Vegan Food&Living - October 2021

The UK’s best-selling vegan magazine

UNCOVER THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING A WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED DIET

&LIVI NG

indulgence

CHOCOLATE

e c n e g l indu

75

OCTOBER 2021

PLANTBASED RECIPES

Satisfy your sweet cravings with decadent desserts

COOK A HALLOWEEN FEAST! + FILL YOUR FREEZER WITH EASY, MAKE-AHEAD MEALS

What you can eat to help reduce stress

ONE POT, THREE WAYS...

Transform one main recipe into three exciting dishes

ted c l a s ith cake w e t a l o c o h c vegan

FASHION FORWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE Why eating green makes a Explore the latest innovations big difference to the planet in vegan leather alternatives

ara

– m el

P2 5

Vegan Camp Out Hidden veg recipes 30-minute meals

OCTOBER 2021 VEGAN FOOD & LIVING PRICE £4.99

W ELCO M E

Welcome Cover image Recipe and photo by Stockfood, The Food Media Agency (www.stockfood.co.uk)

We've said it before and we'll say it again, we're a team of chocoholics. No matter what form it takes – bar, cake, gooey chocolate pudding – we'll try it. So this issue is a particularly special one for us as we get to share some of our favourite recipes with you. We're obviously not advocating making them all at once, of course – everything in moderation as the saying goes – but we hope you find them every bit as tempting as we do. We've tried to keep the recipes quite varied, so whether you welcome full on chocolate decadence or you prefer just a subtle hint of cacao, you should find something to suit. Turn to page 12 to indulge your sweet tooth right now.

To counterbalance our chocolate overload this issue, we've also decided to celebrate the humble vegetable in all its wondrous forms. On page 58 we share three delicious dishes that contain hidden vegetables – perfect for getting those who are usually veg-phobic to eat the good stuff! Then on page 88 we reveal just how versatile vegetables can be by transforming swede into a mock glazed 'ham', parsnips into sausages and leeks into a terrine. It's time to get truly creative in the kitchen! Enjoy the issue and we'll see you next month.

This magazine is printed on 100% recycled paper!

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40 Discover the secrets of delicious and nutritious vegan living

12 AN ASIAN FEAST

54

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN HAPPY HALLOWEEN

34

THE IMPORTANCE OF THERAPEUTIC FOODS

50

HOW TO... EAT WHEN YOU’RE STRESSED

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ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS

56

HIDDEN VEG

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EASY VEGAN

T H I S

I S S U E

On the cover p52

p12

67 p34, p64

ONE POT: THREE WAYS

p50

p82

p102

p104

82

F E AT U R E S

THERE’S NOTHING VEGETABLES CAN’T DO!

100 88 102

FEELING BETTER... NATURALLY! EAT GREEN FOR THE PLANET

p98, p58, p76

ESSENTIAL OILS

104 108

Halloween feast.....................................34 4 ways with avocado........................38 Asian feast...................................................40 How to eat for stress.........................50 Benefits of a whole food plant based diet ...................................................52 Therapeutic eating .............................54 Ultra-processed food.......................56 Hidden veg recipes ...........................58 Freezer meals ..........................................64 One pot, three ways .........................82 Linda McCartney meals ................85 There’s nothing that vegetables can’t do...........................88 Get back to nature..........................100 The climate crisis ..............................102 Vegan leather alternatives .....104 Essential oils..........................................108 Beauty box..............................................110

E V E RY I S S U E

VEGAN LEATHER ALTERNATIVES

What’s cooking ......................................... 8 Behind the scenes with .................11 Join Vegan Food & Living Plus..............................................26 Nutrition in a nutshell .....................47 Food for thought...

Jasmijn de Boo ....................................114

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 5

VeganFood

I N D E X

& L I V I N G

RECIPE FINDER Chocolate

10 ingredients

12 Red velvet chocolate truffles 14 Chocolate scones 15 Churros with chocolate sauce 17 Chocolate mousse with

68 Beet Buddha bowl bites 69 Lemon and dill creamed tofu 69 Roasted pumpkin and plum salad 70 Krab cakes 71 Samphire and porcini gnocchi 71 Watermelon sashimi

whipped vanilla coconut cream 18 Chocolate and orange tart 19 Chocolate cookie balls 19 Chocolate banana nice cream 20 Raspberry Oreo tiramisu 20 Fruit and nut brownie 22 Mint chocolate cookies 23 Black Forest tart 24 Zebra bundt cake 25 Chocolate salted caramel cake

Breakfast 30 Smoothie bowl 31 Nutty banana maca bread 31 Buckwheat pancakes 32 Vanilla berry French toast 32 Crêpes

Halloween Feast 34 Sweet potato and leek bake 36 Spiced pumpkin pie 36 Whole roasted stuffed marrow

4 ways with Avocado 38 Coco avocado egg 39 Legendary Xavier super smoothie 39 No-mayo potato salad 39 Avo houmous

Asian feast 41 Stuffed Chinese aubergines 42 Char siu tofu 42 Korean bulgogi mushrooms

Lunch 44 Mushroom soup 44 Mediterranean omelette 45 Sweet potato soup 45 Healthy houmous 46 Pulled mushroom bánh mì

Hidden veg 58 Mac ’n’ cheesy goodness 60 Seared sweet potato flautas 60 Blender dark chocolate donuts

Freezer fillers 64 Cauliflower korma 66 Tomato and lentil soup 66 Vegetable lasagne

Storecupboard staples 73 Pulled BBQ jackfruit bao buns 73 Chakalaka 74 Kale and ‘chicken’ pasta 75 Yellow split pea dhal 75 Sweet potato wraps

Under 30 minutes 76 Mushroom shawarma 77 Mushroom tacos 77 Thai pea and mushroom larb 78 Sweet potato black

bean quesadillas 78 Feed your gut salad 79 Spring rolls with peanut sauce 80 Oumph! Kebab Döner Style

One pot three ways 83 Cajun beer-battered oyster

mushrooms with tartare sauce 83 Garlicky crushed new potatoes 84 American ‘chicken’ pickle sandwich 84 Cajun tacos with pickled red onion

Linda McCartney's 86 Aubergine and tomato bake 87 Deep dish pie 87 Gingerbread cake

Nothing veg can't do 89 Glazed swede ham with mustard 90 Leek and cider terrine 90 Merguez parsnip sausages

Weekend 92 Toasted pecan quinoa fritters 93 Moroccan chickpea burgers 94 Cashew cookie bars 95 Toad in the hole 95 Like Chicken bites with oven

roasted root veggies 96 Jerk style Fry’s nuggets, rice,

beans and fresh mango salad 96 Spicy nutty carrot cake

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What’s

cooking Keep up to date with all the latest happenings in the vegan community

Eating Out with Emma and Laura from thisvegancity.com bring us news of plant-based eating options across the UK

GAUTHIER SOHO Location: 21 Romilly Street Website: gauthiersoho.co.uk Cuisine: French gastronomy Service: Fine dining

The Body Shop gets set for Christmas The Body Shop launches its biggest ever Christmas gift collection this year, online and in-store from 14th September, and you’re in for a real treat! Featuring packaging that’s kinder to the planet with clever, reusable constructions, this year’s line-up also supports The Body Shop’s Community Fair Trade partners behind their most-loved gift boxes and jute bags.

The Christmas body care limited special editions are back this year too in three beautiful flavours – Kindness & Pears, Love & Plums, and Joy & Jasmine.

Treat your friends to gorgeous gifts that cater for all budgets, from the Feels & Festivity Hand Cream Trio, which includes 30ml hand creams in all three of this year’s limited special edition flavours, to the Shake & Swish Ginger 8 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Haircare Gift Set featuring ginger shampoo, conditioner, scalp serum and a scalp relaxer, plus the bumper Love & Plums Ultimate Gift Set containing everything from body scrub to shimmer mist, body butter and shower gel.

There’s so much to choose from, if you’re anything like us you’ll want it all! www.thebodyshop.com

A Soho Georgian townhouse. A vegan Michelin star awarded chef. A French gastronomy inspired tasting menu. It’s almost more than your average vegan could ever dream of. We caught up with the wonderfully effusive Alexis Gauthier, whose fine dining restaurant Gauthier Soho, once a playground for omnis, has reopened as 100% plant-based. He jokes that it was a midlife crisis, and most people would get a Harley Davidson instead. We’re glad you didn’t, Alexis.

We sat down to the first of 10 courses, a tomato and basil crisp, swiftly followed by a rosemary brioche with a piperade and harissa dip. So far, so south of France.

As much as we would like to describe every course, there is literally too much to fit in this column. So skip to the truly unforgettable moments we must.

The Berligot à la Truffe was exactly that – unforgettable.

Little pasta pyramids filled with a rich plant cream and surrounded by a truffle and miso jus.

You’re advised to pop the whole piece of pasta in your mouth and, once you do, you’ll understand why. We could have eaten 10 courses of that alone. Next up was the beautiful and unexpected midway course of Nuage aux Fraises, which means cloud of strawberries. Strawberries mid menu might not be the obvious choice, but it really works and it’s clear Alexis is creating something new here, so the usual rules don’t apply. The tasting experience starts before you even touch the cutlery as the candy floss cloud is blow torched away to reveal strawberries and verbena jelly. Later still, there’s even a mini homemade cheese board. It just wouldn’t be French without it.

France may not be well known for its vegan cuisine, but Alexis is forging ahead on a path less travelled and we think he is making history as he proves there is literally nothing stopping plant-based food.

Do you have a favourite vegan restaurant in the UK? Let us know by email to: hello@thisvegancity.com Website: thisvegancity.com Instagram: @thisvegancity

SUPERMARKET GIANT INCREASES THE NUMBER OF STORES STOCKING THE VEGAN CHEESE BRAND BY 70% As of 5th July this year, Applewood® Vegan Grated is now stocked in 820 Tesco stores across the UK – a 70% increase in the number of its supermarkets stocking the cheese since its launch at the start of the year.

Supermarket giant Tesco introduced Applewood Vegan Grated to 480 stores when the grated version of the award-winning vegan cheese launched in January this year. The vegan grated cheese has proved so popular that Tesco has started selling the cheese in 820 stores throughout the country.

Lisa Harrison, Senior Brand Manager for Applewood Vegan, said: “We are over the moon

with Tesco’s decision to introduce Applewood Vegan Grated to 340 more stores across the UK. It’s great news for the brand. Applewood Vegan is now the number two vegan cheese brand in the UK only 18 months after launching, with total sales worth £4.2 million. And sales have grown by 301% on the last year. Tesco’s decision to roll out Applewood Vegan Grated to 820 stores is just the icing on the cake for the Applewood Vegan brand.”

Applewood Vegan Grated is available as a 200g resealable pouch for £2.75. Find out more at www.flexifriday.com/applewood-vegan.

Oumph! umph! Kebab Döner Style now at Iceland A brand new product from awardwinning Swedish plant-based Oumph! has just hit the freezers in Iceland.

Oumph! Kebab Döner Style is an awesome product that is easy to cook and create your own favourite kebab dish – 100% plant-based, of course. Oumph!

Kebab Döner Style is made from peas and is also free from gluten. Find it in an Iceland store near you now, priced at £3 for a 280g pack.

Behind Łhe scenes aŁ Welcome to Siobhan Dolan’s column. Each month she gives us the low-down on the latest news and campaigns from Viva!, one of the UK’s leading vegan charities.

The Big 3 Tour This summer the Viva! team hit the road to show the British public how easy it is to swap chicken, cheese and chocolate for cruelty-free alternatives, without compromising on taste! From zero-grazing to industrial US-style chicken sheds, factory farming is responsible for terrible cases of animal cruelty and inflicts suffering on about one billion land animals in the UK every year. We’re on the edge of an antibiotic resistance crisis, more zoonotic diseases and a climate catastrophe – and animal agriculture is the main driver for all of this.

As part of our End Factory Farming campaign, we travelled around the south east of England giving away delicious alternatives to chicken, cheese and chocolate to show how delicious it can be to ‘Enjoy The Big 3 – Animal Free!’ The public were blown away by how tasty our vegan options were! Our team exposed the reality of dairy and broiler farms to the public, explaining why we must end factory farming before it ends us, and go vegan.

Interest in eating more vegan food? Try our amazing V7 meal plan (vegan7.org.uk) or our free Vegan Recipe Club app (available from Google Play or App Store).

Join the vegan revolution Viva! is dedicated to ending the pain and suffering of farmed animals. Our supporters help us keep campaigning for the animals – exposing the cruel reality of life inside factory farms, holding massive industries to account and saving animals. All our campaigns, investigations and events need funding. Please help keep Viva! fighting for the animals. Monthly donations enable us to plan ahead and the more generous they are, the more we can achieve. We have the skills, courageous staff and knowledge, your donation will give us the ability to continue our work.

We have many more campaigns planned and the only limit on what we can achieve is resources. So that we can plan ahead and achieve our goals, we need your support. To donate or find out more, please visit viva.org.uk/veganrevolution.

Don’t forget to read Viva!’s articles in Vegan Food & Living each month too.

Siobhan Dolan, Viva!

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 9

N E W S

A SPOOKY TREAT FOR HALLOWEEN

Fry’s ditches 1.5 tonnes of plastic a year with packaging refresh

There’s something spooky happening at Moo Free HQ right now – they’re making special Halloween treats for dairy-dodging choccy monsters! Moo Free Spooky Chums are made from the delicious chocolate that you expect from Moo Free and are just fa-boo-lous. Using Moo Free’s Rainforest Alliance ‘milk’ choc recipe, these wonderful little bars are a fun snack and a surprise for everyone.

Inside each Spooky Chum packet, which is 100% recyclable, you will find a tasty vegan chocolate square in the shape of a spooky character. However, you won’t know which chilling character you have

Plant-based food brand, The Fry Family Food Co, is celebrating the launch of its brand new look and feel, which will see it removing plastic inserts across a number of its core products.

Moving one step closer to greener packaging, Fry’s has removed the plastic wrappers from seven of its main products, including its best-selling Chicken-Style Burgers, and other familyfavourites such as Traditional Burgers and Sausage Rolls. The move sets Fry’s on target to make 96 per cent of its products fully recyclable by the end of 2021. The products will now be packaged straight into the brand’s cardboard boxes, part of its mission to eliminate plastic and make its entire range recyclable. The cardboard boxes are fully recyclable. See the packaging at fryfamilyfood.com/uk.

hiding in your Spooky Chum until you open it. You may have a ghastly ghost, a petrifying pumpkin, a wicked witch or even a blood-curdling bat. The Spooky Chums cost just 40p per pack – find the full choccy range online at moofreechocolates.com and stay up to date on their dairy-dodging choccy news by following @moo_free_chocolates on Instagram.

A tasty yet sustainable advent calendar We know, we’re sorry, we’re going to start talking about Christmas already. But it’s never too early to start thinking about advent calendars! And we love the gorgeous advent calendars from Playin Choc.

Available as a full 24 Drawer Advent Calendar (£55), or a 12 Drawer Advent Calendar (£27.50), each day the lucky recipient will not only receive a 10g tasty chocolate treat that’s organic and made from just three ingredients (cacao, coconut and vanilla), but they’ll also get a 3D puzzle toy made from 100 per cent recycled board to build, three stencils to use for creative drawing, and a fun facts educational info-card. Not just delicious, but sustainable and educational too! Who could resist? Get your hands on one at www.playinchoc.com.

Let’s Get Cosy

Pressing pause

Oh yes, I don’t think I’m alone in feeling a little bit excited about the new season in-coming! I love summer, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about autumn and the beautiful burnt orange trees and majestic sunsets to match that make me feel happy.

There are lots of things to love about the changing of the seasons and there are lots of things we can do to ensure we look after ourselves so that the transition is easier; cold weather can impact our wellbeing, so its important to wrap up toasty and warm and really nurture our minds and bodies.

Here are my top tips to keep

your glow throughout autumn: • Treat yourself! Yep! That’s absolutely No. 1 on the list. Treat yourself to something new and meaningful, something to boost your wellbeing as the weeks roll on.

I would buy a new notebook (being a life-long stationery-lover).

• Eat wholesome root veggies in stews, soups or roasted. They are so versatile and will help your gut microbiome to stay healthy, which will in turn boost your immune system.

• Don’t feel the pressure. Just as nature takes its time to move and evolve, we too need time and space to adjust and find our new

rhythm. Don’t be hard on yourself and feel comfortable saying no to things if they don’t feel right.

• De-clutter. Traditionally a spring task, I find it more therapeutic to have a good clear-out in the autumn. Followed by sage smudging around my home, it’s the best way to clear-out old energies and welcome new ideas, a clear mind and free-flowing energy.

• Stay active. So important and one that can feel like an uphill task when it’s a bit chilly. A brisk daily walk can work wonders for our mood. I like to keep a track of my steps on my phone, it’s so useful.

All my love, Holly xxx

Holly Johnson joins us every month to share her vegan wellbeing tips. With a love of vibrant flavours and a passion for helping people to achieve optimum wellbeing, Holly’s Wholesome Kitchen (hollyswholesomekitchen.com) creates nutrilicious recipes that fortify, revive and restore to promote wellness in mind, body and soul.

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Behind the Scenes

Refarm’d Vegan Business Tribe talks to Geraldine Starke about her mission to help dairy farmers convert to making plant-based milk

W

hen Geraldine started Refarm’d, she didn’t just launch a business, she started a mission. By taking time to understand and engage with dairy farmers, she’s been able to build a business model that stops the exploitation of animals, gives cows a safe space to live out their lives and provides the farmers with a sustainable and compassionate source of income.

Out of all the businesses you could start, why start a vegan business?

My background is in hospitality, so I was working daily in a heavily meat and dairy environment until my ethically-motivated transition to veganism 10 years ago. It made sense to me to try and do something aligned with my values, by creating a vegan business to help move towards a vegan world.

Refarm’d is not just helping convert dairy farmers to oat-milk production; their farms also become animal sanctuaries so their animals can live out their natural lives.

How have the farmers reacted to this?

The positive feedback we get makes us realise there is a need for such a solution; so many farmers are looking for an exit strategy from this industry. On the flip side, a few farmers were interested but wanted to avoid the sanctuary aspect, but this is non-negotiable

Above Geraldine Starke with a happy cow no longer being exploited.

for Refarm’d. We want to help people and the farmers themselves connect with these animals; there is no better advocate for the vegan community than an ex-dairy farmer becoming vegan!

You now have a plan to roll out the concept to more farms; what do you need to make that happen?

Utilising the experience and knowledge gained in our beta phase, we’ve changed our business model and we’re going to test it with our partner farm in the UK before we roll it out to other farms. What we now need is funding from investors and grants; this will allow us to develop our new and improved plant-milk recipe and to work on our branding, as well as hire some talent to raise Refarm’d to the next level!

aligned with your ethical values is critical to building something great.

What advice would you give to someone setting up a mission-led business to help create a vegan world?

Talk with potential customers, competitors and all people involved in the type of business you want to create. If you’re not an experienced businessperson, then make sure you get early feedback from experts. This helps to avoid big mistakes, high costs and losing time. I like the ‘fail fast’ approach to learning: frequently check in, see our mistakes and start again.

You need to be open to failures, and sometimes several, to be able to get to a successful business model.

“There is no better advocate for the vegan community than an ex-dairy farmer becoming vegan”

Do you think creating a business around a strong mission has helped get more people on board and spread your message quicker?

100%! I never expected things to evolve so fast and to have such support, and that is entirely due to the mission behind Refarm’d.

We have discovered that having a mission

Lisa Fox says: “It’s easy for many of us to see the people within the animal industries as the enemies. However, by taking the time to engage with and understand the farmers, Geraldine has been able to build a business that suits the needs of both farmers and the animals; this gives them the opportunity to move away from dairy farming. Refarm’d is a prime example of researching, testing and not being afraid to make some mistakes along the way to completely understand a market and to build a solid business.”

Learn more about Refarm’d at their website: www.refarmd.com

LISA FOX

ook Farm radley N nd Above B at milk a duces o f. e e now pro db y milk an not dair

Above Ex-dair

y farms becom e sanc tuaries fo r the cows.

You can read more interviews with vegan businesses at www.veganbusinesstribe.com.

Join Vegan Business Tribe to get support from our vegan business experts and a wide vegan business community to help your business grow.

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 11

Chocolate heaven We’ve gone ca-ca-cacao crazy this issue with page after page of sweet, dark delights to satisfy the most demanding of chocoholic cravings Red velvet chocolate truffles

By CHOC Chick (chocchick.com) Makes 24 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 5 mins | Calories 159 (per truffle) FOR THE TRUFFLES 210g (1½ cups) almond flour 140g (½ cup) almond butter 60ml (¼ cup) maple syrup 60ml (¼ cup) beetroot purée 4 tbsp coconut flour 2 tbsp CHOC Chick cacao butter, melted 1 tbsp CHOC Chick cacao powder 2 tsp vanilla bean paste a pinch of salt FOR THE RAW CHOCOLATE 200g (1 cup) CHOC Chick cacao butter 12 tbsp CHOC Chick cacao powder 6-8 tbsp maple syrup

1 For the truffles, put all the ingredients into a bowl. Stir until well combined.

2 Take 20g (about 1 tbsp) of the red velvet dough, roll into a ball and place on a lined tray. Repeat this step until all the dough has been used.

3 Refrigerate the balls while you make the raw chocolate.

4 For the raw chocolate, place the cacao butter in a bowl over a pan of water, on a low heat and gently melt. Once melted, turn off the heat and mix in the cacao powder and maple syrup and blend well with a metal balloon whisk. Taste and add more maple syrup or cacao powder if required.

5 Once you have made the raw chocolate, coat half of the truffles in the raw chocolate and drizzle 1 tsp raw chocolate over each of the remaining.

6 Place the raw chocolate in the fridge to cool. When the raw chocolate has nearly set, drizzle 1 tsp raw chocolate over the coated truffles and sprinkle dried raspberry pieces and rose petals over each.

7 Once the chocolate has set, put the truffles into paper cases and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

FOR THE TOPPINGS

P E R

S E R V I N G

2 tbsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces 1 tbsp edible rose petals

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12.1g

4.6g

0.01g

5.7g

15.5g

4.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 13

Chocolate

R EC I PE S

Chocolate scones

By CHOC Chick (chocchick.com) | Makes 5 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 578 (per scone)

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

350g (3½ cup) self-raising flour, plus extra to dust 2 Combine all the dry ingredients for the scones in a large mixing bowl.

50g (½ cup) CHOC Chick FOR THE SCONES

cacao powder 4 tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder a pinch of sea salt 90g (¾ cup) dairy-free vegan spread 150ml (2⁄3 cup) dairy-free vegan milk FOR THE RAW CHOCOLATE SAUCE 25g (1⁄8 cup) CHOC Chick cacao butter 2 tbsp CHOC Chick cacao powder 1-2 tbsp maple syrup

3 Add in the vegetable spread and rub together until you have fine breadcrumbs, then slowly stir in the milk to form a soft dough.

4 Sprinkle a little flour on the surface and roll out the dough until it’s about 2cm (¾in) thick.

5 Use a cutter of choice to cut out the scones.

Transfer the scones onto the lined baking tray and brush with a little vegan milk.

6 Put in the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

7 Once baked, remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly and make the melted raw chocolate sauce while you wait.

8 For the raw chocolate sauce, place the cacao butter in a bowl over a pan of water, on a low heat and gently melt. Once melted, turn off the heat, mix in the cacao powder and maple syrup and blend well with a metal balloon whisk. Taste and add more maple syrup or cacao powder if required.

9 Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of each scone and leave to cool for about 30 minutes.

10 Serve with raspberry jam, fresh raspberries and coconut yoghurt or vegan cream.

TO SERVE 240ml (1 cup) coconut yoghurt or vegan cream fresh raspberries raspberry (or berry) jam

14 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

P E R

S E R V I N G

23.6g

9.9g

0.25g

22.4g

84.9g

13.4g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Churros with chocolate sauce

By Broke Bank Vegan (brokebankvegan.com) Serves 14 | Prep 5 mins plus resting Cook 20 mins | Calories 164 (per serving) FOR THE CHURROS 500ml (2 cups) water 1 tsp salt 60ml (¼ cup) neutral vegetable oil 250g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 1.25-1.5 litres (5-6 cups) oil, for frying FOR THE CINNAMON SUGAR 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar 1 tbsp cinnamon FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE 50g (1⁄3 cup) vegan dark chocolate bar 60ml (¼ cup) full-fat coconut milk ¼ tsp vanilla extract, optional ¼ tsp cinnamon, optional

1 To make the churros, bring the water, salt, and 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil to a low boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, remove the mixture from the heat and pour into a mixing bowl with the flour. Mix until well-combined, then cool for about 15 minutes.

2 In the meantime, make the cinnamon sugar coating by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate. Set aside.

3 Once it has cooled, transfer the dough to a churrera or piping bag with a large star-tip attachment. Let it cool for another 15-20 minutes in the fridge, then bring 1.25-1.5 litres (5-6 cups) vegetable oil (enough to fully submerge the churros) to 175-190°C/350-375°F in a deep pot. It's ideal to use a thermometer when working with oil. If you don't have one, test if the oil is ready by dropping a small piece of dough in. If it sizzles and floats to the top, then you should be good to go.

4 Squeeze two or three pieces of dough out at a time over the pot of oil, about 10-15cm (4-6in) long. Cut each piece with a pair of scissors or a knife. Note: don't cook more than three at a time as the oil temperature will drop too much.

5 Fry the churros until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, remove each one from the oil onto a paper towel-lined plate. Leave them for about 30-60 seconds before rolling in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

6 To make the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate, coconut milk, cinnamon and vanilla together in a double boiler over low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted, then transfer to a serving dish.

7 Alternatively, you can microwave the chocolate sauce ingredients in a heat-safe bowl for 10-15 second increments. Be careful to stop and stir frequently as it's easier to burn the chocolate in the microwave.

