Vegan Afternoon Tea Recipe

Prepare cucumber ribbons: wash cucumber, trim ends, and use a vegetable peeler to slice long thin ribbons. Pat dry and chill until serving.

Make lemon-dill-chive vegan cream cheese: in a bowl combine 1 cup vegan cream cheese, 2 tbsp chopped dill, 2 tbsp chopped chives, 1 tsp lemon zest and 1 tsp lemon juice. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Mix until smooth and refrigerate.

Slice zucchini into thin rounds, brush with 1 tbsp olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill or pan-sear on medium-high heat 1-2 minutes per side until tender and slightly charred; cool.

Drain roasted red peppers, pat dry and slice into strips.

Assemble tomato-balsamic: slice tomatoes 1/4 inch thick. Arrange on a plate, drizzle with 2 tbsp balsamic and 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, garnish with a few basil leaves.

Arrange hummus, herbed cashew mozzarella, cucumber ribbons, zucchini rounds, roasted pepper strips and tomato-balsamic on a platter with bread/cracker slices and fresh herbs for garnish.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent.

Add 1 diced carrot and 1 diced potato to the skillet; sauté 5 minutes until beginning to soften.

Stir in 2 tsp curry powder and 1 tsp ground cumin; cook 1 minute until fragrant.

Add 1 cup vegetable stock, 3 tbsp coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water, then stir into simmering mixture to thicken slightly.

Fold in 1 cup drained chickpeas and 1 cup frozen peas. Cook 2-3 minutes until mixture is thick and most liquid absorbed. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp nutritional yeast if using. Let cool 10 minutes.

Roll out 1 sheet puff pastry and cut into six rounds to fit muffin tin (or make one 9-inch pie using full sheet). Spoon curried filling into prepared tin, top with pastry rounds and crimp edges. Brush tops lightly with non-dairy milk to brown if desired.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden. Cool 5 minutes before removing from tins.

Press 400 g extra-firm tofu for 20 minutes to remove excess water. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).

Slice pressed tofu into 8 slices. Whisk 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp garlic powder. Marinate tofu slices 10 minutes, turning once.

Place marinated tofu on baking sheet lined with parchment and bake 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until edges are golden.

Meanwhile make mushroom-spinach remoulade: in a skillet over medium heat sauté 200 g sliced mushrooms 5-7 minutes until browned and any liquid evaporates. Add 2 cups baby spinach and cook until wilted; cool slightly.

In a bowl combine 1/2 cup vegan mayo, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp chopped capers, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, salt 1/2 tsp and pepper 1/2 tsp. Stir in cooled mushroom-spinach mixture. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve baked tofu topped or accompanied by mushroom-spinach remoulade on the platter.

Soak 1 cup raw cashews in water for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.

In a high-speed blender combine soaked cashews, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt and blend until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down sides as needed.

Stir in 2 tbsp chopped basil and 1 tbsp chopped oregano. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to firm slightly. Use as spread or small scoopable cheese on platter.

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl whisk 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp sugar.

Cut in 3/4 cup cold vegan butter using a pastry cutter or fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl mix 1 cup non-dairy milk with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; let sit 2 minutes to curdle (plant buttermilk).

Pour wet into dry and stir until just combined. For Westholme-style plain scones: turn dough onto a floured surface, pat to 1-inch thickness and cut rounds. For sultana-lavender scones: gently knead 1/2 cup sultanas and 1 tsp finely chopped lavender into dough before shaping.

Place scones on baking sheet, brush tops with a little non-dairy milk and sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar over if desired. Bake 12-15 minutes until risen and golden. Cool 10 minutes.

Serve scones warm with 1/2 cup Westholme cream alternative (or whipped coconut cream), 1 cup local mixed berry jam and 1/2 cup coconut butter at room temperature for spreading.

Oatmeal Raspberry Square

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Combine 1.5 cups rolled oats, 1 cup flour, 0.5 cup melted vegan butter, 0.5 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Press two-thirds of mixture into an 8x8 pan to form crust. Spread 1 cup raspberries (fresh or thawed) over crust. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top and bake 25-30 minutes until golden. Cool and cut into squares.

Blueberry Cheesecake

For crust press 1 cup crushed oats and 2 tbsp melted vegan butter into tart pans. For filling beat 1 cup vegan cream cheese, 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth. Fold in 1 cup blueberries. Spoon over crust and chill 2 hours until set. Serve chilled.

Strawberry Cream Tart

Make a simple tart shell from 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp melted vegan butter pressed into small tart pans and baked 12 minutes at 180°C (350°F). Fill with sweetened vegan cream cheese (use 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese + 1 tbsp maple syrup) and top with 1 cup sliced strawberries. Chill briefly before serving.

Chocolate Brownie

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Melt 200 g dark chocolate with 3 tbsp coconut oil. In a bowl combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir melted chocolate into dry mix until combined. Pour into lined pan and bake 20-25 minutes until set at edges but slightly fudgy inside. Cool and cut into squares.

Warm the scones briefly before serving if desired. Arrange savoury platter items grouped by spread (cream cheese, hummus, cashew mozzarella) with sliced vegetables, roasted peppers, tomato-balsamic and baked tofu with remoulade.

Place 6 mini curried pies on a separate plate, and arrange signature pastries (oatmeal raspberry squares, blueberry cheesecakes, strawberry cream tarts, chocolate brownies) on dessert tier or plate.

Offer coconut butter and house-made local berry jam in small bowls beside scones and provide 24 small bread/cracker slices and fresh herbs for garnish.

Serve with choice of organic tea or tisane, 1 cup per guest.