I had half a can of coconut milk left in my fridge from a Red Thai Curry I made at the weekend, and I just didn’t want to waste it, so I thought why not freeze it. Then I thought – ah today is the day I make ice cream! So here it is – my recipe for Coconut Ice Cream:

Ingredients:

200ml (1/2 can) coconut milk
70ml Sweet Freedom original/ agave syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Whisk the coconut milk in a bowl so it becomes a uniform consistency, add the syrup and vanilla extract and continue to whisk until all ingredients are combined.
2. Pour mixture into a tub suitable for freezing, fit the lid and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from the freezer and beat mixture with a spatula, (breaking up any icicles that may have formed around the edges). Re fit the lid and put back into the freezer for another 30 minutes.
4. Repeat step three again, if you have time- repeat until you have ice cream consistency, then skip to step 6.
5. If you don’t have the time- leave it in the freezer 6-8 hours, (I left mine overnight.) Then remove it from the freezer and mix it up with a dessert spoon, until its ice cream consistency.
6. Store in the freezer until you want to serve!

I don’t think I’ll ever buy ice cream again. This was so delicious, natural, creamy and exotic. Although  I might still treat myself to a Booja- Booja ice cream every once in a while maybe!

Next time I will double the ingredients and I might also mix some moo free chocolate through it – Bounty- style ice cream.

Happy ice cream making.

Around 80% of the dishes are Vegan and all items are clearly labelled V for Vegan and GF for gluten free. There is something for everyone at tibits, making it the perfect place to take a group of friends for a great night out.

They do breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, tea, coffee, cakes and evening drinks. The cocktails are especially good. The Moscow Mule is my favourite, which is made up of vodka, fresh ginger, crushed lime and soda water – refreshing with a ginger kick.

You pay for the food you take by weight. You take a plate and serve yourself from the food boat. There are salads, hot dishes, sides, sauces and toppings. You also get a free bread. Just pop it on your plate (they’ll ask you to take it off while they weigh it). If you have room for dessert go up again and same principle applies. I love the chocolate mouse and sticky toffee pudding. Yummy!

The food boat is always full of freshly made seasonal dishes. The cold food is kept on ice and the hot is on the top of the food boat which is kept heated. When a dish is near being empty, the co-ordinator radios the kitchen where they’re constantly making more, and then when it is finished they replace it, so you don’t have to hang around waiting for the dish you want.

The atmosphere at tibits is relaxed and you can easily forget you are just moments away from the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus. The staff are really lovely and they treat you like friends.

The restaurant has just recently been re-decorated. I liked how it looked before but the new look is refreshing, which is exactly what tibits is all about. The downstairs area of the restaurant is perfect for groups of friends, family and colleagues for celebrations and gatherings.

My sister, who is not vegetarian, absolutely loves tibits.  It’s a credit to a vegetarian restaurant when a meat eater enjoys the food and hasn’t missed the meat. The dishes taste amazing and are nutritious, so you don’t leave feeling hungry. tibits gets the balance just right.

I have tried many new things since visiting such as foods I didn’t know I liked, and fruits and vegetables I had never known what to do with. It has certainly opened my mind up!

I’ve recently got tibits first book – tibits at home (review coming soon). I was so excited to try making some of the dishes I have gone back for time and time again.

You don’t need to book a table at tibits but you can make reservations for groups of 8 or more, they are open:

Monday-Wednesday 9am-10.30pm
Thursday-Saturday 9am-midnight
Sunday 11.30am-10.30pm
(food is served up until half an hour before closing, so there’s no food wasted at the end of the night, so going late will mean the choice of food may be reduced.)

tibits 12-14 Heddon street, (off Regent Street) London W1B 4DA

Telephone +44 (0) 207 758 4110
Email info@tibits.co.uk
Visit the tibits website www.tibits.co.uk

To make 50g popcorn (2 servings) you will need:

• 50g Popcorn kernels
• 2 tablespoons Rapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon Agave syrup
• sprinkle Fine sea salt

Method:

• Add the oil and syrup to a heavy based saucepan, stir together.
• Pour the kernels in and swish them around so they are coated with the oil and syrup.