P E R

8 Serve the churros while warm with a side of chocolate sauce for a crispy, Mexican-style treat.

S E R V I N G

8g

5.7g

0.17g

5.3g

20.8g

2.5g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 15

Chocolate

R EC I PE S

16 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Chocolate mousse with whipped vanilla coconut cream

By Katie White from @OliveWoodVegan (olivewoodvegan.com) Makes 6 | Prep 20 mins plus chilling | Cook none Calories 520 (per serving) 2 x 300g packs (3 cups) of silken tofu 200g (11⁄3 cups) vegan dark chocolate 180ml (¾ cup) maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla essence ½ tsp salt 4 tbsp of liquor of choice or 1½ tsp of rose, orange or mint essence FOR THE CREAM 480ml (2 cups) coconut cream, chilled overnight 2 tbsp icing (confectioner's) sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence

1 Cut the silken tofu packets open and drain the liquid.

2 Place the tofu in an almond milk bag or clean tea towel tied together at the top to form a bag.

3 Hang the almond milk bag or tea towel over a sink and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. If you have time, leave it there for a few minutes to drain out some more liquid from the tofu. Otherwise, just squeeze it until minimal drips of liquid are coming out.

4 In a blender, place the tofu, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and flavouring of choice and blend until silky smooth.

5 Melt the chocolate over a double boiler until it has just melted. Add it to the tofu mixture and blend thoroughly for a minute or two until very thick.

6 Pour the chocolate mixture into six small glasses and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

7 Scoop the cream content off the top of the refrigerated coconut cream until you hit the water content part, and place it in a chilled bowl. Save the coconut water for a smoothie or curry.

8 With an electric beater, beat the coconut cream for about 8 minutes until soft peaks form and it’s resembling whipped dairy cream.

9 Now add the icing sugar and vanilla, and continue whipping for a further couple of minutes or until you are satisfied with the thickness.

10 Scoop spoonfuls of the cream on top of the thoroughly chilled chocolate mousse.

11 Top with whatever you desire, from fresh berries to coffee beans, orange zest, mint. You can serve immediately after adding cream, or you can refrigerate for an instant amazing dessert later on.

P E R

S E R V I N G

29.2g

19.8g

0.3g

40.8g

52.4g

11.1g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Chocolate

R EC I PE S

Chocolate and orange tart

By Katie White from @OliveWoodVegan (olivewoodvegan.com) Serves 8 | Prep 15 mins plus chilling | Cook 40 mins | Calories 398 (per serving) FOR THE PASTRY 190g (1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 125g (½ cup) cold vegan butter 30g (¼ cup) icing (confectioner's/ powdered) sugar 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tsp salt 60ml (¼ cup) iced water FOR THE FILLING 240ml (1 cup) coconut cream 150g (¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar ½ tsp agar powder 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 3 tbsp plant-based milk

1 Place all the pastry ingredients, except the 7 Combine the paste with all the other filling ingredients, except the chocolate, in a water, in a food processor and pulse until a saucepan, then add to the heat and whisk crumb forms. Slowly add the cold water frequently until it gets very thick. until a dough forms.

2 Empty the dough out onto a bench and roll 8 When you have a custard, take it off the heat and mix in the chocolate pieces until it into a big circle about 3mm (1⁄8in) thick. they are completely melted and combined.

3 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Line a 30cm (12in) loose-bottom tart tin with baking paper.

4 Place the dough in the tin and top it with baking beads. Blind bake for 40 minutes.

75g (½ cup) vegan dark chocolate

18 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

10 Serve the tart with whipped coconut cream, if desired.

5 Remove the baking beads and paper and leave to cool.

6 For the filling, combine the cornflour and milk to make a paste.

1 tsp orange essence ½ tsp vanilla essence

9 Fill the pastry case with the chocolate filling and refrigerate overnight.

P E R

S E R V I N G

20.6g

11.2g

0.38g

26.3g

49.7g

4.4g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Chocolate cookie balls

By Freyja Hanstein from Wholesome World (wholesomeworld.com) Makes 8 | Prep 20 mins plus soaking and chilling | Cook none Calories 133 (per ball) 100g (2⁄3 cup) dates 110g (1 cup) walnuts 2 tsp ground ginger 20g (1⁄8 cup) dark vegan chocolate 80%

1 Put the dates in a bowl, cover with warm water, and let them sit for 15 minutes.

2 Blend the walnuts and ginger together for 5 seconds.

3 Drain the hydrated dates, add to the blender and blitz for up to 20 seconds.

4 Transfer the mix into a mixing bowl.

5 Coarsely chop or crush the chocolate and mix it throughly into the other ingredients.

6 Shape into eight balls of about 25g each – roughly ping-pong ball size is best.

7 Place in the fridge to firm up.

P E R

Chocolate and banana nice cream

By Maryanne Hall for Viva!'s Vegan Recipe Club (www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk) Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins plus freezing | Cook none | Calories 116 (per serving) 4 ripe bananas, cut into chunks, frozen for 2 hours 3-4 tbsp plant milk 1 tbsp cocoa powder

S E R V I N G

P E R

1 Place all the items together in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk to make it smoother if you need.

2 Serve with chopped nuts, sauce or berries (optional). You could also flavour this by combining with mixed frozen berries or peanut butter, for example.

S E R V I N G

8.9g

1g

0.01g

9.4g

12.6g

3.8g

0.8g

0.3g

0.01g

15.1g

28.7g

2g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 19

Chocolate

R EC I PE S

Fruit and nut brownie

By Tom Oxford and Oliver Coysh from The Exploding Bakery (explodingbakery.com) Makes 15-20 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 50 mins Calories 448 (per 100g) FOR THE BROWNIES 360g (2 ⁄3 cups) vegan dark chocolate 1

140ml (2⁄3 cup) rapeseed (canola) oil

285g (scant 1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar 20g (1⁄8 cup) cornflour (cornstarch) and 35ml (7 tsp) cold water, mixed into a paste 185ml (¾ cup) boiling water 1 Earl Grey tea bag 125g (scant 1 cup) raisins 150g (1½ cups) ground almonds 100g (¾ cup) gluten-free oat flour 40g (scant ½ cup) cocoa powder 1 tsp fine sea salt 50g (1⁄3 cup) pistachios FOR THE CANDIED NUTS 100g (¾ cup) hazelnuts 100g (1 cup) flaked almonds 1 tbsp golden syrup

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.

Raspberry Oreo tiramisu

By Violife (violifefoods.com) Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook none | Calories 515 (per serving) 3-4 tbsp Violife Cocospread 200g (scant 1 cup) Violife Creamy Original 1 pack of Oreo biscuits 200g (1 ⁄3 cups) fresh raspberries 2

200g (scant 1 cup) coconut or almond yoghurt 1 tsp vanilla essence 2 tbsp rum 1 espresso shot 2 tbsp water 1 tsp coconut sugar 3 tbsp cocoa nibs, to decorate

1 Place the Cocospread on a small plate. On another small plate, crush five Oreos with your hands and mix with the cocoa nibs.

2 Prepare the tiramisu dessert glasses by dipping the rim into the Cocospread evenly and then coating with the Oreo and cocoa nib mixture. Set aside.

3 In a big bowl, mix the Violife Creamy with the yoghurt, vanilla and rum and whisk until smooth. Set aside in the fridge.

4 Make the espresso, allow to cool and stir in the water and the sugar. Mix until the sugar has dissolved.

5 Crumble 3 Oreos with your hand into each dessert glass, covering the bottom. Pour over 2 tbsp of the coffee mixture and top with 3 tbsp of the creamy mixture.

6 Top with fresh raspberries and repeat this layering process, finishing off with the fresh raspberries.

P E R

3 Add the tea bag to a large bowl, add the boiling water and leave to infuse with the raisins for a few minutes before removing the bags and adding the cornflour and cold water paste. You may need to microwave the cornflour mix to help thicken it.

4 Melt the chocolate in a bowl over some simmering water, adding the oil once it has melted and leave to warm and merge evenly.

5 Pour the melted mixture into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and combine on a medium speed.

6 Add the thickened cornflour, tea and raisin mixture to the mixing bowl and turn the mixing speed to a high setting until the whole mixture becomes glossy and fully emulsified.

7 Add the ground almonds, oat flour, cocoa powder, pistachios and salt and mix until combined.

8 Pour the brownie mix into a lined traybake tin and sprinkle the candied nuts on top.

9 Bake for 35-40 minutes.

P E R

S E R V I N G

33.7g

25.2g

0.77g

21.4g

46.9g

3g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

20 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

2 Place the hazelnuts and almonds on a tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with golden syrup and place in the oven while it’s warming up. Check every 10 minutes to see how they’re getting on and turn them over with a spatula until they’re toasty and glistening, then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

S E R V I N G

25.8g

7.4g

0.23g

37.5g

50.3g

6.4g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

PHOTO © SAM HARRIS

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 21

Chocolate

R EC I PE S

TO MAKE THE COOKIES 1 Add all the chocolate cookie ingredients to a food processor or medium mixing bowl. Mix until everything comes together. Add 1-3 tbsp chilled water or milk if the mixture is too dry.

2 If the dough is soft, set it aside in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 hour or freezer for 30 minutes until it has firmed up.

TO SHAPE THE COOKIES 3 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

4 Roll out the cookie dough on a lightly floured surface (or piece of baking paper) so it is about 8mm (1⁄3in) thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the dough (my cutter was about 6cm (2¼in) wide). Place the cookies on a lined baking tray with a little space in between each. You may need to use a butter knife to transfer them.

5 Collect the excess dough, roll it out and cut out more shapes from the dough. Repeat until you have no more dough.

6 Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the surface of the cookies is slightly dry. Allow to completely cool on the baking tray.

MAKING THE MINT CREAM 7 To make the mint filling, add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until a smooth, thick paste forms.

Mint chocolate cookies

By Anthea Cheng from Rainbow Nourishments (www.rainbownourishments.com) Makes 10 | Prep 40 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 247 (per cookie) FOR THE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

FOR THE MINT CREAM FILLING

155g (1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

120g (1 cup) icing (confectioner's/ powdered) sugar

120g (½ cup) vegan butter or margarine 30g (1⁄8 cup) cane sugar

1 tbsp vegan butter or margarine

30g ( ⁄3 cup) cocoa powder

1 tbsp plant-based milk

1

a few drops of peppermint extract or oil

¼ tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda

FOR A CHOCOLATE COATING (OPTIONAL) 30g (¼ cup) vegan chocolate 1 tbsp coconut oil or sunflower oil

P E R

22 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

S E R V I N G

13.7g

3.8g

0.31g

16.3g

30.4g

2.6g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

8 Pipe or spread the filling on the bottom sides of half the cookies.

Use the other half to sandwich the filling. Note that the filling will set over time. Place the cookies in the fridge to firm up.

COATING THE COOKIES 9 If you're coating the cookies in chocolate, melt the chocolate and oil in a double boiler.

10 When the cookies are completely chilled and the filling has set, dip each cookie sandwich in the melted chocolate. Place the cookies on a lined tray in the fridge to set.

11 When the chocolate coating has set, enjoy the cookies! Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or at room temperature in the cooler months.

Black Forest tart

By Anthea Cheng from Rainbow Nourishments (www.rainbownourishments.com) Serves 8 | Prep 20 mins plus chilling | Cook 10 mins | Calories 539 (per serving) FOR THE CHOCOLATE SHORTCRUST PASTRY 155g (1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 110g (½ cup) vegan butter or margarine 25g (¼ cup) cocoa powder 3 tbsp cane sugar, or coconut sugar a dash of cold water FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE 300g (1¾ cups) roughly chopped vegan chocolate, semi-sweetened and finely chopped 180g (¾ cup) tinned coconut cream, thick part only additional sweetener, to taste, if desired a pinch of any good quality salt EXTRAS 300g (2 cups) fresh cherries, half of them pitted, half whole 240g (1 cup) coconut cream, thick part only

TO MAKE THE BASE 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line the bottom of a 20cm (8in) loose-bottom tart tin.

S E R V I N G

32.7g

17.5g

0.42g

4.9g

62.1g

6.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

TO ASSEMBLE THE TART

2 Add all the pastry ingredients to a 6 Arrange a handful of pitted cherries on the base of the pastry. Pour over medium bowl or food processor. If all the melted chocolate ganache. the mixture is too crumbly, add Press some of the remaining pitted some extra water and mix until it cherries in the surface of the tart. becomes a pliable dough. If the Allow the tart to cool in the fridge mixture is too wet, add a little more until needed. flour and mix again.

7 Scoop out only the thick part of the 3 On a floured surface, roll out the coconut cream and place it in a pastry into a thin 25cm (10in) circle. bowl or stand mixer. Whisk on high Transfer the pastry to the tart tin for 5 minutes or until the cream is and press it against the base and light and fluffy. sides to form a crust. Trim off the excess. If there are any holes, patch 8 Top the tart with the whipped it up with the remaining pastry. coconut cream and remaining whole cherries.

4 Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is dry to the touch.

9 Serve immediately or store the tart Allow the pastry to cool in the tin. in the fridge until needed. The tart TO MAKE THE GANACHE

P E R

Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside until all of the chocolate has melted.

5 Add the chocolate and coconut cream to a small or medium saucepan placed over medium heat. Stir and mix until the majority of the chocolate has melted.

can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 23

Chocolate

R EC I PE S

Zebra bundt cake

By Anthea Cheng from Rainbow Nourishments (www.rainbownourishments.com) Serves 12 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 50 mins | Calories 501 (per serving) FOR THE BUNDT CAKE

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

440g (3½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

25g (¼ cup) cocoa or raw cacao powder, plus 2 tbsp plant-based milk

400g (2 cups) cane sugar 3 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda

melted vegan butter, as needed

a pinch of any good-quality salt

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

500g (2 cups) dairy-free milk, such as almond, soy or coconut, at room temperature

130g (¾ cup) roughly chopped vegan chocolate or chocolate chips

190g (¾ cup) light-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed (canola), or melted vegan butter

120g (½ cup) tinned coconut cream

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Brush a bundt tin with melted vegan butter or oil, then lightly dust it with cocoa powder.

TO MAKE THE CAKE 2 Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt to a large bowl. Mix until combined. Add the milk, oil and apple cider vinegar and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix the batter as you will need to mix it again.

3 Pour half of the mixture (about 750g) into another bowl. Add the cocoa powder and milk to one bowl and the vanilla extract to the other bowl. Fold the batters in each bowl until combined. Both cake batters should have the same consistency/thickness – the zebra pattern will not work if they are not the same consistency. Add more flour or milk to ensure this.

4 Use two 120ml (½ cup) measures for this step (or two ladles of the same size). Pour 120ml (½ cup) chocolate batter in one spot in the bundt tin. Pour 120ml (½ cup) vanilla batter directly on top. Both cake batters will naturally spread.

Keep alternating until there is no more cake batter.

5 Bake the cake in the oven for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer can be inserted into the cake and it comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the bundt tin for 10 minutes, then turn it upside down and leave it on the wire rack for another 10 minutes.

Gently tap the tin to encourage it to come out.

TO MAKE THE GANACHE 6 Add the ganache ingredients to a small saucepan over low heat.

Mix while allowing the chocolate to melt, then turn off the heat.

Mix until smooth and fully emulsified. Set aside to slightly cool.

P E R

7 Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the bundt cake and serve immediately. The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

S E R V I N G

22g

5.2g

0.1g

35.4g

73.4g

6.5g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Chocolate cake with salted caramel

By Stockfood, The Food Media Agency (www.stockfood.co.uk) Serves 8-10 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 537 (per serving) FOR THE CAKE 125ml (½ cup) almond milk, unsweetened ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar 140g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour 225g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 40g (1⁄3 cup) cocoa powder 2 tsp baking powder ¾ tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda ½ tsp salt 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil 175g (2⁄3 cup) apple sauce 1 tsp vanilla extract FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL 110g (½ cup) caster (superfine) sugar 400ml (12⁄3 cups) coconut milk, full-fat 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) ½ tsp flaked sea salt 1 tsp vanilla extract FOR THE GANACHE 225g (1 ⁄3 cups) vegan dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids, shaved, divided 1

1 For the cake, preheat the oven to 180°C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 23cm (9in) cake tin with parchment paper.

2 Pour the almond milk into a small bowl, stir in the vinegar and set aside.

3 In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Whisk the ingredients together to combine.

4 Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the oil, apple sauce, vanilla extract and almond milk-vinegar mixture to it. Mix well until the batter is smooth (it will be quite thin). Pour the batter into the cake tin.

5 Place in the oven and bake until the cake is risen and dry to the touch, around 25-30 minutes. When ready, a toothpick should come out clean from the middle.

6 Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

175ml (¾ cup) coconut milk, full-fat

P E R

7 For the salted caramel, combine the sugar, coconut milk and cornflour in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, whisking, then reduce to a simmer and cook until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes.

8 Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.

9 For the ganache, place about threequarters of the chocolate (reserve the rest for decorating) in a heatproof bowl. Bring the coconut milk to a simmer in a small saucepan set over medium heat.

10 Once simmering, pour the coconut milk over the chocolate. Let it stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

11 To serve, place the cake on a cake stand or plate. Top with the ganache, spreading it almost to the edges, drizzle with salted caramel and garnish with shavings of the reserved chocolate.

S E R V I N G

29.9g

20.2g

0.4g

54.4g

73.9g

5.2g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 25

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A DV E R T I S I N G

Vegan chocolate and fudge you need to know about!

I

f you’re a longtime vegan, you’ll know just how far chocolate and fudge alternatives have come since their first forays into the world of dairy-free. Today, we’re not only spoilt for choice with the volume available, but the quality makes them serious competitors for their dairy counterparts.

If you’re a new vegan – you’ve come at the perfect time! With veganism growing year on year, there has been a constant stream of amazing plant-based replacements joining the market (as well as our long list of Vegan Trademark certified treats). And as a natural result, products are becoming more affordable.

Whether you need a rich chocolate sauce for your bakes, fancy truffles for

CHOC CHICK QUINOA POPS Deliciously crispy pops of wholegrain quinoa covered in 60% raw chocolate. These Quinoa Pops are 80% organic, ethically sourced in Ecuador and are a great source of fibre, magnesium and iron. They have no added salt or additives, making them the perfect dairy-free treat for school lunch boxes, office snacks, travelling treats or toppings for cakes and puddings. £1.50 for a 30g bag, £3.50 for a 120g sharing bag, chocchick.com

someone special, vegan fudge to bring back from your staycation, or just to indulge yourself with a bar of chocolate, you won’t have to search far to find them.

We’re here to show you that vegan substitutes for milk-laden chocolate and fudge are not only kinder, often healthier, and more planet-friendly choices, but are delicious and accessible too! All of the vegan treats here are registered with the Vegan Trademark, so you know they are free of animal ingredients and have not been tested on animals. If you have a serious allergy to dairy (or any other allergen), remember to check packaging thoroughly for products that may have been produced in the vicinity of allergens.

Nishat Rahman Brand Marketing Officer, The Vegan Society

SWEET FREEDOM CHOC POT CHOCOLATE SPREAD

BOOJA-BOOJA NEW CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Did you know that Choc Pot has 74% less fat and half the calories of other leading chocolate spreads, plus it’s palm oil free and high in fibre? Oh yes! What’s even better is that it’s now in glass jars and they’ve tweaked the recipe to make it even more delicious. Use it on toast and pancakes, swirl into porridge and it’s a speedy filling and icing for cakes. With 10% of profits going to PETA, it’s a perfectly tasty and kinder choice. £3, from Sainsbury’s (spreads shelf), Tesco, Asda, Morrisons (free from shelf), Ocado and sweetfreedom.co.uk

Booja-Booja has launched four sensational new chocolate truffles.

Look out for Chocolate Orange with tangy mandarin pieces, smooth, creamy Deeply Chocolate, delectable Chocolate Salted Caramel, and the new and improved Honeycomb Caramel.

Each new flavour comes in its own 8-truffle box (£4.99), and the four are featured together in a new 16-truffle selection box – The Signature Collection (£9.99).

From £4.99 rrp, from independent wholefood shops, Amazon, and boojabooja.com

CHOCOLATE AND LOVE POMEGRANATE GIFT BOX

FUDGE KITCHEN RICH CHOCOLATE VEGAN FUDGE

ROLY’S FUDGE VEGAN SELECTION BAGS

It’s no secret that chocolate, love and sharing go hand-in-hand. This vegan Pomegranate Gift Box fits the bill perfectly with four bars of beautiful vegan chocolate: Panama 80%, Rich Dark 71%, Pomegranate 70% and Orange 65%. Sharing special moments is what life is all about, and what better way to do this than with a piece of chocolate in our hand. £16.99, chocolateand love.com

With nearly 40 years of fudge mastery under its belt, Fudge Kitchen has taken its iconic sugarcrafting technique and mixed it with a little homemade vegan butter and rich Belgian dark chocolate to produce a wholly indulgent confectionery experience.

This Rich Vegan Chocolate Fudge is topped with shimmering edible gold dust and served in an elegant sliding box. £6.50, fudgekitchen.co.uk

Choose your favourite melt-in-the-mouth vegan flavour from the following selection: Lactose-Free Salted Maple & Pecan, Maple & Cashew, or Chocolate Orange. Each one is handmade using traditional methods and contains organic ingredients, such as cashew butter, coconut oil and soya milk. £5.00 in shop, or a tasting collection of 5 bags is available online for £31.95, rolysfudge.co.uk

28 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

PR O M OT I O N

“Vegan chocolate and fudge alternatives are not only kinder, often healthier, and more planet-friendly choices, but they’re delicious and accessible, too!”

Registered Charity No. 279228 (England & Wales) and SC049495 (Scotland). Registered Co. No. 01468880 (England & Wales).

Wakey wakey!

Breakfast RECIPE S

Start the day raring to go with these tasty, energy-packed meals!

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 29

Breakfast

R EC I PE S

Smoothie bowl

By Kit Cheung, @kitkit_veganbaker Serves 1 | Prep 5 mins | Cook none | Calories 151 (per serving) 150g (1 cup) frozen berries – I’ve used blackcurrants, raspberries and blueberries a dash of plant-based milk – I’ve used almond 1 tbsp agave syrup toppings for some texture, such as vegan dark chocolate, oats, fruit

P E R

30 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

1 Place everything in a blender and whizz to a smooth consistency.

2 Top with fruits, chocolate, nuts or whatever else you fancy.

S E R V I N G

0.7g

0g

0.02g

10.7g

35.1g

1.1g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Nutty banana maca bread

By Jenya di Pierro, herbal medicine practitioner and founder of Cloud Twelve wellness and lifestyle club (cloudtwelve.co.uk) Serves 12 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 50 mins Calories 257 (per serving) 300g (2¾ cups) almond flour

1 Preheat the oven to 150°C/ Gas Mark 2 and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

100g (1 cup) walnuts

2 Blend the almond flour, walnuts, bananas, maca powder, chia seeds, bicarbonate of soda, coconut oil, maple syrup and cinnamon in a food processor.

2 ripe bananas 3 tbsp chia seeds, soaked in 9 tbsp water for 10 minutes 2 tbsp maca powder 2 tbsp maple syrup

3 Spoon the batter into the loaf tin and sprinkle the flaked almonds on top.

2 tbsp coconut oil 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda

4 Bake for 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the loaf.

Leave to cool in the tin before turning out.

flaked almonds, to top

P E R

Buckwheat pancakes

By Jenya di Pierro, herbal medicine practitioner and founder of Cloud Twelve wellness and lifestyle club (cloudtwelve.co.uk) Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 328 (per serving) FOR THE PANCAKES 120g (1 cup) buckwheat flour 55g (½ cup) almond flour 360ml (1½ cups) water ½ tsp baking powder 3 tbsp coconut sugar 1 tbsp coconut oil FOR THE BERRY COMPOTE 300g (2 cups) frozen or fresh berries 3 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp water

1 Mix together the buckwheat flour, almond flour, baking powder, coconut sugar and water.

2 Put a little coconut oil into a frying pan, roll it around to cover the surface and heat until the pan is nice and hot.

3 Pour the batter into the pan to make three or four circles and cook on medium heat. When bubbles appear on the surface and the base is golden, turn the pancakes over and cook the other side. Repeat until all the batter is used.

4 To make the compote, boil the frozen or fresh berries with water and syrup.

5 Serve the pancakes warm with compote and coconut yoghurt (optional).

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

20.4g

3.3g

0.11g

5.4g

14.1g

8.2g

11.4g

3.6g

0.01g

25.6g

53.6g

7.3g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 31

Breakfast

R EC I PE S

Crêpes

By OGGS (loveoggs.com) Makes 6 | Prep 10 mins plus resting | Cook 3-4 mins Calories 226 (per serving) 200g (12⁄3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour 200ml (scant 1 cup) plant-based milk 150ml (2⁄3 200ml (scant 1 cup) OGGS Aquafaba

Vanilla berry French toast

4 tbsp vegetable oil vegan margarine, for frying

By Nourishing Amy (nourishingamy.com) in partnership with Jason’s Sourdough (jasonssourdough.co.uk) Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 576 (per serving) FOR THE TOAST 180ml (¾ cup) plant-based milk 1 tbsp maple syrup 20g (¼ cup) chickpea flour (alternatively, substitute with 50g (1⁄3 cup) plain flour) ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp vanilla extract a pinch of salt vegan butter/coconut oil, for frying 4-6 slices of Jason’s Sourdough White Ciabattin FOR THE TOPPINGS

200g (1 ⁄3 cups) mixed frozen berries 1

½ tsp vanilla extract TO SERVE 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt extra syrup pomegranate chopped vegan chocolate

P E R

1 Add the milk, syrup, chickpea flour, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of salt to a large bowl and whisk well.

1 Start by pouring the OGGS Aquafaba into a clean bowl and give it a whisk until it is pale and frothy. You don’t need to use an electric whisk for this.

2 Combine the remaining wet ingredients and continue whisking.

3 Sift the flour in slowly and then whisk until the batter has thickened up and is silky smooth.

4 Leave the batter to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

5 Over a medium-high heat, melt a knob of margarine (½ tsp) before pouring a ladle of batter into the frying pan. Using the handle, make sure the pancake reaches the edge of the pan. After about a minute, the sides will have cooked. When you feel confident, give it a flip and let the other side cook.

2 Heat a large frying pan with some vegan butter/coconut oil. Dip each slice of Jason’s Sourdough into the batter on each side and transfer to the pan, cooking one or two at a time, depending on the size of the pan. Cook for a few minutes on one side until golden, flip and cook on the other side until crisp. Repeat to cook all the French toast.

3 Meanwhile, warm the berries in the microwave or in a saucepan with a splash of water and ½ tsp vanilla until softened.

6 Fill the cooked crêpes with chopped banana and chocolate spread, or add your favourite toppings.

4 Serve the French toast stacked, topped with some coconut yoghurt, the warmed berries, pomegranate, syrup and chopped chocolate.

