7) Turn into an oiled baking dish, and bake for about half an hour at 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 5. Serve warm or cold.
Pecan Pâté
This pâté can be served on toast or crispbread, or alternatively, the mixture can be formed into little balls and served with salad. (Vecon is a concentrated vegetable stock paste.)
115g/4 oz/1 cup pecans
115g/4 oz/2 cups wholewheat breadcrumbs
1 large or 2 small carrot(s)
1 small onion
1 tbs chopped parsley
2 tsp tomato purée (paste)
1 tsp Vecon
1 tbs hot water
1) Grind the pecans.
2) Grate the carrot(s) finely. Chop the onion finely. Dissolve the Vecon in the hot water.
3) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and using fingers mix them well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for two hours or longer.
Wakame Fritters
Chapter 13 gives main dish recipes for this sea vegetable, but this makes a tasty snack.
115g/4 oz/1 cup wholewheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
140ml/1/4 pt/2/3 cup water 1 tsp soya (soy) sauce 1 tsp vegetable oil 55g/2 oz wakame As required oil for deep-frying As required slices of lemon
1) Mix the flour with the baking powder and cream of tartar. Whisk in the water, soy sauce and vegetable oil. Let the batter stand for at least half an hour.
2) Soak the wakame for about 10 minutes. Drain and chop into pieces, discarding any tough central rib. Coat the pieces with the batter and deep-fry until crisp.
3) Drain the fritters well, keeping them warm, and serve with lemon slices.
Kombu Fritters
Kombu has a very different taste and texture from wakame but also makes lovely fritters.
Fritter batter (see recipe for Wakame
fritters above)
115g/2 oz kombu
As required oil for deep-frying
As required slices of lemon
1) Make the batter as described in the recipe for Wakame Fritters. Leave for at least half an hour.
2) Soak the kombu for about 10 minutes. (If a less chewy texture is desired then cook it for 20–30 minutes, drain and cool before using.) Chop the kombu into small pieces, coat with batter and deep-fry until crisp.
3) Drain well, keeping the fritters warm, and serve with lemon slices.
Hijiki Tofu Balls
This is a more substantial sea vegetable-based snack. The balls are particularly nice served with a dip made from soy sauce and finely grated fresh ginger, diluted with water to taste.
55g/2 oz hijiki
565g/11/4 lb/2½ cups tofu 4 tbs soya (soy) sauce 1–2 (about 115g/4 oz) carrots As required sesame seeds As required oil for deep-frying
1) Rinse the hijiki well by covering with water and draining two or three times. Soak it in enough water to cover for about 20 minutes.
2) Bring the water to the boil, lower the heat and simmer the hijiki for about 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons soya (soy) sauce and simmer for a further 15–20 minutes. Drain and cool.
3) Drain the tofu. put it into a large bowl, and mash thoroughly. Grate the carrot. Chop the hijiki finely. Add the carrot and hijiki to the tofu, along with the remaining soya (soy) sauce. Knead the mixture with the hands, then form into balls about the size of golf balls.
4) Spread sesame seeds on to a plate and roll each ball in them so that they are coated with the seeds.
5) Deep fry the balls until lightly browned.
Eggless ‘Egg’ Sandwich Spread
In Chapter 11 there are recipes using tofu in place of scrambled eggs. Here it is used raw as a sandwich filling. A quick recipe.
225g/½ lb/1 cup tofu
1/4 tsp turmeric 1 stick celery 1 small onion 1 tbs vegan mayonnaise 1 tbs finely chopped parsley 1 tsp nutritional yeast ½ tsp mustard powder As required sea salt (or celery salt)
1) Mash the tofu. Finely chop the onion and celery.
2) Combine all the ingredients and store in the fridge.
Ful Medams with Tahini
The cans of beans used for this dish will already be labelled ‘Ful Medams’. I once went to a restaurant in Cairo which offered at least half a dozen ‘ful medam’ dishes so I have tried to replicate my favourite one. Serve with pitta bread.
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
4 tbs olive oil
2 tins (cans) Egyptian brown beans
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbs tahini
1 tsp (or to taste) Tabasco sauce
As required freshly ground black pepper
1) Chop the onions finely. Crush the garlic. Fry them in half the oil for a few minutes until lightly browned.
2) Drain the beans, retaining the liquid. Add them to the pan with the lemon juice, mashing them with a fork while doing so.
3) Grind the cumin seeds and add them to the pan with the tahini, Tabasco sauce and pepper. Add as much of the bean liquid as desired to get a thicker or thinner texture. Stir in the mixture and simmer over a low heat until hot.
Indian Potato Balls in Batter
This traditional Indian dish is usually found in restaurants as a starter but makes a pleasant lunch dish. It is a good way of using up leftover cooked potatoes and serves four for lunch or eight to ten as a starter. Serve with chutney.
680g/l½ lb potatoes
2 onions
1 tbs vegan margarine
2 fresh green chillies
25cm (1 in) piece fresh ginger
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tbs broken cashews
As required sea salt
Juice of ½ lemon
170g/6 oz/1½ cups gram (chick pea) flour
225ml/8 fl oz/1 cup water
1) Cook the potatoes; cool, peel and mash.
2) Chop the onions finely. Heat the margarine in a large saucepan and sauté them for a few minutes. Peel and chop the chillies (making sure to discard all the seeds) and ginger finely. Add them to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes longer. Add the mustard seeds and cashews and continue cooking for a few minutes more.
3) Remove the pan from the heat and add the mashed potatoes, a little salt, and the lemon juice. Mix well, then form into little balls (about the size of walnuts).
4) Mix the gram (chick pea) flour and water and add a pinch of salt. Coat the potato balls in the batter and deep-fry