nut free Archives - Feast of Plants

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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Lo Bak Gou or Daikon Cake (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 12:00:25 +0000

See the recipe If you’ve never had Lo Bak Gou before, you are missing out! It’s a delicious dish that can be eaten steamed or, as we prefer, stir fried. You can find it in most Chinese restaurants in the Dim Sum section of the menu and is often made around Chinese holidays, as a symbol of prosperity and new beginnings in Chinese tradition. Traditionally this radish cake is made from Chinese turnip or daikon (also known as mooli), rice flour, and water and then steamed. Once cool it can be cut into slices and pan fried until golden brown and crispy. The interior of the cake remains soft while the edges crisp up to give a great texture contrast. The most basic version of this recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free but the most popular adaptations use dried shrimps and Chinese sausage. I wanted to make my own version that was just as tasty but still vegan. I added more flavour and colour by adding a mix of carrots and parsnips. Swapped the sausage for dried shitake mushrooms, and used vegan fish sauce instead of shrimps. If you haven’t tried this dish yet, I highly recommend you give it a go. It’s a bit time consuming to make but it’s worth it because the texture and flavour are so different from any other dish. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 650g Daikon or Chinese Turnip 200g Parsnip 150g Carrot 3 Dried Shitake Mushrooms, soaked overnight 2 Garlic Cloves 1 Tbsp Vegan Fish Sauce 1 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Ground White Pepper 1/2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil 2 tsp Vegetable Stock powder For the Batter: 210g Rice Flour* 400ml Water Oil for brushing Salt & Pepper to taste For the Stir Fry: 3 Red Chillies, cut into thin strips 2 tbsp Soy Sauce 5 Spring Onions, cut into strips Oil for cooking Directions Lets start with a few easy preparations so when you start cooking, everything is ready to go. Grease a 7 inch square loose based, cake tin and line the base with grease proof paper. Whisk together the batter and set to one side. Finally, prepare the vegetables – grate the daikon, parsnip and carrot together. Finely dice both the garlic and mushrooms. Place a wok on a high heat with a touch of oil. When the oil comes up to heat and starts to shimmer, stir fry the garlic and mushroom together until the garlic just starts to brown. Add the grated vegetables and season with the fish sauce, sesame oil, stock powder, and salt and pepper. Mix well before covering with a lid and cook until the vegetables release their water and it just starts to boil in the pan. This will likely take between 5 and 10 minutes but keep a close eye on it as you don’t want the mix to dry out. Turn the heat down to medium. Slowly, while constantly mixing, add in the batter. There should be enough that the vegetables are all fully coated but not swamped. Continue to cook and stir until the batter has thickened. Transfer the mix to the prepared cake tin, smooth out, and lightly brush the top with oil. Clean out your wok, add a steam rack and water to just below the steamer. When the water comes up to a boil, transfer the cake tin to steamer and cover with a lid. steam for 30 – 45 minutes, or until a chopstick inserted into the centre comes out clean. You can eat the cake as it is (and it’s incredibly popular in some parts of the world like this) but I like to move on to the next step. Let the cake cool down completely and refrigerate overnight – if not cooled completely it won’t cut cleanly. Remove the cake from the tin and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the cake into your favourite shapes, I like thin squares or bitesize cubes. Heat a non-stick frying pan on a high heat and fry until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate and put the pan back on heat with a touch of oil. Stir fry the chilli, garlic, and spring onions until fragrant. Add back the cooked squares along with the soy sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediatly and enjoy! Notes * There is regular rice flour and sweet or glutinous rice flour – make sure you use regular rice flour here. Allergy Notes: This is naturally vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free (though skip the sesame oil if you are sensitive to sesame seeds). If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below.

