Among many, many things, weekends are good for two things—getting away from and preparing oneself for the dreaded Monday. And while every day is a chance to treat yourself to a nice vegan meal, the weekends are a bit more special.
If you wanted to be treated with the best of the world’s vegan cuisine, then you should go on a Vegan Culinary Cruise. But while you’re still waiting for the next cruise, here’s how you can prepare a five-star vegan weekend treat for yourself, and even for your friends. Check out these recipes!
Lentil Salisbury Steak
You read that right, this elegant favorite can now be cruelty-free. How is this done, you ask? Start by mashing two cups of cooked lentils in a bowl using a potato masher or a fork. Don’t mash it too fine – leave some texture in there.
Then throw in a cup of wheat gluten, a cup of vegan bread crumbs, half a cup of vegetable broth, a quarter cup of soy sauce, a tablespoon of liquid smoke, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Start mixing them all, and knead the mixture until it stops being sticky, and shape the mixture into balls.
Flatten the balls until they look like steaks. The secret to a firmer lentil steak is to put it in an oven that has been preheated to 425 degrees. Spray some non-stick spray before putting the steaks into them and it’s to the oven they go. Bake them for 20-30 minutes until the steaks are firm. Once they’re ready, brown each side on a frying pan with some olive oil.
Once they’re brown, take out the steaks and set them aside. On the same pan, turn up the heat to medium-high and put in some mushrooms and some garlic. Saute and add in some salt and pepper. Once they’re all sauteed, take them out of the pan and set them aside.
Still on the same pan, with low heat, this time, add the vegan butter and flour. Whisk them for 2 minutes to make a roux. Then pour in some veggie broth and continue whisking. After about four minutes, put the mushrooms back into the pan, and season accordingly.
Now put the steaks on a plate then pour the gravy on top. Easy, elegant, delicious.
Recipe from rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-lentil-salisbury-steak
Peanut Noodles
Now if you want something easier, try some peanut noodles. Mix in a quarter cup of natural peanut butter, some sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sriracha, and make your peanut sauce. If it’s not salty enough, add some tamari.
Cook your noodles until they are al dente, and as you wait, you can plan your next vegan river cruises with your friends. Then on an oiled hot pan, put in some mushrooms and eggplant and cook until the mushrooms are soft. Spice it up with some red pepper and scallions then give it some more time in the heat.
As soon as it’s ready, toss in the noodles. Top it off with some sesame seeds or some crushed peanuts. Vegan comfort food extraordinaire.
Recipe and photos from loveandlemons.com/easy-peanut-noodles
Battered Cauliflower
One of the true champions of the vegan food scene is battered cauliflower. It’s simple to make, extremely versatile and can be used in everything from tacos to stir-fry dishes.
Here’s a simple recipe for the vegan batter. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can switch things up a little by adding hot sauce, chili, garlic, or mustard powder to the batter, or get busy learning the tricks of beer-battered frying.
Mix together 1 cup flour with 1 tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch, half a teaspoon of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and any other flavorings you want to try out. Slowly pour in 240ml/9fl oz/1 cup ice-cold water while whisking, and mix until smooth.
Dust each piece of cauliflower with additional flour, then dip it into the batter to coat well. Drop into a pan of hot oil and fry until golden.
A top tip for consuming? Liberally squeeze lime juice all over your crunchy bite-sized cauliflower for the ultimate finger food. Perfect for parties with all your buddies or even a party of one. You deserve it!
Excerpt taken from Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t published by Nourish Books. Available online via Amazon; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Gay-Vegan-Drink-Live/dp/184899351X/.
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