BBC Good Food - 04.2020

116 bbcgoodfood.com APRIL 2020

COOKBOOK CHALLENGE

Plant Power by Annie Bell

Dedicated omnivoreKeith Kendrick tries going meat-free for a week

E

ncouraged by my three

environmentally-aware

teenage children, I want to

cut down on the amount of meat

we eat. Not to cut out meat

entirely, but adopt a more

‘flexitarian’ approach.

According to research by retail

shopping app Ubamarket, 32%

of Brits are consciously trying

to eat less meat for reasons

ranging from their health to the

environmental impact of the

agriculture industry, plus 36% of

meat-eaters now buy vegetarian

and vegan products. Even fast-

food giants KFC, McDonald’s and

Greggs now oer vegan options.

But as someone who was a

housedad for the formative years

of my kids’ lives, and thus

responsible for feeding them

healthy, nutritious meals, I’ve

always been nervous about a

purely plant-based approach.

Cauliflower steak ’n’ mash

SERVES 2 PREP10 mins

COOK 30 minsEASYV

1 caulilower (about 600g)

20g unsalted butter

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of cayenne pepper

15g grated parmesan, or

vegetarian alternative

30glaked almonds

lemon, juiced

1 tbsp small capers

small handful oflat-leaf parsley,

coarsely chopped

For the mash

100g canned haricot or cannellini

beans, drained and rinsed

50ml whole milk

tsp Dijon mustard

grating of nutmeg

&

Recipe adapted
fromPlant
Powerby
Annie Bell (Kyle
Books), £17.99.
Photographs by
Con Poulos.

TRY IT YOURSELF

1 Heat the oven to 210C/190C fan/

gas 6^1 / 2. Trim the cauliflower stalk

and stand the head upright on a

board. Cut it in half downwards,

then slice a 2-3cm thick steak from

the widest part of each half. Heat

half the butter with all of the olive

oil in a large, non-stick frying pan

over a medium heat, then fry the

cauliflower steaks for 2-4 mins

on each side until golden. Put in

a baking tray big enough to give

them a little space, then season

both sides with salt and cayenne

pepper. Scatter the parmesan and

almonds over the steaks and around

them, then roast for 20 mins until

the nuts are golden and crisp.

2 Meanwhile, bring a medium pan

of lightly salted water to the boil.

Break the remaining cauliflower

into florets, add to the pan and

Growing kids need protein, and

meat, of course, is a great source

of that. So how do you cut back

without compromising on the

nutritional benefits?

For inspiration, I turned to

Annie Bell’s new cookbook,Plant

Power: Protein-rich recipes for

vegetarians and vegans.

‘Animal products provide us

with high-quality protein in a

complete form,’ says Annie. ‘That

is, they contain all nine essential

amino acids, in addition to other

nutrients such as iron and vitamin

B12 that can be hard to source in

their absence.

‘While so many of us are eating

less meat and more vegetarian

food, quite how to replace meat at

a nutritional level remains a very

grey area. In practice, it isn’t

dicult. Provided you consume

a variety of plant proteins

throughout the day, drawing from

each of the protein-containing

groups – wholegrains, legumes,

vegetables and fruit, seeds and

nuts – in a way that meets your

energy requirements, this diet

will supply all the essential

amino acids necessary.’

Annie’s recipes inPlant Power

are not only packed with protein,

but they’re also delicious. I cooked

several for my family and none of

us even noticed the absence of

meat. Pea & mint soup was fresh

and aromatic; black bean and roast

pepper tacos were great to share

in front of the telly; shepherd’s pie

with mushrooms and lentils was

comforting and filling; and broad

bean falafels with tahini dip were

perfect finger food.

As Annie says, ‘We don’t need

to go down the route of fake veggie

burgers and sausages, which all too

often are packed with saturated

fat, salt and additives.’

cook for 10 mins or until tender.

Drain well, then blitz in a food

processor with the remaining

butter, the ingredients for the

mash and a little salt. Transfer

to a small pan and gently reheat.

3 When the cauliflower steaks

are cooked, squeeze over the lemon

juice, then scatter over the capers

and parsley. Serve the steaks and

all the crispy bits around them,

with the mash on the side.

GOOD TO KNOWcalcium•folate•ibre•vit c•

2 of 5-a-day•gluten free

PER SERVING438 kcals•fat 29g•saturates 10g•

carbs 22g•sugars 10g•ibre 10g• protein 18g•

salt 1.2g