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

The Ordinary Vegan - Earth Balance Buttery Popcorn

Now for those of my readers in the USA, you may be wondering why I have never mentioned Earth Balance products before and my UK readers are probably wondering why this would be on TOV and not on Vegan Vox Reviews. Well my vegan friends, here are the answers.

US readers, here in the UK we do not have access to these wonderful vegan products by Earth Balance which is why I have never featured them before. UK readers, this is not a special product I have been sent for review...I found these at Tesco!! In large Tesco stores at the moment they are trialling American vegan, gluten-free and free-from products. I am hoping if they sell well they may become a regular feature so grab them whilst they are hot!

This huge 170g bag of Earth Balance Buttery Popcorn is labelled as vegan, gluten-free, is non-GMO and contains no trans fats.

They taste buttery and rich and how I remember non-vegan butter popcorn tasting. I was so excited to see these in Tesco. They sell for around £2 and they also had by Earth Balance: Sea Salt Kettle Chips, Peanut Butter Popcorn and Peanut Butter spreads.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Travels...to Berlin

Berlin is a wonderful city for many reasons, the history, the architecture and the people, but as a vegan, it is a paradise – full of vegan choices at every turn.

Here are some of the highlights:

All over the city there are kebab shops, but unlike the UK versions, all of these serve delicious falafel in pitta with salad. A great vegan-friendly option if you need something fast!

There are a few chains of organic shops and health food stores, such as Viv Stores and LPG, which have a wide variety of vegan products and an entirely vegan chain of food shops called Veganz – these are filled with mock meats, cheeses, store cupboard essentials, sweets and drinks including the American brands such as Tofurky, Gardein and Daiya. There is also a coffee shop attached to Veganz – Goodies which sells amazing cakes, paninis, brownies and more. Nearby there are other vegan boutiques selling shoes and clothes such as Avesu and DearGoods. Nearly every shop sells vegan-friendly Fritz Cola if you fancy a soft drink and we found almond and soy options as well as at least one vegan cake at most coffee shops.

Dr. Pogo is an independent vegan shop selling a wide range of chocolates, sweets, mock meats, cheeses, ready meals, drinks, whole foods, skincare and cleaning products.

You have to try the following restaurants/eateries too:

Sfizy Pizza – An all-vegan pizzeria with over a hundred different pizza options on the menu!

Voner – An all-vegan doner kebab shop!

Asia Gourmet – Choose your noodles, veg, tofu and sauce. Eat in or take away.

Vego Cafe – An all-vegan fast food cafe – think hot dogs, burgers, chips, bratwurst etc.

Delores – A Mexican burrito place with two vegan options.

Cupcake Cafe – Lots of vegan cupcakes, cakes and cookies.

Mio Matto – A gourmet veggie/vegan restaurant.

Goura Pakora – An all-vegetarian eatery with many vegan options.

There are so many more all over Berlin, you would need a month to try them all!

Go and visit because Berlin is a perfect weekend break destination for vegans. Have you been to Berlin? Is there somewhere else we should try or have missed out of this brief guide? Let me know in the comments below.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

A version of this article has already been published in the TeenVGN MiniMag Summer Edition.

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Summer Sandwiches - Mexican Wrap

Mixed Beans with homemade Spicy Salsa, Lime Rice and Guacamole in a Soft Tortilla Wrap

For the Lime Rice:

Ingredients:

100g red rice, steamed

2 Tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

½ lime, zest and juice

salt and pepper to taste

dash of olive oil

Method:

Steam or boil the rice until cooked and then grate the zest of half a lime into the rice and stir. Add in the lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and coriander and stir well. Spoon into a bowl.

For the Guacamole:

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1/3 red onion, chopped finely

½ -1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 small plum tomato, finely chopped

1 Tbsp coriander, finely chopped

2 tsp lime juice

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 Tbsp of soya cream (optional)

Method:

Cut the avocado in half and remove the stone. Scoop the flesh from the skin into a bowl.

Mash the avocado with a fork until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir into the avocado. Add the soya cream if you like a creamier consistency and flavour. If not using immediately, cover with cling film directly onto the surface of the guacamole to stop it browning. Can be refrigerated for 24 hours.

For the salsa:

See my salsa recipe here

For the sandwich - serves 4:

Ingredients:

4 large soft flour tortillas

A tin of organic mixed beans

Lime rice

Salsa

Guacamole

Method:

Warm the tortillas in a large dry frying pan.

Spread a layer of guacamole along the centre of each tortilla.

Top this with a layer of salsa.

Add a few spoonfuls of mixed beans followed by a few spoonfuls of lime rice.

Roll the tortillas up folding in the sides as you go.

Cut in half before eating.

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