Veganize this: Mashed potato

My friend told me she found an amazing recipe for mashed potatoes that involved baking the potatoes first and since I hadn’t tried making mash since I became vegan I decided to see if I could veganize it and still have it taste amazing.

● 1.5kg royal blue potatoes, with skins

● 500g rock salt

● 150g vegan butter, softened (I used Buttery Nuttalex, but you can also make your own)

● 200ml vegan cream, heated (soy or nut)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

2. Spread the rock salt over a baking tray and place the potatoes on top of the salt. Place the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

3. To make the puree, remove the cooked potatoes from the oven (don’t let them cool as the potato will become gluey). Cut the baked potato in half and scoop out the hot, tender flesh. Set a mouli or fine sieve over a clean saucepan and pass the flesh through the mouli/sieve. Set the fine sieve over another saucepan and use a potato masher to push the mash through the sieve. This is quite a lot of effort but you will achieve a silky smooth potato mash.

4. Place the saucepan over a low heat and, using a heat-proof spatula, beat in the hot cream and softened butter, season to taste with salt.

5. To serve the mash reheat in the saucepan, stirring constantly, but don’t allow the mash to boil as it will split. Pour the mashed potato into a bowl and serve with vegan gravy.

When I made this I used coconut cream but found the flavour to be a bit intense, so I think in the future I am going to buy a soy cream or make my own cashew nut cream instead. Other than that I was really impressed, it's a bit fiddly but the results are great, even my omni friend and boyfriend enjoyed it. For the vegan gravy I used this recipe (and followed some of the comments suggestions) which was really delicious, but you can use gravy from a packet too.

Like most people growing up I was told that dairy was important in my diet for my bones, but now am I finding out that this is not only not true, but there are many cruelty-free sources of calcium such as leafy green vegetables and almonds. So please, if your dairy consumption is linked to the belief that calcium only comes from one source try to replace it with healthier options as much as you can.

Veganize this: Tuna fried rice

I went to the Asian grocery store the other day and found vegan tuna and today I decided to try to find a way to use it. Based on this recipe.

Nothing special to look at, but the taste is great

·       350g Rice (or use 4 cups leftover cooked rice)

·       2 tabespoons olive oil

·       1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped

·       1 small onion, chopped

·       1 cup of frozen peas and corn

·       ¼ soy sauce

·       1 can vegan tuna

1.       Cook rice, then drain and refresh.

2.       Heat oil in a wok over high heat, add the onion and garlic and fry until browned.

3.       Add rice to the wok, stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the peas, tuna and soy sauce. Stir-fry quickly until heated through.

It’s a pretty quick simple dish, enjoy! Why use vegan tuna instead of real tuna? Tuna, particularly Bluefin tuna are victims of overfishing and are now endangered. To help not upset the delicate ecosystem of the ocean it’s better to reduce our consumption of all marine life.

Veganize this: spinach and ricotta puffs

So today I went to the cruelty free shop (AKA vegan heaven in Melbourne) for no particular reason and came across vegan ricotta on sale. I had never tried it before  and since I had spinach at home that needed to be eaten up I thought it was a good excuse to buy it. This is an adaption of the recipe I found here. 

·       250g vegan ricotta cheese

·       250g frozen spinach, thawed

·       2 tablespoons of chia or flax seeds

·       6 tablespoons of water

·       2 teaspoons dried basil

·       1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste

·       2 tablespoons olive oil

·       200g puff pastry sheets

1.       Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2.       Mix the seeds with the water and leave for a few minutes

3.       Mix the ricotta cheese, drained spinach, seeds, basil, salt and pepper.

4.       Lay a filo sheet on a work surface then place a spoonful of the spinach and cheese mixture on it and fold into a triangle. Continue with the remaining ingredients.

