Vegan ‘Red’ Velvet Cupcakes

Although I had tried a few of those lurid, overly-sweet red velvet cupcakes which have become abundant in the last few years, I only tried my first proper red velvet cake recently – and actually fell in love.  With its eye-catching red and cream colour contrast, velvety soft texture and subtle chocolatey flavour – beautifully balanced out by the tang of cream cheese…

Vegan Shortbread with ‘Parmesan’, Polenta and Pepper

Another experiment in vegan shortbread for GBBO… Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups plain white flour 3/4 tsp fine sea salt 1/2 cup stoneground cornmeal 1/3 cup finely grated Violife Prosociano with Paremsan Flavour 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup coconut oil 2/3 cup icing sugar 1 tsp fresh lemon zest Method: Preheat oven to…

Chocolate, Chilli & Avocado Cake (Vegan)

The return of the Great British Bake Off on my birthday this year was a pretty awesome present from the BBC…I was excited to eye up the new batch of bakers and their creations.  I was also well up for the challenge of baking something I had never tried before.  But most importantly, I knew it would…

Cashew Butter Cookies (V/GF)

These cookies will change your life.  Or at least your healthy baking repertoire. The recipe which follows is based on one for flourless choc chip cookies posted on The Culinary Jumble: this was in turn inspired by a creation on Sally’s Baking Addiction.  Like recipe Chinese Whispers, I have also modified the recipe.  I used a mix of cashew…

Vegan Sunday Roast

Cannelloni, risotto and lasagne are all wonderful things…but they are NOT a decent alternative to a roast dinner for vegetarians, not to mention vegans!  If you want to make a vegan version of this Sunday favourite, you can easily put a bit more effort into making the vegetables the star of the show. Or, if you’d prefer, you…

Roast Beetroot & Onion Salad with Lentils

It is shameful that I don’t cook with lentils more often…considering that they are a cheap and convenient source of protein and other good things.  Today I set to put that right, creating this filling warm salad for lunch.  I have seen similar recipes which include goats’ cheese or feta but I wanted this to keep this…

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Avocado & Kale Pesto

As the Indian summer finally wanes, I am finding myself drawn towards warming, vitamin-enriched greens.  Last night’s dinner was a broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage tofu stir-fry, and here’s today’s lunch, if you fancy some green goodness yourself…

Cashew, Apple and Quinoa Breakfast Cookies

These nutritious, delicious, energy-packed morsels are an adaptation of this Carrot Cake Cookie recipe on simplyquinoa.com.  I had all the ingredients to make them this morning – except the eponymous carrots.  No matter: thanks to my housemate’s granddad, we have a giant bowl of garden grown apples to use up, which I supposed would make a suitably sweet alternative.

Vegan Chilli

When people who eat meat are catering for a vegetarian they often make a separate veggie option.  I think they could make life much easier – and healthier – by creating a veggie meal which anyone can enjoy.  Here’s one of my favourites: chilli (not con carne, of course).  The recipe below is more of a guide…

Tofu, Veg & Coconut Stirfry

As promised, here is the first of a series of recipes featuring plant-based protein.  Shop-bought marinated tofu is becoming widely available but my culinary repertoire was greatly improved when a browse on the Internet came up with a method for making my own (previously seen here).  I usually eat it with salad or a nice veg-packed stir fry.  Read…