he realised he couldn't call himself an environmentalist and not go vegan. "Best decision I ever made," he says with a huge grin.

"It's great because you feel so good. Two, three, four days in, there's this lightness of being that stays with you, that helps you persist - as long as you're not just eating pasta and chips."

For Theasby, the main continuing annoyance for him is the effect veganism seems to have on his hair - seriously. "You have to go and get your hair cut more, because it grows faster," he says, jokingly morose. "I used to go once every five weeks, now it's every four!"

Hair troubles aside, confront them with a person who says they don't like vegetables and the duo will crush you with optimism. "They need to come round and have dinner with us!" yells Firth, as Theasby starts explaining how to blend mushrooms down into a creamy sauce for pasta, so you don't even know mushrooms were ever involved.

Firth then starts stabbing his finger at all the different dishes on the cover of the new book, saying: "If you don't like vegetables, that pizza's good for you, that 'pulled pork', lasagne, cheesecake - to be honest there's only one thing on there that even looks like vegetables [their tomato and avocado heavy 'nuevos rancheros' breakfast]."

You can't argue with them. They even tackle Brussels sprouts. "Indeed we do," says Theasby. "And we don't just take them on, we beat them down, haha."

In another 12 months' time, Firth's hope for veganism is that it will "drop the ism" and "become, like, everywhere - something that everyone is down with, whenever they feel like. Some people will do seven days a week, some will do one day a week, but it just becomes normal."

"It's less a hope, more an expectation that that's what will happen," adds Theasby. "All the signs are there."

ROASTED SWEET POTATO TAGINE

This warming vegan dinner will feed a crowd.

"Whisk away to the Middle East with this hearty tagine," say Henry Firth and Ian Theasby - AKA vegan YouTubers, BOSH! "It's sweet, fragrant and easy to make. You can replace the preserved lemon with the grated zest of a lemon, the juice of half a lemon and an extra pinch of salt. It's also great with salad rather than the couscous for a lighter lunch."

Ingredients:

(Serves 6)

1kg sweet potatoes

3tbsp olive oil

2 medium red onions

1 fresh red chilli

2 garlic cloves

6cm piece fresh ginger

30g fresh coriander

100g dried apricots

2tbsp harissa paste

2tsp ras el hanout

2tsp ground cumin

2tsp ground coriander

1/2tsp sugar

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

200ml water

1 x 240g tin chickpeas

Salt and black pepper

For the lemon and almond couscous:

1 preserved lemon

1 1/2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1tsp ground cumin

300g couscous

400ml boiling water

50g flaked almonds

20g fresh coriander leaves

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. First roast the sweet potato. Chop the sweet potatoes into 3cm chunks. Spread over a baking tray. Drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the red onions. Rip the stem from the chilli, cut it in half lengthways and remove the seeds, then finely chop. Peel and grate the garlic. Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon and grate. Pluck the leaves from the coriander, put them to one side and thinly slice the stems. Roughly chop the dried apricots. Drain the chickpeas.

3. To make the tagine, place the saucepan over a medium heat and add the rest of the olive oil. Add the onions and fry for four to five minutes, stirring, until starting to soften. Add the chilli, garlic, ginger and chopped coriander stems and stir for two minutes. Add the harissa paste, ras el hanout, cumin, ground coriander and sugar and stir for one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and water. Lower the heat and simmer for seven to nine minutes. Stir in the drained chickpeas and apricots. Put the lid on and simmer for eight to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the lid off the pan, taste and season. Add the coriander leaves and roasted sweet potato and stir. Reduce the heat to low and put the lid back on the pan.

4. To make the couscous, halve the preserved lemon and put it into a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, cumin, couscous and boiling water. Cover with a dinner plate and set aside for eight to 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, spread the flaked almonds over a baking tray. Put in the oven and bake for four minutes, until lightly browned. Finely chop the coriander leaves.

6. Back to the couscous. Remove the preserved lemon and fluff the couscous with a fork. Reserve a quarter of the toasted almonds and a quarter of the chopped coriander leaves and fold the rest into the couscous. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

7. Divide the couscous among bowls and top with the tagine. Garnish with the reserved almonds and coriander and serve.

SUSHI CUPCAKES

Not as strange as they sound, we promise.

"This is a fun take on sushi," explain vegan YouTubers Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, aka BOSH! "This fantastic technique allows you to exercise your creativity and create food that's tasty, healthy and truly Instagram-worthy.

"We put hoisin sauce in the middle of our cupcakes, but you can add whatever you like. Wasabi and ginger is a great traditional filling."

