Vegan Vox Reviews...Vive Soy

A couple of weeks ago the lovely people at Vive Soy sent me a mixed crate to sample and review. The range of soy milks is great with Vanilla, Unsweetened, Chocolate, Light, Sweetened and Cappuccino flavours available. The milks are fortified with calcium and vitamins A & D and are suitable for vegans.

I decided to experiment with the different milks so I could recommend the perfect partner for the milk.

Here are my findings:

Vanilla

The Vanilla flavour is a perfect partner to coffee, cereal, smoothies and for baking cupcakes, Victoria sponge and rock cakes. I also used to make custard.

Unsweetened

The unsweetened is great for savoury dishes, such as creamy soups, curries, cheese-style sauces, pie fillings and for brushing on pastry before baking.

Chocolate

The chocolate is delicious straight from the carton in a tall glass with ice, but is also nice with cookies, for baking chocolate cakes and biscuits and in a hot chocolate.

Light

The light is great in tea and coffee, in smoothies and on cereal. Also good in soups and sauces.

Sweetened 

This is perfect in tea and coffee, milkshakes, smoothies and baking any desserts. Also tastes delicious on cereal.

Cappuccino

This is milky iced coffee in a carton. Just pour over ice and drink or add to coffee and walnut cake batter.

If you haven't tried any of the Vive Soy range, then give them a whirl. Hopefully I have given you some inspiration for different ways to use soy milk in your kitchen.

Vive Soy is available in most major supermarkets and health food stores and retails for around £1.25.

What is your favourite soy milk brand and you most inventive way of adding it into your cooking and meals?

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 Week - Puff Pastry Parcels

Yesterday I wrote a review of Jus-Rol pastry, so to tie in with that, this week's recipe is great for using left over pastry after making a pie.

Puff Pastry Parcels

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

Puff pastry offcuts
Marmite (optional)
Tomato Puree
Garlic Salt
Vegan Mozzarella (grated)
Vegan milk for brushing (unsweetened)
Frylight

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Roll the pastry offcuts out to around the thickness of a pound coin.

Cut out a square around the size of a A5 piece of paper and then cut in half diagonally leaving two triangles of pastry. Repeat this process so you have four triangles of pastry.

Spread two of the triangles with tomato puree and sprinkle with garlic salt.

Spread the other two with a thin layer of Marmite. (If you don't like Marmite, make all four using the tomato puree and garlic salt)

Sprinkle grated mozzarella (I used Cheezly) over all four triangles and then gather the three corners up to the middle and pinch together to form a parcel.

Spray a baking sheet with Frylight and place all four parcels on the sheet.

Brush them with any unsweetened vegan milk and chill in the fridge for ten minutes.

Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for around 18-20 minutes until golden.

Serve as a starter.

Eat and Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this recipe, please click here to see all of my other recipes.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Mr Vox's Vegan Challenge Update

It's been over a month now since Mr Vox started his Go Vegan Challenge and he is back as a guest blogger today to let us all know how he got on and whether he has taken the decision to stay vegan for life...

Vegan Challenge Conclusion by Mr. Vox

I am now at the end of the Vegan Challenge, which has been interesting and challenging.

I have enjoyed my time doing this challenge as it has made me look more into my food and what I'm eating, I have had to substitute or alter what I would normally eat with a vegan option or omit it altogether.

I managed to get hold of some Veganic Pizza Cheese not long after the first blog post and that was the cheese that didn't work for me when I used it but I thought I would give it another try and do something different with it. So I made Quesadillias with the cheese in a griddle pan and they turned out great! The cheese melted similar to cow's cheese and tasted fine with some flavour.

I started using vanilla flavoured soy milk in my tea and coffee and it made them have a subtle hint in the drink, which was very nice and it also allowed me to cut down on my sugar. I still have a couple of different milks at home to try so I am looking forward to trying them when I get the chance. I am also going to (when I need to) buy milks from different sources, like oat, and see what works with what where milk is needed. I also tried this yummy Alpro Soya Chocolate Pudding.

In conclusion this was an eye opening experience to what I'm putting in and on my body and I'm feeling better for it even though I am still getting used to the dairy substitutes, but that was the same when I became vegetarian and I don't really remember how meat was at all so I think it will pass in time. Oh and I'm staying Vegan :)

Mr Vox

Here are some of the foods I've eaten during the challenge:

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Vegetable Pot Pie

There is nothing better on a chilly early winter's evening than a piping hot straight from the oven pie. Layers of pastry, creamy sauce and loads of winter vegetables, served with steamed vegetables and gravy. Just perfect! So here is my recipe...

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pack of vegan ready made puff pastry

1 leek

100g frozen peas

Half a butternut squash

300ml organic soy milk- unsweetened plus extra for brushing pastry

300ml vegan stock

3 medium carrots

1 yellow onion

35g plain flour

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp dried chives

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 Tbsp apple cyder vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Take the pastry out of the fridge for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Wash, peel and chop all vegetables into small chunks/slices.

Boil the vegetables (except the onion and peas) for 20 minutes in salted water. Add the peas in for the last 5 minutes. Drain the vegetables and set aside.

Fry the onion in the oil in a large pan, once soft add the rest of the vegetables to the pan and coat with the flour. Continue to fry off until the flour is absorbed.

Next add the stock and the soy milk and stir to combine. Add the herbs and seasoning and simmer for around 5-6 minutes until thickened. Add the apple cyder vinegar and take off the heat.

Pour the pie filling into 2 medium pie dishes or one large casserole dish.

Roll the pastry out to around 1/2 cm thick and lay over your pie dish. Cut around the edge with a knife and push the pastry into the edge of the pie dish with your fingers. Make a few small holes in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape. Brush the top of the pies with the milk and bake in the preheated oven for around 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden. 

Serve with steamed vegetables and gravy.

This pie will keep in the fridge for 48 hours and can be frozen. Feel free to substitute the vegetables for whatever you have in your cupboard. I have used kale, potatoes and courgette in this pie also. If you liked this recipe, please click here to see my other recipes.

Eat and Enjoy!

Big Vegan Love,

VVx