Excellent Extras Archives - Feast of Plants

Garlic & Sesame Broccoli (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:00:39 +0000

Today’s post is a little short but no less tasty. You want a quick dinner, then stir fry is often the way to go. The veg gets crisp and tasty but not overcooked. What’s more, it’s just so easy – for the perfect stir fry, get a proper wok and put it on a high high heat with a little oil. Don’t stop stirring when you add your veg otherwise they’ll cook unevenly, burning on one side and raw on the other. That’s all there is too it, a proper wok, truly high heat, and constant stirring. This is an incredibly easy recipe that makes a great side dish. I like to pair it with my sweet and sour to make a great contrast to the sticky sweetness. Add in a pile of fluffy rice and you’ve got a treat of a feast that’s quick to make and full of taste. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 100ml Soy Sauce Substitute 60ml Toasted Sesame Oil 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds 1 Tbsp Cornflour 1 tbsp Sriracha 2 Broccoli Heads 6 Garlic Cloves Directions First things first, make the sauce. Put the soy sauce substitute, sesame oil, sesame seeds, cornflour, and sriracha into a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Trim the broccoli into small, bitesized florets and mince the garlic. Place a wok on a high heat with a few tablespoons of oil. When the oil starts to shimmer add the broccoli and stir fry for a few minutes, until the broccoli starts to look bright green. Toss the garlic in with the broccoli and continue stir frying until the garlic softens and turns fragarent. Add in the sauce and continue to cook until the sauce is heated through and the broccoli is cooked to your liking – we like ours still a little crisp so it doesn’t take long! Serve with fluffy rice as part of a stir fry feast. Notes Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and soy free dependant on which soy sauce substitute you choose.

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The Best Vegan Lemon Curd (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:00:33 +0000

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, instead I tend to crave sour sweets and citrus flavours. Fizzy cola bottles always used to be my favourite treat before I went vegan (anyone happens to find a good vegan version, please let me know!) so I don’t think you’ll be surprised when I say this lemon curd isn’t that sweet. Instead it’s delightfully tart with rich undertones. This was actually one of the first recipes I came up with when I first turned vegan. I started by trying to veganise recipes that my family would appreciate. My father’s favourite dessert always used to be lemon meringue pie and a good curd is essential. This isn’t quite the curd I’d use for that but it is perfect for toast and take at look on Wednesday for the baking I recommend with this. Makes: 400ml Ingredients 1 Tbsp Lemon Zest 120ml Lemon Juice 100g Sugar 120ml Coconut Milk 1/4 tsp Saffron 1 1/2 Tsp Cornflour 20g Vegan Butter Directions Crumble the saffron into a small dry pan and place onto a medium heat. Gradually toast the saffron until it darkens in colour. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar and cornflour. Now add in the coconnt milk, lemon juice and zest and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Place back onto a medium heat and stir until the curd thickens to a smooth curd. The curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the butter to the curd and stir until melted and mix through to enrich the curd. Remove from the heat and pour the curd into a sterilised jar. Allow to cool before covering with a lid and placing into the fridge, as it cools the curd will thicken and should be stiff enough for the spoon to stand up. Notes Allergy Notes; this tasty curd is vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free. If you have any problems with any ingredients I’ve used here then let me know and I can suggest substitutions.

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Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Pancakes (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 17:34:17 +0000