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Easy Vegetable Chilli (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 12:00:50 +0000

See the recipe As a child I hated kidney beans with a passion. I would sit, hovering over my mother’s Chilli Con Carne, picking out every dark red, hated bean before even deigning to eat the dinner she had lovingly cooked. These days, I acknowledge that beans and lentils are part of a balanced vegan’s diet but it took hard work for me to get past my own legume phobia. That and cooking my beans from dried. I don’t know what it is about tinned beans but the texture just isn’t nearly as good as when you’ve cooked them yourself. It’s cheaper and, even better, with a pressure cooker you don’t need to have planned ahead and have beans soaking overnight (it’s better, but you don’t have too). Here in the UK we’ve had 3 storms in the last week alone. We’ve been lucky enough to have not suffered any damage but it’s been a cold winter with some horrible wind. So after coming in from a stupidly cold winters day, not able to feel my feet or hands, I decided I was just not going out again. Dinner had to be made from what we had in the house. With the cupboards getting a little bare, beans would have to be involved, add a glut of tinned tomatoes and some sweet potatoes that really need eating and we’re off with a delicious Veggie Chili that’s just perfect for a cold day! Toppings You can enjoy chilli by itself but for me, the toppings are what really makes it. Our favourite options that work well include; Tortilla Chips Lime and Coriander Rice Guacamole Cashew sour cream Pickled red onions Sliced chillies (for those who just can’t get enough heat) I tend to reach for the guacamole and pickled onions as I love that extra acidy tang to bring out all the flavours of the vegetables and spices. Kenny will reach for the extra sliced chillies as he loves it extra hot, and sour cream is great for those who don’t have much of a head for chilli. Leftovers? Chilli is one of those dishes that can be even better after a day or two in the fridge so box up your leftovers in an airtight container. It should be excellent to eat for up to 5 days. Alternatively, it will happily sit in your freezer till your next cold day. It you want something different the next day but want to use up your leftover Chilli then it makes a great base for a new take on vegan burritos. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Chilli: 1 tbsp Oil 2 Onions 2 Sticks of Celery 2 Carrots 2 Peppers, I like a mix of red and green here 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes 2 Garlic Cloves 2 TIns of Chopped Tomatoes (400g each) 250g cooked Kidney Beans* 250g cooked Black Beans* 1/3 cup mixed Quinoa 250ml Vegetable Stock 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp Chilli Powder 1 dried Ancho Chilli 1 tsp oregano Lime juice, to taste Salt & Pepper to taste Suggested Toppings: Tortilla chips Lime & Coriander Rice Guacamole Pickled Red Onions Cashew Sour Cream Sliced chillies Directions Start by roughly chopping your veg, Chilli is not a dainty dish so we’re looking for small enough to fit in your mouth but not certainly not small. Heat the oil in large pan on a medium heat. Throw in the onion, carrot and celery and saute until the onion softens. Add in the rest of the fresh vegetables and cook until the garlic is aromatic and the onion begins to brown, but don’t let the garlic burn. Now add your tinned tomatoes, beans, quinoa, stock and spices. Stir well and don’t forget to season. Bring up to a boil, cover, and leave to simmer for the next 45-60 mins, or until or the veg is soft and the quinoa is cooked and tender (cooking time may vary depending on how chunky you’ve made your vegetables). Check on it occasionally and give it a gentle stir. Before serving, add a squeeze of lime juice, taste and check seasoning levels – not just for salt and pepper this time but also to make sure you don’t want to add any additional heat or another squeeze of lime (that little hit of acid can really bring out the spices). This works really well served family style with all the toppings on the table so everyone can make it their own. Notes * I cook my beans from dried in the pressure cooker as this is both cheaper and, in my opinion, much taster. If you want to use tinned, 250g is aprox the same as one tin of drained and rinsed beans. Allergy Notes: This is naturally vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free. If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below.

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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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Beetroot & Coconut Curry (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 16:09:40 +0000

