Vegan Bear

Cut and Come Again Cake

2013-03-25T00:00:00.000+00:00

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

150g Sultanas

75g dried currants

175g brown sugar

115g soya margarine

250ml strong tea

250g plain flour

1 1/2tsp baking powder

1tsp ground cinnamon

1/8tsp salt

Method:

Prep: 30 mins |Cook: 45 mins

In a medium saucepan, combine the sultanas, currants, brown sugar, butter and tea. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until boiling. Boil for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350°f/180°c/Gas 4. Grease a loaf tin or 20cm round cake tin.

In a medium bowl, stir together the plain flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the boiled ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 320°f/160°c/Gas 3 and bake 15 more minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Cool, store in an air tight container to retain freshness.

Home-made Soya Yoghurt

2013-03-22T13:59:00.002+00:00

I’ve always cringed at the price supermarkets charge for soya yoghurt, then one day while walking around the local health food shop I saw a yoghurt making kit, that was sold with some really expensive flavour starters, of course none of these were vegan.

I went home and looked up yoghurt making and thought I’m sure I could use one of these kits without the flavour starter and make my own soya version! Well I’m going to share my findings with you and let me tell you, it couldn’t have been easier!

You will need:

Yoghurt Maker Kit (EasiYo was the one I got)
Yoghurt Maker Jars (again I got some extra EasiYo ones)
1tbsp Plain Soya Yoghurt (Alpro will do, to be used as a starter)
1ltr Soya Milk (go for unsweetened economy ones for best results)
1tbsp Caster Sugar
Kettle
Microwave (or stove top and a pan)

How you make it:

Boil the kettle full of water
Fill the yoghurt making jar half full of soya milk and add 1tbsp of caster sugar. Heat this mixture for approximately 1min on high power or until the milk is blood temp (you should be able to put your finger in it without burning yourself) The sugar should be fully dissolved when stirred.
Top the yoghurt making jar to the top with soya milk and add 1tbsp of plain yoghurt to your mix and stir till it’s incorporated fully. Place the lid on the jar firmly.
Now that your kettle has boiled fill the Yoghurt Maker up to the top of the red shelf (if using an Easiyo maker, check other manufacturers instructions if using another brand)
Place your yoghurt jar into the Yoghurt Maker and secure its lid. Now place it in a safe place where it will not be moved or disturbed.
For soft set yoghurt leave for a minimum of 5 hours, if you like a firmer set you can leave it up to 8 hours or as I did over night.
Once your yoghurt is set take out of the Yoghurt Maker and place in the fridge to chill.
If you like a Greek style set yoghurt place some cheesecloth in a colander and rest this over a bowl before placing your 8 hour set yoghurt into it. Allow to drain over night covered and in the fridge.
Before adding any additional flavouring to your yoghurt set a least a table spoon aside as a starter for your next batch, this means you will never need to buy shop bought soya yoghurt again.

This really is one of the easiest things I have ever made and for years I was put off making it because I thought it was going to be expensive and hard to do. My initial cost was a little over £20 but apart from sugar, soya milk I will not have any more outlay and fresh soya yoghurt when I want it.

Vegan Baked Savoury Cheesecake - Tomato and Basil

2013-03-17T12:20:00.000+00:00

Ingredients:

For the base
150g oatcakes, crushed
125g soya margarine, melted

For the topping
(3) 255g vegan cream cheese
125ml soya cream
5 ‘eggs’ replacer, follow packet instructions
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
10 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
15-20 basil leaves, torn

Method:

Preheat the oven to 300°f/150°c/Gas 2.

For the base, combine the crushed oatcakes and melted soya margarine together in a bowl. Press the mixture into the base of a 9inch springform round baking tin, and chill for 20 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese and soya cream together in a large bowl, then add the egg replacer until well combined. Fold in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, torn basil leaves and seasoning.

Spoon the mixture on top of the chilled oatcake base and smooth out the top of the mixture with a spatular.

Bake in the middle of the oven for one hour, turning half way through the baking time to get an even bake.

Unlike dairy cheesecakes this bake will be quite solid and may crack slightly during the baking process, but unlike dairy cheesecakes it will not fissure.

Once bakes allow to cool completely in the tin before covering and placing in the fridge still in the tin to set over night. To serve run a sharp knife around the outside of the cheesecake before releasing the springform tin sides then cut into portions.

Best served at room temperature with a side salad or your favorite chutney. This recipe will easily server 12 portions and if stored in a air tight container in the fridge for 3 - 4 days.

Vegan White Chocolate, Coffee and Macadamia Nut Blondies

2013-03-16T19:04:00.001+00:00

Ingredients:

(2) 225g cans of cannellini beans - drain and rinse
100ml rapeseed oil
225g caster sugar
50ml agave syrup
100ml soya milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp golden flax seeds, milled
1 tbsp instant expresso coffee
125g plain flour
200g vegan white chocolate, broken into chunks
100g macadamia nuts

Method:

Preheat oven to 325°f/170°c/gas mark 3, and line a 9" square brownie pan with grease proof paper.

In a food processor blend the cannellini beans, rapeseed oil, caster sugar and agave syrup until its a smooth mixture.

Now to the bean mixture add the soya milk, vanilla extract, salt, milled flax seeds and the instant expresso powder and blend till all the ingredients are combined.

Transfer the wet bean mixture into a large mixing bowl, now using a spatula add the flour to the wet mixture and combine until you can no longer see any trace of it.

To this mixture fold in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Pour the blondie mixture into the lined baking pan and smooth out with a spatula.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 325°f/170°c/gas mark 3, for about 30/35 mins. Once removed from the oven allow the blondie to cool completely before cutting into portions.

Blondies can be store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to one week. You warm them microwave or oven before serving.

