Hailing from the Czech Republic, žemlovka is a sweet - and gently spiced - fruit and bread dessert that's similar to British bread and butter pudding.

What is žemlovka?

Much like British bread and butter pudding - not to be confused with bread pudding, of course - žemlovka (known as zemlbába in Western Czechia, and žemeljni narastek / žemljev močnik in Slovenia) is a practical way to use up stale bread, relying mostly on everyday pantry ingredients.

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Learn how to make restaurant-style paneer butter masala at home with this easy and delicious family-friendly vegetarian Indian recipe.

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Meaning, 'fried (with) soy sauce', this pad see ew only takes around 15 minutes to make, and is both delicious and filling! This is a vegetarian version but you could add any kind of protein you want.

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My easy Thai pomelo salad (yum som-o) is super-simple to make, and is a deliciously refreshing example of the Thai flavour cycle of hot, sour, salty, and sweet.

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What is Thai pomelo salad?

One of my favourite dishes when we lived in Thailand was yum som-o (pomelo salad). A mind-blowingly delicious fusion of fruity, salty, and sour flavours, all held together with a goodly dose of chilli.

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Massaman curry paste (Prik Kaeng Mussamun) is used to make Thailand’s famously mild curry: warming Indian and Middle Eastern spices come together with Thai herbs to create a marriage of flavours to tantalise the taste buds and delight the senses!

My friend, Aye, chef extraordinaire from Chiang Mai’s Anchan Vegetarian Restaurant, makes the best massaman curry I’ve ever had.

Until, that was, he taught me his recipe.

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Thai massaman curry is a mild, nutty, and slightly sweet dish. Unlike other Thai dishes, massaman uses spices that are more commonly found in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, and marries them perfectly with tamarind, lemongrass, galangal, and coconut milk.

As with my som tam ma muang, this massaman curry recipe was taught to me by my friend, Aye (owner and chef of Chiang Mai’s Anchan restaurant). It was always my favourite, and I’d order it whenever it was on the menu, so I was over the moon when he taught me how to make it for myself.

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Ready in under four minutes, Thai stir-fried morning glory (phad pak boong fai daeng) may well be the fastest and easiest Asian food you’ll ever make! Despite its simplicity, this spicy, garlicky street food dish with fermented soya bean sauce will also be one of the tastiest.

Unfortunately, this is not a dish you'll often (if ever) see on the menus of Thai restaurants in the West, which is a shame but I guess it's just not considered 'special' enough.

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I have just realised that it's been a couple of years since I did a Valentine's Day post - how very tardy of me! If you're stuck for inspiration, here are 16 deliciously easy vegan desserts for Valentine's Day!

Vegan pies and puddings

Vegan 'Snickers' Smoothie Bowl

This vegan Snickers smoothie bowl is a deliciously creamy blend of avocados, dates, and velvety melted chocolate, topped with chopped mixed nuts, more melted chocolate, and salted caramel sauce.

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Thailand's ubiquitous fried noodle dish, phad Thai, is fast, cheap, and easy to make, and very filling. Serve with fresh bean sprouts and spring onions, plus a dash of lime juice, and finish it in true Thai style, with crushed peanuts, chilli flakes, a little sugar, and some spicy vinegar. Delicious!

Before we went to live in Thailand, most of the Thai food I’d tried was eye-wateringly spicy at best, and downright painful at worst.

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Nam prik pao (aka Thai chilli jam) is a highly versatile, delicious, fiery hot, sweet-sour condiment, commonly used to flavour lighter dishes such as tom yam, tom kha, banana flower salad, stir-fries, and both fried and steamed rice. It's every Thai cook's secret weapon - a staple, even - and one you'll want to have if you are serious about cooking authentic-tasting Thai food.

Nam prik pao is also used as a dip (e.g.

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Fragrant and spicy, this vegan tom yum (aka tom yam) - a delicious hot and sour soup - is deservedly one of Thailand's most famous dishes. After phad Thai, of course!

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Tom yum

No matter where you are in the world, if you come across a Thai restaurant, it will have tom yum on the menu.

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Under 150 calories per serving, this mild Burmese eggplant curry recipe, with its deliciously silky eggplant in a creamy, piquant gravy, is a perfect blend of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours.

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I, like a lot of the Shan people, prefer my curries to be mild, with only a little kick...

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Ready in just 20 minutes, this vegan som tam is an incredibly simple, yet wholly delicious Thai salad made from crunchy vegetables, dressed with a fresh and zingy hot, sour, salty, sweet sauce.

The taste explosion that is som tam (som = sour, tam = pounded) is usually made with shredded green papaya, and often accompanies sticky rice and laab (which is actually a Lao dish). This version, however, was taught to me by my dear friend, Aye (owner of Anchan in Chiang Mai), is made with green mangoes (ma muang), and is popular throughout Northern Thailand.

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Light and fruity, with just a hint of tropical coconut, my luxury vegan mincemeat may be a traditional British Christmas favourite but it's packed with ingredients from places we've lived around the world.

A few weeks back, when I was thinking about making some vegan mincemeat, I looked in my cupboard to see what I already had, and it suddenly occurred to me that actually, this one simple dish represents most of the countries we lived in during the seven years we spent away.

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No Christmas feast is complete without a slice of rich and fruity Christmas pudding. Not only is it super-easy to make from basic store cupboard ingredients, it can be made well in advance, and stored for up to a year!

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English Christmas Pudding

In half a minute Mrs. Cratchit entered – flushed, but smiling proudly – with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half-a-quarter of ignited brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck into the top.

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Do you find yourself at a loss as to what to cook at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (or any get-together), that omnivores and vegans alike will enjoy? My vegan stuffed seitan roast is the solution you've been looking for. It's simple to make, chock-full of goodness, and is completely delicious too!

Vegan Stuffed Seitan Roast Recipe

Packed with veggies, and brimming with goodness, this vegan stuffed seitan roast not only looks and tastes impressive, it's really economical too.

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At last... 'tis the season to be thinking about which easy vegan Christmas recipes we're going to be making - huzzah! Time to deck your chef's hat with holly, tie some tinsel on your pinny, and rejoice in the fact that at Christmas, we can cook all the things!

Can you believe that it's now less than a month until Christmas? It seems like only a couple of months ago that I was putting together my festive drinks round-up, and now here we are, rushing headlong into December again.

Continue reading The Big List of Easy Vegan Christmas Recipes at yumsome.

If you're looking for Christmas cookie ideas, why not make some pryaniki? These soft gingerbread cookies are easy to make, and taste similar to German lebkuchen or Slovenian medenjaki.

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What is pryanik?

Although it's often referred to as gingerbread, or Russian gingerbread, pryanik is more accurately described as Russian honey bread.

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Traditional Christmas favourites across Europe, mulled wine & mulled cider make winter so worthwhile! Vegan recipes for both in this post!

This time of year can be cold and damp and miserable, but for me, there are two things which make me forget all that, and really and truly appreciate midwinter; seeing snow-topped Alps from my kitchen window, and mulled wine!

This is what I see from my kitchen window - spectacular isn't it?

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What could be better than vegan Nutella straight from the jar?
Apart from an intravenous drip. Duh.
Nutella liqueur, of course. Vegan 'Nutella' cream liqueur.

Or, more properly, vegan chocolate hazelnut cream liqueur.

Oh. My. Glob.

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Vegan 'Nutella' Cream Liqueur Recipe

Guys, guys, this is amazeballs.

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My festive bread pudding recipe is perfect for using up stale bread. The addition of masala chai spice and cranberries makes this traditional everyday cake into something very special indeed! This bread pudding is super-easy to make, and will keep for several days at room temperature. It freezes well, too.

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What is bread pudding?

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This easy vegan Thanksgiving and Christmas stuffing is choc-full of nutritious cabbage, kale, spinach, and mushrooms, and is versatile enough to be used for burgers, sausages, and a variety of other yummy dishes too!

Although I originally came up with this stuffing to go inside my stuffed seitan roast, I discovered that it makes great veggie burgers too. And sausages. And actually, it's really good, just pan-fried, and eaten on its own!

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High in taste and low in effort, this Sicilian caponata is a rich and piquant eggplant stew that's full of nourishing vegetables and fragrant herbs. Serve it on its own with rustic bread, or as part of a larger meal, and you won't go far wrong!

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Sicilian caponata

“Would you write me a recipe for Sicilian caponata?” asked my BFF, as we sat drinking Bullfrog cocktails in the Che Guevara bar in Cluj.

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Aromatic, sweet + soft, rose Turkish Delight (lokum) is really simple to make, and is a luxurious treat any day of the year, not just at Christmas time!

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What is Turkish Delight?

Turkish Delight, or lokum, is a gel-like candy, made from cornflour (cornstarch) and sugar. It can be flavoured with aromatics, such as rose or lemon.

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Made with a handful of basic pantry staples, and flavoured with fruit purée, my easy vegan marshmallows are based on a delicious Russian confection, called zefir.

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Vegan marshmallows aren't great!

Have you ever bought vegan marshmallows from a shop, and been utterly dismayed at the bag of overly-sweet, tough lumps of rubber masquerading as confectionary?

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Deliciously comforting and warming, my rich mushroom gravy can be made ahead of time, and is the perfect accompaniment for roast dinners, pies, mash, and more!

