Recipe: Chorizo-pockets with roasted vegetables in a red pepper sauce
Chorizo-pockets with roasted vegetables and red pepper sauce
Doesn't the photo make you hungry? Norbert Ruhdorfer is a chef who focuses on vegan and vegetarian cooking. He has kindly sent this recipe to me so that I can share it with you.
The majority of vegans out there, weren't raised as vegans. With this in mind, Norbert has chosen to share this recipe because the stuffing of the pockets has a meaty kind of texture and taste. Norbert told me that this dish may help those who are shifting, or have switched, to a vegan diet and are having one of those days, when they miss meat or fish.
The recipe makes enough for 4 main courses.
Ingredients for vegan Chorizo pockets
- 250g vegan Chorizo sausage (or any other zesty sausage that you like)
- 1 red bell pepper - seeds removed, finely diced
- 1 sprig of fresh Thyme - leaves only
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 16 Wan-tan sheets - leave to thaw in the fridge overnight
Ingredients tor the roasted vegetables
- 1 Medium sized Zucchini - washed and cut into pieces that are about 1 inch in width
- 1 Medium sized Aubergine (eggplant) - washed and cut into pieces that are about 1 inch in width
- 250 grams of pumpkin - washed and cut into pieces that are about 1 inch in width
- 1 piece of fennel - washed and cut into pieces that are about 1 inch in width
- 1 small sprig of rosemary - finely sliced
- 1 sprig of thyme - leaves only
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the sauce
- 2 red peppers - washed, seeds and the stalk removed
- 10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 200ml of vegetable stock or water - keep a little extra stock on the side, in case the sauce turns out too thick
- 100ml of Coconut milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for finishing the dish
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 handful of sprouts - I have used alfalfa sprouts but you can use any kind of green leave sprouts, alfalfa or d´radish sprouts you prefer)
- 1 tablespoons fresh herbs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make vegan Chorizo pockets
- Cut the sausage in small pieces and sauté with the peppers in olive oil and season to taste
- Add the thyme leaves, stir and let it cool
- Using a kitchen blender or similar, mix the ingredients until a paste texture is created - creating a mash of these ingredients makes it so much easier to fill the Wan-tan sheets
- Brush the Wan-tan sheets with a little amount of water - to make them stick
- Add a teaspoon of the sausage and pepper mix into the middle of the sheet
- Fold it over to create a triangle and crimp the ends
- Place them on a dry, clean kitchen cloth or a floured surface ensuring they don't overlap
- Cover with cling film or a dampened kitchen towel so they don’t dry out
How to make the roast vegetables
- Preheat the oven to 150°C
- Place all the diced vegetables in a bowl and add the olive oil, herbs, and season with salt and pepper
- Place them on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 Minutes at a medium temperature (150°C) or until soft and slightly browned
- Leave them in a warm spot
How to make the sauce
- While the vegetables are in the oven prepare the sauce and blanch the chorizo pockets
- In another saucepan heat the olive oil and add the peppers and tomatoes and sauté for about 2 minutes
- Add the vegetable stock and coconut milk and season with salt and pepper
- Let them simmer until the peppers are really soft
- Mix in a sauce blender, season to taste and set aside
How to finish the vegan Chorizo pockets
- Boil enough salted water in a saucepan to blanch the pockets
- Once the water is boiling, add the pockets and blanch for 2-3 minutes
- Using a slotted ladle or similar, remove the pockets and put directly into a sauté pan with hot olive oil and sauté with sprouts and add a pinch of salt
- Put the pockets and roasted vegetables on the plate and finish by drizzling the sauce around the pockets.
Tip: Usually there are 50 sheets of Wan-tan in one package. I recommend making double the amount of stuffing and prepare the whole bunch as they are suitable for freezing and can be used another time. To cook from frozen, make sure they are hot in the centre before you serve them.