Sarah-Jane Cookies (Peanut Butter & Coconut Cookies with a Custard Cream Filling)

2013-03-01T13:43:00.002+00:00

This recipe came about one afternoon while I was thinking of a good friend of mine, I wanted to create something that I could serve to her on her visit to me here in Scotland. I knew a simple cookie just wouldn't do so I combined a few traditional flavours that I thought would work and here we have the Sarah-Jane Cookie.

Peanut Butter and Coconut Cookie Ingredients:

3/4 cup dairy free spread

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup golden syrup

1 large egg equivalent, follow instructions on manufactures box

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup desiccated coconut, lightly toasted in a pan

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350f/177c. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly toast your desiccated coconut pan on the hob, do not leave the coconut as it will burn and you are looking for a light golden toasting.

In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the dairy free spread,sugar and golden syrup until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Beat in the peanut butter. Add the egg replacer and vanilla extract and beat to combine.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, coconut, baking soda, and salt. combine this to the peanut butter mixture and mix until incorporated. If the batter is too soft to form into balls, place in the refrigerator for about an hour or until firm.

Roll the batter into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, placing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then, using the tines of the fork make a crisscross pattern on top of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cookies can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for about a week, or freeze for longer storage un filled.

This recipe will make about 40 cookies or 20 Sarah-Jane cookies.

Custard Cream Filling Ingredients:

3/4 cup dairy free spread

1 1/2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

2tbsp custard powder

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the ingredients together till you can no longer see any trace of the icing sugar. You may find that the mixture is very soft, if this is the case cover and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Once the mixture is firm place a heaped teaspoon of it between two of the peanut butter and coconut cookies, pushing down a little until the custard icing shows around the side.

once all the Sarah-Jane cookies are filled dust them with a little icing sugar to finish and serve.

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

2013-02-28T14:49:00.000+00:00

Ingredients:

(2) 225g cans of black eyed beans - drain and rinse
200g dark chocolate, vegan
1/2 cup rapeseed oil
1/2 cup soya milk
1/2 cup golden syrup or fine brown sugar
1/3 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup plain flour
1 tbsp flax seeds, milled
2 tsp instant coffee

Topping:
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tsp rapeseed oil
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup chocolate chips, vegan

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375f/190c, and line a 9" square brownie pan with grease proof paper.

2. Over a double boiler melt your chocolate, make sure that the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.

3. In large mixing bowl add the black eyed beans, golden syrup, salt, vanilla extract, oil, soya milk and flax seeds to a food processor or use a hand blender. Start on low and blend until very smooth. Then add your melted chocolate and mix with a spatula.

4. To your mixture fold in the cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, and instant coffee.

5. Pour in the brownie mixture into the lined baking pan and smooth out with a spatula.

6. Heat the smooth peanut butter and oil together so that you have a very liquid peanut butter mixture. Drizzle the melted peanut butter over top the brownie batter.

7. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts over the brownie mix.

8. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 375f/190c for about 30/35 mins. Once removed from the oven allow the brownie to cool for an hour before slicing. This recipe will make 12 brownies.

Once completely cooled store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to one week. You can warm the chilled brownies in microwave or oven before serving.

Overeaters Anonymous my inside story

2012-07-21T10:38:00.000+00:00

Hello my name is Jayson and I'm an over eater...

So I've thought about writing this entry all week, If you've read my blog you will know by now that I'm a dieter, have been all my life. I even worked for one of the worlds largest diet companies, but the one thing I've always been good at is eating and no matter how good a diet as soon as I stopped I'd put the weight and more back on. I'd always gone along with the line 'diets make you fat!' but after this week of soul searching I can tell you the only thing making me fat is me.

So lets get a few things clear from the start, OE is not a diet club, you'll not get any diet plans when you attend this meeting. And if I'm honest that to me was a bit hard, I wanted someone to tell me what to eat and when! OE is more of a support group for people who have eating issues, and when I say eating issues I mean that it's not just full of a bunch of fat people as you would think maybe for the title of the group.

The program is based on the 12 step program of Alcoholics Anonymous a tried and tested approach to an absence based support group or as it's known amongst members a fellowship. Meetings are held all over the world for many 12 step programs and you are encouraged to attend as many meetings as you can and would like to. In AA there is a saying of 30 meetings/30 days but with OA there are fewer meetings and I'm lucky to have one a week close to me.

You do however get the option (and it is encouraged) to get what is known as a sponsor, these are people who have worked through the 12 step program and will help and support you as you take your journey through it. They will be you telephone buddy and really your lifeline when you need it. This may sound strange to you right now, heavens how hard can losing weight be after all? You just eat less and move your fat arse more! Yer up until this past week I thought that too...

So What's it like going to a meeting? Well I should say first things first that what happens in a meeting is 100% confidential so I'll not be telling you names or using any one persons story apart from my own and an amalgamation of the voices that were shared.

I walked into the meeting, early as ever, and was greeted by everyone in the room. What shocked me a little was everyone had huge smiles on their faces, I kinda guested that this was going to be a very different evening and I wasn't wrong. Everyone greeted each other and it was the nicest and friendliest bunch of strangers I'd ever met. But having now experienced my first week I now understand why.

Once everyone is in the room the person leading the group asks everyone if they want to join in the serenity pryer they can, I know to some of you the word god will stop you from considering this, because lets face it I had the same feelings. But OA and all the other groups use the term god to mean higher being or creator, I mean how hard is it to believe that we were created? Most of us believe that the next diet will be the last. All I'd say is give it a chance and you don't know what you will discover.

So once the pryer has been said the person leading the group will read through the founding principles of OA and them members of the group will take it in turns reading excerpts from The Big Book, AA's main book of peoples experiences. It may seem strange that they would use AA as a guide but looking back on it, it kind of fits quite well really.

