Stuffed Onions with Vegan Sausage, Bramley Apple and Sage
Christmas is one of those times of the year that vegans everywhere silently wonder what they can have for dinner… Nut roast? Hmm… I’ve had my fair share of them and they’re fine and all that but sometimes you just need something a little more creative and THIS IS IT.
I used 7 red onions, cored the middle (leaving the two outer layers intact and) and chopped up the remaining onion and paired it vegan sausages and the ultimate cooking apple, which has been grown in the UK for over 200 years and is comprised of 86% water, making them naturally hydrating, as well as being fibre-rich and releasing their energy slowing; helping us to avoid blood sugar spikes.
This is absolutely delicious and I decided to experiment with the Christmassy tones of flavours because as a pescatarian it can be so hard to find something super delicious as the main and with the Bramley apple, the sausage and the sage - it feels like Christmas.
Apple facts
Bramleys have a beautifully sharp flavour and lots of juice. A cloud-like, apple ‘fluffiness’ can be created when Bramleys are cooked, hence their popularity for sweet dishes.
British Bramley apple is a year-round feature of shop shelves, but not many people know the origins of the cooking favourite.
British growers expect to handpick 76 million Bramley apples this year (2020) and Bramley is the only green apple grown in the UK! (Granny Smiths are not from the UK).
They also contain malic acid which is perfect when you want to tenderise tougher or cheaper cuts of meat. Bramleys also make a great substitute for other tart fruits in curries and some Asian dishes.
You can save 1500 calories by swapping Bramley apple puree for oil and butter while baking a cake. This is because 225g of unsweetened apple puree has 94.4 calories compared to 225g of butter which has 1613 calories. This swap works best when making Victoria sponge cake and loaf style cakes.
Ingredients
7 Red Onions (cored leaving two layers of onion)
A glug of Olive Oil
1/2 a fennel bulb (thinly sliced)
1 Carrot crated
1 Bramley apple (peeled and chopped)
3 Garlic cloves
1 pack of vegan sausages, I used the meat-free ones from Heck
5 sage leaves (chopped)
1 half Leek (chopped and sliced)
3 tbsp dried onion pieces
3 tbsp Panko Breadcrumbs
3 vegan smoky bacon slices
1 pack of vegan sausages
Method
Heat your oven to 180c and chop the head of the onion off and then peel then trim the edge so they can sit in the pan without falling over. Use a melon baller or a table spoon the inside out. I leave two layers of onion so it doesn’t collapse in the oven. This will need a bit of a strong hand but you’ll get there.
Keep the onion that you have just scooped out and chop into little bits and pop half to the side and the remaining half you can freeze for another day.
In a pan, pop your olive oil in and when hot, add in your onion and chopped garlic and cook until softened then add in your leeks, diced apple, grated carrot, chopped vegan bacon and sliced fennel and cook for 5 minutes until just starting to soften. Leave to cool then add in your sausage meat and dried onion pieces, it’s a bit messy as you’ll need to combine with your hands and create little stuffing balls.
Stuff your onions with as much as you can and then drizzle with your oil and roast for 45 minutes and then serve.
