Fakeaway Archives - Feast of Plants

Feast of Plants Pad Thai (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 13:00:15 +0000

Pad Thai has always been one of my favourite dishes and that can’t be a surprise – it’s one of the most well known Thai dishes across the world. It’s actually incredibly simple, but like many simple dishes it can be easily to get wrong. It can be difficult to find a good bowl of vegan Pad Thai so I learnt to make it myself. This recipe has been through a few changes since I first published it a few years ago but I think you’ll like this new version. At the centre of Thai cooking are the four pillar of taste; sour, salty, sweet, and spicy. When you sit down to eat in a restaurant in Thailand, there’ll be four bottles on the table each seasoning designed to lift each pillar depending on your preference. When it comes to making that perfect Pad Thai, lets talk about the key ingredients and where they sit on the pillars. Some of these are tricky to obtain or just don’t work for my dietary needs so I’ve gone into detail about what I’ve done instead. Palm Sugar. This one isn’t too tricky to obtain, I buy it quite easily from my supermarket. The sweet component of this dish, it’s got a nutty, caramel taste that’s quite unique. If you’re struggling to find this then you can substitute an equal quantity of light brown sugar, but it won’t quite have the same depth of flavour. Fish Sauce. A deeply pungent, classic Thai ingredient that I struggled to give up when I went vegan. Made from fermented fish, this sauce makes the back bone of many Thai dishes and contributes some of that key salty element. I know many vegan food writers will suggest substituting this with soy sauce but I really don’t recommend it. Most supermarkets now stock a vegan version and I really suggest you get your hands on some! If you can find it then this is the one I recommend. Tamarind paste. Made from dark, sticky fruits that grow in a pod, this sauce is the main sour element to Pad Thai. I really can’t recommend any substitutes but there many different types and I’m sure you’ll be able to get your hands on at least one of them. The strength can vary wildly from brand to brand so I suggest you test yours before leaping in. The easiest version to find here in the UK is tamarind paste. This thick, gloopy mix should be mixed with equal quantities of water as I’ve suggested in the recipe. If the one you’ve found is more watery then try it first – it might not need any water at all! Dried Shrimp. Obviously, this is not an ingredient I’d use and there isn’t an easy vegan substitute so instead I’ve increased the amount of Fish Sauce instead. Garlic Chives (also known as Chinese Chives). This one can be tricky to find in a UK supermarket. In the onion family, a lot of food writers recommend substituting the green parts of spring onions but it won’t give you the same flavour since they don’t taste of onion. Instead, I use red onions in the sauce, and add extra garlic along with normal chives to give the same flavour profile. Preserved Radish. This is one of the more unusual ingredients for a westerner but I strongly suggest you try it – I’ve grown to love it! Normally made from daikon, there are two types of preserved radish – sweet and salty. You want the sweet kind for this. It keeps forever and adds a great texture to the dish. Do feel free to skip it if it doesn’t work for you though. Beansprouts. You really, really can’t make Pad Thai without beansprouts – I’m not going to suggest a substitute because they’re essential but also very easy to find. Rice Noodles. When looking for the right noodles, make sure you get the widest rice noodles you can. Often known as rice sticks, I use the 10mm variety. Most just need soaking in hot water before tossing into the stir fry – make sure you only soak yours till flexible but not soft so they don’t break apart in the wok. Eggs. A lot of stir fries in Thailand (Pad translates to stir fry) have a base of scrambled eggs at the heart. If you don’t eat eggs (like me) then you have two options here; cut out the eggs entirely or use an egg substitute. Personally, I tend to skip it entirely but have had a lot of success in the past with using the same mix I used in my egg fried rice. There you have it – these are the essential ingredients of a great Pad Thai – everything else is negotiable but try my version and see what you think. Let me know if you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. This recipe was originally published on the 23rd of November 2020 One of the ultimate fast and delicious meals, this Pad Thai is easy to make and ideal if you're short on time.