Tomorrow is pancake day. We’re not short on pancake recipes on this blog – I’m a big fan of exploring what this recipe looks like around the world – but today I wanted to give you an extra special recipe. Okonomiyaki is a traditional snack on the streets of japan. Sold at food stalls and small, hole in the wall restaurants, it’s incredibly popular. There are a few traditional elements that I’ve had to look at substituting. There are no eggs in this batter normally, instead a Japanese yam called a nagaimo is grated. It produces a thick sludge that works as a great binder but it practically impossible to find in the UK. Instead, I’ve used a combination of chickpea flour and potato starch to get the right texture. Coated in my version of the traditional Japanese barbeque sauce (which is another item that I’ve struggled to find) and a generous drizzle of Japanese mayo. This makes a filling and tasty meal that is completely unlike any other pancake I’ve found. Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients For the Cabbage Pancake: 160g Gluten Free Flour* 90g Chickpea Flour 45g Potato Starch 1/4 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 Ltr Vegetable Stock (dashi is a great option here) 750g White Cabbage, finely shredded 40g Spring Onion, chopped 2 Tbsp Dried Wakame, soaked 1/2 cup Tempura Scraps For the Okonomiyaki Sauce: 5 Tbsp Ketchup 3 Tbsp Vegan Worcester Sauce 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note below) 1/2 tsp Vegan Fish Sauce 1 tsp Toasted Sesame OIl 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter 1 Dried Shitake Mushroom, soaked 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar 1 Garlic Clove 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1/4 cup Water For the Japanese Mayo: 1/2 cup Vegan Mayo 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 1 Tbsp Sugar 1/8 tsp Black Salt Optional Toppings: Aubergine slices Sesame Seeds Spring Onion Slices Dried Chilli Flakes Pickled Ginger Directions Apart from the baking powder, sift together the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the stock until you have a thick batter. If you have time, cover the bowel and allow the batter to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the flours to fully absorb the liquid. Once rested, add more stock if needed to make sure the batter is still thick but pourable. Stir through the rest of the pancake ingredients, folding until the cabbage is completely coated. Place a large frying pan onto a medium heat with a touch of oil. Once the pan is hot, spread a large spoonful on into a circle. If using, shingle a few aubergine slices on top and press down firmly to push the cabbage together. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned on one side. Flip, press down again, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Again flip, and cook without covering until browned and crisp on both sides. Repeat until all the batter has been used. While the pancake cooks, make the sauce and Japanese style mayo. Place all the sauce ingredients into the blender jar and mix until smooth. Stir together the mayo ingredients and place into a squeeze bottle if you have it. To serve, brush the top with sauce and drizzle with mayo. Add you preferred toppings to enjoy! Notes * If your gluten free flour doesn’t contain xanthan gum then add 1/4 tsp Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This is vegan, gluten free, and depending on your choice of vegan mayo, can be soy free and nut free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then just skip them and the oil – it’ll still be tasty

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Kimchi Pancakes (Kimchi-Jeon) – Vegan & Gluten Free

Feast of Plants — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 16:00:53 +0000

I’ve got pancakes on the brain at the moment, not sweet pancakes but savoury. I’ve looked at chickpea pancakes (really tasty, full of protein and gluten free) and pancakes across the world from Dutch babies (tricky to make vegan and gluten free) to Japanese okonomiyaki (look out for that recipe next week!). It makes sense really, pancake day is next week and want you to have lots of options to choose from. I’m told kimchi pancakes are the solution to those odd bits of leftover kimchi but I struggle to believe that. Personally I’ve never had a problem getting rid of kimchi, it’s always been very happy in my stomach. However, kimchi pancakes are another tasty way to get this great food into your mouth. Cut into bitesize pieces with a pizza cutter along side a truly tasty dipping sauce, these are so easy to eat. Whip them up as a snack, serve as a side to a steaming bowl of congee, or serve as a tasty savoury breakfast – either way they won’t disappoint. Made to the traditional recipe, kimchi pancakes are naturally vegan provided you use vegan kimchi. The tricky bit here is making sure you keep the right texture while loosing the gluten. Now I’ve tried making this with a standard gluten free flour blend and I have to say, it doesn’t really work. After trying many different flour combinations I’ve settled on buckwheat flour with potato starch (not potato flour – potato starch and flour are very different beasts). The buckwheat allows for a tender pancake, while the potato starch crisps the pancake up perfectly. Makes: Serves 2 (or 4 as a side) Ingredients For the Pancakes: 70g Buckwheat Flour 95g Potato Starch 1/2 cup Kimchi 250ml Water* 3 tsp Sriracha 2 Spring Onions, sliced 2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds 1/4 tsp Salt For the Dipping Sauce: 60ml Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note below) 1/2 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1/2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 1Tbsp Mirin 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 1 tsp Sriracha 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 1/2 tsp Minced Ginger 2 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped Salt & pepper, to taste Directions If your kimchi is in large pieces then make sure to roughly chop into bitesize chunks before you start. I like to use a decent pair of kitchen scissors and a bowl as it’s neater than trying to use a chopping board. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the kimchi, sriracha, water, and spring onions and mix to a smooth pancake batter. Heat your favourite frying pan over a medium heat with a dash of oil. Add enough batter to make a thin pancake – I use a 30 cm frying pan and this takes about half the batter. Sprinkle over sesame seeds and cook until browned on one side and the batter has set. Flip and continue to cook until evenly browned. Repeat until all the batter has been used. While the pancakes cook, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients into a thick and clingy sauce. Taste and balance as needed, it should be slightly sweet, slightly sour and with a bit (but not too much) of a kick. When serving, I like to cut this into little squares with a pizza cutter. It looks great and makes it easy to eat with chopsticks. Tasty and easy to eat – yum! Notes * If you have some then use kimchi juice instead of the water. Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This is vegan as long as you make sure to pick up vegan Kimchi and naturally gluten free, and nut free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then just skip them – it’ll still be tasty!

