A Vegan Obsession

Blogger Pie! Round Up Of Vegan MoFo Blogging Moments

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The last day of Vegan MoFo 2013, arrives tomorrow.  It has been such a fun experience.  Humbling too, to be among such Vegan Blogging greats.  Bloggers from around the world who I have followed for years, in awe of their creativity and life changing recipes.  I pushed all my posts out in one concentrated hit of 20 days (the allotted minimum) as I was due to fly to Sweden.  My days were fraught with repeated trips to shops, my hands raw and prune like.  If they weren’t stirring or whipping or chopping they were elbow deep in suds.  I’m going to miss it all.  It was a buzz.

I wanted to tell everyone about the recipes of my fellow Vegan MoFo’ers.  My inbox overwhelmingly full of recipes everyday.  What will I do without them?!!  Of course it would be impossible for me to list all I have witnessed this past month.  So I selected a random few.  Thank you to all those bloggers who made September so fun.  You have inspired me!  Some were totally outside the box, like the wonderful savoury cupcake creations from .  Others, like Veg Hot Pot, made me appreciate the nostalgic flavour of my own country.




VGNGF Lemon Cheesecake made with white beans?!!















Some bloggers chose a theme to post about for the whole month.  This one was all about peanut butter!


Roasted Fries Smothered with a Combo Of Smoky Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce and Blackberry Sauce


Quinoa Banana Cherry Loaf from a gluten free girl - VGNGF

I loved the look of this pizza and it’s hummus base.  Do you think I can remember for the life of me where I hailed from?!!  




It wasn’t all about food though.  Many were blogging ‘on the road’ and making me jealous of their travels.  



The Intrepid Vegan Miam - blogging about food on the go!
Some wrote about their every day life, which always is fascinating, even the hum drum (I’m such a voyeur!), and some were totally random and told of their exotic tales on camel back!

I’ve loved them all!  I hope you enjoyed the snapshot of the fun.  I can’t wait until Vegan MoFo 2014!   If you want to see a list of all the Vegan Mofo bloggers here is the BlogRoll



and another thing about Berlin..A Round Up And Some More Suggestions Of Places To Eat

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Now that I have completed my obligatory 20 posts for Vegan MoFo 2013, I’m breathing a little easier and realising that there is a world outside my kitchen and the local supermarket.  I’ve been getting all nostalgic for my recent trip to Berlin (see a list of all my Berlin eats at the end of this post).  These are a few places that I visited but didn’t write a dedicated review for.  Really, Berlin’s vegan food scene leaves you spoilt for choice!


Gluten Free Vegan Pizza in Berlin  so good!  There was hardly a crumb left!


One of the million or so photos I took of TV Tower


German Parliament. So little of it was original, inside was a totally modern building of glass & steel.


Potsdam…the area of Berlin that is awash with incredibly beautiful parks and palaces(12 of them, King Frederick II certainly had a bob or two!)…and two vegan restaurants.  I talked my way into this one even though they were closed, so I could inhale the smell of cakes cooking take photos for you.  





I also went to Markthalle Neun a few times. When I heard they had a recurring event for those with a sweet tooth I was on my bike as quick as you could say schwarzwalder kirsch torte 


I had to go back to see Sun Day Burgers to get another hit of the Dali Lama trio of homemade sauces.  I so wish they sold it in jars! Also some of that skillet fried tofu burger..look at it!    To the right of the plate you can see a crepe like thing..it was vegan and gluten free chick pea bread from a bakers across the other side of Martkhalle 9.  It was so tasty..the best socca I’ve ever tasted.



Amazing VEGAN, fondant filled schokolade  by Edlemond  The chocolateir was so sweet, chatting with me in English.  Her creations are delicious. 


chocolate wurst!!!  from Delicacao have you ever heard of anything more awesome than a chocolate sausage?  





Freckles.  Cute little cafe serving cakes and pastries, and a gluten free tiramisu.


Sfizy Veg. An adorable little pizza restaurant.  Totally vegan, but no gluten free pizza..yet!