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Vegan Sesame ‘Prawn’ Toast

Feast of Plants — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 11:30:20 +0000

See the recipe Prawn toast was always one of my favourite starters when I ate meat. There a a few alternatives doing the rounds on the internet but they don’t use what I consider to be one of the better fishy substitutes – Palm hearts! Using this gets the closest to that unmistakeable texture while the seasonings make for a crispy and fragrant dish that’s just unforgettable! Typically most prawn toast recipes call for them to be fried as the finishing touch and you can do that here if you’d prefer. Personally, I much prefer using the airfryer. The toast turns crisp and yummy with a golden brown top, all without the oil soaked bread or greasiness of the original. Plus you get the added bonus that it’s just so much easier! Fry it and you run the risk of loosing your topping when you flip it. What bread should I use? Typically, if you order this from a Chinese takeout then the default choice is some cheap, not too thick, white bread. We use gluten free bread (obviously) – for those of you that don’t know, gluten free bread can take longer to brown so if you’re using standard bread then make sure to keep that in mind when cooking. If you want to get a little more fancy then baguette slices work really well! Leftovers? This recipe works well if you want to make extra for later or even if you find out you’ve made a little bit too much! Once cooked, allow them to cool completely before boxing them up and freezing them, making sure to put a layer of greaseproof paper in between each layer so they don’t stick. When you want to eat them just pop them back into the airfryer until heated through. They should happily last at least 3 months in the freezer. My vegan take on the classic Chinese takeout dish - crispy, fragrant and a perfect addition to your next fakeaway!

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Restaurant Style Tofu Tikka Masala (Vegan & GF)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 11:30:56 +0000

See the recipe I love Tikka Masala. There’s something about the creamy, rich sauce that is just so incredibly satisfying. I’m pretty sure I’m tried almost every recipe for Tofu Tikka Masala on the internet but none of them hit the same spot as the classic takeout version of Chicken Tikka Masala. A treasured favourite of our pre-vegan days, I deeply wanted to find a homemade version that was just as good. Lets get something straight, I’m not claiming this is an authentic Indian recipe. Instead, this is based on a British-Indian restaurant classic and is a damn delicious fakeaway copycat dish that has converted some tofu-haters in our family. What’s more, this isn’t a difficult curry to make once you know the trick to it. Just like my Restaurant Style Brinjal Bhaji recipe, a key part of this is my curry base. I tend to make large batches of this base sauce and always have some in my freezer so I can easily whip a great dish with very little prep. Once you get cooking, don’t rush it. You want a good char on your tofu when grilling it. Let your tomato puree roast in the pan before adding the sauce, and don’t be afraid to let the sauce caramelise before you add the tofu. This will give you the great depth of flavour that is the secret to a perfect restaurant style curry. This is a great dish for entertaining as it can be made in advance and then simply heated through when you are ready to eat. I like to serve it with plain basmati rice but you could also serve it with naan, chapati or paratha (flatbread). Leftovers? You have leftover tikka masala? You lucky, lucky duck. Almost all curries are better the next day and really benefit from time to let the flavours meld. Store your tikka masala in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, it will happily sit in your freezer till your next takeaway craving hits. Charred Tofu in a creamy, rich, curry sauce. Make this your next go to when you're craving a take away!

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Restaurant Style Brinjal Bhaji

Feast of Plants — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 11:30:00 +0000

An Indian restaurant specialty with aubergine cooked in a wonderfully spiced sauce. Served with my own okra side and saffron rice the house ended up smelling like an Indian restaurant and it was amazing!

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Takeout Style Sweet & Sour (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:02:43 +0000

