On Sunday night the time came for me to learn some of the behind the scenes magic that goes on in the Kitchen of one of the best Vegan restaurants I've ever been to, Offbeet. Led by the creator and chef, Peter Axworthy. Someone who like many has discovered Veganism in the past few years and would never turn back. And why would he? Especially when he is able to create such epic dishes without the need for meat, dairy or eggs.
I was fortunate to receive the choice of an Offbeet cookery class as a Christmas present. The cookery class I chose was the Fundamentals: Epic Breakfast. I read in the description that we would be learning to make things like Gluten Free Seitan Sausages, Tofu Scramble, how to make your own Milk and Yoghurt as well. I was not disappointed, it was a jam packed session that was supposed to last 3 hours. It may well have done if we were solely cooking, although with such a relaxed environment, conversation played a big part and we ran over by an hour.
I feel like I definitely got my money's worth. I didn't take photos during as I wanted to focus on learning and being more in the moment, though there are some pictures of what I took away. Here's what I experienced during my course...
Introduction
Right on 6:30, we were greeted by Pete into the somewhat warmer than outside Chesapeake Mill. The home of Offbeet. Although soon this will be just one of the restaurants in the South led by them. There were only 3 of us on the course, something I enjoyed mainly as I was able to have more of a one on one experience alternating with the co-chef Megan and Pete.
After filling out the necessary health & safety paperwork, we sat down in the counter part of their restaurant to be told how the next few hours were going to work and what we would be making.
For this class, we were going to be creating Breakfast Burritos, so almost everything we would make would be contributing to our own Burrito. The Burritos would consist of Seitan Sausages, Gluten Free for me and regular for the other two students; Tofu Scramble with Fried Onions, Peppers and Smashed Potatoes; Gluten Free Almond Wraps; and Cashew Yoghurt. We would also learn how to make Almond Milk and Coconut Milk as well.
We were told straight from the start that this cookery class was very relaxed so we could get the most out of it. We can ask as many questions as we like and even adapt some of the recipes (like the milk) to flavours we would prefer. We were given our own recipe sheet and a pen to make notes throughout, I definitely used this well!
Main Event
From the introduction we put on our aprons, washed our hands and were given our places in the Kitchen. I had my own counter due to the need for Gluten Free and this is usually a Gluten Free Kitchen. Megan helped me for the first creation, all of the ingredients were pre-prepared and measure out for ease. This took away time constraint and also tested my knowledge on what ingredients looked like.
We got cracking on the Gluten Free Seitan, preparing a few of the wet ingredients so they could settle first and then mixing the dry ingredients in a big bowl. I would compare making GF Seitan to making a strong dough. It requires a lot of kneading, something that can only be done with your hands. It was a little sticky at first, but adding a little more flour and working it more made it come together. A wonderfully messy start!
Megan was great with me, giving advice where it was needed and suggesting what you can do with it when it is cooked. The mix is similar to their recipe for the Chic-ken Balls so she was able to advise what ingredients to omit if I wanted to try my hand at those.
I finished rolling the mixture into Sausage shapes, then we put them in clingfilm and started the boil. They take a while to cook, so the class had obviously been planned well around them.
While the sausages were simmering away, we went back into the restaurant where Pete gave us a demonstration on how to make your own milk. Offering ways to make them either sweeter, flavoured or how you could mix up what you put in. We watched Pete make Almond Milk and Coconut Milk, both so much easier to make than I had thought. Becoming more homemade will not only save me money, but also unneeded preservatives and will stop the cartons going to landfill. A real win for me.
We then got to make our own, I made a Chocolate Almond Milk and a sweetened Coconut Milk. Pete was kind enough to suggest how to make it even more chocolatey and gave me some of their Hot Chocolate mix. It was wonderfully sweet and the best part is that we were given bottles to take them home! My boyfriend liked that very much, I woke up the next day and he had already drank some of it!
