Carbonara

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I never liked bacon, but I loved carbonara, so before I was vegan I used to pick the meat out; now though, I don’t need to.

A new product called ‘I Sea Bacon’ is an exciting and tasty substitute. Basically, I prepared the Sea Bacon by chopping and blanching, before frying in coconut oil with garlic and onions.

Once the pasta (spelt) was ready I transferred into the frying pan and added Alpro Soya Cream, sea salt, pepper, a pinch of paprika and some cheeky chillies (I can’t do without my spice!)

It was super creamy and tasty. I wouldn’t say it’s a close replica of bacon, but I was quite pleased about that. Nevertheless, it works well as part of the dish, and the end result was creamy loveliness.

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Classic Chilli sin Carne

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A real winter warmer! Prepare and cook exactly the same way, but using plant-based mince. I really like the Vivera range (Tesco, Sainsbury & Waitrose) or Soya mince.

It takes under 15 minutes to cook, and it’s packed full of plant goodness to nurture you from the inside out! Whta’s not to love :) xxx

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Winter Roasts Made With Love Only

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Winter's coming, and it’s Sunday Roast time!

Vegan roasts are completely delicious, packed full of goodness and easy to prepare. No cooking for three hours to avoid salmonella or E-coli! Yuk!

For our roasts I use the Torfurky joint, available across all supermarkets. The standard size comfortably feeds 4 people, the extra large, 6-8. Perfect for Xmas gatherings. The dogs love it, too!

Just pure goodness and vegan love xoxoxo

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Awesome Vegan Dog Treats

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Dogs are omnivores and have an adaptive metabolism, having evolved alongside humans for millennia, which enables them able to thrive well on a plant-based diet. 

As a vegan, I cannot justify buying other animal flesh to feed my dogs, especially knowing that it is not necessary, so I needed to adapt their diet as well as ours.

There are many vegan foods that I feed our dogs, from quinoa to coconut,  but finding treats was a little more difficult, even though it's an expanding market.

I recently found these little gems which the boys absolutely LOVE. Packed full of goodness including coconut oil, which is excellent for their whole system and makes their coat gleam, also turmeric (a known wonder for its anti-inflammatory properties & a medley of spices and vegetables which are fantastic to their all-around health.

I came across an artisan company called CC Bear which specialises in organic, vegan food for dogs with the focus on wellness and cruelty-free living. They are a UK company, and their product range is fantastic with biscuits for digestive health, skin and cardiovascular support. So far I've tried the Digest Best and Well Being products.

Absolutely recommend these, and it's getting easier every-day to live a beautiful, cruelty-free life

https://ccbear.com

 

 

 

Indian Twist

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Another really soulful favourite which packs a spicy nutrient hit is my Indian inspired medley of tofu, chilli beans and cauliflower. Full of protein and amino acids this is a real warmer on a cold day.

I part boiled some organic cauliflower and transferred into a baking dish added lots of coconut oil. I diced up some smoked tofu and added a can of organic black chilli beans. I mixed turmeric, chilli flakes, ground coriander, cumin and tandoori powder with pink Himalayan sea salt and black pepper. Set oven to 200 degrees and bake for 25 minutes. I then sprinkled grated vegan cheese, 'Vegan Gourmet Shreds' (cheddar flavour) and cooked for a further 10 minutes until melted. 

Absolutely divine and utterly moorish! #veganlove xx

Out and About

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Our night at Park Chinois 

The explosion of veganism has meant that restaurants are at last having to re-calibrate how they view their vegan offerings. Patrons are rightly no longer satisfied with unimaginative and frankly bland alternatives to meat and dairy.

Park Chinois was no exception. I'd be wanting to go for a while and had high hopes, having already scoped out the menu before booking.

To say I was impressed was an understatement. Sadly and all too frequently a vegan who chooses to dine in a non-vegan restaurant has the tedious task of quizzing and often bartering with the servers to produce something off the menu when there is nothing suitable. This shouldn't be as arduous as it usually is. Chefs are supposed to be creative and how hard can it be, but often it is embarrassing and a complete let down when a limp salad with some avocado garnish apologetically appears. 

No such case at Park Chinois. From the get-go, the waiters were not only knowledgeable about the vegan options, as opposed to staring blankly into the middle distance, but they were also actively engaged in helping me NARROW DOWN my choices. You heard it-there was a plethora of exquisite sounding vegan concoctions to choose from.

When I finally settled on chilli and agave glazed tofu, I was not disappointed. It was vegan heaven-imaginative, beautifully creative and tasted divine. It was so good I kept thinking about it for days after!

Park Chinois is a fantastic place if you fancy a super glam night in decadent surroundings-think 1930's Shanghai with copious amounts of flowers, chandeliers and marble fireplaces. I kept expecting Indiana Jones to appear.  The atmosphere is buzzy and the staff super attentive. The cocktails are pretty awesome too. I can't wait to go back.

A nice change from the laid back chill of the vegan cafes if you fancy getting dressed up xx

Blakes Hotel, Chelsea

Isn't it nice to have somewhere close to home where you can dress up or down and know you're guaranteed exceptional service and even more exceptional food?

Blakes is one of my favourites. My third time here it never fails to impress with its sultry, nonchalant elegance and best of all, it's beautifully imaginative when it comes to vegan dishes.

We had the saffron infused coconut curry with black quinoa and asparagus. It was decadent and light at the same time. The wild mushroom truffle, grilled avocado and edamame sides were ridiculously good as was the artichoke and bean salad. 

The real delight and surprise were discovering the vegan tiramisu a mouthwatering concoction as inventively created as it was presented. 

I cannot speak highly enough of the time and attentiveness of the hosts who put the veritable cherry on the cake by seducing us with complementary and rather extraordinary vegan truffle chocolates and petit fours.

The menu was well equipped vegetarian-wise so after a chat with the amiable manager I look forward to coming back and finding more dishes veganised!