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

7.6g

3.4g

0.97g

21.6g

104.4g

21.3g

10g

1.9g

0.03g

1.9g

28.5g

5g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

32 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Satisfy your Halloween guests with a feast made from the tastiest seasonal veg

HAPPY

CREAMY SWEET POTATO AND LEEK BAKE I adore potatoes! You may also have noticed that I love leeks, too. The combination of two varieties of potatoes, leeks and cream, all slow cooked in an oven dish, is my dream come true.

By Bettina Campolucci Bordi Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 1 hr | Calories 696 (per serving) 600g (4 cups) sweet potatoes, peeled and washed 600g (4 cups) floury baking potatoes, peeled and washed 1 leek, green part and all 750ml (3 cups) plant-based cream – I like oat cream 1 tbsp Dijon mustard a sprig of thyme, leaves only 1 tbsp vegan butter 1-2 garlic cloves salt and pepper, to taste

6 Using half of the potatoes, fill the base of the dish with layers of both types of potatoes, then add a 2 Slice the potatoes using a middle layer of all the leeks and use mandoline (if you have one); the remaining potatoes to form the otherwise slice them very thinly. top layer. Make sure you push the 3 Chop off the end of the leek, slice in top layer down well, as the leeks half lengthways and wash well may be a bit springy. between the layers. Chop the leek 7 Pour the cream mixture evenly over into 1cm (½in) chunks, including the the top, making sure everything green part. is covered well.

4 Add the cream, mustard, thyme 8 Pop into the oven for 1 hour until leaves, and salt and pepper to a lovely and crispy. bowl and mix well. Set aside.

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

5 Grease the inside of a shallow TIP Use larger potatoes rather than rectangular oven dish with the small ones so that you have to spend butter. Grate the garlic cloves into the dish, spreading it around evenly less time peeling. and mixing into the butter. This will give a lovely garlicky hint to the whole dish.

The extract on pages 34-36 is taken from Celebrate: Plant-Based Recipes for Every Occasion by Bettina Campolucci Bordi, photography

by Louise Hagger, published by Hardie Grant. (RRP £20.)

34 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

P E R

S E R V I N G

28g

6.7g

0.91g

3.4g

102.8g

10.1g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 35

WHOLE ROASTED STUFFED MARROW

By Bettina Campolucci Bordi Serves 4-6 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 1 hr Calories 339 (per serving) 1 large marrow – if you can't find marrow use 2 large white courgettes (zucchini) ½ a red onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 75g (½ cup) almonds, blitzed 1 tbsp barbecue spice

SPICED PUMPKIN PIE

½ tsp chilli (hot pepper) flakes salt and pepper, to taste

By Bettina Campolucci Bordi Serves 6-8 | Prep 20 mins plus chilling | Cook 1 hr | Calories 616 (per serving)

dill fronds, to garnish

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Prepare the marrow by slicing it in half and scooping out the insides with a spoon, then set aside the two halves.

Chop the scooped insides into small pieces, about 2cm (¾in), and add to a bowl.

2 Add the onion, olive oil, blitzed almonds and spices and chilli flakes to the bowl of chopped marrow and mix well. Start adding the mixture to one half of the scooped-out marrow shell.

3 Once the marrow is filled, place the other half on top to close and shut the marrow. Seal the marrow securely with string (making sure you use a double knot).

4 Place the marrow into a large baking tray (pan) lined with baking parchment, then cook in the oven for 45-60 minutes.

5 Once the marrow is cooked, it will be nice and soft, and easily sliced into lovely pieces to be eaten as a side dish or as it is.

FOR THE PASTRY 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 250g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

cake or pie pan (with a removable base, so the pie will come out easily) with some butter.

a pinch of salt 2 For the pastry, add the dry ingredients to a bowl. a pinch of sugar 115g (½ cup) vegan butter, chopped into small pieces, plus extra for greasing

Use your hands to rub the chopped butter into the flour mix, then add the milk little by little and mix well to form a dough. Use the pastry straight away or rest it in a warm place for 15-20 minutes.

Alternatively, keep in the fridge overnight.

60ml (¼ cup) plant milk – I like oat milk 3 Roll the dough into a disc larger than the base of FOR THE FILLING 480g (2 cups) pumpkin purée (see tip) 120g (1 cup) ground almonds (almond meal) 100g (2⁄3 cup) brown or coconut sugar

the cake/pie pan, with enough to go up the sides.

Put the pastry in the pan and use your index fingers and thumbs to press into the base and sides so it lines the whole pan. Trim off any excess dough that comes over the edges with a knife.

You can use the excess dough to create a criss-cross pattern on top of the pie, if you like.

Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and pre-cook in the oven for 10 minutes.

100ml (scant ½ cup) plant milk 4 Meanwhile, add the ingredients for the filling to a 60g (¼ cup) vegan butter processor/blender and blitz until well combined.

60g (½ cup) plain 5 When the pie case is ready, remove from the oven (all-purpose) flour and add the pumpkin filling. Smooth the filling flat 2cm (¾in) piece of ginger with a palette knife and add a criss-cross pattern if root, peeled and grated using, then bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

1 tsp ground cinnamon 6 While the pie bakes, whip the cream with the 1 tsp ground cardamom ½ tsp ground cloves

maple syrup and vanilla. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

½ tsp baking powder 7 When ready, remove the pie from the oven and TO SERVE

cool completely. Serve with the whipped cream.

280ml (1¼ cups) whippable plant cream TIP An easy way to cook a whole pumpkin, skin and

all, is to roast it in the oven at 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 1 hour. Once cooked, cut off the top, remove the 1 vanilla pod (bean), split seeds and use the cooked pumpkin for this and and the seeds scraped out, or other recipes, such as risottos and salads. The 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract pumpkin will last a week in the fridge.

1 tbsp maple syrup

P E R

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

16g

1.4g

0.19g

9.5g

35.7g

10.4g

35.8g

7.8g

0.28g

21.9g

64.3g

10.6g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

AVOCADOS 4 ways with...

Best known as the main ingredient in guacamole, this iconic green fruit is a great source of vitamins and nutrients

COCO AVOCADO EGG

By Colette Dike (@fooddeco) from Avocados in Bloom – the latest cookbook from the World Avocado Organization (avocadofruitoflife.com/en) Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins plus chilling | Cook none Calories 454 (per serving) 2 avocados 50g (scant ¼ cup) coconut oil, melted 50ml (scant ¼ cup) agave syrup 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla essence

grated zest and juice of ½ a lime 1 tbsp cocoa powder, to dust 60g (scant ¼ cup) vegan dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa)

1 Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit and peel off the skin, ensuring to keep it whole. Take the four empty avocado shells, fill them with water and freeze overnight. Use the flesh of 1 avocado for this recipe; the other one you can use for different recipes.

2 To make the mousse, blend all the ingredients except the cocoa powder and chocolate in a food processor until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.

3 Take the frozen shells from the freezer. Put them ice-side down, skin-side up on a piece of parchment paper.

4 Melt the chocolate using the bain-marie method, then carefully pour it over the skins, using a spoon to make sure that it coats them smoothly. The chocolate will harden quickly.

5 Once the chocolate is firm, carefully separate the chocolate from the avocado shell and ice so you are left with a beautiful chocolate shell. Trim any excess chocolate with a sharp knife and try to make the egg look like an actual avocado.

P E R

S E R V I N G

37.9g

18.5g

0.01g

16.8g

29.4g

3.2g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

38 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

6 Spoon the mousse into the chocolate shells. Make sure the surface of the mousse is completely smooth, so the desserts look like avocado halves. Use a piece of baking paper that is slightly bigger than the avocado and cut a perfect circle in the centre that’s about the size of an avocado pit. Use this as a stencil to hold over the avocados and sieve cocoa powder onto the paper to draw a chocolate ‘pit’ on the surface of the mousse.

THE LEGENDARY XAVIER SUPER SMOOTHIE

By Colette Dike (@fooddeco) from Avocados in Bloom Serves 2 | Prep 10 mins | Cook none | Calories 378 (per serving) 1 tbsp oats 1 avocado, pit and skin removed

125g (¾ cup) frozen blueberries

1 tbsp chia seeds

a handful of frozen raspberries

1 tbsp hemp seeds

FOR THE TOPPINGS

2-3 pitted dates, finely chopped

hemp seeds, chia seeds, sliced avocado, rose petals, puffed grains

150ml (2⁄3 cup) unsweetened almond milk

1 Pulse the oats in a food processor or blender until fine.

2 Add all the other ingredients and blend them until smooth. If you like your smoothie to be thinner, add some extra almond milk. For presentation and colour that pops, blend in a handful of frozen raspberries.

3 Serve immediately in a glass with a reusable straw or as an attractive smoothie bowl. If you’re having it as a smoothie bowl, add some toppings of your choice.

P E R 26.1g

4.6g

0.07g

17.4g

35.3g

6.8g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

NO-MAYO POTATO SALAD

By Colette Dike (@fooddeco) from Avocados in Bloom – the latest cookbook from the World Avocado Organization (avocadofruitoflife.com/en) Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook none Calories 315 (per serving)

S E R V I N G

AVO HOUMOUS

By Colette Dike (@fooddeco) from Avocados in Bloom Serves 4-6 | Prep 5 mins | Cook none | Calories 260 (per serving) 2 avocados, pit and skin removed 2 tbsp tahini

500g (31⁄3 cups) new potatoes, cooked

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp sushi vinegar

400g tin (12⁄3 cups) of chickpeas (240g drained)

2 spring onions (scallions), chopped

2 tsp yellow mustard

juice from 1 lemon

TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

100ml (scant ½ cup) ice-cold water

greens

sea salt and pepper

chilli flakes

FOR THE TOPPINGS (OPTIONAL)

smoked paprika

chilli flakes, paprika, cumin, chilli powder, olive oil, chia seeds, hemp seeds, baby basil leaves, grated lemon zest, dried rose petals

1 tbsp freshly chopped celery 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley sea salt and pepper FOR THE AVONAISE

1 avocado rose made from ½ an avocado

1 avocado, pit and skin removed

TO SERVE

1 Combine all the ingredients for the avonaise in a small bowl and mix together with a hand blender until smooth. Season to taste. If you don’t have a blender, you can use a whisk, but it will take a little longer. Mash the avocado beforehand until smooth before whisking.

2 Stir the avonaise together with the potatoes, spring onions, celery and parsley. Season to taste.

3 If using, serve with greens, chilli flakes, smoked paprika and an avocado rose.

P E R

pita bread, fresh naan or crudités

1 Put the avocado, chickpeas, lemon juice and tahini in a blender or food processor and blend it together, slowly pouring the ice water into it in a steady trickle, until it’s completely smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor if necessary. Season to taste.

2 Serve the avocado houmous in a nice bowl. Use the back of a spoon to make some swirls in the houmous and decorate it with the toppings you decide to use. Serve with warm pita, naan or crudités.

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

24.1g

4.1g

0.14g

2.4g

25.3g

3.4g

19.5g

3.8g

0.2g

1.6g

19.9g

5g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

40 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

t s a e f

n a i s A An

es of in is u c e h t y b d e Be inspir d more n a a in h C , a e r o Thailand, K ible feast t is s e r ir n a e k a to m

Stuffed Chinese aubergines If you’re looking for a new way to cook up your aubergine (eggplant) apart from the usual baked or stir-fried methods, then you need to try stuffing them! I love the velvety texture of aubergines and really enjoy them with a hearty and flavourful tofu filling.

These aubergines are delicious with rice or noodles, and the filling is also delicious as is.

By Jeeca Uy | Makes 8 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 138 (per serving) FOR THE TOFU AND AUBERGINES 250g (1¼ cups) extra-firm tofu 900g (11 cups) Chinese aubergines (eggplants) – 8 aubergines FOR THE SAUCE 240ml (1 cup) vegetable stock (broth) 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1½ tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 1 tsp sriracha or other chilli sauce 1 tbsp dark brown sugar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry 2 tbsp soy sauce FOR THE FILLING 2 tbsp neutral oil 1 small white onion, finely diced 1 tsp minced fresh ginger ¼ tsp ground Szechuan pepper (optional) ½ a small carrot, peeled and finely diced 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, finely diced 85g (scant 1 cup) fresh shiitake or other mushrooms, finely diced 2 spring onions (scallions), sliced, plus more to garnish

about 2 minutes. Add the 1 Prepare the tofu and the crumbled tofu, carrot, bell pepper, aubergines: press the tofu for at mushrooms and spring onions. least 10 minutes to drain any Sauté until the bell pepper and excess liquid. Place the tofu in a mushrooms are cooked through bowl. Crumble the tofu with your and the tofu is slightly golden hands or a fork, then set aside. brown, about 4 minutes. Continue 2 While the tofu is being pressed, to cook, turning to lightly crisp it, puncture each aubergine four or for another 2 minutes. The tofu five times around its body, using a will start to resemble minced meat fork. Place the aubergines in a as the water evaporates. microwave-safe dish and cover 5 Give the sauce a good mix. Lower with a microwave-safe lid. the heat to medium and pour the Microwave for 2 minutes on high, sauce into the pan. Stir well until or until the aubergines are wrinkly the sauce thickens, 2 minutes. on the outside and tender to the Taste the tofu and adjust the touch. Flip the aubergines over seasoning as needed. Turn off the and microwave, covered, for heat and set the pan aside. another 2 minutes on high. Cool 6 Slice through the middle of for 5 minutes. Alternatively, boil each aubergine lengthwise and the aubergines in a pot of water carefully open them. Scoop a until tender, about 6 minutes. generous amount of the filling 3 For the sauce, in a medium-size into each aubergine. bowl, mix together all the sauce Garnish with chopped ingredients and adjust to your spring onion and sliced taste, then set side. chilli, if desired. Enjoy with 4 For the filling, heat a large frying rice or as is. pan (skillet) or wok over mediumhigh heat. Add the oil. Sauté the onion, ginger and Szechuan pepper (if using) until aromatic,

sliced chillies, to garnish (optional)

P E R

S E R V I N G

7.4g

0.9g

0.31g

7.1g

14.7g

5.4g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

The extract on pages 40-42 is taken from Vegan Asian: A Cookbook by Jeeca Uy, published by Page Street Publishing.

(RRP £16.99.)

Char siu tofu

Korean bulgogi mushrooms

By Jeeca Uy Serves 2 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 25 mins | Calories 541 (per serving)

By Jeeca Uy Serves 3-4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 243 (per serving)

FOR THE TOFU 450g (2¼ cups) extra-firm tofu 3 tbsp neutral oil FOR THE SAUCE 2 tbsp hoisin sauce 5-6 tbsp dark brown sugar, or to taste 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp minced garlic ½ tsp grated fresh ginger 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder 2 tsp sriracha (adjust according to taste) TO SERVE toasted sesame seeds (optional) chopped spring onions (scallions) (optional) blanched vegetables, steamed rice and/or buns

1 Press the tofu for at least 10 minutes to drain any excess liquid. Turn the block of tofu on its side and slice it through the middle to make 2.5cm (1in) thick slabs.

You'll have two or three slabs depending on the size and thickness of the tofu.

2 For the sauce, in a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Set aside.

3 Heat a large, non-stick frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the tofu slabs. Pan-fry until lightly browned on each side, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the tofu from the pan and let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing each slab into 2.5cm (1in) thick strips.

4 In the same pan, over medium heat, add the sauce and stir well until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to mediumhigh and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium. Stir the sauce to prevent the sugar from sticking to the pan and burning. Taste the sauce and feel free to add more sugar, if desired.

Afterwards, add the sliced tofu to the pan, then scoop the sauce to pour over the top of the tofu pieces. Continue to cook and baste the tofu until it has absorbed some of the sauce, 7-8 minutes. Increase the heat to high; once the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes, turn off the heat.

5 Garnish the tofu with sesame seeds and spring onions, if desired. Enjoy as is, with blanched vegetables, with rice or as filling for buns to make gua baos.

FOR THE MUSHROOMS 450g (4½ cups) king oyster or trumpet mushrooms FOR THE BULGOGI SAUCE 60ml (¼ cup) soy sauce 2 tbsp dark brown sugar 1½ tsp grated fresh ginger 1 tsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste) 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 85g (1⁄3 cup) finely grated Asian pear or pear purée 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds a pinch of freshly ground black pepper TO COOK AND SERVE 1 tbsp neutral oil 1 small onion, thinly sliced fresh lettuce steamed rice vegan kimchi chopped spring onions (scallions) and sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)

P E P R E RS E S R E VR I VN I GN G

P E R

1 For the mushrooms, slice the king oyster mushrooms in half horizontally. Cut them into 7.5-10cm (3-4in) long and 2.5cm (1in) thick strips. Alternatively, you can just shred or break them apart with your hands.

2 For the sauce, in a large bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients until the sugar is diluted. Feel free to adjust the seasonings depending on your preference.

Add the mushroom strips. Mix together to evenly coat the mushrooms in the sauce.

3 To cook the mushrooms, heat a large cast-iron frying pan (skillet) or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the onion.

Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and lightly browned. Add the mushrooms, including the sauce that has not been absorbed. Moving the mushrooms every 2-3 minutes, cook for 7-8 minutes, or until they have absorbed the sauce and are lightly browned.

4 Turn off the heat and serve hot with fresh lettuce, steamed rice and kimchi, if desired. Top with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds, if you’d like.

S E R V I N G

34.7g14.9g3.4g 2.2g0.99g0.09g27.5g 7g 36.9g16.6g23.4g 5.9g

14.9g

2g

1.28g

10.6g

21.5g

2.8g

Total Saturates fat SaturatesSalt Total fat

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Salt Sugar SugarCarbs CarbsProteinProtein

42 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

On-the-go!

Lunchtime RECIPE S

Liven up your midday meals with a touch of colour and a burst of flavour

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 43

Lunch

Mediterranean omelette

R EC I PE S

By Maryanne Hall for Viva!'s Vegan Recipe Club (www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk) Serves 1 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 5 mins Calories 799 (per serving) FOR THE OMELETTE 100g (1 cup) chickpea (gram) flour 180ml (¾ cup) water a pinch of black salt (kala namak) or regular salt a pinch of turmeric

⁄8 tsp baking powder

1

a handful of grated melting vegan cheese (our favourites are Applewood and Sheese Greek Style) FOR THE VEGETABLES 4 artichoke hearts in oil, drained a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved 5 black or Kalamata olives a sprinkling of chopped parsley a handful of toasted pine nuts 2 tbsp shop-bought vegan sun-dried tomato pesto, such as Sacla

Mushroom soup

By Freyja Hanstein from Wholesome World (wholesomeworld.com) Serves 2 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 605 (per serving) ½ tbsp coconut oil 2 celery sticks 4 garlic cloves 450g (4½ cups) brown mushrooms 1 red onion 4 thyme sprigs 400ml (12⁄3 cups) vegetable stock or 1 vegetable stock cube a crack of sea salt a pinch of black pepper 400ml tin (1 ⁄3 cups) of coconut milk 2

1 Thoroughly mix the chickpea flour, water, salt, turmeric and baking powder to make a batter.

1 Warm the coconut oil in a large pan, finely dice the celery and onion, add and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat until soft – do not allow to brown.

2 In a non-stick pan, heat a little oil, then add the batter.

Fry on one side until golden. Flip over and add the grated cheese (if using). Again, heat until golden on this side.

2 Slice the mushrooms and add to the soft onions. Finely chop the garlic and also add, along with the thyme sprigs. Cook for a further 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently.

3 Sprinkle the veg over the cooked omelette and add the pesto, parsley and pine nuts.

4 Serve with a nice side salad.

3 Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Pick out the thyme sprigs – the leaves should have all come off the woody stalks.

4 Add the coconut milk and stir until the mixture is evenly blended.

5 Using a slotted spoon, lift out two-thirds of the mushroom mixture into two warm soup bowls.

6 Blend the remaining mushroom mixture until smooth and blended.

7 Pour into the soup bowls and add black pepper and salt to taste.

P E R

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

52.4g

45.9g

0.2g

14.8g

30.5g

12.2g

39.7g

11.3g

1.17g

21.3g

80.2g

26.5g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

44 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Sweet potato anti-inflammatory soup

Healthy houmous

By Jenya di Pierro, herbal medicine practitioner and founder of Cloud Twelve wellness and lifestyle club (cloudtwelve.co.uk) Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 20 mins Calories 179 (per serving)

By Jenya di Pierro, herbal medicine practitioner and founder of Cloud Twelve wellness and lifestyle club (cloudtwelve.co.uk) Serves 1 | Prep 5 mins | Cook none Calories 656 (per serving)

1 sweet potato (500g) , peeled and chopped

1 Boil the sweet potato in 750ml (3 cups) filtered water.

1 tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained well

½ tsp salt

2 When the potato turns soft, add all the spices and coconut yoghurt, boil for 2 more minutes and then blend with a hand blender.

juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp cayenne or chilli powder 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp dry mustard

2 tbsp tahini (or coconut yoghurt) ¾ tsp sea salt 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp cumin

1 Blend all of the ingredients together in a food processor until they create a smooth houmous.

2 You can also add and blend peppers, peas, beetroot, courgette (zucchini) or any other vegetables you choose to create different coloured and flavoured types of houmous.

1 tsp freshly chopped ginger 200g (1 cup) coconut yoghurt

P E R

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

2.6g

1.3g

0.34g

15g

34.4g

5g

33.6g

4.6g

2.28g

6g

76.2g

19.6g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 45

Pulled mushroom bánh mì

By DJ BBQ (djbbq.com) for @madewithmushrooms Serves 1 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 25 mins | Calories 560 (per serving) FOR THE BÁNH MÌ 300g (3 cups) chestnut mushrooms 1 tsp oil 60ml (¼ cup) soy sauce 2 tsp caster (superfine) sugar 2 shallots, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced ¼ tsp five spice

⁄8 tsp ground chilli

1

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced fresh coriander (cilantro) 20g ( ⁄8 cup) roasted peanuts, crushed 1

1 baguette, cut in half FOR THE PICKLED CARROT 1 carrot, shredded

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

2 De-stalk the mushrooms and brush with oil.

3 Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. While the mushrooms cook, you can make your pickled carrots.

4 Heat the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a small saucepan until it simmers. Take it off and chuck in the shredded carrots. Let them pickle and cool, then take the mushrooms out of the oven and pull or slice.

5 Soften the shallots and garlic in a frying pan. Stir in the five spice and ground chilli. Once softened, add the soy sauce and caster sugar and stir. Now add the mushrooms and fold through, then start building.

6 Slice the baguette. Spoon on the mushroom concoction, then top with the pickled carrots, cucumber, coriander and a sprinkle of roasted nuts.

Put the hood (bonnet) of the baguette on top and rock the casbah!

1 tsp caster (superfine) sugar ¼ tsp sea salt 3 tbsp white vinegar 3 tbsp water

46 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

P E R

S E R V I N G

18g

2.9g

2.91g

25.8g

84.4g

23g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Nutrıtıon SOS

Make sure you’re meeting your nutritional needs with our section dedicated to getting all the good stuff into you...

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p52

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What are the benefits of a plant-based diet ? p56

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Therapeutic foods!

What exactly are..

Ultra processed foods?

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 47

VEGAN FOOD & LIVING OCTOBER 47

Healthy living is important throughout life to build strong bones and to prevent, as far as possible, the loss of bone strength that occurs with osteoporosis.

Heather Russell speaks to Sarah Leyland from the Royal Osteoporosis Society about what to include in a vegan diet and lifestyle to maintain good bone health 48 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

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he Vegan Society's Vegan and Thriving campaign exists to help people get the most out of their vegan lifestyles.

This year, we’re working with the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) to produce expert content about bone health. I’m delighted to introduce Sarah Leyland, Clinical Advisor at the ROS, to answer questions on this hot topic.

Why is bone health an important topic for everyone?

There are around 3.5 million people with osteoporosis in the UK today.

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to lose strength and break more easily, but if we look after our bone health we are less likely to develop osteoporosis and suffer from broken bones in later life. These fractures can lead to disability and loss of independence, as well as long term pain problems, height loss and curvature of the spine.

Healthy living is important throughout life to build strong bones and to prevent, as far as possible, the loss of bone strength that occurs with osteoporosis. Although our genes play a key role in deciding the potential size and strength of our skeleton, how we live our lives plays an important part too.

Why is the ROS helping The Vegan Society to raise awareness of bone-friendly lifestyle choices?

We encourage everyone to eat healthily and consider other lifestyle factors that help to build our bones and keep them strong throughout life. We respect the decision to become vegan and want to help people get enough nutrients, especially calcium and protein. If people are switching to a vegan lifestyle, they might need to find ways of replacing animal products like dairy with alternative sources of calcium and protein. We encourage them to make careful food choices, so that they get all the nutrients their bones need.

In 2019, a review of several research trials showed vegans might be more likely to have fragility fractures – bones that break easily because of osteoporosis. It isn’t certain whether diet is the cause and there might be other reasons, such as low body weight.

Ensuring you eat a well-balanced, healthy diet with enough calcium and protein, and working towards or maintaining a healthy body weight, are ways to help promote bone health.

The ROS has developed a Bone Health Accreditation Scheme to help people make good choices for their bones when it comes to diet and other lifestyle factors. Whenever consumers see the Bone Health Approved logo on a product or service, they can feel confident in the bone health claims.

In addition to eating well, what lifestyle factors are important in determining bone health?

Other important factors include keeping active, taking exercise and not smoking or consuming excessive alcohol. Getting sufficient vitamin D to help your body absorb calcium is also important for your muscles and bones.

There's a small amount of vitamin D in some foods, but it's difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone.

Sensible sunlight exposure provides adequate vitamin D for most people during the summer months, although supplements are also useful, especially from October through to the end of March. Year-round supplementation is a more important consideration for people who cover most of their skin when outside or do not go outside regularly, and people with dark skin.

For example, someone who has an African, African-Caribbean or South Asian background may not make enough vitamin D from sunlight.

What kind of activity and exercise particularly benefits our bones?

Anything is better than nothing, so at least avoid long periods of sitting if you can. However, to do the best for your bones and if you are able, include some weight-bearing (standing up) exercise with some extra force or impact behind it, such as jogging or jumping. Your bones also like ‘muscle strengthening’ exercise and it’s good to build up the intensity if you can – seek advice from a fitness trainer if you need help.