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Indian Beetroot Pancakes or Beetroot Dal Chilla (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:00:33 +0000

I’ve made pancakes inspired by dal chilla before (see here) but with these I’ve gone along the more traditional route. Healthy, nutritious, and packed with protein, these make the ideal companion to your next curry night. We paired them with last week’s Gobi Manchurian which made for a very colourful dinner. I’ve flavoured the pancakes with beetroot and chives and it’s a great way to squeeze in yet another vegetable into your dinner. Provided you have a blender, these are really quite easy to make. Stuff them with your favourite vegan cheese to make a quick snack, fold them up and they make a great addition to any lunchbox, or just use to scoop up your favourite curry. Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients 230g Yellow Split Lentils 4 Beetroot, cooked* 1/2 Red Onion, finely diced 20g Chives, chopped 1/4 tsp Tumeric 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 1/4 tsp Asafoetida** 1 tsp Ginger paste 1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Salt Directions Rinse the lentils well and soak for at least 4 hours. They should be soft and tender before starting. Keep in mind that they could almost double in size so make sure your bowl can accommodate that. Drain well and place into a blender jug along with the beetroot. Add a 1/4 cup of water and grind to a fine paste. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, as needed. Try not to add too much water if your blender can handle it but make sure the paste is smooth and fine. When your blenders work is done, tip into a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the onions to release their liquid. Once rested, check the thickness of your batter, gradually adding more water as needed. It should be pourable but not too thin, much like a good American pancake mix. Heat a good non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. When hot, pour a good spoonful of batter into the middle of the pan. Smooth the batter into a round, flat shape with the back of a spoon. Drizzle a little oil round the edges of the pan and leave to cook until the edges are browned and the batter is set. Flip and cook on the other side for a few minutes, or until fully cooked. Once crisp and brown remove from the pan and repeat until the batter is completely used. Serve as a snack with chutney or as a side to your next curry – enjoy! Notes * If you have raw beetroot then they can be easily roasted. Trim off the leaves, drizzle with oil, and roast at 200 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the beetroots are soft but not shrunken. ** If you are gluten free then be careful when purchasing Asafoetida as it’s often mixed with wheat flour. It’s entirely possible to get gluten safe asafoetida, just be a little careful. Allergy Notes; This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, soy free, and nut free. If you have any issues with any of the ingredients then let me know and I’m happy to suggest substitutes.

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Courgette Rotis (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 14:47:42 +0000

