In this post I posted my recipe for vegan dark chocolate brownies, mentioning in the notes that I wanted to experiment with more types of chocolate.
Well, I did. If you change the dark chocolate with the same amount of orange chocolate, and exchange the lemon juice for orange juice, you get a very tasty chocolate orange brownie.
The mixture also makes pretty awesome brownie cupcakes; all you have to do is separate the mixture into muffin liners and cook for less time.
Now all I have to do is find a way to make myself patient enough that I won't eat it straight from the tin.
Monday 11 July 2011
Thursday 9 June 2011
Vegan Package Exchange
This post is to say a massive thanks to Poppy for my VeggieBoards vegan exchange package! It was amazing, and I wanted to make a post about some of the amazing vegan food they get in the states (that I am very jealous of).
I've actually already eaten a fair few of these products, and they were all delicious. In the box, I found:
-A handful of vegan outreach pamphlets on 'Why Vegan?'. I'm going to give them to people who express interest in going vegan.
-A card with a kitty on it, and a lovely message inside. Do not worry, Poppy, I love everything in my box - especially the 'candy'! (Candy, to us Brits, is something a little more specific... I won't go into it.)
-A catnip mouse for my kitty, Coco. If you put it down in a particular spot, she'll sleep in that spot. She also spent a long time licking the mouse's ear.
-A jar of dark chocolate peanut butter. It's like Nutella, but made with peanuts. This makes it awesome. Before I'd even unpacked the rest of the box, I had the jar open to taste some. I then put it on a toasted bagel. Heaven!
-Sour Patch Kids. That is the one American product I have been desperate to try, ever since I started watching Kyle XY, and moreso since I found out they were vegan. Now that I have them, I'm kind of scared to open them, though. I'm saving them for when I watch a movie this weekend. Although I keep stealing glances at the bag.
-Giant pumpkin spiced cookie. I had to chase my mother away from this with a stick.
-Peanut butter and coconut candy. I'm not normally a fan of coconut, but these are amazing. Crunchy and very peanutty. I love peanuts.
-Kettle Corn bar. I've always wanted to know what kettle corn is like, and now I have it in an exciting bar format.
-Cran-Lemon Twister. Similar to the Kettle Corn bar, but fruity. Or at least, I assume so.
-Choc Chip Cookie Dough raw bar. I kinda wanted to cook it, to see if it would turn into cookies. But before this thought could complete itself, I'd eaten it. It was gooood.
-Bumble bar. The last of the bars; from the wrapper, it looks like it should be made out of honey. It's not. It's something to do with peanuts, and that's all I can tell you for now because I've yet to eat that one.
-Twist scrubber. For my pans. I've just started using organic, natural cleaning products, so this is a great addition to my small collection.
-Three kinds of vegan jerky. Aside from the sour patch kids, this is the thing I was most excited about. And I was right to be; seitan thai peanut jerky is the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I LOVED it.
Thanks again to the psychic Poppy, who seems to know exactly what I like without being told. If the rest of the box is half as good as what I've already eaten, we're on to a winner.
I've actually already eaten a fair few of these products, and they were all delicious. In the box, I found:
-A handful of vegan outreach pamphlets on 'Why Vegan?'. I'm going to give them to people who express interest in going vegan.
-A card with a kitty on it, and a lovely message inside. Do not worry, Poppy, I love everything in my box - especially the 'candy'! (Candy, to us Brits, is something a little more specific... I won't go into it.)
-A catnip mouse for my kitty, Coco. If you put it down in a particular spot, she'll sleep in that spot. She also spent a long time licking the mouse's ear.
-A jar of dark chocolate peanut butter. It's like Nutella, but made with peanuts. This makes it awesome. Before I'd even unpacked the rest of the box, I had the jar open to taste some. I then put it on a toasted bagel. Heaven!
