Veganism goes mainstream
EVERY year, some projected trends “crash and burn” while others really do “make it”. Last year, all the pundits seem to agree that there would be more meat-free days in 2018 — not just “meat-free Mondays”, but a significant increase in vegetarianism and veganism. Looking back, many are now saying that 2018 was the year in which veganism ceased to be a “counter-culture” and became mainstream, with Tesco hailing veganism as “the fastest-growing culinary trend of 2018”. Even so, among my family, friends and acquaintances, and their families, I only know of two vegans (and one of those is parttime).
Veganuary, when people are encouraged to try a vegan diet for a month after the excesses of the festive season, started in 2014 with 3,200 participants. This year, more than 250,000 people from 193 countries had signed up by January 1, with more still joining daily.
Once widely associated with animal rights activists, certain religions and the health conscious, more and more people are trying out a vegan diet. Many of them have no intention of going vegan permanently, nor are they necessarily morally opposed to eating meat — often it is concern for the environment or personal health that is the driving factor.
If you are serious about trying a wholly plant-based diet, the first step is to read ingredient lists very carefully. For example, many margarines and spreads on sale locally — even those labelled “vegetarian” or “sunflower” — contain milk proteins.
You may want to ease yourself in gently but if you prefer to take it to extremes, bear in mind that strict vegans do not eat honey, almonds and avocado; because forced bee labour (fertilising plants) is “unethical”.
For this week’s recipes, I’ve chosen two that are vegan but should still be popular with the rest of the household if you are catering for a mixture of diets. With our first recipe, you need to think ahead and soak the lentils overnight.
LENTIL MOUSSAKA WITH MASHED POTATO TOPPING (serves three to four)
120g dried brown or green lentils, soaked overnight in cold water with a splash of cider vinegar 3 medium aubergines, sliced into 1cm-thick rounds
3 tablespoons neutral coconut or olive oil — divided Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing the mashed potato layer
1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, sliced 1 celery stick, sliced (optional) A generous pinch of pul biber flakes
1 teaspoon each fresh or dried thyme, oregano and/or marjoram 2 garlic cloves, sliced 225g button mushrooms, sliced 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Half a teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
A generous pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts Chopped parsley and dill to garnish
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones) with baking parchment. Rinse the soaked lentils and drain well.
Arrange the aubergine slices on the baking sheet(s) in a single layer, drizzle with two tablespoons of coconut or olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the slices over and roast for another 15 minutes, then set aside and lower the oven temperature to 190°C.
While the aubergine is roasting, tip the lentils into a pan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain through a colander and set aside.
Place the potatoes in the same pan you used to cook the lentils, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until fully tender, then drain, reserving about three tablespoons of the cooking water. Return the potatoes to the pan and mash them with a tablespoon of olive oil, black pepper and a couple of tablespoons of the reserved cooking water. Season to taste with salt and continue to mash until smooth, adding more cooking water if necessary. Set aside.
Warm the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil/olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, if using, salt and pepper, pul biber flakes and oregano/thyme/marjoram. Sauté for about five minutes, until the vegetables start to soften up. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until the water released by the mushrooms evaporates and they begin to brown. Add the garlic and stirfry for another minute.
Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, smoked paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg, if using, to the pan. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for five minutes to allow the flavours to blend.
Arrange half of the aubergine slices in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with half of the lentil mixture, followed by the remaining aubergine slices and lentils. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top, spreading them out into a smooth layer. Brush more olive oil over the potato layer and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the pine nuts and herbs, and serve.
Falafel and humus are a great veggie/vegan standby but really good falafel need to be made with soaked but uncooked chickpeas and then deep fried. That means forward planning and a fairly hefty dose of fat in the finished (and absolutely delicious) product. If you want to try for something quicker and rather less calorific but still flavour-packed, try these crunchy cakes. You can brush the cakes with oil and bake them in a hot oven, if you prefer — they will
Chickpea, lemon and coriander cakes
hold together well but will not taste quite the same.
CHICKPEA, LEMON AND CORIANDER CAKES
1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and thoroughly drained 3 plump garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon ground cumin Half a teaspoon pul biber flakes 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander Half a tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons chickpea (gram) flour Salt and pepper Sunflower or olive oil for frying
Tip the chickpeas into a food processor, add the garlic, onion and tablespoon of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Mix in the spices, fresh coriander, parsley and lemon zest, then turn into a bowl. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper, and set the mixture aside to rest. After 15 minutes, roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls then gently flatten into patties using floured hands. Heat a thin layer of oil in a frying pan and carefully place the chickpea patties in the hot oil. Fry until golden, a couple of minutes on each side. Do them in batches if necessary. Carefully lift out with a fish slice, drain on kitchen towel and keep warm until all the patties are cooked. Serve hot, with hummus, pitta bread and salad. Sliced gherkins won’t go amiss either, or pickled peppers, if you like a bit of heat.