I regularly make my own gluten free flour blends so getting bags of random flour types being delivered to the house is pretty normal here. On my last batch of sorghum flour I noticed a serving suggestion I’d never thought of before- parathas! Now I love a good flatbread alongside a curry so this was a perfect idea for us. After trying to make a good paratha however, I had to change my techniques and look towards making chapatis instead. There are numerous different types of Indian flatbreads and I love them all but, paratha is special. A decadent dish all by itself, you’re looking for a texture similar to puff pastry with flaky layers and often interesting stuffing. Creating those layers is incredibly difficult without gluten so instead we’ve gone for the much easier chapati style. A flat, unleavened bread cooked on a hot pan, these are easy to throw together and much more forgiven if using a gluten free flour like sorghum. I’ve snuck in some courgettes, an easy blend of spices and some great aromatics like coriander, garlic, and ginger to make these the perfect flatbread to snack on alone or to mop up your favourite curry. We ate these with my Brinjal Bhaji and it paired beautifully! Makes: 6 Flatbreads Ingredients 125g Courgette, grated 240g Sorghum Flour 1 tbsp Oil 1 Small Green Chilli 1/4 Cup Fresh Coriander, roughly chopped 3 Garlic Cloves 5g Ginger 1 tsp Crushed Chillies 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Salt Warm Water as needed Oil for cooking Directions Courgettes are a very watery veg, so once you’ve grated them you need to remove as much water as possible. I like to wrap up the shreds in a clean tea towel and then squeeze, and keep squeezing, until all the liquid has been removed. If you don’t want too much spice you can remove the seeds from the chilli. Place into a small blender with the coriander, garlic, and ginger. Whizz until everything has been chopped finely. Now the steps are very simple. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, adding the water a little at a time, until you have a soft, but not sticky, dough. You may need slightly more, or slightly less water than I did depending on how wet the courgettes are. Kneed lightly until smooth and cut the dough into 6 even balls. Place a little flour on your work surface before rolling out each ball into circles no thinner than 5mm, adding more flour to the surface as needed. Place a large frying pan on a medium to high heat with a touch of oil. Once the pan is hot (and do wait for the pan to heat up – a cold pan makes for slightly tough breads) add one of the freshly rolled chapatis. Cook until the side facing the pan is golden brown and flip. Once the bottom has cooked, flip again. The flatbread is cooked and ready to serve when golden brown on both sides with the occasional dark spot. Repeat with the rest of your rolled flatbreads. Enjoy piping hot, with your favourite curry, dipped into some hummus, or even on their own as a mid-afternoon snack. Notes Don’t leave the dough to stand once made, it really should be cooked as soon as it’s ready. If you leave some standing then the courgettes will weep even more liquid and the dough will turn into a bit of a mess. Allergy Notes; This recipe is gluten free, vegan, nut free, and soy free. If you have any issues with these ingredients then feel free to let me know and I can suggest substitutions.

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Banana Ketchup (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:00:56 +0000

This is going to be a but of a controversial post today, I know. As I’m sure everyone did, we bought more than we could ever eat over Christmas. Now I’m trying to work through the excess before everything goes off. One of the things that just didn’t get eaten over the festive season were bananas. After all the lockdown banana bread last year I don’t think I could handle yet another batch. So instead I’ve taken a look the culinary habits of Asia for inspiration and gone for Banana Ketchup! Now I know, this is a little odd. Kenny turned his nose up at it without even trying it and it looks a little strange but it’s just so tasty! A little bit fruity, a little bit spicy with a bit of a bite and totally unexpected. More than that, it’s incredibly easy to make and a perfect solution to those old mushy bananas. There are other, more complicated recipes out there for this, with tomatoes, onions that have been rendered down, even some with alcohol. This is meant to be a very simple, easy version but if you like this, then take a look at the more complicated versions and have a play! Use anywhere you’d normally use mango chutney, toss on to a curry, liven up a sandwich, or make your breakfast that bit more exciting. Enjoy! Makes: 500ml jar of Ketchup for all your saucy needs Ingredients 4 Brown Bananas 4 Large Garlic Cloves, Peeled & minced 100g Brown Sugar 100ml Vinegar (half red wine vinegar & half white wine vinegar is my favourite but use what you have) 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 1 tsp Ground Coriander 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp Crushed Chillies 1/2 tsp Cayenne 1 Tbsp Black Mustard Seeds 1 Tsp Nigella Seeds 1/4 cup Fresh Coriander, finely diced Salt & Pepper, to taste Directions Peel the bananas and mash up. I have a pan safe masher so just mushed mine up in the pan. Less washing up – score! Put the fresh coriander to one side and place all your ingredients into a medium pan. Bring up to a simmer on a medium to high heat before turning down to low. Simmer gently for 30 – 45 minutes, or until reduced by half and nicely thickened. Stir through the coriander and cook just until it starts to wilt before removing from the heat. Tip into a clean jar and store in the fridge – it should keep for about 1 – 2 weeks. Notes Allergy Notes; This recipe is naturally vegan, nut free, gluten free and soy free! If you have any issues with the ingredients on this list let me know and I can suggest substitutions.

