Valentine’s Day Special: Aphrodite’s Desire

Aphrodite's Desire: Chocolate Mousse with passionfruit yogurt

Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without something chocolatey and indulgent, so why not round off your romantic dinner with this vegan chocolate mousse? Appropriately named Aphrodite’s Desire, this decadent dessert has been specially created by Kent’s very own Chef de Cuisine, Rob Grimer.

If you’ve never tried a silken tofu chocolate mousse before, this recipe will take you completely by surprise! It’s decadent, rich, velvety smooth, creamy, and unbelievably easy to whip up. You’ll never guess that this dessert is vegan.

You can try different variations of this recipe by adding extra ingredients and toppings, the possibilities are endless. Why not add a dollop of nut butter, some flaked almonds, or a sprinkling of freeze-dried raspberries?

Looking for the perfect main course to wow your loved one? Look no further than Ben Elsbury’s Dolche Vita-style chicken katsu curry.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Kent Hospitality! xoxoxo

Aphrodite’s Desire (vegan chocolate mousse with passionfruit yogurt)

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
• 200g silken tofu, drained
• 100g vegan dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ tbsp treacle
• ½ lime, juiced
• 2 passion fruits
• 2 tbsp caster sugar or to taste
• 2 tbsp thick vegan yogurt

Recipe:
1. Put the tofu, vanilla extract, treacle and lime juice in a large bowl and blend with a hand blender until silky smooth (you can use a whisk, but it will take slightly longer).

2. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl sat over a saucepan of simmering water, being careful not to let the bowl touch the water.

3. Fold the melted chocolate into the tofu mixture. Spoon the mixture into two special glasses and refrigerate until set.

4. Cut both passion fruits in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Mix with the caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Fold half the passion fruit mix into the yogurt and leave in the fridge to set for about an hour.

5. To serve, remove the chocolate mousse from the fridge, top with a dollop of passion fruit yogurt, and pour over the rest of the passion fruit sauce. Garnish the dish with some grated chocolate and fresh fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, and tropical fruit will work well for this recipe.

Top tip: If you’re not vegan, you could swap the vegan yogurt for some thick Greek yogurt instead.

Did you have a go at this recipe? If yes, high five! Well done you! Why not share your attempt on Instagram and tag us @unikentfood?

Valentine’s Day Special: Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken Katsu Curry

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, so why not wow your sweetheart with a delicious homemade meal?

We’ve asked Kent’s Chef de Cuisines, Ben Elsbury and Rob Grimer, to come up with a scrumptious two-course Valentine’s Day dinner that’ll surprise and delight your loved one. These dishes are low cost and easy enough for any home chef to master, whatever the skill level.

Today we’re going to focus on the main course. For this, Ben’s chosen a student-friendly chicken katsu curry. This Japanese-inspired curry is a decadent treat with its golden, breaded chicken and smooth curry sauce. If you know someone who’s longing for a Dolche Vita-style katsu curry – this is the dish for them!

Getting the panko breadcrumbs to stick to the chicken is probably the trickiest part of this recipe, so take your time and read the instructions well.

Tomorrow we’re going to be publishing the recipe for Rob’s Valentine’s Day dessert, Aphrodite’s Desire, a vegan chocolate mousse with passionfruit yogurt. So, tune in tomorrow for more delicious declarations of love. 

Chicken Katsu Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
• Vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts
• Juice of half a lime
• 10g coriander, chopped
• 1 egg
• 10ml milk
• 60g panko breadcrumbs.
• 40g plain flour
• 40g chip shop curry sauce mix
• 40g carrot, cut into thin matchsticks or grated
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 50g red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 50g white cabbage, thinly sliced
• 150g jasmine rice
• Salt and pepper
• ½ lime, cut into segments for garnish

Recipe:
1. Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready in front of you – it always makes cooking much easier. Heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan and bring two saucepans of water to the boil (one with about 1litre of water for the rice, and one with 250ml of water for the curry sauce – this will be needed later in the recipe.)

2. Begin by preparing the raw slaw. Mix the carrot, red onion, red cabbage, white cabbage, chopped coriander, and lime juice in a bowl together. Season well with salt and pepper and leave in the fridge.

3. Now prepare the breading station. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with some salt and pepper. In a second bowl, beat the egg and milk together. In a third bowl, add the panko breadcrumbs. Top tip: breading chicken can get a little messy, you might want a bowl of hot soapy water to hand.

4. Slice your chicken breasts in two widthways, starting from the thickest part of the breast. You should now have four thin chicken fillets.

5. Working with one piece at a time, dip each chicken breast into the flour, then shake off the excess. Next, run the chicken through the egg mixture, again, shake off the excess. Finally, dip the chicken into the panko breadcrumbs and coat on both sides. You can gently press the breadcrumbs into the chicken to make sure they stick. Lay the chicken pieces on a plate once done.

