Louise Palmer-Masterton is founder of multiple award-winning restaurants Stem & Glory – hip and trendy but accessible plant-based restaurants, serving delicious gourmet vegan food from locally sourced ingredients. Stem & Glory also offers click-and-collect and local delivery in London and Cambridge. In addition, Stem & Glory offers a range of ready meals, finish at home pizzas, and recipe kits available for delivery across the UK.
Louise’s vegan ‘Quiche’ and Czech potato salad are ideal for picnics this summer. More recipes from Stem & Glory next week!
Vegan Quiche – Makes 8 large slices
Louise says: “This is a staple in our house. It’s very tasty straight from the oven and works fab cold in a picnic with some pickle. By all means make your own pastry, but there are very good vegan pre-made shortcrusts in every supermarket.”
See also: Candice Brown’s Spicy Chicken and Cashew Traybake
Ingredients
- Pre-made pre-rolled shortcrust pastry (320-375g)
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 leeks finely sliced
- 2 tbsp white wine (optional)
- 250-280g firm tofu (depending on your block size)
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 2 tbsp plant milk (I use oat or soy)
- 2 tbsp engevita flakes (or other brand of yeast flakes)
- ½ tsp thyme or herbs de Provence
- ½ tsp salt (or more to taste)
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
See also: Stem & Glory’s Vegan ‘Egg’ Sandwiches and Red Pepper Dip
Method
- Gently lay the pre-rolled pastry into a 24cm fluted tin (unfluted also works just fine). Make sure you don’t stretch the pastry. Trim the excess from the edges and make some jam tarts with it :).
- Prick the base with a fork multiple times, and bake without any filling at 200C for 12 mins. You can also use baking beans if you have some. If the pastry bubbles up, just pierce gently with the fork or the point of a knife. Remove from the oven and cover with a tea towel whilst you cook the filling.
- Cook the sliced leeks in the olive oil until soft and slightly caramelised. Once soft add the wine, if using, and cook until the wine has evaporated completely. The leek mixture should be soft, but not watery. Allow to cool.
- Mix the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Adjust the seasoning. It should be pretty tasty even without the leeks.
- Add the leeks to the blended tofu mixture and stir well.
- Add to the pastry case. Smooth the top.
- Bake at 180C for 30 mins, or until the top is starting to brown and the filling is completely set in the middle.
- Serve cold with Branston or farmhouse pickle.
See also: Jane Dunn’s Gin & Tonic Loaf Cake
Czech Potato Salad – Serves 4
Louise says: “When we opened our first restaurant we had a Czech chef called Kat. She cooked many Czech dishes, this one being my favourite. Much more interesting than a potato salad :)”
Ingredients
- 200g diced potato
- 300g small diced mixed root veg – such as carrots, kohlrabi, celeriac, parsnip
- 100g peas (if using frozen, defrost in boiling water)
- 2 tbsp chopped gherkins
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 small red onion very finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (60ml) vegan mayo
Method
- Cook the potatoes and roots in boiling salted water for 5-6 mins. Drain and allow to cool.
- Mix the gherkins, parsley, red onion and vegan mayo together in a large bowl. Add the cooled vegetables and mix well.
- Add more mayo according to your personal preference – the veg should be well coated but not too runny.
See also: Georgios Tzenichristos’ Gazpacho with Black Rice and Basil