For more Berlin  food porn..

Double Layer, Orange & Cardamon Cheesecake. No Bake. Gluten Free.

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A few days ago a friend was returning from the warm climes of Northern Spain. I’d been looking after her house and rather large cat for a couple of weeks. I planned to have dinner waiting for her when she arrived. In the spirt of ‘do unto others’ I wanted to create a dessert that would melt away any post holiday blues.  As I was placing flavours and textures together in my mind, I knew I wanted a mouth meltingly smooth and creamy cheesecake, with a graceful hint of the exotic. This is what I dreamed up. It is elegant, feminine and divine.

Double Layer, Orange & Cardamon Cheesecake.  No Bake. Gluten Free.


Base
1 1/4 cup Bobs Red Mill GF Oat Flour 
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tbs flax meal
2 tbs coconut oil, liquefied
2 tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp pink salt

bottom layer
3/4 cup tofutti original
1 cup cashews - preferably soaked overnight but minimum 30mins
3/4 tsp vanilla powder
1 1/2 tsp cardomon powder
2 tbs fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange extract (in an oil base)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
zest of half and orange
1/4 tsp salt

top layer
1/4 cup tofutti original
1/2 pack firm silken tofu
1 tbs melted coconut oil
juice of 1 large lemon (or use lemon oil if you have some in your kitchen arsenal)
zest of 1 unwaxed organic lemon
2 tbs xylitol powder (grind granules in a coffee grinder)
1/2 tsp pink salt

to prepare the base mix all the ingredients by hand in a bowl or blender using s blade.  It should clump together when pressed between thumb and forefinger.  Press the base mix into a 9′ baking pan that has a removable base. Pop in the freezer to set.

next up, prepare the bottom layer.
put all the ingredients listed above into a high speed blender (crucial for creamy smooth cheesecake) and blend until silky smooth.  Take the baking pan from the freezer and scoop the bottom layer onto the base.  Smooth using a spatula.  Gently tap the pan on the countertop to nudge out any air pockets.  Pop into the freezer whilst whizzing up the top layer.

Top layer
Put all the ingredients, with the exception of the zest, into your blender and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy.  Add the zest and pulse lightly to incorporate, leaving specks of zest remaining.  Grab the baking pan from the freezer and use a spatula to gently scoop and smooth the final layer.  Pop into the fridge for minimum of 30 mins to chill perfectly before serving.  The cheesecake can be frozen if not eating right away.  Just gently remove from the baking pan and place into a suitably sized container.  Leave the cheesecake on the baking base for security.

Serve with slices of fresh orange and smashed pistachios.  

Vegan, gluten free, no bake. 





Let me know if you love it as much as we did!  x

Give Us This Day. Gluten Free Bread.

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My obsession knows new bounds.  For the last couple of days I’ve been obsessing about bread making. Gluten free bread making.  The more I read, I think the less I knew! In the end, the only way to see what works was to get in the kitchen, and well, see what works.

So for Vegan MoFo 2013, Day 20.  I’m giving us this day our daily bread. Sans gluten.

Gluten Free Bread


3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup wholemeal teff flour
1/4 cup sorghum
3/4 cup cassava (tapioca) flour
1 tbs psyllium powder
2 tbs ground chia
1 1/2 cups warm vegan milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pink salt
1 tsp white sugar



Bake at 180 degrees for 55 minutes, then five minutes extra with aluminium foil over the top.  I took it out of the oven at 50 mins and tapped the bottom but it did not sound hollow enough so I popped it back in again.   When it is cooked, remove it from the loaf tin.  Leave it to completely cool before slicing.  I had to go for a once around the lake at the end of my street, to cut into it was too great.

I read on one website that it was better to introduce the quick acting yeast to warm liquid before adding to the flour. I have no idea what difference this made but I went along with it.

Use a tsp of olive oil to make smoothing down the top easier and also improve the crust.  If you don’t want to use oil then wet hands will help to smooth.