It's World Osteoporosis Day on 20 October. What are your top vegan-friendly tips for anyone living with osteoporosis?

• Sources of calcium include kale, watercress, almonds, tahini, dried figs, haricot beans, calcium-set tofu and fortified foods like soya drinks.

• You can get protein from cashews, tofu, peanut butter and legumes like lentils, kidney beans and chickpeas.

• Bear in mind that you need relatively bulky portions of some plant foods to

get useful amounts of bone nutrients.

Examples from Heather: Regarding protein, a good portion of tinned legumes is 150g (two-thirds of a tin).

A balanced daily diet contains at least two portions of calcium-rich foods.

80g of cooked kale (4 heaped tbsp) provides one of your 5-a-day and half a portion of calcium-rich food.

• For vitamin D – D2 (ergocalciferol) always comes from a plant source, but supplements commonly contain D3 (cholecalciferol) derived from sheep’s wool, so it’s important to discuss any prescriptions with your health professional. D3 might be slightly more effective at raising vitamin D levels than D2, but this isn’t going to be important for most people.

• Extra tip from Heather: The definition of veganism recognises that it is not always possible or practicable to avoid animal use in a non-vegan world, which is particularly relevant to discussions around prescriptions. The ‘Medications’ page at vegansociety.com provides more information on this.

Finally, what is your favourite Vegan and Thriving recipe at vegansociety.com/thriving?

I love the lentil and bean chilli because it’s packed with calcium and protein.

See the ‘Bone health’ guidance at www.vegansociety.com/nutrition, which includes video of us answering common questions. The ROS offers lifestyle tips for bone health at www. theros.org.uk, including exercise fact sheets and videos, and a free specialist nurse helpline: 0808 800 0035.

Above Sarah Leyland is Clinical Advisor at the Royal Osteoporosis Society, so she's well placed to advise on maintaining good bone health.

YOUR EXPERT Heather Russell is passionate about eating well and keeping fit.

She trained to be a dietitian to combine her love of science with a desire to help people, and she loves food!

Heather worked in the NHS from 2010-16, and is now using her dietetic skills to support the work of The Vegan Society. vegansociety.com

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 49

VEGAN FOOD & LIVING OCTOBER 49

Below Chocolate can trigger the nervous system to release endorphins and dopamine, so-called 'happy hormones'!

How to...

STRESSED Veronika Charvátová MSc from Viva! Health, reveals the best foods to eat to help your body cope with stress

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W

e all know it too well – stress makes us crave sweet and fatty foods, or we lose our appetite altogether. An ideal diet may not be your priority when you’re under pressure, but eating the right kind of foods may help you cope better with the stress.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BODY WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED? Stress can be caused by external events, our mind or a physical injury. It’s a natural reaction of the body that’s meant to help you get out of a dangerous situation. Stress is your self-defence response and, as such, it’s not bad – it’s only bad when it lasts or when you find yourself in a stressful situation too often.

When exposed to a stressor – someone shouts at you, you feel threatened, an important event is coming up or you lose your wallet – the body reacts with a fight-or-flight response meant to make you ready for action. Stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released, resulting in a faster heartbeat, higher blood pressure, faster breathing, mobilisation of energy reserves, increased blood flow to your muscles and paused digestion.

It’s a survival mechanism that’s incredibly useful if you’re running away from a pack of wolves, but not so much when you’re sitting at your desk, fretting over an important work task.

When the stressor persists, the stress hormone release continues and can lead to tiredness, sleep problems, digestion issues, a weakened immune system, irritability and negative thinking. The latter is part of the fight-or-flight reaction – it makes you perceive things more negatively to be aware of potential dangers.

HOW IS FOOD INVOLVED? When you’re stressed, your blood sugar and fat levels go up to prepare you for action, supplying muscles with all they may need. Your body is drawing these nutrients from its reserves and, as a result, you can feel hungrier. In particular, it can make you crave sweet and fatty foods, because those are packed with energy.

Stress-management techniques, such as breathwork (controlled breathing), mindfulness or reframing the situation, as well as avoiding stress, are all paramount, but what you eat also matters greatly. Food can help you relieve some stress or it can make you more stressed.

Processed foods, such as fatty savoury snacks, biscuits, chocolate bars, white bread, pot noodles, sweets and cakes, deep-fried foods, chips and other fat and sugar-filled foods may satisfy your cravings, but will leave your body hungry for nutrients. That, in turn, increases your stress levels.

COFFEE OR TEA? Coffee makes you release an extra dose of stress hormones and that’s what makes you more alert. When you’re stressed, you don’t really need that, but if you’re used to coffee, drinking it in moderation is not a bad thing.

That’s because it also contains a good dose of antioxidants and studies have shown that around three cups a day is a safe amount for healthy people.

However, tea is better – it contains a substance called L-theanine, an amino acid that reduces anxiety and boosts your mood. Green tea is the best source as it has less caffeine than black tea, but both are good sources.

WHAT TO EAT TO REDUCE STRESS

• Wholegrains – wholemeal bread, oats, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, buckwheat noodles or shredded wheat. All these provide energy the healthy way – as complex carbohydrates, rather than sugars. They also provide fibre to keep the digestive system healthy and feed good gut bacteria to help support your immune system.

• Tryptophan-rich foods – we need the amino acid tryptophan to make serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Having a plentiful supply can make us more stress-resilient.

Tryptophan-rich foods include nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and chia), soya beans (edamame), tofu and tempeh, peas, beans, lentils, oats, wheat germ, bananas, spinach and other leafy greens. To turn tryptophan into serotonin, your body also requires vitamins C, B6, folate, biotin, magnesium, zinc and omega-3 fats. And it just so happens that healthy plant-based diets supply all these!

• Good fats – when you eat saturated fats, such as coconut or palm oil, or hydrogenated fats in processed foods and shortening, you will stress your body even more and can increase your blood pressure. On the other hand, if you choose nuts and seeds, nut butters, virgin olive oil and omega-3 fats, your body will get all it needs and some antioxidants too!

For a daily omega-3 dose, have a heaped tbsp of ground flaxseed or chia seeds, a tsp of flaxseed oil, a couple of tbsp of hemp seeds or a small handful of walnuts.

• Fruit and veggies – bursting with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, fruit and veg help you combat stress by supplying the essential nutrients your body needs at an increased level.

If you’re not a big fruit and veg eater, throw a few pieces in a blender and make a smoothie.

• Dark chocolate – choose at least 70 per cent cocoa content! Cocoa stimulates the nervous system to release endorphins – so-called “happy hormones”, and can trigger dopamine release, inducing pleasurable states of mind. There’s also anandamide – a compound that produces blissful feelings! Dark chocolate is also a source of tryptophan, magnesium (for muscles) and iron.

“When you’re stressed, your blood sugar and fat levels go up to prepare you for action”

WHAT IF YOU LOSE YOUR APPETITE?

Some people lose their appetite when stressed, feel a ‘knot’ in their stomach and find it hard to eat. Try these steps: • Go for a walk – any walk will do, even around the block or to the shop and back.

Physical activity helps to burn those stress hormones and can make you a little hungry.

• Make a meal schedule – eating at regular times can help reset the body's hunger cues.

• Find meals you can tolerate even when you don’t feel like eating – you may not want a big meal, but can you manage morning cereal, toast with peanut butter and jam, or soup?

Many of us stress-eat, but if we shift the dynamic, we can eat to de-stress. Eating good, wholesome foods, being physically active and finding time for self-care are the key steps to reducing our stress levels.

Viva! Health is a part of the charity Viva!, Europe’s largest vegan campaign group. It monitors scientific research linking diet to health and provide accurate information on which you can make informed choices about the food you eat. viva.org.uk/health

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 51

What are the benefits of a

WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED DIET? Dr Leila Dehghan sets out the advantages of not just going vegan, but cutting out all heavily processed foods as well

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here has been a surge in interest in a plant-based diet and its health benefits. However, there remains confusion over what a healthy vegan diet is. There is significant evidence to support a whole food plant based diet (WFPBD) as the optimal one for our health. Here I define a WFPBD and explore its numerous health benefits.

A whole food plant based diet is one devoid of any animal products, including dairy products, fish and eggs.

Omitting animal products makes it vegan, however, there are foods that may be vegan, but are not considered whole

Above Colourful fruits and vegetables are a key part of a WFPBD, partly because their colouring shows there are powerful antioxidants in them.

foods. “Whole foods” are those that are natural, minimally processed and free from added sugar, salt and other artificial substances.

The key food groups of a WFPBD are whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Highly processed foods such as white flour, white rice, vegan margarines, most vegan cheeses, high-fructose corn syrup and prepackaged snacks and meals are not classed as whole foods, since they have been extensively altered from their natural state. These calorie-dense foods offer little in terms of nutrition and are generally avoided by those following a WFPBD. Minimally processed foods, however, have a place in a WFPBD.

Minimal processing methods (such as grinding, powdering, freezing, vacuum packing) aim to alter foods to increase their shelf life while preserving their nutritional quality and freshness.

Examples include tinned goods (no added sodium or sugar), frozen fruits and veg, and dried herbs and spices.

Oils are controversial among plantbased healthcare professionals. Plantbased pioneers like Dr Campbell, Dr McDougall and Dr Esselstyn consider oils processed and do not include them in their diet recommendations.

Conversely, there are others who believe that cold-pressed olive oils are minimally processed and can be consumed in small amounts.

bacteria. A healthy gut improves the absorption of the above-mentioned nutrients and supports their immune system-strengthening functions. So, make sure to eat a variety of coloured plant foods to harness their full power.

• A plant-based diet reduces

Above There's considerable evidence that a WFPBD lowers the risk of certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes.

BENEFITS OF A WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED DIET Whole food plant based eating is a powerful way to reduce your risk of lifestyle diseases and promote overall wellbeing and longevity.

• A plant-based diet helps maintain a healthy body weight.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for health, as being overweight or obese puts you at higher risk for many diseases and conditions. Plant foods are nutrient dense and lower in calories, which means you consume fewer calories for the same amount of food. The fibre in plant foods promotes satiation and helps keep you full for longer. Studies have consistently proven that a low-fat vegan diet is associated with greater weight loss. Furthermore, more calories are burned in the postprandial period, as a low-fat plant-based diet increases the body’s metabolism. As a result, it’s easier to lose weight and maintain the weight loss.

inflammation. Eating whole plant foods increases our intake of antioxidants, which play an important role in regulating inflammatory processes in the body and preventing chronic inflammation – the root cause of many health issues. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals, which are highly unstable molecules that cause significant cell damage. Factors contributing to the production of free radicals include smoking, excessive alcohol intake, exposure to chemicals in the environment and a diet high in processed foods. Exercise too can increase the production of free radicals and, in extreme cases, cause DNA damage. This is the key reason that a plant-based diet enhances athletic performance. Interestingly, research does not support the antiinflammatory potential of antioxidant supplements. This can be explained by the synergistic effect of nutrients, and confirms why we should aim to obtain our nutrients from foods. Examples of antioxidants include vitamins C and E, selenium and carotenoids.

You find these in abundance in berries, cherries, broccoli, peppers, kale, beans and spinach – just to name a few.

“The key food groups of a WFPBD are whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds”

• A plant-based diet supports a good immune system. Plant foods are packed with essential micronutrients: vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants.

Phytochemicals are nutrient-like chemical compounds produced by plants that determine the colour of fruits and vegetables. Various micronutrients work in conjunction to reduce your susceptibility to serious health issues and help you fight infections. What’s more, the fibre in plants encourages gut microbe diversity by feeding our existing

• A plant-based diet prevents and reverses diseases. There is considerable evidence showing that a whole food plant based diet is associated with lower disease rates, including lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. This may be because substituting animal products for plant foods is effective at lowering blood

Above Legumes, nuts and seeds form an essential part of a whole food plant based diet.

pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol – risk factors for those diseases.

• A plant-based diet improves overall wellbeing. Eating nutrientdense whole plant foods with minimal processing has a positive effect on overall wellbeing. An increase in fibre and a reduction in saturated fats and animal products promotes better digestion and increases nutrient absorption. Getting more nutrients from our foods improves energy levels, reduces fatigue and boosts general health. Additionally, plants offer vital nutrients to enhance mood and reduce depression. A benefit that is not often mentioned is that a plant-based diet improves blood flow. This helps deliver more oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs, and promotes waste product removal. Better blood circulation reduces muscle pain and improves athletic performance. It also boosts cell regeneration and promotes skin health.

Below Switching to a whole food plant based diet can improve your overall feeling of wellbeing – and we would all like some of that!

While this article focuses on the benefits of a whole food plant based diet on human health, it’s important to note that a plant-based diet is better for the environment and animals, which makes it a perfect diet for today’s ecoconscious humans.

LEILA DEHGHAN, MD, MSC (NUTR), AFN (NUTRITIONIST AND EDUCATION LEAD FOR PBHP) Leila is a doctor turned plant-based nutritionist and personal trainer. She received her medical degree from the University of Vienna and worked as a doctor in the UK before changing career path because of her severe migraines. After earning eCornell’s ant ase triti n erti ate an transiti nin t a h e ant base iet herself, she decided to obtain a master’s degree in Clinical and Public Health Nutrition from the University College of London. As a registered associate nutritionist with a deep understanding of the relationship between diet and health, Dr Dehghan helps others optimise their wellbeing, manage their weight, and prevent or recover from lifestyle diseases – plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 53

The importance of

THERAPEUTIC FOODS The College of Naturopathic Medicine's Natural Chef guides us through the foods that are most beneficial to our health and can help us to create a balanced diet

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herapeutic foods are healthpromoting foods that contain an abundance of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids) to keep the body healthy and disease at bay. Certain foods have powerful medicinal and protective properties that can have a profound effect on your health. Equally, there are other foods and dietary habits that can negatively impact health and increase your risk of disease. Sugar, refined carbohydrates (pasta, bread, pastries, cakes, biscuits, pies), artificial sweeteners, damaged oils (margarine, rapeseed oil), processed and packaged foods, fried foods and junk food have all been linked to chronic health conditions and should be avoided.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A NATUROPATHIC DIET Eating an organic, wholefood diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, quality protein, fibre and healthy fats is always the best approach for optimal health. This is the foundation of a naturopathic diet that aims to restore balance in the body and enable cells to thrive. Eat foods seasonally in their whole state, avoid overcooking or over-processing foods (instead eat foods as raw as possible to maintain nutrients) ,and rotate foods so that you’re not eating the same things every day. It’s also important to chew food properly. This is the foundation of a naturopathic diet and these principles 54 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

form the basis of the Vegan Natural Chef course at The College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM). The key to our course is teaching people that good nutrition restores balance in the body and enables cells to thrive.

CNM Natural Chef emphasises the importance of a naturopathic diet that encourages using whole, organic and seasonal plant foods prepared and eaten in a way to ensure maximum nutrient absorption and optimal health.

Above Broccoli is one of those humble vegetables that may not look i e h b t is a e ith bene ia n trients.

CNM NATURAL CHEF CNM’s Natural Chef training has been developed to meet the growing demands of a society increasingly interested in food that supports and promotes health. The course covers everything you need to know to become a successful CNM Natural Chef, from how the digestive system works, to building a culinary career!

Visit www.naturalchef.com or call 01342 360 985.

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therapeutic foods to boost health

This dynamic dozen are all foods that you should look to include in your diet for their therapeutic properties as well as their great taste

1

BLUEBERRIES Blueberries are loaded with powerful antioxidants that help protect cells from damage. They are particularly high in a type of antioxidant called polyphenols, which are beneficial for gut bacteria and cognitive function.

Blueberries also contain plenty of fibre, vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and K, folate and manganese. Eat them on their own or add them to smoothies.

2

BROCCOLI Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, full of key nutrients and with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Broccoli contains a compound called glucosinolates that, when broken down by the body, produces isothiocyanates, a molecule that neutralises carcinogenic toxins and helps lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Broccoli is a great support for liver and hormone health too.

3

LEAFY GREENS Leafy greens (kale, spinach,

rocket) are rich in essential B vitamins, vitamin E and vitamin K and an abundance of minerals that support brain health and cardiovascular function, improve memory and focus, and promote a healthy immune system.

4

PUMPKIN Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are packed with antioxidants and minerals, including magnesium, zinc, iron and copper that help protect the brain from free radical damage and facilitate effective nerve signalling.

Sunflower seeds are also rich in thiamine (B1), an important vitamin for memory and cognition.

5

BRAZIL NUTS Brazil nuts contain ellagic acid (a type of antioxidant) that has anti-inflammatory properties to protect cells (especially brain cells) from damage. They are also high in the mineral selenium, which is needed for brain signalling pathways, fertility health, immune system function and thyroid hormone production.

6

CHIA SEEDS Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain health, enabling brain cells to communicate better.

Omega-3 also reduces inflammation and aids cognitive development in children and improved memory in adults. Add

chia seeds to your breakfast oats, to smoothies or make a yummy chia pudding.

7

BRUSSELS SPROUTS Brussels sprouts are full of fibre and antioxidants, which are important for gut health, helping to prevent constipation and improve bowel motions and nutrient absorption. Brussels sprouts also contain sulphur compounds that help reduce inflammation and detoxify harmful toxins from the gut.

8

TURMERIC Turmeric contains curcumin, a powerful compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that has shown to cross the blood-brain barrier to help brain cells grow, reduce mental decline and improve memory and mood. Add turmeric to cooking or drink it as a turmeric latte or with lemon water in the morning.

9

GINGER Ginger helps to stimulate your digestive juices and the production of stomach acid, which is essential for breaking down food so the body can digest it. Good levels of stomach acid are key for digestive health. Ginger is also a strong anti-inflammatory and is known to help regulate blood sugar levels. Add freshly grated ginger to warm water with lemon and cook with it wherever possible.

10 Above Leafy greens are full of vitamins and minerals.

Right You can use garlic or ginger with most dishes.

GARLIC Garlic is an amazing vegetable to include in your diet. With its antifungal and antibacterial properties, garlic helps keep gut bacteria and yeasts balanced and in check.

It also contains inulin, a type of fibre that

Above Mushrooms are well known in Asia for their medicinal properties.

provides fuel for the good bacteria, allowing them to function efficiently. Garlic is high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which can support the immune system and heart health.

Throw some raw diced garlic into a salad or add it to your cooking.

11

MUSHROOMS Mushrooms have been used for centuries in Asia for medicinal purposes as they have numerous therapeutic properties that support immune function, boost energy and cognition, reduce inflammation and help the body in times of stress. Medicinal mushrooms such as reishi, shiitake and maitake contain a substance called beta-glucans that stimulates the immune system to work more efficiently and promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut. Lion’s mane has shown to boost brain function, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and repair damaged nerve cells. Medicinal mushrooms come as a fresh whole food, as a powder (which can be added to food or drinks), or in a capsule.

12

FERMENTED FOODS Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi are excellent for gut health. Sauerkraut is made from finely chopped cabbage and is fermented in a jar using salt. Kimchi is a Korean fermented dish of napa cabbage, radishes, garlic, ginger and chillies. Sauerkraut and kimchi are good sources of probiotics (beneficial microbes for the gut), nutrients and fibre – a healthy addition to support digestion.

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 55

What exactly are...

ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS? Melissa Saint Hill delves into the murky world of processed foods to work out what is and isn’t good for us to eat

P MELISSA SAINT HILL is the face behind The Bare Scientist (@the_ bare_scientist) and is a clinical scientist and AfN registered nutritionist, working closely within the community and educating healthcare professionals as a co-founder of The Diverse Nutrition Association to shed light on wonderful cultural foods and show how they can be enjoyed as a part of healthy diets.

rocessed foods can be a divisive topic depending on whom you are speaking with. People have different classifications of what processed food is, and what gets a pass.

By definition, we know of and can agree on certain popular processed foods such as burgers or chips, but these are not the only forms of processed foods.

Ultra-processed foods can be a little different to agree on, as there is no one set of accepted criteria, even though a variety of research studies over the past few years have defined and categorised them into different spectrums.

Put simply, a processed food is one that has been deliberately altered from its original form before it is ready for consumption. Many processed foods are not the categorically less nutritious forms that most people think of when they hear the word “processed”; for instance, our plant-based milks are classified as processed, as is sourdough bread, the everversatile tin of chickpeas, and even our trusted vegan cheeses!

A wide variety of foods are processed to some degree, which tends to be classified as primary or

56 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

secondary processing. Foods are taken from their base level to something more edible. This includes foods that are shelled, harvested, frozen, heated, pasteurised, fermented, cooked, tinned, smoked, baked, salted, dried, or cured; of which many of these processes are necessary, beneficial, and even convenient. Most of the foods we consume in modern life are somewhat technically processed, and this is not synonymous with being unhealthy.

Seeing past the interpretations of classifications, ultra-processed foods, on the other hand, are foods that tend to be classified as hyper-palatable; and they go through another stage of processing; tertiary food processing.

“Clever food industry marketers use terminology to disguise some ultraprocessed foods”

Whether they are formulated and engineered to be high in added sugars and fat (cakes, biscuits, energy drinks, etc) or sodium and fat (some mock meats for example can be surprisingly high in saturated fat as well as sodium), these calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and drinks tend to taste exceptionally good and can be very moreish.

Not only are ultra-processed foods capable of making most people want to go back for more and more, but they also tend to be the types of foods

“Cooking or preparing food at home helps reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods”

Above Even basic foodstuffs such as sourdough bread are processed, but it doesn't make them unhealthy for us.

Below Tinned chickpeas are amongst primary and secondary processed foods.

Left Vegans are used to checking labels and it's a habit we can put to good use checking for signs of ultra processing.

that are potentially harmful to health, whether that be contributing to the risk of certain diseases such as obesity, certain cancers, or even hypertension.

Additionally, frequent consumption of ultra-processed foods can and does have a negative impact on the gut microbiome, which can therefore impact us in a multitude of ways.

The main culprits, such as burgers, doughnuts and ice cream, may come to mind, but clever food industry marketers use terminology to disguise some ultraprocessed foods to make them more appealing (think “contains natural fruit juice”, “glutenfree”, “low-carb”). Just because a product has been marketed with a widely socially acceptable health halo, does not make it healthy – they can still be high in fat and/or sugar, for instance.

HOW TO BE AWARE OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD There will be similarities across the board, irrespective of an individual’s

dietary choice – think back to that tertiary level of food processing where there has been extra sugar/fat plus flavour added into a food to make it even more appealing. For instance, while there are many wonderful and everemerging meat alternatives available on the market for vegans, some are less processed, and some could and would be classified as ultra-processed.

Alternative meat sources, such as tofu or tempeh, are less processed than say a vegan burger, tofu nuggets, or a hotdog that has additional fat, salt, and flavourings, plus a considerably long list of preservatives added to replicate the non-vegan options as best as possible.

If you consume some of these forms of foods, that’s not to say that you have to completely eradicate them from your diet, having an awareness of your intake can be of great benefit. Ideally, you want to be aware of the quantity of ultra-processed foods that you consume (if any) and keep them minimal in your overall diet. Standard commercially available foods, such as crisps, cakes and biscuits, whether vegan or not, will still be classified as ultra-processed, so the recommendation would still be to limit these in your diet.

Having an awareness of nutrition labels can also help with understanding and deciding on what is classified as ultra-processed food. You can directly

Above Vegan sausages de nitely aren t in their original form, so it s wise to check what s in them.

assess the amount of added salt, sugar or fat in a given product to get an appreciation of its processing level.

Opting for minimally processed plant-based sources of food the majority of the time over ultra-processed foods is ideal. This means including a wide variety of whole foods within your diet, which can include fresh produce or whole nuts and seeds, and minimally processed foods, but this also means tinned or frozen produce and food.

Achieving a healthy diet should be accessible as well as convenient, so if it means tinned and frozen foods for some people, then this should not be ruled out, as there is the potential to have less food waste, and produce that is frozen is often as fresh as possible when frozen.

Cooking or preparing food at home also helps reduce consumption of ultraprocessed foods, as you immediately have control and more awareness over the amount of salt, sugar or fat you place into your meal.

The key take-home message here is to remember that not all processed foods are unhealthy; there are levels to the processing of food. What we do want to limit are foods that have been heavily processed, in order to have an overall healthy and beneficial diet.

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 57

Hidden

Your diners will be too busy devouring these dishes and asking for more to notice the veg hiding in plain sight

Veg Mac ’n’ cheesy goodness

Cheesy cravings activated by a dish made entirely of veggies? Oh, you better believe it. Traditional mac and cheese has been ruined by processed powders in boxes and a dairy industry that is a nightmare for the environment, the animals who are born into the industry and our bodies. It’s a depressing thought that a dish that brought us so much joy as children – and adults – actually isn’t as wholesome and wonderful as we were led to believe. To avoid depressing you too much, I will say with full confidence that this recipe has the potential to change your life and the way you experience cravings. Kids and adults alike love this gluten-free recipe, as it’s perfect for a quick and healthy lunch in the middle of a school day or for a lunch gathering with friends. It whips up almost as fast as the boxed version – you’ll be wondering why you didn’t make the switch sooner!

By Chef Bai (Bailey Ruskus) Serves 2-3 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 774 (per serving) 2 small yellow potatoes, coarsely chopped 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled 75g (½ cup) raw cashews 2 tsp salt, divided, plus more as needed 454g (4½ cups) brown rice elbow pasta 240ml (1 cup) unsweetened plant milk 1 tbsp miso paste 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp black pepper, plus more as needed

58 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

1 Fill a large saucepan halfway with water. Add the potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, cashews and 1 tsp salt. Bring the water to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the veggies for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.

2 While the veggies are cooking, cook the pasta according to the package's instructions. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. This step is key for brown rice pasta. Set the pasta aside in the pot you cooked it in.

3 Drain the water from the veggies and transfer them to a blender. Add the remaining 1 tsp salt, the milk, miso paste, nutritional yeast, turmeric and black pepper. Blend the ingredients on medium speed for about 1 minute, until they are smooth. Pour the cheesy goodness over the pasta.

Turn the heat to low, mix the sauce and pasta well and heat the pasta up. Divide the pasta between two or three serving bowls. Top each serving with additional black pepper and salt to taste.

The extract on pages 58-60 is taken from Cook. Heal. Go Vegan!: A Delicious Guide to Plant-Based Cooking for Better Health and a Better World by Chef Bai (Bailey Ruskus), published by Page Street Publishing. (RRP £17.99.)