My make-ahead mushroom gravy owes its depth of flavour to the partially caramelised onions & leeks, liquid aminos, and paprika, as well, of course, to the mushrooms themselves. It's thick and savoury, and is perfect with roasts, pies, sausages, mash, roast potatoes, etc.

Basically, if it's in need of 'meaty' gravy, this is totally up to the job.

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This quick 'n' easy piquant pea & leek soup is made with just five everyday ingredients, and is as delicious as it is beautiful to look at! It requires no fancy-schmancy techniques, and is pretty much guaranteed to be loved by all.

Unless they hate peas. In which case, please seek help for them ASAP. 😉

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Hearty and warming, my simple vegan Irish stew is the perfect thing for filling hungry tums. Made with a handful of everyday staple ingredients, this easy frugal meal can be cooked on the hob in a large pan, or in a slow cooker. Although a substantial meal in itself, when served with a bowl of colcannon or buttery mashed potatoes, it's pretty much heaven on a plate. Just the thing for chilly autumn evenings!

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Few drinks are as comforting as a cup of masala chai (chai latte to those of you across the pond); it's my go-to hot beverage of choice in any weather. And speaking of weather, masala chai is perfect for banishing autumn and winter chills.

Traditionally, along with black tea, sugar, and a blend of warming spices, it's made with milk from water buffalo but my chai uses oat milk, which gives a rich and creamy cuppa!

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Life in Pai was, for me, as close to perfect as it's possible to be. The locals were kind and friendly, the countryside stunning and peaceful, and the town itself just brimming with great food. Not only of the walk-down-the-street-stuffing-my-face-with-all-the-yums variety but also the incredible fresh produce market where I used to buy everything from fruit and veg to spices, herbs, and noodles.

If you've read my post about Kad Ton Payom, you'll know how much I love Thai markets!

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Deliciously nutritious and comforting soup really doesn't get any better than my mildly-spiced easy crockpot tomato lentil soup! It's vegan and gluten-free too!

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Jam-packed with plump, moist, sultanas, this tea loaf is as delicious as it is easy. Made with just seven basic pantry ingredients, this cake is vegan, fat-free, and nut-free too.

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Childhood memories

This cake is the stuff of childhood memories. Of cosy winter evenings in front of a roaring fire.

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My easy and comforting ribollita (aka Tuscan bread soup or minestra di pane toscana) is a hearty vegan pottage, full of seasonal vegetables, bulked out with bread. It's easy to make, incredibly frugal, and perfect for filling you up on a chilly day!

What is ribollita?

Like most cucina povera, this ribollita (or Tuscan bread soup) is made with whatever is to hand.

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Perfect as gifts for Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or just to say "I love you", these vegan raspberry chocolate truffles are simple to make, and bursting with flavour. Keep them for yourself, or present them to your nearest and dearest - either way, they’re guaranteed to be a hit!

As we’re now in the run-up to the holidays, I’ve been thinking about edible gifts for our families and friends; I’ve made chutneys and jars of ajvar, and will be making some Romanian treats too.

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Filling, frugal, and hearty, and really easy to make, this vegan mushroom barley risotto is full of flavour, and an ideal low-effort midweek meal that's on the table in around an hour.

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Mushroom Risotto Recipe

This is based on a traditional Czech recipe, houbový Kuba, which means mushrooms Jacob.

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This vegan 'Snickers' smoothie bowl is a deliciously creamy blend of avocados, dates, and velvety melted chocolate, topped with chopped mixed nuts, more melted chocolate, and salted caramel sauce. Oh, and there's a banana too, for good measure!

I'm going to be completely honest here, and say I've never really seen the point in smoothie bowls, barring having something pretty to share on Instagram; however, having spoken to several customers at Beet Bar, I've come to realise that far from being frivolous fripperies for people with far too much time on their hands, smoothie bowls are actually a really good excuse to have pudding for breakfast.

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Ready in just 20 mins, this mildly-spiced dal fry (lentil curry) is really easy to make, frugal, filling, and comforting, plus it's only 182 calories per serving!

Last year, you may recall, I had to have some extensive dental surgery to rebuild my upper jaw - for several weeks, I was unable to eat anything other than really soft foods (yay, ice cream!), so soups, such as mulligatawny or leek and potato, and avocado hummus (by the spoonful, of course) became de rigeur.

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This vegan self-saucing chocolate pudding has a lovely moist, cakey, almost brownie-like, top part, with a rich velvety sauce hidden underneath. Serve it warm with ice cream, or allow it to cool into a rich and fudgy dessert.

When I was child, I loved school dinners - and my favourite dessert was chocolate pudding with chocolate custard. As an adult (and I use that term very loosely), I fell in love with self-saucing chocolate pudding.

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These perfectly crispy vegan mayo-roast potatoes are really easy to make, and there's no nasty greasy baking tray to clean afterward!

Have you ever thought, "Ooh, I really fancy so and so", only to discover, when you're halfway through making the object of your desire, that you don't have a key ingredient?

I'm sure we've all been there, right?

A few months back, I had a hankering for roast potatoes; I really, really wanted to tuck into a bowlful of crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle roasties, so I peeled some spuds, boiled and drained them, then reached for the bottle of sunflower oil, only to discover it was empty, save for about half a teaspoon's worth.

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This really easy mild potato curry - aloo masala in Hindi - is a deliciously comforting, lightly-spiced mixture of fried potatoes, onion, and tomato. It's a fantastic meal at any time of the day!

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I really love aloo masala - it's one of my most favourite curries in the whole wide world.

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What can I tell you about this hearty vegan mushroom soup? It's rich, it's creamy, it's chunky, it's very filling, and it's deeply satisfying. And now the weather is cooler, it's more welcome than ever.

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This soup's depth of flavour belies its simplicity. There's absolutely nothing complicated about it - rather, the secret is in caramelising the onions, roasting the garlic, and then letting the whole lot reduce down to intensify the flavours as it thickens.

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Making fudge brownies from scratch is super easy, and only takes a few minutes longer than using a box mix. These are made with nutritious ingredients, too. The pumpkin keeps them moist, and using cocoa as well as chocolate makes them deeply... well, chocolatey! There's also tahini for added richness and fudge, and they're topped with even more chocolate (yay!). As well as being vegan, these brownies are gluten-free and packed with Vitamins.

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This decadent vegan chocolate chilli is nothing short of amazing. Packed with pumpkin, beans, and mushrooms, with a little chocolate to give an extra layer of richness and depth of flavour, this spicy, rich, smoky chilli hits all the spots.

All the spots.

No spots are left un-hit.

Do you ever have times when you make something so delicious that you just want to eat it every day?

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Spicy, warming, filling, delicious, and full of fibre and protein, my vegan mulligatawny soup is just the thing for chilly autumn evenings.

Mulligatawny soup has such a strange name, doesn't it? I used to struggle with that name as a child… but not with eating it!

Although, the stuff my grandmother used to serve me up came out of a tin, was mud-brown, and had little pieces of what I think was minced meat.

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Bursting with flavour, my vegan version of Romanian sarmale is easy to make, and packed with goodness. These cabbage rolls will keep for around 10 days in the 'fridge, and taste even better the longer they're kept.

What do you do when you have a garden full of cabbages? Why, you do what your neighbours do, and make enough sauerkraut to see you through the cooler months. Yum!

And then you use it to make sarmale.

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Ready in around 30 minutes, cauliflower cheese is a traditional British dish, which has been around for at least a couple of centuries. The tender whole cauliflower is smothered in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, then baked in the oven, and finished with a sprinkling of smoked paprika.

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Traditional Cauliflower Cheese

When I was child, one of my favourite dishes that Gran used to make was cauliflower cheese (aka cauliflower cheese bake, or cauliflower cheese casserole).

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Easy to make, and practically foolproof, my creamy vegan cauliflower cheese soup is made with just seven ingredients, and is comforting, filling, and deliciously satisfying!

Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe

Autumn has very definitely arrived; the days are growing colder, and the nights are drawing in, which can only mean one thing… IT'S HEARTY SOUP SEASON! Yay!

Honestly, I know that some people love autumn for its beautiful colours and cooler temperatures but for me, it's all about the food.

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Founded in 1383 by the Lanna king, Keu Naone, to house the relic of Buddha's shoulder bone, the beautiful temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is home to one of Northern Thailand's most sacred shrines. 

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As you'll know from my post about Pai, when a wat has the words, Phra That in its name, it means there is a sacred relic of Buddha housed there, so Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the Suthep Mountain Temple with the Buddha relic.

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Hearty veg, nourishing buckwheat, and creamy mashed potato make my vegan mushroom and buckwheat shepherd’s pie a deliciously comforting dish, whatever the weather!

Why is it that whenever I think of autumn and winter comfort food, I think of my Gran? And in particular, her amazing casseroles and shepherd’s pies? If we'd known about hygge back then, that's exactly how I would have described them.

My mushroom and buckwheat shepherd's pie is totally hygge!

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How to make easy and delicious soy-free vegan sausages using vital wheat gluten and a handful of basic pantry ingredients.

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Moist, firm & full of flavour, my vegan sausages are better than anything you can buy in the shops! I make them the day before I’m planning to use them but if you’re pushed for time, you could get away with refrigerating them for just five hours.

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My decadent and exquisite Mozartkugeln feature two layers of marzipan and one layer of nougat, all wrapped up in a coat of silky smooth chocolate.

Discovering Mozart!

I first discovered Mozartkugeln as a teenager, when I was invited to the home of a German friend one Christmas Eve. It was the most magical, fairytale home I'd ever visited, and it made me want to spend every Christmas in Alsace.

