DHAL

Another great source for vegan/vegetarian recipes is Ocado as you can filter the recipes by dietary requirement to find something suitable. That's were I found this beauty for Dhal curry, another one of my favourite winter warmers. Be prepared the recipe has a lot of ingredients and takes around one hour to make in total (prep and cooking time) but it's soo worth the effort! I would go as far as to say this is the best veggie curry I've ever made or tried and I've had a fair few.

I served mine with brown rice, I'm trying to swap all my white grains at the moment, 1. because it's healthier and 2. to see if it makes a difference to my weight and digestion (I always feel and look so bloated after white carbs!)

As you can see this dish is so vibrantly colourful and full of different veggies, lentils and spices, making this one nutritious dish.

Ingredients

400ml Coconut Milk 

1⁄2 bag Garden Peas 

1⁄2 bag Spinach

1⁄2 tsp Coriander

1 handful Flat Leaved Parsley, fresh

2 tbsp Blended Olive Oil

1 Large Onions

3 cloves Garlic

1 tbs Root Ginger

1 tsp Ground Cumin

400g Puy Lentils

1⁄2 tsp Mixed Spice

1⁄2 tsp Ground Turmeric

1 packet Fresh Coriander

6 large Tomatoes, cut in to 8 segments

6 whole Sundried Tomatoes, chopped

1 small Butternut Squash, diced in to approx 3 cm squared cubes

Instructions

1. Add the oil to a frying pan and cook the onion until it softens; for a minute or so. Then add the garlic, being careful not to brown, for a further minute.
2. Add the butternut squash, fresh and sundried tomatoes and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Then add the dried spices and mix well. Cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the coconut milk. Cover and cook for on a low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
4. Add the frozen peas and the lentils, stir and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and add the chopped spinach and fresh coriander. Stir through just until it wilts and serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh parsley or even a swirl of natural yoghurt.

Perfect served with popadoms, chapattis or warm naan bread on the side with some mango chutney for dipping, if you want to be a little bit cheeky.

WHY VEGAN?

Over the past few months I've written about vegan recipes, make up and outfits, which is all fun and games but I realised I haven't actually talked about the many reasons for being a vegan. While they may sound obvious to those of you who already are, I'd like to let the readers who aren't vegan know why someone would choose this kind of lifestyle. 

The no.1 reason for me is that animals should not be used as commodities to fulfil our selfish, unnecessary desires (notice that I said desires and not needs). This is because meat is not an essential nutrient, humans can still live, breathe and actually attain better health without meat. The documentary Forks over Knives shows us the vegan diet is healthier, 'Their research led them to a startling conclusion: degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented—and in many cases reversed—by adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet."

Meat eaters often respond to vegans with 'clever' quips such as 'eating animals is all part of the food chain, animals kill each other so why shouldn't we eat them'. What they don't realise is that we should know better because we don't need to eat animals and we should be taking care of those more vulnerable than us, not abusing them. Another popular one is 'I would go veggie but I need my protein for the gym', again this is an unjustified observation. As a vegetarian or vegan you can make up the same amount of protein in meat by eating a combination of healthy veggies, grains and nuts (see here). For example Tempeh packs a protein punch of 19g per 100g while just two cups of kidney beans contain about 26g of protein (almost the same as a Big Mac, which has 25 grams!). 

Do you see through these programmed responses, how we have been manipulated by the media (through our ego self) to think that we need to eat meat to survive? They do this because it sustains the current infrastructure of making money out of your disease (dis-ease). They don't care about your health but you should! I see veganism as a choice to take back your rights to health, well-being and spirituality.

I believe we're here to get along with everyone and everything harmoniously, being the best we can be in this life by making conscious decisions about what's right and wrong, a moral value that often seems lost in the age of Miley Cyrus and Rihanna as role models. People seem to be living only for the now and ignoring the later consequences, while veganism is about choosing a more responsible and sustainable approach to life, not only for your own health but for the planet as well.