We get a veg box most weeks and it’s been great for encouraging me tto be creative with my cooking, as well as being more seasonal. What it’s not great for? Seasonal means that we sometime gets the same veggies over and over again. While that’s great for staple like carrots and potatoes, for some veg it can be a bit of a struggle. At this time of year, beetroot can be one of those problems – since we don’t tend to have the same things over and over again it’s been a struggle to make something new each time. I’ve turned it unto pancakes, vegan wellington, burgers, ravioli, pickled it and used it in stir fries. The one thing I haven’t done before is what I present you today, beetroot curry. Beetroot is the star of this dish with coconut and spices lifting the earthiness of beetroot to new exotic heights. Inspired by a combination of Indian and Sri Lankan cooking, this is actually on of easier recipes here. It’s not quick but, like most curries, it’s even better the next day so it that makes it perfect for meal prepping. So whip it together on the weekend or start it while working from home. There’s not much hands on time so what I do, begin the sauté while on a conference call – by the time the meeting’s over it’ll be happily simmering away and you can move on to the rest of your day job. Perfect if you love beetroot, it’s ideal served with rice or some of your favourite flatbreads. Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 1 Cinnamon Stick 1 tsp Coriander Seeds 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 Onion, finely diced 1 Green Chilli, finely diced 1 Red Chilli, finely diced 5 Lime Leaves 1 Bay leaf 2 Garlic cloves, minced 4 Large Beetroot, peeled & roughly chopped 300ml Coconut Milk 1 tsp Chilli Flakes 1 Tbsp Garam Masala 1 Tbsp Fenugreek Leaves 60ml Vegetable Stock 1 tsp Sugar (optional) 1 tbsp Cornflour (optional but great to thicken the sauce!) Salt & Pepper to taste Directions Place a large, heavy based pan on to a a medium heat with the coconut oil. Once the oil has heated through add in the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds. Lightly toast until the seeds begin to darken and the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add in the onion, chillies, and at least a tsp of salt. Gently sauté until the onion softens and turns translucent. Now add in the lime leaves, bay leaves, and garlic and continue to cook until the onions start to brown. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook, simmering constantly, until the beetroot softens and can be easily pieced by a fork. Depending on how small you’ve cut up the beetroot this can take between 30 and 50 minutes. Once cooked, taste and season, adding more sugar if needed. If the curry is a little thinner than you’d like, remove 2 tbsp and mix with the cornflour to make a thin paste. Carefully stir through the sauce and continue cooking until thickened. Serve with rice or you favourite flatbreads. Enjoy! Notes Allergy Notes; This dish is vegan, gluten free, soy free, and nut free – wohoo! If you struggle with any of these ingredients then let me know and I can suggest alternatives.

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Sabich Platter (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 14:00:17 +0000