I let it rise in an lightly oiled mixing bowl for 1.5 hours. The house was warm, this is important.  Yeast is a bit like me, performs better when warm.  The risen dough then sat in the loaf tin for a further ten minutes whilst I waited for the oven to heat up. 

I’ve read so much about gluten free bread in the last three days.  Some recipes have had such a long list of ingredients, all the ones that looked like they were triumphs used a high ratio of starch.  Some said 2:1 ratio of gf flours to starch, others said 60% starch 40% flours. Some said flours with high protein content best, some said rice flour best.  Some used vinegar to create a little chemical friction in the baking, thus resulting in a more tender loaf, others didn’t.  Some used baking soda…some, not.  

Am I happy with my first home baked loaf of bread?  It was denser than I’d hoped for.  I liked the flavour and the crust had a nice chew.  It was lovely toasted.  Overall, my first attempt was more like a German Brot.  Denser than sandwich bread.  The wholemeal teff defined it a brown instead of a white loaf.

I’m making another loaf in the next few days, I will be tweaking the recipe here and there to see what the effect is.

It’s not perfect.  No, let me rephrase that.  It is a perfect, dense and flavoursome, bread.  Perfect and lovely in it’s own way.  What it isn’t, is the hoped for, spongey, chewy crusted, flavoursome copy of the freshly baked sandwich loaf I used to slather with whatever took my fancy, atop an artery clogging layer of butter (pre-vegan days), type bread.  That will come in time.  For now, I’m loving what I have.  It’s kind of exciting.  The idea of a bread making journey, with failures and successes. I will learn as I go, make little adjustments, discover new ideas.  I sometimes can be rather uncomfortable with learning something new.  At times, want to skip to the finish line without all the stuff in the middle.  But, can a craft be truly learned without study and time to proof?

If you have any gluten free bread making tips or stories please do tell.


These sites were some of my inspiration and places of learning.
Gluten Free 4 Goofs
Book Of Yum
Gluten Free Girl



Today is Day 20 of Vegan MoFo.  I missed a day of posting so this is the 19th post.  I’ve a minimum of one more post to go.  It is going to be a good one.

See you tomorrow! x


Fancy Porridge For Dessert…Or Dinner. Or Breakfast.

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Whilst I have been tinkering with so many recipes for Vegan MoFo lately.  There have been a few times when I just didn’t have time to make dinner (crazy eh!) or could be bothered with even more washing up. My hands are like prunes!  It has been unseasonably cold here the last week or so and I was needing some internal fire in my belly.  What did I crave?  Something fast, something filling. Bring on the porridge.  As it was dinner, I couldn’t just eat warm oats with almond milk.  So I took it up a wee notch and made Porridge Dessert..for dinner.    A post today by a fellow Vegan MoFo’er for peanut butter and jelly porridge, reminded me to share this with you.

One day I made Black Forrest Gateau Porridge.  I warmed almond milk in a pan with a cup of oats, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla powder as a base. And, so I could eat it without having to wait for it to cool a little, I added a handful of mixed frozen berries and stirred through some carob chips.  A few flaked almonds on top and a swirl of maple syrup.  Happy!


Add caption
The next day, for lunch I ate porridge again.  This time I yearned for warming Carrot Cake Porridge.  I made the base of the porridge in the same way as the day before, but I added 1 tsp of cinnamon and a grating of nutmeg for spice.  I then grated a carrot and lightly toasted some walnuts until they were fragrant and stirred them through. I topped with a walnut cream, I made by whizzing up some coconut yogurt and walnuts with a little spoon of xylitol (healthy sugar alternative), in a blender. Swirl maple syrup in a figure of eight, and a pinch of salt on top and one over my shoulder for luck. Happy!



If you are gluten free, make sure you use gluten free oats.  Oats are not by nature a gluten food but they are usually processed in mills that process wheat.  I stayed away from my beloved porridge for so long as they really affected me, not just in my stomach but also making me feel a bit weird and fuzzy headed.  I also think sticking to my green smoothies for breakfast, and not eating the oats in the morning helps.  Not sure why.  My favourite are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats.  



