Our winter issue is out now. Our good friends over at Cornucopia have provided us with a fantastic Tofu recipe that is sure to impress guests this festive season. This is a healthy and nourishing alternative to the traditional foods we see this time of year. Enjoy!
If you’re stuck for ideas about what to cook for the vegan in your life this Christmas, this recipe for banana blossom ‘fishless’ cake with tartar sauce could be a perfect fit! It is brought to you by the amazing Tony Keogh, head chef of the popular Cornucopia restaurant. Read on to learn more. This recipe appears in our Winter 2018/19 issue – click here to find your local stockist, or here to subscribe to the magazine.
In our Autumn 2018 issue, Cornucopia head chef Tony Keogh shared a delicious recipe for a white chocolate and berry tart. Sounds scrumptious, doesn’t it? Read on to learn how you can recreate this beauty in your own kitchen.
by Tony Keogh
This tart is very simple to put together and is a real crowd pleaser. There is something about the combination of white chocolate and berries that sings a beautiful song. In this recipe, that combination is used to full effect: the chocolate cuts smoothly like a knife through the tartness of fresh seasonal berries. The chocolate and berries are then offset with a rich nutty base, which is enhanced with the delicate flavour of apricot.
White chocolate and vanilla tart in an apricot brazil nut crust with macerated autumn berries
For the base
140 grams desiccated coconut
100 grams brazil nuts
100 grams flaked almond
220 grams ready to eat apricots
For the filling
120 grams cacao butter
120 grams coconut oil
120 grams cashew nuts
120 grams non-refined caster sugar
350 ml water
3 tsp of agar powder
Vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
100 ml soy milk
For the fruit
150 grams autumn berries
Zest of one lime
Dessertspoon of non-refined sugar
Method
1. Start with the base. In a food processor, mill the brazil nuts, almonds and coconut, adding the apricots slowly, until the mixture comes together. Line a 28 cm tart tin with the mixture and bake it for about 8 minutes. While it is baking, prepare the filling.
2. Bring the water to a simmer and place a metal bowl over it. Add the cacao butter. When it melts, add the coconut oil. When both have melted together, remove the bowl, add the sugar to the water and bring it back to a simmer. Add the agar, boil the mixture for a minute or two, then remove it from the heat.
3. Add the cashews, soya milk and the water mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Whisk this mixture into the melted fats. Add some vanilla, a pinch of salt and taste for sweetness. If you are happy, pour the mixture in and leave it aside somewhere cool to set.
4. For the macerated fruit, simply combine all the ingredients and set them aside for at least half an hour. Serve the tart with a good dollop of fruit.
Looking for the perfect meal to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of spring? Tony Keogh of Cornucopia has got you covered. Below, we share his delicious recipe for leek and courgette barley cake, which features in our Spring 2018 issue.
By Tony Keogh
It’s time to shake off the winter coat – Spring has finally sprung. As the days get longer so too does the list of fresh ingredients on offer. The marriage of the passing winter and the awakening spring is celebrated in this dish. The coupling of beetroot with raspberry, just like the union of courgette and barley, bridge the merging of the seasons.
This dish is surprisingly easy to make. Please do not be put off by the list of ingredients. A bottle of raspberry vinegar or a pot of tahini are two ingredients that you will return to again and again. Metal rings can be purchased in any kitchen store or large supermarket.
The punchy salsa is very versatile and will find a comfortable home in many settings, from a sandwich filler to a salad dressing.
Leek and courgette barley cake in a beetroot tahini cream with pumpkin seed and pea salsa
For the cakes
375 grams barley
1350 ml stock
200 ml white wine
½ head (5 cloves) garlic finely minced
10 grams fresh thyme finely chopped
2 leeks
1 courgettes
30 grams corn flour dissolved in 50 ml water
150 grams firm tofu
Dijon mustard
2 bay leaves
Little lemon juice
For the cream sauce
1 large onion finely diced
1 packet of vacuum packed beetroot
Pinch of chili flake
10 ml raspberry vinegar
500 ml stock
5 grams chopped fresh dill
50 ml apple juice
20 ml tahini
Seasoning
For the salsa
100 grams of pumpkin seeds, toasted Juice of one lemon
100 grams frozen peas, thawed 4 scallions finely chopped
5 grams of freshly chopped mint 15 ml white wine or cider vinegar
Seasoning 10 ml apple juice
Method
Start with the cakes; rinse the barley and add it to a medium heavy based pot, along with the wine, the stock, the bay leaves and the thyme. Bring this to a boil for about 10 minutes and then lower the heat and leave it to simmer for a further 40 minutes.