Holidays are a thing of the past at the moment but I can’t express just how much I miss them. Looking back at our holiday snaps makes me yearn for a little bit of adventure and that joy of discovering new places. If there’s one place I’d love to visit just for the food, it’s Israel. Food from all over the world, coming together in one place makes the food scene unbeatable. What’s more, influences from the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa mean there’s a strong lean toward vegetables and Israel has the world’s highest ratio of vegans so finding tasty plant based food really isn’t hard. While everyone knows falafel, there’s one thing I love more and that’s Sabich. Traditionally, this is a sandwich with layers of hummus, fried aubergine slices, potato, and a boiled egg, all topped with with a selection of sauces like amba, zhoug and tahini. Stuffed into a fluffy pita this makes a sandwich like no other. Seriously, I just can’t express how tasty it is. To make this perfect for dinner I’ve turned it into a platter so everyone can have as much as as little as they want. Add in my own little touches and this makes for the perfect dinner for meal prep leading to a really effort but tasty dinner. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Cajun Hummus: 600g Butter Beans, cooked 5 Garlic Cloves 60ml Lemon Juice 60ml Tahini 60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tsp Ground Cumin 2 tsp Cajun Spice 1 tsp Salt For the Marinaded Tofu: 400g Tofu, drained & pressed 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice 2 tbsp Oil 2 tsp Paprika 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp All Spice 1/4 tsp Sugar For the Tahini Sauce: 6 Garlic Cloves 80ml Lemon Juice 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 125ml Tahini (aprox 150g) 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup Cold water Salt & Pepper, to taste For the Platter: 1 large Aubergine 2 Tbsp Cornflour 1 tsp Ground Cumin 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander 2 tsp Paprike, plus more for dusting 4 Medium Potatoes Pitta Breads For the Zhoug: 1/4 tsp Coriander Seeds 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 1/t tsp White Pepper 3 Small Cardamon Pods 4 Garlic Cloves 3 Red Chillies 1 tsp Salt 30g Fresh Parsley 30g Fresh Coriander 120ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil For the Israeli Salad: 3 Tomatoes 1 Cucumber 1 Red Pepper 1/2 Red Onion 30g Parley 30ml Lemon Juice 45ml Olive Oil Salt & Pepper, to taste Directions To make the hummus: This is incredibly easy. Put all the ingredients into your food processor and mix until light and fluffy. If making this ahead of time then hummus stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days and freezes happily – just remember to put it into an airtight container first. To make the tahini sauce: Put the lemon juice and garlic cloves into the blender. Mix until the garlic cloves have been broken down to stop the garlic from being too harsh. Add the rest of the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Gradually add in the water, a few tablespoons at a time, until you have a light, lightly thick sauce. Like the hummus, tahini sauce is quite happy to sit in the fridge for several days so this can be made ahead as well. To make the Zhoug: Traditionally, this is made using a mortar and pestle but personally I prefer using a mini food processor – use whatever you have to hand. Start by toasting the seeds. Place a dry pan on a medium heat and toast the seeds until they darken slightly. Put the spices into your processor and pulse until they start to break up. Add in the garlic cloves and chillies (removing the seeds if you want to control the heat) and pulse until a rough paste forms. Add in the herbs, olive oil, and salt and continue to pulse until the herbs are thoroughly chopped and the oil has formed an emulsion. Taste and check for seasoning before putting to one side. Zhoug is best fresh but it can happily be made ahead of time if needed and stored in an airtight container for a few weeks.. To make the Tofu: This one’s not complicated. Start by chopping the tofu into large, bitesize chunks. Firmly whisk together the rest of the ingredients to form a thick paste. Coat the tofu well and leave to marinade for 30 minutes before placing on a lined baking tray. To make the Israeli Salad: Firstly, finely dice the tomatoes, toss in a little salt, and leave to strain for about 10 minutes. Prepare the rest of the salad while you wait. All the vegetables for this salad should be chopped finely and about the same size – aim for 0.5cm square if you can. Finely dice the parsley as well. Once the tomatoes are drained, place everything into a bowl and toss well, adding seasoning to taste. Place in the fridge until needed. Putting together the platter: Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices before putting into a large pan. Cover with salted water and simmer for 20 minutes, or until a fork easily pieces the slices. Drain well and very gently toss with a little oil before place onto a lined baking tray in a single layer. Pre heat the oven to 240 degrees (220 Fan/475 F). Put the tofu and potatoes into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. While the tofu and potatoes roast in the oven, thickly slice the aubergine. Toss together the cornflour and spices before coating each slice. Place a large frying on a medium to high heat with at least a centimetre of oil. When the oil is hot, fry off the dusted aubergine slices until a deep golden brown on both sides. Drain well once cooked. To serve, I lay it all out on a large serving platter with a swirl of hummus on once side. I like to spoon some of the zhoug onto the hummus before spooning everything else onto the plate. With the sauces and some warmed pita breads on the side, this is an unconventional dinner than will make everyone happy Notes This is the perfect meal for batch cooking. Everything can be made in advance and served cold so boxed into individual serves makes a truly brilliant lunch. Alternatively, if you’re prepping ahead of time most items can be done ahead leaving just the cooking for the day. Just 30 minutes of easy cooking and you’ll have dinner ready and waiting for you. Allergy Notes; This meal is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then go ahead and whip up the hummus without the tahini or using nut or seed butters instead.

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Aubergine & Butternut Squash Curry (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 16:00:38 +0000