See you tomorrow!  x

Deep Filled & Rich, Chestnut Mushroom & Ale Pie

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day 18 of Vegan MoFo 2013.  It has driven me to drink.  Thirteen years of straight-edge, teetotal.ness down the drain.  Well, not quite. It doesn’t count when it’s cooked in food.  Because I have been a non-drinker for longer than my love affair (yeah, what’s one of those..but that’s a whole other story) with vegan cooking began, I have never had food laced with alcohol.  Until now, this MoFo, for me, has been about breaking down some barriers and trying the new, or experimenting with recipes I’d been putting off because they seemed complicated and thus doomed to failure.  Failure has become the new success. Really, there is no way to bypass it when skiing along a learning curve.

I wanted to make food with beer.  I’d make food with lashings of cider and wine in my pre-vegan days, but never beer.  What better way to begin than with a classic, good old fashioned pie!  Rich and earthy. The perfect transition to Autumn eating.


There a few steps involved in this recipe, but worry-ye-not, I’ll walk you though it best I can.

Deep Filled & Rich, Chestnut Mushroom & Ale Pie

Filling
1 bottle 330ml Greens Beer - vegan & gluten free
1 block tempeh & a little gf flour for dusting
350 g organic chestnut mushrooms
1 large organic carrot chopped in rounds
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 stick of celery chopped
1/2 cup gluten free flour (I used Bobs Red Mill GF garbanzo & Fava mix, but sorghum would be perfect too)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbs whole grain mustard
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp dried or fresh thyme
pastry
3/4 whole grain teff
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup garbanzo & fava flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbs arrowroot flour
3/4 tsp xantham gum
2 tbs solidified coconut oil (the flavourless one is best for this recipe…or use vegan shortening)
vegan milk. enough to form a dough.

Method
Fry the onion & celery on a low heat for about 10 mins, until caramelised. If you sprinkle a little salt over the onions whilst cooking it helps them to release their water and encourages caramelisation. Add garlic & thyme. Cook on a low heat for a further 1-2 mins.  Careful not to burn.  Set aside.

Clean any soil off the mushrooms with a dampened piece of kitchen towel(don’t wash), slice (leaving a few cut into halves) and then fry (in quite a large pan..I will explain why further down) in a little oil until soft. Sprinkle over 1/2 cup gf flour and mix with a spoon. Set aside.

Make the pastry
sift the flours, salt and gum into a food processor or a bowl and cut in the coconut fat or shortening. Rub lightly with your fingertips (or slowly pulse in the dough mixer) until the mixture is crumbly. The tiny bits of solid/cold fat are what makes the pastry ‘short’. Slowly add the cold water to form a ball of dough.  The amount needed will depend on the humidity, and the flours that you use.  I used about 7 tbs in the end. 

Chill the pastry for 15 mins.  Heat your oven to 180 degrees, whilst the pastry is chilling.


On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out your pastry to fit your pie tin. Body & lid.  Line your tin with the pastry (keep the lid aside).  Pop into the oven to blind bake.  About 5-8 mins depending on your oven. We do this as the filling is already cooked and so a short overall cooking time may not properly cook the pastry.

While the pastry is blind baking…

Cube the tempeh and dust in a little gf flour.  Oil and heat a pan and fry the tempeh until golden.  Remove the tempeh and set aside.  Add the carrots and fry for a couple of minutes. Next, deglaze the pan by slowly pouring the bottle of Greens Discovery into the pan.  With a wooden spoon dislodge any remaining crispy bits from the tempeh.  Cook on a low heat for 2 mins.
Now to bring it all together. Add the onion mix, & beer carrot mix to the mushrooms and stir on a low heat until it thickens.

Remove the pie tin from the oven.  Spoon the mix into the pie tin.  Gently pop on it’s pastry lid and with wet fingers, crimp the sides to seal.

