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Vegetable Tofu Tart

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This tart is is oil-free, full of vegetables, and with a delicate umami flavour. Feel free to use shop-bought suitable-for-vegan pizza dough for the crust if you want to speed up the cooking process.

Ingredients

For the crust

2 – 2 1/2 cups wholemeal flour (amount will vary according to the flour used; extra for dusting and rolling)
1 tbsp quick-acting dry yeast
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water; more if necessary

For the caramelized red onion

1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp suitable-for-vegans sugar or maple syrup

For the vegetable filling

1 yellow pepper, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped small
2 cups spinach, tightly packed

For the tofu filling

1 pack silken tofu (approx. 350g)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp yellow miso paste

Directions

To make the dough

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Knead all of the ingredients together with 2 cups flour. If the mixture seems too moist, add more flour. You should have a smooth, but sticky, dough.
3. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

To make the caramelised red onions

1. Heat a nonstick pan over a medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5-10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently.
2. Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are softened. Set aside.

To make the vegetable filling

1. In a large, nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat, sauté the peppers and broccoli until the broccoli starts to tenderise (about 10 minutes).
2. Add the spinach and allow to wilt. Turn off the heat.

To make the tofu

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

To assemble

1. Lightly spray a 10-inch flan tin or cake tin with oil, or line with parchment.
2. On a surface dusted with flour, knock back the dough. You can knead it with a little more flour at this point to make it pliable. Roll into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of the dish. Fill the dish with the dough and trim away any excess that overlaps the edges.
3. In a large bowl, mix the vegetable filling and tofu filling. Spoon into the dough-filled tin.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the caramelised onion. Return to the oven for 5 minutes more. Cut, serve, and enjoy.

Dark beer and tomato braised portobello mushrooms with caramelized onions

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Thinly sliced mushrooms in a flavourful, sweet, full-bodied gravy. These goes well with potatoes, pasta, or as a filling for hot sandwiches.

Ingredients

2T cooking oil separated
(2) 1/4t of coarse sea salt
1 medium vidalia onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2t dried, ground cumin
1t dried, ground coriander
2T minced garlic
1t of black strap molasses
4 large portobello mushrooms in 1/3″ slices (about 350g)
1T of lemon juice
1T of tamari
3 medium tomatoes, very ripe, cored and seeded (about 500g)
1 1/2 cups of dark beer*
1 cup of vegetable stock
1T of arrowroot whisked with 2T of cold water
2T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
About 3-4″ of scallion green for garnish.

Instructions

Core and seed the tomatoes and chop coarsely; then puree them in a high speed blender.
In a large frying pan with a lid, Bring the oil to heat with the sea salt on medium high.
Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the cumin, coriander and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the molasses and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to medium low.
Spread the onions evenly in the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring frequently until they have browned.
While the onions caramelize, bring the other 1T of oil and 1/4t of sea salt to heat in a frying pan on medium high.**
Add the portobellos to the pan and saute until the portobellos start to lose their moisture.
Reduce the heat to medium low and saute until the pan starts to brown (about 10 minutes).
Add the lemon juice and tamari to the portobellos and deglaze.
Add the portobellos to the onions once they are ready.
Stir to combine thoroughly and return the pan to medium high heat.
Saute together for about 2 minutes.
Add the pureed tomatoes and stock to the pan.
Stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the beer, stir to combine and cook until the liquid reaches a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until until the sauce is thick and has reduced by two thirds or more (expect at least an hour).

Whisk the arrowroot and the water and add slowly to the pan, stirring
continuously until thickened.
Add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Plate and garnish with the scallion.

*The quality of the beer is very important to this recipe. Pick a well-balanced one. I use dunkel for the malt flavour. Also, it’s uncommon, but some beers are still filtered using isinglass and other animal products.
Be sure to check!

**Unless you have an enormous frying pan, if you fry the portobellos with the onions in the same pan, you’ll overload it. Your portobellos won’t be quite as soft or rich, but they should still be good and everything will taste fine. You can also try slow cooking the ingredients together if you prefer not to have multiple pans on the go.