Ingredients

250 g peeled potatoes
1 large zucchini, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 clove of garlic, peeled and cut into halves
2-3 cm fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons shoyu
a pinch of Himalayan salt
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
200 ml unsweetened and unflavoured oat milk
150 g plain tofu
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
3 teaspoons mild curry powder
a handful of fresh basil, cleaned
a few fresh thyme sprigs, cleaned
4 teaspoons agar agar powder mixed with 100 ml unsweetened and unflavoured oat milk
50-60 g vegan ham, chopped

Makes 4 servings (or a 25 cm long terrine).

Directions

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water. In the meantime, sauté the zucchini with the garlic and ginger in the olive oil and shoyu over medium heat. Season with the salt and pepper, stir and keep cooking until the zucchini are almost soft. Remove from heat and set aside. When the potatoes are ready, drain them and transfer into the bowl of a blender. Stir the vegetable stock powder into the (200 ml) oat milk and pour the mixture over the potatoes. Add the tofu, nutritional yeast and curry powder and blend until smooth. Throw in the basil and thyme, blend again for a little while and transfer the mixture into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Simmer over low heat for around 5 minutes then add the agar agar mixture, keep cooking for another 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add the zucchini and vegan ham, stir well and transfer into a terrine mold and let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours. You can transfer then the terrine into the fridge until serving time or serve, sliced, at room temperature.

Ingredients

500 ml mixed berry tea (use your favourite blend)
a little squeeze of lemon juice
one quarter of a teaspoon vanilla powder
one quarter of a teaspoon powdered cloves
5 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 teaspoons powdered agar agar

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the mixed berry tea into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and cloves and stir. Stir in the rice malt syrup and cook for a couple of minutes then add the agar agar, and keep cooking for about 5 minutes, while stirring continuously. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot berry tea mixture into a baking pan (use a steel or ceramic oven pan), then set aside and allow to cool, first at room temperature then in the ridge (at least 2 to 3 hours). When it is cold and completely firm, you can cut the jelly into squares and serve.

Ingredients

400 ml oat milk, unflavoured and unsweetened
200 ml vegetable cream, unflavoured and unsweetened
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
a few pinches of whole sea salt
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
a pinch of chili powder
1 powdered saffron sachet, dissolved in a little, and warm, oat milk
5 teaspoons agar agar powder
1 kg cooked semi-whole rice (I used
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
100 g vegan ham or other vegan slices, chopped
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into pieces
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple vinegar

Makes at least 6 timbales.

Directions

Combine the oat milk, vegetable cream, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, chili powder and saffron in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, stir and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the agar agar and keep cooking until it has dissolved (5 to 6 minutes), then add the rice, olive oil, vegan ham and poppy seeds and mix very well. Remove from the heat, divide the rice into individual molds or ramekins and set aside to cool. To make the apple sauce, combine the apples with the lemon juice and apple vinegar in a food processor and process until soft. When the rice timbales have cooled thoroughly you can unmold them and serve them at room temperature with the apple sauce.

Ingredients

For the custard

500 ml unsweetened and unflavoured almond milk
3 teaspoons agar agar powder
6 tablespoons rice malt syrup
3 tablespoons almond butter

For the berries

black berries (1 small basket)
blueberries (1 small basket)
3-4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
a few pinches of vanilla powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
lemon zest (from organic lemons), julienned, for garnish

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the almond milk  into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the agar agar, stirring constantly to avoid lumps (you can even mix the agar agar with an equal amount of cold almond milk or filtered water). Stir until dissolved. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, making sure the milk does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into a low ceramic casserole dish. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours, or until completely firm. When it’s time to prepare the custard, break the gelatin into pieces and put it in the bowl of a mixer. Add the rice malt syrup and the almond butter and process until very smooth. Pour the custard into ramekins or glasses and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until serving time.

In the meantime, clean the berries and combine them in a bowl, add the rice malt syrup, vanilla and lemon juice and toss. Refrigerate until serving time.

Serve the almond custard cold, topped with the berries and lemon zest.

Ingredients

350 g ripe strawberries, cleaned and coarsely puréed
150 g rice malt syrup
juice of half a lemon
half a teaspoon powdered cardamom
a few pinches of powdered vanilla
half a teaspoon agar agar powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon filtered water

Makes about 1 jar.

Directions

Put the strawberries in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the malt syrup, lemon, cardamom and vanilla and toss until combined. Cook the fruit over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then turn the heat down to low and keep cooking for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the agar gar, stir well and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the fruit has thickened, stirring constantly to keep from sticking to the pan. Turn the heat off, pour the strawberry mixture into individual jars. Let cool before covering each jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in the fridge, where it will keep for up to 10 days, 2 weeks.

Ingredients

For the crust

The recipe is here. You will need about 80-100 g of dough in order to make 2 tart shells. of about 15 cm. The quantities vary according to the thickness you prefer for the single shells.

For the hazelnut cream

200 ml almond milk
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 tablespoons hazelnut butter
1 teaspoon thyme leaves (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon agar agar powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch (GMO-free), dissolved in 2 tablespoons filtered water
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup

Quantities indicated here are enough for 2 tart shells of about 15 cm. To fill a single larger tart you will of course have to double or triple the quantities.