Cook in the oven for 25-30 mins.  The top will take on a lovely colour.  Careful not to let it burn.

At this point I made a quick garlicky spinach and pea mash.  No potatoes just the veggies quick fried with a bit of veggie stock and lots of cracked black pepper.   

I have never eaten anything cooked with beer.  I was surprised, it tasted so good.  My (dyed-in-the-wool) carnivorous dining companion said he’d choose my pie over any meat and ale pie he’d eaten before.  After years of forcing encouraging him to favour honesty over being nice (with me anyway), I take this as gospel.

I will be making this again very soon.

Special thanks goes to Green’s Original Gluten Free Beer available in Europe and a few countries outside. Approved by the Coeliac UK and The Vegetarian Society UK for making my alcohol infused foray into food possible.  Have you heard of Barnivore too? They have an online vegan, beer, wine and liquor guide.

Just a few more days and Vegan MoFo 2013 will be in the bag! 

See you tomorrow! xx


Injera Wraps Stuffed with Citrusy Split Peas (Kik Alicha)

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I first tried Ethiopian food when I was in LA.  A great little health food store in Los Feliz neighbourhood, up by the Hollywood Hills, kept them in the chiller to-go. The curious grey/brown spongy wrap and sunlight yellow peas looked so appetising.  I was setting off on a ‘road trip within a road trip’ down to Joshua Tree to be alone in the desert and stare at millions of glistening stars.  I grabbed them and a bottle of kombucha and headed out.  I devoured them whilst driving in LA traffic (not a good idea folks, don’t do this at home…well at home yes, but not in your car).  The flavours and textures were an instant hit.  Every road trip I took, beginning at this point, then always began with a mighty roll of tangy injera bread and lemony legumes.  When I’ve eaten them in other places since, they always transport me back to sunny California and dusty deserts.

Even though I’ve been hooked on Ethiopian cuisine ever since, it has taken me years to get around to making injera bread.  I was a bit scared of it.  Silly really, fermentation is not really something to be feared, like say rip tides or leg waxing.  I guess it’s all timing.  I decided Vegan MoFo 2013 was a wonderful excuse to have a go.  






Injera is teff flour mixed with water and left to ferment for 2-3 days (mine took 3 days..it will depend on the warmth of your house).  It has a mildly sour taste.  Teff belongs to the genus of ‘love grass’. Reported to be rich in iron and complex carbs ( thought to regulate blood sugar),  high in calcium, gluten free and, well, someone once told me all those Gold medal winning Ethiopian runners eat plenty of it, so it must be good. 


Injera Wraps Stuffed with Citrusy Split Peas (Kik Alicha)

3 cups wholegrain teff
4-5 cups water (I found a recipe that says use non-chlorinated water for the fermentation, which makes sense as the yeasts don’t like chlorine..I’d try spring water next time)
oil for the fry pan/skillet
Pink salt to taste.  I used about 1 tsp.

Mix the teff flour and water (NOT the salt)into a bowl, cover and leave in a warmish spot undisturbed for 2-3 days.  See the picture below for how it should look.  I kept looking at it all the time, like you would watching soil for seed to sprout. I was so excited when it started to look cracked and then bubbles appeared on the surface.  I admit to talking to it then, and encouraging it a little (I never professed to be sane!.)  When it is fermented, mix in the salt. You may need to add more water, I did.  Look for the consistency of a moderately runny batter.

Pour the batter like you would a crepe in a heated, oiled pan (there is a special electric pan or clay plate, to make injera but I only had a non-stick frypan..beggars can’t be choosers when housesitting!)  The tell-tale craters appear pretty quickly.  Once the edges are turning whitish then pop on a suitable sized lid for a minute or so, the steaming process finishes off the cooking.  Pop onto a plate and then cook the remainder.  Pile them on top of each other, using parchment paper to separate.  I was a virgin injera maker.  My results were a bit hit and miss and reminsecnet of the goldilocks story.  The first was way too thick, the second too thin and, yep you know the rest.  I only ended up making four.  If I’d have used the correct amount for each one I’d have probably doubled this.  The pan I was using was huge too.  Practice makes perfect.  I’ll update you when I make them again.  I’d say I came 90% of the way of recreating my road trip injera.  I’d say that was not a bad result.  They’ve probably made 1000’s of them.  
Kik Alicha


