Falafel burger, sweet potato fries and broccoli - vegan

Not the best presentation but this meal is beauts!

Falafel burger - follow instructions for falafel mix, mould into a burger and fry.

Sweet potato fries - cut up sweet potatoes and cook until crispy.

Broccoli - boil.

Quorn escalopes and salad - sorry about the picture, I had already took a bite!

Quorn escalopes - cook following instruction.

Salad; tomato, cucumber, spinach, spring onion, lettuce, croutons and balsamic vinegar. Cut up all and mix.

Beautiful and filling.

Stir fry - very quick

Quick meal for those who don't have much time

Boil noodles.

Cut up and fry onion, garlic, yellow pepper, green pepper - or any vegetables you have leftover like I did!

Very quick; 15 min.

Quorn meatballs in a pasta and tomato sauce

Quorn swedish meatballs - follow cooking instructions, either cook alone on the hob or in the tomato sauce. Not vegan but Quorn are working on making products vegan.

Tomato sauce - make your own with an online recipe or buy one.

Pasta - I prefer with long spaghetti pasta, but didn't have any on this day!

Absolutely adore this meal

Snack foods we all known and love that are accidentally vegan!

http://www.peta.org.uk/blog/44-accidentally-vegan-snack-foods/

This website - but do double check as the ingredients may have changed.

Quorn southern fried chicken burger, chips and salad - sooooo good its unreal!

Quorn chicken - either buy southern fried chicken burger, or alternatively buy the chicken fillets and breadcrumb following online instructions. Unfortunately not vegan but quorn are working on making their products vegan. Add to a wholewheat burger bun.

Cut potatoes up, part boil until they start to flake at the edges. Drain and throw in the pan to make the edges fluffy. Put a tray of oil in the oven until its hot, then put the chips in the hot oil and flip over halfway through. Keep an eye on them to check crispiness.

Cut up veg - cucumber, tomatoes, spring onion etc.

Stir fry

Noodles, red onion, garlic, orange pepper, broccoli, spinach, black bean sauce, soy sauce, vegetable stock cube, chinese 5 spice, pepper.

Cut up all ingredients - add onion then all other vegetables. Add the black bean sauce, soy sauce and vegetable stock cube. Add 5 spice.

Boil noodles, then drain and add to the pan - mix all together.

Serve up and add pepper.

Sausage, mash peas and gravy!

Linda McCartney sausages - red onion and rosemary flavour. Follow cooking instructions on the package.

Mash - boil the potatoes and mash with alpro soya milk.

Peas - boil the peas.

Make the vegetable gravy.

Vegan cottage style pie

Prep all the ingredients - I had red onion, garlic, carrots, broccoli, chestnut mushrooms, spinach, orange lentils, red kidney beans, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock pot. Then cut up potatoes.

But add as many/little different vegetables as you like.

Boil potatoes in one pan and all the ingredients in the other.

Add the mixture to a pan and smooth down.

Mash the potatoes with soy milk, i used alpro, [i actually made a few more after this as didn't feel it was enough], then spread over the mixture and smooth with fork.

Cook until it crisps, about 10 minutes on 200...

Make vegetable gravy!

DONE!

Vegan pizza - new recipe

Beaut pizza, literally took about 15 minutes overall which is great if you want something quick.

Need;

2 tortilla wraps
Falafel mix
Hummus
Cucumber
Tomatoes

Make falafel - buy a mixture, add water, wait five minutes until thickened (just follow the instructions on the packet). Can usually buy from most supermarkets, I have had it from Tesco and Sainsbury's - I've added a picture of the packet from Sainsbury's.

Get one tortilla wrap, spread your falafel over it, add your next wrap, spread hummus over it (we made our own by mashing chickpeas and following an online recipe, but you can buy it ready made) - bake the base for a few minutes.

Add your chopped up cucumber and tomatoes - put it over for another few minutes. Just keep checking the pizza, see whether it needs longer as it is personal preference just make sure it doesn't burn.

