Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

This recipe was unplanned and completely thrown together. It was the end of the week and I had very little in my cupboard except some beans and pulses, chopped tomatoes, pasta and herbs, so the idea of a bolognese came to me. I had tried making a bolognese before but the taste of the chopped tomatoes was overpowering, rendering the dish quite tasteless, so this time I threw in a combination of herbs to see what happened. The result was incredibly tasty; a delicious bolognese made hearty with the chickpeas and lentils and with an incredible aroma and flavour, just like what you get when you go to an authentic Italian restaurant. I'm sure you know the kind of bolognese I'm talking about.

The best part about this recipe is how easy it is - you simply throw everything in a pan and let it simmer whilst the flavours develop. You can cook it for half an hour or, if you really want to draw out the flavours, let it simmer for a couple of hours. It's up to you!

A word of advice on the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and lentils; I always check the ingredients when I buy these at the supermarket as I recently came across chopped tomatoes that contained sugar and preservatives, as well as chickpeas and lentils that had sulphites and E numbers in them. Tesco and Asda are particularly bad for this so always check the label - it's best to avoid all added nasties! There should be a few brands to choose from so I recommend checking the label of a few. You simply want the product (ie chickpeas) in water. It's that simple.

Ingredients (serves 4)
Gluten-free spaghetti (I like this brown rice spaghetti from Doves Farm as it contains only one ingredient)
400g box of chopped tomatoes
300g tin of chickpeas
300g tin of green lentils
2 large garlic cloves
2 large handfuls of spinach
Sprinkling of sea salt
2-3 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce (this is gluten free)
1 tsp coconut oil
1 large white onion
1 medium shallot

Method
1. Dice the white onion and shallot, then add a teaspoon of coconut oil to a saucepan and pan fry the onion and shallot on high heat until they start to brown.
2. Crush the garlic cloves and add them to the saucepan along with the chopped tomatoes. Make sure you bring the temperature right down to avoid the chopped tomatoes burning on the bottom of the pan.
3. Stir everything together until the chopped tomatoes start to gently boil. Once they do, add in the lentils, chickpeas, soy sauce and herbs.
4. Let everything simmer for at least 30 minutes or longer.
5. Once you have cooked the bolognese to your desired taste, boil the pasta, adding a tiny bit of coconut oil to stop it sticking together (I find that gluten free pasta tends to solidify into a lump otherwise)
6. Serve and enjoy!

This is a perfect dinner party recipe as it tastes great and is super easy to make. Alternatively you could make a big batch for your lunches and freeze it in portions.

Happy cooking!

- Anna

Hello, 2017!

Wishing you all a fantastic 2017! 

I am so grateful to have sealed off 2016... What a turbulent year! This year my focus is on looking forward and practising gratitude every day as well as experiencing new things and challenging myself. Spending quality time with friends and family will also be key!

I hope you all have some really exciting plans and that you are moving forward with positivity, love and light. Sending warm wishes to you all.

- Anna

Festive Feasting: Plant-Based Style

This Christmas is going to be a very different one for me. No longer will I tuck into my mum's turkey with plentiful pigs-in-blankets on the side. As I started on the plant-based diet back in March, this Christmas will involve more of a nut-roast centered meal, which I cannot complain about. Being on a plant-based diet, many people assume that I am deprived of wonderful flavours and tasty treats, however what I have found is that I am even more excited about the food I eat now for two reasons, the first being that I know what I am putting into my body is so good for my health, and the second being that I get to play around with some seriously tasty recipes (have you heard of tahini gravy?!).

On Christmas day,  part of our tradition is to have the roasted Christmas meal around lunchtime and a festive feast in the evening, which is usually an array of cold buffet foods. These range from coleslaw to pork pies to stuffing and turkey sandwiches. As I won't be able to indulge in those this year, I'll be bringing some vegan dishes to the table so that I and whoever else wants to join in can enjoy those too.

Below you will see the dishes I am making as well as some additional suggestions for plant-based snacks so that you don't feel like you're missing out on any of the fun this Christmas (and you'll still be looking after your body, too).

Dish 1:  Pea guacamole

Ingredients and method from the revolutionary Forks Over Knives. Click here to view.

