Ingredients1 cup dry red split lentils1 onion chopped3 cloves garlic finely chopped2 potatoes cubed2 carrots cubed1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)1 cup chopped mushrooms1 teaspoon chili flakes1 teaspoon dried oregano3 bay leaves2 tablespoons tomato paste2 cans organic chopped tomatoes in juiceBoiling watersalt & pepper to tasteOilDirectionsHeat oil in a frying pan and cook garlic and onion until . . . → Read More: Tomato Lentil Stew]]>

Ingredients

1 cup dry red split lentils
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 potatoes cubed
2 carrots cubed
1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans organic chopped tomatoes in juice
Boiling water
salt & pepper to taste
Oil

Directions

Heat oil in a frying pan and cook garlic and onion until onion softens.
Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.
Add chili, oregano and bay leaves and stir through.
Add potatoes and carrots and stir through.
Transfer everything to a pot (unless you have a really large frying pan with a lid) and add the tomato paste and tomatoes. Add one can of boiling water using the water to get the last juice from the tomato cans.
Add the lentils and peas and simmer for 45 mins or until the veges are tender and the lentils are cooked.
Add water as needed to keep the mixture wet enough.

Serve with bread or on rice or mashed potato.

Garlic, onions, mushrooms and herbs

Add the potatoes and carrots

Transfer to a pot, add tomatoes, water, peas and simmer

This is such a quick and easy recipe and it’s SUCH a yummy cake with the passion-fruit and extra chocolate. It only uses one large bowl and a cup so it’s really quick to . . . → Read More: Chocolate Passion-fruit Cake with Chocolate chunks]]> The additional chocolate chunks in this recipe are by request of Cy who apparently just can’t get enough chocolate in his vegan cake!

This is such a quick and easy recipe and it’s SUCH a yummy cake with the passion-fruit and extra chocolate. It only uses one large bowl and a cup so it’s really quick to clean up and takes under 10 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

1 & 1/4 cups white flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup dark, soft brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 banana
40 grams dark chocolate (the darker the better!)
2 Passion-fruits

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Take one large bowl and sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa into it. Add the brown sugar and mix together.
Mash the banana in a cup and then add the banana, soy milk, oil and vanilla essence to the dry ingredients.
Mix all together and then pour into a greased round cake tin.
Break up the chocolate into pieces approximately 1cm square and sprinkle over cake batter. Take the back of a spoon and push them into the mixture so they are covered by batter.
Spoon the pulp of the passion-fruit over the cake mixture and spread out evenly.

Cook for 35-45 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

Before going into the oven

Minutes before we devoured it!

The pineapple might seem odd if you don’t hail from the southern hemisphere but it’s really nice . . . → Read More: Southern Fried Tofu Burgers]]> These burgers are so good and the southern spice mix to coat the tofu is from a great little recipe book called Hot Damn and Hell Yeah by Ryan Splint. Find it here and on Amazon UK and US http://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/86/

The pineapple might seem odd if you don’t hail from the southern hemisphere but it’s really nice so give it a go!

Ingredients

4 Wholewheat burger buns (or rolls or any kind of bread you like really)
1 pkg tofu
1/2 cup approx of southern-fried spice mix (pg. 10 in Hot Damn and Hell Yeah)
4 Pineapple rings
1 tomato sliced
1 onion sliced
4 Portobello mushrooms
1 clove garlic finely chopped
Lettuce
BBQ sauce, vegan mayo and/or ketchup
Oil
Soy milk

Directions

Cut tofu into 4 pieces along the flat side of the tofu square so you end up with large flat pieces.
Dip them in the soy milk and then coat them in spice mix and set aside.
In a fry pan cook the garlic and onion until the onion softens.
Move the onion to the side of the pan and cook the mushrooms in the same pan (or if your pan is too small, cook them in a separate pan with a little garlic and oil).
Once the mushrooms and onions are cooked remove them from the pan and put them on some paper towels to soak up the oil.
Heat up some more oil (about 1/4 – 1/2 cup depending on the size of your pan) and cook the tofu pieces on a high heat until browned on one side. Avoid moving them around much until they’re browned so you don’t make the coating come off. Turn and cook the other side until it’s browned too.
Heat up the buns in the oven.
Layer up your buns with the tofu, lettuce, pineapple, tomato, mushroom and onion and add BBQ sauce, vegan mayo or ketchup to taste.

Serve with potato wedges cooked in Cajun spice mix.

This is a super simple snack that is great for satisfying a donut craving. It’s vegan and much healthier too!

