Plant-based pleasers

Raglan local Emma Galloway shares some
of her most popular recipes from her latest cookbook, Every Day.

Words EMMA GALLOWAY
photos supplied

Emma Galloway’s website, My Darling Lemon Thyme, is responsible for introducing what were once alternative ingredients into many Kiwi homes. These gluten-free, vegan recipes from Every Day are so packed with delicious flavour and nutrition, they might even convince the most ardent meat eater to become flexitarian. From a spicy Vietnamese noodle dish and protein-packed burgers, to the flavourful Middle Eastern pilaf and chocolate-topped cheesecake bars, these recipes will cater to many requisites – but mainly to great taste.

Tempeh + mushroom burgers with smashed avocado

These burger patties keep well in the fridge for a couple of days – chill for at least 30 minutes before cooking because this helps keep them together. Store-bought gluten-free bread has come a long way and good gluten-free burger buns are now readily available. 

Makes 4 | Gluten-free | Vegan

INGREDIENTS 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250g button mushrooms, trimmed and finely chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped 

1 tsp paprika

250g packet tempeh, roughly chopped

30g gluten-free breadcrumbs

Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil, to cook

4 gluten-free burger buns, sliced in half

1 large ripe avocado, smashed in a bowl with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper

Good-quality mayonnaise (vegan or regular), pesto, lettuce or microgreens, red onion, tomato relish and avocado, to serve

Method 

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and onion and cook, stirring often, for 4–5 minutes or until tender and golden. Add garlic, finely chopped mushroom and thyme and cook, stirring often, for a good 5–8 minutes or more, until the mushrooms have released their juices and these have evaporated, so they’re almost dry, tender and golden (this is important because you don’t want any excess moisture or your patties won’t hold together). Add paprika and cook for a further 20–30 seconds. 

Transfer to a food processor, add tempeh and breadcrumbs and pulse until finely ground. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 large patties, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days if preparing ahead of time. 

If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the tempeh, add onion mixture and breadcrumbs then, using your hands, scrunch everything together until it holds its shape. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add a splash of olive oil and cook the patties for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden. Grill buns on the cut side until golden. 

Spread a little mayonnaise and pesto onto the base of each burger bun, then add a patty, a few microgreens or lettuce, some onion slices or pickled red onions. Top with smashed avocado and spread a little relish on the cut side of the top bun and place over.

Note: The patties can be frozen for up to 3 months – just defrost in the fridge overnight before using.

Black pepper tofu bún cha

Bún cha is a grilled pork and noodle dish from Hanoi, Vietnam, served with piles of herbs and the famous nuoc mam cham dipping sauce made with fish sauce, lime/vinegar, sugar, chilli and garlic. Here’s a vegan take, with peppery tofu and a soy sauce-based version of nuoc mam cham, served with tasty sweet and sour Vietnamese pickles which you can make 4 to 5 days in advance and store in the fridge.

Serves 3–4 | Gluten-free | Vegan

Ingredients
DRESSING

2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce

2 tbsp brown/white rice vinegar

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped (de-seed for less heat)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

BLACK PEPPER TOFU

Coconut or olive oil

300g packet firm tofu, cubed

2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce

1 tbsp pure maple syrup or golden caster sugar

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Rice vermicelli, cooked according to packet instructions or soaked in boiling water for 10–15 minutes, then drained

Baby cos lettuce, sliced

Cucumber + mint leaves to serve

Method

To make the dressing, combine dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake well.

To make the black pepper tofu, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add a little oil and pan-fry tofu until golden on all sides. Reduce heat and add soy sauce, maple syrup and black pepper. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and the tofu is golden and coated.

To serve, arrange rice vermicelli in bowls, top with black pepper tofu, arrange a handful of lettuce leaves, some sliced cucumber and mint leaves in each bowl and drizzle a little dressing over the top.

Carrot + daikon pickles

Ingredients

100ml boiling water

65g (⅓ cup) golden caster sugar

½ tsp fine salt

100ml brown/white rice vinegar

1 carrot, finely shredded (use a mandolin or finely slice with a knife)

1 cup finely shredded daikon (approx ¼ of a large daikon)

Method

To make the pickles, combine boiling water, sugar and salt in a bowl then stir until dissolved. 

Add vinegar and set aside to cool completely, before adding the grated carrot and daikon. 

Mix well and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Tomato pilaf with black lentils and caramelised onion

This delicious and nutritious almost-one-pan-meal was inspired by Turkish tomato pilaf and Mujadara, a tasty combination of rice, lentils and onions found throughout the Middle East. This dish manages to extract every ounce of flavour from just a handful of simple ingredients. Use puy-style or brown lentils in place of black lentils, if you prefer.

Serves 4 | Gluten-free | Vegan

Ingredients

115g black (beluga) lentils, rinsed well

60ml olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

250g vine or cherry tomatoes, finely chopped

340g white basmati rice, rinsed and drained well

750ml water

Coriander leaves, roughly chopped, to serve

Caramelised onions

2 tbsp olive oil

3 onions, finely sliced

Fine salt, to taste

Method

Place lentils into a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, before adding chopped tomato. Cook, stirring often, for 3–4 minutes, or until soft and juicy.
Add rice and stir then add water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside with the lid on for a further 10 minutes.

To make the caramelised onions, as soon as your rice is happily cooking away, heat oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, for 20–25 minutes or until deeply golden, taking care in the final 5–10 minutes to ensure the bottom doesn’t catch and burn. Season with salt. These can be prepared in advance and will store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When the rice is cooked, remove the lid, stir through lentils, adjust seasoning if needed and serve topped with caramelised onions and chopped coriander.

Cardamom + dark chocolate “cheesecake” bars 

A great make-ahead dessert as it stores 4–5 days in the fridge. Use freshly ground cardamom seeds for fuller flavour but cardamom spice works fine, too. Start this recipe the night before to soak the cashews. Tip: Cashew pieces are cheaper than whole ones and give the same result.

Makes 12–14 slices | Gluten-free | Vegan

Ingredients
Base

240g dried pitted dates, roughly chopped

100g raw almonds

1 tbsp virgin coconut oil, melted

Filling

375g raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight in cold water and drained well

185ml virgin coconut oil, melted

125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

125ml pure maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp fine salt

2 tsp ground cardamom

Chocolate topping

85g dairy-free dark chocolate, roughly chopped

60ml coconut milk

2 tbsp pure maple/brown rice syrup

Method

Soak the cashews overnight.

To make the cheesecake base, line a 28cm x 18cm slice tin with baking paper, overlapping the sides by 2cm. Put the pitted dates, almonds and melted coconut oil into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Press the mixture into the tin, using the back of a spoon to pack it in firmly.

To make the filling, place all the filling ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend on high until smooth. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, finely grind the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle first, before adding to the blender. Pour the mixture over the base and smooth the top. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

To make the chocolate topping, place the dark chocolate into a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the coconut milk and the maple/brown rice syrup and heat gently until melted. If it starts to look a little split (this can happen because of the coconut milk), whisk to bring it back together into a smooth sauce. When just melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly, before spreading over the cheesecake. Return to the fridge until set. Once set, slice into 12–14 bars, using a sharp knife warmed under running hot water.