Dish 2:  Sweet potato, buckwheat and kale salad

Ingredients (makes approx. 12 burgers)
2-3 large sweet potatoes
1 cup buckwheat groats
Bag of kale
3 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lime
Turmeric
Pepper
Coconut oil
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Cut the sweet potatoes into 2cm chunks and place on a coconut-oiled baking tray in a pre-heated oven at 180c for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle the potatoes with turmeric and pepper before placing them in the oven.
2. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, place the buckwheat into a pan and cover with hot water. Boil them for 20 minutes, or until tender. Make sure to not over-cook them as they can go very mushy
3. Wash the kale thoroughly.
4. Prepare the dressing in a mug: add the tahini, lime juice and olive oil and mix together. If the mixture becomes too thick, I would recommend adding some water to make it thinner and so it will go further
4. Once the sweet potatoes and buckwheat are cooked, place them in a bowl along with the kale and stir everything together
5. Add the dressing and mix it so it evenly covers the sweet potatoes, buckwheat and kale. I tend to massage the dressing into the kale leaves so they wilt and really take up the flavour of the dressing
6. Put in the fridge to cool, or serve straight away and enjoy.

Dish 3:  Chickpea and parsley burgers

Ingredients and method from Pure Ella. Click here to view.

Bear in mind with this recipe that it is okay to sub the chickpea flour with another gluten-free flour if you don't have it (I used brown rice flour) and the oil too (I used extra virgin olive oil). The burgers turned out delicious and just as pictured.

Additional suggestions

• Gluten-free tortilla chips (with only three ingredients and no added nasties): available at Sainsbury's
• Homemade hummus: I love this avocado hummus recipe from Naturally Sassy
• Kale crisps: simply drizzle some kale in olive oil and stick in the oven on a baking tray for 12 minutes at 180c for some delicious crispy kale crisps
• Tahini gravy: to drizzle on your nut roast or whatever you decide to have on the day. I like this one from Vegelicious Kitchen
• Nak'd posh bits (for when the After Eights come out)
• Nuts: make up your own nut snack dish from walnuts, cashews and almonds or buy a large pack of one from any grocery store
• Chocolate (because it's Christmas after all): I love this festive flavour from Doisy and Dam with very simple, friendly ingredients including 74% organic dark chocolate

I hope you find the above helpful and have a wonderful plant-based Christmas!

- Anna

Festive Saviour: Green Smoothie

With the best will in the world, the festive season can often present challenges to the way we eat, especially if you normally try to follow a gluten-free, sugar-free, plant-based diet. Whilst significantly more restaurants are starting to accommodate gluten-free, vegan dietary requirements, many have a lot of room for growth, therefore it is not always possible to avoid the ingredients that make our stomachs sensitive (shout-out to gluten here).

I myself have indulged a little and whilst I thankfully didn't have any problems the next day, the gluten I consumed left me craving a nutritious boost. With that in mind, I wanted to share my recipe for this green smoothie which I made with the idea of putting all the good stuff back in. Don't be put off by its garish appearance; this smoothie is so wonderfully fresh and tasty that it'll leave you glowing inside and out. 

Ingredients

250ml almond milk (I use this one from Rude Health for it's amazing taste and simple ingredients list)

1 large handful of spinach

1/2 an avocado

1 large stick of celery

1/3 of a large cucumber

Small handful of parsley

Small handful of mint

1 tbsp wheatgrass powder

1 tbsp baobab powder

1 tbsp dessicated coconut

1 tbsp flaxseed

1 tbsp of turmeric 

1 tsp coconut oil

Method

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth (ensuring the parsley and mint leaves are fully broken up)

2. Enjoy

Let's call it your saviour for the festive season; let the smoothie do all of the hard work if you find you've over-indulged or eaten something you would normally avoid. I'll be posting some festive dish suggestions shortly, so watch this space. Until then, enjoy the celebrations in the run up to Christmas!

- Anna

Walnut 'Popcorn'

I tried this as an experiment after becoming disillusioned with the snacks available at the supermarket. For example, a seemingly innocent pack of popcorn is typically loaded with lots of sugar and preservatives which I don't want to put into my body!

The walnut popcorn could not have turned out better. It tastes just like caramel popcorn and is perfect for weekend move nights. It's also a great alternative to popcorn with arguably more nutritional benefits; it's a good source of Vitamin E (good for skin health), is full of antioxidants (helping your body combat environmental and toxic stress) and omega-3 fats (great for brain health and a strong immune system).

Ingredients

300g pack of walnuts 

2 tsp maple syrup

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 celsius.

2. Chop the walnuts into small pieces.

3. Place the walnuts on a baking tray and drizzle the maple syrup over them.

4. Cook the walnuts for 8 minutes (be careful of keeping an eye on them as too much longer could burn them).

I love how the walnuts become deeply nutty after being toasted in the oven. They are a super tasty alternative to the typical supermarket sugar-laden snack and I will be making this popcorn again soon!