Some friends and I recently started a recipe exchange to help break down the monotony of lockdown. One of the ones that caught my eye was an aubergine curry with plenty of potential but not enough flavour. This is my version of this recipe, I’ve developed it to build the flavours. Now it’s an intensely flavourful curry that’s incredibly easy to make and perfect for midweek. Enjoy! Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients 600g Aubergine, roughly diced 1/2 Butternut Squash, peeled & roughly chopped 2 Onions, finely diced 4 Garlic Cloves, minced 2 tsp Garam Masala 1 tsp Coriander Seeds 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tsp Crushed Chillies 1 tsp Paprika 1 tsp Tumeric 1/2 Tbsp Fenugreek Leaves 400g tin of Chopped Tomatoes 400ml Coconut Milk 150g Fresh Spinach Sugar, to taste 1/4 Cup Coriander, chopped Salt & Pepper to taste OIl, for cooking Directions Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 Fan/400 F). Toss the chopped aubergine and squash in 2 Tbsp of oil and season well before placing into a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, the squash should be softened and the aubergines should start to caramelise around the edges. Place the whole spices into a mortar and pestle and pound until they’re lightly broken – if you don’t have a mortar and pestle then they’ll smash easily under a frying pan too. Put a heavy bottomed pan on a medium heat with a touch of oil. Add in the whole spices and fry off for a few moment, until the spices have darkened. Toss the chopped onions into the pan and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the rest of the spices including the fenugreek leaves along with the garlic and cook until fragrant. Now tip in the tomatoes, coconut milk, and cooked vegetables. Mix gently and bring up to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, before removing the lid and simmering for another 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Stir through the coriander and spinach and cook until wilted. Taste and add sugar to taste if needed – the amount needed will vary depending on the tomatoes. Season to taste and serve with your favourite rice. Notes A friend of mine likes to add a tin of chickpea to this too. If you’d like to follow her example then I’d suggest adding them with the onions to allow them to colour a little before simmering. Want to try the original recipe? it’s here – let me know what you think of my version! Allergy Notes; This is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free – enjoy!

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Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Poke Bowls (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 15:00:13 +0000

Look through pinterest sometime and you might see hundreds of Poke bowl recipes. They’re bright, fresh and multicoloured so perfect for pictures but what they also tend to be is non-vegan. Poke actually refers to the fish component, diced raw tuna. Originating in Hawaii, the bowl is built around the best fresh fish and surrounded by sushi components like rice, seaweed, edamame and others. I’ve seen some vegan recipes for this where the fish is replaced with tofu or tempeh but none of them come close to the freshness of the original recipe. Instead I’ve taken inspiration from the budget version of poke bowls that use tinned tuna. You might have seen my Chickpea Tuna Salad but this is so much better. An evolution on the original recipe, you won’t miss tuna. Faintly fishy from the addition of seaweed but still fresh, light, and filling. I like to be generous on the bowl fillings so I accompany mine with seaweed salad, rice, cucumber, shredded carrot, avocado, edamame beans, and mango for that extra burst of sweetness. Drizzle with a generous dollop of sriracha mayo and you’ll have a quick and easy dinner so tasty that I ate it twice in one day! Makes: Serves 3-4 Ingredients For the Chickpea Tuna: 250g Cooked Chickpeas* 1 Nori Sheet 1/4 Red Onion, finely diced 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1/2 Tbsp Capers, finely diced 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 3 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See allergy note) 2 Tbsp Beetroot Pickle Juice** 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup 2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil 1 tsp Sriracha 1 tsp Grated Ginger 1/2 tsp Chia Seeds Salt & Pepper, to taste For the Seaweed Salad: 3 Tbsp Dried Wakame 3 Tbsp Dried Hijiki 1 Tbsp Miso 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (see allergy note) 1 Tbsp Mirin 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil 1 tsp Rice Vinegar 2 tsp Grapefruit Juice 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes For the Sriracha Mayo: 1/2 Cup Vegan Mayo 1 Tbsp Sriracha 2 tsp Lemon Juice 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder Salt & Pepper, to taste Poke Bowl Components: Rice – I like seasoned sushi rice or a wild rice mix Shredded Carrots Sliced Cucumber Avocado Diced Mango Edamame Directions Start with the seaweed for the salad. It needs to be rehydrated so place into a medium bowl with plenty of water for 20 minutes, or until the seaweed has swelled and soft. Whisk together the rest of the salad ingredients to make a tasty dressing. Drain the seaweed well and toss in the dressing. Place to one side. Mash the chickpeas until they’re flaky but not too mushy. Crumble the nori sheet into the chickpeas and stir through the rest of the ingredients. Taste and season as needed. Whisk together the sriracha mayo ingredients. Build your bowl with the rice on the bottom and a spoon of each element around the edges. Drizzle with your preferred amount of sriracha mayo and enjoy. An incredibly easy and tasty dinner with no need to turn on the stove. Notes * The chickpeas should be soft enough to easily crush with your fingertips. If yours are too hard then cover with water and simmer for 10 minutes to get them to a better texture. ** The beetroot pickle juice plays two roles here, it colours the chickpeas to make them more reminiscent of tuna and also adds flavour. At this time of year I tend to have some homemade pickles beetroot in the fridge but if you don’t have any substitute with 1 tbsp of white vinegar. 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 nut free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then skip the seeds and oil but do at least replace the oil with a neutral tasting oil like rapeseed.

