For those who prefer not to eat meat, this delicious
loaf makes a
great substitute for your festive turkey or roast
SERVES 6—8
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
pinch of sea salt
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, finely diced
1 red pepper, seeded and finely diced
2 sicks celery, finely diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
685 g (1 1/2 Ib) firm tofu
25 g (1 oz) fresh breadcrumbs
75 g (2 1/2 oz) ground cashews
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoon tamari, or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, Gas Mark 5).
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan.
Sauté the onion and sea salt for 1 minute. Add
the garlic, carrot, pepper and celery and sauté
for another 5 minutes, or until the veggies are starting
to soften. Add the sage, thyme and lemon zest and sauté
for a further 1 minute.
Crumble the tofu into a large bowl and add the vegetable
mixture, breadcrumbs, cashews, parsley
Worcestershire sauce, miso, tamari, lemon juice and
pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Press the mixture into a 25 cm (10 in) x 10 cm (4 in)
loaf tin and drizzle over the remaining
1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until
golden brown.
Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning
out onto a serving platter. Slice and serve on a bed
of steamed quinoa or rice topped with shiitake gravy.
Variations
- Light sesame oil or safflower oil can
be used in place of the olive oil, if you prefer.
- Other veggies can be used, such as corn, courgette
and red onion, or leek and red and yellow pepper.
- If you can’t find fresh sage or thyme, use dried.
Other fresh or dried herbs can be used, such as
oregano and a little rosemary, or fresh dill, or coriander.
- Instead of cashews, use ground almonds and hazelnuts.
If you prefer not to add nuts, you can add more breadcrumbs.
- Other seasonings can be used in place of the miso
and tamari. Try vegetable salt and a dash of umeboshi
vinegar to taste. Alternatively, use Bragg Liquid Amino
Acids (available from health food stores).
- If you prefer a spicier taste, add some finely chopped
fresh or pickled ginger, or some finely chopped fresh
chilli or dried Ii flakes. You could also add a dash
of hot chilli sauce to the loaf mixture, or serve it
with a spicy chutney or salsa.
Plum Pudding with Vanillia
Custard
To me, plum pudding means Christmas. My mother would
start making puddings halfway
though the year so they matured for a richer more delicious
flavour.
This recipe is my own healthier version, without the
sugar and animal fats.
SERVES 12
170 g (6 oz) finely chopped
dried apricots
170 g (6 oz) finely chopped dried figs
170 g (6 oz) sultanas
170 g (6 oz) raisins
120 ml (4 fI oz) medium sherry
360 ml (12 fI oz) apple juice
170 g (6 oz) honey
115 g (4 oz) sugar-free orange marmalade
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
225 g (8 oz) vegetable suet or unsalted organic
butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
115 g (4 oz) ground almonds
115 g (4 oz) self-raising flour
25 g (1 oz) fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
90 ml (3 fI oz) brandy, to serve |
VANILLA CUSTARD
480 ml (16 fI oz) soya milk
1 tablespoon kudzu or arrowroot
85 g (3 oz) maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract |
Combine the apricots, figs, sultanas, raisins, sherry
and apple juice in a bowl. Set aside in a cool place
overnight.
The next day, transfer the dried fruit mixture to a
large bowl and add the honey, marmalade, lemon
zest and melted suet or butter. Mix well to combine.
Add the spices, almond meal, flour and breadcrumbs
and mix well.
Lightly grease two ceramic bowls or pudding basins each
of 960-ml (32-fl oz) capacity, and divide the pudding
mixture between them. Cover the tops with circles of
greaseproof paper, then with aluminum foil. Tie string
around the rims of the basins over the top of the foil.
Place the basins inside large saucepans and fill the
saucepans with water to 2.5 cm (1 in) below the rims
of the basins.
Bring the water to the boil. Reduce the heat to low,
cover and allow the puddings by steaming for 6 hours,
checking occasionally to make sure there’s still
enough water.
At this stage, the puddings can be stored in a cool
place for several months. When ready to use, ~eheat
the puddings by steaming for a further 1 1/2 hours.
To make the vanilla custard, pour the soya milk into
a small saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer. Dissolve
the kudzu or arrowroot in a little cold water and add
to the soya milk, stirring constantly until the mixture
is thickened. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract
and continue to simmer, stirring constantly, for 30
seconds.
To serve, turn out the puddings onto serving platters,
drizzle with brandy and set alight. The alcohol content
of the brandy burns off and the brandy flavour soaks
into the pudding. Serve with the vanilla custard.
Variations
- Other dried fruit, such as currants, dates, dried
cherries, cranberries, apples or pineapple, can be used.
- Add some fresh passionfruit pulp to the dried fruit
while soaking — I once added the pulp from four,
and the flavour was quite delicious.
- Instead of honey, you can sweeten the puddings with
maple syrup, rice syrup or barley malt.
- Ground hazelnuts or cashews can be used in place of
the almonds, if you like.
- For a lighter pudding, use 120 ml (4 fI oz) of safflower
oil instead of the melted butter.
- Enstead of soya milk you can use rice milk or cashew
or almond milk.
- Try a little almond extract or lemon or orange zest
instead of the vanilla.
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