YoIf you're hosting a Veganuary dinner, make the flavors as bold as your New Year's resolutions and make sure the only thing on the endangered list is boring food.
These recipes from Farmer J will turn your regular dinner into a plant-powered party.
To start, heirloom tomato, vegan pesto and Superstraccia, a vegan and dairy-free cheese from Julienne Bruno, on toast. Tomatoes dancing with basil, stracciatella-inspired Italian cheese that punctuates the movements, and vegan pesto to ensure no taste buds are left unattended. It's an explosion of flavor that even your non-vegan friends will congratulate you on.
Now, on to the main act: vegan macaroni and cheese. Julienne Bruno's Crematta and Superstraccia are here to prove that dairy-free doesn't mean flavorless. This dish is very comforting, guilt-free. Creamy, dreamy and a little rebellious.
And since every good meal needs a companion, have a plate of chickpea and eggplant salad with tahini. It's so good you'll forget you're eating a salad. Harissa chickpeas and roasted eggplant provide a feast of flavors, and the tahini dressing is the life of the celebration.
Starter: Heritage tomato, vegan pesto and Superstraccia toast
Perfect for breakfast, lunch or even a snack
(Farmer J)
Ingredients per person:
1 slice of sourdough toast
2 tablespoons Julienne Brunco Superstraccia
4 slices of traditional tomato
150 g basil (2 packages)
75 g of Prosociano vegetable cheese
1 clove garlic
30 g toasted pine nuts
75 g extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
First, make the pesto. Start with the pickling liquid. Choose the basil leaves, add all the ingredients to the blender and blend. Try not to make the mixture too smooth; make sure it has some texture.
Next, assemble the toasts. Start by spreading a thick layer of pesto, then the Superstaccia, then place the tomatoes and a couple of basil leaves.
Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Made.
Main: vegan macaroni and cheese
(Farmer J)
It serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 julienne Bruno Crematta
2 Julienne Brunco Superstraccia
100 g broccoli
40 g black cavolo
50 g black cavolo
50 g all-purpose flour
500ml of water
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white miso
1 teaspoon soy sauce
250 g macaroni
100 g frozen peas
¼ lemon zest and juice
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
Method:
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, blanch the broccoli and cavolo nero for 2 minutes, then immerse them in a large bowl of cold water. Drain and then chop coarsely before setting aside.
Preheat the oven to 200C. Pour the tub of Crematta into a medium/large saucepan and place over medium heat until it begins to melt. Whisk gently until the Crematta is completely melted and begins to bubble. Add the flour, whisking constantly to combine until the flour is cooked and the roux-style base is smooth and glossy. Pour the 500 ml of water into the saucepan while whisking continuously. Lower the heat, add half a tub of Superstraccia and cook for 5 minutes, letting the sauce thicken, whisking occasionally.
Add all the seasonings and then whisk vigorously to combine, removing from the heat before stirring in the chopped vegetables, peas, lemon juice, lemon zest and macaroni.
Pour the macaroni mixture into your baking dish or skillet. Mix the remaining Superstraccia into the tapioca starch before evenly coating the dish, making sure it spreads completely to the edges.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until bubbly and top is golden. Finish under the grill on high heat for 5 minutes until the top is beautifully browned and beginning to char. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Accompaniment: chickpea and eggplant salad with tahini
This salad is not your average dish of “boring” vegetables.
(Farmer J)
It serves: 4
Ingredients:
for the salad:
500 g chickpeas
1 tablespoon pink harissa
300 g cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 green pepper, cut in ¼ and thinly sliced
4 Shifka pickled chiles, chopped
30 g preserved lemon, finely chopped
2 scallions, sliced
½ bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
1 eggplant, cut into 2cm dice
Olive oil
Salt
For the tahini dressing:
50g tahini
50 g of ice water
30 g olive oil
15g lemon juice
2 g of salt
1g cumin
Method:
Preparing the harissa chickpeas:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Rinse the chickpeas under running water and drain well.
3. Toss the chickpeas with the harissa and a pinch of salt and roast for 6 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Preparing the eggplants:
1. Cut the eggplant into small cubes, 2 to 3 cm in size. In a bowl we mix the eggplant with the salt and olive oil.
2. Spread the eggplant cubes on a flat tray lined with baking paper.
3. Roast in a preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes, until they turn a dark golden brown. Let them cool.
Preparing the lemon tahini dressing:
1. Mix all the dressing ingredients with a blender. Keep whisking even when the sauce looks like it has broken up, keep going and it will all come together!
assemble the salad:
1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the roasted eggplant.
2. Add the tahini-lemon dressing and mix well.
3. Serve on a large plate and decorate the salad with the roasted eggplant cubes.
4. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