Jack also had balsamic vinegar on his and said it was lovely with that on it.

Your pizza should be ready to cut up - this picture is half of the pizza and 2 garlic bread slices, Jack had the other half!

Garlic bread - get a tortilla wrap, spread garlic puree and/or chopped up pieces of garlic over it and grill. It looks like their may be basil on it - Jack made it so i'll have to double check everything is right!

Excuse my lack of blogs, its exam season!

Hi guys,

Wow I've not blogged for nearly a month, due to University! Exam season is on the doorstep and I have many assessments coming up - so please bear with me during the stressful revision period :) if I make any new recipes etc I will try and upload asap.

A few foodie bits and bobs;

- I've been eating a lot of wholewheat pasta, vegan green pesto (don't assume the pesto you pick up is vegan, look on the ingredients and the front should say dairy free) cut up sun dried/normal tomatoes, spinach and sometimes with pine nuts. I usually have it for lunch, but it is suitable for lunch or dinner, is quick and easy to make and is really good for you.

- This week I bought falafel mix and made falafel burgers! I had the burger, spinach and cut up tomatoes in a bread cob. Next time I might add more bits such as lettuce and red onion. It was truly gorgeous, I adore falafel! Again, it is quick, easy, delicious and good for you.

- If you haven't tried '9bar' before, they are really tasty and healthy and are made from seeds. Check them out.

- Linda McCartney Vegetarian Sausages - I know a lot of people have tried these before, however there is a new sausage recipe that I believe is red onion and something else? I can just remember the red onion, but my gosh they are lovely! I prefer them to the original LM sausages, so definitely give them a try. I bought them in tesco, so maybe have a look there if you can't see them at your normal supermarket.

That's all I can think of for now, but definitely try some of these things, they are all delicious and so all got a special mention during this busy period in my life.

There will be new recipes coming, as I intend to try to follow some vegan recipes online, wish me luck!

Any questions, just message me :) I'm willing to support anyone who is willing to make compassionate and positive changes in their life.

x

Daily food diary

Breakfast

Toast and raspberry Bonne Maman conserve jam, tea with soya milk

Lunch

Wholewheat pasta with basil pesto, chopped baby plum tomatoes and spinach (ate hot- but can make and put it in the fridge)

Dinner

Red onion, broccoli and spinach risotto - rice, vegetable stock, red onion, garlic, garlic puree, broccoli and spinach

Snacks

Border dark chocolate ginger biscuits, banana, quorn cocktail sausages

Yes... Vegetarians still eat roast dinners!

Hi guys,

So I had this veggie dinner Thursday evening, and then we had it again on Sunday!

It is so delicious, and it would be amazing if more restaurants served quorn products as a meat alternative - veggies can still have sunday dinners! Just make your own!

Quorn 'roast beef', yorkshire puddings, mash, falafel stuffing balls (easy to make and delicious - just buy some falafel mix, add water and roll into balls and cook for around 5-10 minutes depending on how crispy you want it), broccoli, carrots and vegetable gravy. Such a good meal.

Daily food diary - new recipe!!

Breakfast

Porridge with soya milk and tea with soya milk. Special K cereal bar.

Lunch

Tomato and basil soup.

Dinner

Vegan pizza;

Base - sweet potato, rice flour, basil, garlic puree, coriander, mild chilli powder, vegetable oil and salt.

Toppings - pak choi, tomato, tomato puree, garlic puree, basil, salt, shitake mushrooms, balsamic vinegar.

For more details on exact instructions etc - please feel free to message me.

Also, this was potentially the most gorgeous pizza I have ever had!! I would recommend this to everyone, it takes about 40 minutes to cook. (30 min for base, 10 min for toppings)

Snacks

Vegan brownies with almonds;

Sweet potato, rice flour, cacao powder, agave syrup, salt, almonds, coconut oil. (sounds weird, but is DELICIOUS)

Cruelty free companies

http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx?utm_campaign=0215%20Beauty%20Without%20Bunnies%20Search%20for%20CrueltyFree%20Cosmetics%20PersonalCare%20Products%20and%20More%20Tweet%20&utm_source=PETA%20Twitter&utm_medium=Promo

PLEASE READ - this post has a lack of clarity, see below.

