Vegan Inspiration

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Vegan Tapas

As restaurants and cafés open up again (whoops of joy) we were pondering on all the diversity and wealth of choice out there. Once tapas would have been a welcome addition in your neighbourhood. Now there is vegan tapas, vegan pizza and restaurants have adapted their menus to cater for vegetarians and vegans. Vegan does not have to be a life choice. It is food that you can dip into, when you venture out. There is a definite shift towards organic food, and plant based recipes can conjure up some wonderful, vibrant, and zingy flavours. And eating less meat and more plant based food totally makes sense for the planet.

Feature by: Jean Hill

Vegan Tapas is brand new in Heswall, Wirral

Vegan Tapas food image

Vegan Tapas will be giving you 50% off all food, including their wonderful sounding puddings, for the first 10 days of opening from 1st June-10th June.

The aim is to combine the artistic, polished presentation and playful quality of fine dining. There are delicious, often unexplored flavours and textures of plant-based ingredients and the warm, socially enjoyable experience of a small plate tapas menu. The choice offered and enjoyment of guests is at the heart of this enterprise.

Their mission statement includes: “never bought, only ingredients sought”. Their intention is to grown their own local organic crops alongside sourcing local crops, such as asparagus. The quality of the ingredients is key.

The menu is intriguing: grilled asparagus with raspberry mustard, wild mushroom risotto, and Arancini (Sicilian rice balls) with raspberries at their centre, with chilli and coconut ice-cream. Just a few examples, plenty more to try.

https://vegantapas.co.uk/

Asma Turkish Restaurant, Hoylake Road, Moreton

Asma food image

We had a fabulous birthday meal, out in the open under awnings (very decorative and cosy and warm). The food is meat based, vegetarian and vegan and is pretty impressive. The hummus is very good indeed and moreish. The friendly and efficient person serving the food, tried to take it away half way through the meal, and we all shrieked in protest. The vegan offerings are: Halloumi salad, beetroot and feta cheese salad; Feta cheese rolls, filo pastry parcels with spinach and Feta, served with sweet chilli sauce; and aubergine ratatouille with pitta and rice. Much recommended.

https://www.asmarestaurant.co.uk/

0151 3456620

Cake recipes

cake image

If you are looking to do some baking with a difference, these recipes could work wonderfully well. The first recipe eliminates refined sugar, and combines some of my favourite ingredients. The second is classic chocolate cake, enough said.

VEGAN REFINED SUGAR FREE PEAR AND WALNUT LOAF

Makes 1 x loaf tin (8 portions)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Plain flour

2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp Baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 x Apple, grated

2 tbsp White wine vinegar

½  cup Maple syrup

3 tbsp Coconut oil

¼ cup Sunflower oil

½ cup + 2 tbsp Rice milk

½ cup Walnuts chopped

1 x Pear, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients with half the chopped walnuts
  2. Put all the wet ingredients into a food processor, including the apple and ½ the pear and blend until smooth
  3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until smooth
  4. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin
  5. Sprinkle with the remaining diced pear and chopped walnuts
  6. Bake at 150°C for approximately an hour (may take longer)
  7. The middle of the loaf should be firm to touch, and a knife should come out clean when inserted gently.
  8. Turn onto a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before slicing and enjoying

VEGAN CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is a really simple and delicious large cake that can be served in many different ways. You could make a large rectangular cake with a layer of ganache on top. You could also make a double layer round cake with buttercream inside and ganache on top. We have made it into a vegan black forest gateau, and it’s the perfect cake for a kids’ party.

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

The cake

3 cups self-raising flour

2 cups sugar (I use soft dark brown)

1 ⅔ cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

¼   tsp salt

2 cups of water

1 cup oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

4 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache icing

1 bar dark chocolate

1 tbsp coconut oil

⅓ cup soya/oat cream

3 cups (ish) Icing sugar

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl
  2. Mix the wet in another bowl
  3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together (do not over mix)
  4. Pour the mixture into a large greased and lined baking tin.

Bake 30-45 mins at 180c. The middle of the cake should be firm to touch, and a knife should come out clean when inserted gently into the middle of the cake. One large cake will take longer than two small ones.

Chocolate ganache icing

Melt the chocolate, and oil and soya/oat cream together. Add the icing sugar bit by bit until you have a thick, but just about pourable, consistency. Then spread over the cake quickly before it sets!

About the author of the cake recipes:

Louise Palmer-Masterton is founder of multiple award-winning restaurants Stem & Glory; hip and trendy but accessible plant-based restaurants, serving delicious gourmet vegan food from locally sourced ingredients. Stem & Glory also offers click-and-collect and local delivery in London and Cambridge.  In addition, Stem & Glory offers a range of ready meals, finish at home pizzas, and recipe kits available for delivery across the UK. 

www.stemandglory.uk 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stemandglory/

Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisepalmermasterton

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