gluten free Archives - A Vegan Obsession

New Grains Gluten Free Vegan Bread - Review & Giveaway

September 1, 2015 by India Leigh

Gluten Free Vegan Bread - Review and Giveaway

Being gluten free is so much easier today than it was even 5 years ago. Products are improving all the time and more and more you get to feel like you are really not missing out on anything. Many restaurants are offering gluten free breads and buns so you can still enjoy their sandwiches and burgers. Still not enough though. Just because we are gluten intolerant doesn’t mean we do not want to get a cheeky slice of vegan pizza or a hearty vegan burger of a night! But things are changing and progress is steady. Bread has been one thing I’ve missed over the years. I’ve made my own with varying degrees of success but I am always keeping an eye out for a good gluten free vegan bread I can buy.

I’ve been digging around on the internet to back up my constant scouting of super markets to find a bread that will list itself as vegan and gf. Few exist. One I tried recently was New Grains Bakery They are primarily an online operation but they do have a few stores in various states.

They are a family owned company. A passionate, late diagnosed celiac dad, Tim Lawson, discovered five of his seven (!) children were celiac and he wanted more for them than the grainy, tasteless products that were available to the gluten free population at that time. He and his wife Nicole set to work in their making all the family favourites, but making them gluten free. A company grew out of it as they began to sell their produce.

Like the majority of gluten free breads available in the USA it is not feather light. But it is lighter than most and vegan. When I was sampling it I found over a few days is in the fridge the less light it seems. At this point though it is great toasted. The hamburger buns were delicious teamed with beet and mushrooms burgers that I made. Also a winner with the 11 year old I tested them on. The cinnamon bread is spicy and perfectly sweet and I loved accompanying it with a spread of coconut oil and fruit-sweetened strawberry jam. Or honestly, just by itself. I imagine you could roll up slices and put them in a baking dish and cover with maple icing and they’d be like cinnamon rolls.The English muffins were all devoured by my gluten eating husband. He slathered with peanut butter and topped with ripe banana slices. I think that demonstrates his verdict.

New Grains are not a vegan company but perhaps they may think about using Hampton Creek’s Beyond Egg - egg substitute to make more of their products vegan in the future?!

Among their ever expanding (10 at present) vegan gluten free, 100% organic, non-gmo product range are;

Cinnamon Bread

Sandwich Bread

English Muffins

Hamburger Buns

Tortillas

We’ve teamed up with New Grains to spread the word. They have a sample box to giveaway to one lucky winner.

Gluten Free Vegan Bread - Review and Giveaway. A sample box of muffins, burger buns and your choice of sandwich or cinnamon bread. Enter below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Healthy Vegan Fast Food In San Francisco

August 26, 2015 by India Leigh

I was on a road trip recently with my new husband. Yes, for those of you that follow my blog..I got married in July to a wonderful American man!! We had a blissful wedding day in Ojai, California. Magical!

We were road tripping up to Orgeon to my first nerve wracking meeting with some of his siblings and their children, and for husband to enter a 13 mile hill race. (Swoon). We stopped off in my much loved city, San Francisco. Time pushed and road weary (7 hours driving…just to here) I was pulling him around the Mission excitedly showing him cafes where I had spent many hours writing..dragging him up Bernal Heights for a night view of the city and picking up morsels of vegan food along the way.

Project Juice has been raved about by me in the past. Situated midway up Valencia Street it is a filling and stop for healthy fast food and the antithesis of our unregulated in car crunchy snacking! We ordered the Macro Bowl, with ginger, sesame kale and roasted butternut squash, and the Spiced Lentil Wrap with a cashew-turmeric aioli which honestly was so incredible I could have eaten a bowl of the stuff with a spoon! Our food was incredible. Happy making. I like it when my intense love of food is shared! We washed it all down (so incredibly full now) with an Espresso smoothie, with super foods and fresh young coconut. It was good. Husband enjoyed it. But not being a coffee girl I must say my heart is still true to the Chocoholic smoothie! Project juice are in several Northern and SoCal locations. Recommended.

790 Valencia Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

Though I’ve spent many months of my life in San Francisco in recent years..I felt like a tourist with my husband by my side! We had to take photo’s with murals..it just wouldn’t be right not to!

It was not easy to pick only two vegan restaurants to feast in San Francisco. We only had a few hours and I had to narrow it down. My second pick was Seed & Salt. A personal favourite. I had attended their opening in winter 2014. Their menu is original, organic, vegan and totally gluten free and even processed sugar free. A dream!