1 cup dried yellow split peas. soaked over night.  3 cups of water to cook. 1 1/2 tsp pink or sea salt.  Cook until soft but not completely mushy. It is good to have a bit of texture.  35-40mins.  Cook then set aside.  If they are too wet the strain off some of the water.  See the photo below for how they should look.

5 medium cloves garlic minced
1/4 onion grated (the original recipe didn’t use onion but I used it as a buffer for the garlic so it didn’t burn)
1 1/2 inch fresh ginger minced (use my method of mincing in a garlic press..discovered this for myself last week)
1 tsp turmeric
Put all the ingredients into an oiled pan.  Quick fry for 2 mins.  Stir constantly.

Pop the garlic, ginger paste into the beans and stir.  Now squeeze over the juice of 1-2 lemons, depending on size and juiciness.  The acidity of the lemons make the flavour of the beans zing.

Cover the surface of the bread with a layer of the kik alicha (the name of the puree/stew) and then roll.  Perform this for all.

I made a red split pea wat to go with it. Super easy, spiced with exotic berber spices.  I ate this hot, but served the injera wraps chilled, as this is how they were when I first encountered them.

Lovely.  I will never fear the injera again!



See you tomorrow! x

Aubergine Walnut Rouleaux with Wild Blackberry, Mustard Vinaigrette

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I’m going to rave about this recipe! If you make it, you will too.  Promise.

It is so, so good.  Have you ever danced around the kitchen with a dish you’ve just made?  No, me neither.

It is now marching on to Day 13 of Vegan MoFo 2013 (it’s a Friday too..eek! but lets forget crazy superstitious nonsense).   I wish I’d participated in Vegan MoFo before.  I love it.  Not just making the food, but the event creates such a lovely community.  It is great to visit some of other blogs everyday and see what they are up to. I am amazed at some of the dishes they are creating.  

Today’s dish was inspired by my travels in Berlin, and a friend, who turned up in a rain shower, on my doorstep, with his wet and panting Border Collie, to present me with a big bowl of freshly picked, glossy black berries. He is one of those friends that seems to have a canny knack of knowing just what I need before I do, and makes sure I get it. So grateful.


Aubergine Walnut Rouleaux (Rolls) with Wild Blackberry, Mustard Vinaigrette
makes  about 10-12 rolls


1 large aubergine (eggplant)

Wild Blackberry, Mustard Vinaigrette
1 cup fresh blackberry juice
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs agave syrup
2 tbs rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp gluten free wholegrain mustard
Himalayan (or sea) salt & cracked black pepper to taste

wash and blend the blackberries, strain. pour juice into a jar.
add all the remaining ingredients. mix.

Creamy walnut filling
1 cup of walnuts soaked over night (makes them far easier to digest)
1/2 block (175g) firm silken tofu (if you don’t eat soy then you can probably sub with plain, unsweetened almond yogurt that has been left to drain on some muslin)
1 tsp ground coriander 
1 garlic clove
salt & cracked black pepper to taste

pop all the ingredients  into a blender and blend until smooth.

slice the aubergine 1/2 cm thick.  Rub over with a little salt.  They soak up so much oil so I poured a little oil on a board, mixed with some water and then take the slices and brush both sides on the board.  drop a tbs of oil into a pan and then use some kitchen towel to help coat the pan.  THEN heat (not before, you’ll burn your fingers) the pan and place the slices and fry until golden brown.

When the slices have cooled enough for you to hold them, take a spoon of the filling and roll up the aubergine. Repeat for all of your slices.  On your serving dish, spoon over a line of the vinaigrette and gently place the rouleaux onto it.

chilli flakes & paprika for dusting

Serve with fresh organic green beans.  Quick blanched in a little boiling water. About 3 mins.  Rinse in cold water to halt the cooking process and retain colour.