• Place saucepan on a medium heat and fit the lid, (ideally with a steam vent, if not then hold lid slightly open.)
• Keep moving the pan, so the kernels are constantly moving around, preventing them from burning.

• They will begin to start popping, once the popping slows down to 1-2 pops every few seconds take off the heat, (this usually seems to be after six minutes on the heat.)
• Wait 30 seconds before transferring to a serving bowl then sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt if desired.

50g (made as above) = 300 calories, 40g carbohydrate, 14g fat, 5g protein, 442 mg sodium, 0g sugar.

I have made this popcorn completely plain without any syrup or seasoning, still a great snack, but I much prefer it sweet and salty! It can also be made without oil, just air popped. But rapeseed oil is high in omega oils (essential fatty acids,) which the body cannot produce itself and they are essential for all systems of the body to function. So it has health benefits as well as being tasty.

Hope you enjoy some healthy, homemade snack times!

Nuts have many health benefits, especially for vegans but they really do need to be eaten in moderation. Almonds for example are a fantastic source of calcium and protein which makes them super fantastic at sustaining you between meals. 23 Almonds are around 160 calories, 14g fat and 6g protein. I have been weighing out my nut portions and considering my choices carefully, as a consequence of this I have significantly reduced my nut intake.

I have noticed positive changes in my health since cutting back on nuts, (and in my purse too.) I have suffered with irritable bowel syndrome, (IBS) for years, being vegan I had eliminated dairy, (as a veggie my IBS was even worse.) I had cut out gluten, which made some difference. But since reducing my nut intake I feel fantastic! My skin has cleared up too, I’ve had acne flare ups for a couple of years now and I couldn’t work out why, I thought I had a healthy diet. I read two very interesting articles on Alicia Silverstone’s website The Kind Life that support my nut/health discovery. Certainly worth a read: How I Cleared Up My Acne, and Prevent Acne Naturally for Kind, Clear Skin.

Turn leftovers into lunch:

• Keep a portion of your dinner aside for lunch the next day. E.g;  Cottage pie/lasagne/pasta bake/chilli/spaghetti bolognese/bangers mash and veggies/nut roast and veggies. Store in an old ice cream tub/ lunch box in the fridge and then reheat for 3-5minutes in a microwave.
• Baked Potatoes – Can be eaten with leftover chilli/ bolognese etc. I like to bake my potatoes in the oven at home the night before, then scoop out the insides mash with salt, pepper, yeast flakes and vitalite spread then pop back in the skins. I top them with my left over of choice in my lunch box, store in fridge overnight and microwave for 5 minutes before enjoying at lunch time.
• Make soup – Saute onions in Rapeseed oil, then pour over your favourite veggie stock sprinkle in some red lentils, add leftover vegetables roasted/steamed and cook on medium hob 20 minutes, add spices/ season to taste, blend/or don’t it’s up to you. Leave to cool then pour into empty containers and store in fridge and reheat for 3-5 minutes in a microwave or re heat on a hob. You can even freeze the soup if you make that much!
• Make a sandwich – My favourite leftover sandwich has to be: Home made Nut roast, stuffing and pickles, which is quite literally two slices of bread, (I usually go for a linseed variety of bread) ‘buttered’ with dairy free spread, sliced nut roast and stuffing topped with pickle, or sometimes chilli jam! Another great leftover sandwich is Redwood sausage and mustard. Or for the perfect weekend lunch Redwoods Meatball sub with Vegan mayo, brown sauce, sweetcorn and peppers – this is amazing toasted.

Toasted meatball sub with Vegan mayo, brown sauce, sweetcorn and peppers

Other Lunch ideas:

• Toasted bagels/crumpets/bread with your favourite toppings: dairy free spread, houmous, avacado, marmite, peanut butter, jam etc
• Salads, I’m always finding new ideas for salads, there are great recipes on Alicia Silverstones website The Kind Life
• Sandwiches and wraps, The Vegan Society has a long list of Sandwich filling ideas
• Paninis, my favourite panini filling is Basil tofu slices, Vegan mayo and pesto, rocket and sundried tomatoes
• Fresh fruit/dried fruit/nuts and seeds and raw fruit and nut bars, my favourite are Nakd, available to buy online, at Holland and Barrett and Waitrose
• Soya yogurts, Alpro have many varieties available in most supermarkets now