For the last post in this week’s fakeaway series I bring my version of that takeout classic, Sweet and Sour. Sweet and sour is a classic takeout dish but not very Chinese. I have memories of ordering takeout for a girls night and a friend from China went from excited to horrified. She couldn’t believe that this sticky, sweet dish was what we considered part of her nation foods. If we’re honest it’s not, it’s one of those dishes that was dreamt up to satisfy the palate of westerners. I have to admit, I love it irrespective of where it came from! In the recipe below I’ve used tofu but if you can easily substitute in any vegetable with a low water content like cauliflower. If you want the same texture but don’t want to have to work with soy then try Burmese tofu. For another high protein option then try tempeh. I make my own based on black beans and seeds to a have a good complete protein source without turning to soy. What ever you use, the cooking method is the same. The batter is easy to make as well as extra crispy so it can retain its crunchy while still covered in the tasty sauce. So if you’ve got a craving for a takeout classic, whip together this sweet and sour in double quick time. So tasty! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Batter: 95g Superfine White Rice flour* 30g Potato Starch* 15g Tapioca Flour* 1 tsp Salt 25g Chickpea Flour 370ml Sparkling Water, chilled Oil for frying For the Sweet & Sour: 500g Firm Tofu**, cut into 2cm cubes 2 Peppers (preferably red and green), cut into bite-sized chunks 1 Large Onion, roughly chopped 250g Pineapple chunks, I use frozen that have been defrosted overnight 100g Sugar 60ml Rice Vinegar 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See allergy note below) 60 ml Ketchup 2 Tbsp Cornstarch 2 Tbsp Water Directions Like most stir fry cooking, I’m going to suggest that you do your prep work before anything else. Set the peppers and onions aside together. To make up your sweet and sour sauce, mix together the sugar, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, and ketchup into a thin sauce. Now mix together the water and cornstarch to make up the thickener. Mix together the dry ingredients of the batter. Half fill a deep pan with oil and heat to between 170-180 C (325-350 F). Keeping an eye on the oil at all times, mix the cold sparkling water into the dry ingredients until you have a smooth, thick batter almost like double cream. Toss the tofu in the batter until evenly coated. Deep fry the tofu in the hot oil in small batches, making sure they don’t stick together. Remove from the oil when the tofu turns a light golden brown and drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Put a wok on a high heat with a touch of oil. When the pan is hit and the oil starts to shimmer, throw in the vegetables you put aside earlier and stir fry until just softened, this should take no more than 2 minutes. turn the heat down to medium high and add both the pineapple and sauce mix. Sautee until heated through and taste. At this point take a moment to balance out the sauce, if it’s too sweet add a touch more vinegar, too sour then add more sugar, and don’t forget to add a touch more soy sauce if you feel it needs more saltiness. Gradually mix in the cornstarch thickener, stirring constantly, and bring up to a slow simmer. Simmer until the sauce has thickened before adding the tofu and tossing well. Serve immediately, maybe with my vegan egg fried rice. Notes * If you don’t have these flours to hand then feel free to sub in 140g of GF flour- but I’d suggest tossing the tofu with a little cornstarch first if you do this to help the batter stick. **If you don’t want to use tofu then this recipe works well with cauliflower or tempeh. See my note above. Allergy Notes; you may be a little tired of this note by now but those of you that don’t know, 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 (not always! check your brand) contains no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. 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 recipe is easily vegan, gluten free and nut free. If you want to avoid soy completely then take a look at my blurb before the recipe but cauliflower, Burmese tofu and soy free tempeh are all good options here.

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Salt & Pepper Cauliflower (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 12:00:16 +0000

