strawberry jam

soba noodles, with enoki mushrooms and veg

baba ganoush

prep time - 40 mins
difficulty - easy
style- side/snack

ingredients
2 large aubergines
1/2 a squeezed lemon
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp of tahini
3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
1 tsp of cumin
pinch of salt
handful of fresh parsley

rose lemonade by Elixia

mmm beer

coconut & chocolate macaroons

prep time- 25 mins
style- dessert
difficulty- easy

ingredients

150g of golden caster sugar
90g of plain flour
200g of dessicated coconut
1 tsp of vanilla extract
100ml of Kara coconut milk - (drinking milk not canned)
3 tbsp of agave nectar
60g of vegan dark chocolate chips

beany burrito with homemade guacamole

prep time - 1 1/2 hours
style- Mexican
difficulty- easy/medium

ingredients

150g of organic brown rice
2 tbsp of rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, grated
1 small red chili
1 red pepper, chopped small
1 large tomato chopped
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 can of organic black beans (drained)
1 can of re-fried beans
1 sprinkle of cinnamon
1 tsp of cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp of chili powder
salt and pepper
seeded tortilla wraps
2 tbsp of lime juice

guacamole 
2 avocados peeled and chopped
1 small red chili, chopped
1 large tomato, remove seeds and chop
2 tbsp of lime juice
large handful of coriander
salt and pepper

mixed bean cassoulet with hasselback potatoes

prep time- 1 1/2 hours
style- hearty meal
difficulty- easy
Serves- 2

ingredients

mixed bean cassoulet

1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2 sticks of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 courgette, chopped into small pieces
2 large tomatoes chopped
300ml onion or vegetable stock,
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 bay leaves
sprinkle of dried thyme
600g of canned mixed beans (borlotti, butter, kidney, pinto and flageolet work well)

spicy lentil pie with turmeric mash

prep time- 1 1/2 hours
style- hearty meal
difficulty- medium
serves- 4/6 (depending on portions)

ingredients

100g puy lentils, washed
100g green lentils, washed
2 tsps of rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of chopped garlic, grated
1 red chili pepper chopped small
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
100g chopped mushrooms
250ml of mushroom stock or vegetable stock
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 tsps of tomato puree
1 tbsp of mushroom ketchup
1/2 tsp of chili powder (to taste)
900g of potatoes, peeled and chopped small
2 tsps of turmeric
3 tbsp of olive oil
paprika to sprinkle

gooey vegan chocolate cake with sprinkles

prep time- 2 hours
style- cake
difficulty- easy
serves- 6

ingredients

1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup soft light brown sugar
1 1/4 cup plain white flour
1/3 cup rapeseed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup warm water
1 pinch of salt

frosting
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp soy spread
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsbp coconut milk (or milk substitute)
sprinkles to finish

superfood breakfast- chia seeds, blueberries and cinnamon

prep time- overnight soaking of chia seeds + 5 mins
style- breakfast
difficulty-easy

the ultimate healthy breakfast: filling, tasty and full of omega 3 and fiber! This breakfast will keep you feeling full and energised throughout the morning and is a great alternative to porridge.

chia seeds can be purchased from most good health food stores including Holland and Barrett in the UK.


ingredients

1/4 cup of chia seeds
1 cup of water
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of sugar or agave nectar
1 cup of blueberries
1 banana

rose, banana and chocolate bites with flax seeds

recipe to follow shortly

weekend treats

Peonies from New Covent Garden Flower market.
Whiskey samples from Master of Malt
Vegan and fair trade chocolate from Seed and Bean

got milk?

i have spent quite a while trying to find a good alternative to milk. Good in all senses ie, taste, health, eco etc.

my favourite so far is Kara coconut milk with added calcium. It doesn't separate in tea or added an unpleasant taste. It is great with cereal and in deserts (and the chocolate version is delicious)

available from all major supermarkets and health food shops.

read more

http://www.karadairyfree.com/

joey's fruit & nut spelt loaf

prep time 1 hr 20
cooking time 30 mins
difficulty medium
style bread
oven temp 200 fan assisted oven, 250 non-fan


this loaf is an ideal breakfast food as it is filling and packed with fibre. it is also very sweet ( though with no added sugar) making it a perfect substitute for cake as a teatime snack.