P E R

S E R V I N G

21.1g

3.4g

1.26g

7.4g

137.4g

19.8g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 59

Blender dark chocolate donuts

By Chef Bai (Bailey Ruskus) Makes 12 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 20 mins Calories 191 (per donut) 2 tbsp melted coconut oil

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled

2 tbsp ground chia seeds 60ml (¼ cup) water

1 tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda

90g (1 cup) rolled oats

50g (½ cup) cacao powder

100g (1 cup) shredded courgette (zucchini)

¼ tsp salt

80g (½ cup) coconut sugar

170g (1 cup) vegan dark chocolate chips, divided

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

120g (½ cup) almond butter

Seared sweet potato flautas and avocado salsa verde

By Chef Bai (Bailey Ruskus) Makes 10 flautas | Prep 25 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 464 (per 2 flautas)

1 Make the salsa verde first. In a blender, combine the tomatillos, coriander, spring onions, jalapeño, garlic, Makes 480ml (2 cups) lime juice, avocado and salt. Pulse the ingredients 8 medium tomatillos, 10-15 times, until smooth, then transfer the salsa to peeled and cut in half a bowl and set aside.

FOR THE SALSA VERDE

40g (1 cup) fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems

2 spring onions (scallions), coarsely chopped 1 medium jalapeño pepper, deseeded 3 garlic cloves, peeled 3 tbsp fresh lime juice 1 medium avocado, peeled 1 tsp salt FOR THE FLAUTAS 426g (3 cups) coarsely chopped sweet potatoes 425g tin (12⁄3 cups) of pinto beans, drained and rinsed 50g (½ cup) ground walnuts 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper ½ tsp granulated garlic ½ tsp ground coriander ½ tsp smoked paprika ¼ tsp chipotle powder 10 corn tortillas 2 tbsp avocado oil TO GARNISH cashew cream finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

2 Next, make the flautas. Fill a medium pot with a small amount of water and insert a steamer basket.

Place the sweet potatoes in the basket. Set the pot over medium-low heat, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Steam for about 10 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the beans, walnuts, salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, ground coriander, smoked paprika and chipotle powder. Mash everything together with a fork until well combined and all the spices are evenly incorporated. Set aside.

3 In a dry small sauté pan or on a flat top grill over medium heat, cook the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side, just until they are warm. Transfer each cooked tortilla to a tortilla warmer or a bowl covered with a kitchen towel, so they can steam and soften before you roll them. Don’t skip this step or your tortillas might break as you try to roll them.

4 Scoop about 120g (½ cup) of the filling and create a line with it in the middle of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla over the mixture until you’ve created a rolled taco.

Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.

Add the flautas to the pan with the seam side down.

This helps the flautas stay together. Cook them for 3-5 minutes, turning as needed to ensure they cook evenly, until golden brown and crispy on all sides.

5 Garnish the flautas with the cashew cream, fresh coriander, hot pepper slices and lime wedges, and serve them with the avocado salsa verde.

thinly sliced hot pepper lime wedges

P E R

S E R V I N G

21.7g

2.9g

1.32g

2.1g

61.6g

10.3g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Prepare two six-cavity silicone or metal donut pans or muffin pans by greasing the cavities with the oil.

2 In a small bowl, mix together the chia seeds and water to make a chia egg. Let the chia egg set for 5 minutes.

3 Grab a high-powered blender and place the oats in the blender. Blend the oats for 20 seconds, until you get a powder. Add the chia egg, courgette, sugar, almond butter, bananas, bicarbonate of soda, cacao, salt, vanilla and 85g (½ cup) of the chocolate chips.

Blend the ingredients for about 1 minute, until you get a smooth batter. Pour the batter in each donut cavity until it evenly hits the top of the cavity. Top the donuts with the remaining 85g (½ cup) of chocolate chips.

4 Bake the donuts for 15-18 minutes. If you are making muffins, bake them for 18 minutes. You’ll know they are done when you press on the top of a donut and it bounces back and doesn’t sink in. Immediately remove the donuts from the pans by flipping each pan upside down onto a plate or the counter top. Transfer the donuts to a wire rack to cool.

P E R

S E R V I N G

9.1g

5g

0.16g

9.4g

29.6g

3.9g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

“CRAFTED BY OUR FAMILY FOR YOURS”

A

NON

OD

UCT

Tammy – 2

R -GM P

nd

Gen Fry Family

CHANGE THE

WORLD FROM YOUR KITCHEN TABLE 30 years ago we started making meat from plants. People really did think we were crazy! We were on a mission to change the world from our kitchen table.

And now, we’d love for you to join us and enjoy delicious plant-based meals from your own kitchen table.

FRY'S CHICKEN-STYLE BURGERS AVAILABLE AT TESCO, SAINSBURY’S, ICELAND AND OCADO

Stock up your

freezer Cook batches of these delicious meals and always have a fast, filling, frozen dinner on hand

Cauliflower korma This really tastes just like your favourite Indian takeaway korma. The rich sauce is something you will crave and keep coming back to for more, but you need not worry, as it isn’t laden with dairy cream, hard as it is to believe! Having a stash of this in your freezer will stop you reaching for that takeaway menu – perfect for a Friday night feast, served with naan breads and some rice.

By Ruby Bell and Milly Bagot Makes 10 portions | Prep 15 mins | Cook 1 hr 15 mins | Calories 303 (per portion) FOR THE KORMA vegetable oil 2 large onions, roughly chopped 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3cm (1¼in) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 2 tbsp tomato purée (paste) 2 tsp salt ½ tbsp smoked paprika ½ tbsp ground turmeric 1 tsp chilli powder 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp medium curry powder

2 large cauliflowers, cut into florets, stalks roughly chopped

1 Heat a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add a good glug of vegetable oil, then the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes.

2 tbsp ground almonds 2 Cover the onion mixture with water, 2 tbsp desiccated coconut bring to the boil, then reduce the heat 1 tsp sugar and simmer gently for 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the 2 x 400ml tins (31⁄3 cups) liquid has evaporated. of coconut milk 3 Stir in the tomato purée, salt and salt and pepper spices and cook for 10 minutes more.

TO GARNISH (OPTIONAL) 4 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

2 tbsp flaked 5 Remove the pan from the heat and almonds, toasted blitz with a hand blender or in a food a handful of fresh coriander processor or blender until smooth. leaves (cilantro), 6 Mix one-third of the mixture with the roughly chopped cauliflower pieces on a baking tray, spread out and roast for 25 minutes or until the cauliflower is cooked through and slightly caramelised.

7 While the cauliflower is roasting, add the ground almonds, desiccated coconut and sugar to the remaining curry mixture in the pan and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the coconut milk and continue to simmer

64 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8 Remove from the heat and season to taste. Fold in the roasted cauliflower and serve, sprinkled with toasted flaked almonds and chopped coriander, if you like. Portion out the korma into appropriate containers.

Leave to cool, then sprinkle with a few toasted flaked almonds, if you like.

Seal, label and date before freezing.

TO REHEAT FROM FROZEN Microwave on high for 3 minutes, then remove from the microwave and stir.

Re-cover but don’t seal and microwave for a further 5 minutes or until piping hot.

Leave to stand for 3 minutes before serving. Or you can preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Uncover the ovenproof container and then cover the top with foil. Place on a baking sheet in the centre of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until piping hot. Leave to stand for 3 minutes before serving.

The extract on pages 64-66 is taken from Freeze: SuperNourishing Meals to Batch Cook, Freeze and Eat on Demand by Ruby Bell and Milly Bagot, photography by Haarala Hamilton, published by Mitchell Beazley. (RRP £16.99.) This book contains non-vegan recipes.

P E R

S E R V I N G

24.7g

18.8g

0.53g

9g

19g

7.1g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 65

Vegetable lasagne with butternut and aubergine

By Ruby Bell and Milly Bagot Makes 8-10 portions | Prep 20 mins | Cook 1 hr 30 mins Calories 499 (per portion) vegetable oil

1 Heat a large, heavy-based pan over a low heat. Add a good glug of vegetable oil and then the onion and sweat for 10 minutes or so until soft and translucent. Add the carrots 5 large carrots, diced and celery and cook for 4 celery sticks, diced about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, 3 garlic cloves, crushed thyme, half the rosemary, 4 thyme sprigs, the oregano and bay leaves picked and leaves and cook for finely chopped 2 minutes more. Stir in the 6 rosemary sprigs, tomato purée and tomatoes and simmer for leaves picked and 30-35 minutes, stirring finely chopped occasionally, until the 1 tsp dried oregano sauce has thickened.

By Ruby Bell and Milly Bagot 2 fresh bay leaves Remove from the heat.

Makes 8 portions | Prep 15 mins | Cook 55 mins Remove and discard the 1 tbsp tomato Calories 115 (per portion) bay leaves, season to purée (paste) taste with salt and stir through the basil. olive oil 1 Heat a large, heavy-based pan over 2 400g tin (1 ⁄3 cups) 2 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas medium heat.

Add a good glug of olive oil, 1 large onion, of chopped tomatoes Mark 6. Line a large baking tray with then the onion, carrots and celery with a roughly chopped 15g (½ cup) basil, leaves non-stick baking paper. pinch of salt and sweat for 10 minutes or 4 large carrots, 3 Spread the butternut squash and aubergine picked and chopped so until the vegetables begin to soften. slices out on the lined baking tray without roughly chopped 2 Stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, rosemary 1 butternut squash, overlapping, season with salt and sprinkle 4 celery sticks, and bay leaves. Cook for 5 minutes more. peeled, deseeded and over the remaining rosemary. Drizzle with 3 Pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring roughly chopped sliced into rounds olive oil and roast for 15-20 minutes or until to a simmer, then reduce the heat and 1cm (½in) thick 2 garlic cloves, golden. If eating now, leave the oven on for simmer gently for about 20 minutes, crushed 3 aubergines baking the dish, but if freezing, turn it off. stirring occasionally. (eggplants), sliced into 4 For the white sauce, heat a saucepan over a 4 thyme sprigs, 4 Add the vegetable stock and cook for low heat. Add the vegetable oil, stir in the rounds 1cm (½in) thick leaves picked and a further 20 minutes. flour until the mixture forms a roux and cook roughly chopped 5 Remove from the heat, remove and olive oil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. discard the bay leaves, and then blitz with 1 tsp dried 250g dried Gradually add the milk a little at a time, a hand blender or in a food processor or oregano lasagne sheets whisking constantly until it is all incorporated blender until smooth, adding more water if and the sauce is smooth and thick. Remove 2 rosemary sprigs, 200g (8 cups) baby the consistency is too thick. from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, pepper, leaves picked and 6 Stir through the basil and cooked lentils spinach leaves salt, nutritional yeast and vinegar. roughly chopped and season to taste. Heat through gently salt 5 To assemble, put a layer of tomato sauce in before serving. Portion out the soup into 2 fresh bay leaves FOR THE WHITE SAUCE the base of a baking dish, followed by a layer appropriate containers. Leave to cool, then 2 x 400g tins of roasted squash and aubergine, then a 180ml (¾ cup) seal, label and date before freezing. layer of lasagne and a layer of white sauce (31⁄3 cups) of vegetable oil and a layer of baby spinach. Repeat the chopped tomatoes TO REHEAT FROM FROZEN 180g (1½ cups) plain layers until you have used up all the 800ml (31⁄3 cups) Microwave on high for 3 minutes, then (all-purpose) flour ingredients, finishing with a layer of white vegetable stock remove from the microwave and stir. sauce. If eating now, bake for 35-40 minutes 1 litre (4 cups) oat 15g (½ cup) basil, Re-cover but don’t seal and microwave for a or until golden brown on top and piping hot. milk or other further 5 minutes or until piping hot. Leave to leaves picked and Portion out the lasagne into freezer-safe and plant-based milk stand for 3 minutes before serving. ovenproof containers. Leave to cool, then roughly chopped Alternatively, put the container into a bowl of 1 tsp freshly put the lids on or wrap tightly in clingfilm or 300g (1½ cups) hot water and leave for a few minutes until grated nutmeg foil, label and date before freezing. cooked Puy lentils the contents are loosened from the container 1 tsp pepper salt and pepper sides. Transfer the contents to a pan and heat 1 tsp salt TO REHEAT FROM FROZEN over a low heat until piping hot. Leave to Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Uncover stand for 3 minutes before serving.

3 tbsp nutritional yeast the ovenproof container and place on a baking 1 tsp apple cider vinegar sheet in the oven centre for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on top and piping hot.

P E R S E R V I N G Leave to stand for 3 minutes before serving.

1 large onion, finely chopped

Tomato and lentil soup

2.7g

0.4g

0.07g

5.9g

21g

6g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

66 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

P E R

S E R V I N G

22.7g

4.1g

0.38g

20.9g

68.2g

11.5g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

y s a E

n a g evA

There's no need for recipes to be hard work – take it easy with dishes that are quick, simple and still fabulous

Just 10 ingredients Storecupboard staples Cook in under 30 minutes VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 67

Ju st 10 re d ie nt s ingA

Beet Buddha bowl bites

By Anastasia Eden from kindearth.net Makes 15-20 balls | Prep 10 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 341 (per 5 balls) 1 large beetroot 1 small sweet potato 150g (generous 1 cup) sunflower seeds, shelled

ng No dauntingdlo ients lists of ingreeeping here, we're kle! it simp

50g (1⁄3 cup) hemp seeds, shelled 1 small onion 1 large garlic clove 1 heaped tsp fresh ginger, finely grated a small handful of fresh parsley 2 heaped tsp ground coriander

P E R

S E R V I N G

25.6g

2g

0.05g

6.7g

19.2g

13.9g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

68 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Grate the beetroot and sweet potato.

Grind the sunflower seeds.

Finely chop the onion.

Crush the garlic clove.

Finely grate the ginger.

Finely chop the parsley.

Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

8 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5.

9 Next, you will need to get the whole mixture to a 'squidgy' consistency. This enables you to roll them in your hands into balls (you can see my video guide at kindearth.net to see how easy they are to make). You can use a food processor or hand blender to get the mixture to combine. If you use a hand blender, just press it downwards and pulse a few times throughout the mixture to get it to combine. If you have a food processor, just process between 10-30 seconds until it starts to squidge (before it turns to purée). If you have Vitamix, use the tamper tool to blend and press down for 10-20 seconds, with a little loosening and scraping the mixture. Form the mixture into balls.

10 Pop in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

11 Serve hot immediately as part of a Buddha bowl, or with rice. You can also leave to cool and enjoy over the next few days.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Roasted pumpkin and plum salad

By Freyja Hanstein from Wholesome World (wholesomeworld.com) Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 40 mins | Calories 427 (per serving) 1 large pumpkin 2 red onions 1 garlic bulb 6 tbsp olive oil

Lemon and dill creamed tofu

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

2 For the pumpkin, cut it in half lengthways to scoop out the seeds and slice into 2.5cm (1in) thick segments. Remove the skin if tough.

3 Peel the onions, leaving the root end and cut into quarters. Halve the garlic bulb widthways.

8 plums

4 Arrange the pumpkin, garlic and onion on a lightly oiled tray (use 2 tbsp olive oil) and season; drizzle over some more olive oil and 100g (4 cups) rocket sprinkle with cumin seeds. (arugula)

1 tsp pumpkin seeds

By Jenya di Pierro, herbal medicine practitioner and founder of Cloud Twelve wellness and lifestyle club (cloudtwelve.co.uk) Serves 2-4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 15 mins Calories 264 (per serving)

3 tbsp tahini 1 lemon salt and black pepper

300g (1½ cups) firm tofu juice of ½ a lemon 2 tbsp olive oil

5 Place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes – move the vegetables around once or twice to ensure even cooking.

6 Halve the plums and remove the stones. Add to the roasting vegetables, along with the pumpkin seeds, and return the tray to the oven for a further 10 minutes.

7 For the dressing, combine the tahini, juice of the lemon, 4 tbsp olive oil, and salt and pepper to season. Mix with a fork and, if a little stiff, add a few teaspoons of boiling water to get the perfect drizzling consistency.

150g (2⁄3 cup) coconut yoghurt 1 vegetable stock cube, dissolved in 2 tbsp water 1 red onion, finely chopped a bunch of dill

8 Remove the cooked vegetables from the oven and set aside the garlic bulb.

salt, to taste

1 Sauté the onion with the olive oil until it turns translucent.

9 Scatter the rocket on a serving dish and place the vegetables on it.

2 Slice the tofu into your preferred shape and add to the pan with the lemon juice, coconut yoghurt, vegetable stock and dill.

10 Squeeze the soft garlic from the bulb to evenly place on the dish. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and any extra juices from the roasting pan and add a few twists of pepper.

3 Sauté for another 10 minutes.

4 Dress with freshly cut dill and serve with salad, a jacket potato or brown rice.

P E R

P E R

S E R V I N G

22.6g

10.5g

0.08g

3.7g

10.4g

10.1g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

S E R V I N G

28.7g

4.1g

0.03g

21.9g

45.5g

7.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 69

Just 10 ingredients

Krab cakes

By Moku Roots (mokuroots.com) Serves 2 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 346 (per serving) 300g (2 cups) heart of palm, finely chopped or lightly blended 3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

lm a p f o t r a e " H to e r u t x e t e h t pro vide s rab c ake s make t he se kng bi te" a sa t i s fy i

a pinch of salt 2 tbsp finely chopped onion 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 240ml (1 cup) vegan aioli or mayo of your choice up to 45g (1⁄3 cup) flour

2 Mix all of the ingredients together with your hand – except for the flour – so it’s well mixed.

3 Scoop a small amount into a frying pan with hot oil. If it doesn't stay together when cooked, add a quarter of the flour to the mix and try again.

Keep adding flour until the mixture stays together. When you have the right consistency, form the mixture into individual krab cakes and fry on both sides.

4 Serve on a bed of salad, with vegan mac and cheese, or just enjoy by itself!

P E R

70 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

1 If using a food processor, be careful not to over chop the hearts of palm until they’re mushy. You want texture!

S E R V I N G

29g

0.2g

2.56g

0.5g

19.9g

4.5g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Samphire and porcini gnocchi

By Riverford (www.riverford.co.uk, @Riverford on social) Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 15 mins| Calories 456 (per serving) 400g (2¾ cups) vegan gnocchi

1 Cook the gnocchi according to the packet instructions.

2 garlic cloves

2 Heat a generous knob of butter in a heavy

20g (¼ cup) dried porcini mushrooms

frying pan. Peel and crush the garlic, or leave chunky if you really enjoy garlic. Fry the garlic on a low heat, make sure you don’t burn it; if it gets too hot and starts to brown, then add a touch of olive oil.

a large handful of samphire 1 lemon salted vegan butter, or olive oil

3 Grate the porcini mushrooms into the pan, keeping on a low heat, and then fry for 4 minutes.

4 Add the cooked, drained gnocchi to the pan and turn the heat up. Fry for 4 minutes until it’s golden brown.

5 Turn the heat down to a low-medium heat, add the samphire and gently fry for a further 1-2 minutes.

6 Finish with black pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

P E R

S E R V I N G

8.5g

1g

0.59g

1.2g

78.4g

18.1g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Watermelon sashimi

By Riverford (www.riverford.co.uk, @Riverford on social) Serves 4 | Prep 1 hr 10 mins | Cook 2 hrs 10 mins Calories 266 (per serving) 1 mini watermelon, or ½ a regular watermelon 200ml (scant 1 cup) soy sauce, or tamari 2 tbsp tahini 2 limes 2 tsp tomato purée (paste) sesame oil 1 garlic clove coriander (cilantro) toasted sesame seeds sea salt

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. Peel the mini watermelon with a knife, then put it in a roasting tray and cook in the oven for 2 hours, turning every half an hour. We used a mini watermelon – for a regular size watermelon, cut it in half or roast for longer. Note, the seeds will be bigger and there will be more of them.

2 Make a marinade by blitzing the soy sauce, tahini, 2 tbsp lime juice, tomato purée, a glug of sesame oil and the garlic clove.

3 Remove the melon from the oven, cover in the marinade and let it sit for 1 hour.

4 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. Return the melon to the oven for 5 minutes or so, until the marinade has caramelised.

P E R

5 Thinly slice the melon and brush a little more marinade over the slices. Season and sprinkle with coriander, toasted sesame seeds and sea salt, and serve with a wedge of lime.

S E R V I N G

6.3g

1.1g

3.11g

36.2g

50.8g

8.4g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 71

d r a o b p u Storec le s ta p s A ing theu t n u h t Forge list aisles, yo specia have what may d already e you ne

72 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Pulled BBQ jackfruit bao buns

By Trevennon Dakota from Hamlet's Bakery (www.hamletsbakery.co.uk) Makes 18 | Prep 40 mins plus proving | Cook 1 hr 30 mins | Calories 175 (per bun) FOR THE BAO BUNS 500g (32⁄3 cups) strong white bread flour

1 For the buns, tumble all the dry ingredients into a bowl, ensuring the yeast and salt do not come into contact.

2 Add the oat milk and mix to a shaggy dough. Once the dough comes together, tumble onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes until a smooth ball forms. Cover and allow it to double in size.

50g (¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar 2 tsp baking powder

3 Meanwhile, prepare the slaw. Slice, grate or shred your vegetables and tumble into a large bowl until fully combined. In a small dish, mix together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, oil and sugar (if using), before drizzling the mixture over the veg. Cover and pop into the fridge until serving.

½ tsp salt 10g packet of fast action yeast 150ml (2⁄3 cup) oat milk (or any plantbased milk)

floured surface. Divide into 18 equal pieces, rolling between your palms to create tight balls. Roll each ball out to an oval shape and brush with a little vegetable or olive oil.

5 Fold the pieces into a semi-circle and place on

1 banana shallot, chopped 1 tbsp vegan bouillon/stock

individual squares of greaseproof (about 10x10cm (4x4in)). Brush the tops with a little more oil, cover and allow to double in size, 30-45 minutes.

6 For the filling, fry the shallot in 2-3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until softened, but not taking on colour, before adding the garlic and frying for a few minutes.

250ml (1 cup) hot water 2 garlic cloves, chopped

7 Add the bouillon or stock along with the hot water and drained jackfruit. Using a spoon or spatula, gently break the jackfruit apart into smaller pieces, about 2.5cm (1in) thick.

1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice ½ sea salt flakes

8 Add the spices, salt and sweetcorn, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the stock reduces. Don’t let the stock completely evaporate – you need a little thick stock left bubbling between the jackfruit pieces. Give the pan a good stir before removing from the heat.

¼ tsp ground ginger 75g (½ cup) tinned sweetcorn FOR THE BBQ SAUCE

9 In another pan, combine the ketchup and sugar over low heat and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth – don't let it boil. Remove from the heat, cover and set to one side.

125g (½ cup) tomato ketchup 125g (¾ cup) soft dark brown sugar

10 To steam the bao buns, you can either use a bamboo steaming basket or simply place a colander over a pan of simmering water with a lid that’ll sit on top – it’s okay if part of the colander sticks up and over the pan and steam escapes, you may just need to add 2-3 minutes for steaming the buns. In batches, steam the buns on their pieces of parchment, covered, for 12-15 minutes. Be mindful that the buns expand considerably and you need to leave a good 5-7cm (2-3in) between them.

FOR THE SLAW 1 carrot, grated 75g (½ cup) red cabbage, finely sliced 4-5 spring onions (scallions), sliced thinly 3 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 large white onion, diced

½ tsp ground ginger

2 pointed peppers, sliced thinly

½ tsp sea salt

185g (1¼ cups) white cabbage, shredded

1 heaped tsp of vegan bouillon/stock

1 large carrot, grated

2 tsp lemon juice

2 fat garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)

2 tsp curry powder

250ml (1 cup) boiling water

1 tsp smoked paprika

400g (1½ cups) baked beans

½ tsp chipotle chilli flakes

1 In a large saucepan over medium heat, soften the onions in the vegetable oil until they are translucent, but not colouring, about 2-3 minutes.

2 Add the peppers and cabbage to the pan, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

3 Tumble in the carrots and minced garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

4 Scatter in the spices, salt and vegan bouillon. Stir to combine and, once all of the vegetables are coated in the spices, deglaze the pan with the lemon juice.

5 Dissolve the tomato purée in 250ml (1 cup) water from a recently boiled kettle and add to the pan. Once simmering, add the baked beans (including the sauce) and simmer for a few minutes until the pan is bubbling, but not a rolling boil.

6 Serve with fresh parsley or kale.

TIP This can be kept for up to 5 days refrigerated, inside a sealed container.

11 Once the buns have steamed, place them on a wire cooling rack to dry slightly. Tumble the BBQ sauce into the jackfruit, and stir to combine over medium heat until piping hot.

1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp brown sugar (optional) TO GARNISH

By Trevennon Dakota from Hamlet's Bakery (www.hamletsbakery.co.uk) Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 15 mins Calories 221 (per serving)

4 Once the dough has proved, knock the air out on a

FOR THE JACKFRUIT 400g (2¼ cups) young jackfruit in water, drained

Chakalaka

12 To serve, spoon a little of the slaw into the bao buns, scoop a generous dollop of the BBQ jackfruit and sprinkle with a few sesame seeds.

sesame seeds

P E R

S E R V I N G

2.1g

0.3g

0.42g

13.2g

35.3g

4.9g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

P E R

S E R V I N G

7.9g

1.5g

0.6g

15.5g

36.4g

6.9g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 73

Storecupboard staples Kale and ‘c hicken’ pasta

By Heura (heurafoods.com, @heurafoods) Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 15 mins Calories 452 (per serving) 180g pack of Heura® Mediterranean chicken-style chunks or other vegan chicken pieces 100g (4 cups) kale 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 tin of chopped tomatoes 1 garlic clove, chopped 400g (4 cups) pasta

1 Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and set aside for later.

2 Chop the kale and garlic.

3 Pour a splash of olive oil and half of the garlic in a pan and brown the chicken chunks for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside on a separate plate.

4 Heat some more oil in the pan, then add the kale and the rest of the garlic. Mix well and keep stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the pan.

