KATSU SUB

Makes 6

6 submarine rolls

1 block firm tofu

salad items of choice

2tbsp mayonnaise

2tbap Katsu paste

3tbsp soy sauce

50g panko breadcrumbs

4tbsp plain flour

4tbsp cornflour

Sunflower oil for frying

First, prepare the tofu.
Drain and rinse. 
Cut in half and then slice each half into three, lengthways.

Place in layers between absorbent paper and add weights on top to squeeze out the moisture.

Then place in a bowl and sprinkle with 2tbsp of the soy sauce. 
Allow to marinate while you make the breadcrumb coating. 

Mix the cornflour with water to make a thick, sticky liquid. 

Put the breadcrumbs and flour in separate bowls. 

Dip each slice of tofu in the flour, then the cornflour mixture, then the breadcrumbs.

Mix the katsu paste and soy sauce in a saucepan. 

Take 1tsp of this and mix with the mayonnaise. Leave the rest in the pan.

Cut each roll in half. 

Spread the bottom of each with the katsu/ mayonnaise mix.

Then load with the salad of your choice. (I used crispy lettuce, radish, yellow pepper and spring onion.)

Heat the oil and fry the tofu in two batches, turning when needed, for a few minutes until golden. 

Set aside to drain.

Warm the katsu sauce.
Cut each piece of tofu in half.

Drizzle with the sauce.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - AGATHA CHRISTIE

Agatha Christie wrote 66 detective novels and is one of the widest-read authors ever. 

She created Miss Marple and the wonderful Hercule Poirot. 

In 1938, she bought Greenway, a beautiful house and grounds in the Devon countryside.

It was the setting for a few of her novels and it, along with the grounds and the boathouse, has been used in some of the recent TV adaptations.

Zelda was privileged to visit recently, with friends Julie and Adrian. 
It seems fitting, therefore, to invite her to dinner.
At Greenway, we enjoyed some delicious apple and cider cake, so I have recreated it here, served with her favourite clotted cream - apparently she used to keep some beside her as she wrote her novels!

APPLE AND CIDER CAKE

100ml medium sweet cider

225g plain flour

1tsp baking powder

1tsp cinnamon

225g caster sugar

225g butter, softened

2 large free range eggs

2 large cooking apples

Prepare the tin. Grease and line or use a liner. Heat oven to 180°C/ Gas 4/ 350°F

Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a hand-held electric whisk.

Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then mix in the cider.

Add this to the flour and mix well.

Peel and core the apples. Chop into cubes.

Add to the bowl and stir.

Spoon into the tin and level the top.

Cook for about 1½ hours until an inserted skewer or knife will come out clean.

Allow to cool fully, then remove from the tin.

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - KENICKIE

Kenickie is Zelda's favourite character in Grease. 

He is a member of the T Birds, the owner of the car, 'Greased Lightning'.

In the 'diner scene' of the 1978 film, he disgusts his girlfriend Rizzo by the way he eats a burger. Maybe it wasn't the right burger. Zelda has an alternative he might like.

DELUXE VEGGIE BURGERS

4 Brioche burger buns

4 veggie burgers (I used 'Quorn’ ones)

2 large red onions

2tbsp oil

25g butter

2tbsp red wine vinegar

1tbsp sugar

handful of chopped crisp lettuce

mayonnaise or ketchup

4 slices of cheese

handful of chopped coriander

Peel the onions. Slice most and chop the rest.

Heat 1tbsp oil and the butter.

Cook very gently, over a low heat, for about 15 minutes until soft and slightly sticky.

Then add the sugar and red wine vinegar and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, heat the remaining oil in a separate pan and fry the burgers until brown on each side.

Meanwhile...

Cut buns in half

Spread bottoms with the condiment of your choice. 

Maybe mayonnaise...

...or ketchup

Prepare the additional fillings...

lettuce

coriander

cheese

Assemble the burgers

EGG AND 'BACON' BRUNCH

4 slices vegetarian bacon, defrosted if frozen
2 free range eggs

Either use a muffin tray or (as I did) place a couple of silicone muffin moulds on a tray. 
Place two pieces of the bacon in each mould, so that they overlap.
Crack an egg into the middle of each.

Place in oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for about15 minutes until the eggs have set.
Slide a knife around the edge and remove the moulds.
N.B. Vegetarian bacon is drier than its meaty counterpart, so the edges may burn. if so, just snip them off. 

Serve on their own or with chosen accompaniments. 

Fantasy Veggie Dinner Guest - DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born in London to an Italian émigré. He began to paint as a young man, influenced by medieval Italian art and soon developed a passionate commitment to the reform British art by rejecting the formal artistic techniques of the time, taught at The Royal Academy. In 1848 he was a founder member of The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. 
When his wife, Lizzie Siddal, died of an overdose he painted one of the greatest portraits Zelda has ever seen.

I think that this would be perfect if he came to dinner. It is a mixture of the English and the Italian; it is high in taste but 'down to earth'. 

CHEESY SWEETCORN AND ‘HAM’ PASTA BAKE

200g conchiglie (or similar pasta)

40g butter

40g plain flour

500ml milk

180g cheddar cheese, grated

1 small can sweetcorn, drained

1 x 20g pack Quorn ‘ham’ slices

1tbsp chives, snipped into small pieces

1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Then drain, return to the pan and set aside.

Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour and cook for a few minutes.

Then, add the milk. Keep stirring, over a low heat, until it thickens. Mix in half of the cheese.

Add this to the pan of drained pasta. Combine with the ‘ham’ and sweetcorn.

Pour into a dish.

Cover with the rest of the cheese.

Cook at 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas 6 for 20-25 minutes.