A new year is a time for new starts, and often new diet plans – whether you’re committing long term or testing out a new lifestyle. However, one thing remains – it’s nice to enjoy a tasty tipple to pair with your evening meal. We’ve paired some of our favourite Veganuary recipes with wines recommended by our partner Laithwaites Wine, as well as some lighter dishes which complement the selected no- and low-alcohol wines – still full of flavour and enjoyment but without the ABV tag. For anyone wanting to celebrate Chinese New Year we have some tasty fakeaway options too, as well as some classic rib-sticking winter warmers – all with perfect wine pairings, because after all: good food deserves great wine.
Oven-bake white fish fillets – we recommend pollock, but you could try cod or hake – with potatoes, tomatoes and herbs for a healthy and gluten-free weeknight dinner. Light and fresh, you could serve it with some lemony greens for an extra one of your five-a-day.
Pairs with: Kir-Yanni Assyrtiko, a Greek white wine most often from Santorini, but this vineyard is situated in the northwestern mountains at over 700m above sea level, producing nuances of fresh lemon and white nectarine on the palate with a mineral finish.
This smoky cod dish makes a great midweek meal – it’s quick, low calorie and made in just one pan, which saves on washing up. Full, earthy flavours of puy lentils, black olives and roasted peppers are lifted with the zing of harissa and the freshness of white fish and zested lemon.
Pairs with: w/o Organico Nero d’Avola Rosato, an ambitious project from Sicilian winemaker Dino Taschetta, who only uses grapes native to the island for his wines. Filled with berry, pink grapefruit and cherry blossom, it’s an aromatic and zingy-fresh rosé.
This is a dish that’s big on flavour as well as texture with a crunchy topping to succulent white fish and crisp potato to go with it. It’s a healthy dinner for one – or easily scale up to feed the whole family, adding some seasonal dressed kale to enjoy on the side.
Pairs with: Inzuzo Pinot Grigio, delivering ripe pear flavours and refreshing mineral lift from South Africa’s Western Cape – fruit forward and with a creamy texture and a crisp finish.
A comforting vegan one-pot recipe that counts for 3 of your 5-a-day! You can’t go wrong with this iron-rich, low-fat, low-calorie supper inspired by Indian cuisine and wonderfully warming and fragrant.
Pairs with: My Karp organic Reisling, produced on a 17th-century estate in the heart of the Mosel region of Germany. Intensely fruity, but still delicate and steely fresh it’s one of the best vintages of the area – but also one of the smallest, so quantities are low – stock up while you can.
Whizz up kale, pumpkin seeds, basil and garlic to make this easy kale pesto. It’s perfect stirred through wholemeal spaghetti for a healthy vegan meal that can be whipped up in under 20 minutes, and is easily adjustable by adding any extra veggies or protein of your choice.
Pairs with: Villa Broglia Gavi di Gavi, from a Piedmont estate where the hand-harvested Cortese vineyards enjoy ‘best of the best’ Gavi di Gavi status. This latest release is a racy, dry classic, with floral, citrus freshness balanced by creamy pear fruit and almond complexity.
Enjoy a delicious plant-based dinner with this vegan rice and bean one-pot. It’s packed with all five of your 5-a-day, as well as iron, vitamin C and fibre, making it a healthy main that is sure to fill you up and offer a bowl full of comfort on dark evenings.
Pairs with: Le Parfum Gamay, a juicy, berry-packed blend from a family estate in the Beaujolais region. Light bodied and an easy drinker, it makes a great accompaniment to heavier dishes.
Cook lamb low and slow to produce tender, deeply flavoured meat with minimal effort – this version is a classic iteration, using red wine and woody herbs to help the meat sing. Serve with indulgent roast potatoes and seasonal greens for a showstopping main.
Pairs with: Golden Bill Merlot, a pure Merlot bursting with ripe plum and berry fruit alongside a hint of spicy oak and mocha. Delicious sipped solo or paired with rich meaty dishes, it always delivers thanks to the family behind the estate’s enduring passion for wine.
Comfort food doesn’t have to mean calories – this super-healthy pie has a few handy swaps to deliver flavour without the sluggishness that can follow a pie. With swaps to the stock and cheese, plus filo pastry to keep it low in saturated fat these individual serves are perfectly portioned.
Pairs with: Rapaura Springs Marlborough Chardonnay, an estate with an astonishing track record of Trophies and top points for its wines, and this one lives up to the hype. Part fermented in French oak, part in stainless steel, to gain an optimum balance of rich spice and freshness, there’s also a use of a Burgundy method to lend creaminess, delivering spicy ripe peach and citrus fresh complexity.
When the craving for a takeaway hits midweek but you’re trying to be good, make this salt and pepper chicken in your air fryer for an easy meal for the whole family. Serve with rice, spring onions and soy sauce to finish.
Pairs with: La Chica Bonita low-alcohol Moscatel, a bubbly tipple with just 5% ABV making it an easy sipper – especially if you need a midweek pick-me-up without any chance of a headache. From Valencian shores, the bubbles release grape, mandarin, apricot, honeysuckle and orange blossom notes, offset by a lemony freshness.
Rustle up this single serve prawn and cauliflower stir fry in just 25 minutes – packing a punch of flavour for an easy midweek dinner or lunch. You can easily make it vegan if preferred – simply omit the prawns and double up on the veg.
Pairs with: Farinelli Rosato, blended from Montepulciano and Merlot grapes, grown on 30- to 40-year-old vines, high in the Abruzzo hills which bring a creamy cascade of cherry and plum fruit with a lovely zip of freshness.
Good Food deserves great wine, so we’ve partnered with Laithwaites Wine to help you discover the perfect wine and food pairings. Every box contains 12 wines chosen to pair perfectly with Good Food recipes – and just as drinkable as standalones in their own right. New customers get 20% off using code 20OFF (minimum spend £75). Explore the case now.
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