5 When the kale is golden brown, lower the heat and add the halved cherry tomatoes.

6 Add the chicken chunks back in to heat them up.

7 Finally, combine the pasta with the veggies and chicken mix.

" bi t e o f k s A n u h c e l y t s n e c hic k s d u b e t s a t r take s you e s of to t he s hor e an" n a r r e t i d e t he M P E R

S E R V I N G

7.9g

1.2g

1.1g

2.8g

61.6g

29.9g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

74 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Yellow split pea dhal

By Broke Bank Vegan (brokebankvegan.com) Serves 6 | Prep 10 mins plus soaking | Cook 1 hr Calories 347 (per serving) 2 tbsp coconut oil

1 Soak the split peas in water overnight, or

1 medium yellow onion, diced

for at least 1 hour if possible, then rinse thoroughly and drain the peas. Set aside.

5 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced 1 tbsp cumin ½ tbsp ground coriander 1 tsp turmeric ½ tsp cayenne 3 tbsp tomato purée (paste) 400g (2 cups) yellow split peas, uncooked 1-1.2 litres (4-5 cups) vegetable stock (broth) or water 120ml (½ cup) full-fat coconut milk 2 tsp garam masala salt and pepper, to taste 60g (2 cups) fresh spinach TO GARNISH 300-450g (2-3 cups) cooked rice of choice coriander (cilantro) lime wedges roti

2 In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Once heated, add in the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until turning translucent, but not browning.

3 Next, add in the garlic and ginger, and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne and tomato purée. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring frequently.

4 Once the spices are fragrant, add the coconut milk, stock/water (start with 1 litre (4 cups)), and split peas to the pot, mixing well. Bring to a low boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer.

5 Cook for 50-60 minutes more, stirring

Sweet potato wraps wit h tahini harissa dressing

By Annabelle Randles from The Flexitarian (theflexitarian.co.uk) Serves 2 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 20 mins | Calories 589 (per serving) 2 small sweet potatoes or 200g pre-prepared frozen sweet potato cubes

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas

2 tbsp olive oil

cut them into 5mm (¼in) thick slices. Place in a bowl with the olive oil, ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika. Toss well until the sweet potatoes are coated all over. Spread on a baking tray and cook for 20 minutes until soft. Add the chickpeas to the tray for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

occasionally until the peas are cooked to your preference. If the dhal seems dry, mix water in 60ml (¼ cup) at a time.

1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander

6 When the peas are tender, mix in the spinach, garam masala, salt and pepper.

Turn the heat off and cover the pot to let the spinach wilt a little. Taste and adjust the spices as needed, adding cayenne for more heat, garam masala for sweet spice, or salt to bring the other flavours out.

7 Serve the dhal with a side of basmati rice, coriander, roti, or lime wedges. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

½ tsp paprika 200g tin (1 cup) of chickpeas ½ a tomato ½ a yellow pepper ½ an avocado a small handful of baby spinach leaves, or one ball of frozen spinach

2 Peel the sweet potatoes and

3 Prepare the tahini dressing by

1 tbsp tahini

whisking together the tahini, yoghurt, cumin, ground coriander, lemon juice, maple syrup, grated garlic clove, harissa paste, salt and water.

2 tbsp dairy-free yoghurt

4 Next, slice the tomato, pepper

salt FOR THE DRESSING

½ tsp ground cumin

and avocado.

½ tsp ground coriander

5 Remove the sweet potato from

2 tbsp lemon juice

the oven when done. Mix in the sliced tomato, pepper, avocado and baby spinach leaves. Season with salt.

2 tsp maple syrup 1 small grated garlic clove 1 tsp harissa paste, or more to taste ¼ tsp salt 1 tbsp water TO SERVE 4 medium flatbreads or 2 large ones fresh coriander (cilantro)

P E R

Mark 6.

S E R V I N G

P E R

6 Divide the sweet potato mix between four medium flatbreads or two large ones.

Add some freshly chopped coriander and some tahini harissa dressing on top.

Carefully fold each tortilla and enjoy. Add more tahini harissa dressing as needed.

S E R V I N G

10.2g

7.8g

0.01g

3.8g

49.2g

15.8g

21g

3g

0.56g

15g

90g

16g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 75

r e d n U s e t u n i m 30A

good d e e n ou se Wheniyn a hurry, thehes food at go-to dis are gre

Mushroom shawarma

By DJ BBQ (djbbq.com) for @madewithmushrooms Serves 2 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 10 mins Calories 404 (per serving) 200g (2 cups) baby chestnut mushrooms

1 Combine the spice mix in a bowl with 3 tbsp olive oil and mix well. Throw in the 2 flatbreads mushrooms and toss until 3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil well coated.

FOR THE SPICE MIX

2 Slide them on a skewer, and grill until soft and 1 tsp ground cumin golden, anywhere between 5-10 minutes, 1 tsp ground coriander depending on the heat.

1 tsp paprika Toast the flatbreads. ½ tsp turmeric

2 tsp salt

½ tsp cayenne ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp garlic granules TO SERVE iceberg lettuce leaves, sliced

3 Now it’s time for the tasty build. Chuck in the lettuce, mushrooms, onions and jalapeños, then drizzle with a bit of yoghurt – top with your favourite hot sauce too if you can handle it.

1 small red onion, thinly sliced pickled jalapeños 100ml (scant ½ cup) vegan yoghurt

P E R

S E R V I N G

26.3g

3.9g

1.43g

5.5g

35.9g

9g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

76 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Under 30 minutes

Mushroom tacos

By DJ BBQ (djbbq.com) for @madewithmushrooms Serves 2 | Prep 15 mins plus marinating | Cook 15 mins Calories 498 (per serving) 300g (3 cups) chestnut closed cup mushrooms, quartered

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 watermelon

salt

radishes, super thinly sliced

juice of 1 lime

small flour or corn tacos

olive oil

FOR THE PICKLE

smashed avocado

60ml (¼ cup) white vinegar

FOR THE SALSA

60ml (¼ cup) water

2 bell peppers

½ tsp sea salt

2 red onions

1½ tsp sugar

4 tomatoes

1 tsp peppercorns

1 chilli

FOR THE MARINADE

1 lime

1 tsp chipotle paste

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

a handful of chopped coriander (cilantro)

1 tsp ground coriander

garlic

1 Grill the peppers, onions, chilli and tomatoes. Turn the veggies every 3-5 minutes until you’ve achieved a lovely little char on the veg.

2 Roughly peel as you want to keep a little bit of the charred goodness. Chop and combine. Squeeze in the juice of a lime, mix in 1 tbsp olive oil and, finally, mix in the coriander.

3 Combine the marinade ingredients and stir well. Poor the marinade into a zip-lock bag, then cast in the mushrooms, zip and shake so that the mushrooms are well covered.

Leave in the fridge while you prepare the watermelon.

4 For the pickled watermelon rinds, peel the watermelon and take out the red flesh. You only want the rind (no skin). Thinly slice the rinds and set up for the pickle.

5 Combine the pickling ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Take it off the heat, then add the rinds and leave to cool.

6 Cook the marinated mushrooms until soft.

Thai pea and mushroom larb wit h toasted rice

By Yes Peas!, run by the British Growers Association (britishgrowers.org) Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 177 (per serving) 1 tbsp jasmine rice 2 tbsp vegetable oil 300g (3 cups) shiitake mushrooms, sliced 2 shallots, peeled and diced 3cm (1¼in) piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

7 Now build that taco. Add the mushrooms, salsa, pickled watermelon and a couple of super thin slices of radish to the taco and serve.

2 red chillies, chopped ½ tbsp light soy sauce 300g (2¼ cups) frozen peas

to k c i u q e r a s o c ta ty s "T he se ta r. u o v la f h t i w g n i t s r u make and b d n a m o o r h s u m , n lo e m Wate r " y ll u f i t u a e b e n i b m rad i s h c o P E R

4 spring onions (scallions), chopped a handful of roughly chopped coriander (cilantro) a handful of roughly chopped mint juice of 1 lime TO SERVE Little Gem lettuce leaves sliced red chilli coriander leaves

1 In a dry wok or frying pan, toast the rice grains over a medium heat, stirring continuously until golden brown and fragrant, which will take around 6-8 minutes.

Grind the rice to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar.

2 Place the wok or frying pan back on the heat. Add the oil and fry the mushrooms until slightly browned, then add the shallots, ginger and garlic and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Add half the rice powder, sweet chilli sauce, chillies, soy sauce, peas, half the spring onions, coriander and mint leaves, and lime juice. Season with a little more lime juice and soy if necessary. Cook for a further minute.

3 Put the pea and mushroom larb in Little Gem lettuce leaves. Top with extra chilli, coriander leaves, the remaining rice powder and spring onions and serve with some steamed jasmine rice.

jasmine rice

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

19.5g

3.4g

0.97g

20.1g

72.8g

13.1g

7.3g

1.4g

0.16g

5.3g

23.5g

6.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Sweet potato black bean quesadillas

By Broke Bank Vegan (brokebankvegan.com) Makes 12 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 155 (per serving) 12-14 corn tortillas

1 Remove the sweet potato skins and add the orange flesh to a mixing bowl. Add garlic powder and salt, to taste, then mash together with a fork. Once the sweet potato is mashed to your preference, mix in the cooked black beans. Set aside.

390g (2½ cups) sweet potatoes, baked or steamed 215g (1¼ cups) cooked black beans

2 Make sure the cheese is shredded, then preheat a cast-iron frying pan (skillet) to medium. Add a tortilla to the pan and cook for 30-40 seconds on the first side.

1 tsp garlic powder salt, to taste 170g (1¾ cups) vegan mozzarella, shredded

3 Flip the tortilla, then add a handful of grated vegan mozzarella and a spoonful of the sweet potato and black bean mixture to one half of the tortilla. Fold the other half over to make a half-moon shape.

TO SERVE (OPTIONAL) vegan guacamole salsa fresca

4 Cook on both sides until the cheese is melted and

vegan Mexican crema

the outsides are crispy with brown spots. Continue this process until there is no more sweet potato and bean mixture or cheese left. Serve with your choice of the optional sauces.

P E R

Feed your gut salad

By Jenya di Pierro, herbal medicine practitioner and founder of Cloud Twelve wellness and lifestyle club (cloudtwelve.co.uk) Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook none Calories 256 (per serving) FOR THE SALAD

1 chilli (optional)

2 carrots

FOR THE DRESSING

1 apple

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red or yellow pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 small radishes

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp sauerkraut

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Grate the carrot and apple, chop the radishes, pepper and chilli and combine with the sauerkraut.

2 Add the dressing and enjoy with a side of cauliflower mash for extra gut benefits.

P E R

S E R V I N G

14.5g

2.1g

0.08g

24g

33.5g

1.6g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

78 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

S E R V I N G

3.9g

1.2g

0.17g

1.6g

26.1g

4.1g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Spring rolls wit h peanut sauce

By Elizabeth Emery from Vancouver With Love (vancouverwithlove.com) Makes 8 rolls | Prep 20 mins | Cook 10 mins | Calories 160 (per roll) FOR THE ROLLS

8 rice paper wrappers

240g pack (1½ cups) of tempeh (or tofu – see tip), sliced into thin strips

FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE

2 tbsp unflavoured cooking oil, such as avocado or sesame salt, to taste

2 tbsp peanut butter ½ tbsp Bragg's or soy sauce 1 tbsp unflavoured oil 1 tbsp water

1 Prepare all the vegetables and tempeh as described.

2 Add all the dipping sauce

wrapper onto a chopping board and fill one half with carrot, cabbage, pepper, cucumber, collards and tempeh.

ingredients to a small bowl and stir 5 Fold up the bottom of the rice to combine. Set aside. wrapper, then fold each side over 3 On a medium heat, sauté the the ingredients tightly. tempeh in oil until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Season to 6 Serve all the rolls on a large platter with the dipping sauce. taste with salt and set aside.

1 carrot (medium), shredded 50g (¾ cup) shredded cabbage

4 Pour warm water onto a dinner

½ a red pepper, sliced into strips

plate and submerge your first rice wrapper in it. After 5 seconds, flip it over to dip the other side in water, then remove. Place the rice

10cm (4in) piece of cucumber, sliced into strips 30g (1 cup) shredded collard greens or spinach

P E R

TIP If using tofu instead of tempeh, there is no need to cook it. Raw tofu works fine in spring rolls.

S E R V I N G

10.5g

1.8g

0.15g

1.6g

10.7g

7.8g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Under 30 minutes

Oumph! Kebab Döner Style with spicy tomato sauce and garlic yoghurt drizzle

By Oumph! (oumph.uk) Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 5 mins | Calories 476 (per serving) 1 pack of Oumph! Kebab Döner Style (280g)

FOR THE SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

3 tbsp water

2 normal size tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 large pita breads

4 tbsp vegetable oil

your favourite kebab veggies, such as; sliced onions, iceberg lettuce, sliced cucumber, shredded red cabbage, sliced chillies and/or pickled chillies

1-2 tsp chilli flakes ½ a garlic clove, minced salt and white wine vinegar, to taste FOR THE GARLIC YOGHURT 200ml (scant 1 cup) plant-based yoghurt 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp ground cumin

added. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the water and fry until the water spicy tomato sauce, place all the has evaporated. ingredients, except the salt and vinegar, in a bowl. Mix with a 4 Toast the pita breads in a toaster hand mixer for 11-20 seconds. or warm them in the oven. Fill Add a pinch of salt and about the pita breads with Oumph!

1-2 tsp vinegar, to taste.

Kebab Döner Style and veggies and top with the spicy tomato 2 For the garlic yoghurt drizzle, sauce and garlic yoghurt drizzle. mix the yoghurt, garlic, oil and cumin in a bowl and add a little 5 Serve with or without fries – the salt and a squeeze of lemon. choice is yours!

1 Start with the sauces. For the

3 Fry the Oumph! Kebab Döner Style (it can be defrosted or straight from the freezer) in a hot frying pan – but with no fat

½ a garlic clove, minced freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt, to taste

80 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

P E R

S E R V I N G

26.2g

4.7g

1.55g

5g

39.5g

18.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

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One Pot: Three Ways Take one basic dish that's quick and easy to make – and use it to create three fabulously tasty meals The extract on pages 82-84 is taken from One Pot: Three Ways: Save time with vibrant, versatile vegan recipes by Rachel Ama, published by Yellow Kite. (RRP £22.)

82 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Cajun beer-battered oyster mushrooms with tartare sauce This is inspired by my time in New Orleans, where I tucked into a lot of different Cajun-spiced fried foods. Your mind will be blown by the succulent texture of the mushrooms in their crisp flavoured batter. This is a top recipe for epic street food made at home. If you like, you can switch up the spices or keep it simply beer-battered. First up, I’ve served the mushrooms with crisp Garlicky Crushed New Potatoes topped with fresh herbs and a dollop of tangy tartare sauce. You can refresh your leftovers in an American-style ‘Chicken’ Pickle Sandwich with gherkins, tartare sauce and lettuce in a soft burger bun. For something speedy, pop these fried mushrooms into warm tortillas to create Cajun Tacos with Pickled Red Onion and Tartare Sauce.

By Rachel Ama Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 381 (per serving) FOR THE MUSHROOMS

FOR THE TARTARE SAUCE

150g (1¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

100g (scant ½ cup) vegan mayonnaise

½ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp capers, finely chopped

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp cayenne pepper

freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground white pepper

a handful of flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp ground cumin

FOR THE GARLIC POTATOES 1 tsp dried oregano 200g (11⁄ cups) new potatoes 3 ½ tsp dried thyme 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp garlic powder

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tsp salt, plus extra to serve

TO SERVE

50g (scant ½ cup) cornflour (cornstarch)

a handful of flat-leaf parsley

300g (3 cups) oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces sunflower or olive oil, to fry

1 spring onion (scallion), finely chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 Whisk the cold beer or soda water into the seasoned flour mixture to make a batter. Working quickly, take a 2 For the mushrooms, mix the plain piece of oyster mushroom and dip it flour, baking powder and all the in the cornflour. Shake off any excess, seasonings together in a large bowl. then dip it in the beer batter before Place the cornflour in a separate bowl carefully transferring it to the hot oil. or on a large plate, and place the Working in batches, cook the mushroom pieces in a third bowl. battered mushrooms for 3-4 minutes, 3 Pour a 2cm (1in) depth of oil into a or until each piece is golden and deep frying pan or wok and place crisp. Once cooked, drain the over a high heat until it registers mushrooms on a wire rack or a plate 180°C/356°F on a thermometer. lined with kitchen paper. Season with Alternatively, test the temperature by salt and squeeze over a little lemon. dipping the end of a wooden spoon The mushrooms are ready to be in it – if it’s hot enough for frying, the served with the potatoes below, used oil should bubble around it. Be in the recipes on pages 83-84, or will careful not to overheat the oil or it will keep in the fridge for 3 days. begin to smoke.

1 For the tartare sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, then set aside.

320ml (1 ⁄3 cups) vegan cold lager (or soda water)

P E R

1

lemon wedges, to serve

S E R V I N G

14.5g

0.9g

1.49g

1.4g

49.3g

8g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Garlicky crushed new potatoes

By Rachel Ama Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 45 mins | Calories 641 (per serving)

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Place a pan of water over high heat and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes until tender, then drain.

2 Lightly grease a baking sheet with a little of the oil, then lay out the potatoes in a single layer. Use a fork to carefully crush and flatten each potato while keeping it in one piece. Scatter over the garlic, drizzle with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

3 Remove the potatoes from the oven, turn up the heat and quickly place the battered mushrooms on a wire rack over a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes, or until warmed through and crispy.

4 Serve the mushrooms with the new potatoes, a spoonful of tartare sauce, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley and spring onion.

P E R

S E R V I N G

35.7g

4g

1.62g

2.9g

67.2g

10.3g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 83

American-style ‘chicken’ pickle sandwich

Cajun tacos with pickled red onion and tartare sauce

By Rachel Ama Serves 2 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 5 mins Calories 654 (per serving)

By Rachel Ama Serves 2 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 5 mins Calories 855 (per serving)

2 portions of Cajun Beer-battered Oyster Mushrooms (see page 83) 2 portions of Tartare Sauce (see page 83) 2 vegan brioche burger buns, sliced in half 2 gherkins, sliced

1 Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas Mark 9.

2 Place the battered mushrooms on a wire rack over a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes.

Check to see if they’re warmed through and crispy. If not, return them to the oven for another few minutes.

3 To build your sandwich, spread the tartare sauce on the bottom half of the brioche a handful of lettuce, shredded bun. Pile on the mushrooms, then top with the gherkins, hot sauce and lettuce.

Serve immediately.

2 tbsp sriracha or your favourite hot sauce

2 portions of Cajun Beer-battered Oyster Mushrooms (see page 83) 4 tortilla wraps 1 avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced a handful of lettuce leaves a handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) 2 portions of Tartare Sauce (see page 83) 4 tbsp sriracha or your favourite hot sauce FOR THE PICKLED ONION 1 red onion, finely sliced 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp sea salt

P E R

S E R V I N G

P E R

1 Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas Mark 9.

2 Meanwhile, make the pickled onion. Place the sliced red onion in a bowl and pour over the vinegar.

Add the salt, stir to combine, then set aside for at least 10 minutes.

3 Place the battered mushrooms on a wire rack over a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes. Check to see if they’re warmed through and crispy.

If not, return them to the oven for another few minutes.

4 Warm the tortillas in a frying pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes on each side.

5 To assemble the tacos, place each wrap on a plate and pile the battered mushrooms on them. Top with the avocado, lettuce and coriander, then drizzle over some tartare sauce and sriracha. Fold the wraps over and serve.

S E R V I N G

21.5g

4.9g

2.48g

12g

96.7g

13.1g

40.2g

6g

2.49g

6.5g

105.9g

14.8g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

84 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

LINDA 0F&$571(<ȩ6 FAMILY )$9285,7(6 Feed your family and friends a selection of their favourite meals, created for you by the McCartneys The extract on pages 85-87 is taken from Linda McCartney's Family Kitchen: Over 90 Plant-Based Recipes to Save the Planet and Nourish the Soul by Linda, Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney, published

by Seven Dials. (RRP £26.)

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 85

AUBERGINE AND TOMATO BAKE This really is a feast – layers of succulent aubergine and tangy Kalamata olive and tomato sauce, all topped with vegan mozzarella and crunchy pine nuts. Mouthwatering.

Any leftovers keep well for a couple of days and can be reheated for a quick lunch.

By Linda, Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 1 hr 20 mins | Calories 571 (per serving) 100ml (scant ½ cup) olive oil, 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Lightly plus extra to grease grease a medium-size baking dish with oil.

1 medium onion, peeled, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 2 x 400g tins (31⁄3 cups) of chopped tomatoes 140g (½ cup) tomato purée (paste) 80g (2⁄3 cup) Kalamata olives, roughly chopped 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh basil leaves 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 60g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) or white spelt flour 2 aubergines (eggplants), trimmed, cut lengthways into 5mm (¼in) thick slices

2 Put 2 tbsp of the oil into a large pan with a lid and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato purée, olives, herbs, vinegar, 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper, then bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring now and again, until slightly reduced. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

3 Meanwhile, place the flour in a wide shallow bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Coat each slice of aubergine in the seasoned flour and set aside. Put another 2 tbsp of the olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan and place over a medium-high P E R

heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, fry the floured aubergine slices for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Continue until all are fried, adding more oil as needed.

4 Cover the base of the greased baking dish with a thin layer of the tomato sauce, then add a layer of aubergine and continue layering until you have used up all of the ingredients. Mix the grated mozzarella with the pine nuts and scatter over the top of the dish. Season with a little salt and pepper and bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Serve immediately.

S E R V I N G

200g (2 cups) vegan mozzarella, grated 2 tbsp pine nuts

42.3g

4.8g

0.45g

15.3g

67.7g

9.1g

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

86 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

GINGERBREAD CAKE

By Linda, Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney Serves 6 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins Calories 364 (per serving) 120g (½ cup) dairy-free butter, 1 tsp ground cinnamon plus extra to grease 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tbsp milled flaxseeds ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 3 tbsp warm water

120ml (½ cup) unsweetened plant-based milk of choice

120g (2⁄3 cup) unrefined or caster (superfine) sugar 225g (1¾ cups) white spelt, plain white flour or gluten-free flour, sifted 1 tsp baking powder

DEEP DISH PIE 2 tbsp olive oil

250g (2½ cups) button mushrooms, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 tbsp white spelt or plain (all-purpose) flour 480g (31⁄3 cups) Linda McCartney meatballs (or burgers), roughly chopped, or others of your choice 1 tsp fresh thyme, leaves only 250ml (1 cup) vegetable stock (broth) 2 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 320g vegan puff pastry sheet plant-based milk of your choice, to brush over sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TO SERVE maple syrup dairy-free yoghurt or cream

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

By Linda, Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney Serves 4-6 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 1 hr | Calories 570 (per serving)

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp blackstrap molasses or treacle

1 Put the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté for 12-15 minutes until the mushroom juices have been released and have evaporated, so the pan is mostly dry and the mushrooms are golden.

2 Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes until aromatic.

3 Mix in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vegan meatballs/burgers, thyme and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the mustard, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar and cook for another 3 minutes. Season to taste.

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease an 18cm (7in) round cake tin with dairy-free butter and line with baking paper.

2 Put the flaxseeds and warm water in a bowl and set aside.

3 In a large bowl, cream together the dairy-free butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

Fold in the flaxseed mixture, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and milk until smooth. Gently heat the molasses or treacle until runny, then fold into the batter.

4 Transfer the batter to the cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and dairy-free yoghurt or cream.

4 Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. Turn a 23cm (9in) pie dish upside down and place it on top of the rolled-out sheet of puff pastry.

5 Cut around the perimeter of the dish, leaving an extra centimetre of pastry overlapping. Turn the dish right side up and tip in the pie mixture. Dampen the rim of the dish with a little water, then carefully place the puff pastry lid on top and crimp the edges into place.

6 If you like, you can use the leftover pastry to create cut-outs for the top of the pie – leaves, letters or whatever you like. Brush the pastry gently with a little plant-based milk and make a hole in the centre of the pastry for the steam to escape while the pie is cooking.

7 Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and cook for 15-20 minutes more until the pastry is deeply golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

P E R

S E R V I N G

P E R

33.3g

7g

0.43g

3.1g

38g

28.6g

15.5g

3.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

S E R V I N G 0.23g

23.8g

52.7g

5.4g

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 87

The extract on pages 88-90 is taken from The Complete Vegetable Cookbook: A Seasonal, Zero-waste Guide to Cooking with Vegetables by James Strawbridge, published

by DK. (RRP £25.) This book contains non-vegan recipes.

88 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

THERE ' S NOTHING VEGETABLES CAN ' T DO! You’ll be amazed at the textures and flavours you can create with veg...

GLAZED SWEDE HAM WITH MUSTARD AND CLOVES Boiling and then roasting a swede whole like a ham is great fun and really suits its meaty texture. The intense flavour of this root works well with my sweet mustard glaze, while scoring the swede with a diamond pattern and studding it with cloves infuses the heart of the vegetable with a rich spiced aroma. Serve with a tart relish, acidic pickles, and vegan cheese for a twist on a ploughman’s.

By James Strawbridge Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 1 hr | Calories 108 (per serving) 1 swede (rutabaga), peeled 1 carrot, roughly chopped 1 celery stick, roughly chopped ½ an onion, roughly chopped 1 tsp cider vinegar 2 bay leaves 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 cardamom pod 1 star anise ½ tsp black peppercorns ½ tsp sea salt 1 tbsp cloves FOR THE GLAZE 50ml (scant ¼ cup) orange juice 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 In a large stock pot, cover the swede with water and add in all the other ingredients except the cloves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 35-40 minutes.

2 When you can insert a skewer easily into the heart of the swede, carefully remove it from the pot and keep the spiced liquid for use in a vegetable stock.

3 Using a sharp knife, score the top of the swede with a diamond criss-cross pattern 5-10mm (¼-½in) deep, then insert a clove at each intersection.

4 For the glaze, heat the orange juice, maple syrup, mustards and salt in a small pan. Reduce for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is thick and sticky, then brush onto the swede.

5 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Place the glazed swede on a baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, basting again halfway through the cooking time.

6 When the swede is sticky and golden, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Carve into thin slices and serve with relish, cheese, and pickles of your choice.