There are evenings when Kenny goes out with the boys and I get to order whatever takeout I want, no gluten allergy worries needed. On these days it’s not uncommon that my first instinct is to reach for my favourite Chinese place. Generally a cuisine that we avoid ordering like the plague, when it’s just me it doesn’t matter if our local takeout doesn’t understand the term ‘gluten free’ because they won’t kill me if they use the wrong soy sauce. But Kenny? That’s a whole different story. I’m not going to play soy sauce russian roulette with his life just so I can get my Chinese takeout fix. That’s what inspired this fakeaway week if I’m honest – Kenny asking if I could recreate some of the dishes he misses the most without the throat swelling, itching, and hospital visit that comes with normal Chinese takeout. I’ve squeezed in today’s dish of Salt & Pepper cauliflower not for Kenny but me, as this is one of my favourites. Coated in a light, crunchy batter, this dish is hot, but not too hot. The pepper side of this is from sichuan peppercorns mixed with dab of black pepper and some chillies. Known for producing a flavour of ‘numb-spiciness’ that is entirely unique. Like the other dishes in this week’s series, it’s an incredibly quick dish to make. The most time you’ll spend on it will likely be letting the batter rest, after that you’ll be done in doublequick time. I’ve given you three different methods for cooking so you can do what works best for you. Our favourite is to quickly deep fry the cauliflower, it’s quick, easy and tasty. Wanting to avoid deep frying and all the mess than entails? They cook equally well stir fried on a high heat. Need to avoid oil as much as possible or just want the healthiest route? This bakes well too! Let me know if you try this and what you think, I love to hear your feedback! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 1 Cauliflower, trimmed into small florets 2 Tbsp Sichuan Peppercorns 1 Tbsp Salt 4 Tbsp Corn Starch 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper 1 tsp Chilli Flakes 3 Tbsp Ground Chia Seeds 180ml Water Directions Start by placing a small, dry frying pan on a low heat. Toast the Sichuan peppercorns until fragrent and lightly coloured, lightly tossing as needed to ensure the toasting is even. Grind the toasted peppercorns in a spice grinder (or old mini blender in my case) and place to one side. Mix together the salt, cornflour, chilli, black pepper, chia seeds, water, and 1/2 Tbsp of the freshly ground sichuan pepper into a thin batter. Place to one side and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. When rested, toss the cauliflower florets through the batter making sure it’s fully coated. Frying Method: Heat 5cm of oil in a deep pan to 180C. Fry the florets in small batches, making sure the pan doesn’t get overwhelmed. The florets will try to stick to each other but try to keep them separate if you can. Flip the cauliflower to ensure it’s cooked on both sides and removed from the pan once golden pan. Drain on a large plate lined with kitchen roll. With each batch that comes out of the pan, sprinkle over a teaspoon of the sichuan peppercorns and a touch of salt. Stir Fry Method: Put a wok on the hob with 2 Tbsp of oil. Heat the pan as much as you dare, the oil should be shimmering at very least. Stir fry the cauliflower in small batches, turning constantly, until golden brown on all sides. Add more oil in between batches if needed. As above, drain on a large plate lined with kitchen roll. As each batch is cooked, add a fresh layer of salt and sichuan peppercorns before it’s had any chance to cool. Baking: Preheat the oven to 220C (200C Fan/425F). Carefully lay out the cauliflower florets on a wire rack, making sure they’re not touching each other. Spritz with a layer of cooking spray and cook for 20 mins. Sprinkle with a layer of sichuan pepper and salt before turning and coating in a new layer of cooking spray and cook for a final 20 mins. When cooked, toss with a final layer of salt and pepper. Serve garnished with some sliced spring onions and chilli flakes, or even some thinly sliced red Thai chillies. Notes Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free, and nut free. If it doesn’t work for your allergy needs let me know and I’ll suggest substitutes.

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Vegan Egg Fried Rice (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:00:09 +0000

We’re doing a little series this week on Fakeaways. Recipes that you can easily cook at home that taste as good, if not better than what you’d order for a takeout. What’s more, when cooking at home you have the guarantee that everything will be vegan and match your allergy needs. Want it vegan? Of course you do! Need it gluten free? Not a problem here! Need to avoid soy? I’ve got you. Nuts are a problem? All of this week’s fakeaways are nut free. Today I present to you egg fried rice, no egg needed. A Chinese takeout classic, it’s also one of the best things you can do with leftover rice. I use the same method as my Chickpea scramble. The scramble tastes just like eggs and still gives the extra burst of protein. Full of flavour, this ‘egg’ fried rice is a perfect quick side dish to accompany your fakeaway and also makes a great snack when you’re tired to make a proper dinner. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 60g Chickpeas 12g Chickpea Flour 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1/8 tsp Black Salt 50ml Water 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See allergy note below) 2 Tbsp Oil 500g Cooked Rice 5 Spring Onions, sliced 2 Tbsp Frozen Peas 1/2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil (Optional) Directions Whisk together the chickpea flour, turmeric, black salt, and water into a smooth batter. Lightly mash the chickpeas and gently stir into the batter. Place a wok onto a medium to high heat and add the oil. Once the oil has heated, swirl the chickpea batter to make a thin even layer. Once the chickpea batter starts to set, break up into a chickpea scramble. Add rice to the wok and stir fry until heated through. Add the rest of the ingredients and sir fry until the peas are bright green and just cooked. Serve with your favourite Chinese dishes. Notes If you prefer and heavier ratio of eggs to rice then feel free to increase the first 5 ingredients though I recommend tasting once your rice is cooked through you may want to add a touch more soy sauce to balance this out. Allergy Notes; If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then feel free to skip the sesame oil. 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.

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