Posts

Green Bean Casserole

/in , , /by

A wonderfully comforting dish, this serves two. Feel free to double or even triple the recipe: you’ll want extra helpings!

For the Mushroom Sauce:

½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
300g white mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup soy (or other all-plant) milk
½ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp cornflour

For the Casserole: 
400g frozen green beans

For the Topping: 
4 onions, cut into strings and fried (we air fried ours, which takes much longer than deep frying; instructions below).

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Make the sauce by sautéing the onions and mushrooms over a medium low heat until the mushrooms start to release their liquid. Don’t allow to take on much colour. Add the rest of the ingredients apart from the cornflour, and simmer for about 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, cook the green beans according to package directions, and refresh in cold water to stop them cooking. Drain. 
4. When the sauce is ready, blend and return to the pot. Mix the cornflour with enough water to get a smooth paste. Add to the sauce and simmer to thicken. 
5. Transfer the beans to an ovenproof dish and pour over the sauce. Bake for 20 minutes. 
6. Top with the crispy onion strings and serve. 

To make the onion strings: 
1. Slice the onions on a mandoline. 
2. Transfer to an air-fryer basket and fry for 5 minutes at 120C. Toss and fry for another 5 minutes.
3. Lower the heat to 100C, and fry the onions for another 50 minutes or so, tossing often and checking that they don’t burn.

Tempeh-Potato Bake with Caramelized Fennel and Red Onions in a White Wine and Dijon Mustard Gravy

/in , , , /by

The beautiful aniseed flavours of fennel are tempered in this dish by the caramelizing process and they blend perfectly with the earthiness of the cabbage and the umami notes of the tempeh. This is an oil-free dish and it serves 4-6 (depending on appetite!). If you use a mandolin, it will make slicing the onions, fennel, and potatoes much easier.

Ingredients

227g block tempeh
300g cabbage, shredded
2 red onions, very finely sliced
1 bulb fennel, very finely sliced
1kg potatoes (skins left on), very finely sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

For the Tempeh Marinade
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika

For the Gravy
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup suitable-for-vegans white wine
3 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp suitable-for-vegans Dijon mustard
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Steam the tempeh for 15 minutes, slice into thin strips and then each strip into thirds. Mix the tempeh marinade ingredients together in a shallow bowl, and add the tempeh. Toss to coat.
2. Preheat a large nonstick or stainless steel frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions, fennel, and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the volume is greatly reduced and the vegetables are lightly coloured. If the vegetables start to stick, add a splash or two of water. Add the rest of the salt, the maple syrup, and the balsamic vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the cabbage, and cook until starting to soften.
3. Make the gravy by combining all ingredients in a bowl and whisking.
4. Spray a large casserole dish with suitable-for-vegan spray oil, and layer half of the potatoes in the bottom, overlapping them. Layer on the tempeh, and then the onion-fennel-cabbage mixture. Top with the remaining potatoes. Pour over the gravy. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
5. Bake for 45 minutes; remove the foil, and bake for 15 minutes more until the potatoes are soft and golden.