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The sweetness of the peppers, the slightly spicy filling, the thick, rich tomato gravy, and a mound of fluffy mashed potatoes - Croatian stuffed peppers are Heaven on a plate! 

Punjene paprike, as they are called in Croatia, are total comfort food, and really easy to veganise.

There are many, many things I adore about living a nomadic lifestyle, not least, discovering new foods. I much prefer to be wandering around a food market than sunning myself on a beach, and I would far rather discover local food, made and eaten by local people, than dine at a swanky restaurant.

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Chocolatey and rich, moist and fudgy, made with only 10 ingredients; my perfect vegan brownies are ready in just 40 minutes, and are everything a great brownie should be!

My quest for perfect vegan brownies has been ongoing for a few years now; I have made so many, and while most have not been disasters, there have nevertheless been few that I’ve been really, really happy with. The two recipes I’ve previously published on yumsome have been super-yummy… but they’re far from being traditional brownies.

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Filling and frugal, laced with warming sweet spices and crunchy walnuts, and drizzled with miso caramel sauce, these simple spiced baked apples are just the thing to warm you up on chilly autumn evenings. And they only take around 30 minutes to cook too!

As the days start to cool off, and night falls earlier and earlier, what better to stave off autumn chills than some hearty, comforting spiced baked apples?

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One of my favourite go-to snacks and appetisers, zacuscă - Romanian eggplant and red pepper spread - is deliciously creamy and comforting, really easy to make, and perfect with rustic bread. It's also great with crackers and covrigi (Romanian pretzels). I've even been known to use it as a relish, pasta sauce, pizza base, and as a topping for baked potatoes too. Yep, it really is that versatile!

There was a time when I believed ajvar to be the pinnacle of roasted eggplant and red pepper spreads… and then we moved to Transylvania, and discovered zacuscă.

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Level up your desserts with this vegan miso caramel sauce! Bringing a fantastic depth of flavour and richness, the Asian umami flavour bomb that is miso is the perfect partner for this sweet and silky caramel sauce.

"What's this?" I hear you ask, "Miso caramel sauce? WTH?"

But stop and think about it for a moment... miso is salty and a little sweet, caramel is sweet - you can see where I'm going...

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These easy vegan coconut macaroons are sweet and moist, chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Not only are they perfect for Passover, or as an alternative Easter treat, they're easy enough to make at any time of the year. They're gluten-free, too!

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Coconut macaroons were one of my favourite weekend treats when I was a child.

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The perfect gift for Mother's Day or Easter, my vegan chocolate matcha truffles are light and creamy, with a delicately refreshing green tea flavour. Made from a cashew cream base and raw cocoa butter, sweetened with agave, flavoured with matcha, and rolled in cocoa, these truffles are decadence itself.

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(By the way, this is an image-heavy post!)

If there's one smell that reminds me of when we lived in Chiang Mai, it's matcha.

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Sweet, tangy, and crunchy with a hint of chai masala, this vegan spiced plum crumble is so delicious, and easy to make too. Serve it hot with custard or ice cream, and I guarantee you'll soon be feeling completely hygge.

(Are we still doing hygge? I know I am - I'm all about the hygge!)

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This mildly spicy pumpkin purée is really easy to make, and is very versatile. Use for sweet and savoury dishes alike.

I must admit that until October last year, whenever I was making a recipe which called for pumpkin purée, I'd make as needed but when we moved back to Croatia for a while, the weather took a turn for the worse.

Almost two months of torrential rain, plus the Bura blowing up a storm, meant that in all honesty, I really didn't feel like going out to the market every morning, so each Monday, I braved the weather, and made all the purées, spreads, and sauces I'd need for the week.

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Perfect for after-school snacks, party finger food, or as part of a meal, these kid-approved vegan baked cheesy pumpkin tots are really easy to make, nutritious, and they freeze well too. Why not make a few batches to keep for emergency snack attacks?!

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I'm sure that most of us have, at some point, looked into the freezer cabinet of our local supermarket, and reached for a bag of frozen potato treats, only to get them home, and discover that they're nowhere near as good as the image on the pack would have us believe.

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My vegan jota is a hearty smoky bean and sauerkraut hotpot, is simplicity itself to make, and is perfect during cooler weather!

I'd never ever eaten sauerkraut before we moved to Slovenia, and if I'm honest, it's something that's never really appealed to me; I'm not a lover of fermented or pickled foods, and sauerkraut seemed to me fall into these categories. However, I'm so glad I bit the bullet, and gave it a try because I can honestly say that I pretty much love it now.

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Deliciously hearty, this spicy dal, aubergine, and kale casserole is simple to make, and not only fills your tummy with its warming goodness but also fills your kitchen with its comforting aroma!

There's something really special about the combination of lentils, tomatoes, and chilli, isn't there? It's among my favourite throw-together dishes... y'know, the kind you make when you haven't been out shopping, and really don't have the wherewithal to make anything overly creative with what's in the fridge.

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My sausage, fennel, and bean casserole is completely vegan, and is incredibly simple to make, yet is bursting with rich tomato and fennel flavours. Plus, has a tiny little chilli kick to liven things up!

Who remembers Poldark in the '70s? I loved it so much. And I loved Robin Ellis too. He was so perfect in the role. I honestly don’t remember how or when I first came across Robin’s blog - it was certainly long before the lovely Aiden Turner donned the Poldark mantle - but a couple of years back, when Robin published a recipe for his fennel, tomato, and white bean casserole, I thought,

Huzzah, I’ve found the first of the Great Bean Usey-Uppy Quest recipes!

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Clocking in at a mere 46 calories each, my 4-ingredient chocolate peanut figgy truffles are vegan, gluten-free, healthy, dead simple to make, and have no added sugar. Put some in your tum today!

Truffles may be expensive to buy, and therefore, seemingly decadent but y’know what? They are so incredibly easy to make. In fact, over the years, I’ve made gazillions of ‘em, precisely because they’re so darned expensive in the shops, yet so simple to throw together in the kitchen.

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Fasole bătută is a creamy Transylvanian vegan white bean purée, topped with a pile of sticky, gooey, sweet caramelised onions. It's traditionally served with sausages and pickles, plus home-made bread (pâine de casă), of course. It makes for a fantastically filling and simple frugal meal, especially when there's not much in the way of fresh produce around.

When we lived in Băiţa, once autumn had set in, our garden was no longer producing enough vegetables, fruit, and herbs to sustain us, so we had to supplement our diet by using the local growers' market in Reghin, about 15 mins' drive away.

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Quick to make, and packed with protein, fibre, and omega fatty acids, as well as plenty of Vitamin C and Iron, this vegan fruity hemp and buckwheat porridge is an ideal breakfast to see you right through until lunchtime, with no mid-morning cravings!

(As with my Cookie Butter Blondies, I've partnered with Buy Wholefoods Online to bring you this recipe.)

When I was a child, on Sunday winter mornings, my grandmother would always bring me breakfast in bed; there'd be a mug of warm Ribena and a small bowl of steaming hot porridge oats, with a blob of home-made strawberry or raspberry jam (made from our home-grown fruits) on the top.

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Sweet parsnips, spicy ginger, and deliciously smoky garlic come together in my thick and warming soup that's topped with protein-packed roasted chilli chickpeas, plus fresh coriander. This gingery parsnip soup with spicy roasted chickpeas is the perfect antidote to chilly weather!

As much as I love hot weather (and I really do), the big advantage of cooler temps is that I get to cook all the hearty foods I love so much.

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This vegan butter chicken (murgh makhani) is a delicious lightly-spiced combination of tangy yoghurt and sweet tomatoes, with butter and cashew cream to add a decadent richness. It's definitely not an everyday recipe... but it's perfect for celebrations and special occasions!

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I recently made this show-stopping, protein-packed curry for my oldest friend, Sue, when she recently came over to stay with me.

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This mild and creamy vegan curried coconut butternut squash soup is free from gluten, soy, and nuts, is thick, hearty, and warming. It’s ready in around 50 minutes, is perfect for lunch or supper, and will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

I know I’ve said it many times before but for me, autumn and winter foods are the best. I love nothing better than feeling all warm and cosy indoors, tucking into a big bowl of hearty chilli, jota, tagine, or soup while the weather rages outside.

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Taking just 15 minutes to cook, this easy vegan kung pao jackfruit is better than anything you'll get from a takeaway. The Thai birds eye chillies deliver a hot and spicy kick, while the red peppers tone it down with a layer of sweetness. It's clean-tasting and fresh, and not in any way greasy or heavy. Serve on its own with noodles or rice, or with a selection of other dishes as part of a more elaborate meal.

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My restaurant-style malai kofta recipe consists of fried potato and paneer dumplings in a creamy mildly-spiced gravy. Indian comfort food at its finest!

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What is malai kofta?

Hailing from Northern India, this delicious mild curry rose to fame during the reign of the Mughals (1526-1876).

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Easy to make, and ready in just two minutes, my vegan fish sauce delivers the essential umami-bomb that's central to Thai cooking.

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What is fish sauce?

In SE Asian cooking, fish sauce is used to give that distinctly salty, slightly sweet umami hit to dishes, and is an essential component of the Thai holy flavour grail of hot, sour, salty, sweet.

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This spicy tomato, basil, and buckwheat soup is deliciously filling, really easy to make, full of goodness, and frugal too. The challenge is to only eat one bowlful at a time!