-Sour Patch Kids. That is the one American product I have been desperate to try, ever since I started watching Kyle XY, and moreso since I found out they were vegan. Now that I have them, I'm kind of scared to open them, though. I'm saving them for when I watch a movie this weekend. Although I keep stealing glances at the bag.
-Giant pumpkin spiced cookie. I had to chase my mother away from this with a stick.
-Peanut butter and coconut candy. I'm not normally a fan of coconut, but these are amazing. Crunchy and very peanutty. I love peanuts.
-Kettle Corn bar. I've always wanted to know what kettle corn is like, and now I have it in an exciting bar format.
-Cran-Lemon Twister. Similar to the Kettle Corn bar, but fruity. Or at least, I assume so.
-Choc Chip Cookie Dough raw bar. I kinda wanted to cook it, to see if it would turn into cookies. But before this thought could complete itself, I'd eaten it. It was gooood.
-Bumble bar. The last of the bars; from the wrapper, it looks like it should be made out of honey. It's not. It's something to do with peanuts, and that's all I can tell you for now because I've yet to eat that one.
-Twist scrubber. For my pans. I've just started using organic, natural cleaning products, so this is a great addition to my small collection.
-Three kinds of vegan jerky. Aside from the sour patch kids, this is the thing I was most excited about. And I was right to be; seitan thai peanut jerky is the best thing I've eaten in a long time. I LOVED it.
Thanks again to the psychic Poppy, who seems to know exactly what I like without being told. If the rest of the box is half as good as what I've already eaten, we're on to a winner.
Wednesday 1 June 2011
Dark Chocolate Brownies
One of those 'throw stuff in a bowl and see what happens' recipes. I wanted brownies, and I wanted to use my bar of dark chocolate to make them. So I did. It makes a fairly small amount (enough for an 8" diameter tin).
1 100g bar dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup soy milk
1/3 cup soy yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Put glass or metal mixing bowl on the saucepan, so that the bottom of the bowl is touching the water but not the bottom of the pan. Add the chocolate and the butter and melt together, stirring until there are no lumps.
Add the sugar to the chocolate mix and stir in. Remove from the heat, but keep the bowl over the water.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, before adding the liquid chocolate mix and folding together.
Add the soy milk and yogurt, and mix thoroughly until no large lumps remain.
Mix in the lemon juice.
Pour the mixture into a greased/non-stick baking tin. Cook at 180c for approx 25 mins, until a knife comes out clean. Leave to cool.
Notes:
-The lemon juice is just to cut through the sweetness of the mixture; if you want the brownies to taste of lemon, add another tbsp of juice and a tbsp of lemon zest.
-For extra-chocolatey brownies, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and another 1/4 cup soy milk.
-Experiment with the types of chocolate. There's a spiced orange bar I really want to try this recipe with some time, replacing the lemon juice for orange juice and adding a pinch of cinnamon.
1 100g bar dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup soy milk
1/3 cup soy yogurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Put glass or metal mixing bowl on the saucepan, so that the bottom of the bowl is touching the water but not the bottom of the pan. Add the chocolate and the butter and melt together, stirring until there are no lumps.
Add the sugar to the chocolate mix and stir in. Remove from the heat, but keep the bowl over the water.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, before adding the liquid chocolate mix and folding together.
Add the soy milk and yogurt, and mix thoroughly until no large lumps remain.
Mix in the lemon juice.
Pour the mixture into a greased/non-stick baking tin. Cook at 180c for approx 25 mins, until a knife comes out clean. Leave to cool.
Notes:
-The lemon juice is just to cut through the sweetness of the mixture; if you want the brownies to taste of lemon, add another tbsp of juice and a tbsp of lemon zest.
-For extra-chocolatey brownies, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and another 1/4 cup soy milk.
-Experiment with the types of chocolate. There's a spiced orange bar I really want to try this recipe with some time, replacing the lemon juice for orange juice and adding a pinch of cinnamon.
