Christmas time, mistletoe and wine…laa lala lala lala la la la…I am in such good festive spirit and I just can’t stop singing 🙂   Christmas is definitely a time for Family, Friends and FOOD.  With much preps centred around the menu, I have a Veggie Festive Feast ready, which you can include to your existing menu. Adding that special va va voom to the tofu filling is the spike of vegan parmesan cheese.   This is my Christmas Gift to You.  With much love and respect, Merry Christmas and Happy Cooking 🙂

paneer-mushrooms-bowls-hasselbacks-onion-gravy-by-videhi

Preparation:   30 minutes   Cooking time: 90 minutes      Serves:  4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 packet vegan puff pastry (400g) – thawed
  • 2-3 heaped tbsp vegan butter / or few glugs of oil
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped about 2/3 cups
  • 2 tsp (10ml) finely chopped garlic
  • 1 medium sweetcorn cut of the cob ( ½ cup 125ml)
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) coriander/cumin powder mix
  • 1 tsp (5ml) salt (adjust accordingly)
  • ½ cup (125ml) green peppers finely chopped
  • ½ cup (125ml) red peppers finely chopped
  • 3-4 green chilies finely sliced (adjust according to heat preference)
  • 2 medium plum tomatoes liquidised (1 cup 250ml)
  • 200g firm tofu (grated or crumbled into tiny bits)
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) ground vegan parmesan cheese (recipe link: https://www.videhi.co.za/2021/07/09/vegan-parmesan-cheese/ )
  • ÂĽ cup (60ml) parsley finely chopped
  • 8 large Brown Mushrooms
  • ÂĽ cup (60ml) plant milk for brushing pastry
  • Micro herbs to garnish

Let’s cook 🙂 

Preheat the oven at 200 C

Start with the hasselback potatoes (Recipe below) get them in the oven and then start the with paneer filling and lastly the gravy.

Heat the butter in a pot on medium heat.  Toss in the onions and fry until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic fry for a few seconds.

Add the corn, coriander/cumin powder and salt, sauté for 5 minutes thereafter throw in the peppers and chillies cook for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes – give it a good stir and – cook  for 8 -10 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked through.

Toss in the tofu – give it a good stir.  Cover the pot and let it simmer for very low heat for 8-10 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Toss in the parmesan cheese and parsley.  Give it another good stir to incorporate the spices.

Allow to cool completely before placing pastry strips.

Clean mushrooms by wiping them with a wet cloth wet cloth or lightly rinse and pat them dry with a cloth.

Drizzle some oil or butter onto the mushroom

Spoon on generous amounts of tofu filling onto the caps.

Cut strips of pastry. Place strips starting from one end of the mushroom caps to other, creating a nice pattern and a pastry cover.

Brush with milk and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Alternatively, you can omit the pastry all together and just bake mushrooms as is.  Just spoon on some oil or butter and bake 25-30 minutes.  Thereafter spoon on tofu filling and serve along with hasselbacks and gravy.

For Hasselback potatoes

You’ll need:

  • 4 medium potatoes –
  • Few glugs olive oil
  • Salt and chilli  powder for seasoning
  • few knobs of butter melted
  • Let’s Bake this Potato 🙂 

Preheat the oven at 2000C

Wash and dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel.

Use a sharp knife and gently slice the potatoes making sure that you do not slice all the way through.  Slice about 3-5mm thickness and about more than half way down the potato

Once sliced, rinse them out in cold water.  Place then on a baking tray, season with salt and pour a generous amount of olive oil over the cut potatoes, making sure that you get oil in between the slices.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and spoon over melted butter making sure that you get the butter in between the slices.  Bake for another 15 minutes until cooked and crispy.  Once done, remove and turn off the oven heat.  Sprinkle with chilli powder before serving.   (while the potatoes are baking cook the paneer puff filling)

 Onion Gravy

You’ll Need:

  • 2 knobs of vegan butter
  • 2 small onions finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) finely chopped garlic
  • ÂĽ tsp crushed black pepper corns
  • 2 tbsp (30ml) (all purpose flour)
  • 1 ½ cup 375ml) water
  • ½ tsp Salt (adjust accordingly)
  • 1 tsp (5ml) balsamic vinegar (add more if you like)

This is how:

Heat butter in a sauce pan.  Add onions and garlic –  cook on medium to hot heat until nice and brown.

Spoon in the flour – sautĂ© for 2 minutes.    Add water a little at a time, whilst stirring – once gravy starts to thicken – cook for 10 minutes.  Turn off heat. (You may add more water for a thinner consistency). Allow to cool before blitzing in a blender to form nice thick gravy.   Add the balsamic vinegar; give it a stir and you good to go….yummy!

Serve this entire menu with a green salad and tomato salsa