Basil tofu, mayo, pesto, rocket and sundried tomato Panini

On the ready made front:

If you are lucky enough to have Ms Cupcake on your doorstep, (The first 100% Vegan bakery in London, and the best – my opinion, but many share it with me,) go there for Vegan sandwiches, that’s an order! Vegan alternatives of the traditional fillings e.g:  Egg salad, Coronation chicken, BLT, Cheese and salad, Ham and pickle, and other varieties too but my memory fails me. The coronation chicken is so sweet and satisfying, a proper lunch sandwich – keeps you feeling full until dinner. They are well filled sandwiches, fresh and everything you’d expect from the super Ms Cupcake team. I only wish they were more readily available. Ms Cupcake of course sells cupcakes and other sweet treats for afters and Barrow Boys Vegan Society approved Cheese and onion crisps – which are fantastic :)

Pret a Manger have two Vegan lunches – The naked avacado Bloomer and Superfood salad. Both are good, but you can’t always get them as they only make limited amounts.

My version of the Superfood salad: home made houmous, cucumber, green lentils and omega rich seeds dressed with sweet chilli sauce, with spinach and rocket

Marks and Spencer – In their Count on us range have a ‘No mayo’ Roasted butternut squash with red pepper houmous low fat flour chilli tortilla wrap. This is a little spicy for me, I like it but I wouldn’t have it all the time. Plus it’s not always available.

I’d love to see more Vegan lunches pop up in supermarkets etc, the very fact that they sell out so quick proves that they need to stock more – because it’s not just Vegans who will eat these lunches!

I assumed that the variety for Vegans would be limited as I’d always thought of Italian cuisine to be very dairy and egg based. I was wrong! The menu was clearly labelled and there were plenty of Vegan options. I was spoilt for choice -  I love it when that happens.

I had the celeriac, butternut squash and apple salad for starters. It was beautifully presented on the plate and was really palate pleasing – crunchy, fresh and sweet.

For my main meal I went for Vegetable Tempura with sweet and sour sauce with hand cooked chips as a side order. The Tempura batter was light and crispy and the Vegetable selection was super: Cauliflower, Broccoli, Courgette, Aubergine and Carrot. I loved it so much I dreamt about it a couple of nights after and had to re create the meal at home.

Unfortunatley the dessert selection wasn’t great for Vegans, the only options were home made Vegan ice cream and a Vegan cheese board. It was a cold night so I didn’t fancy ice cream and I’ve not yet come round to the idea of Vegan cheese. I’m sure it would have been lovely going by the standard of the other dishes I had, but I had my heart set on something more along the lines of  Tiramisu or Panna Cotta.

The menu on their website is really only a guide as to what they offer as their menu changes daily and is seasonal too. I picked the best time to visit as Autumn is my favourite season and the menu was full of my favourite things.

The staff were very friendly and attentive, the restaurant has a lovely warm atmosphere and is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of busy London, even though it is right in the middle of it. I highly recommend Amico Bio to Vegetarians, Vegans and any one else who enjoys eating food!

Amico Bio  is at 44 Cloth Fair, London, EC1A 7JQ. The restaurant is open Monday- Friday 12-10:30pm and Saturday 5-10:30pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.

I was in desperate need of a coffee and the perfect accompaniment to a coffee has to be a warm cookie :) So I was in the right place at the right time. I had a lovely soya latte with cinnamon and a gorgeous warmed peanut butter and chocolate cookie, which Cookies and Scream call Chicos.

Whilst I was sat at the Cookie bar enjoying my coffee and cookie I made the decision to buy a chunk of Ginger Ninja Bread! With a name like that who could resist? All of the goodies for sale at Cookies and Scream are Vegan and gluten free – don’t let that put you off, because you wouldn’t be able to tell.

Cookies and Scream are a friendly bunch, they have the perfect job though – baking treats, listening to great music and taste testing every day! They tell me that you can order birthday cakes and wedding cakes soon.

The Cookie bar is open daily from 10am- 6pm. Cookies and Scream have a website so check them out and they are on facebook and twitter too.