See you tomorrow! x

No Bake. Bakewell Tart In A Jar

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What day is it??  All this cooking! AND eating.  Jeesh!  It’s Day 12 of Vegan MoFo 2013.  In all honesty, I am loving this challenge.  It is getting me to flex my organisational skills and my love of making lots of lists on scrappy bits of paper, and occasionally in my planner. It is also getting me out of any hummus eating cooking comfort zone I may slip into from time to time.  

So, next up: to dessert we run.

These pots of yum are so healthy you could eat them for breakfast, too. 

White processed sugar free, gluten free, soy free & vegan.

I’ve had dessert-in-a-jar envy for far too long, whilst drooling over other food blogs. It was a little victory for the bucket list making these.  YES, it was on my bucket list.

Don’t be scared off by the 3 steps to this recipe.  It looks like a lot to do but your blender whizzes it all up in minutes. 

No Bake. Bakewell Tart In A Jar
serves 2 



Raspberry Chia Jam
1 cup organic raspberries (frozen is ok but thaw a little first)
powdered xylitol or agave syrup to sweeten.  The amount depends on the tartness of your raspberries.  I used 1 tbs of agave.
squeeze of half a lemon, probably about 1/2 tsp (acts as a preservative)
Pop all the ingredients into a blender and then blend until smooth.
Mix with chia gel.

1 tbs chia seeds mixed with 1/2 - 3/4 cup water to form a gel (about 15 mins).  Chia has been said to contain the highest amount of omega-3 fatty acids of any plant known and lots of fibre and protein (in short it is a filling superfood).

I have read other recipes that do not make the gel in water and just add the chia to the fruit puree and leave over night but I tried this and the seeds didn’t hydrate that well and become very gelatinous.  It would be a better way however as the jam flavour would be more concentrated.


Almond ‘Crust’ 
6 tbs almond flour
1/2 tbs gently melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp almond extract
good pinch of salt

in a bowl mix all the ingredients. The mix should stick together when pressed between your fingers.  Put the ‘crust’ into your serving bowls or jars and press down.  Pop in the fridge to set.

Sponge Mix
1/2 cup chopped courgette/zucchini (a bit weird but trust me, Russell James turned me on to this one and it works)
1/2 a chopped dessert apple (I love Braeburn)
7 tbs almond flour
1 tbs psyllium husk (makes it spongey)
2 tbs ground flax seeds
1 tsp quality vanilla extract
1/4 tsp pink salt

Mix all the ingredients until it become dough like, in a blender.


Vanilla Sugar Icing Drizzle
4 tbs powdered xylitol (so much healthier than sugar)
dash of vanilla extract
water to mix to a paste


Crust on the bottom.  Jam is next. Spoon in that crimson loveliness. Gently drop the sponge on top.  Drizzle with the sugar icing.  Top off with toasted almond flakes.




a vegan obsession



lovely AND good for you.  x

Dessert Wrapped. Sticky, Sweet Banana, Chilli Carob & Mint Tortillas.

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Surprise!  I’ve decided to run the Friday Giveaway early..on Wednesday.  Because?  Well, this week is a little different because i’m participating in Vegan MoFo (Day 11). This week, we need to work as a team.  I’ve decided we (yes, me and you) are going to take on a simple challenge to see if WE can win a Grand Prize from Cooklet. 



The folks at Cooklet are all about social cooking.  With more and more of us food blogging and also sourcing recipes from blogs, Cooklet are launching a groovy yellow button that will allow food bloggers and cooks to be far more interactive. Exciting? Yes!


The deal is this.  I’m trying out their new feature, where you try my recipes, and then we all get to see YOUR version of my creation, by clicking on a button and uploading what YOU made. LOVE! There is a prize of $200 to the winner (woohoo) and 2 sets of 2 cookbooks.  So, how about if we try and win it together?!  If my blog and your recipe wins (the blog with the most entries grabs the prize), I give YOU $100 and I give myself $100 and you also get 2 hot-off-the-press cookbooks.