Apart from the oil, paprika, salt & pepper, and the buckwheat, all of the ingredients for this deliciously and flavourful soup have come from my garden. How cool is that?

(And the oil, paprika, and salt are all local to Romania.)

The sweet and juicy tomatoes for this soup are ripened under the blazing Transylvanian sun, and grow companionably alongside three types of fragrant basil.

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This spicy tofu scramble with roasted veggies is easy to make; incredibly filling, while still being light; full of goodness; and is a deliciously complete meal for brunch or supper.

Until a couple of years ago, I’d never tried tofu scramble – not because I thought it would be in any way difficult to make but because I have an aversion to ‘eggy’ things. I’ve been this way ever since I was small: I actually vomited over my gran once when she tried to make me eat a boiled egg.

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Full of fibre and protein, my easy healthy avocado bruschetta is a delicious way to use up stale bread, and makes for a great breakfast, lunch, or supper. If you have time to make toast, you have time to make this; it's super-quick, and you can prepare the toppings while the toast is cooking.

When we lived in Thailand, we had avocados coming out of our ears. They grew everywhere, and we could just go and pick them as we needed them.

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With just a handful of basic ingredients and no complicated preparation methods, my foolproof vegan choc chunk cookies are soft and moist, and can be slightly chewy or crumbly (depending on the fat and sugar you use) - everything a great cookie should be. And they couldn't be easier to make.

They are, quite simply, the best choc chunk cookies I've ever made. I'm not alone in this assessment either.

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Rich, sweet onions nestle inside a crisp cheesy and herby wholemeal pastry crust, making this vegan caramelized onion tarte tatin such a great summertime lunch or supper, and it's perfect for picnics too!

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Vegan caramelised onion tarte tatin recipe

I have a garden full of onions. OK, slight exaggeration, I have roughly a quarter of a garden full of onions...

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As soon as we arrived at Shanghai Mansion, we felt felt as though we had stepped into a different world; the hotel is a haven of calm, and a most welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok's Chinatown. Having stayed there many times now, Shanghai Mansion has become our go-to hotel in Thailand's capital.

Deep in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, on Yaorawat Road, is a welcome respite from the noisy, dusty, bustling streets of Thailand's capital city.

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Soft and fudgy, with a rich caramel flavour, my delicious cookie butter and macadamia blondies are really easy to make, and dangerously more-ish! 

Although admittedly not very diet-friendly, this bondies recipe is an absolute a corker. All of you watching your waistline, please look away now. (Or y'know, just lick your screens.)

I can't tell you how many of these I've made. No, actually, I can, around 650 a month when I was baking professionally in Margate.

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Creamy and indulgent, this vegan butterscotch pudding is really simple, and made with just six basic ingredients. And because it only takes 15 mins or so to cook (plus a bit of time in the fridge to chill), it's perfect as a weekday dessert, Sunday teatime treat, or even as a kids' party pudding!

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Packed with goodness, my quick & easy vegan palak paneer is really easy to make, takes around 35 minutes to cook, and makes for a perfect weeknight meal!

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Glazed with a with a deliciously sticky barbecue sauce, and perfect for summer al fresco entertaining, these meaty BBQ seitan ribs are really simple to make, and practically guaranteed to keep everyone at your gathering coming back for more!

Firstly, please let me apologise for the lack of new yums recently; for the past couple of months I've been freelancing my cooking skills at Beet Bar, a vegan café here in Margate.

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This loaded vegan lasagne is chock-full of seasonal veggies, and brimming with my wonderfully creamy besciamella (béchamel). Its deliciousness completely belies the ease with which it is made, and is pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of all who eat it!

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Loaded Vegan Lasagne Recipe

A few weeks ago, one of my friends said to me,

Nico, you're half Italian, why are there no pasta recipes on yumsome?

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My home-made tofu-free veganaise (vegan mayo) is so much better than store-bought. It's rich, creamy, and silky, really easy to make, and is deliciously more-ish! It's fantastic on burgers, with sausages, in sandwiches, on potato salad. And of course, with fries or wedges!

Veganaise

Aah, veganaise*, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

Okay, okay, I'm not going to get all Shakespearean on you; however, I really can't help enthusing about how I never cease to be impressed with this deliciously creamy condiment.

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My easy healthy vegan chocolate maple pudding is sweet and velvety-smooth, takes just 10 minutes to make, and is legitimately good for you too!

And it has a secret ingredient.

It's not chickpeas.
Nor is it aquafaba.
Nor even avocado.
Honest.

No, really, it’s sweet potatoes!

Sweet potatoes in a pudding, I hear you ask? Why, yes!

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Just two ingredients, ridiculously easy to make, and full of innumerable culinary benefits, this cashew cream is every good cook's secret weapon!

When I lived in India, my friend Usha taught me some of the secrets of her amazing cooking. Chief among them was this... cashew cream.

It's the key to giving curries an amazingly creamy consistency, plus a hint of sweetness, without having to add any dairy, extra oil, or sugar. It really is a little miracle!

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My simple, 4-ingredient vegan salted caramel sauce is the perfect accompaniment to ice cream, puddings, sundaes, cakes, cookies, and fruit crumbles.

Simple 4-ingredient vegan salted caramel sauce

Is...

• gluten-free
• nut-free
• dairy-free
• totally delicious
• and only 22 calories per teaspoon!

A teaspoon straight out of the jar (yes, it is thick enough to spoon out when it's cool!), is perfect when you have that urge for something sweet.

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With fewer than 10 ingredients, and ready in under 10 minutes, my easy apple, pineapple, and coconut ambrosia is creamy, sweet, fruity, and nutty. And tastes utterly divine! It's also dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free, and contains no refined sugars.

Goodness, what a week this has been - and not all entirely good, either!

We flew to Britain, we celebrated Mummy's 80th birthday. Twice - once on the day, with afternoon tea at amato mio's sister's, and secondly on Sunday at Mummy's garden party, with 40 other guests, plus a marquee in the garden, complete with caterers.

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Simple, yet so satisfying, this delicious mayo-free loaded potato salad is brimming with nourishing spring veggies, and perfect for al fresco dining and barbecues.

Apparently, May is National Loaded Potato Month and National Salad Month, so what better way to celebrate than with a super-healthy combination of both?

I love traditional British potato salad, I love Venetian potato salad, and I adore this loaded potato salad too.

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This is my original carrot bacon recipe that started an internet craze! It's salty and sweetly smoky, really delicious, and easily made from carrots and five other basic ingredients. Try it for yourself!

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The original carrot bacon recipe!

You saw it here first!

Years before anyone in the West had even heard of TikTok, I developed and published this baked carrot bacon recipe.

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This simple vegan aloo gobi masala is a delicious mildly-spiced north Indian dish made with potato and cauliflower, and can be served dry, or with a gravy.

This mild and creamy curry is another of the wonderful dishes that my friend, Usha, taught me to cook when we lived in Fort Kochi. It's easily one of my favourite dishes, and is fantastic with rice, appam (rice hoppers), paratha, roti, naan.

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While it may not be the most attractive dish in the world, what this tagine lacks in style, it more than makes up for in flavour. Chock-full of delicious veggies, and cooked with fiery spices and fragrant herbs, this Moroccan vegetable tagine is not only a sumptuous feast of goodness, it's incredibly easy to make too.

One of the best things about living in Taroudannt, in Morocco's Souss Valley, was the availability of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices.

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Whipped up in under 30 minutes, packed with B vitamins and essential minerals, plus 30% of your daily fibre needs, these simple Asian-style mushrooms with ginger are just bursting with flavour, and make a fantastically delicious meal at any time of the day!

A while back, while living in deepest, darkest Transylvania, amato mio and I spent a lovely weekend in the delightful medieval city of Sibiu.

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At under 100 calories per glass, and with its zingy citrus kick, my quick and easy mango and lime lassi is creamy, tangy, and fruity, and whizzed up in a jiffy. It's the perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal!

Mango lassi

If you've been to Indian restaurants, and enjoyed a lassi or two, you know how well they go with some of the more fiery curries, and how well they cool the palate; however, even if you tend to stick with mild dishes, such as palak paneer or aloo gobi masala, a smooth and creamy lassi still works really well.

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Fantastic with so many dishes, and made with just a handful of staple ingredients (and no nuts), my vegan nacho cheese is creamy and cheesy, with a little bit of a spicy kick!

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Nacho cheese

The trouble with all of the nacho cheese I've tried over the years is that that it's all been just a bit….

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Forget buying tubs of ready-made broth from the supermarket, making your own vegetable broth from scraps is so easy, and once you get into the habit of it, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Do you have recipes that you know so well - recipes which are so commonplace in your kitchen, that it just doesn't occur to you to that other people may not know how to make them?

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Home-made naan is so easy to make, and is far superior to the pre-packaged breads you can buy in supermarkets, which tend to be a bit dry and crumbly. My naan is soft and pillowy, with just the right degree of chewiness. If you love the naan you have in Indian restaurants, you'll adore this!

Some people advocate leaving out the yoghurt when making naan but I really don't recommend doing that, especially if you're not using any spices or herbs to flavour it because what you'll be left with is a largely dull and flavourless flatbread.

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Who doesn't love a good bagel? I know I do. Not those dry quoits you find in supermarkets, but proper soft-yet-chewy bagels. I was taught to make these traditional Jewish bagels a long, long time ago, and they remain to this day, my favourite.

