Vegan Vox Reviews...Essential Vegan Cookbook by Vanessa Almeida

This week on VVR I am reviewing Essential Vegan Cookbook by Vanessa Almeida. On Tuesday, Vanessa shared her Chocolate Cheesecake recipe with us here at Vegan Vox Blog and this book is full of more delicious recipes which are just as simple and tasty.

Vanessa Almeida is an accomplished Brazilian vegan chef based in London. Having moved to England with her husband Neni in 2007, Vanessa spent the last few years responding to the diverse range of cuisine peppered across the UK capital by crafting a sumptuous collection of plant-based dishes. With a background in nutrition studies (specialising in veganism), Vanessa thrills in educating her blog readers on how they can incorporate healthy and hassle-free food into their everyday lives. Her Essential Vegan site is a popular destination for vegan recipes and preparation tips.

Essential Vegan Cookbook is a visually stunning collection of over 60 tasty and delicious recipes inspired by the author’s colourful life experiences. Satisfying her desire to educate and inspire others in the kitchen, Vanessa likes nothing more than combining healthy ingredients to create delicious recipes, proving that vegan food needn’t ever compromise on flavour. A unique component of Essential Vegan is the inclusion of health tips listed by ingredient, featured throughout the book in easy to find, miniature chopping board graphics.

With dishes ranging from vegan versions of Brazilian staples to luscious dairy-free cheesecakes, Essential Vegan Cookbook is the perfect companion for both seasoned vegan eaters and those looking to include more plant-based eating in their lives. This world-class collection of easy-to-prepare, healthy meal ideas is sure to be a hit in any kitchen. 

There are some lovely recipes in the book which Vanessa has shared with me including Marinated Aubergines, Chocolate Cheesecake and Tofu Minced Meat. I have tried a couple of these recipes so far and they are easy to follow and taste fab! This would make a great Christmas gift for the vegan in your life. 

Essential Vegan Cookbook is available to buy online at essentialvegan.co.uk. Images used with permission from essentialvegan.co.uk/Vanessa Almeida.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Cheesecake by Vanessa Almeida

This week's VROTW is not one of mine, it is from the Essential Vegan Cookbook by Vanessa Almeida. Vanessa kindly sent me a guest recipe for my blog and I will be reviewing her book on this Thursday's Vegan Vox Reviews.

Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Base
• 13 vegan digestive biscuits crushed
• 1/2 cup vegan margarine melted
Filling
• 420g firm tofu
• 250g dark chocolate melted
• 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
mixed with 100ml water (blend it
together well to make a paste)
• 4 tbsp agave syrup
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 70g shredded almonds for topping

Method:

This “cheesecake” is so delicious that you won’t quite believe it’s vegan. A sophisticated dessert that melts in your mouth, it’s rich, chocolatey and rather heavenly. Indulge yourself!

Base

Grease an 8 inch round springform baking tray.

Crumble the biscuits in a food processor.

Mix it thoroughly with the melted margarine and spread the biscuit base mixture evenly across the baking tin, pressing it down firmly with your fingers.

Filling

Put the tofu in the food processor and blend it until smooth.

Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time and beat it until all the ingredients are nicely blended in.

Using a spatula pour the filling onto the base and sprinkle the chopped almonds on top of the cheesecake.

Cover with tin foil and place in the fridge overnight, or alternatively in the freezer for about 3 hours, before serving.

So a huge thanks to Vanessa for this week's recipe and if you want to see more of Vanessa's delights click here. For more of my recipes, click here. Come back on Thursday for a review of the book.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Recipe and photos used with permission from essentialvegan.co.uk/Vanessa Almeida (2013)