Act 02 Round 05: Vegan meringues; Matcha basil mousse; Strawberry & pistachio chocolate slab; Cardamom custard; Granola crumbles (vegan)

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Vegan meringues…my initial thoughts, yeah, as if! Vegan fairy tales at their best- BUT, vegans found a magical way of conjuring up a light, airy, white, fluffy cloud of a mix using just chickpea waste water. The day I discovered this was a life-changing moment for me.

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‘Aquafaba’- a name I’ve recently familiarised myself with- only a few years too late, but better late than never! It literally means ‘bean water’, not surprisingly, because that simply is what it is. The liquid ruminants remaining once beans have been boiled, or those remaining in a tin once the pulses have been utilised. The stuff we throw away because the beans are the desirable component and the water the waste. Well those days are no more. Why? Meringues, that’s why!

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As an egg replacer, there are of course, countless dishes that can be made using this protein water: spreads, cakes, sauces, bread and much more, but meringues – meringues are special. They can only typically be made with one ingredient as we know it- egg white, and there is no leeway. That was until the discovery of aquafaba, meaning vegans can now enjoy meringues to their heart’s content.

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I like the crisp texture of meringues with something creamy so what better than a mousse to assist (better to photograph than ice cream anyway since it won’t melt!). I have a basil plant that’s almost as tall as me, so it definitely needs to be used up before it takes over my apartment! And matcha? Well it’s totally in fashion in China so I bought some. There are so many cafes dedicated to matcha and I recently tried a matcha tiramisu, the mousse between the layers was delectable so I’m going to try and copy it!

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In terms of the chocolate component, well who doesn’t like chocolate?? Crazy people, that’s who! I love a good hearty slab of it. The strawberries and pistachios were added because of the tartness dried strawberries have to offer and the crunch from the pistachios, they just add that extra oomph.

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The smooth, creamy liquid custard brings everything on the plate together- think of it as the gravy on your roast dinner.

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Serving size:
Makes 12 medium meringues

Ingredients for meringue:
• Brine from 400g can of chickpeas
• 100g caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Method:

  1. Heat the oven to 110C
  2. With an electric whisk, whisk the liquid until white stiff peaks are visible
  3. Slowly add in the sugar, a spoon at a time, whilst whisking. The mix should become glossy and thick
  4. Spoon into a piping bag or simply smear into rounds on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper
  5. Bake for 1.5 hours and leave to cool in the oven, after which the meringues should be brittle and crispy

Serving size:
Serves 6

Ingredients for mousse:
• 500g silken tofu
• 3tbsp icing sugar
• 1tbsp honey
• 2tsp matcha powder
• Handful fresh finely chopped basil

Method:

  1. In a food processor, blitz the tofu until smooth and creamy.
  2. Place into a cheesecloth overnight in a sieve over a large bowl
  3. The cream cheese-like tofu can now be combined with the remaining ingredients using a whisk and then stored in a
    refrigerator in an airtight container

Serving size:
Serves 6

Ingredients for chocolate slab:
• 100g dairy-free chocolate
• 40g freeze-dried strawberries
• 2tbsp pistachios roughly crushed

Method:

  1. In a bain marie, break up the chocolate and heat and allow to melt
  2. Remove from the heat and pour onto greaseproof paper
  3. Allow to cool slightly for 2-3 minutes
  4. Sprinkle the strawberries and pistachios over it
  5. Leave to cool to room temperature
  6. Once completely cooled, it can be stored in the fridge

Serving size:
Serves 6

Ingredients for custard:
• 500ml almond milk
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 5tbsp cornstarch
• 45g caster sugar
• 6 crushed cardamom pods
• Pinch of turmeric (for colour)

Method:

  1. Pour the milk and vanilla extract into a saucepan and bring to the boil
  2. Mix in the sugar and allow to dissolve
  3. Whisk in the cornstarch, cardamom and turmeric whilst cooking on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes
  4. The custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Serving size:
Serves 6

Ingredients for granola:
• 150g rolled oats
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 3tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup
• 3tbsp rapeseed oil

Method:

  1. Combine the oats, oil, honey, cinnamon and vanilla extract
  2. Spread out evenly on a flat baking tray and bake at 150C for 35-40 minutes before leaving to cool and storing in an
    airtight container

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, I gave you an upvote on your post! Please give me a follow and I will give you a follow in return and possible future votes!

This looks so good and yummy. Thanks for the amazing recipe...

Superb entry! You are dam talented! I love how creative your vegan dishes are.. ♥

Thank you so much @andabout- your dishes are also fab and creative :-)

yumm! do consider using the ocd-resteem tag for possible curation by ocd or try using the @esteemapp for possible curation by the curators team :)

Thank you so much @jznsamuel :-)

Hi foodflaneur,

This post has been upvoted by the Curie community curation project and associated vote trail as exceptional content (human curated and reviewed). Have a great day :)

Visit curiesteem.com or join the Curie Discord community to learn more.

Thank you so much @curie :-)

Oh yes! That! I'd like that for dessert, please! 😃

Haha, thank you @pusteblume :-)

Wow @foodflaneur, meringues from chickpea brine, this dessert is simply amazing!
Well done on another curie upvote:)

Thanks so much @lizelle, I was surprised- about both the curie upvote and the way that brine magically turned to fluff, it was a magical day!

That it certainly was, great stuff !

Simply Bravo Chef!!! Amazing work and wonderful presentation as usual! I really hope to taste your cuisine someday!

Thank you so much @progressivechef. I sure hope i get to taste your food one day too!

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