Divine Double Decker Vol-Au-Vent

 
Divine Double Decker

Vol ~ Au ~Vent

With Mushrooms, Spinach & Tofu

Plant Based / Dairy Free / Nut Free

Makes 8

Vol-au-vent, means “wind blown” in french, a suited name for describing the lightness in these airy pastry puffs. Although they look fancy, they are quite simple to make and are simply divine! The filling here is lush and creamy and it complements the flakey pastry to perfection.

Ingredients

3 heaped tsp plant based butter (divided)

1tsp vegetable stock powder

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

300g button mushrooms, finely chopped

100g fresh baby leaf spinach

A few sprigs of fresh thyme (or a tsp of tried thyme)

200g marinated tofu, diced (we love organic Dragonfly marinated Tofu)

1tsp soy sauce

50g plain flour

250ml plant based milk, warmed

250ml hot water

30g nutritional yeast 

Salt & pepper to taste

4 sheets vegan puff pastry

A little plant based milk

Method

Preheat the oven at 170C.

Line a large baking sheet or tray and set it aside.

To make the vol-au-vent pastries, roll out the puff pastry sheets, one at a time, on a lightly floured surface. Using a larger cutter (9cm), cut out 8 discs for the bases.Then with the same cutter, cut another 8 discs, so that you have 16 in total. Using the smaller cutter (7cm), now cut out the centre of the 8 discs, to form the rings. Reserve the small cut out discs for another use.* Place the bases on the lined baking tray, making sure they have some space around them and brush them with a drop of milk. Now place a ring on top of each base, to form a rim. Place the vol-au-vent in the middle of the oven and bake them for 15-20 minutes, until they are puffy and lightly golden.

To make the filling, melt 1tsp of the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the shallots with the vegetable stock powder, over low heat until they are softened. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook them for 5-7 minutes until they are soft and most juices have evaporated. Add the spinach and the thyme and stir until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In the same frying pan, add the second tsp of butter and the soy sauce and fry the tofu, stirring it, over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Transfer the tofu into the bowl with the other veggies and set aside.

In the same frying pan, over low/medium heat, melt the final tsp of butter and add the flour. Stir it into a paste and gradually whisk in the milk and the water. If its too thick add a little more water. Keep whisking until you have a thick, smooth, creamy sauce. Stir in the nutritional yeast and season to taste.

With a slotted spoon, mix the veggies and tofu into the cream sauce, discarding extra liquid and set aside.

Once the pastry puffs are ready, take them out of the oven and serve them on dinner plates. With a sharp knife, take 4 of the pastries and cut out the puffed centre of each one, to make room for the filling. Dollop the filling generously onto each one, then top with the intact pastries. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

These can also be served as a lovely starter. Simply use a single pastry puff for each vol-au-vent and top it with 2tbsp of the filling. Serve 2 per person.

*The cut out centres and other bits of the pastry, can be shaped and baked at 170C for 10-15 minutes. They can be used in various ways, as part of sweet or savoury snacks. We like to sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, for an instant, delightful treat.