Recipes

February 12, 2018 By Hayley

Simple Choconana Vegan Pudding

I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself and I fancy some vegan pudding. So far I’ve had overnight oats for breakfast, made from oats, chia seeds, almond butter, coconut yoghurt, soya milk, date syrup, vanilla essence, fresh strawberries and blueberries (recipe link here). Look at all that goodness right there… protein, fibre, antioxidants, calcium, vitamins, essential fats and omega 3s before I’ve even had coffee?! Come on!

But then I saw the cabbage in the fridge that needed using up and riding on the success of last nights simple quick and easy tomato & basil soup I felt inspired to make another one. A very easy and old favourite featuring cabbage, chickpeas, tomato & chilli (you can find that recipe here).

So here we are, half way through the day and I’ve already eaten my beans, greens and berries… IN FACT wait a minute… I have pretty much done the daily dozen checklist without even trying. What is this daily dozen? I hear you asking. Its a list compiled by Dr Greger of things to include in your diet/daily routine for optimum health and nutrition and you can check it here.

So after a victory dance around the kitchen I fancy something sweet, maybe chocolatey and on rifling through the cupboards again, I come up with an alpro soya chocolate pot, a banana and some chopped nuts. Bingo.

I give you… chocciwoccinaninananutiwahwahpudpud

or just simple choconana vegan pudding.

It doesn’t have to be complicated.

February 6, 2018 By Hayley

Black Bean Brownies

These are something VERY special! Black bean brownies my friends. Yes you read that right… Black bean brownies!! What are you talking about I hear you say?! But these little babies are 100% deliciousness combined with bean protein/fibre goodness that is undetectable to the palate.

Not having made these in a while I now remember why. Watch out hips! These are too good. Slightly crisp on the outside and oh so fudgy gooey on the inside with a big big hit of chocolate. Whoa mama! No hint of the black beans hidden inside but the secret ingredient makes one piece enough since its so filling, oh go on then maybe just one more.

Such fun seeing peoples faces after they’ve tried a piece and you tell them whats in it.

You need to make these like NOW!

Just remember to use refined coconut oil if you prefer not to have a coconut flavour to them.

Calories: 115

Fat: 5.5g

Carbs: 15g

Fibre: 3g

Protein: 2.5g

Find the recipe here

January 16, 2018 By Hayley

Hail Seitan!

What is Seitan?

Seitan, or wheat meat, is a very versatile mock vegan meat which actually looks and tastes pretty like meat. Which meat depends on the seasonings you use in it but can be pretty much anything from roasts to ribs. Like I said… versatile!

Its made by using vital wheat gluten flour to make a dough. You then cook the dough in a variety of ways depending on the end result you want to achieve. Its packed full of protein, though not considered complete protein due to low levels of the amino acid lysine. You can add blended chickpeas or beans to your mix to counter that. It does contain fairly decent levels of iron, is very low calorie, fat and carbohydrate and has ZERO cholesterol.

Is it Gluten Free?

It goes without saying if you’re gluten intolerant its a no no and since consuming high levels of gluten can kick off allergies then its definitely not something to eat every day.

That said, its great for new or transitioning vegans to cook something that resembles meat, looks and tastes delicious, is guaranteed to please vegans and meat eaters alike and will leave everyone completely full and wishing they’d worn elasticated pants!

How do I cook Seitan?

There are many ways to cook it depending on what kind of result you want. This article gives you a good overview.

Seitan can be a bit tricky and recipes don’t always seem to turn out so great. The high hopes and excitement you start out with can soon turn to disappointment, wasted ingredients and an unappetising lump of goo in your bin. No-one wants that! In the recipes section you will find tried and tested recipes so you can go straight to the good stuff.

Recommended Recipe Books & Resources

If you prefer a recipe book, The Gentle Chef’s Seitan & Beyond is a great resource, he doesn’t have photos in the book itself but you can find the pics on his website here. It’s pretty much the Seitan lovers bible. Talking of Seitan lovers, another great resource is The Seitan Appreciation Society group on Facebook. You will find recipes there, see what other people are making and always find someone ready to answer any questions you may have.

For more instant gratification pop over to youtube and check out Avanteguard Vegan, BoshTV and Connie’s Rawsome Kitchen who all have some great Seitan recipes.

Where to buy Seitan?

If you can’t find any vital wheat gluten flour in grocers locally then have a look online, I usually buy mine from www.wholefoodsonline.co.uk but if you’re not in the UK then I would suggest looking on Amazon.

Go forth, good luck and keep me informed!

I’ll be in the kitchen with a Seitan ham and mustard sandwich (as featured in the free Holiday Recipes ebook by The Gentle Chef, downloadable here). oh happy day 🙂

December 29, 2017 By Hayley

Vegan Greek Style Roast Lamb Kleftiko

Vegan Greek Style Roast Lamb Kleftiko Recipe courtesy of Mouthwatering Vegan, Miriam Sorrel

There are those days when you want to bring something to the table that makes everyone sitting at it ooh, ahh and wow! For me those days are often a Sunday, having grown up in the UK where Sunday roast dinner is “the law” but could be any celebratory or holiday meal. That meal is vegan Greek style roast lamb kleftiko.

This seitan Greek roast lamb kleftiko came together very easily. It takes a bit of time but no more than any roast and most of that time is in the cooking process during which the house was filled with the most wonderfully tantalizing aromas.

When it came out of the oven it looked like lamb, tasted like lamb, was beautifully tender and moist and got the approval of the meat eaters at the table, one of which was a child, often the most fearsome of culinary critics.

The greek style salad accompaniment instead of the usual veggies works really well and is nice and easy to throw together: chopped tomatoes, cucumber and olives in a lemon juice, olive oil and cumin dressing. (If like me you’re not into olives just sub with capers.. delish!).

After a few cautious nibbles, conversation stopped and knives and forks flew. You could almost hear the strains of Zorba the Greek playing in the background, starting slow then speeding up and all of us diners with it until it was a frenzy and there was nothing left. I mean nothing! I had thought the leftovers were going to taste great cold next day in a sandwich but I never got to find out!