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During my late teens and early twenties, I used to go to a lot of nightclubs, and on the way home - usually in the wee small hours - I'd stop for a coffee at Bar Italia in London's Soho, where I'd often meet up with chums who'd been to other clubs.

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These vegan salted caramel chocolate pots are so yummy and decadent; just four ingredients and 10 minutes (plus chilling time) are all that's required to make these delicious little wonders of chocolatey delight!

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Y'know that thing about love at first taste?

Yep. Yep.

Completely.

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Deliciously creamy and velvety, ready in 30 minutes, and made with just half a dozen ingredients, my easy vegan Nutella is quick to make, and far healthier than its shop-bought counterpart.

Vegan Nutella recipe

I suppose I shouldn't say Nutella though, since it's Ferrero's brand name... but 'vegan Nutella' rolls off the tongue so much easier than 'vegan chocolate hazelnut spread'.

It also rolls ON the tongue rather well.

Continue reading How to Make Easy Vegan Nutella at yumsome.

My hearty vegan potato, leek, and cheese soup is not only really creamy and delicious - and ready in just 30 minutes - it's also only 197 calories per bowl! What a great way to kick-start your healthy new year!

Is there anything better to warm you up on a rainy winter's day than a delicious bowl of thick, hearty potato, leek, and cheese soup for lunch? I think not!

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Warming and filling, simple and frugal, and a complete meal in one bowl - you can't go wrong with my traditional, veggie-packed pasta fagioli (aka pasta fazool). Like so much cucina povera, this Tuscan pasta and bean soup (or minestra di pasta e fagioli to give it its northern Italian name), has as many variations as there are villages in Italy!

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Panzanella, sometimes known as panzanella salad outside Italy (or panmolle in Tuscany), is a wonderfully flavourful mix of fresh plum tomatoes, red onion, basil, and stale bread, dressed with oil and vinegar.

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Easy to make, my deliciously moist chocolate chip banana bread needs a handful of basic ingredients, and is a great way to use up over-ripe bananas.

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Deliciously creamy, super-easy to make, and ready in just 40 minutes, my vegan corn chowder is ideal for anyone avoiding dairy. It's also gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free, and you can use your favourite plant milk. It's the perfect soup for everyone!

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As soon as the weather warms up, I get lots of corn on the cob in my veg bag, and it always takes me back to when we were living in Transylvania; we had so much sweetcorn, we couldn't keep up!

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Not to be confused with soffitto - which means 'ceiling'! - soffritto is a gently fried mix of onion, celery, carrot, and aromatics, designed to add depth of flavour and fragrance to what might otherwise be a dull or bland dish.

What is soffritto?

Soffritto comes from the Italian verb, soffriggere, which means to brown by way of gently frying. The French call it mirepoix, and often use celeriac instead of celery, and thyme in place of rosemary.

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The Expanse season 4 is finally here, and what better way to celebrate the best SciFi series in the 'verse than to make Rocinante pilot, Alex Kamal's Mariner Valley Lasagna! It's a vegan lasagna, too, so buckle up, folks, here comes the juice!

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The Expanse is quite possibly my all-time favourite TV and book series.

Continue reading The Expanse Recipes: Alex Kamal's Mariner Valley Lasagna (Vegan) at yumsome.

Using just half a dozen ingredients, my 5-minute vegan cashew pesto is so simple to make, and fantastic on pasta, baked potatoes, crostini, or even as a dip for chips and nibbles!

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Yes, you read that correctly - the Froothie Evolve is a high speed blender that also cooks your food. Sounds pretty rad, eh? Read on to find out whether it's a cool tool or a fool tool!

[UPDATE] I've now had this blender for almost a year, and have updated this review accordingly. Updates are in grey boxes, so are easy to find.

Froothie Evolve High Speed Blender Review

When Froothie contacted me a couple of weeks ago, and asked if they could send me their new Evolve blender to play with...

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What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year? Will you be staying at home to cook, or visiting family and friends? Will you be cooking up a feast, or taking a dish to share? Whatever your plans, you can be sure to find something to impress everyone at your table in this collection of 61 Best Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes!

61 Best Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes

Own up.. Who was it? Who stole my year?

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Sweet and tangy, and made with just four basic ingredients, my easy vegan lemon curd recipe is ready in a jiffy, and a sure-fire tea-time winner!

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Easy vegan lemon curd recipe

For as long as I can remember, I've had a jar of home-made lemon curd in my pantry (umm...

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Are you planning a vegan Halloween party, and stumped for ideas? Or perhaps wondering which devilish vegan treats you can make for all the wee ghosts and ghoulies who'll be knocking at your door? Fear not, for help is at hand, with this collection of deliciously spooky vegan Halloween recipes... guaranteed to put the 'ooh' into Booooo!

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This classic Italian tomato sauce is as delicious as it is easy to make, and can be used as the basis for many dishes - be it a simple spaghetti supper, or pizza, ragù, lasagne, etc.

I make it in large batches, and then store it in the 'fridge in airtight glass jars; however, it can be frozen, and will keep for up to three months in the freezer.

How to make Italian tomato sauce

Like so many great Italian dishes, this tomato sauce (or sugo di pomodoro) starts with soffritto - a basic mix of onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and herbs that's gently fried to release the maximum of flavour.

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Ideal for parties and picnics, for lunchboxes, or simply to eat at home for an al fresco lunch, my gluten-free vegan mushroom and leek quiche is so deliciously creamy, you’ll have a hard time telling it apart from its egg-based counterpart! It's soy- and nut-free too!
 

Quiche is not something I have ever craved, not least because I just haven’t ever been a fan of eggs and eggy things.

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Brimming with colourful and nourishing veggies, and packed with protein, my super-easy grilled nectarine salad is a delicious way to make sure you get a hefty dose of your five-a-day. Life is too short for boring salads!

I was going to write about how much I miss the diversity of fresh fruits from when I was living overseas but y'know what? One of the great things about being back in Britain is that I have access to almost any foods I can think of.

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Who doesn't love a simple potato salad? In fact, what is there not to love? Creamy and comforting, warm or cold, it's as delicious as it is versatile. This simple vegan potato salad is one of my favourite things to eat at any time of the year!

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If you're watching your weight, then you'll be pleased to know that adding the veganaise to the potatoes while they are still warm means they will absorb more of the flavour and creaminess, so you can use a bit less mayo than you might normally...

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Sweet and tangy, citrussy and minty, my refreshing, easy no-churn vegan mojito sorbet is made with just five simple ingredients, and requires no special equipment. Of course, if you do have an ice cream maker, it will cut down on the freezing time. Either way, this sorbet is the perfect way to cope with a hot and humid summer.

About three minutes' walk from our old apartment in Belgrade, there's a gelateria on Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra (King Alexander Boulevard), where they make and sell the most mouth-watering gelati I've had outside Italy.

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Creamy and smooth, my simple beetroot hummus couldn't be easier to make. It's naturally vegan, plus, it can be frozen too!

As you'll know from my perfectly smooth hummus and avocado hummus recipes, hummus (or houmous, depending where you're from) is ridiculously easy to make at home.

Does hummus need olive oil?

Unlike a lot of recipes, which call for the addition of a fair amount of olive oil, I don't add any to mine.

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The hugely popular Southern Italian al-forno dish, eggplant parmesan (parmigiana di melanzane) is a delicious combination of smooth and silky aubergine, a home-made rich, herby, tomato sauce, plus mozzarella and Pecorino.

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Eggplant parmesan recipe

Parmigiana di melanzane is my one of my ultimate comfort foods.

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Loaded with protein and yumminess, this spicy buckwheat and mung bean salad is really easy to make, and is as delicious as it is nutritious and frugal!

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Know what I love about this time of year? Apart from the weather, of course. Yep, salads. Whether it's a simple Thai pomelo or sour mango salad, or something more full on, such as my roasted potato and quinoa one, salads are great!

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Tart and tangy, crunchy on the outside, and soft and juicy on the inside, these easy fried green tomatoes are the perfect way to use up any unripe tomatoes you may have lurking around.

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What are fried green tomatoes?

This Southern delight is simply slices of seasoned green tomatoes dipped in beaten egg or buttermilk (or aquafaba), dredged in cornmeal, and then shallow-fried.

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Whether you're making a vegan Thanksgiving meal, or will be a guest at someone else's, and want to contribute, I've put together a fantastic round-up of delicious recipes to make this your best-ever vegan Thanksgiving!

The winter holiday season is once again almost upon us, which means that as the days grow shorter, and the nights begin to draw in, many of us look forward to enjoying the warmth and comfort of get-togethers with our nearest and dearest.

Continue reading 32 Recipes For Your Best-Ever Vegan Thanksgiving at yumsome.

Rich and tomatoey, with a hint of chilli, and so ridiculously delicious, these super quick and easy vegan Bolognese rolls are made from basic supermarket ingredients, and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of anyone who tries them!

So what do you do when you're moving home (again), and want something super-quick and easy but can't face yet another takeaway because that's all you've been living on for the past three days, due to a hectic work schedule, packing, furniture removal, and shopping at IKEA?

Continue reading Super Quick and Easy Vegan Bolognese Rolls at yumsome.

Discover the secret to making smooth and creamy restaurant-quality hummus at home in just 5 minutes, using only basic pantry ingredients!

Continue reading The Secret To Smooth and Creamy Hummus at yumsome.