The trouble is people think they are so small in this vast universe that they can't make a difference to the world but they don't realise they are part of the universe and should be working in conjunction with it not against it! They say 'if the meat is already sitting nicely pre-packaged on the supermarket shelf why shouldn't I buy it?' To them I would say one person making a conscious decision to become a vegetarian saves 100 animals a year (source). One person changing their lifestyle inspires others to do the same and before you know it you've influenced a whole group, it's a knock on effect. I have already noticed people close to me eating less meat, whether its subconsciously or not, your actions do affect other people!

Vegan food is damn tasty too! I've had meat eaters try my meatless meals and dairy free desserts and not be able to tell the difference. There are vegan/vegetarian substitutes for almost every animal product you can think of and I believe the food tastes better because no pain or suffering went into the making of it. The one thing I would say that's potentially bad about a vegan diet is the high intake of soya, however look at the Asian populations who eat soya very regularly yet live longer, healthier lives than all of us! So the jury's still out on whether it's actually bad for you or not. For now I try to buy these products in moderation and eat as close to nature as possible i.e. more organic fruits and veggies with less processed, pre-packaged foods. If you are going to eat soya always try to go for the organic option. 

I've also recently noticed a lot of vegan foods have 'natural flavourings' listed as an ingredient. This is an umbrella term and is allowed to be derived from anything, including Castoreum (secretion from a beaver's anal glands - yup), GM and Aspartame (source), so I'm thinking this ingredient is also best avoided until there's more research/guidelines for this.

While I have much more to say on this topic I've gone on long enough for now! I hope I've given a fair point of view on veganism to allow you to make your own mind up, I could talk about this subject all day so if anyone has any questions regarding this post or would like some advice on turning vegan - get in touch! 

GOURMET BURGER KITCHEN

GBK Falafel Burger

GBK Covent Garden

Last weekend my boyfriend and I decided to take our traditional yearly trip to Covent Garden to soak in the Christmas atmosphere. This year I had a little panic wondering where I would eat out then I remembered the Gourmet Burger Kitchen has always had a good range of veggie burgers so hoped there would be something vegan on the menu. 

The staff were really accommodating to my requirements and allowed me to modify the falafel burger to come without the cucumber raita or garlic mayo. Apparently they also cook all the veggie burgers in a separate fryer to the meat which is really good to know. The falafels were fried and smooshy in the middle, my favourite kind! We also ordered a side of chunky fries and some onion rings to share, the whole thing was deelicious! I was super full afterwards which was perfect as it warmed me up and kept me going throughout our busy day, I still couldn't eat a bite come dinnertime (highly unlike me).

If your wondering about the monkey nuts in the pic, they're free and you can help yourself to snack on them before your meal but seeing as it's so filling I wouldn't advise it! I also took a few shots of the interior as it's the prettiest GBK I've seen.

If your planning to visit London in the next couple of months be sure to stop by Covent Garden for the market, live music, chestnuts roasting and those giant baubles! It's guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit. 

Topshop Hat (similar)// Scarf (Urban Outfitters vintage)

SOUTHERN STEW

Southern New Year's Stew (aka hug in a bowl)

I had to recommend this vegan cookbook by Robin Robertson. Even if your not a vegan and just looking for some cheap, healthy and hearty recipes this book is a must! The author is American but once you learn that cilantro is coriander and zucchini is a courgette your pretty much up to speed. I've made a few dishes from this so far and they've all turned out really tasty, with plenty of healthy wholesome ingredients to see you through the winter months. 

Considering the meals are cheap to make (although not when you buy the ingredients organic from Wholefoods - oops) they give you plenty of leftovers for the next day, so it's great if your a lazy cook like me! I've also found the recipes really easy to follow and make, I don't enjoy cooking that much (I'm much more of a baker) so it's nice to know I can just pick up this book and know I'm not going to end up crying into my cilantro (it's rubbing off on me). 

