Christina Soteriou On The Components Of A Fantastic Meal

What’s the one dish to make anyone fall in love with your new book?

One of my favourites from Big Veg Energy is the creamy cauliflower gnocchi. It's a rich sauce that can also be used for pasta, made by blending roasted cauliflower with roasted cashews with some other flavour boosting ingredients, to make the most luxurious silky smooth sauce.

It captures the flavour of the caramelised cauliflower and the cashews bring the richness. I love that one because it really shows how we can use every day veggies to make something different and special. 

Were you always destined to cook? What has been your path into food?

My cooking career actually started after I decided that I no longer wanted to work in fashion; I was working as a menswear garment technologist at a huge online brand.

I knew that I wanted to get into food somehow so I moved back to Cyprus from London and started working in a cafe, then I opened up a little catering business which really took off.

Then I moved back to London to help develop the menu of a West London spot called Sloane Street Deli with my old Head Chef, Jake Norman. After that I worked at Bubala under the brilliant Helen Graham for some time before getting a job at Mob as a recipe writer.

And now I've written my first cookbook and continue to do pop ups, cooking classes and freelance recipe writing for brands, which I absolutely love. 

I think becoming a chef was a calling for me, and I knew that I wanted to spread the love of veggies far and wide, so I'm so grateful to get that opportunity every day! 

TRY: No-Bake Fudgy Chocolate Log (Doukissa) Recipe

What are the components of a fantastic meal for you?

For me it's all about layering textures and flavours. In plant based cooking, you can really elevate the experience and enjoyment of the dish by building it up, ensuring each layer is perfectly cooked, seasoned and thought through, then making sure that the layers are all perfectly balanced.

For example, adding a creamy sauce brings healthy fats and a velvety mouthfeel, then a herby, lemony drizzle adds a bright, acidic pop to balance that out, and finishing with a nutty crunch takes it to the next level. 
 

What is one kitchen tip everyone should know?

This one is so simple but is a restaurant chef's essential that will help every home cook. Keep a large mixing bowl or Tupperware on the counter next to your chopping board to use as a bin. This keeps your workspace tidy and makes cleaning up much quicker and easier. 

RECIPE: Chickpea & Blistered Tomato Stew 

What do you cook, when you’re cooking for yourself?

When I am alone, I will usually eat some variation of a grain bowl with farro, freekeh, quinoa, rice or something like that.

I'll use up whatever random veggies or leftovers I have and I always have either spinach or kale, so I'll steam that, add a protein like tofu, lentils or legumes, almost always a drizzle of tahini and lemon juice, usually kimchi or sauerkraut on the side and a good sprinkle of seeds or nuts. 

Where do you find inspiration?

My inspiration mostly comes from home, Cyprus. I love our food so much because it's a bit of a melting pot of the regions that surround us and our Greek heritage. We have the rich Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian cuisine just below us and Turkey just above us, to name a few, all of which are big inspirations for me.

I also love to travel and have been lucky enough to have been to many interesting places and have had some incredible food experiences, so I think I bring a bit of all of them into my recipe writing. But at the forefront is always the question: what do people want to eat on a Wednesday after work? 

ENJOY: Spiced Roasted Squash with Pomegranate Molasses & Pistachios Recipe

What is your favourite ingredient to work with and why?

If you know me at all, it will be no surprise that the answer to this is tahini. It's such a versatile ingredient, it adds texture, creaminess, nuttiness, it's full of vitamins and healthy fats and it can be used in sweet and savoury dishes.

It can be a dip all on its own or it can be a supportive ingredient and I am yet to find a place where it doesn't belong - from breakfast oats to salad dressings to drizzled over ice cream.

It really is worth the hype but you must get a good quality one like Al Nakhil or Belazu, one that drizzles like liquid gold off of the spoon. There are so many terrible tahini brands that sell thick, clumpy, bitter products and these are not the same product. 

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