The two new Sweetbird Iced Tea flavoured syrups are Jasmine Lime and Passionfruit Lemon. These wonderful new flavours join the original flavours; Natural, Peach and Raspberry Iced Tea.

Sweetbird Iced Tea syrups are free from high fructose corn syrup, (processed corn syrup,) they have been approved by the Vegetarian Society and also by Viva! for Vegans. They don’t contain any artificial colours or preservatives either which is good news and they are free from GMO’s, don’t you know!

The recommended serving size for a Sweetbird Iced Tea is 30ml of syrup for one drink , this is 4 pumps if you’re using a Sweetbird pump. When I make my Iced Teas I put 4 ice cubes in the glass, then add my choice of Sweetbird Iced Tea syrup and pour 200ml chilled filtered water over the ice and syrup then mix with my straw before sipping it up. I often double the entire drink and sometimes pop a few extra ice cubes, to make my drink last that little bit longer! Out of the two new flavours, I’d have to say the Jasmine Lime is my favourite, I really like jasmine tea, it is so refreshing and iced, even more so. The lime gives it that extra hit. This is now my go-to Summer drink of choice.

The Passionfruit Lemon flavour is fruity and thirst quenching. It also makes a great ice blended drink:  Add to a blender pitcher 14 ice cubes, 60ml Sweetbird Passionfruit Lemon Iced Tea syrup and 180ml water, blend for 20-25seconds, (depending on the speed of your blender.) And enjoy a long lasting Sweetbird moment. Now we’re talking Ice-blended beverages, Sweetbird also have a range of ready-to-blend smoothes, so you can create Ice blended smoothies. You might find these being sold in your local independent coffee shop.

Sweetbird syrups are available to buy online through; Cream Supplies In the past I have purchased them through Garraways  who have always given me great service. I’ve also seen Sweetbird syrups in my favourite shop in London Vx , I haven’t seen the Iced Tea flavours yet, but I’m sure they’d get them in if asked, because they’re good like that.

Now here’s some even more exciting news, beyond the bean tell me that Zuma are working on a Vegan Frappe powder which should available by Summer 2013, Oh yes! I cannot wait to get my hands on it and I’ll let you know as soon as I do. But until then why not try this Autumnal twist on Iced Tea (as we are heading into Autumn, would you believe?)  Sweetbird Chai flavoured syrup makes an awesome spicy Iced Tea. It’s a crazy sensory experience:  the warmth from the cinnamon and cloves alongside the icy cool drink. I recommend using 30ml Sweetbird Chai flavoured syrup over 4 ice cubes, pour over chilled filtered water, stir then serve through a straw. You must try this if you’re a fan of Chai tea!

It’s a super gift set, the tin once served its storage purpose, is a groovey lunch box, it’s shiny with a cool clasp and handle and has a funky design too. I wouldn’t suggest keeping it in your bathroom though, as the tin might get rusty from water splashes!

I had only used two of the items within the gift set before, The Comforter Bubble bar (pink and white swirly bar) and  You’ve Been Mangoed - Mango bath melt, (orange rectangular bar) and these already are two of my favourite products. The comforter, is a sweet, fruity smelling bath product that you crumble under running bath water to create pink bath water and luscious frothy white bubbles, you can get at least three bubble baths from the comforter contained in this gift set. You’ve been mangoed – Mango bath melt is of course mango scented, its purpose is to leave your skin super soft and smelling fruity. I drop it in just as I get into the bath and I rescue it once its half melted and let it dry, saving it for one more bath. You could of course just let it all melt in one bath, It’s absolutely gorgeous. The other items in this gift set I’d heard of, but never tried… I had been missing out!

Blackberry Bath Bomb, (purple ball) –  I never thought I was a bath bomb fan, but now I’m trying them all after experiencing Blackberry Bath Bomb. It is designed to blast away your worries according to Lush and they are right! I dropped this bomb into my bath one evening after a pretty emotional day at work and …Wow, it really did lift me up and ground me too, (which I didn’t think was possible!)