Next stop was making the GF Almond Wraps and the Cashew Yoghurt. As the Almond Wrap mix needed to settle a bit, Pete showed us the recipes side by side. Again, the Cashew Yoghurt was so simple, giving me so much inspiration to make my own and stop wasting money. It does need to rest for 24 hours, so I need to be a bit stricter or know when I might want some Yoghurt. Knowing that it will last about 3 days once it is made does make it a bit easier though.
The GF Almond Wraps were more of a star to me than the yoghurt. Again so easy to make yet much better than any you can buy in the supermarket. At I'm sure, a less ridiculous price. Plus, not only does the recipe make wraps, but you can also turn them into Taco shells, Pizza bases or Tortilla Chips!
As before, Pete showed us and then we got to make our own. This way of learning was brilliant as I got to ask questions and make notes during the demonstration. Then when making it, I felt a lot more confident in what I was doing. I am pretty new at cooking, so this worked so well for me. I even managed to flip the wrap (with a spatula of course, I'm not that good yet) first time without messing it up! I always mess up the first pancake so this course was definitely working!
After then mixing up the Yoghurt, we went back to watch how to make the last dish of the course. The Tofu scramble. Again, so much easier than I thought. I think I build these things up in my head, because they look so amazing and taste so much like the real thing sometimes I forget that it is actually doable.
Pete taught us about the maillard reaction which causes Vegetables to caramelise, change their structure and brings out the best flavour. Definitely something I can use on a daily basis. I am one who likes to stir a lot, now I've learnt that isn't the best way to bring flavours to life I shall have to take a fidget spinner into the kitchen to stop myself!
Once we had made the Tofu Scramble, adding the Boiled Potatoes, Red Pepper and Onions. It was time to put it all together! So I cut up an Avocado, cut one of my Sausages in two, topped it with some Spinach and added the Tofu scramble with a dash of Yoghurt that Pete had prepared earlier.
My "Burrito" was so full it looked more like an oversized Taco! I didn't care though, I munched on it and really just couldn't believe that I had made this all myself. Just under the careful eye and instruction of Pete and Megan. I managed about 2/3rds of it and took the rest home... I did eat the rest when I got home though. (It was just over an hour of driving, so I deserved a treat!)
Recipes
When we left, we were allowed to take all of the recipes we made that day away in a booklet. With all of the notes and additional pieces of information we had learnt throughout the course scribbled onto it. I had asked Pete about how to make Bacon, so I had noted that down to try in the next few weeks as well.
All of the recipes are so simple to follow and although some of the ingredients seem a little out of reach for a home kitchen. Actually, Megan explained that most of it is available on Amazon so I will be making a list this week!
Tutors Both Pete and Megan were super attentive, they made sure that each student was checked on and I felt very well looked after. There wasn't a single question that they couldn't answer and it was clear to see that they not only loved what they were doing but believed completely in it too. They had such a deep knowledge of Vegan cooking, offering great bouts of wisdom on how to cook certain ingredients and what not to do.
Not only is it important that they were masters of their craft, but also that you could relate to them. They were down to earth fellow Vegans who wanted to show how much better food can be in this lifestyle choice. They were incredibly friendly and welcoming, not even letting us clean up after each dish. Something I enjoyed as I do make a pretty big mess when I cook.
I would recommend any Vegan to go on one of the Offbeet Cookery School courses. They offer such amazing value for money. Although the classes range from £45 upwards they truly are worth it. Not only will you learn new recipes, you will get to try them out under the watchful eye of some of the best Vegan Chefs and take away what you make. I was able to have a "Sausage" and "Egg" bagel the next day thanks to this course. It was delicious, even Chris (my non Vegan other half) enjoyed it!
I believe Offbeet will catch on like wildfire in the coming months and years. So to be able to enjoy it at the start has been a privilege, I believe they will become one of the most established and recognised Vegan restaurants in the country. They truly deserve it.
For now, I will be practising my new found recipes and techniques. Once I have mastered that perhaps I will have saved some more money and can then treat myself to another course! Making Cheese sounds fun...