A Plant Based Feast

https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTi64yCxEa3Ahzu53qGEFknB3bNNJBxEpJZoYHFaSQdh4/Adobe_Post_20191226_0734360.5953128138454282.png

My folks turned vegetarian in 1976, much to the scoffing of all around them. I mean, they'd surely just fade away wouldn't they? Well, decades later they're pretty healthy, bar Dad's cancer, but that was from Vietnam. Mum's kinda amused by the whole 'vegan' thing. She says that when she cooked for us as kids, most times it'd be vegetarian with cheese, or no cheese. We didn't have a lot of dairy. It's always been easy to cook vegan for me, consequently - it's just mucking about with vegetables. Thus, our German Christmas Eve always had a vegetarian meal (usually Mum's pasta casserole, and the last ten years, pasta casserole and arancini) and lots of salads. My uncle and Aunt would always have a cold Christmas ham. Baked potatoes of some description. A pot luck that'd stuff you til next Tuesday. In England, it was harder for me - everything seems wrapped in bacon and smothered in gravy and sprinkled with meat. Plus, soggy vegetables. An Australian Christmas is often more fusion of course - so many cultures, and the heat. This Christmas Eve wasn't that hot so no one minded turning on the ovens. This year we decided to do a Spanish theme. My cousin Peta immediately decided to make a Spanish chocolate ripple cake (if you don't know what a chocolate ripple cake is, google it) and my Uncle a spanish trifle (we always have trifle - I always skip it. Far too much cream - I can't stand the stuff, unless it's non dairy). Neither dish is Spanish, unless you count the sherry. I have fond memories of our first wedding anniversary in the home of sherry, Jerez in Spain - we bought a cheeky bottle of good jerez for afters. My sister and brother in law made paella. They set a vegan version aside no problem. We had a huge black bean and corn salad and some tomatoey white beans with bay leaves too. Roast asparagus and roast aubergine (well, barbecued, as my brother in law always utilises the grill) were also delicious. As my son's girlfriend is vegan, and we're mostly vegan (with occasional lapses, and not beating ourself up about it) for the first time we realised the majority of the family eat plant based and outnumbered the ones that weren't! My Aunty got some vegan cheese for the cheese platter, and my Mum put vegan cheese in the arancini (along with a bit of smoked paprika, because as far as we're all concerned, if you put smoked paprika on anything, it's Spanish. Or sherry, as per above!).

For my part, as usual I got to inventing. Last year I made a tempeh lasagne which she loved. I got to brainstorming about three hours before we had to go, having loosely decided on some flavours at the grocers last week - I had enough smoky pimenton dulce to feed the Spanish inquistion, which no one expects, and I'd picked up lots of peppers, membrillo (spanish quince paste), almonds, olives, saffron, and some liquid smoke. Somehow it all came together in this bake that was actuall quite good in the end! I cracked out the Christmas playlist, which involves a bit of blues, and rolled up my sleeves. https://youtu.be/mIOcxEsX2pE

# Spanish Style Stuffed Vegan Peppers

400 g block tofu 1/4 grated cauliflower 2 shallots or a small onion, garlic optional 2 large handfuls of roasted almonds 3 tbsps quince paste 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 2 tbsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp liquid smoke 2 tbsp tamari 8 large peppers Tsp saffron threads Olive oil Salt and pepper Half the peppers lengthwise and bake for 25 minutes, until soft, but not soggy. You still want a little bit of firmness tto them, as they'll be reheated later if you're making them aahead of time like I did. Meanwhile, saute garlic and onions in olive oil, and then add the crumbled tofu, tamari, salt and pepper and smoked paprika as well as the liquid smoke. Fry for about five minutes and then add the cauliflower, and cook another five minutes until cauli is starting to soften. Taste, and add more seasoning to taste. In a cup, mix the saffron, vinegar and quince paste, then stir through the tofu mix. Taste again. At this stage it's slightly smokey and sweet - a delicious 'meaty' mix of flavours. Scoop into the capsicum halves, allowing the juice at the bottom of the capsicum 'cups' to soak into the tofu. Blend the almonds into a rough crumb, and top the bake with them. Sprinkle with olives and springs of oregano. Bake a further 25 minutes until the capsicums are nicely browned and the tofu mix is all heated through. The next meal was more of a side dish, and I've been so into ccoconut yoghurt of late that I decided I'd use it for Christmas. It's expensive, so kind of decadent.

# Aubergine with Coconut Yoghurt, White Peppers & Capers

2 tinned white peppers 2 large aubergines Olive oil Salt and pepper Coconut yoghurt Parsley Quarter eggplant and bake til soft. Cool. Mash flesh with a fork, and mix with sliced peppers. Add coconut yoghurt and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and capers. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with crusty white bread.

We certainly didnt go without, and had plenty of leftovers to feast on too. Hope you all had a good time of your Christmas dinners and enjoyed some plant based feasts, without too much waste and gluttony. Feeling as if we didn't do too badly - all presents were needed and thoughtful. We went the hamper option for my son and his girl, who are students - a box full of food - soba noodles, black rice, vegan halloumi, vegan chai spiced honey, chai, pickled peppers, chilli sauce and other goodies. They were beyond excited and happy. They are both minimalists so extra crap just because it's Christmas doesn't suit them either. Our plant based Christmas was a lovely success, and didn't feel like *too* much of a drain on the earth. We can but do our best. https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/riverflows/Sv9YbGuY-RGgukq5E6HBMyrmy6nbAeLQTYr69SSzAXjWihLP5mhZGWk98FGmDFVT53f6zSv3hx5qMCggxz2M6rdreJzqgn1gaHJESkrhBptenmJbxtEXd8uinvn2iDwSNSytUDGi.png
Originally posted here: https://steemit.com/hive-120078/@riverflows/a-plant-based-feast