The temptation to give in and order a takeaway can often get the better of us. Of course, we all want to treat ourselves especially during the week to get us through until Friday. Plant based meat alternatives are everywhere nowadays with many restaurants adding the meat free options. This makes it much easier for many to indulge in takeaways as the number of plant based options increases and selection evolves.
However, this broadened variety makes the temptation much harder to resist – especially with summer on the horizon we all want to look and feel our best for the good weather. The plant based alternatives available in many supermarkets leave endless meal options and promote a space for creativity in the kitchen.
Why not try to replicate your favourite plant based meals at home? Get experimental in the kitchen and try a fake-away. Save yourself from the post takeaway guilt by doing it yourself, and save some money too!
Check out some of our favourite recipes below! The BBC good food website have so many options that you are bound to find something that suits you.
Vegan Ramen
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
Kcal: 556
Fat: 19g (saturates: 3g)
Carbohydrates: 69g
Sugars: 96g
Protein: 22g
Sodium: 4g
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- Sliced ginger (thumb sized)
- 5 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp neri goma or tahini
- 15g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1l vegan stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 200g firm tofu cut to chuky cubes
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
- 100g ramen or rice noodles (2 nests)
- 1 pak choi head, quartered
- 2 spring onions, finely slices – separate white and green parts
- 25g ready to eat bean sprouts
- 1 carrot peeled and cut to matchsticks
- Sesame oil, siracha, chopped coriander, crushed peanuts, crumbled sheets of nori or dried chilli threads to serve (all optional)
Step 1
Crush garlic, put into a sauce pan with ginger, miso, neri goma, mushrooms, stock and soy. Bring to gentle simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes until ginger has softened. Strain into a clean pan and discard leftover in strainer.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook the tofu. Roll it in cornflour and add it to heated oil in a frying pan. Fry each side for a few minutes – be gentle with the tofu or it will break. Under cook the noodles for 1 minute less than package instructions.
Step 3
Add the pak choi and white parts of spring onion to the broth and reheat it gently for 1-2 minutes until the greens have wilted.
Step 4
Add the noodles to two bowls then ladle in the broth and veg. Add tofu, bean sprouts, carrot and ginger matchsticks, green parts of spring onions. Add a drizzle of sesame oil. The other toppings are recommended but optional!
Kentucky Fried Seitan
Prep: 45 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Serves 4-6
Kcal: 777
Fat: 15g (saturates: 1g)
Carbohydrates: 97g
Sugars: 3g
Fibre: 10gProtein: 59g
Sodium: 4g
Ingredients
- 250g firm tofu
- 150ml unsweetened soy milk
- 2 tsp miso paste
- 2 tsp marmite
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- 1 tsp dried sage
- tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 160g wheat gluten
- 40g pea protein or vegan protein powder
- 5 litres vegetable stock
- 1 onion quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- Handful parsley stalks
- 300g gram flour
- 350g plain flower
- Vegetable or sunflower oil for frying
For the spice coating
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 3 tsp celery salt
- 3 tsp black pepper
- 3 tsp white pepper
- 3 tsp dried mustard
- 3 tsp paprika
- 3 tsp dried sage
- 4 tsp dried garlic powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 200g panko breadcrumbs
Step 1
Make the seitan. Blitz the tofu, soy milk, miso, marmite, tarragon, sage, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and .5 tsp white pepper in a food processor until smooth consistency.
Step 2
Tip into a bowl and add the wheat gluten and pea protein (or protein poweder). Mix until dough consistency is formed. Knead the dough thoroughly, stretching and tearing for 10-15 minutes. It is ready when the seitan feels springy.
Step 3
Pour vegetable stock into a pan with the onion, garlic and parsley stalks. Bring to a simmer. Flatten seitan to 1cm in thickness, and cut to chicken breast sized chunks. Simmer the chunks in the stock for 30 minutes, covering it with a lid. Let it cool in the tock. Ideally this would be done the day before to allow a chill in the fridge . This can also be frozen if desired.
Step 4
Mix the spice coating ingredients in one bowl. Add gram flour in another and the plain flour in a third. Mix enough water into the gram flour unto the texture is similar to that of a beaten egg. Dip the seitan pieces in the plain flour, shake off excess, then coat each piece in the gram flour mixture and finally in the panko spice mix.
Step 5
In a larger frying pan or a deep fat fryer, heat the oil to 180C. Carefully add the seitan pieces and cook for 6 minutes or so until they are dark golden brown and crispy. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain off the excess oil and lightly salt. Serve with a toasted bun, salad or slaw, or even alternatively serve as vegan chicken dippers with BBQ or garlic sauce.
Vegan Pizza
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4
Kcal: 688
Fat: 20g (saturates: 11g)
Carbohydrates: 107g
Sugars: 4g
Fibre: 5g
Protein: 18g
Sodium: 2g
Ingredients
For the dough
- 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp dried yeast
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra
For the tomato sauce
- 100ml passata
- 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried oregano)
- 1 garlic clove crushed
For the topping
- 200g vegan mozzarella-style cheese, grated
- 2 tomatoes thinly sliced
- Fresh basil or oregano leaves, chilli oil and vegan parmesan to serve (optional)
Step 1
Put the flour, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Measure 150ml of cold water and 150ml boiling water into a jug and mix them together – this will mean your water is a good temperature for the yeast. Add the oil and 1 tsp salt to the warm water then pour it over the flour. Stir well with a spoon then start to knead the mixture together in the bowl until it forms a soft and slightly sticky dough. If it’s too dry add a splash of cold water.
Step 2
Dust a little flour on the work surface and knead the dough for 10 mins. Put it back in the mixing bowl and cover with cling film greased with a few drops of olive oil. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size.
Step 3
Heat oven to 220C/200C/gas 9 and put a baking sheet or pizza stone on the top shelf to heat up. Once the dough has risen, knock it back by punching it a couple of times with your fist then kneading it again on a floured surface. It should be springy and a lot less sticky. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
Step 4
Put all the ingredients for the tomato sauce together in a bowl, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if you like and mix well. Set aside until needed.
Step 5
Divide the dough into 2 or 4 pieces (depending on whether you want to make large or small pizzas), shape into balls and flatten each piece out as thin as you can get it with a rolling pin or using your hands. Make sure the dough is well dusted with flour to stop it sticking. Dust another baking sheet with flour then put a pizza base on top – spread 4-5 tbsp of the tomato sauce on top and add some sliced tomatoes and grated vegan cheese. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in the oven on top of your preheated baking tray for 10-12 mins or until the base is puffed up and the vegan cheese has melted and is bubbling and golden in patches.
Step 6
Repeat with the rest of the dough and topping. Serve the pizzas with fresh basil leaves or chilli oil if you like and sprinkle over vegan parmesan just after baking.
Why not try and cook one plant based meal per week to mix it up from the norm? All of the mentioned recipes are accessible here at: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/vegan-takeaway-recipes
Let us know how you got on by tagging us in your instagram stories and sharing your fake-away creations!