Vegan and Pescatarian Home-Cooking Recipes from Event Sales Manager, Skye Thompson
Our Event Sales Manager, Skye Thompson, has been busy in the kitchen during lockdown trialing new vegan and pescatarian recipes.
As natural foodies, many of our team have been spending a lot of time in their kitchens sharpening their culinary skills, and Skye is no exception. Regardless of whether you're vegan or pescatarian, Skye's recipes sound amazing, and even if you're someone who can't go a meal without meat or cheese, many of the below would make ideal side dishes. Enjoy...
Tofu Poke Bowl
Serves 2
Ingredients
Tofu (250g)
4 tbsp soy sauce
Olive oil
200g sweet potato (about 1 large) and/or butternut squash
2tbsp sesame seeds
130g basmati or wholegrain rice
1 avocado
1tsp sesame oil
1tbsp white wine or Chinese vinegar
Sprinkle of chilli flakes
150g Kale
3tbsp peanut butter
1/2 lime juice
1tbsp curry powder
1tsp honey
160ml coconut milk
1 finely chopped spring onion
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Method
1. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (fan oven).
2. Chop your tofu or meat into bite-sized rectangles and marinate, gently stirring, in 2tbsp soy sauce.
3. Chop your sweet potato and/or butternut squash into bite size chunks.
4. Drizzle 2tbsp olive oil onto a large baking tray, add your sweet potato/squash to one side and season with salt and pepper. Add your tofu to the other side and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cook in the oven for 20-30 mins.
5. Put 130g rice into a saucepan with 250ml cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and stir in 1 tbsp of soy sauce before serving.
6. Chop your avocado into bite-sized chunks, then mix with 1tsp sesame oil and 1tbsp white wine or Chinese vinegar. Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes and salt and set to one side.
7. Wash your kale, add to a small baking tray with a drizzle of oil and sea salt. Put in the oven for 5-7 mins or until crisp!
8. In a small bowl, mix 3tbsp of peanut butter, 1/2 lime juice, 1tsp honey, 1tbsp soy sauce, 1tbsp curry powder until it becomes a paste.
9. Add 160ml coconut milk to a pan and add in your paste, stirring continuously for about 5 mins, then leave simmering for a further 5 mins until it’s thickened up.
10. Remove everything from the oven and assemble your bowl, topping with chopped spring onion. Enjoy!
Udon Noodles
Recipe from @Woon.Heng • Serves 3
Ingredients
400g udon noodles
365g firm tofu
½ chopped cabbage
½ broccoli cut into florets
1tbsp finely chopped garlic
Oil for cooking
Salt, season to taste
Sauce:
2.5tbsp dark soy sauce
3tsp light soy sauce
475ml vegetable stock
Method
1. Drain your tofu and pat dry with a piece of kitchen roll. Then, slice ¾ of your tofu into rectangles and the rest into tiny cubes.
2. Pan-fry the tofu rectangles with a drizzle of oil until they are golden brown, season with salt and then set aside. Using the same pan, add a little more oil and cook the tofu cubes until crispy and season with salt – these will be saved as toppings.
3. In a jug, mix your sauce ingredients and set aside.
4. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan and once hot, sauté the garlic until fragrant.
5. Add in your veggies, noodles, tofu rectangles and sauce and stir it all together. Cover and allow it to steam and reduce. Keep cooking until the veggies are tender and the sauce has reduced by half.
6. Turn off the heat, add in your seasoned tofu cubes and give it a stir until well combined.
Garlic Aubergine
Recipe from @Woon.Heng • Serves 3
Ingredients
2 medium sized aubergines
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 slices of ginger (minced)
1tsp chilli flakes
Oil for cooking
1 sliced spring onion
Cornflour slurry (mix 1 tsp of cornflour with 3tsp cold water)
Sauce:
1.5tbsp soy sauce
1tsp maple syrup
350ml water
Method
1. Mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.
2. Heat a non-stick pan with 2tbsp oil and sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in your chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add in the sauce and simmer until the sauce has slightly reduced. Add in the aubergine and stir to cover in the sauce. Cover with a lid and turn heat to medium. Cook until the aubergine is tender.