5.       Put the triangle in a baking dish and brush with olive oil.

6.       Bake for 20 minutes.

That was pretty much it! A very quick and easy meal for dinner today after a busy day. As for the taste, they aren’t exactly the same as non-vegan ones but I’m pretty happy with them. Before I was vegan I was a vegetarian for about 6 years and these were often something I would eat so it was nice to have them again! If you are like how I used to be and thought ‘free range eggs are fine to eat because they don’t harm the chicken’ then you are misled. Not only do they kill thousands of make chicks each year but many farms who claim to be free range are actually not. It’s sad but the best way to reduce the cruelty is to stop eating eggs altogether, and with so many different kinds of good egg replacement, why wouldn’t you?

Veganize this: cream of vegetable soup

I came back to Australia on Sunday morning and it’s freezing here (or at least comparatively so when coming from 35 degree days in France) so I decided to make soup for dinner.

Cream of vegetable soup

1 ½ cups of water

Vegetable stock (amount per package instructions)

500g seasonal vegetables

3 tablespoons of oil

¼ cup flour (omit or sub with GF flour if desired)

2 cups non-dairy milk (coconut, oat, rice, almond, soy etc)

1 cup vegan cream (coconut, soy, etc)

1 onion

1 clove garlic

Pinch of celery salt, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

nutritional yeast to taste 

1. In a medium saucepan combine water, stock and vegetables. Bring to a boil and cook until tender.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, garlic and spices and cook until brown. 

3. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and cream and then nutritional yeast. 

4. Combine onion mix with vegetables and leave to cool.  Blend in batches and push through a sieve to make the soup extra smooth (optional). Reheat when ready to eat.

I went out and bought a blender so I could make smoothies (and soup). I had a kiwi, apple, pear and spinach smoothie with oats and chia seeds today. Not so long ago I made a version of this recipe and I decided to make it again with a few adjustments (by looking in the comments section) as well as making some of my own adjustments and veganizing it. This time I used broccoli but any vegetable would probably be delicious. It turned out quite nicely, much better than the first time!

 

In order to help prevent getting a cold I think the best method is to include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in my diet. I generally prefer to not take medication unless absolutely necessary, and firmly believe that a healthy diet as well as using herbal remedies (e.g. ginger for nausea) is the best way to prevent/combat illness. Though that being said, if I was severely ill I would not hesitate to take medication that my doctor prescribed to me, but I would try to use suitable remedies in conjunction with it to heal faster. For example, studies have shown in patients with cancer that spinach consumption can help reduce tumors while excessive red meat consumption has been linked to causing cancer. Now I’m not saying everyone should immediately become vegan, but the health benefits of reducing meat consumption are not to be ignored.

Veganize this: Pancakes

I haven't posted in a while due to being on holidays (yes i know, my life is so hard). But today I made vegan pancakes for my boyfriend's omni family and thought I would share! I adapted this recipe from an omni one a while ago and don't know the original link.

375ml (1 1/2 cups) dairy free milk (rice, soy, oat, almond, etc)
2 teaspoons (10ml) lemon juice
17.5g (1 tablespoon) sugar

a pinch of salt
225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (aka baking soda)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (or any desired egg replacement)

3 tablespoons of water

30g (1 1/2 tablespoons) oil
oil for greasing pan

Place milk, lemon juice and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir to combine, and then set aside for five minutes. Add water to chia seeds and set aside.

Stir or whisk self-raising flour and bicarbonate of soda together in a large bowl until combined and add salt.

Add chia seeds and melted oil to the milk mixture. Whisk the mixture until the seeds have combined with the milk (the oil  will probably just float on the surface).

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until almost smooth. Leave batter to stand while the pan is preheating (at least two minutes).

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, lightly grease it with oil. Stir again quickly before pouring onto pan, cook until bubbles appear and pop on surface of pancake, then flip. The pancake is done when lightly brown on both sides.

And there you have it. Enjoy it with maple syrup and vegan ice cream, jam, coconut cream, lemon and sugar or whatever you desire! 

If you're wondering why even bother making vegan pancakes, then consider that livestock (meat and dairy industries) are the leading cause of climate change. Every carton of dairy milk we don't buy is a vote with our dollars towards more sustainable milk choices. You can even save money by making your own!

