The Vegan Society

Promoting ways of living free from animal products for the benefit of people, animals and the environment.

Recipes from Green Cuisine

Here are some favourite restaurant dishes from Daphne Lambert at Green Cuisine

Butternut squash soup with coconut cream

Serves 4

Ingredients/h5> 1lb 8oz¬?(700g) butternut squash, peeled & diced
2 onions, peeled & chopped
2 fl oz olive oil
2 pints (1.2 litre) vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
salt & pepper
1.5 oz coconut cream

Method

  1. Gently cook the onion in the olive oil
  2. Add the butternut squash and cook until just turning brown
  3. Add the spices, cook for a further minute stirring all the time
  4. Pour on the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
  5. Cool slightly, then blend until smooth
  6. Return to pan, season if required.
  7. Dissolve coconut in a little water.
  8. Divide soup between 4 bowls & decorate with a swirl of coconut.

Baba Ghanoush with sun dried tomato polenta

Serves 6

Ingredients
3 large aubergines
2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic
juice & zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
1 dessertspoon fresh coriander, chopped

Method

  1. Pierce the aubergine in a couple of places then grill, turning twice, until the skins are black and blistered and the flesh is soft.
  2. Don't be tempted to cook in the oven, grilling gives a much better smoky flavour.
  3. Cool, split in half and scoop out the flesh. Leave to drain in a colander.
  4. Puree the flesh in a blender with the remaining ingredients.

Sun dried polenta

Ingredients

2 onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1.75 pints vegetable stock
6 sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
6 oz polenta
2 tablespoons olive oil & extra for oiling the tin

Method

Make the polenta first. Gently cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft add the stock and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to the boil. Slowly, in a continuous stream, pour in the polenta beating all the time. Cook gently for 1 minute, cool slightly then pour into a well oiled tin and allow to cool. At this stage you can cover the polenta and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Turn out and cut into triangles. Place the triangles on an oiled baking sheet and roast in a hot oven 200¬?C for about 10 minutes.
Put a spoonful of Baba Ganoush on each plate with a couple of hot polenta triangles and serve.

Millet & tofu cakes with citrus salad

Ingredients

4 oz millet
15 floz vegetable stock
6 oz firm tofu
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons tamari
2 oz chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 oz breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
4 oz millet flakes
Olive oil

Method

Cook the millet in the stock for 20 minutes or until the millet is soft. Leave until cool. Blend all the ingredients together except the millet flakes. Shape into eight flat cakes. Dip each one into millet flakes. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the cakes gently on each side.

Citrus salad

Ingredients

1 cos lettuce
1 chilli pepper, seeded & chopped
1 small head radicchio
1 handful rocket
1 handful watercress

Dressing

6 fl oz olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh limejuice
salt & pepper

2 oranges (blood, if in season)
1 lime
1 large ruby grapefruit

Method

  1. Wash and pick over salad ingredients, pop in a container in 'fridge until needed.
  2. Peel the citrus fruit and cut out the segments.
  3. Whizz all the dressing ingredients together.
  4. Place the salad in a bowl and toss with half the dressing.
  5. Divide the salad between four bowls, pile on the citrus segments, drizzle over remaining dressing.
  6. Place 2 hot millet cakes to the side of each salad.

Pears in white wine with chocolate sauce

Ingredients

Serves 6
6 large pears, peeled and left whole
75cl white wine (make sure it is suitable for a vegan)
4oz sugar
4 cloves
1 cardamom, seeds removed
Pared lemon peel
1 vanilla pod

Chocolate sauce

4 oz plain chocolate
2 tablespoons golden syrup
4 fl oz water

Method

  1. Put the pears in a pan with the remaining ingredients.
  2. Add water if necessary, to cover, bring to boil and simmer uncovered for an hour or until tender but still hold their shape.
  3. Lift out and put in a bowl.
  4. Reduce the syrup, then pour over the pears.
  5. Melt all the chocolate sauce ingredients gently together.
  6. Place a pear in individual bowls, drizzle over chocolate sauce and serve.