Sunday 29 May 2011
Punk Rock Cupcakes
I love baking. Better yet, I love excuses to bake. My boyfriend and I have been quite busy these past few weeks, attending as many gigs as possible, including several dates of the MC Lars/Weerd Science/mc chris/Akira The Don tour. Halfway through this particular tour, I found out that both Akira The Don and Jon Thatcher-Longley (Lars' drummer) had recently had birthdays. So it was obviously baking time. I even got to use my new piping bag to practice making little swirls of icing. And we put little flags in them! They were well received by all, except mc chris, who liked them until we told him they were vegan. He ran off screaming "what have you done to me?!", all the while pulling disgusted faces. It was hilarious.
Here are some pictures:
Here are some pictures:
Akira even mentioned them on his blog, because he is a lovely man.
Blog entry is here: http://akirathedon.com/blog/the-tour-the-tour-day-fifteen-liverpool/
JTL tweeted this picture: http://twitpic.com/5566da
Recipe is from 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. Basic Chocolate Cupcake with Vegan Fluffy Buttercream Frosting. Buy this book, it will change your baking life. Cupcakes are awesome <3
Tuesday 26 April 2011
Mushrooms Alfredo
A veganised recipe for an old favourite; Alfredo Sauce. With mushrooms!
1 tbsp butter
3/4 cup mushrooms, chopped or diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tbsp vegan parmesan
Chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and simmer for a minute until mushrooms start to soften.
Add garlic and simmer for another minute, stirring constantly to stop garlic from burning.
Add cornflour and stir until no large lumps remain.
Pour in soy milk slowly, stirring as you do.
Keep stirring, sauce should start to thicken. If it thickens too much, add more milk until it is the desired consistency.
Add parmesan and stir. You can add more/less to taste.
Just before serving, stir in parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Notes:
-Great on pasta, or toasted ciabatta bread.
-Mushroom step can be removed if you don't like them; it still makes a good sauce.
1 tbsp butter
3/4 cup mushrooms, chopped or diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp cornflour (corn starch)
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tbsp vegan parmesan
Chopped parsley
Salt
Pepper
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and simmer for a minute until mushrooms start to soften.
Add garlic and simmer for another minute, stirring constantly to stop garlic from burning.
Add cornflour and stir until no large lumps remain.
Pour in soy milk slowly, stirring as you do.
Keep stirring, sauce should start to thicken. If it thickens too much, add more milk until it is the desired consistency.
Add parmesan and stir. You can add more/less to taste.
Just before serving, stir in parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Notes:
-Great on pasta, or toasted ciabatta bread.
-Mushroom step can be removed if you don't like them; it still makes a good sauce.
Thursday 21 April 2011
New Products
I always get a bit giddy when I find a new vegan product to try. Today was no exception when I stumbled across some Vegan Parmesan and Vegan Worcestershire Sauce. I already knew the sauce existed, I just hadn't got around to trying it. But the parmesan was new to me. I've yet to use it, but I did open it up and have a nosey, and it looks like it's going to be good. Smells like cheese, anyway.
Tomorrow, I will be making a spaghetti bolognese with both ingredients in. If it's successful, I'll post the recipe. I'm excited!
Both available at: http://www.mhfoods.net/sl.html
Tomorrow, I will be making a spaghetti bolognese with both ingredients in. If it's successful, I'll post the recipe. I'm excited!
Both available at: http://www.mhfoods.net/sl.html
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Pancakes!
Picture the scene; it's nearly midnight, I'm having a cooking show marathon whilst tucked up in bed, when I suddenly get the most intense craving for pancakes. And not the thick American-style ones I've grown accustomed to (as that's the only kind I've found decent vegan recipes for). Rather, I'm craving the beautiful, fluffy, thin, British ones like my mum used to make (and like I used to, before the dairy and egg embargo). Back in my lacto-ovo days, I was known in my household as the queen of pancakes. I got to wondering why exactly I should retire just because I no longer ate two of the key ingredients of my infamous recipe. Surely, if I was truly a pancake deity of some sort, then I would be able to create a vegan-friendly recipe that was easy to make and tasted fantastic. Or at least find one online.
