EASY PEASY MAC AND CHEESEY!

With the likes of pizza and mac and cheese being my all time favourite indulgence meals, the one thing I sometimes miss as a vegan is cheese. Sure there's Cheezly, Sheese and No Muh (No Muh has to be the best I've tried so far) but nothing has quite hit the spot in terms of substitutions. The time came to take matters into my own hands and see if I could come up with something that would satisfy my needy cheesy tastebuds. 

This isn't technically a recipe, you just throw the ingredients together in a pan until it tastes good! First of all you need to cook the pasta shells (or macaroni if you prefer), I won't baby you by telling you how to do this...

While the pasta is cooking, pour some unsweetened almond milk in a pan on a medium heat, I would say allow 1 cup for each person. Add lot's of nutritional yeast (this gives it that cheesy taste) then a half teaspoon of: nutmeg, paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin. Squirt in a teaspoon of mustard and a sprinkle of turmeric to give the sauce a golden colour.  Add a corn starch/thickening mixture, following the instructions on the packet. Then season with salt, pepper, paprika and hot sauce to taste (optional). 

A quick and easy meal using cheap pantry ingredients. You can also add extra ingredients to the mac and cheese to make it more interesting and substantial such as; tofu dogs, soy protein and broccoli or peas. 

VEGGIE STIR FRY

Another one of my favourite dishes I like to keep in circulation is this Asparagus, Broccoli, Ginger and Mint stir fry. This dish is full of feel good ingredients; ginger is renowned for aiding colds and flu's, mix this with hot chillies and colourful veggies and you've got the perfect combo to combat Winter. 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil

2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

5 cm of fresh root ginger, sliced into fine strips

1 bunch spring onions, cut into 5cm (2in) lengths

2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced into fine strips

1 head broccoli, about 300g, cut into florets

1 bunch fine asparagus spears, trimmed and halved

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 handful fresh mint leaves

1 pinch salt

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a wok over a medium-high heat, and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chillies and ginger and toss for a few seconds, then add the spring onions and a few seconds later add the garlic. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until soft.
2. Add the pepper, and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the broccoli, and stir-fry for a few minutes more, before adding the asparagus. Continue stir-frying for another minute or two.
3. Sprinkle over the sugar, and season well with salt and black pepper. Stir-fry for a few seconds until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat, and stir through the mint leaves. Serve immediately either on its own, or with some fluffy rice.

This recipe is another Ocado beaut and can be found here, if you shop with Ocado you can add the ingredients straight to your basket. The only changes I made were to substitute the sugar for a light agave syrup and I served mine with brown rice to make it a bit healthier. 

As the recipe states you have to be quick with this and keep constantly frying the veggies in the wok so they don't burn.  You can use fresh or frozen veggies, I prefer fresh (although it takes a bit longer to prepare) as they cook easier, taste better and have more nutrients!

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

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MY VERSION: WASABI YAKI SOBA

I have a bit of a thing for Japanese food and think I would be in my element if I decided to visit Japan one day. Wagamamas, Dim T and Wasabi are all at the top of my list for a casual meal out or a quick grab and go. When I worked in Central London I would religiously order the Roasted Veg Yaki Soba noodles from Wasabi, which are accidentally vegan (you can check out their allergy info here). Looking at the handful of ingredients in the Yaki Soba I thought this would be easy enough to recreate at home, plus it's always fun to experiment in the kitchen with foods you love. I actually now prefer the home cooked versions of my restaurant faves to the real thing (Read: check out my Wagamamas recipe). At least this way you can control what goes in and you know exactly what your eating!

Ingredients (serves 3):

2 bundles of organic udon or buckwheat soba noodles
Firm organic tofu
Frozen garden peas
1 onion chopped into chunks
2 tbsp oil
Salt
Hot sauce and soy sauce to taste

Instructions:

1. Chop the tofu into large cubes and the onion into chunks.
2. Fry the onion in 1tbsp oil in a large pan till lightly brown.
3. Boil the noodles in a pan of lightly salted water for about 8mins.
4. In a separate pan add 1tbsp of oil and fry the tofu cubes for about 6mins.
5. Meanwhile boil the peas for 4mins in a pan of lightly salted water.
6. When everything is ready drain the noodles and sprinkle them with cold water, toss till they are dry. Then put them into the same large pan as the onions and add the tofu. Drain the peas and add those to the pan. Cook everything in the pan together till warmed through.
7. Add salt, hot sauce and soy sauce to taste. Delicious served with miso soup and vegetable spring rolls.