We deliberated a while then settled for the chopped cobb salad with chickpea frittata and the beet burger. ONE of the wonderful benefits to having a husband is that you do not have to decide on one item from the menu. You can order two and SHARE. I know. Such a bonus. So we also plumped for the beet burger, made with beets, walnuts and mushrooms. Both came with a cashew ranch dressing. Both were good and filling.

2240 Chestnut Street

San Francisco, 94123

Despite our stomachs feeling fit to burst after our eating spree, and to sort of balance out all the healthy (though very delicious) food. We also devoured a bag of Wholesome Bakery spiced oat, cream filled whoopee pies. They are soft, chewy, cinnamony, creamy and jump and and down good. I once walked past their little catering kitchen in the Mission and stood at the closed door just inhaling. Yes, I did that.

Sorry. No pics!

I am hoping another trip up to San Francisco will not be too far away. I have many, many more restaurants for my new (and oh so lovely) husband to try with me.

Which is your favourite vegan place to eat in San Francisco?

Epic Protein Powder Review & GIVEAWAY

June 12, 2015 by India Leigh

Epic Protein Powder Review. A Giveaway from Sprout Living.

Vegan, gluten free and processed sugar free protein powders. Truly healthy. No wolves in sheep’s clothing here!

Epic Protein Powder : With a pea protein base, these vegan, gluten free protein powders are a quite unique. They have a complete amino acid profiled (branch-chain amino acids) and are real food so they are easy to digest. There are lots of protein powders on the market and some of the cleanest seeming ones still have ingredients in them that I think unnecessary or are not actually very healthy. What I love about Epic Protein is the inclusion of nutrient rich and quite ‘new to the market’ unique ingredients. Each flavour in the range contains different ingredients.

The Chocolate Maca - has maca, an adoptoneginic herb that provides energy and hormone balance. Ceylon Cinnamon which has been shown to regulate blood sugar levels. Chocolate of course solves all problems (a view not yet backed by the FDA, but known by millions of us..right?!).

The Original - and it is original. It delivers phyto-chemicals and pre-biotics from Jerusalem Artichoke and Cranberry Seed. Sacha Inchi a superfood (mountain peanut) from South America known for it’s high Omega oils content. I’ve eaten these whole and they are good. A mix of powdery, crunchy and nutty. These new foods are being promoted in the West now and helping bring money to rural areas where the crop is grown. Let’s hope they stay fairly traded!

Vanilla Lucuma - as with all of the other organic protein flavours from Epic Protein, each serving has at least 19 grams of protein from all-plant sources. Totally vegan. Gluten free. Sweetened here by lucuma ‘Gold of the Incas’ a naturally sweet plant packed with beta carotene. The Vanilla bean sweetens it too. Also added is Baobab. A dry powder from the inside of a fruit of a tree native to Africa. High in Vitamin C.

Green Kingdom - as described by Epic a ‘potent blend of land and sea plant life’. Spirulina (a nutritional champion) Kale..we all know about kale now..right?! and Indian Moringa. Another superfood that is gaining in popularity. It is known as the ‘clarifier Tree’ Webmb.com says, “Moringa is used for “tired blood” (anemia); arthritis and other joint pain (rheumatism); asthma; cancer; constipation; diabetes; diarrhea; epilepsy; stomach pain; stomach and intestinal ulcers; intestinal spasms; headache; heart problems; high blood pressure; kidney stones; fluid retention; thyroid disorders; and bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections”. Impressive. It is a cheap and easy plant to grow and a dense and important source of nutrients. All the ingredients are listed on the front, nice and clearly.

Initially, I found them a little sweet for my palate at first but this is only because I do not usually eat protein powder. All contain a touch of Himalayan Pink Salt to balance out the sweet and salty elements of our taste buds. I made a couple of smoothie with both the Chocolate Maca and the Vanilla Lucuma for a friend who is not usually the smoothie type and she loved them both. The powder is slightly gritty, a characteristic of all protein powders, but I think this one is silkier then most. You can purchase them in servings of between 1 - 69 so they are fantastic to take as sachets if you are going on a road trip and have little space in your bag. Or for taking to the gym or out for a run in your water bottle.