A quick search, however, only seemed to deliver results that included mashed bananas and egg replacer and other ingredients I did not have in my cupboards. I realised two things; that I needed to go shopping, and that if I really wanted those pancakes I'd have to make the recipe up. So I did the latter first, using only the ingredients I had lying around, and put off the former until tomorrow. And what I ended up with was a recipe that turned out the perfect British pancakes. Makes around 6-8.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil
2 tbsp sugar
Soymilk
Water
Mix together flour, baking powder and sugar, preferably in a jug.
Add canola oil to the dry ingredients and stir in.
Begin adding soy milk, starting with about 1/2 a cup and increasing the amount as you mix it in. Stop just before it's a good pancake consistency; when it's roughly the consistency of a thin yoghurt.
Add a splash of cold tap water and mix in.
Heat a frying pan (mine's about 6" in diameter) on the hob until it's warm, add a little vegetable fat if it's not non-stick and wait until that's melted.
Pour in pancake batter (this is where the jug is useful) and spread around the pan. Flip it over when the top is no longer liquid; it should be a nice golden-brown on the bottom. If it's not, you can always flip it back over.
Best served with sugar and lemon.
Notes:
-The measurements for the ingredients are approximate; I threw everything together without measuring properly.
-Don't let the pan get too hot. The pancakes end up with weird, thin, curly sides if it does. They taste just fine, it just looks a little odd and makes it harder to flip 'em. This is not a vegan-pancake-exclusive problem.
-Damn, I love pancakes.
A quick search, however, only seemed to deliver results that included mashed bananas and egg replacer and other ingredients I did not have in my cupboards. I realised two things; that I needed to go shopping, and that if I really wanted those pancakes I'd have to make the recipe up. So I did the latter first, using only the ingredients I had lying around, and put off the former until tomorrow. And what I ended up with was a recipe that turned out the perfect British pancakes. Makes around 6-8.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp rapeseed (canola) oil
2 tbsp sugar
Soymilk
Water
Mix together flour, baking powder and sugar, preferably in a jug.
Add canola oil to the dry ingredients and stir in.
Begin adding soy milk, starting with about 1/2 a cup and increasing the amount as you mix it in. Stop just before it's a good pancake consistency; when it's roughly the consistency of a thin yoghurt.
Add a splash of cold tap water and mix in.
Heat a frying pan (mine's about 6" in diameter) on the hob until it's warm, add a little vegetable fat if it's not non-stick and wait until that's melted.
Pour in pancake batter (this is where the jug is useful) and spread around the pan. Flip it over when the top is no longer liquid; it should be a nice golden-brown on the bottom. If it's not, you can always flip it back over.
Best served with sugar and lemon.
Notes:
-The measurements for the ingredients are approximate; I threw everything together without measuring properly.
-Don't let the pan get too hot. The pancakes end up with weird, thin, curly sides if it does. They taste just fine, it just looks a little odd and makes it harder to flip 'em. This is not a vegan-pancake-exclusive problem.
-Damn, I love pancakes.
Sunday 17 April 2011
The Feisty Red
One thing I like to do is drink. Anyone who is not of legal drinking age in their country, look away now. Just stop reading. Close your eyes and navigate away from the page. In that order.
Are you gone?
Good.
As I said, I enjoy a nice drink every now and then. And as it's getting warmer up north (I know, who'd have thought it?), I've resumed making cocktails. They're just perfect for the summer, and I like to think they count as one of your five-a-day.* So without further delay, here's my recipe for the Feisty Red.
1 shot vodka
1 shot grenadine
1 shot tequila
3 strawberries, tops cut off, plus another for decoration.
Apple cider
Cherryade
Blend/crush the strawberries so they form a paste.
Add to the paste the grenadine, vodka and tequila.
Mix well in a cocktail shaker.
