Fresh off the (vegan) grill
No meat needed for this tasty burger topped with a crispy onion ring and garlic mayo
Fresh restaurants have been serving vegan fare for more than 20 years. A Toronto mainstay for vegans, vegetarians and those with food allergies and sensitivities, not to mention those just looking for good eats, Fresh has been at the forefront of plant-based food in Canada.
Fresh began as a travelling juice bar and has expanded to include four Toronto locations, two in Moscow and more planned for Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Founder and coowner Ruth Tal says, it wasn’t always easy being first.
When Tal and executive chef/coowner Jennifer Houston published their first cookbook, Juice for Life (2000), they were advised against describing it as vegan because of widely-held misconceptions.
“Now, if you’re vegan or your restaurant is vegan or your cookbook is vegan, you’re loud and proud about it,” Tal says.
Here are some recipes from the pair’s recently published fifth cookbook, Super Fresh (Penguin Canada, 2015).
BBQ Burger
ON BOTTOM HALF OF BUN
¼ cup (60 mL) napa cabbage 1 tbsp (15 mL) garlic mayo (recipe follows) 1 Fresh burger yatty (recipe follows) 2 tsp (10 mL) BBQ Sauce 2 Fresh onion rings (recipe follows)
ON TOP HALF OF BUN
¼ cup (60 mL) spring mix lettuce, or more, to taste 2 slices tomato 6 to 8 slices hot banana chilies
Fresh Burger Patty
MAKES 8 BURGER PATTIES
If you’re having a hard time getting your burger mix firm enough to make nice, stable, easy-to-manage patties, just add a little more spelt flour, stir, and refrigerate until it firms up. If that doesn’t work, whiz up 1 cup (250 mL) of tofu in a food processor to make a paste and incorporate that into the mix. 10 cups (2.5 L) water, divided ½ cup (125 mL) pearl barley, rinsed and drained ½ cup (125 mL) hulled millet 1 clove garlic 3 tbsp (45 mL) raw sunflower seeds 2 tbsp (30 mL) raw almonds 2 green onions, roughly chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves ½ cup (125 mL) roughly chopped red onion 1 cup (250 mL) chopped extra firm tofu ¼ cup (60 mL) grated carrot ¼ cup (60 mL) grated beet 1½ tbsp (22 mL) tamari ¼ tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper ¼ tsp (1 mL) Mexican chili powder 1 tsp (5 mL) curry powder 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt 1 tsp (5 mL) cornstarch 3 tbsp (45 mL) mixed fresh herbs or 1 tbsp (15 mL) each of 3 of your favourite dried herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, etc.) ¼ cup (60 mL) spelt flour 2 tbsp (30 mL) powdered nutritional yeast oil, for frying (sunflower, canola, neutral-flavoured coconut) In a pot, combine 5 cups (1.25 L) water and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Drain and set aside. Rinse pot, add millet and remaining 5 cups (1.25 L) water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until millet is tender (it will take about half the time of the barley). Drain and set aside. In a food processor, pulse garlic until finely chopped. Add sunflower seeds, almonds, green onions, parsley, and red onion. Process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Place tofu into food processor (no need to clean food processor in between items) and process until just turning creamy and paste-like. Transfer tofu to mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients to mixing bowl, along with cooled barley and millet. Stir well. (The easiest way to make sure it is thoroughly combined is to do it with your hands.) You can use the mix right away, but it will be easier to handle if you refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Using your hands, divide mixture into 8 equal portions and form patties. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook patties until browned on both sides and heated through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve right away or, if you want to cook them later on a grill or barbecue, let cool, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate. (At the restaurants we store them this way and then heat them up on the grill when they are ordered.)
Mayo
MAKES 1½ CUPS (375 ML)
FOR MAYO BASE
½ cup (125 mL) unsweetened plain soy milk 1 cup (250 mL) sunflower oil ½ tsp (2 mL) dry mustard powder ½ tsp (2 mL) apple cider vinegar ½ tsp (2 mL) raw agave nectar 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt 2 tsp (10 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
FOR GARLIC MAYO
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced Combine all of the ingredients in a container and, using an immersion blender, blend until thick (this takes just a few seconds). Transfer mayo to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Fresh Onion Rings
MAKES 20 LARGE ONION RINGS
FOR QUINOA COATING
1½ cups (375 mL) puffed quinoa, millet, or amaranth 1½ cups (375 mL) fresh breadcrumbs 1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt 1 tsp (5 mL) garlic powder
FOR ONION RINGS
1 large Spanish onion, sliced thickly and separated into 20 rings 1 cup (250 mL) gluten-free allpurpose flour (we prefer Bob’s Red Mill) 1 batch Dosa Batter (recipe follows) 4 cups (1 L) canola or sunflower oil, for frying sea salt, to taste Make quinoa coating: Combine puffed quinoa, breadcrumbs, salt, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Set aside. Prepare onion rings: In a plastic bag or bowl, toss onion rings with flour. Place dosa batter in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 or 2 onion rings in batter, making sure they are totally coated. Dredge battered rings in quinoa coating, making sure all surfaces are coated. Repeat with remaining rings. Arrange coated rings on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight, to firm up. Heat oil in a large saucepan to 350°F (180°C). Working in small batches so as not to crowd the pan, carefully drop onion rings into the hot oil and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until browned and crispy. Transfer cooked rings to paper towel to drain. Immediately sprinkle with sea salt.
Dosa Batter
MAKES 1½ CUPS (375 ML) 1 cup (250 mL) light spelt flour ½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt ½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder ½ tsp (2 mL) curry powder ¾ cup (175 mL) water ½ cup (125 mL) plain unsweetened soy milk Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and curry powder in a bowl and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in water and soy milk until a smooth batter forms. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (It might go a little black on top due to the spelt flour, but don’t worry: just stir it back together and it’ll be fine.)