I think you will love them too. Which is why I wanted to give you a chance to try them for free. The lovely people at Sprout Living want that too. So together we are hosting a giveaway!

The are generously giving to one winner a 16 oz Chocolate Maca and samples of the Original, Vanilla Lucuma and the Green Kingdom. Together with a Sprout Living Blender Bottle shaker. The prize is worth over $40!

Entrants in the USA only. You have 14 days to enter beginning today. Scroll down to enter below. Good luck!!

Enter the giveaway here..

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Breadfruit & Rhubarb Koresh

April 28, 2015 by India Leigh

A friend and I hopped on the train into London last week to visit Royal Academy Of Arts and their current exhibition by a post-war Californian master of abstraction. For me no visit to London would be complete without a stroll along the Thames between London Bridge and Southbank, to loose a few hours to free art exhibits, people watching and sight seeing. The vista never gets old. Lunch was to be a bit of a grab-and-run as to maximise our time. Whilst ordering our food I spotted a dish on the menu that caught my eye. It is rhubarb season in the UK and though nothing could highlight the pink stalk for me better than a pipping hot vegan rhubarb crumble, I was intrigued by their koresh (stew) dish of lamb & rhubarb. Interesting combo. I knew I had to veganise it as soon as I could. I wanted to know what rhubarb would taste like in a savoury, Persian inspired dish.

Like the day, it turned out nice! It also turned out to be a very happy accident. My intention was to replace the lamb with jackfruit. And I thought I had until I saw the texture of the contents of the tin to discover I’d inadvertanelty purchased breadfruit. In my defence it does look quite similar to jackfruit on the tin, but yes, yes, I am aware the word Jack bears no resemblance to Bread. But..I went with it and once the prep and simmering was done I realised that the breadfruit was probably a better bed fellow to the rhubarb. The starchy dense breadfruit is like a wavy potato but better (don’t ask me to explain why..just a more robust texture I guess?) Next time I will try it with my first intended, the jackfruit. But I’m guessing the breadfruit will win out. The flavours of this breadfruit & rhubarb koresh are delicate, the rhubarb offers a gentle tartness and the mint lends to the flavours of Persia. Both jackfruit and breadfruit are seriously low calorie, easy to digest and embrace the influence of herbs and spices well. Here is the super easy and quick recipe. I adapted a recipe I found online by Alison Hurst in the Telegraph.

Breadfruit (or Jackfruit) & Rhubarb Koresh - Persian Stew

Ingredients

2 stalks of rhubarb

1 tin (500g) Breadfruit or Jackfruit chopped into cubes

3 small onions diced

3/4 tsp turmeric

salt & pepper to taste

a few strands of Saffron

1 tbs virgin coconut oil

1 tsp xylitol

Fried Herbs

1 bunch flat leaved parsley

8 stems of mint + 1 (pick off the leaves and discard the stems, or use them in a smoothie)

1 tsp virgin coconut oil

(Retain some of the fresh herbs for garnish)

Method

Melt the oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent.

Add the breadfruit (or jackfruit) and dust over the turmeric. Stir gently to coat. Add enough water to just cover the breadfruit. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15mins.

Meanwhile, chop the herbs (my friend came to my aid and produced with a flourish a French mouli. It is a vintage herb mill. The photo below is of her demonstrating to me how to use it. It is a great tool. I now want one to add to my kitchen collection. So, melt the oil in a small fry pan and fry the herbs for 1-2 mins only to retain their vibrant green colour.

Chop the rhubarb in to 2inch chunks. Throw them into the breadfruit pan. Then add the herbs. Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook for 5-7 mins. Do not cook too long or the rhubarb will disperse into the stew without a trace.

Take of the heat.

Sprinkle over the xylitol (or sugar for the less healthy). Stir briefly.

Serve with wholegrain brown rice. Scatter with fresh minced herbs.