We then listened to a group member who shared their food related story with us and how they had found OA a help and where they were heading and what they were feeling about it all. Then it was time for a nice cup of tea and a short break, I can tell you now that I was thinking 'what in gods name am I doing here?' 'Can I make a bolt for the door and not get noticed?', but then the main person came over to me and said, 'so do you know what happens in the second half?' I admitted that I didn't, I mean there is not much out there on what happens in a meeting. They went on to tell me that they would go around the room and ask people to share their stories with everyone or just talk about what their experience was like, for some it would be about the last week for others it would be about the 12 steps and for people like myself it was just a chance to say hello and a little bit about who I am.

As we went around people would introduce themselves and everyone would repeat their name and say hello back. Then people started shearing and I have to say it was like listening to my story, even though everyone had something different to say I could feel my head nodding to every word. OMG could this group of strangers really know what it was like for me? By the time it got to the last person I was feeling quite emotional, when out of the blue one simple line was said by someone shearing and I felt tears stream down my face. The group ended shortly after with everyone saying goodbye like we had known each other for ever.

This is where my journey really started... I like I'm sure so many others felt I didn't have the right to take the contact details of another member and to ask them to be my sponsor, I mean after all it wasn't a diet all we had don is sat there and talked and listened to other peoples stories.

I was however feeling super charged about the whole thing and even though at the time the 12 steps seemed a little odd I thought I would give it a go. So abstinence is the main principle but as you don't have a diet program abstinence from how much? The things I have read says you should eat three times a day and not pick, you should find a good diet plan that works for you and you should follow it. You need to work out your trigger foods and cut those out of your life, I think these are things that come to light as you go along. I know two of mine are pasta and sugar so they are out!

But here is the thing, I came home and even with all the good will in the world I had no diet plan and no one was going to put me on the scales the next week, I have become so institutionalised about weight loss I really was having problems about this. But still the first night went well and I didn't over eat and I went to bead with my OE welcome pack in my hand ready to read in the morning.

Then for the next four days I didn't stop eating... I wanted to be 'good' and follow the steps, but I was full of emotions and memories that I had buried under all those layers of fat I carry. I found myself sitting and having 'a good cry' I even found myself not wanting to go out! What was going on? All I had done was talk and listen and now look at the state of me, right I wasn't going back, I was quite happy being me and keeping all of this down and never letting it out... But was I really?

Then we get to yesterday, you see I've just started to chatting to someone and they are stunning both inside and out, they never say anything that would upset me and they always make me feel like a million dollars. But he asked me to take a video of what I looked like, I guess I had only sent photos of the right shots of me that didn't show my huge belly. I've become very good at camera angles like no other man alive. And over the last week I think my insecurities must have started to come through.

Now he said he liked me for who I am and that he didn't like skinny guys, but lets face it I lived with someone for three years who when we started seeing each other said all the same things only to end up beating me and telling me that he was as good as I'd get because I was fat and ugly... bruises heal but some scares are much harder to get ride of... I found this out when I had a complete melt down, I spent the whole of yesterday afternoon crying, not just a few tears but a flowing river of self hatred and emotions. I was about to walk away from something that was amazing because of my past and it all came back to food!

After spending hours talking to me this amazing guy talked me back of the ledge, I know he isn't like all the others and I can see that. I had a eureka moment, I'm not sure if everyone on a program has it and weather this was my waking up in a gutter somewhere not knowing how I got there, but I was having a huge moment of some kind.

So this morning I am taking control, I will be working through the demons of my past, I will be going back to the fellowship to share my life with those who understand, and I will try to make my way through the steps of recovery. If along the way I find something that is my god and the thing that is going to help me get there then all the better as I will not be doing it on my own. But with a room full of people around me and an amazing guy by my side for the first time I don't feel alone.

I may take you back to this post or topic from time to time but I feel I've said enough for now. If you would like to look into OE and to find a meeting just google them and you will find them in your area. All I would say is go into it with an open mind and heart and you never know what is going to happen.

Bear x

Scottish Vegan Nut Roast Recipe

2012-05-25T11:06:00.000+00:00

Now when you say that your Vegan a lot of people think that all you eat is Soya, Linda McCartney Sausages and Nut Roasts. Well it’s true we do eat a lot of these as well as other amazing products that are now available in our supermarkets. Tesco’s has just started a new Freefrom range that is amazing, be it a little hard to find.

But one thing I always seem to fall back on is making my own homemade nut roast, and why? Because at the end of the day its quick and easy to make and if I have a little left over it can go into my lunch box or spread onto bread to make a healthy alternative.

Now I’ve used Oats in this recipe as it seems that every artisan shop carries a local brand and it’s all about supporting local suppliers. You could take the scottish theme to the next level and add a little whisky to the recipe or even make a whisky gravy if you have a family recipe.

Ingredients:

50g pumpkin or sunflower seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large carrot
150g cooked lentils
90g dry whole wheat bread crumbs
110 ml vegetable stock, as needed
50g of uncooked oatmeal
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350º/180c/4GM. Spray a loaf pan or 8x8 square baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside, an 8x8 pan makes a crisper firmer loaf. I tend to put some grease proof paper in the bottom of the pan to help when removing, but this is up to you.

Grind the pumpkin seeds into a coarse meal using a food processor or chop finely. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Cook the oatmeal with water as directed and add to the ground pumpkin seeds.

Chop the vegetables into a small dice making sure that they are all about the same size. Then cook them in a pan with the vegetable oil until soft.

Add the cooked vegetables to the large mixing bowl along with all the remaining ingredients. Mix and mash together well, adding only as much stock as needed to create a soft, moist loaf that holds together and is not runny.

Press mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through. If you are using a shallow pan the cooking time may be quicker so keep an eye on it.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a plate or cooling rack if you are not eating straight away.

Best served with potatoes, vegetables, and a vegetable gravy, or with some nice chunky chips and peas.

Cold leftover leftovers can be sliced and make a great sandwich filling.

