What a vegan eats in a week part 2.

This is the rest of my what I ate in a week post:

Thursday lunch - salad sandwich and a veggie samosa

Thursday dinner - veggie stir fry

Friday Breakfast - beans on toast

Friday Lunch - roasted red pepper and rice burrito with guacamole, salsa and side salad

Saturday Breakfast - vegan bacon roll

Saturday lunch - vegetable pizza with vegan cheese, dessert - peanut butter and caramel crispy rice square

Saturday Dinner - salad with marinated green olives

Sunday Breakfast - bagel with jam, orange

Sunday lunch - veggie wrap with nachos

Sunday dinner - roast vegetables, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, dessert - fruit salad

I hope you found this interesting and can see that a vegan diet doesn't have to be boring, and can be varied and filling.

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Super Quick Pitta Pizzas

Super Quick Pitta Pizzas are easy to make, taste great and are a quick meal when you've had a long day at work. They are fun to make with children too and taste lovely.

Makes 2 pizzas:

You will need:

1/2 jar of sundried tomato pesto

1/4 packet of veganic pizza cheese

1/4 red bell pepper, sliced

4 cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 wholemeal pittas

2 portobello mushrooms, sliced

1/4 red onion, diced

a few strips of smoked tofu

1 tsp olive oil

Fry the onions and mushrooms in the olive oil over a medium heat whilst the pittas are in the toaster.

Once the pittas are lightly toasted, spread with the tomato pesto.

Next add all of the chopped veggies, the fried veggies, the tofu and the cheese.

Place under a pre heated grill for 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

Eat and Enjoy!

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Crackers

In January, thoughts often turn to healthier alternatives and lighter meals after all of the festive fancies. One of my favourite light lunches or snacks are crackers with salad. There are many vegan-friendly crackers available at the major supermarkets, here are some of my favourites:

Jacobs Cream Crackers

Despite the name, these crackers contain no cream and no other dairy for that matter. They are delicious with vegan cheese, pate, salsa, and pickles.

Ritz Crackers

These are the little salty crackers of my childhood, perfect with vegan cream cheese and cucumber.

Milton’s Baked Crackers

These are a new cracker to come to the UK supermarkets. They are a Canadian brand. They produce a range of flavours and these crackers are lower fat, all natural ingredients and baked to perfection.

Jacobs Flatbreads

These come in a range of tasty flavours, and are great to use with dips such as hummus, cashew sour cream and chive or salsa.

Ryvita Thins

These are delicious served with dips like guacamole, salsa and hummus or spread with vegan cream cheese or pate.

Please note not all flavours of these brands are vegan. Please check the ingredients labels. A few of the flavours contain milk powder and some contain honey, but all of these brands have vegan-friendly flavours in their ranges.

Here's how I serve my crackers:

Which crackers are your favourites? Leave me a comment below. Come back tomorrow for a brand new Vegan Recipe of the Week.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...Christmas Vegan Treats - Cheese and Tree Decorations!

Welcome to a special VVR. This week I am showcasing two very special small independent businesses who are both producing something to make Christmas extra special this year.

The first is Good Carma Vegan Cheese. Good Carma is owned and ran by Charlotte Bates, she is vegan herself and handmakes her artisan cheese in Wales. Charlotte very kindly sent me a sample of both of her cheeses to try a few weeks ago and they were lovely. The first was called G-Veez and is a vegan alternative to goat's cheese. It was strong and tangy and spread well on crackers. The second was P-Veez a vegan alternative to Parmesan. This was nutty and crumbly with a good bite and worked really well on pasta. Both lasted well in the refrigerator too. You can purchase both cheeses direct from Charlotte's website for £3.50 for a large tub.