Persian Vegan Koresh - Breadfruit & Rhubarb Stew

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Breadfruit (or Jackfruit) & Rhubarb Koresh - Persian Stew

Author: India Leigh

Recipe type: stew

Cuisine: vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 stalks of rhubarb
1 tin (500g) Breadfruit or Jackfruit chopped into cubes
3 small onions diced
¾ tsp turmeric
salt & pepper to taste
a few strands of Saffron
1 tbs virgin coconut oil
1 tsp xylitol
Fried Herbs
1 bunch flat leaved parsley
8 stems of mint + 1 (pick off the leaves and discard the stems, or use them in a smoothie)
1 tsp virgin coconut oil
(Retain some of the fresh herbs for garnish)

Instructions

Melt the oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent.
Add the breadfruit (or jackfruit) and dust over the turmeric. Stir gently to coat. Add enough water to just cover the breadfruit. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15mins.
Meanwhile, chop the herbs (my friend came to my aid and produced with a flourish a French mouli. It is a vintage herb mill. The photo below is of her demonstrating to me how to use it. It is a great tool. I now want one to add to my kitchen collection. So, melt the oil in a small fry pan and fry the herbs for 1-2 mins only to retain their vibrant green colour.
Chop the rhubarb in to 2inch chunks. Throw them into the breadfruit pan. Then add the herbs. Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cook for 5-7 mins. Do not cook too long or the rhubarb will disperse into the stew without a trace.
Take of the heat.
Sprinkle over the xylitol (or sugar for the less healthy). Stir briefly.
Serve with wholegrain brown rice. Scatter with fresh minced herbs.

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vegan fish tacos

April 13, 2015 by India Leigh

Fish Tacos a la vegan.

I had, several times, pondered the idea coupling nori & tofu before actually tasting my first plate of vegan fish & chips, naturally enough, by the seaside in Brighton, England. I remember it was a pop-up supper in a cozy , candle lit deli. My plate was piled high with fat doorstep chips, a side of mushy peas and a generous, creamy mound of tartar sauce. The ‘fish’ was encased in a gluten free beer batter, deep fried. It was oily, chewy and delicious. I loved the dish, so I never thought it was going to take me two years to recreate it so that I could make it at will! But, house sitting doesn’t always lend it self to having the luxury of getting into a domestic flow. One is constantly on shifting sands and by the time you’ve settled and googled mapped the stores you will shop at, the park you will walk around, the best coffee house to sit in, soak up the atmosphere and write, and got yourself familiar the new home (to a standard where you’d not get lost if you got up in the night to pee) then it usually is time to move on again. My ‘must try’ and ‘recipe development’ lists remain of biblical length.

Anyway, recently in Los Angeles long enough to settle (but lumped with the pressure of shelling out for a wedge of cash for a knock in a car I had not factored into my budget) the long list of restaurants to try in LA I’d excitedly scribbled down had to remain just that..a long unchecked list. It was necessary to save a few bucks so on went my frilly apron. So it was time to DIY and figure out how to make vegan fish and chips, and make them gluten free too!

I drew a little inspiration from Vegan Dad and then adjusted here and there to make it gluten free. I was really pleased with the result. Recalling a trip to Austin, where I ate fabulous vegan fish tacos from a vegan food truck, I opted to house the fish in corn rather than alongside a stack of chips (chips as in fries). You can do as you please of course, but I craved tacos.

Vegan Faux Fish Tacos

Ingredients

250g extra firm tofu

1 pck roasted seaweed snack (nori sheets) 11g

1/2 cup of each: garbanzo; cornmeal flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp garlic powder

vegan egg replacer - 3 ‘eggs’, or make 3 chia or flax ‘eggs’.

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

pinch chili powder

Tartar sauce

1/2 cup Veganaise or Just Mayo (or similar vegan mayo)

2 large pickled cucumbers

squeeze lemon juice

Method

Remove the tofu from the package and discard water. Place the block of tofu between a few sheets of kitchen roll and place on a plate. Put another 2 or 3 plates on top to create some weight so that the tofu can drain for about 20mins. Once drained, remove the plates and the kitchen paper. Put the tofu in a high sided dish.

Whilst waiting for the tofu to drain, make your tartar sauce. Spoon your mayonnaise into a serving bowl and diced the pickled cucumbers. Add the cucumbers to the mayonnaise and squeeze over the juice of about 1/4 of a lemon (or to taste) mix with a spoon. Set aside.

Splash over some gluten free soy sauce (or use Braggs) on both sides. Drain the excess.

Grab two large plates and in one add your chosen egg replacer. In the other mix the flours, bicarb of soda, salt, pepper and chilli.

Cut the tofu into 1.5 inch cubes. Then cut the roasted nori to 1.5 inch strips. Fold the nori around the tofu. The dampness from the tofu will make the nori sheets more pliable.

Then dip first into the egg replacer and then into the flour mix. Ensure it is all covered. Set each ‘fish’ portion aside onto a plate until you have covered and coated each one.