Quarter the leek lengthways and slice it thinly. Sauté it in a small sauce pan in a little oil until it becomes translucent and soft. Quarter the courgette lengthways and slice it into little quarter moons. Fry these off in a little oil in a medium frying pan and set them aside with the leek.
In a blender, puree the tofu, cornflour mixture and mustard. When the barley is tender, fold the tofu mixture through it. Season it to taste with salt, lemon and black pepper. Remove the bay leaves.
Line an oven tray with parchment paper. Using a metal ring or a large scone cutter, shape mounds of the barley mixture onto the parchment into around 8 large discs – they will hold their shape.
Bake these in pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for around 20 minutes.
To make the sauce; sauté the diced onion in a little oil until soft. Add it to a blender along with the beetroot, chili flakes, raspberry vinegar, stock, dill, apple and tahini. Blend the sauce until it is velvety smooth. If the sauce is grainy it can be passed through a sieve, if it is too thick add a little water to thin it out.
To make the salsa; roughly pulse all the ingredients together in a food processor. Do not over blend – you want to maintain a rough texture.
Flood a serving plate with a little sauce, top with a cake and top the cake with a dollop of salsa.
Cornucopia head chef Tony Keogh has once again provided us with a wonderful recipe to see us through the season ahead. This time, he has invoked the comforting energies of autumn with a crisp, savoury baklava, topped by a generous dollop of butternut squash ice cream. Below is a sneak peek of this delicious recipe. To read it in full, pick up our Autumn 2017 issue from one of our many stockists today.
By Tony Keogh
“Autumn … the year’s last, loveliest smile.” – William Cullen Bryant
The warm summer nights are drawing in and there is an undeniable crispness in the air. As a kid I loved this time of year: the colourful tapestry of leaves, the smell of bonfires, and the changeable September skies. As a grown man, and a chef, I still love it. There is so much wonderful produce available, which always stokes my creativity.
For this season’s recipe I have a savoury take on a sweet classic. This is an elegant dinner piece which is sure to impress. It is also vegan and very simple to make. Making full use of the seasonal bounty available, I am substituting the dried fruit of the usual baklava for a subtly spiced mixture of caramelised onions, celeriac and sun dried tomatoes. This is topped with a smooth and creamy butternut squash ice cream with a hint of rose and lime.
The structure to this recipe is pretty solid, so please feel free to add, substitute or omit any of the vegetables, spices or nuts in the baklava. If you do not like rose or lime in the ice cream, these can be removed also.
This is a sneak peek of Tony Keogh’s recipe from our Autumn 2017 issue. To read the full recipe, pick up a free copy of the magazine at one of our stockists across Ireland now.
This is an excerpt from the Summer issue of Positive Life. Read the rest of the intro, recipe and notes by subscribing so we can send you a copy or pick up one at one of our stockist. Subscribe | Stockists
Intro & Recipe by Tony Keogh, Head Chef at Cornucopia
Summer time is upon us. The warm evenings and glorious endless days are here again. Vitamin D and energy levels have been restored, and we are all pining to be outdoors. It’s that time of year to break out the sun cream, the chequered blanket, and a bottle of vino, and head down to your favourite spot in the park for some impromptu alfresco dining. Stepping out for a nibble is something people have relished since time immemorial. It’s one of life’s many mysteries, but for some reason, food always tastes better in a friend’s house or outdoors. Breaking bread in the sunshine is also a great way to catch up with old friends.
At Cornucopia, we have you covered for all your alfresco needs. Whether it’s a summer picnic, a potluck barbecue, or an office lunch, we have your back with a wide selection of salads, cold pressed juices, raw chilled soups or sweet summer nibbles. We have also have just introduced a second summer sandwich
to rival and complement our famous daikon smoked tofu wrap. It consists of fresh herby falafels, sundried tomatoes, sumac, and fresh shredded vegetables with creamy tahini mayonnaise and hummus, all enrobed in a soft tortilla shell. It’s portable and it’s healthy, and is available at the restaurant today.