TIP: if the aubergine is starting to look frothy then continue to cook uncovered.
4. Season with salt, if needed. Stir in the cornflour slurry, cook for 30 seconds to thicken the sauce and turn off the heat.
5. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve immediately.
Pan-fried Seabass with Lemon and Asparagus Risotto
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 sea bass fillets
1 bunch of asparagus spears
2tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
200g arborio rice
120ml white wine
2tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp lemon zest
800ml veg stock
Sea salt and black pepper, season to taste
1tsp fresh or dried thyme leaves
Optional extra veg side: Chilli and Garlic Broccoli – ½ broccoli cut into florets, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1tsp of chilli flakes, 2tbsp of oil)
Method
1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the asparagus spears. Blanch for 2-3 minutes until tender, but still with some crunch. Remove from the pan and run under cold water to stop cooking. Cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add your diced shallot, onion and garlic and cook on a gentle heat until the onions are soft. Be careful not to brown them!
3. Add your rice into the pan and stir constantly to combine with the onions, for about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, zest and white wine and stir gently until all the wine has been absorbed.
4. Add in 300ml of your stock, stirring regularly until all the stock has been absorbed. Continue to add the stock 150ml, stirring each time until absorbed. You want the rice to be creamy and soft.
5. Score the skin of your sea bass fillets and season with salt and pepper.
6. Drizzle some oil into a frying pan and turn up the heat. When the oil is hot, add your sea bass fillets skin side down and cook until they are crisp (around 6 minutes). Once the skin is crisp, flip the fillets over and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until cooked through and flaky.
(7. Optional extra veg side – Blanch the broccoli florets in a saucepan of boiling water until tender. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic and chilli flakes. Add your broccoli florets to the pan until beginning to char. Turn them over until cooked on all sides. Season with salt and serve!)
8. Once all the stock has been absorbed in the risotto, stir in the thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve your sea bass fillets on a bed of the risotto and enjoy!
Spiced Lentil Soup and Farmhouse Bread
Serves 4
Ingredients
Bread:
500g strong white bread flour
10g table salt
1x7g sachet of fast action yeast
350ml tepid water
Soup:
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
2tbsp red Thai curry paste
300g red lentils
1.2l veg stock
200ml coconut milk
Method
1. In a large bowl, weigh the flour. Rub in the salt at one edge of the bowl and the yeast on the other side, as the salt can stop the yeast working.
2. Add 350ml tepid water and mix together to form a coherent dough (use your dough to mop up any flour sticking to the bowl). Cover your bowl with a damp tea towel or clingfilm and rest in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until it has noticeably increased in size.
3. Wet the fingertips of one hand and slide between the bowl and dough. Fold the dough in half. Turn the bowl 90°; repeat until you have removed all the air and it’s noticeably smooth. Cover and rest for an hour, or until at least doubled in size.
4. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface, flour your hands and shape into a ball. Then, place the dough on a heavily floured surface (like a chopping board), loosely cover and leave it for a final hour, or until it has doubled in size and springs back when pushed. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7, at least 20 minutes in advance.
5. Give your bread a few shallow slashes with a serrated knife. Bake on a lightly oiled baking tray on a low-to-middle shelf for 35-40 minutes, until a deep golden brown – don’t be scared to let it get a good dark crust. If your oven cooks unevenly, turn the loaf so it browns all over.
6. Whilst your bread is cooking, heat your oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, frying until soft. Stir in the red Thai curry paste until the onions are well coated.
7. Add in the red lentils and stir until well mixed in. Pour over the veg stock and simmer for 20 mins until the lentils are tender.
8. Blend with the coconut milk in a blender or food processor until it is all combined. Reheat before serving if necessary.
9. Remove your bread from the oven and serve warm with the soup. Enjoy!