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Spiced Potato Croquettes (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 15:00:12 +0000

We’re heading into the festive season and for many people, that also means it’s the high point in the year for leftovers as well. If you’re anything like me, then you’d rather have too much food than too little. The festive season has always meant an overloaded dinner table surrounded by family, followed by a fridge heaving with leftovers. There’s nothing wrong with a leftovers, I’m a big fan of them. I always have a freezer full of them but who wants to eat the same thing day after day? Croquettes are one of my answers to this problem and they’re surprisingly easy to make. The perfect solution to any leftover mashed potatoes and oh so versatile. You can fill them with so many flavours and they freeze easily. If you don’t want to use yours straight away then pop on to a baking tray when coated in breadcrumbs, making sure they’re not touching. Place into the freezer and once frozen solid they can be placed into your favourite container and are ready to cook whenever you need them. Just increase the cooking time for any frozen croquettes for another 10-15 minutes. I love the Indian flavours in this dish. If your mash potato is from a more traditional western meal, then the spices can make a great contrast for your next dinner. Serve with your favourite curry, a great dhal, or as a side to spice up some great vegan sausages! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 1 Tbsp Coconut oil 1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds 1 tsp Ginger, grated 1/2 Green Chilli, finely diced 1/4 tsp Asafoetida* 1 tsp Ground Cumin 2 Cups, Mashed Potatoes 1 Tomato, grated 1/2 tsp Amchoor Powder 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp Chilli Powder 1/4 tsp Black Salt 1 tsp Garam Masala 100g Fresh Spinach 1 Tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek leaves 1 tsp Lemon Juice Plant Based Milk, for coating 160g Gluten Free Breadcrumbs** 1 Tbsp Oil Salt & Pepper to taste Directions Place a wide bottom pan over a low heat. toast the coriander seeds for a few seconds, or until the seeds start to smell fragrant and just start to darken. Add in the coconut oil and turn the heat up to medium. Once the coconut oil has melted, add the ginger, green chilli and cook until the ginger starts to soften and brown. Add in the rest of the ground spices, including the black salt and stir well before adding the mashed potato and tomato. Saute, stirring occasionally, until any excess water from the tomatoes has evaporated and the potatoes start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add in the spinach leaves and allow them to wilt in the heat of the pan before stirring through the potato mix. Finish with the coriander leave, fenugreek and lemon juice. Taste and season as needed before allowing to cool. When cooled, shape into your favourite croquette shape. Little logs always work well, round little dumplings are very easy, but whatever shape you use try not to use more than 2 tablespoons of mix at a time. Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl, season really well and mix through the oil until fully combined. I like to do double coatings of my croquettes to ensure everything is well coated. Roll the shaped dumplings in the plant based milk before rolling in the breadcrumbs. Again, roll the croquette in the milk then breadcrumbs before placing on a lined baking tray. Repeat with all your prepared croquettes, making sure there’s a little space between them on the tray. If you’re making these ahead of time or in a batch cooking mood, this is the moment to place the tray of croquettes into the freezer, if not then carry on. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (180 Fan/400 F). Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately, it pairs beautifully with some spicy tomato relish, a tasty mango chutney, or that Indian classic – coriander chutney. Notes * be very careful when picking your asafoetida. It’s often mixed with wheat so can be tricky to find a version that’s gluten free. If you can’t find a gluten safe version then 2 minced garlic cloves work well as a decent substitute. Add the garlic with the ginger and chilli but try to make sure it takes on very minimal colour. **Don’t have any breadcrumbs to hand? Just whizz an equal weight of old bread in a processor. Now you have breadcrumbs! Allergy Notes; This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free. If you have an issue with any of the ingredients on this list then let me know and I can suggest substitutes.

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Secret Noodle Sauce (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 14:30:12 +0000