Hi everyone,

This PETA link is really helpful as it lists the companies that do and do not test on animals.

I have changed this post to get rid of the do/don't and you may look on the website link yourselves.

Please note, if you check many of these brands own websites e.g. Estee Lauder, Benefit, L'oreal - they are clear that they do not test on animals. HOWEVER - due to selling in China, who have to test products on animals by law, they are in fact contributing to the suffering. China are the ones who need to change.

I know that I will definitely be checking my brands before I buy them again, the suffering just is not worth it and clearly isn't necessary as has been seen by the companies that don't test on animals above!

Diary and useful website

Found this really useful website today, http://freefromharm.org/food-products/your-guide-to-going-dairy-free/ - I think this will definitely help with my journey to veganism.

Breakfast

- Porridge oats with soya milk and a cup of tea with soya milk.

Dinner

- Vegetable and quorn chicken pieces stir fry; including noodles, red onion, garlic, carrot, red pepper, spinach and quorn 'fajita chicken pieces' (i prefer them to the normal chicken style pieces as they are thinner). Sweet potato fries.

Daily food diary.

As I said I wanted to share some of the things I eat daily, to show theres so much you can actually eat when taking 'meat' off your plate.

Breakfast

- A cup of Twinings 'Morrocan Mint' tea, 2 satsumas and an activia yoghurt (the yoghurt not so great for my vegan journey!)

Lunch

- Tomato and basil soup with croutons.

Dinner

- Vegetable chilli with rice. Ingredients include: onion, garlic, carrots, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, spinach, spices (mild chilli powder and ground cumin), vegetable stock.

[if interested in the fuller version of the recipe, please message me!]

Snacks 

- A 9bar (seeds and chocolate bar), revels

5th March 2015 - one year 'meat'* free. My story so far.

A brief post

* 'meat' reference see the bottom.

So, I started out as a vegetarian on the 5th March 2014, it was pancake day on the 4th and thus, I gave up 'meat'* for lent. I'd wanted to do it for so long and never did, this seemed like the right opportunity. I knew in my heart that it wasn't just for lent (I'm not religious), I just wanted to push myself to finally do it.

During the course of the first month or two, I decided to become pescatarian first (i.e. eat fish but not 'meat'*), this seemed right at the time for me. I was pescatarian until January 2015, which is when I became full vegetarian. I think this is perfectly acceptable to slowly ease oneself into becoming full veggie, take one step at a time.

I am taking steps towards becoming vegan; I understand the heinous acts that occur in the dairy industry.

I don't buy cows milk and have soya milk instead, I don't eat eggs, I have vegan bars and have tried different soya products. However I do eat quorn products, chocolate and other products that have dairy traces.

Quorn are currently working on making their products to cater for vegans, which is a step in the right direction. One day I hope there will be many more products in the market available to cater for vegans. I am taking this process slowly, and everyones journey is different.

I am always on the search for cruelty free products: make-up, clothing etc which I would urge every one to do regardless.

In short- I will never go back. I could never eat an animal. I could never condone the murder of animals just to fill my stomach. I know that the animals we call 'meat'* are sentient beings, that can and do love and feel happiness, but mostly pain, worry, anxiety - when they know their fate. I wish I never ate 'meat'* for 19 years. [this does not refer to the harrowing conditions, treatment, torture, quality of life of these animals - that is another story, a heartbreaking one at that]

* The reasoning for 'meat' being in '...' is because this is a word which objectifies life, to disconnect people from what is actually on their plates. I completely understand; some people don't even think about the journey of their food, they just eat it because its the norm. Make the connection.