6. Heat a good glug of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add your chicken fillets and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until the breadcrumbs begin to colour.

7. Once golden, transfer the chicken pieces to a baking tray or oven proof dish and cook in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

8. While the chicken is in the oven, cook the jasmine rice to the packet instructions and add the curry sauce granules to the 250ml of boiling water, stirring well.

10. Once the chicken is cooked, slice the breaded chicken pieces into strips at an angle. To check your chicken is cooked, cut into the thickest part of the meat and check that its firm and white. Put the chicken back in the oven for a few minutes if it still looks pink.

11. To serve, generously heap the jasmine rice onto one side of your plate, add the slices of breaded chicken to the other, pop a little raw slaw on the side, and liberally pour the curry sauce on top. Serve with lime wedges.

Top tip 1: You can adapt this recipe to make it vegan. Simply substitute the chicken for firm tofu and use soy milk instead of the egg mixture.

Top tip 2: Can’t find panko breadcrumbs? You can use regular breadcrumbs instead.

Did you have a go at this recipe? If yes, high five! Well done you! Why not share your attempt on Instagram and tag us @unikentfood?

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Are you in need of more #KentWellbeingIdeas to get you through lockdown? Well, how about this rich, hearty vegan shepherd’s pie, topped with fluffy sweet potato and herby breadcrumbs?

Not only is this pie veg-packed and delicious, but it’s also full of plant-based protein thanks to the lentils and beans. Legumes are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and dietary fibre, they’re also full of B vitamins and many other important vitamins and minerals.

For this recipe you’re going to need two very large saucepans and one large oven-proof casserole dish (it serves a lot of people!) – it’s a great dish to cook and share with your housemates. Alternatively, you can cook it for yourself and store any leftovers in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 600g Maris Piper potatoes, cut into rough 3cm chunks
• 600g sweet potatoes, cut into rough 3cm, chunks
• 40g dairy-free margarine
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ a bunch of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from tthe stalks
• 350g mushrooms (button or chestnut work well)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
• vegan red wine (optional)
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 1 x 400g tin of lentils
• 1 x 400g tin of flageolet beans (or chickpeas)
• 1 tsp marmite
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, stalks removed and leaves roughly chopped
• 30 g fresh breadcrumbs

Recipe:

1. Prepare the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms, and potatoes and have them ready in front of you – it will make cooking much easier.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
3. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil (large enough to fit 1.2kg of potatoes). Add the Maris Piper potatoes and boil for about 15 minutes or until tender, adding the sweet potatoes after 5 minutes.
4. Drain and leave to steam dry, then return to the pan (off the heat) with the margarine and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash until smooth, then set aside.
5. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, or until soft, stirring regularly.
6. Add the chopped mushrooms, ground coriander, thyme leaves and balsamic vinegar (if using) to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes.
7. Add a splash of wine (roughly 120ml, if using), turn up the heat, and allow to bubble for a few minutes.
8. Add the stock, lentils, flageolet beans (juice and all) and marmite, and allow to bubble for 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced. You might want to add extra stock if you didn’t add the wine.
9. Season to taste, then transfer to a baking dish (roughly 25cm x 30cm).
10. Spread the mash potato over the top, scuffing it up with the back of a fork.
11. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and chopped rosemary over the mash, then place in the hot oven for around 10 minutes, or until piping hot through.
12. Place under the grill for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden.

Top tip: You can make fresh breadcrumbs using toast or very stale bread. Simply grate the dry bread using a cheese grater or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Just remember to let the bread fully cool if you’re using toast.

Did you have a go at this recipe? If yes, high five! Well done you! Why not share your attempt on Instagram and tag us @unikentfood?

And finally, don’t forget the Student Support and Wellbeing team are on hand to support you if you’re experiencing distress arising from psychological, emotional or mental health issues. Visit their website for more information and advice. Alternatively, follow @UniKentSSW on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for bitesize guidance and information to help you keep calm during lockdown.

Vegan Greek-Style Aubergine Stew

Vegan Greek-Style Aubergine Stew

We’re back with another tasty wellbeing idea to get you through lockdown. This time we have a recipe for a delicious veg-packed aubergine stew. Topped with a dollop of vegan yogurt and served with some crusty bread, this stew makes a healthy and nutritious vegan meal – perfect for Veganuary!

