Monday 5 July 2010
Eggless Egg & Cress sandwiches
Israeli Salad
3-4 large tomatoes
2 green peppers
1 avocado (optional, but I love it!)
5 tbsp poppy seeds
2 large cucumbers
1 large red onion
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp agave syrup
2 tsp za’atar (Thyme, Oregano, Basil & Seasame Seeds)
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil
What to do:
Halve the tomatoes & discard the seeds.
Chop the tomatoes into small cubes.
De-seed the green peppers and chop, and do the same for the cucumbers.
Remove the skin from the red onion and chop.
Toss all ingredients together in a large glass or ceramic bowl.
Combine the lemon juice, agave syrup, za'atar, salt & pepper and whisk.
Continue whisking & stream in the olive oil until combined.
Pour dressing over salad and mix in.
Mix in the poppy seeds
Chop the avocado & place on the top of the salad
Speedy Lemon & Herb Puy Lentils
Sunday 4 July 2010
Lazy Summer Afternoons in London
There are tourists everywhere! There are on non-summer days too, but from June to August you can't move for them! Oxford Circus is a total no-go for these months. Another thing if you've never experienced the tube during the hot weather I cannot stress how unbearably hot and smelly it becomes. Oh and because there's more tourists means you can never get a seat and that means having to stand under some really tall guy's stinky armpit for the duration of your journey. Oh and once you get off the tube and are desperate for water expect to pay around 50p more than you normally would because the shopkeepers use summer as an excuse to rob you blind.
Another negative is my hair but nevermind!
Saturday 3 July 2010
Picnics, Parks, Pterosaurs & Pedalos
Cutesy Vegan Cupcakes
So last week, my mum asked if I could make her some cupcakes for the school summer fete.
I didn't need persuading and whipped out my wooden spoons there and then!
After making mum's non-vegan cakes, I had quite a bit of flour left, and loads of cake cases. So never one to let things go to waste I decided to knock up a few vegan cakes.
Here's the outcome.
The food colourings are all vegan, along with the decorations.
I used this recipe from shmooed food: http://shmooedfood.blogspot.com/2006/01/fluffy-white-cupcakes.html. Minus the coconut extract as I'm badly allergic.
For the icing/frosting I used a regular buttercream recipe but replaced the butter for vegan margarine. It was no different and very yummy.
They were just perfect and I will be making them again, definitely!
My boyfriend helped decorate them with me, so much fun, plus they looked adorable.
Love & Peace.
Lauren
My BF's AWESOME Vegan Sunday Lunch
Being English and northern at that, I love Sunday lunches. Since becoming Vegan I haven't really cooked a Sunday lunch in the true British sense.
However a few weeks back I was surprised when my boyfriend cooked an absolutely amazing Sunday lunch.
My boyfriend's vegan roast consisted of: Granose chicken-style nut roast, agave syrup roasted carrots, super crispy and fluffy roast potatoes, onions, broccoli and some awesome Vegan gravy.
We both agreed it was a million times better than ones we used to have before we became Vegan. It was scrummmmy!
Even my mum, the daughter of a butcher and a die-hard Sunday roast fan, was impressed with the outcome.
All we need now is to find the perfect Vegan Yorkshire pudding recipe and the Vegan Sunday lunch would be truly complete.
Love & Peace.
Lauren
"Vegan" - Now Legally Protected Term
The European Parliament has made ‘vegan’ a legally protected term. This important step means that food labelled, ‘suitable for vegans’ should not be made using anything from animals, living or dead.
George Rodger, Chair of the Vegan Society Council of Trustees said today, “This is a great day for veganism in Europe and indeed the world, as vegans and veganism are now given official recognition. We look forward to the UK government putting it into practice.”
Wednesday 16 Jun 2010 saw the European Parliament vote to give legal protection to the term, 'vegan', as part of Amendment No 175 of new consumer food information regulations. This has closed a legal loop-hole – the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’ previously had no legally enforceable definition in Europe. We can all now look forward to reliable food labelling.
According to Article 35 of the European Food Information Act, “The term 'vegan' should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of, animals or animal products (including products from living animals).” (Also defined, “The term 'vegetarian' should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of products derived from animals that have died, have been slaughtered, or animals that die as a result of being eaten.”)
The new rules are likely to come into legal force around 2014.
Well done to The Vegan Society for their hard work on this.
Love & Peace!
Lauren