#Italianfood theme 23rd october 2014

Ciao a tutti!

It was an all Italian affair at the last #Veganrecipehour. Talk about belly rumbling! Oh my goodness! There was some amazing dishes to drool over.

Let’s get straight to it and have a look at this Italian classic from @Ephemerienne Insalata Caprese is one of my top choices.

Vegans can’t have creamy things right? Nah, wrong! Take a peek at this #zucchini fettuccini with creamy #cashew sauce from @apriltui.

How about a nice #Lasagne? Oh yes! @LeicVeggie shared this yummy dish with us. Here is another recipe from @FettleVegan. This time for a #Spinach and wild #mushroom #lasagne with #basil #almond cream. Yum!I love the sound of this #glutenfree offering from @Sentientchef. This is a lovely #lentil lasagne with #cashew cream sauce. @VeganLass also shared her top Lasagne recipe.

On the Pasta theme, check out this #rawvegan version of a #Tagilatelle marinara with ‘cheese’ Gorgeous! Or a very veggie  Spaghetti #squash pasta? I love this stuff! Thank you @FettleVegan

This #sundriedtomato sauce from @apriltui sounds like a great versatile recipe. This pesto also sounds totally tasty.  Or an #Aioli #rawvegan. That will keep the Vampires away!  this #kale #pesto suggested by @VeganStella sounds so good! She replaced the Parmesan with cashew nuts. Here is another pesto from @FettleVegan. This time it’s a #Hemp seed #basil pesto.

How about some #pasta to go with those Pesto’s? @SlowClubCookery has it covered.

This 30 minute meal from @Vegancoaching looks very tasty! Pasta in a creamy #basil sauce. Why not try this Pasta Primavera from @Yogivegetarian. Tasty! I say Yum to this Spaghetti Aglio e olio Alla Oppo (garlic and olive oil) from @emisgoodeating.

You can’t go wrong with #Pizza! I like the look of this suggestion from @BatsandBaking. This Pinwheel #pizza from @TheFriendlyfig looks amazing! This #Taco night pizza from @Leicveggie looks rather special too. I’m positively drooling over this amazing @Fettlevegan pizza! Take a peek at this stunning Smoky Autumn Pizza from @Yogivegetarian.

You will find #gnocchi on most Italian menu’s. This #Pumpkin option looks lovely. Thanks @TheMoralMunch. Or a #sweetpotato version from @Yogivegetarian.

A lovely warming bowl of #Minestrone sound good? I believe it sounds great! Thank you @emisgoodeating.

How about an #Affogato to round it all off? Yum! Thank you @Ephemerienne! These Vegan baked Zeppole from @emisgoodeating look fab! or a nice  Orzo coffee to finish. Aaand breathe out…and change into elasticated waist trousers ;o)

#Vegankids theme 4th Spetember 2014

I thought we would try something a little bit different for this #veganrecipehour and I’m pleased to say that I think it worked it worked out well.

We forget that its not only adults that eat a #vegan diet, its Children too.  Maybe you have been Vegan from an early age and have brought your Kids up that way so its a natural progression. Maybe you have chosen to change your diet/lifestyle and now your whole family eat a different diet. Or, you need some help and advice on how to go about making vegan food appeal to your Kids as they are use to something different.

I know I personally fancied trying most of he things suggested during #veganrecipehour!

Many thanks to @VeganGeezer for the many suggestions and ideas during #VRH. there are so many what I cant do the justice. I recommend that you take a look at the @veganrecipehour twitter feed to catch up with them all. Here are a few to whet your appetite!

‘Always keep fruit & veg on show for #vegankids snacks’ (photo)

an interesting thought:

‘A good tip is to get talking to teachers here & there, after a while ask what if a vegan diet was a religious requirement?’

Take a look at these photos of an amazing meal from @sankariOm The suggestion of letting Kids build their own middle eastern vegan lunch.

‘Green falafel, hummus, pitas, mutubal, eggplant/yogurt dip, fruity cous cous’

Sounds divine! Thank you for sharing!

How awesome do these Marinated #tempeh #kebabs look and sound? @apriltui says they are a big hit with her Kids.

Who says dinner time has to be serious? These Funny Broccoli plates from @Ephemerienne are great fun!  (translate) A nice Mac ‘n’ cheese recipe usually goes down well!. How about #sandwich inspiration? How exciting does Monster potatoes and chard in a swamp sound!? Just look at those photos! How cool is that!?!

You cant go far wrong with a #Pizza. Thank you to @Potatostrong for sharing this idea  and these Fat free potato chips sound pretty fab too!

This is something I also really enjoy ‘Breaded #tofu in a bun’. If you treat #tofu the right way, press it, drain and season well, its a total revelation. I adore the stuff! thank you @TansysKitchen for sharing.

