In today’s health-focused climate, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s a growing demand among wellness-minded travellers for dining experiences that offer both nutritional value and culinary delight. The good news is that plant-based proteins give us the opportunity to reduce our meat intake. Nowadays, high-quality, flavourful plant-based meat options are readily available in supermarkets across Thailand, making it more convenient than ever to whip up plant-based meals at home. Once you realise how simple it is to prepare plant-based dishes, you’ll be inspired to cook this way more frequently and cut back on meat consumption. I hope you enjoy my recipe for cabbage-wrapped plant-based meat with smoked vegetables; it’s a nutritious and satisfying meal that you can easily prepare in your kitchen.
Ingredients (for 6 servings)
Plant-Based Meat Patties:
- 240 g plant-based minced meat
- 100 g leek
- 50 g white miso
- 25 g tomato paste
- 10 g Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 g garlic, chopped.
- 10 g onion, chopped
- 75 dl olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 pieces of cabbage leaves, blanched
Pumpkin Puree:
- 500 g Japanese pumpkin
- 50 g onion, chopped
- 10 g garlic, chopped
- 5 dl olive oil
- 250 g water
- 2 pieces of bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Beetroot:
- 500 g beetroot
- 10 dl olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Smoked Vegetable Sauce:
- 2 kg mushrooms (shiitake, shogun, or Paris)
- 250 g olive oil
- 2 L water
- 50 g tomato paste
- 200 g carrot
- 200 g leek
- 200 g onion
- 200 g celeriac
- 10 g garlic
- 10 g thyme
- 5 pieces of bay leaves
- 20 g corn starch
- 10 pieces of black peppercorn
- 1L red wine
Method
Plant-Based Meat Patties:
- In a saucepan on medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, leek, and garlic and sauté until soft. Then add the tomato paste, stirring for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Add the cooled mixture into a mixing bowl along with the plant-based meat, white miso, and chopped Italian parsley. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.
- On a sustainable bioplastic wrap, place two blanched cabbage leaves. Add a scoop of the meat and herb mixture into the centre of the two cabbage leaves and then wrap the scoop with the cabbage, securing the ball with the plastic wrap. Repeat six times and store in the fridge until use.
Pumpkin Puree: - Wrap the pumpkin in aluminium foil and bake it in the oven at 180°C for 30 to 40 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
- Remove from the oven and remove the aluminium foil.
- In a pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, chopped garlic, and onion and sauté until translucent.
- Add the pumpkin, bay leaves, and water and cook everything slowly in low heat for 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and blend the remaining mixture in a mixer until pureed. Add salt and pepper to taste and then keep aside.
Beetroot: - Wash the beetroot of any dirt and then wrap it in aluminium foil to bake in the oven at 180°C for 60 minutes until beetroot stender.
- Peel and slice the beetroot into one-centimetre thick circular pieces.
- Lightly pan-sear the beetroot slices in olive oil, adding salt and pepper to taste. Keep until use.
Smoked Vegetable Sauce: - Dice all the vegetables into pieces approximately 1.5 centimetres thick.
- Place them on a roasting tray, drizzle over with olive oil, and grill until golden brown.
- Add the grilled vegetables into a saucepan with the tomato paste and cook over medium heat until the tomato paste turns brownish-red. Add red wine and reduce until dry. Then add water, thyme, bay leaves, and black peppercorn and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Strain the chunks out from the sauce and add the cornstarch for a silky texture. (Check the texture by dipping a spoon into the sauce; the sauce should cover the back of the spoon.)
Final Steps: - In a braising pan, add the sauce and cabbage wraps. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in the oven at175°C for 30 minutes, basting it from time to time.
- Add the pumpkin puree into a plastic squeeze bottle and squeeze dollops stylishly onto one side of the plate.
- Carefully spoon vegetable sauce onto the centre of the plate.
- Place the braised wraps on top of the sauce and the beetroot slices to the side. Serve.
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