Lentil, Chocolate and Berry Mille-Feuille

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then soak in the boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Then, in a blender combine the soaked sunflower seeds and lentils with:
• 184ml water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6 tsp icing sugar
• 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
• Pinch salt
3. Blend until smooth. This will be a thin, liquid consistency that just coats the back of a spoon. Pour into a greaseproof or silicone lined tray.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into desired shapes in the tray, return to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes more, until dry and crisp to the touch.
5. It will darken around the edge, but do not over cook as they continue to harden when removed from the oven.
6. To make the strawberry and blackberry lentil mousse, start with the lentil tofu. Soak the lentils in enough boiling water to cover for 15 minutes.
7. Drain and blend the lentils with the 3 cups of water until smooth. Transfer to a pan and cook on a medium heat until it thickens. Whisk continuously. Pour into a container and set in the fridge for 3 hours.
8. Blend all of the ingredients for the berry puree together and pass through a fine sieve. Adjust the sweetness to taste. Do not over sweeten.
9. Then Take:
• 150g lentil tofu
• 150g strawberry and black berry puree
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 ½ tbsp coconut cream (from the top of a can of coconut milk)
10. Mix the lentil tofu until soft. Beat this with the back of a spoon to make as smooth as possible and then mix in the puree and maple syrup, but this can be done with a blender or hand whisk. Taste and adjust sweetness to taste.
11. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes before use. The longer you leave it to set, the firmer the consistency. Remove, Beat and put into a piping bag.
12. For the strawberry and blackberry gel, blend the fruit until smooth. Pass through a sieve. Mix the agar-agar in the sugar, so that it disperses better into the liquid.
13. Then, combine this and the lemon juice with the blended berries in a pan. Gently heat to just boiling. Heat for 2 minutes. Pour into a tray and set in the fridge. Once set, blend (hand blender/ food processor) until smooth and then decant into a piping bag/ bottle.
14. Next, make the lentil ganache. First, blend the lentils until they are smooth.
15. Melt the dark chocolate over a pot of simmering water, or in short bursts in the microwave. Warm the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla on the stove until just hot. Be careful not to boil it. Pour this into the melted chocolate and stir gently. Stir in the lentils.
16. Whisk vigorously or use an immersion blender until it is smooth and glossy. Leave to cool at room temperature and then set in the for 30- 60 minutes. Once set, remove and whisk to get a soft whipped texture ready for piping.
17. Finally, to prepare the lentil granola, heat oven to 180°C. Drain the lentils and pat dry. Combine all the ingredients together. Spread onto a lined tray and bake for 8-12 minutes, until golden brown.
18. To plate, Ppace a cracker on the bottom, pipe the chocolate ganache onto this, then put another cracker, followed by berry mousse and top with another cracker. To garnish, pipe dots of mousse/ganache and gel. Top with fresh berries and mint leaves. Place the granola on the side and enjoy!