Simple and Easy Vegan Food Swaps

Thinking of going vegan for 2022? Or simply just want to include some more vegan options into your weekly menu? Switching to a vegan diet can be daunting, so Spatone has teamed up with @dish_by_rish to help ease you into the transition with these two delicious recipes.

Recipe 1: Tofu, edamame and nori steamed dumplings

Makes 25-30 dumplings (dependent on size)

Ingredients:

Dumpling filling:

• 200g extra firm tofu
• 100g edamame
• ½ sheet of roasted seaweed (sushi seaweed/nori)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2” piece of ginger, minced
• 1 red chilli, minced
• 2tbsp light soy sauce
• 1tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2tbsp neutral flavoured oil, e.g. peanut/sunflower/vegetable/rapeseed
• 2 spring onion greens, finely sliced
• 1tbsp corn flour
• 3tbsp water
• 25-30 dumpling wrappers (can be purchased from supermarkets or homemade)

Dumpling sauce:

• 1tbsp light soy sauce
• 1tbsp water
• 1tbsp black rice vinegar
• 1tsp white granulated sugar

Method:

1. Prepare your tofu, edamame and seaweed by pulsing through a food processor. Don’t blitz this all the way until a pulp, keep some texture
2. Sauté the garlic, ginger, and chilli in neutral flavoured oil over a medium heat for around 1-2 minutes
3. Add the tofu, edamame and seaweed to the pan and continue to sauté for a further 1-2 minutes, then add the light soy sauce and continue to cook for another minute
4. Mix together the corn flour and water and add this to your pan. Place it over high heat and stir until the starch from the corn flour has activated and the mixture begins to thicken and bind together
5. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the spring onion greens and toasted sesame oil, mix to combine then allow to cool completely
6. Once the mixture has cooled, place a heaped teaspoon of filling in each wrapper and fold in your desired shape. Steam for 10-12 minutes
7. Mix your dumpling sauce ingredients and allow to sit for 5 minutes for the sugar to naturally breakdown and dissolve

Recipe 2: Chinese jackfruit pancakes with peanut sauce (vegan - alternative to Chinese duck pancakes)

Makes 10 pancakes – serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 10 Chinese pancakes, shop bought or homemade

Jackfruit filling:

• 410g tin of jackfruit (210g drained weight)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1” piece of ginger, minced
• 1/4tsp Chinese 5 spice
• 1/4tsp white pepper
• 1/2tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/2tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2tbsp mirin
• 1tsp smooth peanut butter, unsweetened
• 2tbsp neutral flavoured oil, e.g. peanut/sunflower/vegetable/rapeseed

Peanut sauce:

• 3tbsp smooth peanut butter, unsweetened
• 1tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2tbsp light soy sauce
• 4tbsp plant based milk, soy/oat/coconut
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1cm piece of ginger, minced
• 2tsp sugar

Garnishes:

• Spring onion greens, finely sliced
• Cucumber, finely sliced
• Chilli oil (optional)

Method:

1. Squeeze as much water out of the jackfruit pieces as possible. There will be a firmer part to the pieces at the base, chop these off and finely slice them. Shred the softer part of the fruit using clean hands.
2. Sauté the jackfruit pieces in the neutral flavoured oil over high heat until they’re beginning to dry out and crisp up.
3. Add the soy sauce, mirin, 5 spice, pepper, brown sugar and peanut butter and mix to incorporate. Continue to cook for around 1 minute, the jackfruit will caramelise further due to the sugar
4. In another saucepan, simmer the milk, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sugar until bubbling. Pour this over the peanut butter and whisk to incorporate. It will initially split but will then come together to form a creamy sauce
5. Steam the pancakes or cook according to instructions advised by your brand. Layer each pancake with peanut sauce, followed by the jackfruit filling and finally garnish with finely sliced spring onion greens, cucumber and chilli oil. Roll the pancakes up and enjoy. These are best served fresh, if the pancakes start to dry out then simply re-steam for 1-2 minutes.