Vegan pub food?

Bring it on.

Now I am aware that the last time I updated this it was December, and now it is May. I might be able to remember what we id in Melbourne last year but I won't hold my breath. I do have the photos of the food though so it'll hopefully jog my memory =D

There was beer. This was the Cornish Arms I believe. Walking distance from our friend's place. Score.

What's that? Vegan chicken parmagiana!? Ahahaha, it was pretty good. I can't compare it to a nonvegan parma because I've never had one.

Vegan steak and bacon sandwich. And more beer.

There's a vegan burrito as big as my head behind the vegan steak and bacon sandwich. It came with vegan sour cream and guacamole and it was pretty damn good. It had the usual bean chili filling but also chunks of gluteny fake meat goodness.

I remember a vegan chicken burger thing too but my photo is mighty blurry, and it was essentially the parma in a burger bun.

So much gluten. So much fake meat products. I feel the need to mention I don't usually eat faux meat products like this, partly because they are made of gluten and partly because they are expensive. And also, I don't feel the need to constantly recreate the meat I used to eat in the vegetables I eat now. Every now and then it's fun but it can get a little creepy. Like the vegan burger I tried to eat in Spain...it was too real. However while I prefer to eat naturally vegan foods like vegetables and beans and tofu, it's also excellent fun to go down to that place in the Valley and eat ALL the faux meat things!

Recipe: Vegan Beef and Stout Stew

Stout beer. Mmm delicious. Pity most brands use isinglass in the fining process. Dang. BUT I looked and looked (it was hard, because I'm not too knowledgable on beer brands) and found that Coopers makes a vegan friendly stout beer! (Bonus points for being Aussie owned and made). And thus this stew was born. (Inspired by this recipe from Martha Stewart).

For the beef part I used this stuff. Found it in the freezer in an Asian supermarket. I'm not entirely sure of it's brand. There are words everywhere. I think it's essentially frozen rehydrated TVP chunks, and it pretty much has the same texture as the type of cow you'd buy to slow cook. Except you don't have to break your jaw chewing on it. (Ew.)

Vegan Beef and Stout Stew

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of beef style pieces, defrosted (or rehydrated beef style TVP slices)

2 tbsp wholemeal flour*

170g tomato paste

500g potatoes, diced in 2cm bits

1 large onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, sliced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

400mL beef style stock (I use massel)

220mL vegan stout beer

2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Saute onion, garlic, carrot, celery and potatoes in some oil or water in a large stock pot for about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until it starts to brown. Stir in stock, tomato paste and stout beer so no lumps form. It will thicken a bit. You may need to add extra water if it's too thick. I added about an extra cup. (*I used 3 tbsp flour and I think it was too much). Stir in defrosted beef chunks.

Bring to a boil and then turn down and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add peas. Cook until heated through and sauce has thickened. Taste for seasoning.

I served mine on bowtie pasta because I like pasta with stews. But you could try quinoa, brown rice...anything else really :)

A stew is the ultimate comfort food and this one doesn't disappoint. The gravy is rich and thick and we wanted to eat the whole pot! I reckons the leftovers will make a GREAT pie. So that is what I'm going to do. If the gravy isn't pie-thickness I'll just reheat it on the stove with some cornflour or something, but I don't think it'll need it. Making leftovers into a pie with perhaps a steamed green thing on the side will stretch it out to at least 8 servings I think. Depends how much pie you can eat ;). 

This reminds me a lot of something my mum used to make sometimes, except I remember disliking it immensely. Don't know why. I guess tastes change.

I would definately serve this to family, friends, anybody who enjoyed a good stew. If they didn't see me eating it I'm sure they would all think it was the 'real deal'. If you aren't a fan of fake meat, try using tofu, tempeh, muchrooms, or even a bean. I think mushrooms would be especially delicious (and much more accessible to everyone! I know not all of us live in a city with plentiful asian food marts.)