Now, I am always trying to be healthy and so I tried to bake these in the oven first. They were very nice. But not ‘table slammingly’ good. So I shallow fried them, just a minute or two each side until they had browned. I then warmed some corn tacos and began to put it all together. Taco cradled in my hand, I placed over a few cubes of the ‘fish’, dressed it with some romaine lettuce, dolloped over generous spoons of tartar sauce. Squeezed over a drizzle of lemon and then took a large bite.

Mmn, I hummed. My eyes closed. It tasted so good. The warm masa, the crisp corn crumb coating, the soft tofu and the flavours of the slightly chewy seaweed and the creamy, tart sauce. Yes. So good.

You do not want to wait as long as I did to get this into your recipe repertoire.

vegan fish tacos

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

35 mins

Vegan Faux Fish Tacos

Author: India Leigh

Recipe type: Fish Tacos

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

250g extra firm tofu
1 pck roasted seaweed snack (nori sheets) 11g
½ cup of each: garbanzo; cornmeal flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp garlic powder
vegan egg replacer - 3 'eggs', or make
3 chia or flax 'eggs'
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
pinch chili powder
Tartar sauce
½ cup Veganaise or Just Mayo (or similar vegan mayo)
2 large pickled cucumbers
squeeze lemon juice

Instructions

Remove the tofu from the package and discard water. Place the block of tofu between a few sheets of kitchen roll and place on a plate. Put another 2 or 3 plates on top to create some weight so that the tofu can drain for about 20mins. Once drained, remove the plates and the kitchen paper. Put the tofu in a high sided dish.
Whilst waiting for the tofu to drain, make your tartar sauce. Spoon your mayonnaise into a serving bowl and diced the pickled cucumbers. Add the cucumbers to the mayonnaise and squeeze over the juice of about ¼ of a lemon (or to taste) mix with a spoon. Set aside.
Splash over some gluten free soy sauce (or use Braggs) on both sides. Drain the excess.
Grab two large plates and in one add your chosen egg replacer. In the other mix the flours, bicarb of soda, salt, pepper and chilli.
Cut the tofu into 1.5 inch cubes. Then cut the roasted nori to 1.5 inch strips. Fold the nori around the tofu. The dampness from the tofu will make the nori sheets more pliable.
Then dip first into the egg replacer and then into the flour mix. Ensure it is all covered. Set each 'fish' portion aside onto a plate until you have covered and coated each one.
Now, I am always trying to be healthy and so I tried to bake these in the oven first. They were very nice. But not 'table slammingly' good. So I shallow fried them, just a minute or two each side until they had browned. I then warmed some corn tacos and began to put it all together. Taco cradled in my hand, I placed over a few cubes of the 'fish', dressed it with some romaine lettuce, dolloped over generous spoons of tartar sauce. Squeezed over a drizzle of lemon and then took a large bite.
Mmn, I hummed. My eyes closed. It tasted so good. The warm masa, the crisp corn crumb coating, the soft tofu and the flavours of the slightly chewy seaweed and the creamy, tart sauce. Yes. So good.
You do not want to wait as long as I did to get this into your recipe repertoire.

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Nut Bars Giveaway from Knowing

April 7, 2015 by India Leigh

Knowing Nut Bars Giveaway

I was in Lassens, Echo Park (Los Angeles) the other day and spotted out the corner of my eye a guy handing out samplings of his wares. Ever curious, and a bit of a pig, I ditched the procuring of my salad ingredients and manoeuvred my way to his table of goodies. Upon enquiring if the little morsels of crumbly cake-y things were vegan and gluten free, the man said yes. There after I had my first taste of a Knowing Nut Bar. Insert HAPPY smiling icon here. I was expecting just another raw food bar..but oh no. They are a two layered bar, a crumbly topping on a stickier base. The coconut gave a biscuit texture and the flavours were sensational..the cinnamon coconut..wow the cinnamon just sang. The chocolate coconut was richly chocolatey. Somehow the flavours within each bar each managed to have a separate moment of glory. Delicious. Moreish!

I asked the guy (whose name I had now gathered was Nicholas) to tell me the story behind the name of the bars and why they decided to put all their energy into bringing another snack bar onto to market (though these are not just another snack bar. These are really ‘stand out’ bars).