Restaurant review: Itadakizen

The 7th of July is the Japanese festival Tanabata, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to check out the vegan Japanese restaurant, Itadakizen.

Vegan sushi!

There were train delays and I was starving when I arrived! I was concerned that the meal I ordered (Kariage Udon set) wouldn't fill me up. I was pleasantly surprised, and found my meal to be both satisfying and delicious. Most people associate the word 'sushi' with raw fish, but there are so many options! I love making sushi, especially pumpkin and cucumber (not together :p). Not only is vegan sushi healthy, but it doesn't contribute to over-fishing, which is a huge environmental problem. So if you live in London give Itadakizen a visit, otherwise try making your own vegan sushi some time!

Veganize this: chocolate mud cake

A while back, before I became vegan, I found the most amazing chocolate mud cake recipe. I realized later how easy it was to veganize almost any baked good and the most amazing chocolate mud cake became vegan. This recipe given to a friend of mine who has a blog so I will link you to it. However, I will also give you the three tools to make your own vegan cakes.

You wouldn't even notice that it's vegan

1. Replace butter with oil. Yes, butter is more delicious, but it isn't so much so that it 'makes' the cake. You can also use vegan margarine or coconut oil, if you want something more solid. Add some extra salt if needed.

2. Replace milk with milk substitute, such as soy, oat, almond, or rice. That's an obvious one. Any milk you like should work, they have their own subtle flavors but depending on what you're making it should change the taste too much. Cream can be replaced with coconut or soy cream.

3. Replace eggs with chia seeds. There are many different things you can use to replace eggs, but it depends on the recipe on hand. Pureed fruit (apples, banana), flax seed, even carbonated water works.

 There have been reports that some companies who claim to have 'free range' eggs are actually not really giving their hens a good life, as reported by the RSPCA and even when they adhere to the legal standards, male chicks are still killed at birth and hens killed after only 18 months. Think about that next time you buy a carton.

Glastonbury festival 2015

So if you're a reader of my blog you would have noticed I went to Glastonbury this year. If you're not familiar with the festival basically it is one of the biggest music festivals in the world. This one in particular has a focus on 'being green', though it was difficult to tell if anyone attending actually cared about the environment at all. Every year there is so much rubbish just left behind, not just rubbish though, people leave perfectly good tents, chairs and other camping equipment because they are too lazy to take it home. The people who were camping near me had this amazing set up with two huge tents and just left it there. It wasn't a wet day, the tent wasn't broken, and the whole area surrounding them was overflowing with garbage. If you didn't want it couldn't you donate it to a charity?

To continue to enjoy beautiful scenes clean up after yourself!

Rant aside, I had an amazing time! Florence and the Machine was amazing! The whole place was crazy, my favorite bar was the Rabbit Hole because of it's Alice in Wonderland decorations and favorite random act was the New York Brass Band.

I went with my lovely housemate and good friend who is a vegetarian, but I was able to influence our snack purchases to be all vegan! Oreos, Fox's party rings, musli bars, corn chips, salsa, chocolate covered Belvita, dark chocolate ginger, unsalted mixed nuts, pretzels, bread, peanut butter, sesame snacks and of course juice, rum and cider. There were plenty of vegan food stalls too, so I was well fed and really happy!

I recommend Glastonbury Festival to anyone who likes music, even if you don't you will find so many things to do there without needing to go to one stage, including a circus! But if you do go to this or any festival, please bring home everything. Ticket prices and land fills increase because of your laziness, not to mention the continuation of the festival hangs in the balance!

Veganize this: Pulled pork

A lot of people (mostly meat eaters) have said to me they don't want eat imitation meat because it's processed (but don't mention all the junk food they eat!). It's understandable to a degree, and it can be expensive too, but as a treat i really like to have some. I never claim to be a vegan because I don't like meat, I do miss it sometimes, but there are a lot more reasons to not eat it. There are also many options to replace meat in dishes besides that, including beans or tofu, which is also healthier.