Stuck for what to make over Easter? Put some yum in your tum with these 10 amazing vegan mains!

With the abundance of chocolate recipes recently, I was really keen to explore which savoury dishes other people have been coming up with. Surely I can't be the only one who's not drooling at all the sweet treats at this time of year!

I don't know about you but I'm definitely suffering from chocolate overload.

Continue reading 10 Amazing Vegan Mains for Easter at yumsome.

No roast dinner is complete without a goodly pile of roast veggies, right? And there's little more goodly than these maple roasted root vegetables. Bung 'em in the oven, and then in your tummy - you won't be disappointed!

Y'know, I've only just realised that the last time I cooked a roast dinner was for Christmas, and prior to that, Christmas the year before, when I made three stuffed seitan roulades in two weeks, for different branches of the family we were visiting.

Continue reading Maple Roasted Root Vegetables at yumsome.

Vegan bagels and lox, you say? From scratch you say? Why yes, of course; creamy vegan ricotta, smoky carrot lox, and soft home-made bagels make this a perfect lunch!

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What can I say but wow - these babies are amazeballs. Really, really amazeballs!

This simple vegan smoked 'salmon' (lox) is made from slow-roasted carrots, marinated in smoky olive oil for a few days to really bring out their sweet and smoky flavour, and smooth texture.

Continue reading The Best Vegan Bagels and Lox (With Cream Cheese!) at yumsome.

For me, the prospect of going to Greece was immensely exciting: to be able to visit places which featured in the Greek myths and legends I grew up with - and have never quite grown out - of thrilled me to bits! I was especially looking forward to visiting the Acropolis.

In January 2013, as we neared the end of our time living in Morocco, we decided that the next place we would call home would be Fort Kochi in southern India.

Continue reading Visiting The Acropolis of Athens at yumsome.

This creamy vegan tomato bisque is so smooth and velvety, you'd be forgiven for thinking there was dairy cream in it. The creaminess actually comes from the sunflower seeds, which as well as being delicious, also give this bisque a fantastic B Vitamin boost, in addition to adding goodly amounts of Vitamin E and essential minerals. Plus, they add plenty of protein too.

Okay, before I receive a flurry of messages telling me how wrong I am, I know that technically this is not a bisque because no crustaceans died during the making of this soup, nor does it come from anywhere near the Bay of Biscay...

Continue reading Creamy Vegan Tomato Bisque at yumsome.

Just 176 calories, and low in fat, my 6-minute vegan broccoli & cheese blender soup is as delicious as it is quick to make. Just throw everything into the VAC2 blender, blitz for a few minutes, et voilà - soup in an (almost) instant! Decant some into a flask, and you have a speedy, healthy lunch to take to work in less time than it's taken for your morning toast to cook!

Y'know, there's something I've noticed about living on the east coast seaside in winter...

Continue reading 6-Minute Vegan Broccoli & Cheese Blender Soup (Froothie Recipe) at yumsome.

Big, beefy, heavy, and solid, the Froothie Optimum VAC2 Air Vacuum Blender is a great piece of kit, and makes it a cinch to produce a variety of foods. From soups to sorbets, nut butter to flour, and much more, the Optimum VAC2 really does deserve a place in every cook's kitchen.

I was recently contacted by Froothie, and invited to become one of its ambassadors; in return for trying out products, giving feedback, and writing reviews, I get to play with (and keep) fab kitchen gadgets.

Continue reading Froothie Optimum VAC2 Air Vacuum Blender Review, Plus A Reader Offer at yumsome.

Whether or not you and your beloved are vegan, if you're looking for culinary inspiration for the most romantic day of the year, my chums and I would love to help you have a most perfect - and delicious - vegan Valentine! From breakfast to dinner, to treats and quaffs, here are 25 mouthwatering recipes that are pretty much guaranteed to impress the object of your affection.

Or to keep to yourself.

Continue reading Your Perfect Vegan Valentine: 25 Fantastic Plant-Based Recipes at yumsome.

A year ago, my friend Sharon published – to great acclaim – her cookbook,  Bit of the Good Stuff but because I was still travelling, I wasn’t able to buy a copy. I told Sharon that as soon as she had an eBook, I’d be all over it like a rash! A few weeks ago, she was kind enough to send me a free copy of her newly-released Kindle version.

This is the point where I say something about receiving a product but not being obliged to give a favourable review!

Continue reading A Bit of the Good Stuff Cookbook Review at yumsome.

Caprese il Tricolore, aka insalata caprese or caprese salad, is one of my all-time favourite salads at any time of the year. It's light, it's refreshing, and really simple to make. It's one of the easiest meals in the world to make, and takes its name from the Italian flag, il Tricolore Italiano.

Continue reading Caprese Il Tricolore (Caprese Salad) at yumsome.

 This meltable vegan mozzarella is super-easy to make, behaves like dairy mozzarella when cooked, and tastes fantastic! The lactic acid gives it a lovely, slightly tangy edge, while the nutritional yeast flakes lend a hint of a cheesy flavour.

This vegan mozzarella is great on lasagne, in panini (it's fab with avocado), and anywhere else you'd normally melt mozzarella. It’s also fab in caprese salad too. I use it in my parmigiana di melanzane and on pizze, such as this vegan sausage and red pepper one...

Continue reading How To Make Easy Meltable Vegan Mozzarella at yumsome.

This 5-minute vegan oyster mushroom and spinach stir-fry is just what you need when you're pushed for time, ravenously hungry and need a quick meal... or just can't be bothered to spend ages slaving over a hot stove!

And in keeping with the spirit of this being a ridiculously speedy meal to make, this is going to be a fast blog post too. Why? Because all you really need to know is that this is not only easy-peasy to make but is really flexible too.

Continue reading 5-Minute Vegan Oyster Mushroom and Spinach Stir-Fry at yumsome.

With its ancient Roman ruins, a wealth of great food, fantastic weather, and a volcano on the doorstep, Pozzuoli may well be a holiday destination but it's far from touristy!

Living in Pozzuoli - once the home of Sophia Loren - isn't really living at the dodgy end of Italy at all but as una mezza-Veneziana, I'm (almost) comedically obliged to paraphrase a quote from one of my favourite films (Love Actually)!

Continue reading Pozzuoli - The Dodgy End Of Italy at yumsome.

Few foods have been the subject of as much controversy as soy but what is the truth? Is soy really the villain of our time? And how did it get such a bad rep anyway? Read on to find out!

As a food writer and chef, I am often asked about my views on soy - and less frequently, am told in no uncertain terms how wrong I am for using it!

Continue reading Is Soy Good Or Bad For You? at yumsome.

Some people are dubious about using cling film/plastic wrap. I've not been able to find any peer-reviewed scientific studies to say that it's harmful, or anything more than a lot of unsubstantiated scare-mongering. 

However, UK director of food packaging safety testing, PIRAS International, Nick Kernoghan has stated:

It isn’t the plastic itself that is an issue but the chemicals added to it that can cause people to worry.

Continue reading A Note About Cling Film at yumsome.

Tagines are among the easiest, and most delicious dishes in the world to make; my seitan and prune tagine with cashews is healthy, hearty, and incredibly filling, and takes just 35 minutes to cook. 

Back in 2012-2013 when we lived in Morocco, we basically lived on vegetable tagines, and to be honest, I did get a little fed up with them. But y’know that thing about absence making the heart grow fonder?

Continue reading Seitan And Prune Tagine With Cashews at yumsome.

Crisp herbed potatoes team up with crunchy kale chips, fluffy quinoa, and a host of garden-fresh vegetables to make this power-packed roast potato, quinoa, and garden veggie salad a complete and deliciously filling meal.

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Vegan roast potato salad Recipe

Throw some chickpeas into the roasting pan, and top the whole thing with some dry-fried smoked tofu, and that's over a third of your daily protein needs taken care of right there!

Continue reading Power-Packed Roast Potato, Quinoa, and Garden Veggie Salad at yumsome.

These easy-peasy healthy baked kale chips are simplicity itself to make, contain only four ingredients, and take just 10 minutes to cook. Fab!

Y'know, I never thought I'd ever publish a recipe for kale chips; I've always thought of them as standing on the corner of Hippie and Woo... but what's a gal to do when she has a garden full of brassicas?

Honestly, I've had so much kale, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, (and a few kale-y things that I'm not even sure what they are), and a bit of a craving for snacks of late, so there was nothing for it...

Continue reading Easy-Peasy Healthy Baked Kale Chips at yumsome.

Perfect for long lazy lunches, this Mediterranean summer vegetable tart is made with a crisp, rough pastry shell, brimming over with sweet tomatoes, salty olives, and crunchy peppers, with just a hint of chilli. The whole thing is complimented by my zesty lemon cashew ricotta.

My veggie garden is blooming... or should that be booming? It's got to the point now where we just can't eat everything it's producing fast enough, and I really need our neighbours to come and take some of that produce off my hands.

Continue reading Mediterranean Summer Vegetable Tart at yumsome.

With only half a dozen ingredients, my creamy avocado hummus is ready in just a few minutes, and is full of goodness, and super-delicious. Especially when eaten by the spoonful!

As some of you may recall, a while back I had some major dental surgery, and I discovered that it's not until you have a face full of stitches you realise just how many foods are out of bounds.

Continue reading Creamy Avocado Hummus at yumsome.

