The Ordinary Vegan - Sainsbury's Free From - Gluten Free Roasted Pepper Arrabbiata

Sorry for the long blogging break. The Vegan Grindhouse has taken over most of my waking hours of late and we have just returned from a lovely holiday in sunny Devon. However, I am back and blogging. This week TOV is a new frozen product from Sainsbury's. It is a Roasted Pepper Arrabbiata pasta dish which is vegan and wheat/gluten free. The pasta comes in a separate sachet from the arrabbiata sauce and you can oven cook or microwave. The meal was nice, not too spicy with a good texture and flavour, but would have been easy to make from scratch or just as quick to use a jar of sauce and some gluten free pasta. This ready-meal is pricey at £2.50, however for a quick frozen meal which is gluten and wheat free as well as vegan, it provides another option.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Hot Cross Buns

This week's TOV is a yummy British classic sweet bread - Hot Cross Buns. Sainsbury's Hot Cross Buns are vegan and taste yummy toasted and spread with a little vegan butter. Perfect!

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Summer Sandwiches - The Italian SLT & Homemade Chutney

Vegusto Hot Salami with Tomato and Red Onion Chutney and Rocket on a wholemeal Ciabatta Roll. 

Chutney Recipe

Ingredients:

250g red onions, sliced

500g tomatoes, chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

150g soft brown sugar

70ml red wine vinegar

Method:

Place all of the ingredients into a large pan and stir well. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 40 minutes until a jam-like consistency. Pour into a large sterilised jar and leave to cool completely. Keeps in the fridge for around 6 weeks.

The Sandwich

Ingredients:

A Ciabatta Roll

4 slices of Vegusto Hotsami

2 slices of beef tomato

A handful of rocket

A heaped tablespoon of chutney

Method:

Slice the Ciabatta roll lengthways in half.

Put the vegan salami slices on the bottom layer.

Add the tomato, then the rocket.

Finish with a generous layer of tomato and red onion chutney and put the top of the roll on.

Serve with mixed olives.

Eat and Enjoy!

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...Amy's Kitchen Rice Mac & Cheeze

I love Mac'n'Cheese. I missed it so much when I became vegan. Sure, I have made cheesy style sauces with nutritional yeast, but they never tasted quite like the real thing. Then I found Amy's Kitchen Rice Mac & Cheeze and I'm back in love!

The texture and taste are spot on, the sauce is the right thickness and creamy. It's made using Daiya cheese from the USA and is gluten-free and soy-free too! It is also Vegan Society Certified. The only downside is that is it expensive - around £3 for a small portion, which would only serve as a side dish or a snack. Obviously you could make your own for much cheaper, but this wins on the taste front.

Amy's Kitchen products are available from selected supermarkets, health food shops and online.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - The Food Doctor - Chipotle Chilli Wholeful Grains

I found these snacks at Home Sense but Food Doctor products can be found in many health food shops, supermarkets and online as well. 

These are a great vegan snack to keep in the car for a long journey, to take to the cinema or to keep you going at work. It's full of healthy grains and seeds - including pumpkin seeds, corn, broad beans, soya beans, black beans, brown rice, almonds, peppers, peas, chillies, lime, herbs and spices. It is labelled as suitable for vegans on the packaging and sells for around £2.50 for a 150g bag.

They are spicy and full of flavour and make eating nuts and seeds more fun! They are a good source of protein and high in fibre. Food Doctor do a range of vegan-friendly snacks which are based on whole foods. What is your favourite go to healthy savoury snack to top your energy levels up until your next meal? Share in the comments below.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Iced Belgian Buns from Waitrose

Update: It has been reported in May 2015 that these are no longer vegan, see comments below for details.

This week's TOV is a yummy cake from Waitrose Essential's range. This pack of two iced buns costs a pound and they are available from the bakery section in Waitrose supermarkets. They have a delicious sultana and lemon filling and are vegan. Yay!

What are your favourite surprising vegan bakery finds at supermarkets? Share with us in the comments below.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...Lush

I was lucky enough to receive this gorgeous Lush gift set for my birthday from a family member. I see Lush as a real treat, lovely fresh products, the majority of which are vegan and they label all of their vegan products in store and on the packaging, so it is easy when shopping. The products smell great and leave my skin feeling fab. The sugar scrub is a great exfoliator, the lemon soap bar is so refreshing, the olive shower gel is super moisturising and the smiley face massage bar is lovely at the end of a tiring day.