Pour into a glass.
Fill glass halfway with cider.
Top up with cherryade.
Add strawberry to the rim of the glass for decoration. Also doubles up as a tasty post-cocktail snack.
Notes:
-Measurements for alcohol don't have to be exact; I tend to just chuck the stuff in.
-If you can't get hold of grenadine, cherry liqueur will do the job.
-Experiment with the ciders; try it with a pear or berry cider, or mess with the strengths. I prefer a fairly sweet apple cider with a low alcohol content for this particular cocktail. If you're thinking of using strongbow, GTFO.
-If it's a REALLY hot day and you want some ice, either freeze some cherryade or cut up a pink freezepop to add to your cocktail.
*This should be closer to nine-a-day, but nobody understands what I mean when I say that.
P.S. Pictures of all my recipes will be added over the course of the summer, when I have access to a good camera that actually uploads stuff. At the moment, my camera refuses to connect to anything, and my phone camera doesn't exactly show things in the best light (as in, everything looks blue).
Are you gone?
Good.
As I said, I enjoy a nice drink every now and then. And as it's getting warmer up north (I know, who'd have thought it?), I've resumed making cocktails. They're just perfect for the summer, and I like to think they count as one of your five-a-day.* So without further delay, here's my recipe for the Feisty Red.
1 shot vodka
1 shot grenadine
1 shot tequila
3 strawberries, tops cut off, plus another for decoration.
Apple cider
Cherryade
Blend/crush the strawberries so they form a paste.
Add to the paste the grenadine, vodka and tequila.
Mix well in a cocktail shaker.
Pour into a glass.
Fill glass halfway with cider.
Top up with cherryade.
Add strawberry to the rim of the glass for decoration. Also doubles up as a tasty post-cocktail snack.
Notes:
-Measurements for alcohol don't have to be exact; I tend to just chuck the stuff in.
-If you can't get hold of grenadine, cherry liqueur will do the job.
-Experiment with the ciders; try it with a pear or berry cider, or mess with the strengths. I prefer a fairly sweet apple cider with a low alcohol content for this particular cocktail. If you're thinking of using strongbow, GTFO.
-If it's a REALLY hot day and you want some ice, either freeze some cherryade or cut up a pink freezepop to add to your cocktail.
*This should be closer to nine-a-day, but nobody understands what I mean when I say that.
P.S. Pictures of all my recipes will be added over the course of the summer, when I have access to a good camera that actually uploads stuff. At the moment, my camera refuses to connect to anything, and my phone camera doesn't exactly show things in the best light (as in, everything looks blue).
Thursday 14 April 2011
VegNews, MeatPics.
Yesterday, QuarryGirl posted an article on her blog about the vegan magazine/ezine VegNews. A little bit of digging had unearthed an unsettling trend; many of the photos displayed on the website and in print were seemingly stockpiled photographs of dishes containing meat, dairy and eggs.
This in itself is a little odd for a vegan publication, particularly one with a reasonable following. We could debate the ethics of a vegan publication using meat pictures for hours. However, I understand that in business, everyone cuts corners here and there to save a bit of money. It's how business works. What's not right, in my mind, is the unethical and unprofessional way in which they handled themselves when doing it. Firstly, none of the stockpiled photographs were credited, despite being used for proper publications. Copyright infringement. Secondly, when called out on it, VegNews' initial response was to delete all publicly made comments about the mistakes that they could access, and ignore all direct contact. Childish and unprofessional. Thirdly, when you take into account that the photographs used were not of the recipes they were printed alongside, you have to wonder if the recipes were even tested, and how difficult it would have been to take a few amateur shots if they were. All their actions seem to suggest that they were wilfully using the pictures and taking every precaution to hide it.
Unfortunately, in the age of the internet, nothing is secret for long. I was never a subscriber to VegNews, but now, I don't think I ever will be.