Here is the P-Veez on a delicious bowl of pasta:

And the G-Veez on a cracker:

The second company I am showcasing today is Heart Felt Hand Stitch shop on Etsy. This small handmade felt decorations company is owned and ran by Mel from her home in the Midlands. Whilst not vegan herself, she believes in making her products accessible to all so she only uses cruelty-free non-animal materials. Her felt is acrylic, she using animal-free glues and cottons rather than silks. She hand-makes, to order, bespoke animal decorations. You can order any animal you like and she will make you cute little Christmas tree decorations for just £3.50 each. She has made companion animal dogs and cats so far but will happily make other companion animals, sea creatures or wild animals for your home or Christmas tree. These make perfect gifts for animal lovers too.

She kindly sent me a cute version of one of Vegan Vox's rescue cats - as a gorgeous decoration for our tree this year:

So please check out these two independent business and invite a little vegan-friendly love into your home this Christmas.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto

This week it is Halloween and you may be carving a pumpkin or two in your house. If so, keep all of those seeds you scoop out of the middle and make this gorgeous Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto. Above I have tossed it through some spaghetti with vegan chorizo and Vegusto cheese, served with fresh basil and a side salad.

Here's what you will need (serves 4):

70g pumpkin seeds - shelled

2 Tbsp of grated vegan parmesan

2 tsp olive oil for roasting

2 cloves of garlic

20g basil leaves

30g parsley leaves

2 Tbsp lemon juice

80g olive oil for the pesto

salt to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 140C/Gas mark 1. Line a baking tray with tin foil.

Place the pumpkin seeds in a bowl, stir in the olive oil and salt to coat and spread out on the baking tray. Bake for around 15 minutes until they begin to pop. Remove from oven and leave to cool on the baking tray.

Combine the cooled pumpkin seeds, parmesan and garlic in a food processor for around 20 second until ground. Add the basil leaves, parsley, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse for another 30-40 seconds and combine to a coarse paste. 

Transfer to a bowl, taste and season with salt as required. Serve over hot pasta and grate fresh vegan cheese over the top.

Eat and Enjoy!

This keeps in the fridge for 48 hours.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...October's UK Vegan Food Swap

This month is my third month taking part in the UK Vegan Food Swap. As usual the lovely ladies at tohappyvegans.com paired us up with our partners. This month I sent my parcel to Ben and he said that he loved to cook, so I sent him the ingredients and a recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seed Pesto - the recipe will be available on my blog next week if you fancy trying it out for yourself.

As well as the ingredients for the pesto, I sent Ben some Frank Bars, Liquorice, Vegusto Cheese and Cofresh Lentil Chips.

My sending partner this month was a lovely lady called Jade. Jade sent me some fab goodies, some which I love and some which I have never tried before, which is exciting. We have also decided to remain pen pals which is great - vegan food and vegan friends - my two favourite things! :-)

Here's what I received in my package from Jade:

First I got a lovely card with a detailed letter introducing Jade and the choices that she sent me. It was very thoughtful and kind.

Next I got some sachets of miso soup - perfect for a quick lunch on the run.

The next item was a lovely choc orange bar from Morrisons, this tasted just like Terry's Chocolate Oranges from my non vegan days - lovely!

The next items I opened were some snack bars and hummus chips - great snacks for nights in by the fire or to keep in my bag when out and about.

My next treats were fruit based - healthy and tasty. Orange flavour raisins and some Bukhara raisins. Yum!

I had a selection of fruit and herbal teas:

Next I had some chocolate treats - handmade vegan chocolates and some chocolate strands for baking and on vegan ice cream.

I got some satay cooking mix which I can't wait to try with some tofu and rice.

And my final treats were these animal biscuits and wasabi chips:

I haven't tried all of my treats yet but the ones I have tried were lovely - so another successful swap this month, I'm already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to Ben and Jade and to tohappyvegans for organising it.

If you haven't signed up to the swap yet and would like to do so, please click here to sign up.

I hope to see some of you at the West Midlands Vegan Festival this weekend in Wolverhampton and it's not too late to email me for the meet up. If you fancy joining us for a drink please email veganvoxblog@gmail.com. I will be sending out details of the meet up tomorrow by email.

Have a great weekend.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx