Recipes

Green Monday: the best MLT by Keri Bainborough

I have been extraordinarily busy lately with the business end of running a hotel, kitchen and training college. This has left me with little time for writing or to conceptualise recipes ideas for the blog. Luckily I have many talented friends with an affinity for cooking and without further ado, I pass you on to my good friend and vegan foodie, Keri Bainborough of We Are The Wildflowers, who agreed to create and write a recipe for Green Monday. If you haven’t already made your Green Monday pledge – please consider giving it a go! It really is so easy and something beneficial we can do for the environment, animals and ourselves. I do hope you enjoy this guest recipe – it looks delicious!

Keri Bainborough We Are The WildflowersHi. My name is Keri and I blog over at We Are The Wildflowers blog. I’m so excited to share today’s recipe with you as it is a recent creation and I’m very chuffed with how it turned out! It’s my plant-based spin on the classic BLT sandwich. Instead of bacon, I use portobello (also known as giant steak) mushrooms, which are packed full of protein and make the perfect bacon substitute with their firm, meaty texture. The mushrooms are fried in a smoky harissa sauce, reminiscent of wood-smoke bacon, but with an extra bite! I also made a vegan ranch sauce which complements the strong and smoky harissa flavour of the mushrooms and rounds off the meal with a beautiful creamy finish.

Harissa Mushroom, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich with Vegan Ranch Sauce

Ranch Sauce

1 cup of raw cashews, soaked in hot water for ten minutes
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/3 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon onion flakes
Dash of Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste

Drain the cashews of any excess water and place into a blender, along with the olive oil, lemon juice, non-dairy milk, chives, dill, parsley, onion flakes and paprika. Blend until completely smooth.

Add more of the non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper.

Harissa Mushrooms

2 large portobello or “steak” mushrooms
1/4 cup spicy harissa powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion flakes

Remove the stem of the mushrooms. Rinse mushrooms and pat dry. Slice into thick, straight wedges.

Mix the harissa, olive oil, cumin and onion flakes in a bowl. Brush each mushroom wedge with the mixture, making sure to cover the edges of the mushroom as well. Let mushrooms marinade for at least fifteen minutes.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place mushrooms in the pan and cook for three minutes on each side. Both side should be browned.

Turn off the heat and let mushrooms sit for a few minutes.

Assemble

Spread generous amounts of the ranch sauce on slices of bread or bun. Layer with lettuce (or baby spinach), slices of tomato and the harissa mushrooms. Add another dollop of ranch sauce for good measure and enjoy!

*You can also use a bun instead of bread if you are more of a burger fan! 

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Alex Poltera

There was probably no way on Earth that Midlands Chef Alex Poltera was not going to end up in a kitchen. Growing up in a household of accomplished and award-winning chefs was bound to have some effect on his upbringing. From a young age, Alex would spend family holidays catching fresh seafood along the Wild Coast.

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Author: Alex Poltera

There was probably no way on Earth that Midlands Chef Alex Poltera was not going to end up in a kitchen. Growing up in a household of accomplished and award-winning chefs was bound to have some effect on his upbringing. From a young age, Alex would spend family holidays catching fresh seafood along the Wild Coast.

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