QG's Article
This in itself is a little odd for a vegan publication, particularly one with a reasonable following. We could debate the ethics of a vegan publication using meat pictures for hours. However, I understand that in business, everyone cuts corners here and there to save a bit of money. It's how business works. What's not right, in my mind, is the unethical and unprofessional way in which they handled themselves when doing it. Firstly, none of the stockpiled photographs were credited, despite being used for proper publications. Copyright infringement. Secondly, when called out on it, VegNews' initial response was to delete all publicly made comments about the mistakes that they could access, and ignore all direct contact. Childish and unprofessional. Thirdly, when you take into account that the photographs used were not of the recipes they were printed alongside, you have to wonder if the recipes were even tested, and how difficult it would have been to take a few amateur shots if they were. All their actions seem to suggest that they were wilfully using the pictures and taking every precaution to hide it.
Unfortunately, in the age of the internet, nothing is secret for long. I was never a subscriber to VegNews, but now, I don't think I ever will be.
QG's Article
Monday 4 April 2011
The Healthy Cake
As promised, the healthy cake recipe. Three versions of the cake were made in the cookery demonstration, I'm posting the one that came out the best with my own adjustments. Bear in mind, this makes a pretty big cake.
1.5 cups wholemeal flour
3/4 cup soy yogurt - plain works well, but I found it better with an apple flavoured one
2 tsp agave syrup
1/4 cup rice milk
Whole bar dark chocolate, grated
One apple, de-cored and grated
One courgette (zucchini), grated
One red pepper, grated
1/2 cup brazil nuts
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Lemon zest (optional)
2 tsp Cinnamon (optional)
Mix together flour, chocolate, fruit, vegetables and nuts.
Add yogurt, syrup and milk, and blend until the mixture is slightly thicker than a normal cake mixture. If it is too firm, add a touch more rice milk. It needs to be slightly thicker, because the fruit and the vegetables will release moisture when baked, softening the cake.
Add cinnamon and lemon zest if required - I like it best with the cinnamon, but without the zest. Gives it a nice kick.
Bake in the oven for about 20 mins on 180, or until cakey.
Allow to cool (if you can wait, it's pretty tasty warm).
Notes:
-Cranberries can be substituted for red cabbage
-Nuts are interchangeable; cashews work well too, or use your favourites. If you're allergic to nuts, take them out of the recipe and reduce the amount of soy yogurt slightly.
-I haven't tried this yet, but I bet a mashed up banana or two would go quite nicely in place of 1/4 cup soy yogurt.
-Try different types of dark chocolate; some with orange, or hemp seeds, for example.
1.5 cups wholemeal flour
3/4 cup soy yogurt - plain works well, but I found it better with an apple flavoured one
2 tsp agave syrup
1/4 cup rice milk
Whole bar dark chocolate, grated
One apple, de-cored and grated
One courgette (zucchini), grated
One red pepper, grated
1/2 cup brazil nuts
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Lemon zest (optional)
2 tsp Cinnamon (optional)
Mix together flour, chocolate, fruit, vegetables and nuts.
Add yogurt, syrup and milk, and blend until the mixture is slightly thicker than a normal cake mixture. If it is too firm, add a touch more rice milk. It needs to be slightly thicker, because the fruit and the vegetables will release moisture when baked, softening the cake.
Add cinnamon and lemon zest if required - I like it best with the cinnamon, but without the zest. Gives it a nice kick.
Bake in the oven for about 20 mins on 180, or until cakey.
Allow to cool (if you can wait, it's pretty tasty warm).
Notes:
-Cranberries can be substituted for red cabbage
-Nuts are interchangeable; cashews work well too, or use your favourites. If you're allergic to nuts, take them out of the recipe and reduce the amount of soy yogurt slightly.
-I haven't tried this yet, but I bet a mashed up banana or two would go quite nicely in place of 1/4 cup soy yogurt.
-Try different types of dark chocolate; some with orange, or hemp seeds, for example.