I'm yet to try the sweets and dessert section of the book so I'm a bit excited about that and as soon as I do you'll be the first to know!

Vegan on the Cheap - recipe on pg.76

This recipe for Southern New Year's Stew has been my favourite from the book so far, it's the perfect comfort food dish for winter. The only changes I made were to substitute brown rice for white rice (naughty but that's all we had in the cupboard) and made a full cup of rice instead of 1/2. I also added an extra carrot and an extra stick of celery (to get even more goodness in there). 

Recipe (makes 6 servings):

- 8 ounces of collard greens or dark leafy greens, coarsely chopped 

(about 4 cups)

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

- 1 celery rib, chopped (after much debating I realised that's one of the stalks)

- 1 medium carrot, chopped

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- 4 cups vegetable stock (I used these)

- 1/2 cup long grain brown rice

- 1 tsp dried thyme

- 1/4 tsp black pepper

- Salt

- 1 russet potato, chopped (I just used an organic potato)

- 1 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed (I used a can)

- Tabasco sauce/hot sauce for serving

To cook the stew: 

I made this slightly different to the recipe instructions as I was hungry and wanted to speed the process up! 

1. I boiled the greens separately for 20 mins and cooked the carrots, onions, celery and garlic in oil, in a separate pan for 5 mins (just as the recipe states). 

2. I then made the rice in a rice cooker and added the stock and seasonings (thyme, pepper and salt) about half way through. 

3. A few minutes later I added all the vegetables along with the drained boiled potato and the black-eyed peas. It should then simmer till the stock water has evaporated but the stew should still have some moisture and not be dry.

4. To top it all off I used hot sauce instead of Tabasco, if you are using Tabasco make sure it's vegan as the regular one has fish in it!

I'm off to go and enjoy my leftovers, let me know if you purchase the book and make any recipes!

ELF MINERAL LIPSTICK

After binning my whole make-up collection (yep that's right) when I decided to avoid parabens, aluminium and animal ingredients for good (see older post here). I'm still trying to expand my make-up bag and grow my collection of natural vegan lipsticks. So I thought I'd give Elf's mineral lipstick line a go, after hearing only good things about it. 

Their website states the range is 100% mineral based with no parabens, no preservatives and no chemical dyes (hooray!). I really like the application of the lipstick and it certainly lives up to it's description, it really does glide on easily and leave your lips feeling nourished, as though your wearing a balm rather than a lipstick. But make no mistake, although they are natural they're also really pigmented and there's no need for blotting, lining or sealing, this lipstick goes on perfect all by itself! 

 Runway Pink

Cheerful Cherry 

(this actually looks like I lined my lips but it's just the light)

I love the Cheerful Cherry shade but the Runway Pink is a little too bubblegum for my liking, I was actually on the lookout for a more neutral shade but this goes on much pinker than it photographs, making the website photos a little bit deceiving. I've tried to photograph it in different ways so hopefully this post will help you guys decide! I would say the most accurate colour of the pink would be the pic of my lips and for the red it would be the swatch on my hand. 

I would like to try the whole Elf mineral lipstick line eventually, as they feel so nice to wear and will probably order some more shades soon, seeing as they're only £5 a pop and the cheapest vegan line around! 

Have you ever tried the Elf mineral range? Let me know what you think of it and what your favourite product is.

COOKIE CAKES

I'm calling these cookie cakes as they're a bit of a spongey/crispy hybrid, perfect for when you can't decide whether you fancy a cookie or a cake, well now you can have both!

The recipe for these can be found here, I used a muffin tin to bake them so it would give me a deep cakey cookie but you can just use a flat baking tray if you'd prefer. Otherwise I kept the recipe pretty much the same, the only addition I made was a 1/2 cup of walnuts (having found these are rich in Omega-3 I'm trying to amp up my intake!) I also opted for soya margarine rather than oil and added an extra 3/4 cup of almond milk to give them a spongey cake texture rather than a crisp cookie one. 