To complete

coarsely chopped hazelnuts, to taste
thyme leaves, preferably fresh, to taste
rice malt syrup, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180° C. When you’re ready to roll the dough, take it from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface, dust your rolling-pin with flour and roll the dough out to the desired thickness (3-4 mm). Oil your tart pans and sprinkle with a light coating of flour. Arrange the dough in the pans, poke a few holes in the dough with a fork to let the steam escape, and transfer the pans into the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes until nicely golden (cooking time varies according to the thickness). Let cool a tiny bit before removing the tart from the pan and filling with the cream.

To make the hazelnut cream, pour the almond milk in a pan over low heat, then add the salt. Stir, add the hazelnut butter and keep stirring until it has completely melted. Add the thyme, using a tea infuser spoon or ball, and turn the heat to medium-high. Remove the thyme/infuser after 3-5 minutes and add the agar agar, while you stir until it has dissolved. Add the cornstarch and keep stirring for a few more minutes until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat, add the rice malt syrup and stir to combine. If the texture of the cream is grainy, mix with an immersion blender to make it smoother. Set aside to cool slightly before you fill the tarts.

To complete, fill the tarts with the hazelnut cream, scatter the hazelnuts and thyme leaves over the top and drizzle with the rice malt syrup.

Ingredients

For the pannacotta

350 ml almond milk
150 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, preferably rice based cream)
3 tablespoons agave syrup
a pinch of vanilla powder
2 1/2 teaspoons agar agar powder

For the cacao and carob sauce

2 teaspoons cacao powder
4 teaspoons carob powder
2 teaspoons tahin
4 teaspoons agave syrup
3 teaspoons raw almond cream
9 teaspoons almond milk

To complete

2-3 fresh prickly pears, peeled and crushed or puréed just before serving
agave syrup, to taste

Makes 4 servings.

To make the pannacottas, pour the milk and cream into a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Add the agave and the vanilla and stir well. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the agar agar and keep stirring until dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful as the mixture might stick to the bottom of the saucepan if left for too long without stirring. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the mixture into small pudding molds. Set aside and allow to cool -first at room temperature and then in the fridge- for at least 2 to 3 hours. You can unmold the pannacottas when they are cold and completely firm.

To make the cacao and carob sauce, whisk the cacao powder, carob powder, tahin, agave syrup, almond cream and milk together. Keep refrigerated until shortly before serving.

To serve, place the pannacottas on the individual serving plates, pour some cacao and carob sauce over them, mix the prickly pear pulp with the agave syrup and complete the dessert presentation. Serve immediately.

This is my own adaptation of a typical Sicilian dessert, called ‘gelo di melone’, a very unique combination of flavours, that is, jasmine flowers and watermelon… something you will definitely be able to taste if visiting Sicily in summer. Since there’s plenty of watermelons around at the moment, I thought it was time to try my version of this unusual kind of dessert. However, I couldn’t find any jasmine flowers, and opted for rose water, a substitution that my Sicilian friends will hopefully appreciate.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

3 cups watermelon pulp (seeds removed) cut into pieces

1 tablespoons rose water

the juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 tablespoons agar agar flakes

2 pinches natural vanilla powder

1 pinch ground cardamom

3 tablespoons rice malt syrup

dark chocolate (for garnish)

pistachios (for garnish) 

Run the watermelon pieces through a juicer. Combine the juice, rose water, lemon juice, vanilla, cardamom, rice malt syrup in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the agar agar flakes and keep stirring over low heat until the flakes have competely melted. Dissolve the corn starch (you might as well use the same amount of arrowroot instead) in 2 tablespoons cold water and add it to the agar and juice mixture. Keep stirring for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into individual ramekins or molds. Let cool and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set and chilled. 

You can unmold the jellies or serve them in their ramekins. Either way, sprinkle the top of them with dark chocolate flakes and grounded pistachios. Serve chilled.

Ingredients

For the ‘jelly puddings’

500 ml mixed berry juice (the one I used was a blend of blackcurrant, cranberry, strawberry and raspberry juices)

3 teaspoons agar powder

For the white chocolate sauce

100 g white chocolate (I used vegan white chocolate chips)

half a teaspoon ground cinnamon

200 ml soy milk

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the mixed berry juice into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the agar and stir until dissolved. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continually to prevent the juice from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot juice and agar mixture into small pudding molds. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours. You can unmold the jellies when they are cold and completely firm.

To make the chocolate sauce, pour the soy milk into a pan and bring to a simmer. Add the white chocolate and slowly let it melt while stirring. Once the chocolate has melted, add the ground cinnamon and stir. You don’t want the sauce to overboil. If the mixture is still to liquid, you can add 2 tablespoons water mixed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Cook for a couple of minutes and when the sauce thickens, it means it’s ready and can be left to cool. If you like the sauce to be runny, you don’t need to add any cornstarch. (You can use this sauce for almost any other kind of dessert, as white chocolate pairs well with so many things… Here, I think the sweetness of the chocolate balances the tangyness of the berries…)

To assemble

Spoon some white chocolate sauce over individual dessert plates. Arrange the jellies on the white chocolate sauce, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

Agar agar, also known as kanten, is an excellent vegetarian substitute for gelatine. This natural gelling agent is obtained from algae or seaweeds and can be used instead of ordinary gelatine of animal origin. I use a lot of agar: to thicken soups and sauces, and to make puddings, jellies, and other desserts like pannacotta. When I don’t feel like having elaborate desserts, agar is the perfect solution for a light but satisfying treat.