A succulent and compassionate alternative to the traditional recipe! Lovely as buffet food or as a starter.
Serves 4-8, depending on how hungry/greedy guests are and what else you have to serve
Ingredients:
1 jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil – better still, use the ready-to eat (slow-roasted) variety, even moister.
1 packet of vegan sausages (Fry’s, Redwood, LInda McCartney and Vegetarian Choice are all suitable – available from health food shops, Holland & Barrett – Linda Mac's from most supermarkets)
1 packet of cocktail sticks
Method:
1. Cook the sausages according to instructions on the packet. Let them cool a little.
2. Cut into bite size pieces on a chopping board.
3. Using a fork, take a sun dried tomato from the jar, shaking off any excess oil.
4. If a similar width to the sausage pieces, place the tomato over the top, then secure in place using a cocktail stick, piercing through one side to the other. If too big, cut in half.
5. Serve on a large sharing platter.
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Entree
Ingredients:
2 large, ripe avocados
1 packet smoked tofu available from large supermarkets or health food stores. Taifun is the firmerst in texture. Cauldron, Taifun and Dragonfly are all good but softer so if you want it crispy, fry for a minute or two first
2 dsp sesame seeds
Salt and black pepper
Mustard vinaigrette 175ml/6fl oz extra virgin olive oil
75ml/3fl oz white wine vinegar
2 dsp (40ml) French or Dijon mustard
A little salt
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. In a pan, dry roast the sesame seeds over a high heat until starting to pop and brown. Keep stirring with a wooden spatula so they don't burn
2. Allow to cool
3. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: mix the oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, salt and black pepper in a jar - use a fork to dissolve mustard then put lid on jar and give it a good shake
4. Divide the avocados into halves, length-ways. Remove the stone and skin
5. Place each half on an individual serving plate and cut into 6 slices
6. Cut the smoked tofu into thin slices and insert in between avocado cuts
7. Season with a little salt
8. Pour the vinaigrette round then sprinkle seeds artistically over top of everything
9. Sprinkle black pepper over the salad and serve
10. The vinaigrette recipe makes quite a lot, but will keep for ages in a screw-top jar in the fridge. Alternatively, half or even quarter the quantities!
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Main dish / dinner
Cashew Nut Roast with a Choice of Two Stuffings & Red Wine Gravy
Top tip:
1. Save yourself time by making it the day before you want it then just re-heat in the oven covered with foil.
Time: 20-30 minutes preparation plus 40 mins cooking time
Ingredients:
Oil spray or 1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium leek, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp vegan margarine, eg Pure, Suma or Biona
350ml/generous 12fl oz hot water
1 tsp yeast extract (marmite, vegemite etc.)
550g/16oz cashew nuts - grind them in a food processor but not too fine. Leave some texture
2 tbsp soya flour (available from health stores)
2 tsp fresh herbs or 1 tsp dried
160g/6oz white bread crumbs
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Filling: choose from one of these
1 dsp olive oil
450g/1lb mushrooms, sliced medium
2 cloves garlic
1 dsp soya sauce
OR
1 pack smoked tofu, mashed roughly
1/2 large jar roasted red peppers, sliced fine
1 tsp soya sauce
Red Wine & Onion Gravy 2 tbsp miso
2 tbsp hot water
2 shallots or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 rounded tbsp wholemeal flour
240ml/9fl oz vegan stock, eg Green Oxo or Marigold red or purple tub
240ml/9fl oz vegan red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Melt the margarine in a large saucepan and cook the celery and leek in it for a few minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F/Gas Mark 4.
3. Meanwhile, make the filling of your choice.
Mushroom: cook garlic in olive oil until golden. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Add soya sauce. Let this cook gently, then drain off any liquid that’s left and reserve for gravy. Put mushroom garlic mix aside.
Smoked tofu: mix mashed tofu with red pepper pieces and soya sauce. Set aside.
4. Make the roast. Mix the yeast extract into the hot water (alternatively you could use any stock you like) and add this to the leek and celery.
5. Stir in the soya flour, nuts, herbs, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper and mix well. Allow to cool slightly while you grease a loaf tin.
6. Place half the nut roast mixture in the tin and press down well - then add the mushroom and garlic stuffing (pressing down well again) and place the rest of the nut roast mixture on top. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes and allow to sit for a few minutes, covered. Turn it carefully out of the tin and slice.
7. While the roast is baking, make the gravy. In a small bowl, mix miso and hot water and mix well. Set aside.
8. In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, sauté shallots/onion in oil until translucent. Add flour and mix well; this will become pasty and dry.
9. Slowly start adding stock while stirring continually. Add a little bit at a time until everything becomes well mixed and there are no lumps. Use a balloon whisk to get rid of floury lumps if necessary. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring often.
10. Stir in miso, taste and season with salt and black pepper if necessary. Keep warm until ready to serve with the roast.
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Dessert
Poached Pears in Red Wine with Cinnamon or This dessert is not only great in taste but beautiful to look at.
Time: 1 hour, including 20 minutes chilling time
Ingredients:
4 firm pears
2 tbsp agave or maple syrup
300ml/10fl oz vegan red wine
Pinch of cloves
Stick of cinnamon OR 1 star anise
Method:
1. Peel the pears, leaving them whole but keeping the stalks.
2. Put wine, syrup, cinnamon and cloves in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, add pears and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes or until pears are cooked right through.
3. When ready, remove them from a pan with a slotted spoon and place them in individual dishes. Remove cinnamon stick. If using star anise, keep it for garnish.
4. Vigorously boil liquid in pan until it has reduced by half. Pour syrup over pears and chill.
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Happy Christmas
Have a nice and lovely evening!