Nicholas and his brother Alex, who work out of Los Angeles, are the owners of Knowing. Nick told me that perfecting the recipes has taken a ton of effort. ‘We’ve been working on various nut bars for years, trying different combinations of nuts and preparation techniques. We finally settled on using an amazing combo of cashew and coconuts as the base for all three Knowing bars. Knowing was the result of my brother and I having worked in restaurant kitchens, farmers markets, and our Dad’s kitchen while growing up and then seeing the food being sold in grocery stores’.

But why Knowing I asked? ‘Much of the time, there is a huge lack of understanding as to what people are actually eating. The Nutrition Facts can be helpful, but can also be misleading - it’s really important to know WHERE the calories, sugars, and fats are coming from to determine their actual nutritional value’.

The brothers’ main goal is making great tasting snacks from nutritious whole organic, whole foods. They just wanted to make the ingredients front page, so people know what they are consuming. To be honest, their nut bars taste so good that I forgot all about their great nutritional value. Over the years I have become used to the fact that vegan sweet treats can be very tasty AND good for you. So it comes as no surprise to me. But these bars taste like they should be ‘naughty’.

The bars 100% organic. Soy, dairy and grain free. Gluten free. Vegan. Knowing nut bars are currently available in Lassens, local Whole Foods as a part of their Local Forager Program, EarthBars in Southern California, a handful of independent grocery stores and cafes, online farmers markets like FarmBox and GoodEggs, as well as our website.

I was excited to tell you about the bars, so is Nick. So he decided he wanted us to run a giveaway. He’s offering 1 winner a box of the 3 flavour bags. I wish I could enter to win them! I can’t, obviously, but you can, if you live in America. Each flavour pack (3 bars in each) retails at around $3.99. So the winner gets 12 bars to chomp on, and share (if they can bear to!).

Scroll down to enter.

A pack of Knowing Bars wonderfully modelled by my handsome assistant.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled-pork vegan style

March 24, 2015 by India Leigh

I have been on a jackfruit binge lately, well not a binge exactly but every time my friend visits we always end up going to a certain deli for bbq’d jackfruit. Out of all the plethora of vegan joints in LA, we just cut to the chase and head to Organix in Eagle Rock for their Puerco Sandwich, with coleslaw and veganaise on gluten free bread. We are powerless to do anything else because, Sweet Jesus, it is insanely good. In an effort to both impress my friend and try to recreate pulled pork vegan style heaven, I made my own version of it this weekend. It is close..so, so close. And in this instance close is good enough because nothing could top the Organix version.

Jackfruit is a food champion. It is drought resistant (barely needing any water to develop into a hardy, bulbous, giant). The ripe jackfruit is made into sweet snack chips, ice cream and dulce desserts. The unripe, young jackfruit has a fibrous, meat-like texture and can be boiled, baked and roasted. The flesh is said to be high in protein and fibre, and easily digestible. According to UNESCO animal agriculture makes up for 70% of water consumption in the US. Half of America is currently experiencing some form of drought and California is in an emergency drought situation with only 1 year estimated of water left in it’s reservoirs. Those are alarming statistics. Those facts are too much for my head to deal with but I can choose to eat vegan and enjoy copious amounts of planet friendly jackfruit, pulled-pork vegan style in my bid to save the planet.

I did some research for a bbq jackfruit recipe online. All of the recipes I discovered called for bbq sauce. I did not have any, was too tight to go and buy any, and for sure did not want a whole raft of ingredients I did not care for in my pulled pork tacos. So I just added to the mix what I believed would be in BBQ sauce (minus the scary ingredients…high fructose corn syrup and ‘natural’ flavourings). Easy really and feels good because it really is then a ‘from scratch’ recipe. This recipe is also great stuffed inside toasted, Veganise smothered gluten free bread.

Putting the tacos together is easy. Warm the taco, spread over some Veganaise or Beyond Mayo, spoon on generous amounts of the bbq jackfruit, layer over the coleslaw and finish with fresh cilantro and, if desired, a squeeze of lime. Bite into it and prepare for happiness.