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Cajun Palm Hearts with Gnocchi (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 17:00:45 +0000

As a general rule, Kenny and I don’t celebrate valentines day. Instead we celebrate the anniversary of our first date on the 8th of February. It’s a date that actually means something to us, not just a socially mandated date for romance. Of course, for you that means you get our anniversary dinner just in time for valentines day. This year I returned to heart of palm for their lobster/scallop like texture but without any relation to any actual fish. Tossed in cajun spices and paired with fluffy homemade gnochi, in a creamy, herby sauce, this makes for a deliciously tasty dish that seems like it’s so much more work than it actually is. We had plenty of potatoes so I made gnocchi from scratch, making sure to make double what we needed so half can be frozen for another quick dinner. Gnocchi is one of those great dishes that can be whipped together from cupboard basics, even from leftover mash, to make a tasty dinner. You’ll pay through the nose for it in a fancy restaurant, do it yourself you’ll realise just how easy it can be but you can happily buy gluten free and vegan gnocchi from the supermarket if you don’t have the time. Makes: Serves 2-3 Ingredients For the Homemade Gnocchi: 1 Kg Potatoes, aim for floury rather than waxy if you can 1/4 Chickpea Flour 1/4 cup Water 150g Gluten Free Flour* 2 Tbsp Olive OIl 1/4 tsp Salt For the Cajun Spiced Palm Hearts: 2 x 400g tins Palm Hearts, rinsed and drained 1/4 cup Cornflour 2 tsp Cajun Seasoning 1/2 tsp Onion Powder 1 tsp Paprika 1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper 1/2 tsp Basil 1/2 tsp Rosemary For the Creamy Herb Sauce: 60g Vegan Butter 4 Garlic Cloves, minced 5 Tbsp Gluten Free Flour 250ml Vegetable Stock 300ml Plant Based Milk 1/3 cup Nutritional yeast 1 tsp Thyme 1/2 tsp Basil 1 tsp Tahini (optional) Salt & Pepper to taste Directions For the best textured gnocchi, bake your potatoes rather than boil them. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (200C fan/425 F). Prick your potatoes all over and place into the oven until the inside is soft. This will vary depending on the size of the potato but averages out at 45 minutes – 1 hour. Allow to cool completely before scooping out the insides. Whisk together the oil, chickpea flour, and water. Place the potato into a large bowl and mash until smooth. use a fork, potato ricer, or masher – really don’t use a food processor as this will bring out the starch and make the mash gluey. Add in the chickpea mix and almost all the flour. Mix lightly with a spoon before turning out onto the worktop. Kneed just until the dough is smooth and firm, try not to overwork the dough to make it too heavy. If too soft or wet add more flour as needed but it’s best to err on the side of caution to get the lightest gnocchi, the dough should be moist but not sticky. Cut the dough into quarters and roll into long tubes roughly the same thickness as your thumb. Cut into pieces no larger than an inch. Now here you can be a little creative, dig out something to shape your gnocchi – you can use the back of a fork, a grater, even a gnocchi board if you have such a thing – anything with a flat base and shaped to allow sauce to cling to the gnocchi. I tend to use a small cooling rack but dig out what you think will work best for you. Using your thumb press the dough in and down the length of your improvised gnocchi board. The gnocchi should curl into a slight “C” shape, and the backs should capture the impression the dents. Set each gnocchi aside on a sheet of greaseproof paper and dust with a bit more flour if needed. Remember that the ingredients for this recipes makes double the amount of gnocchi needed for this. If you’re freezing the excess, put on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper in a single layer. Place in the freezer until solid before placing into freezer bag. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (180 Fan/ 400 F). Slice the palm hearts into chunks about the same width as your thumb. Toss well in the rest of the ingredients before putting onto a lined baking tray. Spritz with a little oil and place into the oven, baking until crisped around the edges, or for 25 – 30 minutes, turning once. While the palm hearts bake, make the sauce and bring a large pot of water up to boil. Melt the butter in a medium pan and add the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Slowly add in the flour, stirring constantly, until fully mixed and the mix has started to brown slightly. Add in the herbs and nutritional yeast, now gradually add in the stock and milk, stirring until completely combined. The mix should coat the back of a spoon, if too thick then add a little bit more milk as needed. When heated through, I tend to prefer to run the mix through a blender to make sure it’s extra smooth but this is completely optional. Add in the tahini (if using – it adds a little more creaminess but can be skipped), taste and season as needed. This isn’t in the ingredients but often at this point I like to throw in a handful of frozen veg like sweetcorn and peas because there’s no such thing as too much veg. Without overcrowding the pan, put the waiting gnocchi into the boiling water. The gnocchi is cooked when it floats – this should take 3-5 minutes. Drain well and toss both the gnocchi and palm hearts in the sauce. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and a touch of chilli flakes. Notes You can use leftover mash to make equally good gnocchi. About 950g – 1Kg of mash will work here but if you’ve already added butter then skip the olive oil in your chickpea blend. * If your flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum then add about 1/2 tsp. Allergy Notes; This recipe is vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free. If sesame seeds are an allergen for you then just skip the tahini.