Chocolate Pots

2012-05-23T10:57:00.000+00:00

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 Minuets

Chilling time: 1 hour minimum

Ingredients:

2 large ripe avocados

25g unsweetened cocoa powder

4 tsp maple or agave syrup

1/4 tsp salt

100g of 70% dark chocolate

Method:

Brake up the chocolate into chunks and put into a pyrex bowl resting on a pan of boiling water. Don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl as this will burn the chocolate. You can also melt the chocolate in a microwave but I find the stove top method more controlled. once melted set aside to cool a little.

If you have a blender place all of the other ingredients into it and blend till there are no chunks of avocado left. If you are using a hand blender this process may take a little longer but the smoother the mix the better the end result will be.

Now add the cooled melted chocolate to the mix and blend again. Now I tend to use teacups to set my chocolate mix in as it looks nice, but feel free to use any small container you have to hand. Ramekins work well and will look good on a serving plate.

Now place the chocolate pots into the fridge to cool down and set up. I recommend an hour but it does depend on how hot your kitchen is and the weather outside. If you can give them longer it will taste so much better.

As this is using avocados the shelf life on this is quite short and it should be eaten within 12 hours of being made.

If you want to make it look stunning serve with some fresh strawberries and some grated chocolate on top.

I tend not to tell people that the main ingredients is avocados in this dish until after they have asked for more. I do love the shocked look on their faces.

Vegan Moroccan Aduki Bean and Lentil Stew

2012-05-21T09:02:00.002+00:00

This recipe will feed 4-6 people

Ingredients:

1 tin of aduki beans

1 tin of lentils

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 head of celery

2 large white onions

2 leeks

4 carrots

400g or 1 bag of young spinach

2 tbsp Moroccan Spice mix

1 tbs mixed herbs

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tbs rapeseed oil or other good vegetable oil

3 cups of water (you may not need all of the liquid so judge it as you go along)

Method:

Finely chop all the Vegetables, except the spinach, so that they are all the same size.

Add the rapeseed oil to a large pan and heat to a medium heat (not smoking) then add the carrots, onions, celery and leeks to the pan and make sure they have been coated with the oil.

Add the Moroccan spice mix and make sure it coats all of the vegetables.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and add a ¼ of the water before covering the pan. Sweat the Vegetables until they are almost soft and the carrots are almost cooked about 10-15 minuets.

Now add the drained tins of aduki beans and lentils and the tin of tomatoes along with the rest of your seasoning.

Add enough water to make it into a stew and cook the ingredients through till the Vegetables are cooked how you like them.

Turning off the gas but leaving the pan where it is add the spinach and mix it in, now leave for 5-10 minuets uncovered. This will let the stew thicken a little and the flavours to mix completely.

This stew is great the next day and is very filling hot or cool. You can fridge it for up to two days but remember to let it cool before putting it in the fridge.

You can also put it in the freezer for up to one month, but do keep the portions smaller to help it maintain better.

Moroccan Season Mix

This will make 10 tablespoons of seasoning.

Ingredients:

5 tsp ground nutmeg

5 tsp ground cumin

5 tsp ground coriander seed

3 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 ½ tsp allspice

2 ½ tsp ground ginger

2 tsp smoked sweet paprika

1 ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

Method:

Blend mix together and put in an airtight container, before storing in a dark cupboard, and keep for up to two months.

Baked Cinnamon Doughnuts

2012-05-15T09:58:00.000+00:00

This week is National Doughnut Week, I’m not one to jump on these sort of marketing ploys, but I though I would post my recipe for easy baked cinnamon doughnuts.

Dry Ingredients:

100g plain flour
110g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry nutmeg
1/2 tsp dry cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

60ml soy milk
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Egg replacer for 1 egg (or 2 Tbsp. apple sauce)
55g pure soya margarine

Coating Ingredients:

40g caster sugar
1/2 tsp dry cinnamon

You will also need a doughnut pan or mini bunt tin, you can find these on line online.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c/350ºf/4 GM

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk to mix thoroughly.

Combine the wet ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat and mix until the margarine is just melted. (This mixture should be just slightly warm to the touch, but not hot).

Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix until just combined. It should form a very soft dough.

Using a tablespoon, scoop dough into an un-greased nonstick doughnut pan. Then smooth out the top of each doughnut with your fingers, this will make for more even doughnut when baked.

Bake the doughnuts in the oven for 12 minutes. While the doughnuts are still in the oven combine the coating ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

You will know when the doughnuts are cooked as they will be browned on top, and a toothpick or cake tester will come out clean. Invert the hot pan over a cooling rack to remove them from the pan. When the doughnuts come out of the pan and are still hot, toss them in the cinnamon sugar coating.

This recipe will make 20 mini-doughnuts or 10 regular-sized doughnuts.

Banana and Mixed Seed Flapjacks

2012-05-11T12:25:00.001+00:00

Keeping costs down while still having treats is a big thing these days. So why not try something that mixes up a carrot cake with a traditional flapjack while using things you may have around the kitchen.

While I’m not saying this is a healthy snack it dose however contain some healthy elements and eaten in reasonable amounts will be ok. If you want it to be healthier use agave syrup instead of golden syrup.

If you follow a gluten free diet you can now buy uncontaminated oats in most health food shops now.

Ingredients:

115g soya margarine or butter

5 tbsp agave syrup or golden syrup

250g medium oats

½ banana

1 carrot, 25g finely grated

50g pumpkin seeds, hulled

25g linseeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch sea salt

Method:

Heat the oven to 160c/325f/3 GM and grease a tray or brownie pan.

In a large bowl mix together the oats, pumpkin seeds, linseeds, cinnamon and salt.

Mash your half banana until it is a soft paste. Then in a small pan, melt the soya margarine and agave/golden syrup and then mix in the banana and grated carrot.

Leave the mixture to cool slightly and then mix into the oats.