I like buying gifts for people from Lush, as it is a nice way to introduce non-vegans to cruelty-free beauty and bath products. I always end up with a little treat for myself at the same time :-). There are Lush stores all over the UK, click here to find your nearest shop. They also offer online ordering and gift wrapped boxes. They have great ethics and values and you can read about those here.

Where do you like to buy your vegan friendly bath and beauty products? Share in the comments below.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Vanilla Rock Cakes

Being vegan doesn't have to mean missing out on a lovely cakes with afternoon tea, as this vegan twist on the classic rock cakes/rock buns shows. 

Makes 12 cakes.

Ingredients:

250g self raising flour
90g caster sugar (plus extra for dusting)
90g of vegan butter
1tsp cinnamon
100g raisins
4 Tbsp vanilla soy milk (or regular sweetened soy milk and a teaspoon of vanilla essence)
Frylight

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C Fan).

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and stir in the caster sugar.

Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour and sugar mix using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Next add the cinnamon and raisins and stir through the mix.

Slowly add the vanilla milk a little at a time until the mixture comes together into a soft dough.

Spray a baking sheet with Frylight and divide the mixture into 12 balls and place on the baking sheet.

Bake in the centre of the oven for around 10 minutes until they are golden and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Sprinkle with caster sugar whilst still warm. Best eaten within 48 hours.

Eat and enjoy!

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Guest Recipe from Little Miss Meat-Free

For the first Vegan Recipe of the new year, I am very honoured to have a contribution from Little Miss Meat-Free (aka Katy). Katy is a passionate vegan home cook who enjoys creating dishes for family and friends. She also shares vegan recipes on the blog Little Miss Meat-Free. After living in south London for a few years, she has now returned to Yorkshire. You'll find Katy driving around in her beloved 'Mini' or baking a cake in her small kitchen. 

Katy's blog can be found at:

 

http://littlemissmeatfree.blogspot.co.uk

or you can follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Lilmissmeatfree

Borlotti Bean Bake with Winter Herb Dumplings

Nothing beats the aroma of winter herbs baking in the oven. Team this with seasonal vegetables and savoury borlotti beans for a true ‘comfort-food’ experience. Serve straight from the oven with fresh crusty bread.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the bake:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large potatoes, cubed

1 onion, chopped finely

3 carrots, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

3 celery sticks, chopped

400ml water

1 tin Borlotti beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp salt

½ black pepper

For the dumplings:

200g white plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp dried sage

½ tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp thyme

250ml soya milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. In a large casserole dish, add the oil, potatoes, onion, carrots, garlic and celery and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
3. Pour in the water and Borlotti beans. Stir in the cornstarch. Add the paprika, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and black pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. In the meantime, prepare the dumplings. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, sage, rosemary and thyme in a bowl. Make a well and stir in the soya milk until it forms a thick dough.
6. Place tablespoon sized amounts of the dumpling dough on top of the casserole. Place the lid on the casserole dish and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Little Miss Meat-Free

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For more of my recipes, click here.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...2013!

Wow, what a year! 2013 started with me becoming vegan after a quarter of a century as a vegetarian, the birth of this blog, a career change, many new friendships, opportunities and experiences. Some fabulous vegan food shows, writing for some amazing vegan publications, blogs, organisations and websites. I featured some amazing guest bloggers and wrote over 25 new recipes and reviewed many vegan items. We had a new addition to our family in the shape of rescue kitten - Pickle, Mr Vox took part in the November Vegan Challenge and then sadly the year ended with the passing of Mr Vox's mum aged just 49 years. 

However, Vegan Vox Blog is back and raring to go for 2014, with many new exciting projects happening throughout the year, starting with The 2014 UK Blog Awards. 

This blog has been nominated in the food and drink category and now it's up to you to vote for me! Please click here to register your vote and as a thank you for voting you will receive a copy of the Little Book of Blogging Inspiration which features interviews and case studies of over 30 top UK bloggers, lots of tips and insights. I am excited to share with you that my blog has been featured as a case study in the book on pages 39-41. Enjoy reading! 

The blog will be back with the usual format next week:

Mondays - The Ordinary Vegan - everyday supermarket or high street brands and products which happen to be vegan, reviewed just for you. 

Tuesdays - Vegan Recipe of the Week - a brand new recipe created for you every week with step-by-step photographs to help you cook along with me. 

Thursdays - Vegan Vox Reviews... Each week I review a vegan product, business, blogger, book, restaurant, shop or place which I have visited. Honest opinions, photos, contact information and more. 

There is so much more coming to the blog and in store for Vegan Vox over the coming year which I can't wait to share with you very soon!!

A Very Happy New Year,

Big Vegan Love,

VVx