½ tsp sea salt

P E R

S E R V I N G

1.5g

0.1g

0.54g

16g

24.4g

2.2g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 89

MERGUEZ PARSNIP SAUSAGES LEEK AND CIDER TERRINE Terrines are regarded as pretty old-fashioned and I wanted to cook one that felt up-to-date. The gently cooked leeks provide bite and counter the cider jelly’s soft texture. The result is a spreadable terrine with anise and apple notes, delicate allium pungency, and a citrus aroma – a perfect recipe for earlyseason leeks that are still sweet and tender. Try served on toasted sourdough with a bitter radicchio salad, lemon oil, sprouted seeds and tarragon.

By James Strawbridge Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins plus setting | Cook 25 mins Calories 275 (per serving) 100g (1⁄3 cup) vegan butter 2 leeks, sliced into 1cm (½in) coins 600ml (2½ cups) vegan cider 200ml (scant 1 cup) vegetable stock (broth) 2 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp finely grated orange zest 1 tsp sea salt 4g sachet of vegetarian gelatine

The bulk of the filling in these sausages is grated parsnip, which means they can handle competing spices and plenty of vibrant roasted pepper. The parsnip grounds the other piquant ingredients and has a meaty texture that makes this a really lovely vegan banger. Ideally, this recipe requires some technical equipment to fill the casings. You can try pushing the filling through a funnel into the casings, although it is much harder than using a machine.

By James Strawbridge Serves 2 | Prep 20 mins plus marinating | Cook 25 mins Calories 416 (per serving) 1m (3¼ft) vegan sausage casing 1 tbsp olive oil FOR THE FILLING

1 Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat and add all of the sliced leeks. Make sure they cover the entire bottom of the pan, then add 100ml (scant ½ cup) of the cider and the stock. Cover with a disc of baking parchment to act as a cartouche and reduce the heat. Poach the leeks for 20-25 minutes until soft and tender – avoid caramelising them.

500g (4½ cups) grated parsnip 1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, grated 1 shallot, finely diced 50g (½ cup) breadcrumbs 1 tbsp vegan roasted red pepper pesto 1 tbsp harissa paste

2 Meanwhile, heat the remaining cider in a pan with the tarragon, mustard, orange zest, and salt until it boils, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine until it dissolves. Allow to cool for no longer than 5-10 minutes.

2 tsp smoked paprika

3 Next, neatly arrange the poached leeks in two layers in a lined terrine mould. Pour over the cider jelly liquid, leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature to set, then serve.

½ tsp smoked sea salt

P E R

2 tsp dried thyme (preferably wild) 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp chilli flakes

S E R V I N G

P E R

1 Combine the sausage filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, then leave to marinate for 1-2 hours while you prepare the sausage-making kit.

2 Soak the casing in cold water for 5 minutes. If using a sausage-making machine, load the wet casing onto the spout and mince the filling mixture at 8mm (¾in). Alternatively, blitz the sausage filling in a food processor until you have a coarse texture.

3 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

Steadily fill the sausage casing using either the machine or by manually pushing the mixture through a funnel, pausing halfway along to allow a small gap. Twist the sausage at the halfway point to make two long coils. Tie the ends of the sausage casings with string and cut to make two separate sausages, then hold the coils in place with a skewer for cooking.

4 Place the sausage coils in a roasting tin, brush with olive oil, then roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Try serving with pickled chillies, harissa vegan mayo, and French fries.

S E R V I N G

18.1g

4.5g

0.57g

19.1g

25.5g

2g

12.4g

1.6g

0.8g

15.5g

72.1g

8.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

90 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

Relax and unwind

Something for the weekend Fill your free days with good company and indulgent, great-tasting meals PHOTO © RASMUS BUNDGAARD

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 91

Weekend

R EC I PE S

Toasted pecan and quinoa fritters

PHOTO © HILARY MCMULLEN

By Michelle Babb Serves 12 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 25 mins Calories 190 (per serving) 200g (1 cup) quinoa

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/

100g (½ cup) dried black lentils

2 Rinse the quinoa and put it

2 litres (2¼ cups) vegetable stock (broth) 100g (1 cup) pecans 1 tsp dried sage 1 tsp dried thyme 2 small carrots, grated 1 small courgette (zucchini), grated 55g (½ cup) sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil ½ tsp sea salt 30-70g (¼-½ cup) gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour 1 tbsp avocado oil

Gas Mark 4. in a large saucepan. Add the lentils and veg stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

3 Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and place in the oven until lightly toasted, 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a food processor or to a cutting board if you want to hand chop. Finely chop the pecans while adding the sage and thyme. Set aside.

4 In a large bowl, combine 500ml (2 cups) of the cooked quinoa-lentil mixture with the pecans.

Add the carrots and courgette. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and add to the mixture. Sprinkle in the salt and mix until well combined. Add the flour gradually until the mixture holds together enough to form small patties.

5 In a large frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat, heat the avocado oil. Drop the formed quinoa patties into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes until the patties are lightly browned and crispy. Remove from the pan and serve warm.

The recipes on pages 92-94 are taken from Mastering Mindful Eating

by Michelle Babb, published by Sasquatch Books. (RRP £20.)

92 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

P E R

S E R V I N G

7.6g

0.8g

0.18g

3.8g

25.3g

7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

PHOTO © HILARY MCMULLEN

Moroccan chickpea burgers

By Michelle Babb Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins plus chilling | Cook 20 mins | Calories 291 (per serving) 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided

1 In a large frying pan (skillet) over

1 tsp minced peeled ginger

medium heat, heat 2 tsp avocado oil. Add the onions and sauté for about 3 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the mushrooms and ½ tsp salt and sauté for another 2 minutes. Mix in the garlic and carrots and sauté for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender.

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 Add the chickpeas, the remaining

1 small yellow onion, diced 8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp sea salt, divided 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 medium carrots, shredded 425g tin (1¾ cups) of chickpeas, drained 2 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg 35g (¼ cup) gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour

½ tsp salt, and the cumin, ginger, paprika, cinnamon and nutmeg to the food processor and pulse a few times until everything is combined, but still chunky. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flour.

P E R

3 Form the mixture into four patties, about 2cm (¾in) thick. Refrigerate the patties for at least 20 minutes.

4 Clean and dry the large frying pan (skillet) and place over mediumhigh heat. Heat the remaining oil. Place the patties in the pan and fry them for 3-4 minutes per side until the patties begin to brown and crisp. Remove from the heat and transfer to your favourite gluten-free bun or use a lettuce wrap.

S E R V I N G

8.6g

1g

0.73g

3.2g

50.9g

7.4g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 93

Weekend

R EC I PE S

Cashew cookie bars

By Michelle Babb Makes 8 bars | Prep 10 mins plus chilling | Cook 2 mins Calories 361 (per bar) 260g (2 cups) raw cashews 2 tsp ground cinnamon

⁄8 tsp sea salt

1

8 Medjool dates, pitted 3 tbsp dried cherries 1 tsp coconut oil 100g bar (2⁄3 cup) of dark vegan chocolate (73% cacao or higher)

1 Put the cashews, cinnamon and salt into a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the dates and process again until well combined; the mixture should have a thick, sticky consistency. Pulse in the dried cherries. Check to see if you can form a ball by rolling some of the mixture in your hands. If it falls apart easily, add more dates.

2 Grease a 20cm (8in) square baking dish with the coconut oil. Transfer the mixture into the baking dish and gently press it into place. Melt the chocolate in a ramekin in the microwave or use a double boiler on the stovetop over low heat. Drizzle it over the cashew mixture in the baking dish. Spread evenly with a spatula, covering the entire cookie mixture.

3 Refrigerate for at least 1 hour

P E R

S E R V I N G

20.9g

6.6g

0.04g

23g

37.1g

7.7g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

94 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

PHOTO © HILARY MCMULLEN

and then cut into 7.5x2.5cm (3x1in) bars. Keep leftovers refrigerated. They’ll stay good in the refrigerator for about a week.

PHOTO © RASMUS BUNDGAARD

Like Chicken bites with oven roasted root veggies and cold herb sauce

Toad in the hole

By Crackd – The No-Egg Egg (www.crackd.com) Serves 4 | Prep 5 mins | Cook 30 mins Calories 353 (per serving)

By LikeMeat (likemeat.com/uk) Serves 2 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins | Calories 482 (per serving)

60ml (¼ cup) Crackd The No-Egg Egg

1 Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas Mark 8.

125g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

2 In a bowl, whisk the Crackd The No-Egg Egg, vegan milk and water until frothy.

130ml (½ cup) vegan milk 130ml (½ cup) water ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp cream of tartar ¼ tsp salt a grind of pepper vegetable fat or oil 6 plant-based sausages

3 Sieve the flour, baking powder and cream of tartar into the liquid. Add the salt and whisk until smooth.

4 Put 3mm (1ŝ8in) of the vegan fat or oil into two 20cm (8in) round shallow baking dishes, with the sausages divided between the two dishes.

5 Place in the oven and leave for 3 minutes to get smoking hot.

6 Pour the batter into the trays until almost level with the tops of the sausages.

7 Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

8 For a crispier Yorkshire, turn the oven temperature down to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Brush the tops with a little oil and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

FOR THE LIKE CHICKEN 1 pack of Like Chicken Bites (180g) 100g (1 cup) mushrooms (whichever variety you fancy), sliced ½ an onion, chopped FOR THE ROOT VEGETABLES 500g (3-4 cups) mixed root vegetables and pumpkin – we used beetroot, carrots, potatoes, parsley root and butternut squash 3 tbsp olive oil a handful of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried ground thyme salt, to taste FOR THE COLD HERB SAUCE 200ml (scant 1 cup) plant-based yoghurt a handful of mixed fresh herbs – we used thyme and chives 1 tbsp capers ½ tsp sugar salt and pepper, to taste

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Clean, peel and dice the veggies and pop them in an ovenproof tray. Drizzle with oil and thyme and use your hands to mix well.

2 Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes – make sure that you check the vegetable pieces are tender.

3 While the root vegetables are in the oven, make the cold herb sauce. Finely chop the herbs and capers and mix all the ingredients for the sauce together. Finely chop the onion and cut the cleaned mushrooms into squares.

4 Heat some oil in a pan and fry the onion, Like Chicken Bites and mushrooms for a few minutes until golden. Season with salt and pepper.

5 Serve the Like Chicken and root veggies with the cold herb sauce on the side.

9 Serve with lashings of vegan gravy.

P E R

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

18.4g

2.4g

0.17g

1.4g

35g

10g

26.6g

3.8g

1.46g

16g

31.8g

23g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 95

Weekend

R EC I PE S

Spicy nutty carrot cake

By Chef Day Radley from The Vegan Chef School (www.theveganchefschool.com) Serves 8-12 | Prep 15 mins plus soaking | Cook 50 mins Calories 359 (per serving)

Jerk style Fry’s nuggets, rice, beans with fresh mango salad

By Fry Family Food Co (fryfamilyfood.com/uk) Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 15 mins | Calories 858 (per serving) 1 pack (380g) of Fry’s ChickenStyle Nuggets 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 red pepper, half thinly sliced, half diced

FOR THE JERK SAUCE

1 bunch (100g) 2 Arrange the Fry’s Chicken-Style spring onions Nuggets on a baking tray and cook (scallions), for 15 minutes or until golden. roughly chopped 1 Scotch bonnet chilli

1 bay leaf 4 garlic cloves 400g tin (12⁄3 cups) of kidney beans, 10g (1⁄8 cup) fresh drained and rinsed ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 small tin (160ml) of coconut cream 2 packs of cooked rice (500g (2½ cups) total) 10g (½ cup) fresh thyme

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

3 For the jerk sauce, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.

4 Place a large pan on the hob over a medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil. Once hot, add the diced red pepper, bay leaf and kidney beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes 10g (½ cup) or until the pepper begins to soften. fresh thyme 3 tbsp white 5 Add the coconut cream, rice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well wine vinegar to combine. Turn off the heat.

4 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 ripe mango, 1 tbsp ground peeled and sliced allspice into thin strips 2 tbsp agave nectar 100g (1 cup) 2 tbsp olive oil red cabbage, salt and pepper finely sliced

6 For the salad, put the red cabbage, sliced red pepper, mango, spinach and lime juice into a large bowl.

Mix to combine, then set aside.

7 Toss the cooked Fry's nuggets in 3-4 tbsp of the jerk sauce to thoroughly coat.

8 To serve, divide the rice and salad between four plates and top each with five jerk-covered Fry’s Chicken-Style Nuggets. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme.

150g (5 cups) baby spinach, washed juice of 2 limes salt and pepper, to taste

P E R

3-4 carrots (about 250g) finely grated, juice squeezed out with a tea towel

FOR THE CAKE 100g (1 cup) chickpea (gram) flour 100g (2⁄3 cup) potato starch 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda

100ml (scant ½ cup) sunflower or rapeseed (canola) oil 200ml (scant 1 cup) dairy-free milk

2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed FOR THE CREAM with 2 tbsp water and left to 75g (½ cup) cashews soaked rest for 5 minutes in hot water for 30 minutes ½ tsp ground cinnamon a splash of cold water ½ tsp ground ginger 4-5 dates (not Medjool, but a pinch of allspice use soft dates, or date syrup) 40g (1⁄3 cup) pecans, a few drops of salted roughly chopped caramel flavouring 40g (1⁄3 cup) hazelnuts, FOR THE COMPOTE roughly chopped 2 large apples 100g (2⁄3 cup) coconut sugar a splash of water a pinch of ground cardamom

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

2 Line or grease a 20cm (8in) cake tin – I just cover the base with baking paper.

3 Mix the cake ingredients in a bowl, except the oil, milk and the flaxseed mixture.

4 Add the oil, milk and flaxseed mixture, mix well and pour into the baking tin.

5 Bake for about 40-50 minutes until cooked through.

You can tell if it is ready by pressing on the top, if it bounces back, it’s done!

6 For the cream, rinse the cashews well, add the other ingredients and blend until smooth.

7 To make the compote, put the apples and water in a pan, simmer until the apple has broken apart, then add the cardamom. Serve warm.

S E R V I N G

P E R

S E R V I N G

43.6g

11.7g

2.89g

24.5g

92.9g

26.5g

19.8g

2.3g

0.16g

21.1g

42.4g

5.8g

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

Total fat

Saturates

Salt

Sugar

Carbs

Protein

96 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

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Feeling D better... ! y l l a nat ur Clea Grady throws open the doors and heads out to explore how nature can help us to enjoy a better life...

CLEA GRADY Clea is a writer, marketer and activist who has been vegan since 2014, and vegetarian since she was 12. She is passionate about inspiring others to go vegan, and believes that good food, empathy and kindness are the best forms of activism.

100 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

o you know that just looking at a photograph of somewhere out in nature can boost your mood?

That’s pretty incredible when you think about it. In fact, there’s a growing body of evidence linking better mental health with time spent outdoors; proving that humans and nature really are inextricably linked. A recent study of Wildlife Trust volunteers showed that 95% of participants with low mental wellbeing reported an improvement after just six weeks of regularly volunteering outside (wildlifetrusts.org).

Getting outdoors and being out in nature can have a profound effect on our mental health. Do you remember craving that precious outside time during the first lockdown? It was a strange thing to have freedom and choice suddenly taken away from us – a whole day’s opportunity reduced down to just an ‘hour of outdoor time’. It was a bit like being given a prison sentence.

I remember saying things like “I’ll spend as much time as I possibly can outside when I’m allowed”. But now that life is slowly creeping into some sense of normality, I’m ashamed to say I probably haven’t lived up to my own boasts. I wonder why I’m not feeling particularly upbeat, but it’s so obvious when I think about it – the more time I spend outside, the more at peace I feel. And my happy place?

That’s easy – being by the sea!

Getting outdoors can literally do wonders for our mental and physical health, but don't feel you have to commit to mountain hikes and wild swimming every weekend to feel the benefits. In this fast-paced, digital, and often indoor world, little and often can be the best and most accessible way to go. So here are my top tips on how to naturally inject some serotonin into your daily life...

Take your cuppa outside – even if that’s only to your doorstep!

My doorstep became my lifeline during lockdown. My home is on a typical terraced street, so don’t imagine for one minute that this is a luxury only afforded to those living in a rural idyll. Whether the sun was on my face or on the tips of my outstretched toes, I marvelled at natural beauty I’d previously never taken the time to notice. Butterflies and bees fluttered and buzzed around my window boxes, crows cackled and cawed from the rooftops and lampposts, shifting clouds played shadow puppets on the footpath beneath my feet, and shrieking swifts ducked and dived above me like tiny, dazzling Red Arrows.

So don’t park your bum inside the next time you break for tea… Take five outside instead and see how much better you feel for it. I discovered a whole lot of natural joy when I couldn’t go further than my own front door!

Create a ‘nature nook’ Make it wilder Already a walker or cyclist?

Rejig your route so that your journey is along a river, through a park, or past a nature reserve. There’s little more soul-destroying than schlepping down a street full of cars and fumes, so choose the more indirect route and enjoy fresher air, greener views and a much more uplifting vibe!

The reality of living in the UK means that we cannot be comfortably outside as often as we might like, so this is perhaps the next best thing – a nature nook in an area of your home!

Create your nook by a window where there’s a view – maybe of the sky, some trees, a park or your garden, or even looking out on a window box or planter. If you don’t have a view, then create one with a framed photo or painting of a beautiful natural setting. Add some cushions, a blanket and a natural smelling candle or two, and spend a little time here every day – just taking it all in, meditating or perhaps doing some yoga. Your secret getaway from it all and an oasis within your own home!

Change your commute Drive or take the bus or train to work?

Break up the journey to include a walk or replace the entire thing with a bike ride! Commuting time is time you don’t get back, so make the most of what's necessary by feeling the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair. Sure, you might need to leave a little earlier in the morning to make it happen, but I guarantee you’ll arrive at work feeling fresher, brighter, and better for it. I’ve been a walking commuter for over a decade and I find it impossible to start my working day without being outside first. It’s precious ‘me time’, where my brain gets a chance to wake up. And I love experiencing the changing of the seasons – even the bad days are invigorating. I once arrived at work with a halo of frost around my hair, caused by my own breath as I walked to the office through a winter wonderland!

Make the most of dawn and dusk Covid caught your commute?

For those of us working remotely, a before-work-wander or evening stroll is a natural mood enhancer!

Plus, lots of wildlife is particularly active at the beginning and towards the end of the day, so you never know what you might stumble across. I’ve watched foxes sunbathing in the early morning sunlight and been enchanted by dancing pipistrelle bats at twilight.

Keep your eyes peeled for birds like treecreepers (so called because they literally creep up the bark of trees) in the early part of the day and barn owls at dusk, and listen out for robins and wrens in the mornings and the hoo-hooing of tawny owls once it’s dark. Reptiles like grass snakes and adders are fond of the warm morning sun (they like to bask on rocks), while mammals like hedgehogs, bats and foxes give the evening its nocturnal magic.

Take your exercise outside!

We all know that exercise is good for us, but do you know that it’s even better for you when done outdoors?

Studies show that exercising outside lowers both your blood pressure and your heart rate, which has the added bonus of making exercise feel less strenuous than if you did the same or similar indoors. I’d call that a natural win! So cancel that gym membership, save some dosh, and get your body moving out in gorgeous green spaces. Whether it’s walking, jogging, circuit training or yoga, you’ll feel physically and mentally better for doing it outside.

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EAT GREEN FOR THE PLANET Dr Justine Butler, Senior Researcher and Writer at Viva! Health, reveals why a vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth

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Viva! Health is a part of the charity Viva!, Europe’s largest vegan campaign group. It monitors scientific research linking diet to health and provide accurate information on which you can make informed choices about the food you eat. viva.org.uk/health

or nearly 30 years, the United Nations has been bringing world leaders together for global climate summits. This year, from 31 October to 12 November, the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow. The aim is to agree coordinated action against climate chaos. More than 190 world leaders are expected to attend, along with government representatives and climate experts. This may be the world’s last chance to get the climate emergency under control before it is too late.

In 2015, governments joined together in the Paris Agreement to try to limit the global temperature rise to less than 2°C, ideally 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels – a threshold above which there may be devastating consequences. We have already broken through 1°C and are fast approaching 1.5°C. The world needs to halve emissions over the next decade and reach net zero emissions by 2050 if we are to meet the Paris target.

The UK government aims to cut emissions by 78 per cent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, and are committed to reaching zero emissions by 2050. In some respects, we are doing well. In 2012, 40 per cent of our electricity came from coal, now less than two per cent does. The government plans to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. It also says it wants to

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restore nature and implement radical reform to agricultural subsidies.

Previously, diet and agriculture has been conspicuously absent from government policies on climate change.

But are these pledges just hot air?

WHY IS DIET RELEVANT? Diet plays a big role in global heating.

Agricultural land use amounts to a quarter of all anthropogenic (resulting from human activity) greenhouse gases.

It’s more than the world’s transport, or industry, and a similar amount as electricity and heat production.

In a landmark 2018 study, scientists found that globally, meat, fish, eggs and dairy use 83 per cent of farmland, produce 58 per cent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, yet provide only 37 per cent of protein and a paltry 18 per cent of calories. Moving towards a plant-based diet, they said, could halve food-related emissions. Lead author and researcher at the University of Oxford, Joseph Poore, said: “A vegan

Above Cows are the new coal, with their farming responsible for huge amounts of global emissions.

diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth.”

Animal agriculture is the biggest land user in the UK, occupying almost half of all land. In their report Eating Away at Climate Change with Negative Emissions, Harvard researchers said that if we reforest farmland used for pasture and convert cropland used for animal feed to grow food for humans, we could produce more than enough protein and calories for everyone in the UK. At the same time, it would offset the equivalent of nine years’ worth of current UK emissions. They said: “Radical action, far beyond that currently planned, is required to reduce GHGs [greenhouse gases] steeply and rapidly in line with the Paris Agreement.”

ANIMAL PRODUCT IMPACT The UK imports 45 per cent of its food.

In 2019, we imported £6.6 billion worth of meat, £3.3 billion of dairy and eggs and £2.4 billion of animal feed. This pushes food-related emissions abroad and does nothing to reduce global emissions.

Expansion of animal agriculture is the biggest driver of deforestation as rainforests are destroyed to make way for livestock grazing and animal feed crops, drawing a direct link between burgers and steaks, climate chaos and environmental destruction.

A big problem is lack of transparency in livestock industries.

In 2019, the FAIRR Protein Producer Index found that, in contrast to the transport sector, only one in four

meat, fish and dairy producers even measure emissions let alone act to reduce them. These are the hidden suppliers to fast food outlets and supermarkets.

Jeremy Coller, Founder of FAIRR, said: “The Paris agreement is impossible to achieve without tackling factory farm emissions. Coal is a stranded asset, and cows are the new coal.”

FOOD WASTE PROBLEM Around 700 million people in the world go hungry every year, but about a third of all food produced for humans is thrown away. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation says: “If food wastage were a country, it would be the third largest emitting country in the world.”

The numbers are staggering: around a quarter of all meat is wasted – equivalent to 75 million cows. In Europe, 29 million tonnes of dairy products are wasted each year. Around eight per cent of all fish caught are thrown back into the sea – mostly dead, dying or badly injured. More are wasted after being sold and cooked.

An extraordinary number of living creatures are being raised, transported and killed for absolutely nothing.

The average UK family throws away over £700 worth of food every year. British charity WRAP says that the 4.5 million tonnes of food that could have been eaten, but gets thrown away, is worth around £14 billion. The emissions associated with this waste are equivalent to those generated by one in five cars on UK roads. It represents a major squandering of resources as well as needlessly producing emissions that contribute to the climate emergency.

BIODIVERSITY AT RISK We are experiencing Earth’s sixth mass extinction. One million animal

Above The colossal level of food waste is contributing to the climate crisis, which is causing the Earth's sixth mass extinction of animals and plants.

and plant species are threatened with extinction, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). IPBES Chair, Sir Robert Watson, says: “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever.”

Overfishing, increasing acidity and rising sea temperatures are having a devastating impact on marine biodiversity. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says: “By the year 2100, without significant changes, more than half of the world’s marine species may be on the brink of extinction.”

Phytoplankton (tiny marine algae) take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce around 50 per cent of the oxygen on Earth. They are declining by one per cent every year, according to NASA satellite data. If this continues, it won’t just be phytoplankton getting into hot water!

“A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE Changing the way you eat is the single most effective action you can take as an individual to lower your impact on the planet. If we are to stand any chance of achieving zero emissions – as the government claims to be our goal – changing our diet must be pushed to the top of the agenda at COP26. Viva! will be taking our environment campaign Vegan Now! to Glasgow, urging political leaders to take action before it’s too late.

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CHARLOTTE WILLIS Charlotte is an author, editor and content creator, whose interests and work promote sustainable living. Charlotte is a marketer for ethical brands, author of Vegan: Do It! A young person’s guide to living a vegan lifestyle, and a regular contributor to sustainability and plant-based publications. Find Charlotte on Instagram: @charlottesophiewrites.

Above A black vegan leather long jacket from Stand Studio.

Right A red vegan embossed leather bag from Hvisk.

Below Vegan faux leather Bermuda shorts from The Frankie Shop.

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Left Masha Sedgwick wearing a black Nanushka vegan leather dress.

Vegan leather alternatives Charlotte Willis discovers the exciting options available to replace animal leather

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an you wear leather and still be a vegan? Well, that’s one hell of a loaded question! As with many tricky grey areas in veganism, the question of whether a plant eater’s ethical focus extends beyond the food we eat and into our wardrobes is a hot topic within the plant-based community. While some vegans will happily buy and wear second-hand animal-based fabrics, such as wool and leather, other conscious individuals will oppose this practice, choosing to ditch the use of animal products in all their forms, wherever this is practicable and possible. Truth be told, there’s no right or wrong answer here. Luckily for us, no matter which side of the debating line we choose to position ourselves, some extremely bold and brilliant creatives have taken to their design studios and crafted some incredible plant-based leather alternatives that mimic the real deal, without the need for cows (or opinions) to get involved. Welcome to the wonderful, weird world of vegan leather.

THE PROBLEM WITH LEATHER Frequently, leather comes from cows that are bred, kept and raised solely for the purposes of milk and food production. These cattle often experience distressing existences and will, sadly, have their lives ended prematurely at the hands of the food and dairy industries.

Beyond these ethical issues lie concerns for the Earth. Some leather products are deceptively labelled as being environmentally friendly, but buying new leather products actually adds to the already enormous demand for ranching cattle, speeding up the encroachment of humans upon natural rainforest and wildland areas in order to grow feed crops and keep cattle. What’s more, the run-off from leather factories and tanneries spells disaster for nearby waterways and arable land, contributing to areas of dead zones and species depletion.