ingredients

200g organic spelt flour (Doves Farm is very good)
200g organic white flour
1 sachet of fast acting yeast
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of olive oil
300g of chopped dried fruit and nuts (I used prunes, dates, apricots and walnuts)
roughly 200-250 ml of water (add slowly as required)

thai tofu noodle soup

prep time 7 mins
cooking time 20 mins
difficulty easy
style thai, soup

ingredients

2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1/2 punnet of sliced mushrooms
1 red pepper sliced into thin strips
a dozen cherry tomatoes cut in halves
1 red chilli finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
3cm of ginger grated
3 teaspoons of lemon grass paste
rice or wheat noodles
1 can of coconut milk
1 packet of tofu
1 vegan stock cube
1 cup of water
corriander
lime

panda sushi balls

prep time 40 mins
cooking time 20 mins
difficulty fiddly
style japanese, kawaii, rice

the one animal I am happy to eat... a little panda sushi ball. I saw these little guys on the Kawaii Food Blog.

there wasn't a recipe so I just had a go at making them myself and they turned out pretty well.

as they were just a lunch time snack the quantities I used were quite small (enough for 2 people to have 2 each) but you can increase the quantities as required.

ingredients
150 g sushi rice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
4 teaspoons of sugar
1 pinch of salt salt
1 teaspoon of sunflower oil
300g water water
1 sheet of nori

to serve
wasabi
pickled ginger
soy sauce & rice wine vinegar
sesame oil

ryan

why go vegan?

there are many good reasons that people choose to adopt a vegan diet.

a) for the sake of the planet ie. climate change, sustainability etc
b) for the sake of animal rights or animal welfare
c) for dietary requirements or allergies
d) to lose weight
e) for other ethical reasons, such as food access and security

For me it is a combination of all of the above, but largely motivated by my belief in human rights and the rights of all other living beings. Particularly my cat….
To be continued….

spinach, potato and mushroom curry served with garlic and turmeric rice

prep time 15 mins
cooking time 50 mins
difficulty medium
style curry, Indian
heat mild/medium
serves 4

ingredients

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1cm of ginger grated
1 teaspoon of crushed chillies (or 1 fresh red chilli finely chopped)
2 medium onions sliced
5 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
10 chestnut mushrooms sliced
1 bag of spinach leaves
a good pinch of fresh coriander
1 cup of cold water
1 can of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon of tomato puree
3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil or bran rice oil
1 vegan stock cube
2 tablespoons of turmeric
2 tablespoons of garam masala
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
1 pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
1 teaspoon of chilli powder (reduce or leave out if you don't like too much spice)

minted potatoes, with broad beans, peas and pickles

prep time 5 mins
cooking time 20 mins
difficulty easy
style mid-week comfort food

ingredients

5 medium sized potatoes
1 cup of broad beans
2 cups of peas
pickled onions
pickled cornichons
4 teaspoons of mint sauce
2 tablespoons of olive oil
pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper

serve with tofu or meat-free alternative (as this is my first week of attempting a vegan diet, I used a Quorn fillet that was left over in the freezer.)

nice one Macca

Peta celebrates Paul McCartney's Birthday

sesame tofu, rice noodles and veg in a homemade hoisin sauce

prep 10 mins
cooking 10 mins
difficulty easy
style noodle dish

ingredients

3 teaspoons of sesame seeds
1 handful of cashew nuts
200g of organic tofu cut into cubes
1 bag of fresh rice noodles
1 carrot cut in thin slices
1 courgette cut in thin slices
2 handfuls of green beans
4 sliced mushrooms
1 onion thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 cm of ginger grated
4 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons of organic peanut butter
2 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of runny honey
1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of chilli sauce
2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil

why the blog?

I have decided to start a food blog for several reasons.

a) to document my own journey from veggie to vegan.
b) to share recipes and inspire anyone else thinking of making that difficult jump away from the cheese.
c) to give myself an outlet to vent my concerns and frustrations with the global food system today.
d) to explore whether a vegan diet can be truly be delicious, exciting and satisfying, and share my findings with others.