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Crispy Cauliflower Tacos with Tahini Sauce (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 17:00:25 +0000

We’re a big fan of tacos in our house. Flexible and easy to customise for each person’s taste, it makes for a great dinner when you’ve got picky people. These tacos are centred around crispy, baked cauliflower. Paired with my favourite tahini sauce it makes for such a tasty dinner that I had the leftovers for breakfast. But before we get to the recipe, lets talk about how to make your cauliflower crispy while still keeping everything gluten free. One of the favourite ways to ensure baked goods remain crispy normally is to use panko breadcrumbs. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a gluten free version of panko breadcrumbs but what I have found that works just as well? Cornflakes. Sounds crazy I know but if you pulse them in a processor a few times then you get really crispy crumbs, slightly bigger than normal breadcrumbs. Not only do they offer that enticing golden crumb but they crisp with delightfully well without having to use a fryer. Enjoy and let me know if you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Crispy Cauliflower: 1 Large Cauliflower 90g Gluten Free Flour 250ml Plant based milk 4 – 5 Cups Gluten Free Cornflakes 1 Tbsp Adobe Sauce 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1 tsp Lime Zest 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 1 tsp Ground Cumin 1 tsp Thyme 1 tsp Salt For the Tahini Sauce: 125ml Tahini 1 Tbsp Lime Juice 2 tsp Sriracha 1 tsp Cumin 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander 2 Garlic Cloves 25g Fresh Coriander Salt & Pepper, to taste For the Tacos: Corn Tortillas Lime & Coriander Rice Simple Coleslaw Black Beans Directions For the Crispy Cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (200 Fan/ 425 F) and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. To prepare the cauliflower start by cutting into bite sized florets. Place the cornflakes into a food processor and pulse until the flakes are broken up and slightly larges than breadcrumbs. Pour into a bowl and put to one side. In a large bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and mix until you have a smooth and slightly thick batter. Working in batches, coat the florets in the batter before tossing through the corn flakes. Place onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 30 minutes, or until crispy and browning round the edges. To make the tahini sauce: I like making this in a min9i blender, if you have one add in all the ingredients with 1/2 a cup of ice cold water. Blend until well mixed, adding in a tablespoon of water at a time until your preferred consistency is reached. I like to aim for the texture of single cream but you do you. To build the tacos: Toast the tortillas over an open flame or in a griddle pan, until dark spots appear. Serve family style so everyone can make their tacos just their own way. I like to serve mine with a little rice and some slaw before adding the cauliflower and a healthy drizzle of the tahini sauce. Enjoy! Notes Allergy Notes; Provided you make sure to use gluten free cornflakes, this recipe is vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free. If Sesame seeds are an allergen for you then skip the tahini and instead use a mix of mashed avocado and vegan mayo to make some damn tasty spice avocado aioli.

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