I struggled with what to call this one but I always have a jar of it in the fridge. This is my secret to a drool worthy bowl of noodles. I’ve been known to spoon some into my pan of breakfast mushrooms or use it to add flavour to plain rice. Spend a few spare minutes on toasting some spices and mixing this together and I swear you’ll have a jar full of fragrant deliciousness. My fridge isn’t complete without of jar of this stuff and nor will yours once you try it! Makes: 500ml (aprox) Ingredients 1 1/2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns 3 tsp Chilli Flakes 1 Star Anise 200ml Oil (a flavourless oil with a high smoke point like peanut or rapeseed oil) 60ml Soy Sauce Substitute (See Allergy note below) 1 1/2 Rice Wine Vinegar 3 Garlic Cloves, minced 3 Sping Onions, finely chopped 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 125ml Vegetable Stock 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch Directions Start by placing the sesame seeds and peppercorns into a pestle and mortar. Lightly bash until the peppercorns are broken and the sesame seeds have just started releasing their oil. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar then no worries here! A coffee mug and a rolling pin, or study zip lock bag and a frying pan can perform the same function. Place a dry pan on a medium heat, the pan should be wide enough that the sesame seeds and spices can all lay in a single layer. Place the smashed sesame seeds and peppercorns into the pan along with the star anise and chilli flakes. Gently toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the sesame seeds have taken on some colour. Remove from the pan before moving to the next step. Don’t leave in the pan as they can continue to cook in the residual heat, causing them to burn. Dissolve the cornstarch in a tablespoon of stock to form a thin paste. Now place all the ingrediants into a small pan and on to a medium heat. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce come into a lively boil. If you’re planning on using the sauce straight away then turn the heat to very low and keep warm until ready to use. If you want to store this then allow to cool completely before pouring into a jar. Seal and store in the fridge. Mine next lasts for long but it should keep quite happily for about 2 weeks. Use on everything – stir fry a pile of noodles, saute some mushrooms, marinade a burger. Enjoy! Notes The longer you leave the sauce the more the spices will marinade and pass on their flavours. Try to avoid dishing out the star anise when taking the odd spoonful of this sauce. It will happily sit marinading in your jar but won’t taste anywhere near as nice in between your teeth! Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This is gluten free and vegan – I’m afraid I can’t recommend cutting out the sesame seeds on this so if this is an allergen for you then I’ll so sorry!

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Dauphinois Potatoes (Vegan, GF)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 14:00:46 +0000

Many years ago, my brother and sister in law gifted me a copy of Julia Child’s cooking classic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. I still find it quite inspiring, even though the majority of the recipes don’t match our dietary needs. The basics of today’s recipe came from that book but I’ve modified it heavily so that we can eat it. Dauphinois Potatoes, or scalloped potatoes as they are sometime known, are the ultimate in potato indulgence. Thin slices of potato are traditionally layered with garlic, cream, and (occasionally) cheese. There are strong debates on whether the cheese is truly authentic. A french friend strongly argued against it but even Julia Child said otherwise. I’ve adapted this to use plant based ingredients and it’s oh so tasty. With a crisp top, tender potatoes inside, and coated in a rich creamy filling, this is an indulgent side to your next roast. Enjoy! Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients 1 Kg Potatoes, peeled 150g Cashews, soaked 250ml Vegetable Stock 250ml Plant based milk (almond or oat work well for me) 1 Onion, thinly sliced 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 1 Bay leaf 1 tsp Dried Thyme 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 50g Butter (plus more for greasing) 100g Vegan Cheese 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast Salt & Pepper to taste Directions Preheat your oven to 220 degrees (210 Fan/425 F). Grease your chosen baking dish well. Place a frying pan over a low heat with a touch of oil. Add the onion and fry, covered, stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions are soft and lightly golden brown. Put to one side. Put the soaked cashews and stock into a blender. Blend until smooth to make a tasty savoury cream, put to one side. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the potatoes, aiming for about a third of an inch thick. The thinner your potatoes, the quicker they’ll cook. While waiting to use the potato, place in a bowl of water to avoid browning. Place the milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, and herbs into a small pan and bring to a gentle simmer while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the cashew cream and nutmeg, stirring well. If the potatoes have been placed in water, drain well. Very gently toss together the onion and potato slice, stirring gently so the slices are not damaged. Spread half of the potatoes in the baking dish and top with half the butter and half the cheese before lightly seasoning with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining potato, and sprinkle over the last of the butter. Pour over the seasoned milk mix and scatter over the remaining cheese. Season well before placing in the oven. Bake well for between 30 – 45 minutes. When done, a sharp knife should slip easily through the centre and the top will be a deep golden brown. Notes To minimise work on the day, all the steps before placing into the oven can be followed the night before. Place into the fridge until ready to bake. Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and soy free – provided you use a plant based milk that works within your allergy needs.

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