I'm ready for my close-up.

Healthy tips:

• Skip frying the noodles at the end and just serve the ingredients straight on top of the boiled noodles after draining.
• I usually make this dish with udon noodles but it's a matter of preference and depends on how healthy you want to be, the soba noodles are healthier as they're made from buckwheat.
• You could always try adding more veggies to this dish to make it as nutritious and colourful as you like.

What's your favourite place to eat? Have you ever attempted to make your favourite restaurant dish or adapted it to make it vegan? I'd love to know! 

MY HAPPY PLACE: CAMDEN LOCK

INSPIRAL

Camden is my new happy place - mainly because it's so great for vegans! We took a trip there last weekend, first stop was lunch at Inspiral where we enjoyed a delicious (vegan) lasagne with a mixed salad. You seriously don't know how good this was seeing as it's been such a long time since I last had a lasagne! If your planning to visit Inspiral be warned, it's a bit on the pricey side although I guess that's to be expected when they're using top notch vegan ingredients. It also gets very cosy in there when it's busy (which is pretty much all the time) but that's a great sign of how popular healthy vegan food is! 

We then perused the infamous Camden Lock market and picked up some very fancy laser cut Christmas cards (sorry I was so excited about these I forgot to take a pic). I've been to Camden market in the Summer but somehow it was even more fun browsing the stalls with a cosy Christmas vibe in the air.

I loved these inventive motorbike seats for diners to sit and eat their takeaway's while overlooking the beautiful canal scenery. 

COOKIES AND SCREAM

Last but not least we visited the Cookies and Scream stall as I've been dying to go for ages. It more than lived up to my expectations, I was in vegan heaven with milkshakes, brownies and cakes galore! The 50's diner style outfits were so fun and the whole stall has such a cool spooky theme going on, definitely not your average cake shop. Again it was unbelievably popular, what you can't see in the photos is me leaning over everyone to get these shots! With all their bakes being gluten free, low in fat and using only the finest ingredients I can definately see why. We took home some salted caramel cake and two chocolate donuts, just thinking about them now is making my mouth water.

Hello Salted Caramel Scream shake

The one that came home to mama.

WORKOUT WISHLIST

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While everyone else is thinking about Christmas preparations I'm thinking about workout preparations. A month ago I joined my local gym and while I may have had a habit of letting my workouts fall by the wayside in the past, I'm determined not to let it happen this time (famous last words!). However I have been keeping to my word and going at least 2-3 times a week, the only thing that's slightly hindering my routine at the moment is my kit, I'm in desperate need of some long joggers like the Nike ones in the pic. The thought of going out in my trusty pair of cropped Nike leggings in this weather is enough to send me running straight back to the sofa with a blanket and hot chocolate (I know I'm such a girl). 

My ideal gym kit consists of a couple of pieces I currently own, the BPA free Delta Hydration water bottle by Kor (7) and Mizuno Wave Rider trainers (6) in the hope that I will eventually be able to afford the rest of the wish list items to go with them! Mizuno trainers are the best for running, they're so supportive and bouncy, I bought this pair last year after having my run analysed in my local sports shop. This is where they put you on a treadmill for a few minutes and recommend trainers based on your stride, they also create insoles moulded specifically to your feet which helps to prevent any running injuries, a must for anyone who runs regularly. The Mizuno trainers are coincidentally not made of leather, however I have heard some people online say they may use animal ingredients in their glue (not confirmed) so you might want to check this out by contacting the company. 

I'm all for gym gadgets, whatever makes my workout go quicker and easier is fine by me! The Polar watch (8) counts calories based on your heart rate, which seems a lot more accurate than casually gripping the machine handle bars now and again, not to mention calories burned during floor work and weights. The little iPod shuffle would also be ideal to clip on to my waistband as I'm too worried to run full speed with my iPhone attached to my ears (I also have the habit of forgetting I'm still attached before leaving the machine, does anyone else do that?). 

I've been lusting over the Fjällräven backpack (1) ever since Zooey Deschanel rocked the blue one in New Girl, they're quite expensive but I think I'd get a lot of use out of it, both inside and outside the gym. Plus it matches the Nike Balance tank (3) nicely, it's made from Dri-FIT mesh so you can break a sweat in the most elegant way! 