Push the mixture into the brownie pan and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove the flapjack near the end of it’s cooking time and test with your finger, it should be slightly springy if you want a chewy,soft flapjack, but if you like it slightly crisper then leave it in the oven for a little longer. Do keep an eye on it as the sugars may cause the flapjack to catch a little.

Leave to cool for a few minuets and then cut into squares while still warm, then set the pan aside and leave to cool completely while still in the pan.

Homemade Pumpkin Seed Snacks

2012-05-09T12:31:00.000+00:00

I have a friend who has just been diagnosed with celiacs disease meaning that all of her favourite Saturday night t.v snacks have gone out of the window. Using my experiences of playing with flavours in the kitchen I thought I would come up with a few suggestions of tasty alternatives.

For more information on celiacs disease go to www.coeliac.org.uk

For these recipes you will need:

250g of raw hulled pumpkin seeds, they are sometimes called pepitas

1 tsp vegetable oil

Method:

Heat the oven to 375°F/190c/GM 8 and arrange a rack in the middle. Toss 250g pumpkin seeds with 1 teaspoons vegetable oil.

Roast on a baking sheet, stirring every 5 minutes, until seeds are aromatic, crisp, and browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t leave them as they can catch really quickly.

Remove from the oven and while the seeds are warm, sprinkle with the following flavourings, and toss to combine.

Once made you can store these snacks for up to four days in an air tight container.

Flavour combinations:

Simple Salt - Keep it simple and let the taste of the pumpkin seeds come through, toss the pumpkin seeds in 2 teaspoons of freshly ground salt. If you can find it Maldon salts do an amazing smoked salt that really would make this snack.

Salt and Pepper - Again this is a simple but it goes really well with a nice glass of red wine. Toss the pumpkin seeds in 2 teaspoons of freshly ground Salt and Pepper.

Smokey Mexican - I love the taste of mexican so I make up a large amount of this spice blend and use enough to taste, but for one portion you will need, 1/2 tsp of smoked (sweet) paprika, 1/2 tsp dried oregano (crush it finer using the back of a spoon), 1 tsp freshly ground salt, 1/2 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tsp of garlic salt.

Spicy Indian - This makes for a nice warm flavour that will last for hours, you can make it spicier by increasing the chili powder. Mix together, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground chili flakes, 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and not forgetting a pinch of freshly ground salt.

Texas Barbecue - A great flavour and one that makes for a nice summer party mix. Mix together, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp caster sugar, 1/4 tsp chili ground flakes and an 1/8 tsp of mustard powder.

Hot and Spicy - This one is hot and spicy so consider yourself warned. Mix together, 2 tsp of freshly ground salt, 1 tsp of ground coriander and now for the heat 1 tsp of wasabi powder, you can find this in supermarkets and health food stores around the world food sections. A good tip here is start with a little wasabi powder, you can always add more.

Pumpkin Spice - This is a very traditional sweet flavouring you will see often used in pumpkin recipes. Mix together 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground allspice and 2 tsp caster sugar.

Cinnamon Sugar - This one is so moreish, I end up making twice the amount every time. Mix together, 1 tsp ground cinnamon with 2 tsp of caster sugar. You can also use icing sugar, but you will get sticky fingers and spend the night licking them clean.

I hope these ideas give you some inspiration yourself and you start to experiment with your own favourite flavours.

Homemade Peanut Butter Fudge

2012-05-08T13:28:00.000+00:00

Peanut butter does not have to be just for breakfast. This easy to make fudge will make a great treat or homemade gift for anyone. You have the option of adding chocolate chips if you want to crank up the flavor and passion levels even more.

Ingredients:

500g Whole Earth peanut butter, unsalted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

250g icing sugar

430g maple syrup or agave syrup

2 teaspoons arrowroot or tapioca flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter and vanilla.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, maple/agave syrup, arrowroot or tapioca flour and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer for about 1 minute then remove from heat. This liquid will be hot so if your making this with your children that you look after this part.

Pour the mixture into the bowl containing the peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until well incorporated, and if you wanted to add chocolate chips the mixture should have cooled down enough to not melt the chocolate about now.

Then pour the combined mixture into a wax paper lined 8 x 8 inch baking dish, let the wax paper stand proud of the dish as this will make it easier to remove later. Allow the fudge mixture to cool completely.

Lift the fudge out of the baking dish by it's wax paper liner and place it on a cutting board. Slice into pieces with a large knife.

Play around with what you decide to add to your fudge as some of the combinations can be quite exciting.

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

2012-05-07T10:36:00.000+00:00

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

Preparation time: 15 minuets, plus 12 hours macerating

Cooking time: 20 minutes, plus cooling time

Makes: 1.5 kg or 3.3 lbs

Ingredients:

1 kg or 2.2 lbs of trimmed rhubarb, chopped

1 kg or 2.2 lbs of jam sugar

1 Lemon juiced

30 g root ginger finely grated

100 g crystallised ginger finely chopped (optional)

Method:

Layer the rhubarb and jam sugar alternately in a large bowl, adding a sprinkling of lemon juice and grated ginger and give the mix a good stir. Cover the mixture and leave for up to 12 hours (stirring occasionally). You will notice that the rhubarb starts to shrinks as the sugar draw out the juices of the rhubarb and forms a syrup.

Place the rhubarb and sugar mixture in a preserving pan or heavy bottomed pan. Bring the mix to the boil, skim off any scum that forms, then boil rapidly for 15 minutes. If you want to add the crystallised ginger you can do this now then boil for 5 minutes more or until setting point is reached (to test for this, drop a blob of jam on to a cold saucer, push it with your finger and it should wrinkle).

Pour into sterilised jars and seal with jam pot covers. A quick way to sterilise jars is to half fill them with cold water and place them in the microwave, bring the water to a boil and then remove it from the microwave and place the lid on the jar (this is hot so take appropriate care). Once the lid is on shake the jar and let the water sterilise the whole jar, before emptying the water away and filling with jam.

