Retro kievs

After my success with TVP and Manitoba flour in making the versatile vegetarian meatballs, I decided to go a step further and experiment with the mix and make some veggie kievs. I often see the vegetarian supermarket brand kievs, which are not too bad , but thought why not try making my own. Although a little bit fiddly and delicate especially during the process of frying, I was pleased with the final result both visually and by taste.

So as a vegan or vegetarian, when was it the last time you cut through a crisp, golden crumbed texture and the surprise of tasty melted garlic butter oozed out onto your plate. If its been a while. Maybe I can tempt you to have a go with this recipe. It can be either vegetarian or a vegan kiev.
Ingredients
170g light TVP mince
375ml stock made with 1 tablespoon of bouillon powder
1 medium onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
75g Manitoba flour or vital wheat gluten
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
For the mix
Reconstitute TVP mince by pouring the stock over the granules, covering tightly with plate and let sit for 10 minutes.
In a large pan, saute the onions and garlic in oil over gentle heat until translucent and soft. About 10-15 minutes. Then add parsley and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat mix in the flour and seasoning. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
Remove butter from freezer and cut into four even sized nuggets.
Split mix into four even sized balls. The put on surface or in the palm of your hands and flatten. Add to it a nugget of butter. Then bring over the TVP mix and press gently to form it into kiev shapes. Do this with the others. When done, put in refrigerator to cool.

First make the lemon and garlic butter
4 tablespoons of Soya butter
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Blend all the ingredients together. When blended, put butter onto some cling film and roll gently until you have a sausage shape, wrap ends and then put in freezer
For the kiev mix
170g light TVP mince

375ml stock made with 1 tablespoon of bouillon powder

1 medium onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

75g Manitoba flour or vital wheat gluten

1 tablespoon of dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Method for the mix

Reconstitute TVP mince by pouring the stock over the granules, covering tightly with plate and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a large pan, saute the onions and garlic in oil over gentle heat until translucent and soft. About 10-15 minutes. Then add parsley and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat mix in the flour and seasoning. Let sit until cool enough to handle.

Remove butter from freezer and cut into four even sized nuggets.Split mix into four even sized balls. The put on surface or in the palm of your hands and flatten. Add to it a nugget of butter. Then bring over the TVP mix and press gently to form it into kiev shapes. Do this with the others. When done, put in refrigerator to cool.

For the coating

1 beaten egg (optional)

200g of Breadcrumbs

Additional oil for shallow frying

Dip kiev into beaten egg first, then into breadcrumbs, ensure well coated. Then shallow fry on one side in hot oil until brown, then flip over until the other side is brown. Don't over do this, as the butter may completely disappear from the inside.

If you are not using the beaten egg, be very gentle when flipping the kiev over in both the breadcrumbs and in the oil when shallow frying as it may break.
PS Did you know that kievs are not Russian or Ukraine as the name suggests, but were actually invented by a Frenchman who invented the canning of food and called it Chicken Supreme. It became known as the chicken kiev when New York restaurants were trying to cater to the tastes of Soviet migrants. I think this vegified version will be appreciated by many.

Adapted from Just the Food and Vegetarian Entertaining with Friends

flying fish and plastic bottles

A little bit of recycling going on here. These plastic fish used by many children up and down the country during their fun bath time, were being thrown away a little while ago by a nephew or two, as they had lost they bounce in the water bubbles.

So, I rescued them and decided to make them into cane protectors. They have a dual purpose: to stop D and me getting our eyes poked out by sticky out canes; but also to cheer the plot up a little with a bit of colour. I have also been given some ducks. They will soon find a home on the plot too.

Here is my ex oil can full of large plastic bottles that I re-use for covering transplanted plants: protection from the cold and protection from the slugs.

(m)Ummys Aloo-Gobi with fenugreek