A Luxury Vegan Teatime

There are many things I envy the people in Paris: the beautiful Hôtels (Palaces in French), the many museums and the cuisine. What the cuisine concerns, I need not say that the best cooks and pâtissiers in the world are there. Another thing is, that the best cooks and pâtissiers actually are competing in creating the best plant-based meals and sweets, such as Christophe Moret and Michael Bartocetti who invented the vegan teatime at the Shangri-La* (s. photo below).

I love teatime, as I love tea, cakes, sweets, pastry and particularly sandwiches. Luckily there are many recipes for sandwiches with vegetables, salads, seeds, spreads, creams etc to make your appetite grow for this deliciousness. Find here and here recipes for panini, bagels, quesadillas, sandwiches, dips and creams. Sandwiches are a good appetizer you can offer with a glass of prosecco at a cocktail or as a primer on a sunny terrace to welcome the guests.

On my blog you will find many recipes too, when searching for dip, spread, avocado, broccoli, tomato and even recipes for bread and crackers. If you have time enough, it is absolutely worth to bake it yourself. Not only as you know what is in, but before all because of the smell in your kitchen (and the taste in your mouth).

Whatever you´ll use as topping – leafy greens, red bell pepper, onions, finely sliced carrots, courgettes/zucchini, tomatoes, radishes, lettuce, avocado, olives, capers – you will need a mayonnaise like cream under it. Vegetarians feel free to take mayonnaise or aioli, but: try this spread too I found here. I never had a better cream on a sandwich.

• Ingredients for the best spread ever

• 3/4 cup pinenuts, soaked for at least an hour in water
• 3/4 cup macademia nuts, soaked for at least an hour in water
• 6 sundried tomato halves in oil
• juice of 1/2 – 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove or 1/3 tsp dried garlic
• chilli
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water

Sieve the nuts. Put all ingredients and 1/4 cup of water into a high speed blender. Add more water if required.  Scoop out and put onto a plate. Use as cream on bread or cracker and top with leafy greens and thinly sliced vegetables. Enjoy with a glass of red wine!

*And please read this article about “Tea Time Vegan au Shangri La”.