During my study of the Plant-based diets and nutrition course at Le Cordon Bleu, I started planning about my Christmas and hoping to be more sustainable and less meat than before.
This year I wanted to make it small, so I ordered a small 3kg crown from my local butcher, well that did not go as planned because they muddled up and gave me a big turkey and the rest seemed all sold out, of course…Despite this, it won’t change my initial IG TV list and being more plant-based, earth friendly, just I will have to prepare to freeze my turkey meat and have it all the way probably until February since no family would visit each other. I won’t let any little turbulent change my Christmas 2020 send off spirit.
So here are some of the best recipes I came across these few months and hoping to prepare them for my Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day.
Ottolenghi Mushroom Vegan Celebration Sticky Rice with parsleys and spring onions
Portobello Mushroom Wellington at Fortnums
Serve 4 – 6
Ingredients:
- 8 large portobello mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp marsala
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 100g spinach
- 1/8 of a nutmeg grated (I’d use 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder)
- 3 egg Yorks, beaten
- 1 x 320g ready rolled puff pastry sheet
- 1 tsp black onion seeds
For the caramelised onions
- 100g butter
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 white onions slices
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp marsala
For the pancakes
- 3 eggs
- 100g plain flour
- 300ml whole milk
- 1 tsp chopped rosemary
- Sunflower oil for frying
Method:
Clean the large mushrooms, twist out and discard the stalks. Place in a large roasting tray with garlic, thyme, marsala, oil, salt and pepper. Rub each mushroom with garlicky oil, cover the tray with tin foil. Place in an oven heated to 180C for 15mins until mushrooms have reduced the size and soft throughout. Remove the foil, drain away the cooking liquid, set a side to cool.
For the onions, melt the butter with the oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. When all the butter has melted, add onions with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until the onions turn soft and translucent. Add the thyme, garlic and Marsala to the pan and continue until it’s golden and caramelised all over. Drain away the excess oil, set aside and cool.
Next to make the pancake. Whisk the eggs with the flour in a large mixing bowl, then slowly pour in the milk, whisking all the time until no lumps are visible. Add the chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Cover with cling film, set aside for 10 mins until bubble appear on surface of the batter.
Warm a non stick frying pan with a splash of sunflower oil over medium high heat. Pour half go a ladle of the pancake batter into the pan and swirl to evenly coat and the base.
Cook each pancake for a minute on each side. here should have between 6 – 8 pancakes.
Sauté the spinach with grated nutmeg, then dry on kitchen paper.
Lay out a 30cm piece of cling film on work surface, then lay 4 cooled pancakes alongside each other on the cling film, ensuring a generous amount of overlap so that there’s a continuous length down the middle of the cling film. Brush the pancake all over with some of the egg york, then arrange the spinach down the middle of the pancakes, leaving a couple of centimetres at each end without spinach.
Place mushroom on top of the spinach, placing one on top of the other, giving four layers of town down the centre. Top the mushrooms with the caramelised onion mixture, then use the cling film to life the pancake over the filling on either side. Fold over the ends and continue rolling until you have a tight cylinder shape. Wrap pancake tightly with cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 mins.
Roll out the sheet of read made puff pastry and brush with egg York. Remove the chilled pancake/ mushroom cylinder, unwrapped the cling film and place it in the middle of the puff pastry.
Fold the pastry over filled pancake to encase it completely. Crimp the sides to the pastry and brush with egg York. Scatter over the black onion seeds and base in an oven heated 180C for 25 – 30 mins until dark golden all over.
Serve with broccoli or steamed veggies.
Nigella Lawson’s Brussels Sprouts with chestnuts, pancetta and parsley. – I have been making this recipes since 2008 when I met my boyfriend now husband, it’s so easy and delicious. I will make a twist this year, I won’t use pancetta but leave it completely vegan, and I will add some pinenuts at the end for further nutty flavour.
Donna Hay – I love Donna’s recipes, they look appetising, chic and easy. I got quite a few inspiration from her.
Honey almond hasselback pumpkin
Whole roasted cauliflower in white wine and garlic butter.
And this Turkey recipe looks sensational, so I’d love to share.
Vegan – plant-based recipes from the famous Danish cafe 42 Raw. I was introduced to this wonderful cafe when I worked for Danish brand Designers Remix, since then I became rather obsessed with raw food and my love for vegan diet started then, I love how it worked with our body that I felt more energetic, here are some of my favourite dishes, I translated to English for you all.
Red Raw Food:
1 beetroot/ grated
5 large carrots/ grated
1 apple/ grated
10 almonds/ crushed
Handful pumpkin seeds
1cm ginger grated
2 tbsp olive oil ( I add more)
2 tbsp orange juice ( I add more)
Mix all above, super easy and yummy
Broccoli salad
1 broccoli
Some lemon juice
Some apple juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Himalaya salt
1 handful goji berries
1/2 red onion
Divide broccoli into smaller bouquets and dressing in lemon and apple juice, add olive oil and salt, let it marinate for 15 mins, use your hands to flip them gently to be sure all mixed well, finally top the berries to serve.
Finally I am so grateful to complete my plant-based diet course led by chef Samantha Gowing. Here are few of my favourite of her recipes that she’s kindly sharing on her website.
I hope you’ll enjoy these recipes, I’m off to do more prepping… Happy Happy Christmas 🎄 xoxox
Kuofi O'Connor 