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

400g sushi rice

30ml rice vinegar

25g caster sugar

1/2tsp salt

12 nori sheets

6tsp hoisin sauce

Black sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Pickled ginger, to serve

Soy sauce, to serve

Wasabi, to serve (optional)

For the vegetable toppings:

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1/4 cucumber, cut into matchsticks

1 small avocado, sliced

10 fresh chives, chopped

5 radishes, trimmed and sliced

For the dipping sauce:

Sriracha

Egg-free mayonnaise

Method:

1. Cook the sushi rice following the instructions on the packet, ensuring that it is dry and sticky when cooked.

2. Put a saucepan on a medium heat. Pour in the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, then pour over the cooked rice, gently stirring until all the liquid is absorbed. Spread the rice over the greased baking tray and let cool to room temperature, when it should be dry but sticky.

3. Stack the nori sheets and lay a saucer on top. Cut around it to make nori circles. Find the centre of the nori stack and cut a neat, straight slit from the centre to the outer edges. Take one circle and fashion a cone that is roughly 8cm wide at the base. Wet your finger and lightly brush along the slit to stick it in place. Put the cone in one of the muffin holes in a muffin tin. Repeat to fill all the muffin holes.

4. Wet your hands and roll a golf ball-sized ball of rice. Poke a hole in the centre and pour in half a teaspoon of hoisin sauce. Pack more rice over the hole to seal in the sauce. Smooth the outside and place in one of the nori muffin cases. Repeat to fill all the cases.

5. Get all your toppings ready and make a quick dipping sauce by stirring sriracha into the egg-free mayonnaise to taste. Finely chop the pickled ginger. Decorate your sushi cupcakes with the prepared vegetables and sprinkle them with black sesame seeds. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, if using, pickled ginger and the dipping sauce on the side.

NEW YORK-STYLE BAKED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

And it's vegan!

"This cheesecake will whisk you away to a decadent holiday in New York," say BOSH! YouTube duo, Henry Firth and Ian Theasby. "The idea of using tofu may seem a little strange, but trust us, you are going to love this all-plants cheesecake.

"Try experimenting with different fruit on top too - bananas, raspberries or blueberries would all taste incredible. It will keep in the fridge for three to four days."

Ingredients:

(Serves 10-12)

400g cashews

120g light digestive biscuits

120g ginger biscuits

100ml light olive oil

A pinch of salt

300g dairy-free white chocolate

2 lemons

340g silken tofu

300g icing sugar

2tbsp coconut oil

3tsp vanilla extract

400g strawberries

50g golden caster sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and base-line a 23cm springform cake tin with parchment paper (don't grease the sides).

2. Put the cashews in a pan of hot water and boil for 15 minutes until soft and rehydrated (alternatively, soak them overnight in cold water). Drain.

3. Put all the biscuits in a food processor and blitz to crumbs. Add the oil and a pinch of salt and pulse to mix. Tip into the lined cake tin and press firmly until well compacted and even. Put in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until firm. Remove and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 110°C and put the tray back in.

4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. Pour 3cm of hot water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer. Put a heatproof bowl on top of the pan, ensuring the water doesn't touch the bottom. Break the chocolate into the bowl and leave to melt (alternatively, melt in the microwave in 15-second bursts). Remove and leave to cool a little. Separate two tablespoons of the chocolate from the main batch.

5. Zest the lemons into a liquidiser then cut them in half and squeeze in the juice. Add the main batch of chocolate, the silken tofu, drained cashews, icing sugar, coconut oil and vanilla extract and blend until smooth.

6. Layer up your cheesecake. Lightly brush the biscuit base with the reserved two tablespoons of melted chocolate. Pour over the cheesecake mixture and shake gently to level it. Lightly run your finger over the surface to get rid of any bubbles. Put the tin on a hot baking tray in the oven and bake for 80-90 minutes, until set but still slightly wobbly in the middle. Remove from the oven and run a thin spatula or knife around the edge to separate the cake from the tin, then leave it to cool to room temperature. Transfer the cheesecake to a plate. Refrigerate.

7. Hull the strawberries and halve or quarter them. Put them into the medium saucepan with the caster sugar. Put the pan over a medium heat and stir. Macerate for two to three minutes so the sugar melts and strawberries soften slightly. Set aside to cool then pile on to the cheesecake. Serve.

BISH BASH BOSH! by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, photography by Lizzie Mayson, is published by HQ, HarperCollins, priced £20. Available now.