Fast & glorious
Desperate for your favourite takeaway? BOSH!’s Henry Firth and Ian Theasby share delicious vegan recipes with MARION McMULLEN
TAKEAWAY food is off the menu at the moment with fast food restaurants closed, but vegan and internet chef sensations Henry Firth and Ian Theasby think that now could be the time to serve up healthy versions of your favourite snacks.
The duo behind popular ITV cookery show Living On The Veg and the bestselling authors of BOSH!, say you can still enjoy everything from burgers to tacos... with a vegan twist.
Henry and Ian have been friends since school. When they entered their thirties they were feeling unhealthy, unfit and unhappy so they made a change and switched to a fully plant-based lifestyle.
They launched their online recipe channel BOSH! in 2016 and their recipe videos went viral with more than a billion views in their first year. They currently reach 26 million people a month.
Henry and Ian say: “This healthy burger is so good we’ve put it on the cover of our recipe book. They add: “These tacos are a feast for the eyes! We love the combination of colours, textures and flavours – it has everything you could wish for in a meal.”
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 2)
FOR THE SMOKY RELISH:
½ SMALL RED ONION; 1 SMALL GARLIC CLOVE; SMALL FRESH RED CHILLI; 150G CHERRY TOMATOES; ½ TBSP OLIVE OIL; ¼ TSP SMOKED PAPRIKA; ½ TBSP; TOMATO PUREE; 1 TSP SOY SAUCE; ¼ TSP MAPLE SYRUP; ½LIME; SALT AND BLACK PEPPER
For the burger patties:
130g sweet potato; ½ onion; tbsp olive oil; 85g pre-cooked brown rice; 1 tbsp breadcrumbs; pinch of salt and pinch ground black pepper; pinches of ground cumin; garlic powder, smoked paprika; 2 tsp plain flour; 130g tinned black beans
For the burger sauce: 1½ tbsp plant-based yoghurt; ½ tsp sriracha; ¼ tsp yellow mustard; ½ tsp red wine vinegar
To serve:
20g dairy-free cheese 1 beef tomato (or slicesfrom 2 different colour beef tomatoes); small shallot; medium wholemeal burger buns (about 80g each); 4 lettuce leaves
METHOD
1. First, make the smoky relish. Peel and dice the red onion. Peel and grate the garlic. Rip the stem from the chilli, halve it lengthways, remove seeds, then finely dice. Quarter tomatoes.
2. Heat the olive oil in the frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring for four to five minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and stir for one minute. Add the tomatoes, smoked paprika, tomato puree and soy sauce. Stir together and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add maple syrup. Remove from heat, squeeze the lime juice into the relish, taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and set aside, and wipe out pan.
3. Next, cook the sweet potato for the burger patties. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 2cm cubes, put on one of the lined baking trays and bake for 30 minutes at 200°C.
4. To make the burger sauce put ingredients in a bowl and stir. Put the sauce to one side.
5. Finely chop the onion for the burger mixture. Pour half the oil into the frying pan. Add the onion and fry for eight to 10 minutes until soft. Transfer the onion to a large bowl and wipe out pan.
6. Now, make the burger patties. Put the baked sweet potato in the food processor. Add the rice, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika and flour. Rinse the black beans, add them to the food processor, then whizz to a thick paste. Scrape the paste into the bowl with the onion and mix everything together with a spoon. Add the remaining oil to the pan and put it on a mediumhigh heat. Divide the burger mixture into two and use your hands to mould them into patty shapes. Place patties in the hot pan and fry for three minutes on each side.
7. Meanwhile, reheat the grill. Grate the dairy-free cheese. Cut two 5mm-thick slices from the beef tomato(es). Peel and finely chop the shallot. Sprinkle the dairy-free cheese on the burgers in the pan during the last minute of cooking.
8. Cut the burger buns in half and toast under a hot grill, cut side up, until golden. Spread a teaspoon of burger sauce over the cut side of the top half of the burger bun. Spread 1½ tablespoons of relish on the bottom half. Place the burgers. Sprinkle over the shallot.
Lay on tomato slice(s) and lettuce and serve.