Ingredients2 crumpetsVegan margarineAgave nectarGround cinnamonDirectionsToast your crumpetsSmother with margarine (or leave it out if you want to be extra healthy!)Sprinkle a light dusting of cinnamon and drizzle agave . . . → Read More: Crumpets with Agave & Cinnamon]]>

This is a super simple snack that is great for satisfying a donut craving. It’s vegan and much healthier too!

Ingredients

2 crumpets
Vegan margarine
Agave nectar
Ground cinnamon

Directions

Toast your crumpets
Smother with margarine (or leave it out if you want to be extra healthy!)
Sprinkle a light dusting of cinnamon and drizzle agave on top

Yum!

IngredientsSmall head of broccoli – choppedSmall onion – sliced1 . . . → Read More: Soy Agave Broccoli with Quinoa]]> This is a great lunch dish or light dinner and serving it over quinoa bumps up your protein. Add other veges to taste and you could add tofu or tempeh when you cook the garlic and onion if you want to make it more of a main dish.

Ingredients

Small head of broccoli – chopped
Small onion – sliced
1 cup of mushrooms – sliced
1 carrot – sliced
1 or 2 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
1 Tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon chilli powder or flakes (add less or more to taste)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup dried quinoa
1 vegetable stock cube

Directions

Heat the oil and then add the garlic, chili and onion. Cook until the onion softens.

Add the carrots and cook for a few minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for approx 5 mins.

Add the soy sauce and agave and stir through. Add water as needed to keep the food from sticking to the pan.

Add broccoli and cover the pan to allow the broccoli to steam cook.

Cook until the broccoli is just tender.

Serve over the quinoa cooked in vegetable stock using the absorption method (1 cup quinoa to 2 cups stock, bring to a boil and then cover and lower the heat).

Serves 2.

Introducing….. Agave Nectar – a brilliant substitute for sugar and honey in baking, cooking and beverages!

It comes from the Mexican Agave plant and the consistency of all the types I’ve tried has been like runny honey.

We recently bought it to put on porridge and since then I’ve used it in baking and cooking with great results. . . . → Read More: Agave Nectar]]>

Introducing….. Agave Nectar – a brilliant substitute for sugar and honey in baking, cooking and beverages!

It comes from the Mexican Agave plant and the consistency of all the types I’ve tried has been like runny honey.

We recently bought it to put on porridge and since then I’ve used it in baking and cooking with great results. In baking it easily replaces honey and in cooking you use it as you would use honey or sugar to sweeten stir fries and curries.

The Groovy Food Company (pictured) say, “It’s 25% sweeter than sugar, and you can add it to cereal, sauces, cakes, tea, coffee, soft drinks and more without tainting the taste. Even better, it’s got a low GI (Glycaemic Index) content, which means it won’t yo-yo your energy levels like sugar can.”

A healthy, animal-friendly, delicious addition to our kitchen!

I know it may seem odd to be writing about tomatoes… something so simple and already well loved, but to me they are a new friend. I’ve always been ok with cooked tomatoes, chutneys and definitely a bit of tomato sauce, but until recently I absolutely hated fresh tomatoes. They were slimy and bland and seemed . . . → Read More: Tomatoes]]>

I know it may seem odd to be writing about tomatoes… something so simple and already well loved, but to me they are a new friend. I’ve always been ok with cooked tomatoes, chutneys and definitely a bit of tomato sauce, but until recently I absolutely hated fresh tomatoes. They were slimy and bland and seemed to ruin everything they got near, be it sandwich or salad.

Then I discovered organic tomatoes, fresh from the tomato man at the farmers market. Organic food has a lot going for it already but one incredibly compelling argument for buying organic has got to be flavour! Organic tomatoes taste like nothing I’ve ever had before, almost like a completely different species of food compared to those big, bland shiny red ones you get in the supermarket.

My new favourite snack is centered around this new love and the recipe is below.

Tomato and Hummus on Grainy Bread

Take thick slices of your favourite grainy or spelt bread. Toast it, smother it in hummus and lay slices of organic tomatoes on top. Add cracked black pepper and you’ve got a delicious lunch or snack.

Simple but so good!

http://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/

Vegetarian Shoes is a great shop in Brighton, UK and also online who do really amazing vegetarian/vegan friendly shoes. They’re cute and also incredibly well made and long lasting. I’ve had two of my pairs for over a year now and they’re still in great condition!

If you click on the photo you’ll be taken to their . . . → Read More: Vegetarian Shoes]]>

http://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/

Vegetarian Shoes is a great shop in Brighton, UK and also online who do really amazing vegetarian/vegan friendly shoes. They’re cute and also incredibly well made and long lasting. I’ve had two of my pairs for over a year now and they’re still in great condition!

If you click on the photo you’ll be taken to their store where you’ll find lots more and quite a few styles for guys too. These are the ones I have (yes I do have one type in 2 colours!) and I love them!