Dandelion Cordial Syrup

2012-05-05T19:04:00.000+00:00

Ingredients:

As many Dandelion heads as you can get, I got approximately half a colander full

1 ltr of Water

1 kg White Sugar

Method:

Rinse all the Dandelions in a bowl of cold water then pat them dry using some paper towel, try not to crush them when you do so.

Then you need to remove the petals from the bases, you could use a knife but I found that by pealing a little of the green away I could use my nail to free them from the base. Others just pull the petals out from the top, but I didn’t think this was as fast as other methods.

Placing the petals into a saucepan add 1 ltr of cold water over them and stir. Then place the pan on the stove and heat till the water begins boiling, then remove from the heat and let the mixture steep over tight.

The next day sieve the mixture to remove all of the petals, press the Dandelion petals to remove all of the water. Then place the liquid back into the pan along with 1 kg of white sugar and place on a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat and let the syrup cool. Decant the syrup into sterilized glass bottles for use later.

Dilute the syrup to taste with cold water or soda water. Syrup is best stored in the fridge and consumed within two weeks.

Chicken Mad...

2012-04-25T12:47:00.001+00:00

Everything here has gone a little Chicken mad...

A stall I recovered...

Everywhere you go you will see Chickens.

Lots of bums but a shot of all of the girls.

Fanny our Brown Chicken.

Fanny having a hug

One of the twins who is a little less happy

about being given a hug.

Queenie having a look around.

A very small holding...

2012-04-23T18:48:00.000+00:00

So back in April 2007 I wrote a post about growing your own, I thought it would be good to repost what I had written just to see how far I have moved on.

'Grow Your Own....

As some of you know by now this year I decided that I wanted to grow some of my own food. Now this has been a bit hit and miss because I only have a landing outside my apartment which only gets sunlight for a few hours a day, not only this everyone who lives on my floor has to walk past my plants to get to there apartments.

I have learnt a few things about growing your own that I thought I would share with you.

1. You have to think small to be big. When your growing food in a space that has little or no room the best way is up and down, go for beans, this plant is happy climbing up a wall. You could even go for potatoes mine are planted in a bit of a big pot but you could plant them in a tall trash can, this also makes it easier to turn the tub around if you only get limited light.

2. Plant flowers that you can eat, you get something to look at as well as something to put on your salad at the end of the day.

3. Plant it and see… the photo above is of my pumpkin, I was eating one the other night that looked really nice, the seeds where just sitting there on the chopping board and I thought what the hell. I planted 4 and one came up, this leads me onto my next point…

4. Plant more than you think you will need, they do die or get damaged by yourself and others, as I said lots of people walk past my plants its only logical that some would be broken. It can be sad when this happens but you will find it easier if there are lots of plants growing.

5. Only plant things that you will eat… you will find starter seeds for everything in your local store, you will get great plans and want to grow everything, I don’t like radishes so please someone tell me why I bought them to grow? I was told they were very easy to grow but as I don’t eat them they are now taking up space that I could grow other things in.

6. Make it look nice… your neighbours will like you more if it looks nice and has nice flowers, and don’t forget they may help themselves to some of your crop, it’s a small price to pay.

7. Ask for help, it may be your idea but trust me it helps if you have someone to help with the watering and they will get as much out of it as you do.

8. Ask people at work if they want some of your extra seeds and in return they can give you some back when the plants produce some later in the year. Seed swapping is fun and its good to see how others get on with the same seeds as you…'

Well that was five years ago and things have changed a lot, I now have a garden and places to plant bigger plants. I can't tell you how much I learned that year looking back. I don't think I had much vegetables I'd grown that year (apart from the eatable flowers) but I learned lots of lessons.

Well I want to tell you my plans for the next six months but forgive me as I'm excited to tell you about tomorrow first...

I have for the longest time dreamt of 'The Good Life' (a seventies sitcom) but being Vegan there wasn't going to be any pigs or goats in my garden... But I always felt that I wanted the living part in my dream, I'd got my (better off) friends to support animal welfare charities, but this wasn't getting my hands dirty.

So I am getting Chicken's tomorrow, three girls to be precise. I'm getting them from a small holding that is having to get ride of there flock. I would have loved to get rescue Chickens but up here in Scotland that is not a possibility, I could travel to get some but after considering welfare issues the journey would be to long for them from the pick-up to home, so I'm doing the next best thing and getting some that would end up going into the food chain.

I've had to think about a lot of things, firstly about what to do with the eggs that they lay. I spoke to a friend who said to let them go broody (they stop laying then) and to try and keep them as broody as much as I could. After reading lots of blogs and books I feel that this is not the best thing to do as when a bird goes broody they lose feathers have an increase of hormones and tend to become aggressive to others in the flock. They also spend lots more time on the nest, this seems not to be healthy for them as they contract more illnesses when they are not getting the light and air they need from being free range birds.

I have heard that you can feed the eggs back to the chickens, but again this is not healthy and even though it would have solved my problem I have read some quite disturbing tales of chickens becoming cannibals...

I have really great neighbours who have offered to buy Chicken food and help pay with any medical bills that come about (I have no income and very little left in the bank) So this is a huge help, and in return I will give then any eggs laid. They are also going to look after them when I go away, and a sitter is worth it's weight in gold.

I will also benefit from this as our neighbours also have an allotment so they have offered to give me some extra vegetables when I need them. Another plus is that they are going to take all of the Chicken poo and bedding and compost it for me.

It has also brought me closer together with my neighbours with me even offering to teach them the joys of Vegan baking, and who knows where that will go. Susanne (the mum) has even said that she will not be eating chicken again starting tomorrow, which will probably reduce the meat consumption in there house too.