Manufacturing leather can also be extremely harmful for the tannery workers. Chromium tanning is the most common practice for leather manufacturing, preventing the leather decomposing in our wardrobes, while adding colour to the workers' skin. Processing leather creates toxic gasses and chemicals, including lead, arsenic and acids, which workers are frequently exposed to, leading to side effects such as skin reactions, kidney damage and irritation to the airways.

NO COWS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BAG All in all, producing leather is a pretty hazardous and harmful practice for all parties involved. This makes the wonderful advancements in textile design even more significant, and important, for vegans to support. To guide you through the process of selecting a new alternative fabric, here are some of the more innovative and exciting materials you’ll find on the plant-based market today...

Mushroom Leather. You might find it hard to believe, but your average stroganoff ingredient might just turn up in the next Prada campaign.

Mushroom leather was created in 2013 by a Danish product designer, Jonas Edvard, who used mushroom spores wasted from commercial oyster mushroom farms and plant fibres to create a material called MYX (after mycelium).

This leather alternative is environmentally friendly, made using manufacturing waste and natural hemp. The material is 100% biodegradable and compostable at the end of its wear, and is super lightweight and flexible. Mushroom leather products are set to be designed by brands such as Stella McCartney and Adidas in the not-so-distant future.

“The run-off from leather factories and tanneries spells disaster for nearby waterways and arable land”

Cactus Leather. A sustainable alternative made from the Opunia Cactus, this is a relatively new fabric originating from an organic cactus farm in Mexico. Only the leaves of the cactus are harvested, leaving the cactus core unharmed. This allows grow-back within 6-8 months, when more leaves can be harvested from the same plant. The harvested leaves are crushed, then dried in the sun for about 3 days, before being attached to a backing fabric with non-toxic chemicals. As you can imagine, cacti require very little water to grow, and can survive without irrigation, helping to make this partially biodegradable fabric one to watch for the future.

Pineapple Leather. If you don’t already love pineapple, here’s another way to enjoy this wonder-fruit! The pineapple’s leaves are frequently wasted by the food industry, but creating pineapple leather puts these hardy materials to good use.

The leaves contain long fibres, which are extracted by the farmers using a machine to help speed up the procedure. The process also creates an additional, nutrient-dense fertiliser or biofuel pulp, ensuring nothing is wasted from the pineapple. The extracted fibres are woven into a mesh, before being shipped for finishing methods to be applied abroad.

Pineapple leather has already made appearances in some H&M collections, and is set to become more commonplace in fashion.

Coolstone Leather. Believe it or not, you can make leather out of stone. Really! Coolstone leather is created using thin slices of slate stone that are sewn together to create a robust yet flexible material. The finish to the fabric resembles that of smooth leather, with a striking matte grey colour and a unique ‘worn’ look. Due to its sustainable credentials, we may see Coolstone leather take over from PU and PVC in the textile world.

Tree Bark Leather. What I love most about tree bark leather is that every piece is as unique and individual as the tree from which the fabric originated.

Before you spring into action and yell deforestation, producing cork bark leather is actually a sustainable practice that does not require the tree to be felled in order to harvest materials to create the leather alternative.

Even better, the cork bark grows back in a few years, and the occasional harvest from the tree actually helps prolong its life. What’s more, each harvested cork oak absorbs 3-5 times more CO2 than an unharvested one! Once the bark has been harvested, the cork is left to dry out for 6 months before being steamed and boiled to enable elasticity and stretch. The cork is then cut into thin sheets and attached to a strong backing material.

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Have pizza, pasta and risotto always been up there on your comfort food favourites, but you’ve never found vegan versions that quite compare? You’re in for a real treat when you download the Vegan Food & Living Italian issue today, packed with recipes such as squash and pearl barley risotto, classic carbonara, mushroom and spinach calzone, plus pizza rolls filled with Bolognese.

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Join our email newsletter community today to download this issue, and we will also send you 2 newsletters a week, the first packed full with the latest vegan news including new plant-based product launches.

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PROMOTION

THE BEST VEGAN LEATHER ALTERNATIVES Want to get your hands on the latest vegan leather alternatives? Look no further than these stylish accessories...

NAE MELANY BLACK Introducing Melany Black – the smart, minimalist ankle boot with laces and a shape. Made from high-quality vegan plain-toe shape leather; a sustainable, innovative, cruelty-free, water-resistant and durable material material, they’re beautifully hand-constructed eautifully handconstructed in Portugal in a fair work environment. €129, nae-vegan.com/en/

MATISSE LANE CHUNKY BOOT aterin to comfort as much as stature, choose these Lane ankle boots for multi-functional sty in . ee in ve an atent eather these b ts are modelled on Chelsea styles with elasticated side inserts and ankle pull tabs. Chunky lug soles and block heels will keep you stylish and steady on your feet. $95, matissefootwear.com

LABANTE MAGNOLIA FOREST GREEN MINI BOWLING BAG The Magnolia Forest Green Mini Bowling Bag encompasses all that’s great about sustainable design. Wear it as a cross-body on a walk or casual day out or glam it up for the evening with gold hardware that twinkles like jewellery. It’s a beautiful bag that’s made to last. What’s more, LaBante plants 10 trees for every purchase made from its website, effectively wiping out up to 25% of your annual carbon footprint. Doing good has never looked so good. Use code ANTHEM10 for 10% off everything on the site. e blabante.co.uk

ELVIS & KRESSE FIRE-HOSE POST BAG Entirely vegan, ethical, sustainable and charity supporting, the Large Post Bag by multi-award winning environmental British luxury brand, Elvis & Kresse, is handcrafted from genuine vintage n n re h se. It’s also uses reclaimed parachutes for the lining to create a r e s a ay ba that makes a statement. What’s more, the r ts are donated to The Fire Fighters Charity! £225, elvisandkresse.com

KULA BAGS BRIDGEWATER BACKPACK This everyday vegan backpack brings together classic and modern design with inspiration from the traditional American ‘grocery’ bag. The Bridgewater features multiple zipped pockets,which are perfect for keeping you organised while on the go. The Kula collection is designed using Texon Vogue - a durable and washable paper that has been accredited by the FSC and Oeko-Tex for its sustainability. £35, kulabags.co.uk VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM 107

Essential oils Kim Brookes from Perfino investigates where essential oils come from and asks if they are sustainable and vegan?

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s with everything, you get what you pay for when you buy essential oils. Rose Otto, otherwise known as rose essential oil, retails at around £48 for 2.5ml (half a teaspoon). Why is it so expensive?

Well, consider how it is made. It takes about 10,000 roses to produce 5ml of this precious oil or, put another way, five dozen roses to make a single drop.

Rose essential oil is extracted through steam distillation. The harvesting of flowers is traditionally done by hand in the morning before sunrise. Large stills are filled with the roses and water. The still is then fired for an hour or so. The vapourised water and rose oil leaves the still, enters a condensing apparatus, and is then collected in a flask. This yields a concentrated oil. The water that condenses with the oil is then drained off and distilled again. The two collections, combined, make the final rose essence, or Rose Otto essential oil.

An Absolute, which again may be familiar as a rose oil, is traditionally made using the enfleurage method – but this product isn't vegan. Enfleurage

is an old technique and works on the principle that animal fat, or beeswax, dissolves essential oils and thereby absorbs their aromas. The flowers, again hand-picked, are placed between layers of the fat or beeswax, repeatedly, over several days, until the fat becomes saturated with flower oil, producing a ‘pomade’. To extract the Absolute the fat or wax is then dissolved in alcohol.

This is the most labour intensive, and time-consuming way to make an Absolute, but it is the only way possible for some of nature’s most delicate flowers, and so the price for the real thing stays high (and non-vegan).

The price of Rose Absolute can come down when carbon dioxide extraction is used, and this process also makes it accessible to vegans. In this method, the CO2 is put under high pressure.

This turns it into a liquid that combines with the plant matter and acts as a solvent extracting the oils or resin. It operates at lower temperatures with no toxins, and is therefore the cleaner way of producing essential oil. When the CO2 is brought back to natural pressure it returns to its natural state, leaving

Above Omani man collecting frankincense, Dhofar Governorate, Wadi Dokah, Oman.

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Above A skilled Indian worker prepares sandalwood agarbattis – incense sticks – at a small scale industry in Ahmedabad.

Agarbattis are in si ni ant e an during the Diwali festivities.

the resulting pure oil.

The best essential oils are grown sustainably and imported by wholesalers who regularly inspect not only the growing methods, but also the work practices of the farmers or growers and have a historical and regular relationship with the growers.

Roses are grown annually and can be repeatedly harvested, but some plants are less fruitful, more difficult to harvest, and it’s critical they are protected to ensure species sustainability. One such plant is Frankincense.

FRANKINCENSE Frankincense has been used for many years as incense and as a symbol of holiness, as it’s so wonderfully fragrant when burned. The oil is derived from the resin of the Boswellia tree, which typically grows in the dry, mountainous regions of India, Africa and the Middle East, often in the most hard-to-get-to 8-10 years before the places. It takes 8 tree, when tapped, yields the streaks of resin, called tears. Wild harvested by making perforations in the bark of the trunk, the tears are collected and then steam distilled to make the essential oil.

Experts say that the tree should be cut no more than 12 times a year to keep them healthy. When cut, the resin leaks out and, much like a scab, protects the tree from infection so the wound can heal. If this happens too much and the healing resin is removed, the tree will ultimately suffer and die.

In the mountain regions of countries like Somalia this is difficult to monitor as the trees grow in areas with harsh climates, often plagued by poverty and conflict, and may be the only source of income for local people. It goes without saying that anyone sourcing Frankincense should be clear that it is being sourced sustainably.

A similar dilemma exists for Rosewood, the world’s most trafficked item, even beating ivory to this unenviable title. In the case of Rosewood, CITES has put restrictions on the trade of all 300 species, in an attempt to clamp down on illegal logging of this timber. Having plundered the forests of Southeast Asia to virtual extinction, traffickers have turned to West Africa and Central

America. The good news is that reputable suppliers of this essential oil will always sell it with a CITES certificate, so you can trace the origin of the oil you are using and be sure it is grown and harvested sustainably.

“Happily, the horror stories of man abusing nature are counterbalanced by the occasional success story, where plants have been sustainably grown sustainably”

SANDALWOOD The situation is similar for Sandalwood, a vulnerable species, but one prized in perfumery for its heartwood and roots. As a result of uncontrolled harvesting in India, where it is valued for its use in perfumes, soaps, incense, cosmetics and medicines, it is increasingly being grown under government protection.

India has imposed an export ban on Sandalwood and instigated conservation measures to protect this species in their country. Sandalwood is now mainly grown sustainably in plantations in Australia, so again you need to be sure where your Sandalwood oil is being sourced.

Happily, the horror stories of man abusing nature are counterbalanced by the occasional success story, where plants have been grown sustainably and man has applied his ingenuity for good. Vetiver is one such success story.

Vetiver is a tall grass and the root structure can grow to a depth of 20 feet, which makes it fantastic at preventing soil erosion and promoting soil conservation. It is grown for a multiplicity of uses, from basket weaving to Ayurvedic medicine, and as it can be planted and harvested in a two-year cycle, is a sustainable product and one that provides tremendous support to agriculture practices and earnings around the world.

In Haiti, Vetiver is grown as a cash crop for the essential oils found in the roots, produced through steam distillation after much washing and drying to remove impurities and enhance the natural oil production.

It’s a mixed bag when it comes to the sustainability of essential oils, so be sure to check the provenance, trust who you're buying from and use these oils with the respect they deserve.

Above A worker at the Bin Salman farm sits amidst freshly picked Damascena (Damask) roses used to produce rose water and oil, in the western Saudi city of Taif. Every spring, roses bloom in Taif, transforming pockets of the kingdom's vast desert landscape into fragrant pink patches. And for one month in April, they produce essential oil that is used to cleanse the outer walls of the sacred Kaaba, the cubic structure in the holy city of Mecca towards which Muslims around the world pray.

Kim Brookes Kim is the founder of Perfino, an innovative natural scent jewellery brand. Perfino combines expertly blended, 100% natural, pure essential oils with exquisite jewellery so you can wear scent all day long without chemicals touching your skin. The solid recycled silver and 18ct gold vermeil, artisan-designed pendant comes with six lava stones and 10ml of carefully blended natural essential oils – all sourced from sustainable growers. One drop of oil on the pendant stone gives you a delicate fragrance that can last for days – perfino.co.uk

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Vegan beauty box Try our pick of ethical vegan products to help you look and feel gorgeous

Smart Skincare's 1% Bakuchiol (Retinol) Night Cream

Polished London’s a b thbr sh These beautifully designed Polished London Bamboo Toothbrushes are produced using renewable, 100% biodegradable and sustainable bamboo. The bamboo is carefully selected as the panda-friendly Moso, making them the perfect eco-conscious and ocean-friendly alternative to plastic toothbrushes. £4.99, polishedlondon.com

This fragrance-free cream is a plant-based alternative to retinol. It helps to reduce wrinkles and acne, while working to improve skin tone and condition for a healthy looking and younger complexion. Parabenfree, with a blend of carrier oils and antioxidants, it's enriched with aloe vera, vitamin A and E. A must have for your beauty regime! £14.95, smartskincareproducts.co.uk

Friendly Soap’s Lemongrass & Hemp Soap If it’s a double-dose of refreshment you crave, look no further than this all-natural soap with its uplifting aroma from steam-distilled lemongrass essential oil. Hemp bran gently exfoliates your skin while you wash, making it smooth, rich and naturally moisturising too. Each bar is made with coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil, lemongrass oil and hemp bran. £2.25, friendlysoap.co.uk

O&RA Cosmetics’ Frankincense Foaming Shower Gel Natural frankincense oil combines with tea leaf and ginseng for a relaxing and refreshing spa moment. The oil is extracted from a rare handharvested resin from Oman. It hydrates and protects the skin, soothes the s a an re es in a ati n.

The packaging is eco-responsible, minimalist and recyclable. Buy online for a free 250ml Fresh Shower Gel. £23, ora-cosmetique.com

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Watermans' Grow Me® Shampoo

Zero Waste Path’s 2in1 Solid Shampoo + Conditioner

This shampoo is formulated with premium natural ingredients such as biotin, caffeine, argan oil, niacinamide and allantoin, which work together to make your scalp the optimal place for hair growth.

Containing vitamins and antioxidants to moisturise the scalp and strengthen the hair, Watermans Grow Me is ideal for men and women with all hair types. £13.95, watermanshair.com

This 100% vegan, zero waste, palm oil-free shampoo bar even works in hard water areas! Handcrafted in Cambridge using high-quality organic ingredients, the bars come in four different types so you can choose the one that is perfect for you. Zero Waste Path is a vegan-owned brand and a Real Living Wage employer. £7.50, zerowastepath.co.uk

Freshly Cosmetics’ Curly ibes e nin rea

dot.cosmetics’ Rise & Shine Soap Bar

If you're looking for elastic, smooth, zero-frizz curls, then you are in for a treat. Made with 99.9% natural actives, without silicons or petroleum derivatives, this cream hydrates, restores and improves the elasticity of curly hair, reducing frizz and improving shine. It's vegan, proteinfree, and compatible with the curly girl method. £15, freshlycosmetics.com

An uplifting and refreshing soap bar that's packed with zesty and brightening lemon and lemongrass essential oils. The addition of annatto powder gently exfoliates, leaving skin smooth and relaxed, while calendula acts as an anti in a at ry. £7.50, dotcosmetics.co.uk

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Prism Polish UK’s Intergalactic Polish Long lasting, easy to apply nail polish, Prism Polish UK creates unique and beautiful colours by hand.

An independent small business that keeps ethics at their core with handmade artisan nail polishes that last and last – what’s not to love?! Shown here is gorgeous Intergalactic; a black, purple, turquoise shifting multichrome galaxy on your nails. £9.50, prismpolish.co.uk

Zuzka Natural Beauty’s Bio Marine Sculpting Kit

SEY Shea Lipstick SEY shea cruelty-free and vegan lipsticks are designed with shea butter. Shea butter helps moisturise the lips, softens dry skin and gives a ni e s th nish – great for anyone who gets dry lips in cold or windy conditions. The blend of natural plantbased ingredients provides a rich luxurious colour, while all ingredients se are r ani a y erti e . animal by-products are used, nor are products tested on animals. £16.50, seycosmetics.co.uk

PROMOTION

Therapia Pura’s Pure & Natural Magnesium Flakes

Ametrine Skin’s Green Gold Balm

These 100% natural magnesium a es are er e t t he a hin muscles and support skin and bone health. Magnesium is an essential mineral for over 300 enzymatic reactions within the body. Around 70% of all adults in the UK may be e ient in this essentia inera .

Add to your next bath or foot soak to ee the bene ts this inera .

From £12.99, therapiapura.com

If you love minimalist skincare routines, then this multipurpose balm is for you as it has 10 different uses in one. Use as a makeup remover or cleansing balm for clean, soft skin with a soft protective layer that traps in hydration and moisturises when left on the skin. Suitable for face, body, hands and nails. Use code 'VBeautyBox15' for 15% off. £15 for 30ml, £28 for 60ml, ametrineskin.com

Replenhair’s Aloe Rice Water Moisturiser

Castorshea’s Self-Care Pamper Box

High performance products ith the thera e ti bene ts marine algae, salts and sea minerals.

The kit contains a detox hand and body wash/bath soak, a sculpting body lotion to tone and refresh the skin, and a bio-marine massage soap that's specially designed to use on cellulite areas. £40, zuzkanaturalbeauty.co.uk

Hand sanitiser done differently. Wave goodbye to plastic and sticky hand gels and say ‘hello’ to TwistMist – a sleek, reusable aluminium dispenser e iverin er ne ist s rays with eco-friendly recyclable glass sanitiser re s. at ra y ra ran e with exquisite essential oil blends, it’s also moisturising, non-sticky, vegan an r e ty ree. r y r rst order, use code 'VEGAN20'. £5-£15, winchyhands.com

Made with potent aloe vera and rice water, this moisturising spray is designed to nourish and strengthen weak and dry hair. Handmade in the UK and full of natural ingredients, your frizz will be tamed, your scalp soothed, damaged hair restored and faster new hair growth promoted while keeping your hair hydrated. £16.99, replenhair.com

Self-care encourages you to maintain a healthy relationship with yourself so that you can transmit the good feelings to others. There are three types of self-care pamper box. Box 1 includes bath salts, body butter, candle, sugar scrub and a soap bar, box 2 includes a bath bomb, body butter, candle, sugar scrub and soap bar and box 3 includes shower steamers, body butter, sugar scrub, candle and a soap bar. £20, castorshea.com

Che Organics’ Aloe & Rose Water Toning Mist

TIYATI's Nourishing 3in1 Shampoo Bar

Serenna’s Night Boost Phyto Treatment

Vaia Beauty's Long Lasting Matte Liquid Lipstick

This is a gentle cleansing toner made with organic rose water, aloe vera and hibiscus extract, which acts to refresh and brighten skin. It will also help to gently remove impurities and restore moisture with daily use. To enjoy 15% off your total order, use code 'vegan15' at checkout. £8.50, cheorganics.com

Shampoo, conditioner and body wash for all types of hair. Boasting strong conditioning properties combined with elements to ist rise r soothe and regenerate hair and skin, the bars are handmade with African marula oil and a white tea scent. n se ith ari ers the 3in1 bar strengthens and adds shine to your hair, while extract of calendula nourishes and stimulates hair growth. £2.50, tiyati.co.uk

Rejuvenate your skin while you sleep.

Blending organically grown CBD, 16 botanical extracts and hyaluronic acid, Night Boost’s unique formulation brings together plant-based wisdom an e a tin s ien e. r ts from Serenna’s vegan-friendly, crueltyfree and natural products are donated to The Circle NGO, championing en’s ri hts. r y r rst order, use code 'VEGAN20'. £36, weareserenna.co.uk

Vaia’s Matte and Glossy moisturising liquid lipsticks feel like a light breeze on your lips, and the long lasting colours are non-staining and have a smooth Stay-True colour. Vaia Beauty loves all women, and was founded to especially give women of colour the option of exceptional, healthy cosmetics made with them in mind.

Liquid Lipsticks €19, Matte LiQuid Lipsticks €22, Glossy Glow LiQuid Lipsticks €22, vaia-beauty.com

Winchy TwistMist

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ON S A 13 O LE CT

NEXT MONTH

Get set for

Christmas

PHOTO © HANNAH SUNDERANI FROM TWO SPOONS (TWOSPOONS.CA) *CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Preparation is key to stress-free festivities, so start planning your celebrations early with our not-to-be-missed recipes

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CLIMATE CHANGE Ahead of Glasgow's UN Climate Change Conference in October, discover the changes you can make to help our planet VEGAN FOR LIFE We reveal 10 key tweaks to your vegan diet that will benefit you as you get older

The vegan

directory Exciting new vegan products to try and love

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Reading this? So are others. Get your business noticed by advertising with us. Vegan Food & Living is always looking to introduce new brands to our wonderful audience of vegan readers and lifestyle enthusiasts.

Email megan.gibbings@anthem.co.uk or ella.bywater@anthem.co.uk for more information

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J A S M I J N ʼS F O O D F O R T H O U G H T

FOOD SYSTEMS SUMMIT Jasmijn de Boo, Vice President of ProVeg International, attended the UN Food Systems pre-summit and reports on the positive overall feeling, but a worrying absence of certain subjects s we’ve just launched the Diet Change Not Climate Change pledge, I attended the opening day of the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit – which was a slightly surreal experience. While nearly all of the speakers agreed that our global food system is broken, there were very few mentions of the actual ways in which the system is broken and almost no mention of the most significant thing we can do to fix it – transition away from the farming and eating of animals.

While advances in agriculture, food technology and supply-chain management have meant that middle-class consumers can have fresh fruit all year long, eat a steady supply of ready meals, and cook with ingredients sourced from around the world, the food system is hugely damaging to planetary and human health. From rampant deforestation, soil destruction, biodiversity loss, and climate change to the obesity and diabetes epidemics, along with the brutally sobering fact that every five seconds a child dies from malnutrition, it is clear that the food system is unsustainable and has failed to deliver on its promises.

A

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Yet, while a few speakers briefly touched on these specific issues, most of the discussions were vague to the point of absurdity, and, on the opening day at least, there was little mention of the actual structural problems at the heart of the food system, including the outsized impact of big business on the food system, the failures of the 20th century’s green revolution, and the negative impact of pesticides and fertilisers. There was almost no mention of the single most destructive elephant in the room – the hugely negative impact of animal agriculture and the farming of feed crops. So, three cheers for Inger Anderson, Executive Director of the UN’s Environmental Programme, who, without going into detail, spoke about the urgent need for a conversation around “big soy, big timber, and big cattle”.

Apart from Anderson’s pointed comments, for the most part the pre-summit was like talking about your house being on fire without mentioning the actual flames or the most obvious means of putting the fire out. Yet, at the same time, the sense of urgency was palpable. We know that we are in the midst of 114 VEGANFOODANDLIVING.COM

an emergency, not just in terms of climate change, whose deadline supplied the 2030 date for the transformation of the food system, but also in terms of biodiversity, pollution, general environmental destruction, social justice, and human and animal health.

ANIMAL AGRICULTURE Those who pay attention to such things will be very familiar with the notion that our food system is responsible for about a third of emissions and that animal agriculture is responsible for about 14.5 per cent of total emissions. But the 14.5 per cent figure is itself problematic. For one thing, it is based on the state of the livestock sector in 2005, and is likely higher now, given the development in animal consumption over the last 16 years.

In his book We Are the Weather, Jonathan Safran Foer shows in great detail that animal agriculture might in fact be responsible for half of the planet’s emissions.

Even that figure, regardless of its veracity or accuracy, underestimates the overall damage caused, since it doesn’t reflect the massive impact of animal agriculture on land and water use, the huge amount of pollution caused by inputs such as fertiliser and antibiotics and outputs such as manure runoff, or the massive damage to the planet’s non-farmed animals and local farming communities in the developing world. In short, the 14.5 per cent figure disguises the fact that we have essentially turned the planet into a giant factory farm in which farmed animals constitute the dominant life forms in terms of sheer mass. It is not an exaggeration to say that the role of animal agriculture in our food

system is easily one of the most destructive forces on earth and one that threatens the future of human civilisation.

BEEF INDUSTRY IN DENIAL Apart from a few visionary companies, the dairy and meat industries are more than happy to blithely ignore this existential threat and seem committed to continuing as they have done for the last 70 years or so. A statement released by the beef industry very much gives the impression that the animal-agriculture sector is a victim in all of this and is singularly opposed to accepting responsibility for its impacts. Instead, there is vague talk of making cattle farming sustainable, but without providing details, and no admission that the only way that meat and dairy can be remotely sustainable is by a massive downsizing. (While there are feasible arguments for the sustainability of small-scale animal agriculture, it's a moot point and functions only as a distraction from the issue – since the defining negative aspect of animal agriculture is precisely its scale.)

With the actual UN Food Systems Summit set to take place in September, there is a vital need to bring a stronger focus on making the transition to plant-based eating. This is not the only thing that is needed to fix our troubled food system and planet, but it is the single most necessary action. Without it, there is no possibility of the food sector being sustainable and no possibility of resolving the largest and most urgent challenges that human society has ever faced. You can help – take action by taking the ‘Diet Change Not Climate Change pledge’ on dietchangenotclimatechange.com

“THE SENSE OF URGENCY WAS PALPABLE”

JASMIJN DE BOO Jasmijn de Boo, MSc, DipEd, MRSB has worked internationally in the field of animal protection, education and veganism since 1999. She founded and led the UK political party ‘Animals Count’ from 2006 to 2010 (rebranded ‘Animal Welfare Party’, led by Vanessa Hudson). Jasmijn was the CEO of The Vegan Society from 2011 to 2016; and CEO of Save Animals from Exploitation (SAFE) in NZ for one and a half years. Jasmijn joined ProVeg International’s Executive Team as International Director in April 2018 and became Vice President, ProVeg International in May 2020. She supports the ProVeg offices in South Africa, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Poland, Germany and the US, and the China programme, and she oversees the expansion to India, and Belgium, as well as the international Communications team and Grants programme.