Have a peek at this photo from @TheMoralMunch. Isnt that a dinner that kids would love? that colours and flavours…yum! Paprika Sweet Potato Wedges + Guacamole + Homemade BBQ Sauce. Wow!

@lilmissmeatfree‘s Niece’s love these #Pea and #courgette #fritters. I’m sure I would too!

Talking of gorgeous photos, this one from @Flavourphotos is fabulous! She says:

‘I like adding lots of ‘goodness’ to things that are treats, e.g. seeds, dried fruit, stewed apple’

This is a great selection of  tasty sounding Kiddie friendly dishes from @SentientChef ‘Creamy #cauliflower sause 5 ways‘ What a brilliant lot of variations for #pasta loving kids!

How about sweet snacks? @SentientChef shared this lovely recipe for #Banana & chocolate chip muffins. Thats yet another thing on my ‘To make’ list!!

Take a look at this beautiful suggestion from @livingfoodlove Honeydew melon and watermelon balls look amazing!

I adore the sound of these ‘Bliss balls’ from @apriltui . Check out this suggestion for #Raw #Lemon drops too. Yum! and a basic #icecream recipe has to be a hit!!

Nom….Nom…nom …nom! I know my tummy is rumbling, I’m off to make a peanutbutter sandwich to celebrate writing up this #blog post 😉 xx

Summer #salad theme 10th july 2014

How glad was i that the weather behaved itself for our Summer ‘salad theme!?! As I’m writing this, I can hear the Birds singing away, the sun is shining down and the grass is trying to convince me to go and cut it. Alas, i think I would actually melt and that would lead all all sorts of problems ;o) These are some of my #lettuce plants growing in the garden. They are too pretty to eat! well, maybe…

Lets have a look at these #salads then! I can honestly say, the collection is a superb one! Salads don’t have to be boring! These suggestions certainly aren’t!

Lets start with these suggestions from @lilmissmeatfree ‘Warm #squash #salad with #sesame and #orange‘. Very nice! Or a lovely ‘#sweetpotato and roasted #radish salad with a #chive and #lime dressing‘ I love a nice ‘Tabbouleh‘ This one looks yummy! I like to use #millet sometimes instead for a change #glutenfree

This suggestion from @dear-kitchen is super tasty. Check out their ‘Two Summer #salads‘ suggestion.

Have a peek at this salad idea from @rosieapples its a totally fab ‘#Blue Cheese (vegan), #Walnuts, #Pomegranate, Pink #Grapefruit, Seeds, Croutons, #Tamari, #Agave & #Cider Dressing’

Here is another photo of a lovely salad from @SentientChef who also shared this suggestion of ‘#Walnut, #Turmeric and sun dried #Tomato Super #Detox Salad‘

Many thanks to @RawVeganista for sharing this ‘#Favabean salad‘ idea.  Another lovely idea came via @LoraxCommunity in the shape of a tongue tingling ‘spicy #sesame salad with #wasabi #aioli‘

#Potato salad? This one suggested by @suindependent sounds great!

This is a great link for #vegan ‘salad #dressings’ or fancy a #coleslaw/#mayonaise? as shared by @ChubbaNia. @FlavourPhotos shared this idea for a ‘#Summer super salad‘ @MarchpaneMedlar shared this lovely recipe for an ‘Edible #flower salad‘ So pretty!
This is a great idea from @RawStylist:

‘Grilled romaine lettuce with strawberries, walnuts, scramble tofu, dried cranberries and mango n avocado, with balsamic vinegar’

Talking of #Tofu, how about this idea from @VeganChatroom.

Many thanks once again to @TheFlexitarian for sharing this amazing selection of recipes: ‘#carrot salad‘ ”Panzanella‘ ‘#Aubergine salad with Spicy roasted #chickpeas‘ ‘#Mango #Tabbouleh‘ ‘#fennel #radish and #pea #mint salad‘ ‘#Asparagus #kale salas with #tahini dressing‘ and last but not least, ‘#Kale salad with roasted butternut #squash and #peanut #tofu‘ Yummmmm!!

This ‘#Eggplant salad with #Cajun dressing‘ from @myveggieweb sounds superb. Or what about ‘#Kale salad with fried #casher #cheese and #pickled #beets‘ from @GirlEatsGreens!?

Make sure you have alook at this superb video shared by @lethalfizzle!How to make a ‘#Cauliflower power salad‘ Brilliant!

Thank you all! What a brilliant collection! So, the next time you hear someone say ‘Salads are boring’ point them in this direction!!