Well I think that's enough for now as I have to go do one or two things before the sun goes down, but trust me I'm sure I will be posting a lot of photo's in the coming days and weeks.

Beardy and I will also be doing some planting on Wednesday so I will give you a update of my gardening plans as well.

I will post a list of where you can adopt chickens in a following post.

Bear x

The Worm Turns?

2012-03-19T13:17:00.001+00:00

If your like me worms freak me out! I didn't follow the stereotype boys activities of chasing screaming girls around the playground with a worm on a stick! See I was destine to be Vegan even at an early age. But one of the things I've always felt I should do once I had a garden was to get over my irrational fear of them as I'm sure I will come across them while I'm out sorting my veg patch.

So why on earth would I want to get some in the post? 500g's of them at that? Well I have just bought my first Wormery! A Wormery? Yep a Wormery....

A Wormery is a way of composting your kitchen waste and producing two bi products, the first is a liquid that when diluted can be used as plant feed and the second is a high nutrient soil that can be used in your veg patch.

I always thought that I would have to touch the worms so was a bit scream-ish about it, but I was wrong, once you have set up your first tray when the worms arrive you never really see your little guests again. With the home tray set up you place a working tray above it and start to fill it with your kitchen waste, avoiding citrus, onions, garlic and meat. It would seem that worms are pickier than one would first think.

Once you have filled the working try you would add another tray and start the process again, all the time draining the liquid off from the tap at the bottom of the Wormery. Once you are up to two full trays the home tray will be empty of worms and you will have a tray of workable nutrient soil, this tray can then go onto the top level and it becomes a new working tray. All the time the worms will be moving up the Wormery eating through your kitchen waste as they go.

I will be posting pictures as I get it all sorted and built. If you are looking at getting a Wormery first contact your local authority as some will offer a discount on home composting and recycling. One tip I would give is, shop around there are lots of deals out there.

Bear x

Orange and Cardamon Biscuits

2012-03-17T17:54:00.003+00:00

Over the years I have found a love for the spice Cardamon, I'm sure it's in many things that I have eaten but never spotted. For me it's marriage to the fruit orange is a match made in heaven.

From a simple salad dressing, 1 tsp of freshly ground Cardamon seed, Juice of 1 large orange, tsp of smooth mustard, salt & pepper, and the best rapeseed oil you can get (cold pressed is the best). Mix them together and then serve them with any green salad to add a kick to you meal time.

Any ways I hadn't started this post to write about my salad dressing, good though it is, I started this to give you my new recipe for Orange and Cardamon Biscuits (Please note these are not soft cookies, so will be crisp when cooled)

Ingredients

125g soya margarine (Pure)

100g vegetable shortening (Trex)

120g fine sugar

2 tbsp orange zest (approximately the zest of a large orange)

2 tsp fresh ground cardamon seeds

250g plain flour

100g ground almonds

1 pinch kosher salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 170c/gas mark 5 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This recipe will yield about 1 1/2 to 2 dozen biscuits.

Method

In a mixer cream together the margarine, shortening and sugar along with the zest of the orange and the ground cardamon seeds. This mixture should be mixed until the ingredients are combined and become lighter in colour and fluffy.

In a bowl mix the flour, salt and ground almonds together, then add this to the mixer. On a low speed combine all of the ingredients to for a dough.

Now you are ready to make your biscuits, pull of a walnut size chunk of dough and roll it into a ball with your palms and lay it out on the baking tray spacing them out so you can press them down before baking as well as giving them room to spread once in the oven.

Once you have layer out all the dough balls it's time to press them down, I used a floured base of a glass for this but if you want to use something else feel free. You want the biscuits to be about as thick as two £1 coins stacked on top of each other. Remember that you will still get some spreading in the oven so leave a little room between them.

Place the biscuits in the oven and set your timer for 12 minuets, the biscuits should be cooked then but with all ovens you will be the best judge of that. These biscuits tend to catch a little on the bottom so you may wish to bake them in two batches just in case.

Once you are happy that your biscuits are a light golden colour on top then remove them from the oven and set aside on the baking tray for 5 minutes to firm up before moving them to a cooling rack to cool down more. It is important to let them cool as this is where the crispy texture come from.

Now it's time to put the kettle on or pour yourself a nice glass of fresh orange and enjoy your biscuits. If you wish to keep your biscuits for another day place them in an airtight container and they should last for up to 7 days.

Le Whif of Chocolate...

2012-03-14T17:51:00.000+00:00

If you love the dark stuff and you need to lose a few pounds off your booty you may be interested in a product that I just got through the post today. Spotted on the Ch4 program about future food the very cute Le Whif!

It couldn't be a simpler idea than a dispenser for Chocolate powder (they also sell one's that dispense Coffee or even Vitamins) I think we will be seeing a lot more of Le Whif in the future.

I have to say I really liked them, you get eight shots from each Le Whif and you get three in each box. I payed £3.99 with no postage, but they seem to differ in price depending on what website you go to.

Now the big question, what did I think? I've been crazy for Chocolate over the last week and as with anything your trying not to have you just can't get it out of you head. Enter Le Whif! I'm not sure it has stopped my cravings but it did take the edge off for a bit.

I'm not sure if I would buy the Chocolate ones again but I do think that I would look again at the Vitamin dispenser if I could get them cheap enough as I liked the idea that the Vitamins will get straight into your system quicker without being effected by your gut.

So Marks out of 10 I'd give it a 5 for taste but a big 10 for idea.

Check out there website at Le Whif

Bear x

It's all in the Sauce...

2012-03-01T08:30:00.000+00:00

One thing I hear all the time is 'Cheese, Cheese, Cheese' I understand that it is addictive and as a ingredients it is versatile and now we have Vegan mock Cheeses its not like we are missing out any more.

