As regular readers will know, I often team up with Laura Ashley to create recipes for their blog and my latest was inspired by their new harbour-themed collection. I decided to create a vegan “seafood” recipe and these mock crab cakes were the (super delicious) result! Click here to get the recipe. 

I was inspired by a few recipes I’ve seen that use artichokes to create that “meaty” texture and was amazed by how well it works in this recipe. I think artichokes are super underrated and I can’t wait to experiment more with it in creating some meaty vegan dishes.

Just simple, wholesome, plant-based ingredients make up these savoury cakes. Perfect for parties or snacking but can also be made into a main meal by serving with a salad or some chips.

Along with being vegan, these “crab” cakes are also gluten-free. I discovered that rice cakes actually make an amazing substitute for breadcrumbs and that’s what I’ve used in this recipe. Simply blitz the rice cakes in a food processor or put them in a zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin to create the crumbs. But you can, of course, just use shop-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs or just regular breadcrumbs if you don’t need it to be gluten-free.

Serve with some vegan mayo (now easy to find in most supermarkets and health food stores) with some fresh dill and lemon. So so delicious.

See the full post on Laura Ashley’s blog

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Mock "Crab" Cakes

Yield: 12 cakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Crab cakes made without crab! These delicious savoury cakes are made with plant-based ingredients to create a similar texture and favour to traditional crab cakes. They're also gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free, making them suitable for allergy sufferers.      

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Ingredients

• 400 g tin of chickpeas, (drain into a bowl, keeping the liquid from the tin for later)
• 390 g tin of artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
• 180 g gluten-free breadcrumbs , (or 6 rice cakes - see notes*)
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp vegan mayonnaise, *
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp dried kelp granules or other seaweed, (optional)
• 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs
• A pinch of salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying

To serve:

• Fresh dill, chopped
• 4 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• 1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Instructions

1. Add the chickpeas, artichoke, 80g of the breadcrumbs, spring onions, mayonnaise, mustard, seaweed, herbs and salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse until everything is chopped and chunky but not smooth. You can also use a potato masher.
2. Shape into 12 medium patties and arrange onto a large plate or baking sheet.
3. Prepare a bowl with the rest of the breadcrumbs and another bowl with the chickpea tin liquid (this will act as an egg substitute).
4. Dip each patty into the chickpea liquid and then place in the breadcrumb bowl and press in the crumbs until well coated. Return to the place or sheet and continue with all the patties.
5. Meanwhile, cover the base of a large skillet on a high heat with the vegetable oil. After a few minutes, use one of the patties to test if the oil is hot enough. If it sizzles and fries then it's ready. 
6. Add half the cakes into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side and transfer to a plate with some paper towel, to absorb any excess oil. Then cook the next batch.
7. Serve with a small bowl of the mayonnaise along with some chopped dill and some lemon wedges. Enjoy! 

Notes

*You can make gluten-free "breadcrumbs" by blitzing rice cakes in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. 

*Vegan mayonnaise found in health food shops and some supermarkets

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