‘Sausage’, Bean & Leek Hotpot

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Dani Thompson

As the weather gets colder, you really crave nice hearty meals in the evenings and hotpot’s are just perfect.

You can literally put anything in, I’ve gone for sausage, bean and leek here but hotpots are great for using up veg from your fridge, your freezer or tins from your cupboard so I’ve thrown some peas in as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 leek, sliced

4 Vegan sausages, sliced in to 1cm thick pieces (I used Linda McCartney)

1/2 a tin of chopped tomatoes

1/2 a tin of kidney beans

1/2 a tin of butter beans

1/2 a tin of borlotti beans

1/2 a cup of peas

2 tbsp of vegan gravy granules

1 cup of Water

1 tsp of thyme

1 tbsp of vegan Worcestershire sauce (I used Henderson’s relish)

Salt

Pepper

1 green chilli, chopped (optional)

1 tbsp of olive oil

4 baking potatoes

1 tbsp of dairy free dubber

1 tbsp of plain flour

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C

Peel the potatoes and lice in to discs about 3 mm thick.

Place in a microwaveable dish with 2 tbsps of water. Put the lid on the dish and cook for 6 minutes.

In the meantime, in a saucepan fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil for around 2 minutes until the onion starts to become transparent.

Add the water and bring to the boil.

Add the gravy granules and stir until they disolve.

Add the sausage pieces, tomatoes, kidney, butter, borlotti beans (and peas if you want to add them like I did this time), worcestershire sauce, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. (Add the chilli here too if you’re a chilli fiend like me)

The gravy should be a nice consistency but add a little more water here if you need to.

Turn the heat down, put the lid on the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the microwave and drain.

Put them back in the microwaveable bowl, add the dairy free butter and plain flour, season with a little salt and pepper, put the lid on the bowl and shake to coat them.

Pour the sausage, bean and leek mix in to a large oven proof dish. (I would generally use one large dish but the big strong man in my house is a wimp when it comes to chilli so I’ve used 2 smaller dishes here instead)

Layer the potato discs on top, overlapping slightly.

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Place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Serve

Jackfruit ‘Tuna’ & Potato Cutlets.

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Dani Thompson

A lot of people use jackfruit as a substitute for pulled pork but I’m a big fan of using it instead of tuna.

This is basically my mum’s recipe for tuna and potatoes cutlets, which I use to love before I saw the light so I’ve tailored it and made it fish friendly!

The nori, vinegar and lemon juice mixed in really give the cutlets a very similar fishy taste to the original recipe.

Quick and easy to make.

Makes 4

Ingredients

1/2 a tin of green jackfruit (in water of brine, not syrup), drained

2 large potatoes

1 sheet of nori, torn in to small pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 tsp of dried corriander

1 green chilli, chopped

1 tbsp of vinegar

1 tbsp of lemon juice

2 tbsps of dairy free milk

4 tbsps of olive oil

2 tbsps of water

1/2 a cup of breadcrumbs

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C

Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil for around 15 minutes until soft.

Mash the potatoes adding the milk.

Shred the jackfruit until it is in flakes.

Add the jackfruit, onion, garlic, nori, corriander, green chilli, vinegar and lemon juice to the mashed potato and mix.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Let cool for around 5/10 minutes or until the mix is not too hot to touch.

With your hands, divide the mixture and make in to 4 cutlets.

Place in the fridge to cool, this helps the potato becomes firmer.

Brush the cutlets with olive oil and dip in the bread crumbs.

Place in the oven for 15 minutes, turn over and leave for another 15 minutes. Both sides will turn golden.

Serve

Broccoli,Mushroom, Tomato & ‘Feta’ Tofu Quiche

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Dani Thompson

I find tofu one of the best things to use as an egg replacer and this recipe is bound to turn any anyone who’s undecided on tofu in to a total convert.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the crust

200g of plain flour

100g of dairy free butter

2 tbsps of cold water

Pinch of salt

For the filing

1 clove of garlic, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 large white mushroom, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 broccoli tree, cut in to smaller trees

1/2 a cup of dairy free milk

800g of firm tofu, drained

1/2 a block of ‘feta’ style vegan cheese (I used Sainsbury’s own)

1 tbsp of dried parsley

2 tsps of dijon mustard

1/2 a teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Salt

Pepper

1tbsp of olive oil

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C

Put the flour, dairy free butter, water and salt in to a food processor. Mix until the dough gathers together.

Remove the dough from the food processor and wrap in cling film.

Place the dough in the fridge for an hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge and cling film.

Sprinkle a little flour on your worktop and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough in to a circle a couple of inches bigger than your pie dish.

Place the rolled out crust in to your pie dish, pressing the edges with your fingers.

Cut off any excess pastry.

Place your crust in to the over for 15 minutes.

In the mean time.

Combine the tofu, dairy free milk, ‘feta’, dijon mustard and parsley in a blender and whizz.

Ad salt and pepper to taste and give another short whizz.

In a pan, fry the garlic and onion in olive oil for around 2 minutes until the onion starts to turn transparent.

Add the broccoli, mushroom and tomato and fry gentle whilst stirring for another 2 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Pour the tofu mix in with the vegetables and stir.

Remove the Crust from the oven.

Pour in the filling and smooth with a spatula.

Place in the oven for 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven stand for 5 minutes.

Serve either hot or cold.

Crab Apple & Cinnamon Infused Vodka

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Dani Thompson

I’ve been at it again, foraging that is.

Back in early August, my best friend stumbled across a row of trees in our local park growing what looked like ‘little green apples’ on them whilst walking his dog. He sent me a picture asking me what they were and to my delight, I identified them as crab apples.

At the beginning of October we were out together on another dog walk and he took me back to the spot where the crab apple trees were and by then the fruit had turned from green to ripe Autumnal yellows and reds, luckily I had a spare poo bag on me (you have to be resourceful sometimes) and we picked a bag full.

Small and much more tart than normal eating apples, lots of people use them to make crab apple jelly but no, not me, I decided to infuse some vodka which will be ready just in time for Bonfire Night!

Ingredients

20 crab apples

70cl vodka

100g of caster sugar

1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

1 tsp of ground cinnamon

Method

Wash the crab apples and put them in a 2 litre picking jar.

Pour the vodka over the apples.

Add the caster sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Put the lid on the jar.

Leave to infuse for 1 month minimum, the longer you leave the apples infusing, the stronger the flavour will be.

Strain in to a jug and pour in to a bottle. ( I bought an amazing glass skull bottle from Tiger for mine)

Serve with tonic water.

The Vegan Vamp

Living the vegan life!

Monthly Archives: October 2018

‘Sausage’, Bean & Leek Hotpot

Jackfruit ‘Tuna’ & Potato Cutlets.

Broccoli,Mushroom, Tomato & ‘Feta’ Tofu Quiche

Crab Apple & Cinnamon Infused Vodka

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