But there is an issue, all of the Cheese alternatives are really high in kCal and would put anyone on a diet off using them as a ingredient for an every day dinner or snack. So, I hear you say, what can be done about it?

Here is my recipe for a simple Cheese sauce to go with pasta or steamed vegetables.

Ingredient:

3 cups of unsweetened Soya Milk
1 tsp of powdered Mustard
2 tbsp of Cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp of Unsweetened Soya Milk to make it a slack paste
6 tbsp of Nutritional Yeast with added B12
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Put the unsweetened Soya Milk into a pan on a medium heat to start heating.
Mix the Cornflour/Soya Milk paste with the Powdered Mustard and add to the heated milk.
Stir mix making sure that you get to the edge of the pan as any area at the bottom of the pan not kept moving may catch and burn.
The source should start to thicken and should be kept on the stove for about 5 minuets to cook out the Flour.
If the sauce is to thick for what you want it for add a little Soya Milk at a time till it gets to the thickness you want. If your adding it to Pasta instead of adding Soya Milk to thin it out use some of the stock water from cooking the pasta to it as this will make the sauce creamier and keep the kCals down.
Only add the salt and pepper just before serving as it can be better judged for flavour.

This recipe will serve 4 portions and is approximately 480 kCal for the whole recipe.

To make the sauce a bit posher you could add some chopped Chives as you serve it and this will add a light onion taste to it.

Alternatively if your doing vegetables in a Cheese sauce why not give it a bread crumb topping and flash it under the grill to give it a nice crunchy topping.

Pillars of Hercules Organic Farm Shop & Cafe

2012-02-29T10:56:00.002+00:00

I had an amazing day yesterday and thought I would share it with you... So Beardy and I decided to take a road trip to one of our local farm shops, one thing I have dreamt about when planning my big move to the country would be to have local farmers markets and local farm shops on my door step.

Having been a little disappointed with the lack of farmers markets around I was not holding out much hope for a farm shop that would offer me anything other than potatoes.

Well a visit to Pillars of Hercules made me eat my words. It was not only an idilic place to be but it was a cornucopia of Vegan treats, not only in the very well stocked shop but also in the cafe.

Nothing could make this farm shop any better, really, it was stunning. It's not very often I walk into a shop that stocks Vegan products and find things I've not seen before at every health shop and Wholefoods store but Pillars of Hercules left me with not only a full basket of vegetables and goodies but a long list of things I wanted to buy for my next visit.

As a city boy I've only ever dreamed of vegetables this fresh and I can't wait to start writing recipes to share with you.

Not only do the nice people from the Pillars of Hercules sell from there shop on the farm but the also have a box delivery service running in Fife. At £15 a box (£14 with direct debt) I can only see this as a bonus to my new healthy living.

The colours from this fresh fruit and vegetables was hypnotising.

Everything was fresh and smelt so good.

Vegan treats were on display for a quick bite.

You can watch them farm as you wonder around the farm.

There was something almost spiritual when you come to the Pillars of Hercules a feeling of calm comes over you. In addition to the shop and cafe you can camp on the farm, or even rent a cottage within its grounds. Take a look at there website www.pillars.co.uk and see for yourself, but be in no mistake that I will be telling you more about this place in future posts.

I'm just waiting for them to reply to my e-mail on information about having my first veg box delivered the week after our holiday.

Bear x

Sheezy Bacon Bites

2012-02-28T06:30:00.000+00:00

Vegan Sheezy Bacon Bites

Serves: 24 Balls (bite size)

Ingredients:

2 tubs of Vegan Original Cream Sheese

2 tbsp Vegan Mayonnaise

¼ cup fresh herbs, chopped (Chives work well here)

1 cup of grated Strong Cheddar Style Sheese

2 cups of Vegan Bacon flavoured bits (available from all good supermarkets)

Directions:

Mix the tubs of cream cheese with the 2 tbsp of Vegan Mayonnaise till they are blended and the mix is smooth.
Add the fresh chopped herbs, pepper and combine.
Mix in the grated Sheese.
Cover and place in the fridge for an hour to firm up a little.
Place the Bacon flavoured bits onto a plate
Take the Sheese mix from the fridge and roll into bite size balls, roll them in the Bacon bits and set aside on a plate.
Cover and fridge again till firm.
Serve on crackers or with a salad and French toast. These are also nice served with a Cranberry or berry jam.

Vegan SHopping On-Line

2012-02-27T06:00:00.000+00:00

So your Vegan and like me you don't live in a big city, I never even thought about how I was going to get all my Vegan tucker when I moved 540 miles away from the big smoke. But it would seem that Vegan delights are only a click away.

Here are a few of my tips on Vegan on-line shopping...

1) Start by asking your Vegan friends if they've ever bought on line? They will tell you if they have had any problems and how the company responded to the service and complaints they had with them.

2) Shop around, it's like going shopping in the street, you don't have to buy it from the first place you come across.

3) Shipping and delivery charges, things may look cheap but sometimes the added costs at the end can add up. And don't be fooled by the 'free delivery' you sometimes have to spend over a set amount to get the offer. Think about how often you will use the product your buying and if you will use the extra ones your buying.

4) Buying in bulk and sharing the cost with friends. Amazon sell things in bulk now and it can work out cheap if you and a friend split the cost and you choose free delivery (it may take a week to come but think of the savings)

5) Take into account how much you would spend on travel to your closest whole food shop? For me it would mean a trip into Edinburgh and would cost me £13 travel. I've done it once or twice now and the shop has not had the item in stock, then I've spent loads more on things I wasn't planning on buying. Not forgetting having to carry it all up the hill when I get off the train.

6) Meal plan so you don't have food you have ordered going off, as with any food it has a use by date and will need to be eaten. This goes for all delivery produce from Asda to Goodness Direct.

7) Every day is like Christmas at our house with food and books getting delivered by chatty delivery men at random hours of the day.

Here are a few of the companies I have used.