While it would be nice to have these pretty little extra's to add to my kit I'm not going to let it stop me going to the gym, after all it's only 7 months till Summer so with that scary thought in mind I'm off to workout!...

Do you have any gym kit recommendations?

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...

NUTS FOR BROWNIES

I found this recipe for vegan brownies on the internet a while back and have been wanting to make them ever since but somehow never got round to it. Last night I finally pulled all of the ingredients together and gave it a whirl while the boyfriend was out, as me + baking = lot's of mess in our open plan kitchen.

The photographs really don't do these brownies justice (I'm working on upgrading my camera soon) as these were scrum-diddly-umptious if I do say so myself! The consistency was just right, a key component to making the perfect brownies. For me they've got to be gooey in the middle and slightly harder on the outside with plenty of chocolate so they're nice and moist. I even added my own dairy-free chocolate chips (80g), from Wholefoods and 3 big spoonfuls (or 100g) of organic Whole Earth peanut butter to give it some oomph. 

I was shocked by the measurements as it seemed like a lot and it turned out it was! It gave me so many brownies I don't know what I'm going to do with them all. Safe to say I'll be palming them off on to friends and family all week long. The pics show the big ole slabs I first cut them into but I will be cutting them down to halves or even bitesize chunks, after finding out how gooily rich they are!

Although not the healthiest of recipes we all need a sugar fix now and again and these brownies will certainly do the trick! (to be enjoyed in moderation of course...).

MY VERSION: WAGAMAMAS CHILLI MEN

Wagamamas Yasai Chilli Men

When I first went vegan I was worried I wouldn't be able to eat out with my friends and family like I used to, for fear of every vegetarian option on the menu consisting of either cheese or egg (am I right?). I needn't have worried as most places, especially big chains (weirdly enough) are fairly accommodating to meet your dietary requirements and will often omit the dairy ingredient from any given dish.

One of my favourite places to eat out has always been Wagamamas (partly because I can convince myself it's Japanese and therefore healthy). Thankfully they are very accommodating to vegans and even have a dietary guide available on request to aid you in your decision making. Most of the veggie noodle/soup dishes can be made vegan by swapping the egg noodles to udon noodles. Or by simply asking them to leave out the egg in dishes such as the Yasai Cha Han and the Pad Thai. However I have heard the pickles that come with the Cha Han contain milk (I don't know why either) so stay away from those!

As far as desserts go I'm pretty sure there's no choice but to opt for their real fruit ice lollies. If you try the cherry one you won't even care, it's amazing!

As a vegan my new favourite dish on their menu is the Yasai Chilli Men with udon noodles, the meal is very filling and quite spicy with loads of flavour. The tofu and vegetables come in huge chunks of deliciousness and this is one of those dishes that actually tastes better with the Udon noodles! This rainy weekend I ended up walking along the river thames at night, it was getting very chilly and dark so I couldn't wait to huddle into Wagamamas and be presented with a hot plate of spicy chilli men, the perfect antidote to a cold a winter's evening.

If you don't have a Wagamamas restaurant nearby, or you would prefer to cook your own it's a very easy dish to replicate. You can even buy a jar of Wagamamas own brand spicy chilli men sauce from the supermarket and simply stir fry it in a big wok with these ingredients:

- 1 block of firm tofu, I recommend Dragonfly organic tofu (also available from Wholefoods and Holland and Barratt).
- Approx 2tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 courgettes
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 packet of mangetout
- 1/2 pack of white button mushrooms
- 1/2 a green pepper
- 1/2 a red pepper
- Pinch of salt
- Soy sauce/hot sauce to taste (optional)
- 2 parcels of Udon noodles boiled separately (I recommend the Clearspring organic ones).

This meal serves two (simply double the ingredients if you want to feed four). Sorry for the not very accurate measurements as this is my own made up recipe!

My version of Yasai Chilli Men 

Let me know if you make this at home, I'd love to hear your results. Do you have a favourite vegan dish when dining out?

