ENGLISH BREAKFAST SAUSAGES
Prep: 15 min but overnight chilling
Cook: 1 Hour
Ingredients
230g vital wheat gluten
30g nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons plain flour
1/2 tablespoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
good pinch of white pepper
good pinch of nutmeg
good pinch of allspice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
320ml mushroom stock (steep a handful of dried porcini mushrooms in 350ml boiling water, leave to cool, then strain and use the liquid as stock)
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato purée
2 tablespoons olive oil
Method
When fried, seitan has a similar texture to meat that can
be put to good use in the vegan kitchen. Think kebabs, paella and sausages in your full
breakfast. With this recipe, you can make two large 350g
sausages that can be sliced and fried. They will keep well
in an airtight container in the fridge for four or five days.
And they freeze well (for up to 3 months), so it makes sense
to make two, use one fresh and pop one in the freezer for a later date.
When ready to cook, simply slice up the sausage and fry the slices in a little
oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side, until coloured and crispy at the edges.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the
wet ingredients and knead together, as if making bread,
for 5 minutes, until you have a firm dough.
Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions. Form each half
into a rough log shape. Lay out a sheet of clingfilm and
place 1 log in the centre. Roll the clingfilm around the log,
push out any trapped air and twist the ends of the clingfilm
together around the log to tighten it into a large sausage
shape. This is best done by holding the clingfilm ends and rolling the log along the work surface a few times until the clingfilm is drum-skin tight. Now wrap it neatly in kitchenfoil. Repeat the rolling process with the other half.
Place the wrapped sausages in a large saucepan of water
and bring it up to a low simmer. Poach the sausages gently
over low heat for 1 hour, topping up the water if necessary,
until they feel very firm when squeezed.
Remove the logs from the water and leave to cool, then
pop them in the fridge to chill overnight. Don’t remove
the wrapping until they are completely chilled, or they
will expand and lose their shape.
TOFU SCRAMBLED EGGS
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Serves 2
This is usually a weekend morning treat. It’s basically the same idea as scrambled eggs though – and I know it sounds odd – add turmeric for flavour and colour. Depending on
what tofu you use, it can be very silky and moist. It doesn’t taste like egg, but is just as satisfying.
2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
4 broccoli florets, finely chopped
225g extra-firm tofu
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
To serve
Toast
Smoky Baked Beans
Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Put the onion and broccoli
into the warmed oil in the frying pan and gently fry over
medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, until they are cooked
but still have a little crunch in them.
Grab the tofu and either scramble it with a fork or cut
it into bite-sized pieces. Add it to the pan and stir well.
Now add the salt, spices and a splash of water if it looks
too thick or dry. Cook for 2 minutes, until the tofu is
heated through. Serve on toast with some baked beans.
DONER KEBABS WITH PINK PICKLE
Prep: 30 minutes, plus pickling time
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes 4
Ingredients
For the pink pickle
150ml cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 beetroot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
For the kebab
sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying
350g Kebab Kofta Seitan Sausage (see recipe below), cut into thin slices
small bunch of mint, chopped
200ml vegan yogurt
4 pitta breads
200g Hummus
80g interesting mixed salad leaves
hot chilli sauce, to taste
2 tablespoons Dukkah
Method
To make the pickle, heat the vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, spices
and salt in a pan until dissolved. Pack the sliced veg into
a sterilized 500ml clip-top jar. Pour in the warm liquid to
the top. Close and leave for at least a few hours until cold,
but preferably for a couple of days, if not weeks.
To make the kebabs, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying
pan, add the seitan and cook over a medium-high heat for
3–4 minutes, until nicely coloured and heated through.
While the seitan fries, mix the mint into the yogurt.
Lightly toast the pittas and split them open along 1 side.
Slather some hummus inside each pitta and add a spoonful
of drained pink pickles. Tuck in a small handful of salad
leaves, followed by a generous serving of the fried seitan.
Add a drizzle of yogurt and as much chilli sauce as you
fancy. Finish with a scattering of dukkah. Eat with gusto.
PUTTANESCA AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 and ¼ hours
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
olive oil, for frying
2 red onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
175ml white wine
1 tablespoon tomato purée
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
100g green olives, sliced
200ml water
4 aubergines, cut lengthways into 1-cm thick slices
20g basil leaves, torn
50g sourdough breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon nutritional
yeast flakes
zest of ½ a lemon
pinch of salt
80g vegan mozzarella, torn (optional)
Pepper
Method
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan and cook the onion
over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until starting to
soften. Stir in the garlic, wine and tomato pur.e, then let
the mixture bubble away until reduced by half. Stir in the
chopped tomatoes, capers, olives and measured water.
Simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and rich.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5).
While the sauce cooks, heat some olive oil in a large frying
pan and fry the aubergine, turning, over medium heat until
golden and cooked through. (You’ll use more oil than you
think as the slices soak it up as they cook.) Set aside.
When the sauce is ready, mix in the basil leaves. Taste
and tweak the seasoning as desired.
In a food processer, pulse together the breadcrumbs, yeast
flakes, lemon zest, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon oil.
Lay half the aubergines into a large (about 30 x20cm)
baking dish and top with half the sauce. Repeat the layering
process to fill the dish. Tear the mozzarella over the top, if
using. Top evenly with the breadcrumb mix. Bake for 20–40
minutes, until the top is golden and the aubergine is tender.
MAPLE, ORANGE AND CHOCOLATE BAKLAVA
Serves 6-8
Prep: 15 min plus a few hours soaking
Cook: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients
150g dates, chopped
100g almonds
100g walnuts
100g pistachio nuts
zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoon cacao powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
small pinch of salt
12 sheets of filo pasty
light olive oil
For the syrup
75ml fresh orange juice
75ml water
100ml maple syrup
100g caster sugar
seeds from 6 cardamom pods
Method
Preheat the oven to 180?C (Gas Mark 4). Cover the dates in a bowl with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the nuts into the bowl of a food processer
and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
Drain the dates and add to the nuts with the orange zest,
cacao, cinnamon and a small pinch of salt. Mix well.
Lay a sheet of pastry in a small baking tray. Brush lightly
with olive oil. Lay over 3 more sheets, oiling between each.
Spread over half the nut mixture and top with 4 more
sheets of oiled pastry. Spread the remaining nut mixture
on top and finish with 4 sheets of oil-brushed pastry.
Cut into diamond shapes and bake for 30–40 minutes
or until the pastry is cooked and flaky.
While the baklava cooks, make the syrup. Place the orange
juice, water, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan with the
cardamom seeds. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
When the baklava is ready, tip the sweet syrup evenly over
the top. Leave to soak for a few hours before serving.
Dirty Vegan by Matt Pritchard is published by Mitchell Beazley, £20. Photography by Jamie Orlando Smith and Chris Terry. Dirty Vegan is on BBC One Wales during January 2019 and available on BBC iPlayer
