Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - CHRIS BAVIN

We are all going to need the help of people like this. 

Chris Bavin (along with Gregg Wallace and Jordan Banjo) has done an excellent job of helping us to choose wisely in the supermarket.

So, Zelda would like to invite him along for the latest of her attempts to make tastier and cheaper versions of takeaway classics.

Chris Bavin began by selling fresh produce to markets and then set up his own high street shop in Surrey. He joined the popular TV programme Eat Well For Less in 2013, where he shows people how to save money and eat healthily.

SWEET AND SOUR TOFU BALLS

First make the sauce:

                 SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

150ml pineapple juice (this is what you get when you drain a large can and reserve the pineapple rings)*

100g brown sugar
4tbsp tomato ketchup
3tbsp white wine vinegar
1tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp cornflour
*NB Rings can be used in a main Sweet and Sour dish or for a dessert.

Serves 2

Put cornflour in a small bowl and mix with a little water until smooth.

Place pineapple juice, sugar, ketchup, white wine vinegar and soy sauce in a pan.
Heat, while whisking, until just boiling.
Add the cornflour and continue to whisk until it is smooth and of the required thickness.

Then, keeping the sauce warm, make the balls.

TOFU BALLS

½ pack of tofu
1tbsp plain flour
4tbsp self-raising flour
½tsp turmeric
black pepper
sparkling water – about 100ml
sunflower oil for deep frying

(The aim here is to disguise the regular shape of the tofu pieces to make the balls look authentic.)

Drain and rinse the tofu then remove as much moisture as possible using kitchen roll.
Cut into 8 cubes. Place them in the plain flour and coat well.

Put the self-raising flour in a shallow bowl with the turmeric and season.

Stir in enough of the sparkling water to make a thick, creamy batter.

Shake any excess flour off the tofu pieces and place them in the batter.

Pour enough oil into a pan to reach about 2cm up the sides. Heat until a small drop of batter starts to fizz and cook.
Spoon in pieces of battered tofu and cook on one side until starting to crisp. 

Turn over and cook the other side.

Take half and place them on kitchen roll to drain.

Put them back in the remaining batter. 

Coat again and put them back in the oil. 

Repeat with the rest.

Cook both sides again.

(By this time the original cubic shape will have been concealed beneath the batter.)

Drain again. They will look just like any other batter-coated balls

Serve with the sauce

BALSAMIC VEGGIE SAUSAGE ONE PAN

One pan recipes are all the rage now, so here is one from Zelda.

3 vegetarian sausages
1 red onion, sliced thickly
1 red pepper, sliced thickly
1tbsp plain flour
200ml vegetable stock
1tsp caster sugar
1tsp mixed herbs
large grinding of black pepper
1 large tin chopped tomatoes
1½tbsp balsamic vinegar
spray of olive oil

Serves 2

Spray the pan with oil and add the sausages. Fry gently until just starting to brown.

Remove from the pan and cut each one into four.

Place back in the pan with the onion and pepper and a bit more oil if needed. Fry until the onion has begun to soften.

Sprinkle over the flour and stir well to coat everything.
Then add the stock, tomatoes, sugar, herbs, pepper and balsamic vinegar.

Bring to the boil and then simmer gently for about 20 minutes.

Lovely served with rice and some extra herbs.