This is one of those glorious recipes that gets better with time, so if you have any leftover, stick it in the fridge and enjoy for lunch the next day. You can serve this dish with rice or couscous, but it also goes well with a hunk of crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Vegan Greek-Style Aubergine Stew

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large aubergine (roughly 350g), cut into 1.5cm cubes
• salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• ½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf (optional)
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ¼ black pepper
• 2 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can chickpeas (reserve the canning liquid)
• flat leaf parsley to serve (optional)
• vegan yogurt to serve (optional)
• crusty bread to serve (optional)

Recipe:

1. Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready in front of you – again, it always makes cooking much easier.
2. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C / 180 degrees C (fan).
3. Place the aubergine cubes in a colander (or large sieve) over a large bowl or directly over the sink, and sprinkle generously with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes and allow the aubergine to “sweat out” any bitterness. Rinse with water and pat dry.
4. In a large oven-proof casserole dish or stock pot, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions, peppers, and chopped carrot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
5. Add the garlic, bay leaf (if using), spices, and a dash of salt. Cook for another minute, stirring until fragrant.
6. Now add the aubergine, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, and reserved chickpea liquid. Stir to combine.
7. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid (or some foil) and transfer to the oven.
8. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes until the aubergine is fully cooked through to very tender. (While the aubergine is cooking, be sure to check on it once or twice to see if it needs more liquid. If so, remove from the oven briefly and stir in about 100ml of water at a time.) If you feel the stew is too wet, leave it uncovered in the oven for a little longer.
9. When the aubergine is ready, remove it from the oven and garnish with some freshly chopped parsley (optional).
10. Serve it hot with a side of vegan yogurt, or vegan tzatziki, and some bread (again, optional).

Top tip: This dish would go exceptionally well with couscous or rice. You could also use the left-over bell pepper for crudites with hummus.

Did you have a go at this recipe? If yes, high five! Well done you! Why not share your attempt on Instagram and tag us @unikentfood?

And finally, don’t forget the Student Support and Wellbeing team are on hand to support you if you’re experiencing distress arising from psychological, emotional or mental health issues. Visit their website for more information and advice. Alternatively, follow @UniKentSSW on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for bitesize guidance and information to help you keep calm during lockdown.

Vegan Spanish Paella

Vegan Spanish Paella

Lockdown can be a time of uncertainty, isolation, and boredom; but it can also be an opportunity to have fun, experiment, and practice self-care. It’s important to get involved in activities that help boost your mood and make you feel good.

This January, we’re teaming up with Student Support and Wellbeing to provide you with some tasty #KentWellbeingIdeas. We’ll be bringing you some delicious vegan recipes to get you through lockdown and Veganuary.

Cooking can have a great impact on your wellbeing. The actual act of making sustenance for yourself and taking the time to feed your body is significant. It not only nourishes you, but it sends yourself a message that you are important. If you’re cooking good food for yourself, cooking can be very nourishing to yourself, and that’s very important!

Now, before we anger some Spaniards, this dish is not an authentic paella. Instead, it’s an easy, healthy, budget-friendly version of the popular rice dish – no big paella pans, no expensive saffron, and no fiddly seafood. This dish is not only suitable for vegans but, if you use gluten free stock, it’s gluten free too!

Vegan Spanish Paella

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped into roughly 1.5cm squares
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsps dried marjoram
• 200g arborio (risotto) rice
• 850ml vegetable stock
• 125g frozen peas
• Salt and pepper to season

Recipe:
1. Prepare all the ingredients and have them ready in front of you – it always makes cooking much easier.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When quite hot, sauté the onion and peppers for about 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Keep moving the ingredients around the pan so the garlic doesn’t stick and burn.
4. Add the spices, marjoram and rice. Cook for 1 minute. Again, keep moving the ingredients around the pan so the spices don’t stick and burn.
5. Pour in all the stock and bring to the boil, stirring well. It will look very wet, but don’t worry – risotto rice absorbs a lot of liquid. Add seasoning to taste and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for about 15 minutes. Halfway through cooking, stir of shake the pan only once.
6. Add the frozen peas and return to cook for another 3 minutes.
7. Allow to stand, covered and off the heat, for 5 minutes.
8. Dish up and serve with lemon wedges, a sprinkle of flat leaf parsley, and some crusty bread if desired.

Top tip: For an extra hit of protein, why not add some vegan “chicken” pieces, or some slices of vegan “chorizo”.

Did you have a go at this recipe? If yes, high five! Well done you! Why not share your attempt on Instagram and tag us @unikentfood?

And finally, if you’re finding these uncertain times particularly challenging, please know that you are not alone and there are people to help you. The Student Support and Wellbeing team are on hand to support students with mental health issues, long term or temporary disabilities, and specific learning difficulties. Visit the Student Support and Wellbeing homepage for more information and advice. Alternatively, follow @UniKentSSW on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for bitesize guidance and information to help you keep calm during lockdown.