I love that the recipe is measured in cups, it's so simple to follow and means you can't really get it wrong, which means the quicker it's ready and in my belly!

Using a spatula for this part really helps get it all in as the mixture is quite sticky!

They will never come out brown so take them out when they are lightly golden, you don't want to burn them! I cooked my cookies in a preheated oven for 14mins at 180C.

I couldn't wait to tuck in, the perfect partner in crime for a cuppa tea! 

L'OREAL VEGAN?

Apparently so! Now the words L'Oreal and vegan are not usually synonymous with each other but maybe times are 'a changing. I recently discovered L'Oreal's 'Ever' haircare line is 100% vegan, their website states the whole range is not tested on animals and contains no animal by products. Not to mention being sulphate and silicone free - this all seems too good to be true! 

So how did the products fair? Funnily enough I had been using this line for a while but since becoming a vegan I wanted to change my haircare routine asap (automatically assuming these products would be tested on animals and/or contain animal ingredients). Little did I know they were already suitable for vegans! (thanking my intuition for that save).

The fact that I've been using these products for a long time now speaks volumes as I'm very particular about my hair. I used to only use high end hair products as I've always thought they were the best but this L'Oreal Ever line can hold it's own against the pricey crème de la crème brands as far as I'm concerned. The fact that the range is so affordable (even more so when it's on a 3 for 2 offer at Boots) is a huge plus, especially for someone with masses of hair like myself!

So some people will say if your buying this range then your supporting the animal testing/animal ingredients that go into their other product lines, but I say if we the consumer show that we only want to purchase products like this by putting our money into them, then what choice will companies have but to listen to us? 

On another note, in the same shopping trip or 'haul' if you will (but that word makes me gag) I also purchased some more of the Boots botanics range as my skin seems to be agreeing with it quite well and this No7 eyeliner. I'm going to attempt the eyeliner flick again as I love the 60s style look of winged eye but I've never quite got the hang of it in the past. I'm hoping the felt tip nib will make it easier and this was the only drugstore liquid eyeliner I could find that is both paraben and (as far as I can tell) aluminium free! So I'll let you know how that one goes.

CAT & THE CREAM

On this dreary drizzly day, when all you want to do is tuck up at home with a cuppa tea, a good book and something naughty to nibble at I thought I'd share with you my favourite Vegan cake by a company called Cat & The Cream. My life became complete when a Wholefoods recently opened up nearby me, being a vegan it just makes food shopping a whole lot easier (and pricier!) but I've always thought it's important to spend your money where it matters i.e nutrition, health, wellbeing etc.

Ok so the cake isn't nutritious or healthy but it definitely makes me happy so that counts as wellbeing right?! So far I've tried the Banana, Cashew and Peanut Butter which was pretty amazing but my fav flavour has to be the Banana, Walnut & Choc Chip with Butterscotch Icing (drool). They are very rich and highly calorific at a whopping 509(!) cals per cake, so I often share one of these with my other half or save the rest for another time (literally having your cake and eating it too!), so while they retail at around £2.69 - which is quite pricey for a cupcake, you do get a big portion for your pennies. You can tell a lot of thought has gone into this product as they're so perfectly packaged, at halloween my cupcake even had a cute little dark chocolate ghost on top of it!

These cupcakes are: Vegan, Dairy Free, Wheat Free AND Soya Free, which must be quite a task to achieve. I really appreciate when food companies don't automatically use soya, as vegan products are often full of it!

Another great vegan cake company based at the Greenwich Market in London is Ruby Tuesdays, I bought my boyfriend a birthday cake from her stall this year and it tasted just like a real chocolate cake, my non-vegan/vegetarian relatives couldn't even taste the difference! They also offer a variety of completely vegan baked goods such as: banana bread, biscuits, brownies and even donuts(!). Their pretty little stall is worthy of a post in itself, which reminds me I must pay them a visit again soon...