Shannon Martinez's new book,Vegan with Bite, takes plant-based cooking beyond the predictable and collates more than 80 punchy meat-free dishes big on flavour and texture.
Here,the Melbourne chef and owner of Smith&Daughters and Smith&Deli shares five recipes that show how to cook generous,delicious and environmentally sustainable food,regardless of budget.
Shakshuka with coriander dumplings
I love the classic version of these Middle Eastern baked eggs in spicy,rich tomato sauce. I wanted to know if I could make a vegan version that retained all the elements that make this dish great:the textures,saucy spiciness and richness. And you know what? I reckon I did it.
INGREDIENTS
Spicy tomato sauce
- 80ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
- 1 green capsicum,seeded and sliced
- 1 red capsicum,seeded and sliced
- 1 red onion,sliced
- 2 garlic cloves,minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes,or to taste
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 × 400g cans diced tomatoes
- ¼ bunch coriander leaves,roughly chopped
- ¼ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves,roughly chopped
- juice of ½ lemon
Serves4-6
Penang char kway teow
Glossy,silky-soft rice noodles,turbo savoury flavours,and all the magic of that breath of the wok – this is a Malaysian classic worth getting to know.
INGREDIENTS
When you want all the joy of a full Mexican spread,but without the fuss. This recipe is packed with all the flavours and textures we love about Mexican cuisine,without much effort at all.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion,finely chopped
- ½ red capsicum,seeded and diced
- ½ green capsicum,seeded and diced
- 3 garlic cloves,minced
- 450g vegie mince or soaked textured vegetable protein
- 1 tsp chilli powder,or to taste
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 400g can diced tomatoes
- 300g (1½ cups) long-grain rice
- 150g (1 cup) frozen corn kernels
- 400g can black beans,drained and rinsed
- 625ml (2½ cups) beef stock
- 3 spring onions,sliced,plus extra to serve
- 250g shredded cheese,sliced avocado,chopped coriander leaves and lime wedges,to serve
METHOD
- Heat the oil in a wide shallow saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion,capsicums and a big pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes,or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the mince or textured vegetable protein and fry,breaking it up into small bits if using vegie mince. Add the ground spices and oregano and cook for 30 seconds,then stir through the diced tomatoes and cook over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat in the spiced tomato mixture,then add the corn and black beans.
- Pour over the stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to the boil,then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook,covered,for 20-25 minutes,or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove the lid and stir through the spring onion and half the cheese. Shake the pan to even out the rice,then sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Cover with the lid once again and leave for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Finish with the avocado,coriander and extra spring onion and serve with lime wedges. If you really want to go all out,add some corn chips and a drizzle of hot sauce.
Serves 4-6
Mapo tofu
This is one of my all-time favourite things to eat. As a meat eater,I am confident that this version is as satisfying and delicious as one containing meat. If you want to convince the meat eater in your life that food can be just as good without it,or you're looking to reduce the amount of meat you eat,this recipe is a fantastic place to start.
INGREDIENTS
Sticky fig pudding
Yes,it's called sticky fig pudding (swapping out dates for figs= revelation),but the secret to this dish is prunes. I know. Who would have thought that the laxative of the fruit world could elevate a dessert you thought was already perfect? The savoury spice mix garam masala balances out the sometimes sickly-sweet quality of this dish. A total crowd-pleaser.
INGREDIENTS
- 180g dried figs,roughly chopped
- 100g pitted soft prunes,roughly chopped
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 250ml (1 cup) boiling water
- 120g unsalted butter,softened
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp Vegg (vegan egg yolk)
- 1 tbsp No Egg
- 3 tbsp cold water
- 185g (1¼ cups) plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp salt
- vanilla ice-cream,to serve
Butterscotch sauce
- 200g brown sugar
- 300g cream cheese
- ½ tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 80g butter
- ½ tsp salt
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional). Grease and line a pudding basin or a 20cm springform cake tin.
- Place the figs and prunes in a heatproof bowl and sprinkle over the bicarbonate of soda. Pour over the boiling water and leave to soften for 10 minutes,then mash with a potato masher or fork until fairly smooth.
- Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and well combined.
- Whisk together the Vegg,No Egg and cold water,then add to the butter mixture and beat through. It may look slightly curdled but that's totally fine. Sift in the flour,baking powder,garam masala and salt and mix until incorporated. Pour in the date and prune mixture and stir until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared basin or tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 35 minutes if you are using a springform tin,or about an hour if using a pudding basin,until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile,to make the butterscotch sauce,place all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir until the butter has melted. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes,stirring once,then remove from the heat.
- Remove the pudding from the oven and poke holes all over the surface with a skewer. Pour over 125ml (½ cup) of the butterscotch sauce and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Serve with ice-cream and the remaining sauce in a jug so people can add more if they like.
Serves 4-6
This is an edited extract fromVegan with Bite by Shannon Martinez,published by Hardie Grant Books,RRP $34.99. Photographer:Nikki To.Buy now