A two-day journey down the Mekong, from Chiang Khong (Thailand) to Luang Prabang (Laos), is a standard part of the itinerary of many Western backpackers. And even a more moneyed tourist may feel a glimmer of romance for a two-day cruise down this famous river, passing by rustic villages and through jungle-covered hills. But be warned....

Backpacker-focused travel agents in Thailand will arrange travel for you to Chiang Khong (in the northern province of Chiang Rai), plus accommodation there, and a Lao guide who will help you through the chaotic border crossing, and hand you your boat ticket.

Continue reading Taking the Slow Boat From Thailand to Laos at yumsome.

If you're looking for a change from your usual veggie burger, these ridiculously simple to make quinoa and cheese patties are both healthy and immensely satisfying, and at around 125 calories each, are pretty guilt-free.

Before I go any further, I owe you all an apology - I've been stricken with migraines this week, and although I have a ton of new recipes which just need editing and writing up, to be completely honest, looking at my laptop screen for any length of time is just too darn painful.

Continue reading Easy Vegan Quinoa and Cheese Patties at yumsome.

The Taj Mahal, Fort Kochi (Fort Cochin) is not just a fantastic restaurant, serving the best food we had while living in Kerala. It's also a homestay, and runs cookery classes too.

One of the best aspects of living in Fort Kochi is that the majority of the food on offer is vegetarian. In fact, meat-based dishes are very definitely in the minority there. This was great news for us!

Continue reading Taj Mahal, Fort Kochi at yumsome.

If you’ve never made ice cream with frozen bananas, you’re in for a treat. A healthy treat. A very quick, completely delicious, and healthy treat. Bananas and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. Add some chocolate, and something magical happens.

I’m not joking.

I love ice cream but it doesn't love me. A sad but true fact. It can play havoc with my tummy, give me intense headaches, and, unless the weather is really, scorchingly, meltingly hot, if I have any, I have to wrap myself up in a duvet because my internal thermostat is rubbish, and consuming cold food or drink has been known to send me into a fit.

Continue reading 4-Ingredient Vegan Banana and Peanut Butter Ice Cream at yumsome.

 Looking for yummy ideas for the holiday weekend? My chums and I have you covered: here are 20 fantastic recipes to make your vegan 4th of July cookout the best ever!

The 4th of July may be Independence Day in the US but y'know what else it is? My birthday! Yep, I actually was born on the fourth of July.

As a child, I was always envious of American kids - they got to have a day off school on my birthday, while I would be stuck in the classroom.

Continue reading 20 Recipes For Your Best Vegan 4th of July Cookout at yumsome.

Is a vegan diet bad for children? A short while ago, I read this article which had the rather sensationalist, click-baity headline:

Couple Loses Custody of Malnourished Baby After Feeding Him Vegan Diet

The trouble is that without even reading the article, just on the strength of that headline, readers now have a preconceived notion of the thing the publication wants them to focus on - that a vegan diet is bad.

Continue reading Is A Vegan Diet Bad For Children? at yumsome.

Stan's rhubarb crumble shortbread bars are a yummy twist on that British summer favourite, rhubarb crumble, and are named for my maternal grandfather, who adored rhubarb. And puddings.

The crispy crumble topping covers a layer of sweet blueberries and slightly tart rhubarb, spread upon a base of delicious, buttery shortbread.

Rhubarb is not something we ever came across when we lived in Asia or Africa, and rarely in central, southern, and eastern Europe, so when amato mio and I were in Britain a while back, staying with his mum, and I had the opportunity to get my hands on this most delicious of fruits, I jumped at the chance of making a very 'English' treat.

Continue reading Stan's Rhubarb Crumble Shortbread Bars at yumsome.

Whether you're cooking for your dad, your husband, partner, brother, uncle, cousin, friend ... whomever(!), the recipient of any of these manly mouth-watering vegan recipes for Father's Day is going to be mightily impressed.

Even if he's not a vegan.

This round-up is dedicated to dads everywhere, and especially to my gorgeous son, who became father to the even more gorgeous Raven last year.

Anywayyyyy, it's time to get feastin' folks!

Continue reading 15+ Manly Mouth-watering Vegan Recipes for Father's Day at yumsome.

Get ready to tuck into not one but loads of delicious falafel and accompaniments recipes for International Falafel Day! Yum!

So today is International Falafel Day, and you know what that means? Yes… a chance to use up all those chickpeas we’ve been hoarding in the ‘fridge after making copious amounts of aquafaba!

Time for a bit of brutal honesty here… I make flaffs all the time but have I ever had the willpower to photograph them before they get eaten?

Continue reading A Feast of Falafels For International Falafel Day at yumsome.

Creamy, savoury, filling, and bursting with deliciousness, this gluten-free vegan asparagus and sun-dried tomato quiche is really easy to make, and perfect for al fresco dining now the warmer weather is upon us!

Did you know that asparagus used to be called 'sparrow grass', and was considered a peasant food?

So many of the high-end foods we now consume were once cheap staples for the masses; oysters, rocket, samphire, wholegrain bread...

Continue reading Vegan Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche at yumsome.

For as long as I have been eating Indian food, burfi has been my favourite Indian candy; my vegan coconut burfi is super-easy to make but do be warned though, it’s incredibly more-ish!

When we lived in the UK, there was a fantastic Indian caterer, Pooja, about a 30 minute drive away, which had a restaurant attached to it; we found the place quite by accident, tucked away in a little side street.

Continue reading Vegan Coconut Burfi at yumsome.

Ready in 30 minutes, crammed with nourishing veggies and spices, and served with fresh bread, my vegan chickpea shakshuka - a twist on the traditional Berber dish - makes a perfectly delicious and comforting brunch or supper. Add potatoes or grains on the side, and a green salad, and you have a hearty, filling dinner.

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Continue reading One-Pan Vegan Chickpea Shakshuka at yumsome.

My vegan condensed milk is a snap to make; use it to make burfi or other mithai, coconut macaroons, or in any recipe where you’d usually use dairy condensed milk to give a sweet, creamy, richness.

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When I was a child, my gran used to make me condensed milk sandwiches - all I can remember of them is that they were gooey and sweet, and that they always used to collapse, and I'd end up in a horrible, sticky mess!

Continue reading Two Ways To Make Vegan Condensed Milk at yumsome.

Bored with parmigiana di melanzane? (Strange as it seems, it could happen.) Looking for something else to make with aubergines? You won't go wrong with my vegan eggplant roll-ups - a delicious baked combination of creamy aubergine, spinach, tomato, and tangy vegan ricotta.

Do I need to fry the eggplants?

Traditionally, the aubergine slices are coated with flour, then fried until just soft; however, if like me, you are conscious about your weight, or you simply don't wish to fry them, my lighter method tastes just as good.

Continue reading Easy Vegan Eggplant Roll-Ups (Involtini di Melanzane) at yumsome.

These fudgy, chocolatey vegan rice cooker brownies are incredibly simple to make, and are insanely delicious! They're more dense than their oven-baked counterparts, and they go especially well with ice cream. Yum!

What do you do when you live in a little bamboo hut on a lake in Northern Thailand, with no means of cooking - other than a hotplate and a rice cooker - and you really fancy cake?

Continue reading Vegan Rice Cooker Brownies at yumsome.

My 3-ingredient potato soup is delicious, nutritious, simple to make, and is really frugal too!

A couple of days ago, I was struck down by a virus, which has made me hurty and achey, and feeling utterly exhausted; consequently, I'm behind with everything, and I just don't seem to have enough oomph to do much of anything.

You ever get like that?

Maybe the sensible person would say, "Y'know what?

Continue reading 3-Ingredient Potato Soup at yumsome.

Pico de gallo, or salsa fresca, is a wonderfully refreshing, crisp mix of chopped onion, tomato, coriander (cilantro), and fresh chillis, dressed with salt and lime juice.

It's the perfect complement to heavier dishes, such as my chocolate chilli, loaded nachos, tacos, fajitas, etc. One of my favourite go-to snacks is to have it on its own with plain nacho chips. Yum!

In Mexico, salsa fresca is known as pico de gallo, which literally translates as beak of rooster, or rooster's beak.

Continue reading Refreshingly Simple Pico de Gallo at yumsome.

My lazy Thai pumpkin, pineapple, and tofu curry is so easy to make, and ideal if like me, you always seem to be pushed for time.

Yeah, I realise I've just described most of the world's population!

Y'know how sometimes you get those days when you really fancy something but just can't be bothered to stand over the stove? That's exactly how I've been feeling of late.

Continue reading Lazy Thai Pumpkin, Pineapple, and Tofu Curry at yumsome.

Slowly caramelising the onions gives this vegan French onion soup loads of depth of flavour, with just a hint of sweetness.

Vegan French Onion Soup Recipe

Y'know, I spent a bit of time in Paris and Aix-en-Provence, and not once did I ever even see French onion soup, much less eat any of it!

In fact - true confession time - when I was in Paris, I only ate Indian and Italian food.

Continue reading Vegan French Onion Soup at yumsome.

Baba ghanouj (pronounced bubba gan-oosh) is a traditional Levantine meze; I had it a gazillion times when I lived in Morocco as well (where I learned to make it), and and in Turkey and Oman as well. There's an excellent Lebanese restaurant in Ljubljana too, where they make absolutely gorgeous baba ghanouj - I could eat it all day!

Incidentally, baba is Arabic for 'papa', and ghanouj loosely translates as 'pampered'.

Continue reading Authentic Baba Ghanouj at yumsome.

