Vegan Halloumi Wraps- with aubergine, squash, and creamy tahini sauce!

Vegan halloumi made of marinated tofu! It’s so delicious, cheesy and salty, and perfect served in soft homemade pita breads with grilled aubergine, roasted squash, homemade (or not!) chutney, and a tahini drizzle :) The marinade is a tangy red pepper sauce, which gives the tofu a halloumi taste. I recommend pressing the tofu for a while and then marinating the tofu overnight to achieve the best texture and flavour!

 

Serves: 3-4

For the tofu 'halloumi':

• Block of firm tofu (400g)
• 1/2 a red pepper
• drizzle extra virgin olive oil
• 40g cashews
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 pieces sundried tomatoes
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp vinegar (balsamic or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 generous tsp of salt
• pinch freshly ground pepper
• 4-6tbsp water

Tahini cream sauce:

• 3 big cloves garlic 
• drizzle olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• pinch cumin 
• 2 tbsp cold water (plus more for blending)
• 4 tbsp tahini 

Everything else:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into 1 inch cubes
• Drizzle olive oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp maple syrup 
• salt and pepper
• 1 large aubergine, sliced
• Large pinch salt
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
• Chutney of choice (I made this delicious chilli and apricot chutney) 
• Salad leaves or spinach
• Pita bread - I use this recipe

Method:

Prepare the marinade:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
2. Deseed the red bell pepper and chop in half. Drizzle in some olive oil and add to a roasting tin with the garlic. Roast for about 30 minutes, until soft and slightly charred. 
3. Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, toast the cashews by adding them to a dry pan and cooking them over medium heat for a couple minutes until golden, or placing them under a grill for a couple minutes until golden. They burn easily so keep a close eye on them.
5. Once the peppers have roasted, remove from the roasting tin and add to a highspeed blender with the toasted cashews and the rest of the marinade ingredients (nutritional yeast, sundried tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper). Drizzle in a tbsp of water at a time until you achieve a slightly thick sauce consistency.
6. Slice the pressed tofu into 1 cm slices. 
7. Place the tofu slices into a freezer bag, and pour over the marinade. Massage into the tofu very gently to ensure each piece is coated. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight (ideally), or for an hour at least. 

Finish the tofu and prepare the wraps:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c
2. In a roasting tin, add the chopped butternut squash and toss in some olive oil, the paprika, the maple syrup, and the salt and pepper. Drizzle the (unpeeled) cloves of garlic for the tahini cream sauce in a little olive oil and wrap in foil, and place on the roasting tin. Roast everything for 45 minutes or so, until the squash is softened and slightly charred. 
3. Prepare the aubergine: Slice the aubergine into thick slices (a cm or two). Add to a large bowl with a couple generous pinches of salt. Toss together and leave for 15 minutes so the salt can draw the moisture out of the aubergine.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the extra virgin olive oil, Italian herb seasoning and a pinch of freshly ground pepper. Wipe the aubergines thoroughly absorb as much moisture as possible from them with a paper towel. 
5. Heat a frying pan over high heat. with a pastry brush, brush the aubergine with a little of the olive oil mixture. Add to the frying pan and cook for a couple minutes each side, until the aubergine has softened and began to char. Set aside. 
6. Cook the tofu: in a frying pan, add a tbsp of olive oil. Gently place the marinated tofu slices into the hot pan and fry for several minutes each side, until golden brown. 
7. Make the tahini sauce: Peel the roasted garlic and add to a blender with the lemon juice, salt, cumin and water. Blend everything together thoroughly, then pour over the tahini and whisk in vigorously until a smooth, creamy sauce is formed- you may need a little more water to get the perfect consistency. 
8. Serve on top of soft pita breads alongside the squash, aubergine, fresh salad leaves, a spoonful of chutney and a drizzle of your tahini creamy sauce.

Enjoy! :)