Anyway, I recently came across this, pulled pork made from green jack fruit. I tried yellow jack fruit once in Malaysia (sweet and deep fried) and it never occurred to me it could be eaten like this. Thankfully there are some pretty smart chefs out there who were able to come up with this amazing recipe which is much more delicious than it sounds.

Healthy and delicious

I basically ran down to the Asian supermarket in London to get the ingredients and made this with my housemate. It was spectacular! Can't wait to make it for some of my omni friends, or my vegetarian mum who can't eat gluten. To veganize this recipe, chose a wrap that has no animal products in it and instead of sour cream try coconut cream. Simple.

If you're wondering 'why bother make this when i could eat real pork?' then perhaps think of this, it's not that animals are just being killed, but they are practically being tortured in the process of factory farming. And it's done only to increase profit margin. Think the idea of an intelligent animal being trapped in a small cage for it's whole life before being slaughtered sounds horrible? Well reducing our consumption of animal products reduces the demand of the product which in turn reduces supply.

Veganize this: No-Bake Strawberry Chocolate Tart

This recipe was making the rounds recently on Facebook and somebody pointed out, since Oreo's are vegan, the recipe was easily convertible. Because I love baking, and don't have an oven presently, I jumped at the opportunity.

Granted my picture isn't as pretty as the original, but I can assure you it tasted amazing! To veganize this dish simply replace butter with oil (i recommend coconut) and a pinch of salt or vegan butter, milk with vegan milk (soy, oat, almond etc), ensure dark chocolate is vegan, and heavy cream with coconut or soy cream.

Some people think it's extreme to become vegan and they 'couldn't give up dairy' but with dishes like this it's easy, you can't even tell the difference. If you're at all concerned about things like reducing your carbon footprint consider this very simple desert for your next gathering, and surprise everyone when you tell them it's vegan!

Veganize this: Cream of spinach soup

So I had a bunch of left over spinach that was due to go bad so i thought i should try to use it. I quickly did an internet search and found a recipe that i easily adapted to be vegan. This recipe can be cream of any vegetable you have and I encourage you to experiment with other spices too. I promise, it's nicer than it looks :p

1 1/2 cups water

3 cubes vegetable bouillon

1 package  spinach

3 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups dairy-free milk

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic

½ can coconut cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine water, bouillon, and spinach. Bring to a boil, and cook until spinach is tender.

Add oil to fry pan over medium heat. Lightly fry chopped garlic and onion then stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and coconut cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Combine spinach and onion mix and set aside to cool. Add to blender in 2 batches.

Wondering why one would even bother going vegan? I never gave it much thought before I converted but did you know that in order to get milk from the cows they have to be a) artificially inseminated to become pregnant, b) have that baby stolen from them shortly after birth and c) go on to either kill the baby as wastage or send it to become veal? The mother cow then mourns the loss of her baby, often crying out loudly for days. These are known as bobby calves. Happy mothers day indeed.

Veganize this: "The One Way You Should Actually Be Drinking Coffee"

So i saw this buzzfeed video the other day which was basically showed you how to make a delicious coffee smoothie by blending coffee and ice cream sandwiches. It did indeed look delicious, so i thought i would try to make it vegan.

My version was made from things i already owned, instant coffee, vegan ice cream (almond dream salted caramel), vegan chocolate cookies (bourbon) and home made oat milk. It turned out amazingly well, and if you happen to have vegan milk, chocolate cookies, ice cream, coffee and a blender you too can make this delicious treat! 

If you're wondering why even bother making it vegan? Well here's a fact for you: did you know that 6 million hectares of forest land per year is being used to satisfy the growing demand for animal products such as beef and dairy? What happens when we run out of forest land? Here's an article by the the guardian  that talks about the benefits of vegetarianism for the planet. It's so easy to make small changes in our diet that have a huge impact on the planet, so please give it a try some time. It's better than you assume  :)