One of our favourite restaurants in London is the small-plates spot called Llewelyn’s in Herne Hill – right near Brockwell Park. We sometimes struggle to find vegan options there but when we do, they’re pretty mind blowing!

We’ve got a big week ahead of us this week (moving house – don’t ask!) so I wanted to start Monday off with a CRACKING brunch inspired by Llewelyn’s sophisticated small-plates vibe.

These tomatoes are sweet, juicy and subtly spiced with the freshness of the herbs and the zing of the lemon. The cashew cream is almost like hummus but lighter and creamier. Combined with the crunch and chew of sourdough toast, it’s the perfect brunch.

Makes three small-plates.

Braised Beef Tomatoes with Cashew Cream and Toast

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Ingredients

  

For the Cashew Cream

• 1 cup cashews (soaked in hot water for 20 mins)
• 165 g silken tofu
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

For the Tomatoes

• 3 beef tomatoes (halved widthways)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
• 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp garlic granules
• 1/4 tsp pepper flakes (I used the Korean style as they’re less spicy)
• 100 ml water
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp maldon salt
• 1 tbsp torn parsley
• 1 tbsp torn dill
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tbsp pine nuts

Instructions

 

For the Cashew Cream

• Place the soaked, drained cashews in a high speed blender (I used a nutribullealong with all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.

For the Tomatoes

• Place a large cast iron dutch oven or crock pot on a medium high heat. (The pot must be oven suitable as well as safe for the hob).
• Add the olive oil to pan along with the paprika, the garlic and the pepper flakes. Toast them for a few seconds until fragrant, then arrange the tomatoes, cut-side down, on top of the oil and spices. Fry for approx 5 mins.
• Lift one of the tomatoes to check underneath – they should be slightly browned with the skin starting to wrinkle and split around the edges. Carefully flip each of the tomato halves so they’re now cut-side up.
• To the pan, add the water, balsamic vinegar and salt. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for around seven minutes. Preheat the grill.
• Remove the lid from the pan and place it under the grill. You want the tops of the tomatoes to blister and start to blacken ever so slightly, this should only take a couple of minutes.
• On a small plate, put two spoons of the cashew cream. Top the cashew cream with two tomato halves, the fresh herbs, the lemon juice, pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Serve with a slice of toasted wholemeal sourdough.

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