This is an excerpt from the Summer issue of Positive Life. Read the rest of the intro, recipe and notes by subscribing so we can send you a copy or pick up one at one of our stockist. Subscribe | Stockists
This is an excerpt from the Spring issue of Positive Life. Read the rest of the intro, recipe and notes by subscribing so we can send you a copy or pick up one at one of our stockist. Subscribe | Stockists
Intro & Recipe by Tony Keogh, Head Chef at Cornucopia
This is a romantic dish as befitting the arrival of spring when our love quickens and we emerge from the caverns of our winter hibernations.
George Bernard Shaw, the notorious curmudgeon, once claimed that “there is no sincerer love than the love of food.” Having served the pictured dish to our love-struck diners on Valentine’s Day, I can’t help thinking that the love of food and romantic love were both very much on show on the night.
The ingredients I used are reflective of the sparse produce available at that time of year. That being said, this meal can be enjoyed in any season as most of the vegetables are interchangeable. Peppers, aubergines and courgettes can be substituted in the recipe below.
The main course detailed here, pavé of late winter roots with a sour cherry, cashew and port reduction, is a real comforting treat. With it, we served two side dishes: roast cauliflower in kimchi cream and braised bay fennel with bagna cauda.
Flanking the main course, we had romantic sharing platters. For the starter we had our very own cashew blue cheese, candied walnuts, raw beetroot tahini and mint soup served with basil crackers, radish and cucumber salad with chili pea shoots and a beetroot gel.
The dessert comprised of a quartet of sweet treats: a meringue with passion fruit buttercream; a date and oat slice with banana caramel; chocolate mousse; and a strawberry cheesecake. These tasting platters were very well received.
Fine dining and romance have always been inseparable. On Valentine’s night in Cornucopia, love was in the air and the diners were being seduced by the variety of tastes laid out before them. This dish is sure to warm the cockles of whomever’s heart you are hoping to melt.
This is an excerpt from the Spring issue of Positive Life. Read the rest of the intro, recipe and notes by subscribing so we can send you a copy or pick up one at one of our stockist. Subscribe | Stockists
Recipe by Tony Keogh, head chef at Cornucopia, Dublin.
As the days grow shorter and we settle into the cosy dark evenings, a seasonal diet will naturally turn towards the comforting, calorie-rich fruits, nuts and roots of autumn and winter. These foods provide sustenance and light during the cold winter days and there is no better symbol of this than the delicious apple.
The winter makeover we’ve given the humble apple may seem indulgent, but you’re getting antioxidants from the apples and bringing in omega 3 in the almonds that offset the rich, fudgy sauce and the cashew nuts. Not to mention the health benefits of the cinnamon, ginger and cardamon.
Any large, sweet, red eating apple will do for this recipe but personally I would prefer a nice Irish apple. While the heritage apples of Ireland are becoming rare, they can still be found at farmers markets and selected retail outlets of if you’re lucky your own back garden!
By Deirdre McCafferty, recipe by Tony Keogh of Cornucopia Dublin
A tasty way to boost your immunity this autumn and winter is with some warming stews, bakes and soups and by adding some wonderful tummy friendly fermented foods to your diet. Currently, we’re big fans of the vegan brie and cashew blue cheeses created for Cornucopia by Tony Keogh. Healthy fermented foods help populate our digestive tracts with the bacteria that help protect us from the inside and help you grow your inner garden.
Changing seasons, shorter days and colder, wetter weather can all add to the challenge our immune systems face so our thoughts for recipes now naturally turn to health boosting meals. Here we have a great recipe for a vegan, Irish style Stew, with a twist – lots of spices! It’s chock-full of other immune boosting ingredients too; seaweed with its iodine, kale with its antioxidants and oats with calming, supportive, nerve boosting qualities.
Serves 4 -6
This recipe can be made gluten free by replacing the shoyu with tamari and by omitting the oats and adding a dessertspoon of cooked brown rice to each bowl of stew just before serving.
For the base of the stew
For the body of the stew
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees. Rinse the oat groats under some cold water and then cook them in a small saucepan in three times their volume of water.
2. Next, heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrot, celery. Stir vigorously for a minute before adding the next six ingredients along with a few dessertspoons of water to stop the mixture catching. Leave to simmer over a medium heat.
