VEGAN HOTPOT

When I was growing up, I would always know the day of the week by the smell of what was cooking when I came home from school.  My mum liked to keep it consistent so Monday was Sheppard’s pie, Tuesday was hotpot and so on.  My favourite day was Tuesday.   I loved hotpot.  Thick sauce with tender veg and meat all served with a huge dollop of pickles and crusty white bread.  The dish has a lot of good memories for me and I had to try and veganise it.

It is probably one of the simplest dishes you will ever make too and its a great one for the slow cooker.  Don’t be tempted to use the quorn pieces as they break up more than the fillets – just defrost them for half an hour at room temperature and cut into pieces.  Don’t be tempted to miss out the marmite either even if you don’t like it.  It is really important as it gives the gravy its deep flavour.

INGREDIENTS

3 vegan quorn fillets
dash of rapeseed oil
800 ml water
3 tbsp marmite
1 stock cube
60g red lentils
3 onions
2 carrots
3 potatoes (approx 350g)

1. Chop the onions, potatoes and carrots into chunky pieces and add to a pan
2. Add the water, marmite, stock cube and lentils and stir.
3. Cook on a very low heat on the hob for at least an hour or two hours if possible
4. Meanwhile fry the quorn pieces in a little rapeseed oil until they are brown on all sides
5. Add to the pan after the veg has been cooking for an hour
6. Try not to stir the hotpot as the veg is very tender and will break – just give the pan a little shake every so often.
7. If the sauce hasn’t thickened enough, take the lid off for the last part of cooking

For me this has to be served with pickles and white crusty bread.  I love the way the vinegar mixes with the sauce and then you mop it all up at the end.