Mediterranean bangers and mash

Tonight's dinner:
Home-made chorizos using the recipe from Vegan Brunch (next time I personally would up the garlic a lot, and the spice), accompanied by potatoes mashed with olive oil, roasted root veges and braised red cabbage with coriander seeds.

The last was inspired both by some of the delicious spiced cabbage dishes Mum and I ate in Poland, and by the memory of a Greek pork dish that my Dad used to cook me when I was younger. In the original dish, pork is first fried then cooked in red wine until it reduces, after which crushed coriander seeds are added. I thought it would be yum to do something similar with red cabbage, but living with a teetotaller we don't have wine in the house. I subbed for some vegetable stock, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. The result came out sweeter than the original, but still hit the spot. I'd love to try it with the wine sometime.

Lemon Chick'n and Mango Fried Rice

This is delicious authentic Asian take-away food exactly like the kind you find anywhere except Asia...
Lemon chicken was always one of my favourites when my family got Chinese take-aways, and this is my Mum's recipe for making it at home. I've used Fry's chicken-style strips here, but you can do it with cubes of tofu too, fried salt and pepper tofu style. It makes a pretty fast, impressive and delicious dinner when paired with fried rice, tonight served with a winter vegetable riff on Isa's Mango Fried Rice (with red cabbage and cauliflower and green capsicum, and sans basil).

Chinese Take-away Lemon Chick'n

For the batter, mix together cornflour, salt, pepper and some baking powder (about 1 tsp per 4 Tbsp cornflour). No-Egg is good if you've got it. Add water, one teaspoonful at a time and stirring after each, until a loose batter is formed. Dip your (defrosted) chick'n strips in the batter and fry on each side in hot oil until puffed and golden, and keep warm until ready to serve. You can also deep fry 'em.

For the lemon sauce, combine the following ingredients in a saucepan:
grated rind and juice of 1-2 large lemons (can sub oranges for some or all)*
1/4 - 1 tsp of vege stock powder (be careful here, as stocks vary in strength. Start with a little).
1 Tbsp cornflour
1-3 Tbsp brown sugar (depending on how tart you want it, and if you've put in orange or not)
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 - 1 cup water (again, depending on how concentrated you want it)

Stir until the cornflour has dissolved, then heat until clear and thickened (saucy). Serve the fried chick'n strips with the lemon sauce poured over, and chopped spring onions. Serve with plain rice and fried/steamed vegetables, or for a fancier meal, serve with a dish of fried rice and veges like the one linked to above.

* I like to combine the juices of both fruits so I can cut down the added sugar. It still works out very lemony if you don't put in the orange rind. Obviously, if you sub orange for all, you will have Orange Chick'n, not Lemon, but that's ok. That's a take-away thing too.

The strips:

Potatispizza with smoked tofu crumbs

I don't know where potatispizza (potato pizza) comes from, but I will always associate it with a Swedish friend of mine, and vegan mentor, Markus. I have made many variations, with additions of leek or shallots or spinach, but the basic combination of potato, pizza dough, garlic and olive oil is pretty hard to beat. It's sort of garlic bread, pizza and chips in one. I'm not claiming it's healthy, but it's comforting, delicious and pretty easy to make.

To make it, prepare pizza dough using wholemeal wheat flour, or a mixture of rye flour and wheat flour (to make it more Swedish). When risen and all that, roll out thinnish to your desired pizza shape. Put it on a lightly greased oven tray or wherever you usually cook your pizza. Sprinkle with finely chopped garlic, and cover with thinly sliced rounds of potato. They should overlap so that the dough is covered. I usually press down slightly too. Top with extra toppings - spinach, thinly sliced leeks or shallots, herbs (oregano is best), and this week's delicious offering - crumbled smoked tofu which crisped up into crunchy succulent bacon-like morsels. Drizzle with olive oil and top with salt (nice salt if you've got it, table salt if not) and a little pepper. Bung it in the oven at about 250 degrees Celcius and bake until ready (dough is lightly browned, everything else done), about 15 mins maybe?

Pizza served here with lettuce, roasted broccoli and roasted asparagus (in the same oven as the pizza).

Cajun Chickpea cakes with Spicy Tomato Jam

Vegan Dad's Crispy Cajun Chickpea Cakes

Pretty much just followed his recipe, but subbed carrot for capsicum because that's what we had. Subbed cumin for the paprika for the same reason. Also left out the parsley. Ours came out less crispy - possibly an oil temperature/amount issue. But still delicious.

Tomato Jam

Combine the following in a saucepan (measurements are a guide, I usually just dump stuff in according to taste):

500g crushed tomatoes
80mL finely diced onion
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary (or a little less if dried)
30mL sugar (or 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses)
2/3 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
pinch chilli flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Simmer on a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30-60 mins till reduced and jammy.