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled pork vegan style

Gluten Free

ingredients

I can (565g) of young green jackfruit in water (or fresh young jackfruit)

I can fire roasted tomatoes (Trader Joes) + 1/4 can of water (if you cannot get TJ’s then any tinned toms)

1/2 large onion diced

3 garlic cloves crushed

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne powder

3 tbs liquid smoke (I used a mix of Wrights Hickory & Mesquite)

3 tbs coconut sugar

2 tbs agave

1 tbs liquid aminos or tamari sauce

1 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp salt (Himalyan pink is a personal favourite)

For the coleslaw

1/2 head Red or white cabbage finely sliced

2 tbs Veganaise

2 tsp gluten free mustard

Cilantro for garnish

Extra Veganaise ..just because. Totally optional.

method

preheat your oven to 450 degrees (if appropriate…see below)

drain the jackfruit. chop off the hard core and remove the seeds. cut sections in half

sauté the onion in a little splash of oil until translucent, add the crushed garlic and sauté for a further 2-3 mins careful not to allow to it burn.

add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 25-30 mins. You could just serve now as it will already be delicious, but for a more intense flavour and a dryer consistency then place onto a baking sheet and pop into a hot oven 450 degrees for 20-30 mins.

BBQ Jackfruit Tacos. yum!

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled pork done vegan

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

bbq jackfruit tacos - pulled pork vegan style

Author: India Leigh

Recipe type: Vegan, gluten free tacos

Cuisine: Entree, Lunch, Mexican, Texas

Serves: 6

Ingredients

I can (565g) of young green jackfruit in water (or fresh young jackfruit)
I can fire roasted tomatoes (Trader Joes) + ¼ can of water (if you cannot get TJ's then any tinned toms)
½ large onion diced
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
3 tbs liquid smoke (I used a mix of Wrights Hickory & Mesquite)
3 tbs coconut sugar
2 tbs agave
1 tbs liquid aminos or tamari sauce
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1½ tsp salt (Himalyan pink is a personal favourite)
For the coleslaw
½ head Red or white cabbage finely sliced
2 tbs Veganaise
2 tsp gluten free mustard
Cilantro for garnish
Extra Veganaise ..just because. Totally optional.

Instructions

preheat your oven to 450 degrees (if appropriate...see below)
drain the jackfruit. chop off the hard core and remove the seeds. cut sections in half
sauté the onion in a little splash of oil until translucent, add the crushed garlic and sauté for a further 2-3 mins careful not to allow to it burn.
add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 25-30 mins. You could just serve now as it will already be delicious, but for a more intense flavour and a dryer consistency then place onto a baking sheet and pop into a hot oven 450 degrees for 20-30 mins.

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Creamy Broccoli and Almond Soup - Vegan & Gluten Free

March 10, 2015 by India Leigh

An easy and nutrient rich soup that is simple and delicious. I stole the recipe from a Waitrose magazine and adapted it. The supermarket magazine had lots of vegan, raw and gluten free recipes. Mainstream. Plant based eating is going mainstream.

For this creamy broccoli and almond soup I felt the original recipe needed a tweak. Burnt or charred broccoli does not work well in a soup, not when it is alongside a citrus. It’s bitter and just not all that pleasant. So either steam it if you want a very low fat soup, or drizzle it in an abundance of oil when you roast it so it doesn’t burn. It is creamy from the almonds, lifted by the citrus and mint, and is nicely filling.

Creamy broccoli and almond soup recipe.

Ingredients

2 Large heads of broccoli (about 8 cups of chopped florets).

1 cup almonds soaked over night (to soften and make them easy to digest) plus a handful to dry roast.

I actually prefer the buttery flavour of coconut oil and the latest thought/study is that it is better for you, the original recipe called for 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil to roast the broccoli. I used about 4 tbs of coconut oil …you decide.

6 garlic cloves

enough water to cover the broccoli in the pan

1 lemon, zest (for garnish), and juice of ½

large handful mint leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6.

Chop broccoli (and the core) into medium sized florets or chunks and put onto a baking sheet with the handful of almonds and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the coconut oil (or just drizzle the EVOO) and drizzle over the veggies and garlic. Roast for 20 mins. Do not let it burn! Remove from the oven and keep aside the roasted almonds and a few florets for garnish.

Drain and rinse the soaked almonds and put them with the broccoli, mint, vegan stock cube, garlic and lemon juice, into a blender. Put in enough water to cover the broccoli and blend until creamy. Add more water until it is thick, creamy and soupy. Season to taste. Warm through in a saucepan.

Serves 4

Creamy Broccoli and Almond Soup - Vegan & Gluten Free

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

35 mins

Creamy broccoli and almond soup recipe.