FAUX FIX: DESIGNER PICKS

L:R: Falabella Bag // Faux Fur Coat // Vinyl Pencil Skirt // Cotton Shirt // Leopard Slippers // Lip Print Sweater

When I tell some people that I'm a vegan I think they are a bit taken aback, as though it's not a normal thing to be. So I want to show the world that us vegans are 'normal' too and can enjoy everything that meat eaters do! In fact I'm more convinced than ever that the vegan diet should be what's considered normal, having recently watched the documentary Forks over Knives, which examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

While my ideals of what's ethical may have changed, my love for fashion has always remained, I've just made a few adjustments to my wardrobe (as well as my diet) along the way (see post). I've been interested in fashion since my early childhood, I would spend hours playing with my fashion wheel game (we didn't have iPads back then) and even went on to pursue my dream of becoming a fashion designer at College and University. 

Most of the time designers like to use real leather, fur and silk, after all that's where your money is going (or so they would like you to believe) so when you pay a designer price tag you would expect it to be the 'real' deal. Therefore it's often harder to pick out higher end items that are vegan friendly. Stella McCartney is probably the most well known for being an ethical designer, as a lifelong vegetarian her collections contain no leather or fur. However some garments are made from silk and wool so not all items are vegan, but for vegan shoes and bags Stella McCartney would be my first designer of choice - if only I could afford it! 

I've taken the liberty of painstakingly (yeah right) searching through Net-A-Porter to find the most on trend (vegan) designer picks of the moment. It's just annoying that there's no 'one' designer company that does all vegan items with a sustainable ethos to match. At the minute the best we can do is pick and choose our peices but hopefully with more people buying these items and shunning the skins we are persuading them to make more and forgo the unnecessary cruelty...

The pic above is what I like to call the 'tough yet cuddly' look, that you could wear during the day, to work or even dress up in the evening with a different top and some heels. You can also get the Falabella bag in a fold up version that works as a clutch too, so that would be a worthy investment if ever I saw one ;). Personally I'd would wear all of these items together as I love the contrasting prints and textures of the faux fur and the shiny vinyl. The sweater over a pencil skirt look was seen at Jonathan Saunders and seems so perfect this winter. On colder days I'd wear the shirt underneath the jumper so the crisp white collar is poking out (my favourite look at the minute). Overall a versatile and layered Winter look that's cruelty free! Now who wants to sponsor me to wear it?... anyone??

Can you recommend any other ethical/vegan designers?

SKINCARE: BOOTS BOTANICS

With the air getting colder and my skin becoming increasingly dryer, I've been on the lookout for some natural, or as close to natural skincare products as I can get. Online is probably your best bet when trying to scour something truly pure and vegan, alas I was down to my last make-up wipe and needed a replacement quick so I headed down to my local Boots.

Doubtful I would find anything I was happy with on the high street I had a look anyway and was pleasantly surprised to see the Boots Botanics range has had a makeover and offering skincare that's between 80 and 100% organic.

Hand Cream // Cleanser // Day Cream

The products were all great to use, I put them on before I went to bed last night. The initial application of the moisturiser made my skin feel slightly tightened but I awoke to find my skin soft and clear this morning. I believe they must have changed the formula, that or the organic one is the only one that agrees with my skin, as I tried the normal botanics moisturiser last year and broke out in a nasty rash! 

The cleanser removed my makeup really well, quickly and easily - which is exactly what I was looking for, being a self confessed lazy makeup wipe abuser. I'm glad I made the change to cleanser as my current brand of make up wipes were actually beginning to sting my eyes. I won't name names but they're a VERY well known brand that claims to be natural (in a round about way) with 'no chemicals, no alcohol, perfume or colour', so I was surprised to find the ingredients listed as Methyparaban and Propylparaben, you can read more about these controversial ingredients here. 

As I was weighing up which products to get in the store (I frequently spend hours in stores doing this!) I googled Boots products and their statement to someone who enquired was:

"Thanks for your enquiry regarding our Botanics range.

I am pleased to confirm that all of this range will be suitable for vegetarians, as it does not contain any animal ingredients.

None of the Boots branded products are tested on animals."

Which led me to believe they were ok for vegans too, however I did notice when I got home that the Botanics day moisturiser does contain beeswax which is considered by some to not be a vegan ingredient. Being a transitioning vegetarian, I am still on the fence about this one, I definately don't eat honey anymore as I'm aware of the damage this causes to the bees (read: here) however the beeswax extraction seems like a non-harmful process. While it is still an animal by-product, the bees don't need the wax and the collection of it doesn't harm them in the process (that I'm aware of). Please correct me if I'm wrong as I am still forming opinions about this...

What natural skincare products do you use?