- Anna

Creamy Vegan Pasta

I normally reserve Sundays for 3 things – cooking, chilling and eating. There’s nothing that feels nicer on a Sunday evening than snuggling down on the sofa to watch a film along with a bowl of your favourite comfort food. Yesterday was no different; I was craving something really hearty but nourishing at the same time. I pretty much threw all of these ingredients together and the end result was delicious. It tasted so much more indulgent that it actually was, and I’m really getting the hang of making creamy sauces using gluten free, vegan ingredients. Who says you need dairy to make a creamy pasta sauce?!

Ingredients (serves 2)

Gluten-free pasta (I used this one from Dove Farms). Use however much you would normally want

1 courgette cut into small chunks

1 red onion, diced

1 green onion, diced

5 stems of long-stem broccoli, cut into 1 inch chunks

4 large handfuls of spinach

2 garlic cloves, to be chopped and sprinkled on top of the finished dishes, raw

For the sauce

3 tbsp tahini

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

A few drops of tamari

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 tbsp water (to thin the sauce)

Method

1. Cook the pasta for approx. 15 minutes, or until soft

2. Pan fry the courgette, onion and broccoli until they have all softened, then add the spinach for the last couple of minutes, taking the pan off the heat when the spinach has wilted

3. Drain the pasta and split into two bowls. Mix in half of the sauce

4. Split the vegetables between each bowl, then add the rest of the sauce and mix it in until all of the pasta and veggies are evenly covered

5. Enjoy!

- Anna

A Greek Food Odyssey

It has been a while since I last posted as I have been on holiday in Zakynthos, Greece. I spent a truly amazing week there with one of my sisters and was lucky enough to relax, rest and rejuvinate for an entire week.

We made sure to have a good balance of chilling and exploring, and had the pleasure of staying at a hotel that offererd a great range of vegan-and-gluten-free-friendly food. I have to admit that I was a little nervous before going on the holiday as I like to keep on track with my plant-based, gluten-free eating whilst I am travelling, however I needn't have worried as the chef and staff were more than happy to make meals to accomodate my needs (and my sister who is vegetarian); that being if we couldn't find something in the buffet, which boasted a large fresh salad bar and more than 10 hot food dishes ranging from jasmine rice to sauteed aubergine for both lunch and dinner. Whilst I steer clear of all meat and dairy products, I do indulge in sea food from time to time so had to have some of the fresh octopus on offer at the buffet!

Interestingly, the hotel grows all of its food organically at its farm which is located next door. This meant we also got to enjoy freshly produced extra virgin olive oil every day which was so mouth-wateringly delicious that we found a way to incorporate it into our breakfast, lunch and dinner every day! To top this all off, the hotel was adult-only and nestled in the hills of the southern side of the island, so we got to enjoy complete peace and quiet. Check out the hotel if this interests you - I cannot recommend it enough: http://kerivillage.com.

View from the hotel's restaurant

My sister enjoying a sunrise meditation at a lovely
spot we found outside of our room

We had one day of bad weather so decided to go exploring Zakynthos Town which was a half an hour drive away. Before our holiday I did some research on restaurants in the town and stumbled upon a vegan restaurant based in the heart of the town called Yard of Taste (found on www.happycow.net - a global database of vegan restaurants). My sister and I had lunch here and it was some of the best veggie food we have ever tasted. All of the food was organic and homegrown and the culinary creations were outstanding. I had a multigrain salad which included buckwheat groats, quinoa, aduki beans and pine nuts smothered in a creamy vegan citrus dressing. Their hummus was also to die for - so fresh and rich in flavour.

On top of that the decor was like a Pinterest board come true; a mix of boho prints and vintage furniture that all fitted so well together. We could have stayed there forever. We also got to meet the lovely owner who told us all about her passion for fresh, whole foods and the idea behind the restaurant. As the only vegan restaurant in Zakynthos, I can only imagine that business will boom over the coming months.

If you find yourself wanting to book a sunny getaway then I cannot recommend Zakynthos enough. It is easier than you think to keep up your healthy eating habits whilst you're abroad, and if you reach out to the place you are staying at before you travel there (which I did) as well as extensively comb Trip Advisor reviews, then you can ensure that you book the right place to meet your needs. It also means no fuss once you arrive!

I am really impressed with the offering of fresh, healthy foods in Greece and it shows that the current rise in demand for healthy vegan food is spreading everywhere, which is great. And if you do find yourself somewhere that doesn't quite match up to your healthy food requirements then it doesn't hurt to travel armed with a good supply of Nak'd bars, just in case.

Now that I'm back I'll be posting some more recipes and photos, so watch this space!

- Anna