Vegan food is really cooking. Emily Horton on two local champions standing firm against animal attraction and helping to teach others about veganism
Eddie Lee Lawrence
Ben Asamani
Forgive my prejudice, but I always associated veganism with anaemic-looking hippies whose idea of a right royal feast is two puny sprigs of lettuce.
But then, I’d never met Ben Asamani, owner of hugely popular restaurant 222 Veggie Vegan on Fulham’s North End Road.
For most of us, trained to equate taste with drippings of butter, rich cuttings of meat and reassuringly milky textures, a diet without animal products sounds a decidedly odd beast.
For Ben, however, it’s been a way of life since he was just 15, when he attended a health talk at a local church in his native Ghana.
“They spoke about what was unhealthy for our bodies and, surprisingly, meat was on the list,” he recalls. “It made sense that to embrace a truly healthy life, shunning sickness and disease, we would need to follow the rules of the Earth.”
Back at home with his parents, both meat-eaters, Ben took to the kitchen to learn how to feed himself. A lifelong passion – and career – was born. Later, after moving to London with his family, he trained in catering at Sutton College before working at a variety of restaurants. Yet his focus stayed constant: how to create meat-free alternatives.
Twelve years ago he opened 222 and has since built a formidable reputation. Aside from curries and his own special stir-fry, Ben excels with an alternative version of the French dish raclette, made with cashew cream, as well as a carrot tart in which tofu replaces egg. This has inspired a following right across the world and is, as they say, big in Japan.
Now Ben is launching a vegan cookery talk series in Croydon, to run on the last Sunday of each month.
“People tell me that they simply do not know what to eat, so we’re hoping to answer a few questions.
“I will be talking about how to recreate some of my most popular dishes and introducing you to some of the key ingredients in my cooking, such as cashew cream and seitan, the meat substitute. I’ll also show you how to make the most out of tofu and bring flavour to your own cooking.”
Sounds tasty.
Meanwhile, up in Soho’s Espresso Bar Mozzino, Kasia Łukasz of Richmond-based Sinless Desserts extols the virtues of raw foods. She holds monthly workshops at the Broadwick Street venue showing students how to adopt a raw, plant-based diet. Subjects include juices, soups, sprouting, savouries, fermentation, drinks and desserts.
Fermentation is a big favourite of Kasia’s – her fermented beetroot juice is truly delicious. As a natural probiotic, fermentation boosts the digestive and immune system, she explains.
“It’s far more beneficial than the usual pickled vinegar process. Add a good quality salt to the vegetable of your choice – cabbage works well – soaked in a jar of boiled water and chopped garlic. After 4-5 days it will make for an appetising drink and snack.”
Sinless Desserts & Workshops
Green alkaline juice
Of course, the juice movement is flourishing – a Joe’s Juice outlet is nearby – but Kasia prefers products with less fruit, so as to lower sugar levels. Thus she shows students how to make green, alkalising smoothies to help rid the body of toxins.
“The secret is to remove the bulky fibre to allow the juice’s nutrients to go straight into your bloodstream within 15 minutes of consumption.”
Kasia also explains how to grow sprouts from pulses – broccoli seeds are especially nutritious – with just a jam jar and muslin cloth.
Finally, guilt-free puddings. To stem her cravings when she gave up sugar 11 years ago, Kasia began to make vegan muffins. Now they’re winning her legions of fans. Free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar, they are also absolutely delicious.
- Ben Asamani’s vegan talk and workshops are at the Jurys Inn, Croydon, on the last Sunday of the month from Feb 28. Tel: 07958 433744; 222veggievegan.com
- Sinless Desserts workshops: Jan 22, Feb 5 & Mar 11 at Mozzino, Soho (£30 per class); sinlessdesserts.co.uk; 07910 353639
- Also trending: Borough’s London Vegetarian School is hosting Vegalution: a vegan lifestyle weekend workshop on February 27-28, 10am – 5pm; £389; for further info: londonvegetarianschool.co.uk
- For more great recipes from Ben Asamani and 222 Veggie Vegan, read The Happy Cow Cookbook: Recipes from Top-Rated Vegan Restaurants around the World (Ben Bella Books 2014) by Eric Brent and Glen Merzer. Available via Amazon
Ben Asanmani's OYSTER MUSHROOM AND SPINACH RACLETTE
Ben Asamani
Vegan raclette
2 potatoes l 4 cups vegan cottage cheese l 2 cups sliced spinach l ¼ cup diced onion l 2 tbsp chopped garlic l 1 cup vegan béchamel sauce l 2 cups oyster mushrooms l 2 tbsp sesame oil l ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
VEGAN COTTAGE CHEESE
l 1/3 cup soya/rice/almond milk l 1/3 cup cold-pressed sunflower oil l ¼ tsp chopped garlic l ½ tbsp sea salt l 1 tsp fresh lemon juice l 3 cups firm tofu (drained & mashed) l 2 tsp parsley
VEGAN BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
l ¼ cup raw cashews l ½ cup water l ¼ cup soya milk l pinch sea salt l pinch chopped garlic l ½ tsp brown rice flour
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven: 190°. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; then cut two 1/3 slices from each half. Cook slices in a pan of boiling water until soft, but firm (6 mins).
For the vegan cottage cheese, first blend milk, oil, garlic and salt in a blender for 7 mins. Pour into bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Add spinach, onion and remaining garlic to cottage cheese and mix well. Place the cooked potato slices on an oiled baking tray and divide the spinach/cottage cheese mixture between the slices. Bake for 15 mins.
Next, prepare the vegan béchamel sauce: process the cashews and water in a blender for 5 mins. Simmer soya milk in a pan with the salt and garlic. Mix rice flour with a little water to form a smooth paste. Stir it into milk until sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and stir into the cashew blend. Saute mushrooms in sesame oil over medium heat until soft, then stir in basil. Place potato slices on plates, pour the béchamel sauce on the potatoes and pile on the mushrooms.
Garnish with salad leaves and cherry tomatoes.
KASIA's CHIA SEED AND CAROB PUDDING
Sinless Desserts
Sinless Desserts: chia pudding
Choose carob over cocoa to go without the caffeine...
In a bowl, mix together 7 tablespoons of chia seeds and 4 tablespoons of carob, then pour in 1 litre of almond milk. Whisk to combine, stir well and then refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to thicken. Garnish with mulberries or goji berries. Will keep in fridge for 3 days.
Visit Sinless Desserts online for dates of Kasia's upcoming workshops or join her Facebook community