Friday 25 March 2011
Goody Good Stuff
I've been raving about these for almost a year, since last year's Bristol eco veggie fayre. Back then, Goody Good Stuff had only just started, and you couldn't buy their products anywhere. Which was a huge problem for me, because I'd tried them and bought several packets, only to discover my new favourite sweet treat was unavailable to purchase.
Fast forward about six months, and I'm looking around my local health food store. Goody Good Stuff sweets are on the shelves, in all their delicious varieties, at the same cost as a bag of Haribo with none of the nasties. They're fat-free, too, so I don't feel too guilty about working my way through a bag after a workout.
When I went to the stand at the Brighton vegfest last week, I was glad to see the company back, doing well, and getting their products out there. Surprisingly, they even remembered me, and the sweets were as good as ever. Highly recommended.
http://www.goodygoodstuff.com/
Fast forward about six months, and I'm looking around my local health food store. Goody Good Stuff sweets are on the shelves, in all their delicious varieties, at the same cost as a bag of Haribo with none of the nasties. They're fat-free, too, so I don't feel too guilty about working my way through a bag after a workout.
When I went to the stand at the Brighton vegfest last week, I was glad to see the company back, doing well, and getting their products out there. Surprisingly, they even remembered me, and the sweets were as good as ever. Highly recommended.
http://www.goodygoodstuff.com/
Sunday 20 March 2011
Brighton Vegfest
Yesterday, I went to Vegfest in Brighton. It was paradise; it's not often a veg*n will go somewhere that they can eat everything without asking about ingredients. Besides eating almost everything that was on offer, I tested out a lot of new products and got some good deals on old favourites. I also attended a cookery talk, in which we were taught how to make the world's healthiest cake, and although it went a little wrong in the live demo, I wrote down the recipe anyway because it's likely to work well with a little home tweaking.
My next load of blog posts will be about everything I loved from the show; food, beauty products, books, and recipes I've created around what I found there. So stay tuned.
Vegfest is also going to Bristol in May this year, so for anyone who wants to attend, and I think that you all should, here's the website: http://www.vegfest.co.uk/
My next load of blog posts will be about everything I loved from the show; food, beauty products, books, and recipes I've created around what I found there. So stay tuned.
Vegfest is also going to Bristol in May this year, so for anyone who wants to attend, and I think that you all should, here's the website: http://www.vegfest.co.uk/
Sunday 13 March 2011
Chocolate & Strawberry Cookies
For my first post, I thought I'd share a recipe I've been making for years. It's fairly quick and simple, and easy to make in any quantity, so it's perfect for filling the home cookie jar or making larger amounts for bake sales and parties.
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup rapeseed (canola) oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4.
Mix together the jam, sugar, oil and extracts until they form a paste.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
Add the paste to the dry ingredients in small amounts, mixing well. When you are done, you should be left with a dough.
Break off bits of the dough and roll them into walnut-sized balls. Place them on a cookie sheet/baking tray a reasonable distance apart - the dough spreads quite far. Flatten each ball just a little.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool.
Notes:
-Try different flavoured jams - raspberry and blackcurrant work well.
-For a crunchier cookie, bake for longer.
-The dough can be made in bulk, wrapped in cling film and put in the fridge. Then, when you want a couple of cookies, you can just break a bit off and bake them to order.
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup rapeseed (canola) oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4.
Mix together the jam, sugar, oil and extracts until they form a paste.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
Add the paste to the dry ingredients in small amounts, mixing well. When you are done, you should be left with a dough.
Break off bits of the dough and roll them into walnut-sized balls. Place them on a cookie sheet/baking tray a reasonable distance apart - the dough spreads quite far. Flatten each ball just a little.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool.
Notes:
-Try different flavoured jams - raspberry and blackcurrant work well.
-For a crunchier cookie, bake for longer.
-The dough can be made in bulk, wrapped in cling film and put in the fridge. Then, when you want a couple of cookies, you can just break a bit off and bake them to order.
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