Sparkle Toothy Tabs – Finding Vegan toothpaste was always a pain, I used to have to search for it in health food shops, until I discovered the Superdrug range and when it comes to toothpaste I stick to what I know works and I can get hold of, so I’ve never thought of trying Lush Toothy tabs. Well, I have now tried them, I love them! The packaging is minimal, (wonderful Lush) you pop one tab in your mouth, give it a chew then brush away as you would normally. The taste initially I found unusual, but I really like it now, its peppery and my teeth feel super clean after using Sparkle – Really don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, Toothy Tabs are really good.

Each Peach (and Two’s a Pair) Massage Bar, (oval pale bar) – I was a big fan of a massage bar that is no longer available called Heavanilli: Vanilla fragranced cocoa butter massage bar. It really was heaven, but it’s no longer so I guess it’s time to move on. Each Peach is a perfect transitional massage bar for me! I’d never tried it because I couldn’t tear myself a away from vanilla scented Heavanilli. But I’m warming to the fruitier Lush products thanks to this gift set. It isn’t an over powering scent and takes a while sink into the skin making it great for massaging. Also great to rub onto your legs after shaving for silky soft legs. I have a Lush massage bar tin to keep my bar in after use, but you could wrap it in parchment paper and keep it in your sock drawer, that way your socks will smell fruity :)

Miranda Soap, (triangular wedge) – I’m not a fan of soaps, they are squishy and messy and usually dry my skin out :( The lovely people at Lush have been telling me for years to give their soap a go, telling me it’s not the same as other soaps – but I never listened! Well I should have, Miranda soap is wonderful. It’s a refreshing, fruity, happy fragrance, great to use in the bath or shower and it doesn’t dry your skin out. It’s made with coconut oil which I guess is why its so kind to your skin. (I’d already used my Blackberry Bath Bomb when I tried out this soap, but I think they’d compliment each other perfectly.)

Karma Komba Solid Shampoo Bar, (Green bar) – I’ve wanted to try the Lush solid shampoo bars for some time. My problem was I coudn’t choose which one! Problem solved with this gift. Don’t let the smell of the solid shampoo bars put you off, remember it’s a concentarted bar, literally a few strokes of the bar on your wet hair is all you need. I wash my hair a lot and I have long hair and it looks almost untouched still – fantastic value for money and no packaging!! I let my bar dry out before popping it away in a plastic pot, (one I’d rescued from my recycling bag- re-use/ recycle it’s all good.) Lush also sell tins to keep their solid shampoo bars in, so they can stay out of trouble when not in use!

Seroiusly, as it says on the tin, Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

The Gardeners Arms is a warm and welcoming pub, just how a pub should be. It was so refreshing to walk into an establishment not playing the UK top 10, (which burns my ears) instead the music was alternative, (to my taste) and perfect level for conversation. The walls were decorated with all kinds of records, including many legendary punk and indie bands, a few I can remember – Dead Kennedys, The Clash and No Doubt.

The pub is 100% Vegetarian, unlike Bop Trollop’s in Newcastle. The Vegan options are very good, this is the Garden Kitchen menu. You could tell that the staff care about the pub and their customers, as the bar man let us know which beers and ciders were Vegan and what they taste like and gave his recommendations. I imagine The Gardeners Arms is a much loved local for many people in the area.

I ordered the Rocket, olive and fresh tomato flat bread calzone.

My husband went for the Vegan burger.

The food was fresh and the service was very good. My Calzone was full of flavour, it was nice to be able to have something a little different from the usual roast / pie, traditional pub meal. My husband really enjoyed his burger, he said one of the best he’s had. The relish that it was served with was really tasty, I think next time I’ll have the burger. Both our meals were served with seasoned fries, naughty but nice!

The desserts on offer sounded lovely and there was a Vegan option -  Apple pie, served with Swedish glace ice cream. Although I was quite full I had to have dessert. It’s the law, if there’s a Vegan dessert- have it, so we did!

The pastry was sweet, warm and melted in the mouth. The apple filling was hot and fruity and not too sweet, and the pies were filled to the top unlike some I’ve had in the past. I’d certainly order this dessert again.

Oxford is so lucky to have such a nice pub, serving really good Vegetarian and Vegan food. I highly recommend a visit to the Gardeners Arms if ever you are in Oxford.

Here are the opening times:

Monday and Tuesday – 5:00-9:00pm

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday – 12:00-2.30pm & 5:00-9:00pm

Sunday – 12:00-8:00pm