Author: India Leigh

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 Large heads of broccoli (about 8 cups of chopped florets).
1 cup almonds soaked over night (to soften and make them easy to digest) plus a handful to dry roast.
I actually prefer the buttery flavour of coconut oil and the latest thought/study is that it is better for you, the original recipe called for 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil to roast the broccoli. I used about 4 tbs of coconut oil ...you decide.
6 garlic cloves
enough water to cover the broccoli in the pan
1 lemon, zest (for garnish), and juice of ½
large handful mint leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6.
Chop broccoli (and the core) into medium sized florets or chunks and put onto a baking sheet with the handful of almonds and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the coconut oil (or just drizzle the EVOO) and drizzle over the veggies and garlic. Roast for 20 mins. Do not let it burn! Remove from the oven and keep aside the roasted almonds and a few florets for garnish.
Drain and rinse the soaked almonds and put them with the broccoli, mint, vegan stock cube, garlic and lemon juice, into a blender. Put in enough water to cover the broccoli and blend until creamy. Add more water until it is thick, creamy and soupy. Season to taste. Warm through in a saucepan.
Serves 4

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Gluten Free Vegan Lipstick Giveaway

February 13, 2015 by India Leigh

Gluten Free Vegan Lipstick.

Keeping it all natural, vegan and gluten free makeup is a thing. Red Apple Lipstick are a cosmetics company dedicated to allergen free products. They have a wonderful range of products to make your kissers and peepers pop.

We have a gluten free vegan lipstick or gloss, and an eyeliner to giveaway to one lucky winner. If you win you get to choose your perfect shade.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Vegan Donuts Los Angeles

February 7, 2015 by India Leigh

Vegan donuts Los Angeles.

Donut Friend two words in the English language that are good, whether alone or together. Donuts are great. Friends are great. Put together? Well, after eating a pillow of doughy, adorned heaven at Donut Friend, for a moment the world drops away to reveal a glorious illumined alter of the baked bonne bouche. Really, you say..is it that good?! Ok so vegan baked donuts that taste like they are fried with GLUTEN FREE options that you can either dress up with one of their crazy good on-menu (sweet and savoury) flavours, or, OR make up from your own limitless crazy imaginations. Yes, DIY. They slice the donuts in half and that creates a lidded platform for you to fill, stuff and cram as you see fit. THEN, yes then you get to have it drizzled, dipped, sprinkled and literally drowned in more sensational toppings.

I went straight for the DIY option, with a gluten free donut. After much deliberation I opted for the raspberry habanero jam and coconut cream filling. Chocolate and vanilla glaze. Gloriously topped off with coconut bacon. My fingers were restless as I watched them create my masterpiece. I was eager to get my hands on it. Did my friends look at me strangely to see the over-the-top pure excitement I was displaying for a donut?! No matter. It was worth getting excited about! Picking it up it was dripping in glaze, I bit into it and waited for the flavours to tinkle my tastebuds like a piano player on the ivories! It was insanely good! The jam packed an intense sweet heat, the coconut bacon was crisp and smokey and the flavours played together like a symphony! The donut was baked but it tasted every bit fried. It was so delicious!!

I had to quell the oink within to hold back from trying all the flavours that were teasing mercilessly behind the glass! Friend J had the blueberry loaded ‘Husker Blu’, Friend C had the ‘Angry Samoan’, a chocolate and coconut adorned creation. C said he could not tell the difference between the gluten and the non-gluten donuts. They both admitted my DIY donut was totally delicious. I took another friend a day or so later and they said that they’d never know it was vegan and it was the best donut they’d had. It definitely was mine too!

Feast your peepers on the menu - I dare you not to salivate with creations like; caramelised apple, with vegan cheese, caramel and toasted peanuts, strawberry shortcake, pastry cream & chocolate, the S’Morrissey with a chocolate cake donut filled with toasted marshmallows and topped with chocolate glaze and graham cracker crumbs!!!!

As if you’d care with all that amazing ‘can you even believe it’ ‘have I died and gone to heaven’ ?going on but the prices are good, the donut shop is located in a fun, cozy part of town and the staff are squeezably nice too! It is not an all vegan place but it is mostly. Which you can tell by the fact they * the non-vegan items!

If all that is not enough, Donut Friend are also in Highland Park, a fun, hip and friendly area of town which I have fallen madly in love with. I will be going back again. And again, and again…and again. Nothing wrong with having donuts for lunch!