Okay, I know for sure I have a winning recipe when its vegan and Adam loves it. That does not happen often! As soon as we started eating this meal, he commented several times on how good it was, and wondered if the cauliflower was actually potato. Ha!
I've been dreaming up this one in my head for a while. BBQ is one of the big food trends here in Toronto, and being the protein lover I am, its very tempting. The only problem is...its far from healthy! It doesn't have to be, but its mostly red meat and the sauces are generally full of sugar. Sure, a lot of them offer pulled chicken or BBQ chicken, but the sauces are still sugary, and they are usually served with white buns and not very healthy side dishes.
So I reimagined a BBQ meal that is both vegan and low-carb. Oh, and also sugar-free too!
Real meat provides so much unctuous flavour because of the fat and the carmelization you get when you cook it. Because I was using a vegan meat substitute (Soy Curls, which are less processed than most), I came up with an uber flavourful sauce to compensate. By the way, if you didn't want to use Soy Curls, you could try using jackfruit instead.
Vegan Pulled Pork
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 can Zevia gingerale (or beer, or orange or apple juice)
1 540ml jar pineapple chunks, with juice, pureed
1 bag Soy Curls (don't rehydrate them)
1 can tomato paste
Throw everything except tomato paste into a pot or skillet and simmer over medium heat until veggies and Soy Curls are softened and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add tomato paste and stir. Turn heat to low and continue cooking about 10 minutes. Season, to taste.
Cauliflower Mash
1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tbsp. herbed cream cheese or butter (vegan alternatives, or whatever you want)
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Steam cauliflower until soft and then puree, along with remaining ingredients, in food processor. Spoon onto plates and top with desired amount of pulled pork.
This recipe was shared with Urban Naturale's Plant-Based Pot Luck Party and Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten-Free Friday.
This looks interesting but I've no idea what soy curls are? Could I just sub those for the jackfruit (which we don't have much here either)! Cauliflower mash sounds yummy too :) Thanks for sharing at the Plant Based Potluck
ReplyDeleteYes, jackfruit would work. You can buy Soy Curls online.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful dish! I have never worked with soy curls so this recipe is very interesting to me. Thank you for sharing your healthy, creative and delectable Vegan Pulled Pork over Cauliflower Mash at the Plant-Based Potluck Party. I'm pinning and sharing.
ReplyDelete