Veganuary is here and if you’re looking for some recipe inspiration, we’ve got some restaurant quality dishes you can make at home.
Chantelle Nicholson, chef and author of vegan cookbook Planted, has shared her favourite Veganuary recipes with us. Here’s how you can make them at home.
Jerusalem Artichokes, Puy Lentils, Zhoug and Spiced Prune
Chantelle tells us this is a much-loved vegan recipe which appeared on the menu at her former restaurant, Tredwells, and is a great one to use all year round.
She said: ‘Lentils are great in salads, soups and also as a garnish for any dish. Puy lentils are a type of green lentil, from Le Puy in France, and have a shorter cooking time than standard green lentils. But either will suffice in this recipe.’
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
1.5kg Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed
50g non-dairy butter
250ml non-dairy milk
Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
280g Puy lentils, or green lentils
2 bay leaves
1/4 bunch of thyme
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
80g pitted prunes, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1/2 nutmeg, finely grated
For the Zhoug:
1 small bunch of coriander, leaves picked
1/2 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and finely crushed
1 cardamom pod, finely crushed
2 cloves, finely crushed
1/2 teaspoon agave
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely microplaned
50ml olive oil
1/2 teaspoon table salt
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180℃.
2. Place the artichokes in a roasting tray with the butter, thyme and season with salt. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes until deep golden and crispy, moving them around at 10 minutes to evenly colour.
3. Remove half of the artichokes and blend with the milk to form a thick purée. Season to taste.
4. For the lentils, rinse well under cold water. Place in a pan with 1 litre of water, bay leaves, garlic and thyme. Season well then bring to the boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until cooked through. Drain off, discarding the herbs and garlic, then mix through the olive oil, salt and pepper and parsley.
5. For the prunes, place them in a medium saucepan with the spices and cover with hot water. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes then lightly pulse in a blender, or use a stick blender, to create a chunky paste. Season well with salt.
6. For the zhoug, place all ingredients into a blender jug, with 2 tablespoons of water. Blend until a chunky paste is formed.
7. To serve, divide the purée between 4 bowls. Add the lentils and prunes then top with the artichokes, with some halved. Drizzle with the zhoug and garnish with coriander and parsley.
Brussels Sprouts, Chestnut & Sage Risotto
If you’re not a brussels sprouts fan, there is a strong chance you could have been cooking them wrong, so this could be the Veganuary recipe that changes your mind.
Chantelle tells us: ‘I am firmly in the camp of liking brussels sprouts immensely. When cooked right, they are nutty and moreish. Always use a high heat to cook them, otherwise they will stew and go rather soggy.’
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
300g Brussels sprouts, halved
270g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
8 fresh chestnuts, peeled and finely sliced
500g risotto rice (Carnaroli or Vialone Nano preferred)
1.5 litres vegetable stock
200ml non-dairy milk
125ml dry white wine
75g non-dairy Parmesan cheese, grated
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 tablespoons non-dairy butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1/2 bunch sage, leaves picked and stalks reserved
Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
METHOD
1. Put the stock in a large saucepan with the bay leaves and sage stalks, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to gently simmer.
2. Place 180g of the cooked chestnuts into a saucepan with the milk. Season well and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Blend together until smooth to make a chestnut purée and set aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and season well. Cook for a few minutes until the onions have softened, but not coloured.
4. Add the rice and stir around in the pan for a few minutes until it becomes shiny and translucent. Add the wine and cook until the alcohol has evaporated.
5. Add a ladleful of the hot stock and continue stirring until the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Add the remaining stock a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously until each ladleful has been absorbed before adding the next. This should take about 15–20 minutes.
6. Set aside 100ml of hot stock. The risotto is cooked when the rice grains are a little firm but don’t have any chalky crunch on the outside when bitten into.
7. Add the chestnut purée and Parmesan to the risotto and mix well.
8. For the sprouts, heat the butter in a medium sized frying pan until very hot. Add the sprouts, cut side down, and thyme. Season well and cook until a deep golden brown. Turn each sprout over and add 100ml of the hot stock to the pan. Cook for 3 more minutes then remove from heat.
8. To finish the risotto, add the remaining chopped, cooked chestnuts with the finely chopped sage. Spoon on to warmed plates and top with the sprouts and fresh chestnuts.
Pear and Ginger Cake, Pine Nut Créme, Rosemary Caramel
This pear and ginger cake is a dessert Chantelle describes as the ‘ultimate winter comfort pudding’.
She says: ‘For the cake, use the ripest pears you can find as this will ensure it is deliciously moist. This cake also keeps very well, so can be made in advance and warmed up to serve. It is also a great thing to have for afternoon tea on its own.’
SERVES 8
INGREDIENTS
For the pear garnish:
2 pears, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tablespoons golden syrup
Pinch table salt
For the cake:
250g self-raising flour
120g non-dairy butter
150g dark brown muscovado sugar
150g golden syrup
100g stem ginger, puréed into a paste
2 pears, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 nutmeg, grated
For the pear and rosemary caramel:
125g caster sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
100ml pear juice
50g non-dairy butter
50ml oat cream
1/4 teaspoon table salt
For the pine nut créme:
100g pine nuts, toasted
Pinch table salt
METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180℃ fan. Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin.
2. Place the quartered pears in a roasting dish. Drizzle with the golden syrup and sprinkle with the salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and soft.
3. To make the cake, place the butter, sugar, and golden syrup into a large bowl. Place on top of a medium sized saucepan, half filled with water, over a moderate heat. Allow the butter to melt, then mix well.
4. Add the ginger purée, nutmeg and grated pear, mix well. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda, then finish by folding the flour in.
5. Pour the batter into the greased cake tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then remove.
6. For the pine nut créme, place the hot pine nuts in a blender with the salt and 30ml warm water. Blend until smooth and mousse like, adding a little more water if needed.
7. For the caramel, place the sugar and rosemary in a medium sized, heavy bottom saucepan over a moderately high heat. Gently shake the pan when you see the sugar beginning to melt. Do not stir, as you may cause the caramel to crystallise. As it keeps melting, keep shaking and swirling the pan until a deep caramel is formed.
8. Add the pear juice and continue swirling the pan for 3 minutes. Add the butter and salt and swirl for 2 minutes. Add the cream and whisk until a smooth caramel is formed.
9. To serve, slice the warm cake into 8 pieces. Top with the caramel and place a dollop of pine nut cream with each one. Serve with 2 pieces of the roasted pear.
For more recipes like this, buy a copy of Planted: Stunning seasonal vegan dishes by Chantelle Nicholson from Amazon for £25.
Read more: Dick and Angel share recipes from their new cookbook
Read more: The best new restaurants in the UK
Comments are closed.