The following two vegan recipes are very easy to recreate at home. Simplicity is the key here as we celebrate the delicate flavours of spring. The first recipe is very moreish and comforting. It is a marriage of vibrant spring greens with the textures of the departing winter. In this recipe, I have used regular wheat flour, although rice flour would work just as well if you want to create a gluten-free alternative.
In Cornucopia this spring, we are introducing a selection of delicious raw food main courses in addition to our raw soups, salads and desserts which are so popular. The second recipe for courgette tagliatelle represents a small taste of what we will have on offer. Again, it is a simple recipe and it works very well. Other vegetables can be substituted for the raw vegetable pasta ribbons; I have had great success using carrots or daikon radish.
Potato boxty with tenderstem broccoli in a spring onion coconut sauce
Serves 3
You will need:
- 400g grated potato
- 40g sunflower oil
- 60g plain flour
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 bunch of spring onion tops and bottoms, finely chopped
- Seasoning
- Oil for frying
Sauce:
- 50ml mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine used in cooking)
- 300ml coconut milk
- Seasoning
- 150g tender stem broccoli
Firstly, grate the potato. Add the salt and lemon and give the mixture a good squeeze. Some liquid will escape. Do not discard as this starchy liquid will help to bind all the other ingredients. Add the flour, oil, spring onion bottoms and seasoning.
Shape the mixture into patties; you should get about 6 from this quantity. Heat some oil in a large frying pan or skillet. When it’s sizzling, lower the heat to medium and add the patties. Fry the patties for about 5 minutes on each side.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the mirin in a small saucepan. Allow it to reduce for a minute before adding the coconut milk. Reduce for a further 5 minutes before adding the spring onion tops. Blend to a velvety sauce. While this is happening, blanch the broccoli in some salted boiling water for no more than 2 minutes.
Flood each plate with a ladle of sauce and top with two of the boxty and a third of the broccoli.
Courgette tagliatelle with green olives, sundried tomatoes and basil cashew cream
Serves 3-4
You will need:
- 2 medium courgettes, rinsed, topped and tailed
- 40g sundried tomato, soaked in cold water overnight
- 40g of green olives, thinly sliced
- 200g cashew nuts, soaked in cold water overnight
- 200ml water
- 20g fresh basil
- 30ml lemon juice
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
- Seasoning
- Heaped dessertspoon of nutritional yeast (optional)
- Rocket to serve
Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, peel the courgettes into a large bowl until you begin to see seeds at the centre. At this stage, set the interior of the courgettes aside for something else. The courgette strips you now have in the bowl constitute the “tagliatelle”. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes and add them to the courgettes, along with the olives.
Strain the cashews and blend them with the fresh water, basil, lemon, garlic, seasoning and nutritional yeast. To blend, use a high speed blender, a food processor or an immersion blender (we use a vita-mix in the restaurant).
Blend the mixture until a velvety sauce is achieved. If the sauce is still a little grainy, it can be put through a fine sieve. Fold the sauce through the courgette ribbons. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately, topped with some fresh rocket leaves. Enjoy!