 

 

#vegancake theme 22nd may 2014

I remember seeing a Tweet a few weeks ago. It asked: ‘Does anyone know any good #Vegancake recipes please?’

The answer, from an oh so helpful individual was:

‘There arent any! Hahahaa!’…. Hmmm……..Time to prove them wrong? I think so!

When we announced the theme was going to be #vegancake, it was met with a lot of excitement! We were not let down on the night! There was an absolute deluge of amazing, tasty, gorgeous cakes being tweeted. There were so many, its been hard to ’round them up’! I’d not want to let anyone down so, here it goes! Prepare for a Cakefest!

Lets start with these yummy offerings from @lilmissmeatfree Fancy a bit of ‘Mocha Cake‘ As an added bonus, we get to use some @orzocoffee Website (organic Barley coffee) A beautiful ‘Victoria Sponge with strawberry balsamic jam‘ or how about some ‘Oreo Cupcakes‘ Be sure to check the packaging though, as some imported versions are not suitable. Or a nice ‘Sticky ginger cake‘  Gorgeousness!

Many thanks to @themisfitbaker for sharing their recipe for a ‘Cinnamon coffee swirl Bundt cake‘ Yummy! and these really interesting  ‘Apple cupcakes with smokey maple frosting‘.

#glutenfree dougnut anyone? Check out these from @FreeFromFavour wowee! Another #dougnut recipe was suggested by @SlowcookeryClub ‘Baked banana-bourbon donuts with cashew cream cheese frosting‘ Fabulousness!

Do you use #Carob? Why not give this recipe from @VeganTrinity a go  ‘#Carob and #coconut cake‘ its also #glutenfree. Many thanks to @jfits42 for sharing their recipe for ‘Ultimate #Chocolate #orange #cupcakes‘ . Have a peek at this recipe from @Ephemerienne ‘Simple Vegan Chocolate cake‘. Need something a little more healthy? Have a look at this gorgous cake! All we need is some sunny weather!

Fancy a nice tart hehe! Try this ‘Vegan Apricot tart‘ superb! Via @TheFlexitarian. Or a #Strawberry version​ With a nod to one of our previous themes of #rhubarb, here is another of their recipes for ‘#Rhubarb Linzer Torte‘

More #Cupcakes? What that? You need more cupcakes? How about these then? ‘Yogurt Frosting cupcakes‘ #glutenfree. Have a good scorll through the #blog for many, many more gorgeous recipes!

A great suggestion from @PaulYoud was his simple ‘Vegan Chocolate Cake‘ It doesn’t get much easier than that! Or how about a ‘Carrot Cake‘ or a superb ‘Vegan Parkin‘ We are spoiled for choice! Still on a #chocolate theme, have a look at this recipe as suggested by @vegsoup4thesoul ‘Death by Chocolate’ Yum! Don’t worry if you are in a hurry! Have a go at this recipe suggested by @BRYNFISH ‘Vegan #chocolate mug cake‘! wowee!

So, do you think we have answered the question?! I reckon so! But always remember…….if you need an excuse….

Once again thank you to the amazing #vegancommunity on twitter and please check out the @veganrecipehour twitter feed from more hints, tips, chat and recipes.

 

 

#chickpea #gramflour theme 17th april 2014

Hello again all!

I hope that you are all well? How was the Bank Holiday? Are you now like me, not knowing what day it is? Heheee!

So, our last theme 17th April 2014 was a very popular one. Its a topic I had ‘on the list’ but, following a request by @lukeberman, I decided, ah, why not have it next! So, we had a #chickpea #gramflour theme.

I am a huge fan of both ingredients. Both are hugely versatile and even better, cheap!You can buy a 400g tin of chickpeas for around 40p and a big bag of gram flour for just over a pound.

Chickpeas are a brilliant addition to your diet #vegan or not. They are loaded with #fibre, low Gi, low fat, hight #protein and can help lower LDL Cholesterol! What’s not to love!? It also means many recipes are also #glutenfree and #soyafree.

Lets get started with the recipes!

@veganDisco was kind enough to share a favourite recipe for ‘#Sundal’ How gorgeous does that recipe sound? How about a #Pakora to go with it? Or another recipe idea from @seasonalshaheen for ‘Portobello Mushroom Haggis Pakoras with Curried Neep Chips’ Soundsrather tasty doesnt it!

@lilmissmeatfree likes is ‘fast and Spicy’, or so she says.. ‘15 minute chickpea and spinach curry’ Another curry option was suggested by @Potatostrong. This one is ‘Super Quick and Easy No Fry Chick Pea Curry on Basmati Rice’ Gorgeous!