3. Coat the celeriac and parsnip in a little sunflower oil with a pinch of salt, spread them onto a large baking tray and bake in the top of the oven for about 15-20 minutes, they will need to be stirred half way through to prevent them from sticking.
4. Add a litre or so of water and the smoked paprika to the onion carrot spice mix and Leave it to simmer over a medium heat.
5. In a medium sauce pan, along with a dessertspoon of oil and 200 ml of water sweat the leeks until soft.
6. Coat the mushrooms and tofu in a little oil along with a pinch of salt. Spread them onto a roasting tray and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.
7. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce base. Add the mustard and nutritional yeast if using and puree the mixture using an immersion blender. You may need to add a little water at this stage depending on how thick the sauce base is.
8. Season and stir in the cooked celeriac and parsnip. Strain the leeks, retaining the cooking liquid. Stir in the tofu and mushrooms. Depending on how thick the sauce is you may need to stir in some of this cooking liquid. Stir in the kale, seaweed and chopped parsley, bring to a simmer and serve.
Cornucopia are now offering an online order system so you can get more lunch time convenience. Order online and collect at the quick-till between 12 and 2 to beat the queue!
Pick up a copy of the Autumn issue of Positive Life or subscribe online to have your copy delivered to your door.
Serves 4
I recently came across a recipe for beetroot bourguignon, which is an interesting twist on the classic beef bourguignon. I have made a slightly different version here with some of my own additions. This dish can be made gluten free by omitting the ketaifi pastry
For the bourguignon:
For the mushroom:
Bourguignon Method:
Heat some oil in a large heavy based saucepan and add the onion. Sweat for a minute add the wine, thyme, bay and garlic. Allow to reduce and add the carrot, beetroot, stalks, cumin and stock. Leave to simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes.
Roast the potatoes and squash in a little sunflower oil with a pinch of salt on a parchment lined tray for about 20 minutes. Slice the vacuum packed beetroot into wedges and tip into a bowl with the ground spices and a little sunflower oil, spread the beetroot over another lined tray and roast for about 25 minutes at 190 degrees.
Blanch the green beans. Remove the bay leaves from the sauce, add the mustard and puree. Using the back of a ladle, pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean pot, add the vegetables and season to taste. You may need to add a little water
The Mushrooms
Sauté the onion in sunflower oil for about 5 minutes, add garlic and tamari. After 5 minutes add the nutritional yeast and the ground brazil nuts and seasoning. Sprinkle some oil over destalked mushrooms and top them with the nut mixture. Open the ketaifi and chop it into two inch pieces and top each mushroom with a little pastry.
Bake the mushrooms in the bottom of the oven at 190 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve the bourguignon in a shallow bowl topped with a mushroom.
Arancini are traditionally breadcrumb coated deep fried risotto balls said to have originated in Sicily. They are most often filled with cheese, mince or peas and are commonly served with a dipping sauce. Here I have put a slightly Asian twist on them, A gluten free version of this can be made using black and white sesame seeds rather than the panko and by substituting rice flour for the regular flour
For the rice:
For the tofu:
For the chili-plum jam
For the Daikon noodles:
For the Panko coating:
Method: Puree the ginger, lemongrass, garlic and chilli in a food processor; add a little water to make a paste. Heat a little sunflower oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the onion and spices. sautee for a minute, add the Arborio rice. Stir rapidly to coat the rice. Add the mirin and lime and leave to absorb.
Whisk the coconut and hot water until combined. Add this to the rice ladle by ladle until it is all absorbed. season. Leave to cool before use.
Tofu: Combine all ingredients, spread out and bake on a parchment lined tray at 200 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Jam: Simmer all ingredients for about 30 minutes, puree and pass through a sieve.
Noodles: Peel the daikon and shred into noodles with a julienne peeler or for a flatter noodle, use a regular peeler. Combine with the other ingredients.
Arnacini: From your left to right you will need firstly the rice then the tofu, a bowl with the batter, followed by a plate with breadcrumbs and lastly a parchment lined oven dish to bake them on.
Take a ball of rice slightly larger than a golf ball and flatten it out. Take a small amount of tofu, press it into the centre and fold the rice around to encase it. Roll the ball in the batter and then in the panko breadcrumbs and place it onto the lined tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Bake them in a preheated oven at 190 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, Serve immediately with the noodles and the jam.
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