The Ordinary Vegan - Beanfeast Bolognese

Batchelors Beanfeast Bolognese is a dried packet mix to which you add water and heat in a saucepan to create a soya mince sauce to serve with spaghetti. It is quick and easy, it doesn't taste as good as making your own but if you need a satisfying meal for two in a hurry, it's great to keep in the store cupboard. The mix is sold at most major supermarkets for around £1 and takes around 12-15 minutes to make, so you can make it while the pasta is boiling. Serve stirred through spaghetti and grated with a little vegan cheese and vegan powdered parmesan. Great for a meal in a hurry! 

If homemade cooking is more your style, pop back tomorrow for my Vegan Recipe of the Week. 

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Parsley & Garlic 'Buttered' Corn

This week's Vegan Recipe of the Week is great as a starter or you can serve with corn on the cob and crusty homemade bread for a main meal.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms - serves 3

Ingredients:

3 large Portobello mushrooms

1 small onion

1 small carrot

1 Romero pepper

Vegan Mozzarella cheese - to taste

2 cloves garlic or 2 tsp lazy garlic

1 tsp lazy chilli

3 heaped tsp of shop-bought vegan pesto (or use my homemade recipe)

100g rice - steamed or boiled

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp tomato puree

Salt, Pepper and Nandos seasoning to taste

If serving as a main course:

3 corns on the cob
2 heaped Tbsp vegan butter
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp garlic salt
homemade crusty bread and vegan butter

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Peel the onion, garlic and carrot. Chop the carrot in half lengthways. Add the mushrooms (top down), carrot and pepper to a roasting tray and drizzle with half of the olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven for around 15 minutes.

Dice the onion and garlic and add with the chilli into a medium hot frying pan with the remaining oil. Stir fry for around 5 minutes until onions are soft.

Add the tomato puree and stir, then add the steamed/boiled rice to the pan.

Stir for a few minutes. Then add the roasted carrot and pepper chopped up into the pan. Stir until combined and add seasoning to taste.

Take the rice mixture from the heat and spoon a heaped spoonful into the roasted mushrooms. On top of the rice mixture add a heaped teaspoon of pesto, and then grate some vegan mozzarella cheese over the top. Season with pepper and Nandos seasoning and bake in the oven for a further 10 minutes.

Parsley and Garlic 'Buttered' Corn

To serve as a main course, wash and peel the corns and leave to one side. Spoon the vegan butter into a ramekin and add the parsley and garlic salt and stir vigorously with a fork until herbs are thoroughly combined. Smear the butter all over the corns and wrap in tin foil. Bake in the oven at 200C for 30 minutes. Serve with warm crusty bread and butter.

Eat and Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, click here for more.

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 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 - Festive Mince Pies

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without mince pies! And being vegan does not mean you have to miss out on the festive fun. Whether you want to opt for the super easy - assemble them yourself option or choose your fruits, soak them and bask in the homemade aromas filling your kitchen, I've got you covered.

This recipe is really easy to make and all of the family can share these festive pies. If you don’t want to make your own mincemeat, Sainsbury’s sell a jar which makes around 24 small pies for around £1, which is vegan! Even easier  VVx

Ingredients:

Jus-Rol ready rolled shortcrust pastry – All Jus-Rol pastry products are vegan and labelled so.

450g Sainsbury's Mincemeat in a jar or:

56g Vegan suet

56g Bramley apples, peeled and chopped

30g Candied peel

56g sultanas

56g Raisins

56g Currants

42g Demerara sugar

20ml Brandy – or Apple Juice for a non-alcoholic version

Frylight 

Soy milk for brushing pastry

Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and put into a sterilised jar overnight. 

The next morning, take the pastry out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Unroll the pastry and use a cutter slightly larger than the circumference of the pastry tart tin holes to cut the bases. 

Spray the pastry tart tin with Frylight and place the bases into the holes pushing into the edges.

Roll out the remaining pastry and cut out a smaller round top for each pie using a cutter.

Spoon a heaped teaspoon of mincemeat into each tart case and cover with a pastry lid. Pinch the lids around the edge to seal the pies and pierce the top with a sharp knife to create an air hole.

Brush the pies with a little soy milk and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan.

Take the pies out of the fridge and bake on the middle shelf for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned on top.

Place the pies on a cooling rack for 20 minutes to cool and then dust lightly with icing sugar.

Don't be afraid to be creative, add stars or lattice tops. Serve warm or cold on their own or with dairy-free custard.

Eat and Enjoy!

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

For more delicious easy vegan recipes click here.