This ‘chickpea, maple and Apricot Tagine‘ from @lilmissmeatfree is a tasty option. Another #tagine recipe from @FullbelliesOAB is a rateher tasty ‘fennel and chickpea‘ combination. How about a yummy ‘Slow cooker North African Squash and Chickpea stew‘? Or a ‘chickpea and #Seitan tagine‘ from @paulYoud. This ‘Tangy Couscous‘ would go with them fantastically!  Thank you @theflexitarian!

This is really interesting: Did you know it is possible to use #gramflour as a handy #egg replacer? Via @vegan_hausfrau and @veganbaking

You cant go far wrong with #hummus! We regularly eat it in our house. It’s great to play around with different flavours. A great suggestion came in from @veganchatroom who told us that they ‘Made hummus using caramelised garlic and onion, we were out of lemon so used balsamic vinegar instead’. Interesting idea hey!?

Here are some examples or recipe ideas: @ephemerienne suggested this recipe.  How about ‘#kale hummus’ or ‘Avocado hummus‘ As suggested by @theflexitarian. On a similar note, how about this #sandwich idea suggested by @jagrazi ‘Smashed #Chickpea & #Avocado Salad’ Yum! Ever thought of making a #chocolate Hummus? Check this out from @Ephemeriene

Another very popular option (and favourite of mine!) is #socca. Actually, we have having a socca flatbread with our dinner tonight! We are roasting some garlic and then mushing it up and mixing it in the batter. Yum!

How about making a #socca ‘omelette‘? yum! Thank you @PaulYoud. Here is another serving version suggested by @segmentedsarah1. Or how about this idea suggested by @VeganUpNorth ! How amazing do these ‘Wild garlic chickpea pancakes‘ from @seasonalshaheen look and sound?! Thank you to @veganStella for sharing this recipe for ‘Besan omelette‘ Yummy!

We haven’t even touched on #falafel yet! I personally take an easy approach! I mush up #chickpeas and mix with some cumin, coriander, fresh breadcrumbs, lemon, garlic. Form into patties and fry lightly until browned. I also like to add #sweetpotato or #butternutsquash sometimes. You can find loads of recipe suggestions on line. Many are made differently to the cheating way I do them some have baking powder, some deep fry, some have onion…..the options are endless!

Another top choice is to roast your #chickpeas. This is great for a sweet or savoury snack. Yet another thing I love to eat! (there isnt much I dont like to be honest..parsnips though..not a fan) here is a sweet idea from @greedyvegangirl ‘Cinnamon sugar roasted chickpeas’. I like to drain them, dry them and add salt and pepper or smoked paprika, herbs, anything I fancy on the day to be honest! Then bake on a tray until browned.

How about something completely different? Biscuits made with #gramflour! thank you @veganupnorth! ‘Double choc chip chickpea and almond’ Tasty! If you really want to max out with the sweetness, how about this recipe for ‘Kesar burfi‘ Sweet!

Hungry?! I bet!

Can you imagine how I feel after every #veganrecipehour? Hehe!

Thank you once again everyone. It was a great hour. Please check out the #twitter account for more recipes from the night. There were so many amazing ideas!

xVRHx

Vegan recipe Hour #Veganburger theme 16th Jan 2014

This has proven quite a difficult theme to write up!

There was some sharing of recipe ideas but, a lot of the conversation was about ingredients.
Questions such as; do you buy tinned or dried pulses?
Do you prefer to make or buy your burgers?
It was really great to chat to everyone and learn about new burger ideas and methods of cooking.
These conversations can easily be caught up on by looking at the #twitter page or looking at #veganrecipehour.

lets start with a fab suggestion from @BRYNFISH  Smoky Bean Burgers  Rye Caraway Rolls.

What can be better than making your own burgers AND the rolls to go with it?! It was suggested that this Super Sauerkraut Slaw would be a superb accompany it. Now thats a really tasty #vegan meal if I ever saw one!
Or how about a Brown rice, beetroot and walnut burger?

like I was saying earlier, a lot of the tips were given in conversation, so its not easy to share that on the blog but, here are a few helpful tips.

@veganrecipehour If I have time we make adzuki bean-burgers otherwise I use granose mix & throw in finely chopped onions or beans & cumin 🙂
Edith VeremuⓋ ‏@edithveremu Jan 16
@veganrecipehour I usually make my own and the black bean or sweet potato ones are my favourite. I even got my family to eat them. No time to make a Burger? create a goodlife ‏@createagoodlife have a fabulous range of #vegan burgers check out their web site! http://www.goodlife.co.uk/

A very popular recipe was Thai style burgers from @VeganUpNorth with a fabulous 6 re-tweets so far!

More options can be found here and check out these amazing lunch ideas from ‘oh she glows’

it was a fast paced #veganrecipehour!
Thank you everyone!
See you next time!