The Jewelled Kitchen by Bethany Kehdy


I love Toscana by Giulia Scarpaleggia 

The second prize (if we win) will bag the other set of two cook books.


Please note these are NOT vegan cookbooks. I wish they were. (I didn’t choose the books to be won) but they do contain vegan recipes and well, you are so inventive…ANYTHING can be veganised!



I posted about these gluten free vegan wraps in a delicious tofu scramble recipe yesterday.  It was such a treat to have gluten free wraps!  So I decided I’d have dessert for dinner and make these hand held pockets of sweet dreaminess.  Get this list of ingredients.   Peanut Butter.  Banana. Carob (posing as chocolate). Mint.  That would bring a smile to anyones face (unless you have a peanut allergy..then that last statement wouldn’t apply….you could use seed butter, tahini, or vegan caramel sauce..or, perhaps even vegan cream cheese).

So how do you get to have a chance at winning 2 cookbooks AND $100?  Make my recipe and then rate it and post your picture.  Simples!


Sticky Sweet Banana, Chilli Carob,  Mint Tortillas.
This recipe makes one wrap
(whether you share it or make more is up to you!)

Organic peanut butter without sugar or sweeteners (my local store didn’t have palm oil free..think of the Orang-utans…but yours might)
Carob spread. You can make chocolate spread if you like but too much chocolate gives me the jitters and I intended to eat too much! (recipe below)
1 large banana
4 mint leaves
pinch or two of chilli flakes


Carob spread
1/4 cup carob or cacao powder
1 tsp of chicory coffee or instant coffee powder (optional)
2 tbs agave syrup
1 tbs walnut oil (for flavour) or coconut oil (for flavour & health)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp pink salt
To make.  Just mix it all up until smooth and glossy.

To assemble
On one side of the wrap. Spread the PB.  Slice the banana and place on top of the PB. Drizzle (or slather.up to you) over carob (or chocolate) sauce. Chiffonade (I love that word, don’t you?!) the mint and distribute over the PBBananaCarob.  Carefully fold the filled side on the wrap to the other edge then pull it back to lightly squidge the filling under the roof you’ve just made.  Tuck and fold in the right edge, to create a seal, and then roll up.  Then cut in half.  Drizzle with MORE sauce and then scatter a pinch or two of chilli flakes.






I also used the wraps to (attempt) to make a quick and easy recipe rendition of cinnamon rolls.  I used ground xylitol and water to make a sugar syrup, soaked raisins in hot mint tea to plump and rehydrate. Spooned the sugar mix over the surface of the wrap, scattered the raisins, dusted over powdered cinnamon and a teensy pinch of salt.  Rolled up. Cut into bite size rolls and then drizzled with more icing sugar syrup. I tried and few and they were ok (I’m comparing them to the real, spongy, yeasty, deal).  A brain wave struck and I then proceeded to spoon over copious amounts of the remaining carob sauce. Ha ha! I then ate them all.

When you have tried my recipe, click on the button below. You will link to the Cook’d website and be asked to add a photo.  All entries will be visible on the Cooked.it site.  You can link it on Facebook & Twitter, too.

Good luck!  Can’t wait to see your entries!  Please submit by end of day 15.9.13
UPDATE!!  I’ve now been informed you can submit up until the end of 23rd September. 2013. Let’s get in those last minute entries!! 


Vegan Cookbook Review and Giveaway
Lemon, cardamon cookies encrusted with dark chocolate and pistachio crumbs.
[Friday GIVEAWAY for Dog Lovers] Healthy Chew Bones For Your Darling Dog
Artisan Raw Chocolate Giveaway from Fine & Raw
A WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS!! UK National Vegetarian Week. Today A HUGE Box Of Hand Cooked Crisps from Ten Acre
Baked Zucchini Fries with lemon aioli – Gluten free, low fat and crispilicious