My low-cal, hearty vegan leek and potato soup is a simple, yet delicious winter warmer.

Which is just as well because it's been really cold here of late. Really cold.

(OK, compared to the weather that some of you have, it's not that cold but for me, it's bloomin' parky!)

It's been too cold to snow. Until earlier today. Hooray!

Lookie - isn't it gorgeous?

Continue reading Vegan Classic Leek and Potato Soup at yumsome.

Made with just 7 ingredients, my deliciously filling and warming low calorie pumpkin soup is quick and easy, and super-satisfying, too!

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Winter is such a great season, don't you think? It’s been trying to snow for the past few days, and although we've only got a light dusting,  I still just want to stay all snug and cosy indoors, binge-watching Marvel movies, playing video games, and curling up with my awesome Chrimbo pressie from my mother-out-law...

Continue reading Easy Pumpkin Soup (80 calories, vegan) at yumsome.

My ultimate veggie burgers are made with chickpeas, butternut squash, leeks, mushrooms, and tahini, coated with polenta (cornmeal), and gently fried until they are crispy on the outside but soft in the middle.

I was inspired to come up with these veggie burgers because so often when I make new recipes, some of my friends point out that they would love to try them out but can't, due to gluten or soy issues.

Continue reading Ultimate Veggie Burgers at yumsome.

Free from refined sugar, soy, and gluten, this decadent raw vegan chocolate tart is a wonderfully easy and delicious alternative to the traditional holiday desserts. It's a real showstopper but is deceptively simple to make. In fact, the hardest part is waiting for it to freeze!

Wait a minute, how did the holiday season get here already? I can’t believe that all the festivities are only a few weeks away.

Continue reading Raw Vegan Chocolate Tart at yumsome.

No tofu cashew ricotta: four ingredients, four steps, four minutes - boom, we're done! Vegan cheese doesn't get much easier than this!

Really? Can it be true? Why yes, yes it can. My cashew ricotta really does taste almost the same as its dairy counterpart.

It's great in savoury dishes, such as lasagne, stuffed pasta shells, ravioli, gnocchi, pizza, pasta sauces, and loads more. In sweet dishes such as cheesecake, cannoli, crêpes, doughnuts, ice cream, etc.

Continue reading No Tofu Cashew Ricotta That Tastes Like Dairy at yumsome.

 4-ingredients. 2 mins. Vegan parmesan FTW! Flavour all the things! My vegan parmesan is perfect for adding a nutty, sweet-savoury flavour to all kinds of dishes. It's soy- and gluten-free too.

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2-Minute Vegan Parmesan Recipe

Parmigiano, Pecorino, Grana Padano - I love the taste of them all but alas, they're not even vegetarian, much less vegan.

Continue reading How To Make Vegan Parmesan - in two minutes! at yumsome.

This simple but incredibly delicious vegan candied pecans recipe makes enough for around ten toppings for porridge, milky puddings, or to enhance a rich and creamy ice cream.

It’s also wonderful with savouries, such as strong vegan cheese.

By the way...

Did you know that pecans come from a species of hickory tree? I didn't until I Googled them, and I'm now wondering whether it's the same type of hickory which is used for liquid smoke.

Continue reading How To Make Vegan Candied Pecans at yumsome.

 Resembling egg white in appearance and consistency, aquafaba (AF) is simply the viscous liquid which is left over from cooking dried chickpeas and other legumes.

Who discovered aquafaba?

Although chickpeas have been consumed right across Asia for at least 7,500 years, it wasn't until 2015 that the water from tinned chickpeas began to be used as an egg substitute.

French tenor, Joël Roessel, discovered that chickpea water had similar properties to eggs, and shortly after this, an American by the name of Goose Wohlt, found that if he whipped up this water it looked and behaved just like egg white.

Continue reading How To Make Aquafaba at yumsome.

My extra mature vegan cheddar is simple to make, and is a mind-blowingly delicious, full-bodied, and robust dairy-free cheese.

I must admit that I love dairy cheese. Why then do I bother to make vegan cheddar? Quite simply because occasionally, I want something really savoury that my vegan friends can eat, which works well in a sandwich or a salad, or in a dish. For example, my cauliflower cheese.

Continue reading How To Make Cultured Extra-Mature Vegan Cheddar At Home at yumsome.

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it - healthy vegan peanut butter brownies? It's not though. Ever since my first attempt at making vegan rice cooker brownies when we were living in Thailand, I've been experimenting with different methods to make better, healthier, Clarabell*-friendly brownies. And guess what? I've done it - thanks to a secret ingredient.

OK, since I'm spilling the beans (almost literally!), perhaps it would be fairer to say 'surprising' ingredient, not 'secret'.

Continue reading Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies - with a secret ingredient! at yumsome.

I can't stress enough how easy tahini is to make at home, nor how quickly it can be made. Best of all though, making your own tahini is so much more cost-effective than buying it. Half a kilo of sesame seeds costs around the same as two commercial jars of tahini from the supermarket.

Another reason for making your own tahini is that sometimes the shop-bought stuff can be a bit icky, and even rancid, especially if it's not been stored in ideal conditions.

Continue reading How To Make Tahini at yumsome.

I've cracked the secret to successful weightloss, and it's really simple... although potentially expensive - but that's OK because you won't be spending much money on food. Do you want to know what my secret is?

Are you sure you're ready for this?

Are you sure you're ready to embrace a new, slimmer, more beautiful you?

Really sure?

Really, really sure?

OK, I'll tell you....

Continue reading The DS Diet - The Secret To Successful Weightloss! at yumsome.

A staple of Balkan cuisine, ajvar (pronounced  eye-var) is a delicious rich red pepper spread that's perfect with fresh rustic bread, pasta, crackers, baked potatoes, etc. And best of all... it's naturally vegan!

Autumn is traditionally the time of year to make ajvar, and it's a great way of using up surplus peppers, plus ensuring a plentiful supply of Vitamin C throughout the winter (each 25g serving provides 43% of our daily VitC needs).

Continue reading Ajvar (Serbian Red Pepper Spread) at yumsome.

Roast garlic is in a league of its own when it comes to richness of flavour. Put simply, it adds a whole new dimension anything it's used in, and while raw or fried garlic can sometimes be a little on the bitter side, their roast counterpart is unfailingly mild, with just a hint of sweetness.

I must admit that as well as using it in cooking, I am a huge fan of smearing roast garlic over hot toast, muffins, and crumpets.

Continue reading How To Roast Garlic at yumsome.

Invented for the British during the 19th century, and originally hailing from the city of Madras (now Chennai) – the capital of the Tamil Nadu region of South India - Madras curry powder is a subtle blend of aromatic spices, with a mild chilli kick.

It should definitely not be confused with the fiery madras curries so beloved of after-pub revellers in Britain... not least because Madras curry does not actually exist in authentic Indian cuisine!

Continue reading How To Make Madras Curry Powder at yumsome.

Right from the start, Fort Kochi felt like home - we absolutely loved living there (even when things didn't really work properly!). I cannot describe in words how utterly, breathtakingly beautiful this part of the world is... but I do have loads of photos, so be advised, this is a pic-heavy post!

I cannot begin to describe what a truly astonishing cook this man is - his food is some of the best I've ever had in my life.

Continue reading Fabulous Fort Kochi! at yumsome.

One of the most ubiquitous and essential spice mixes in Indian cuisine, garam masala – literally, hot spices (which refers to the way the whole spices are treated, and not because they will make you cry in pain!) – is found in every Indian kitchen.

While the basic premise stays the same, there are as many variations with regard to ratios as there are regions in India.

Here then is my blend, which I began to play around with when we lived in Fort Kochi, and have since perfected it...

Continue reading How To Make Garam Masala at yumsome.

My delicious, hearty use-it-up pumpkin soup is what cool weather is all about. Brimming with vegetables, it makes a wonderfully filling and warming meal.

I have eaten pumpkin all over the world, in hot climates and cold, and I have to say that for me, pumpkin and cooler weather just go together so well - it's truly a match made in heaven.

I usually make pumpkin soup with just pumpkin, stock, onion, and garlic but I had some veggies which needed using up, so I chucked them all in together, and this delicious pumpkin soup happened.

Continue reading Use-It-Up Pumpkin Soup at yumsome.

My chunky, sweet, tangy, tomato and persimmon chutney is simplicity itself to make, and will keep for ages too. It's great to eat with cold leftovers, strong cheese, or charcuterie.

Continue reading Easy Tomato and Persimmon Chutney at yumsome.

Although not much like traditional dairy Cheddar, this vegan cheese is nevertheless delicious, melts really well, and is great for cheese and onion toasties!

I came across this recipe, when we were living in Chiang Mai, and a friend posted the link on our local vegetarian Facebook group. He promised to provide bread and chutney if someone else would make the vegan cheeze, and then we'd all have a picnic.

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Ras el hanout is to Moroccan and North African cooking what garam masala is to the Indian kitchen. Translated, ras el hanout means the ‘top of the shop’, indicating that it's the best of everything in the spice merchant’s wares.

Ras el hanout recipe

Ras el hanout is used flavour savoury dishes, such as my tagine with seitan, prunes, and cashews and my Moroccan vegetable tagine.

As with almost all spice blends around the world, there’s no one definitive recipe – instead, merchants and cooks tailor their blends to their own - and their customers’ - tastes.

Continue reading How to Make Ras el Hanout at yumsome.

Ton Payom is a small local market in Chiang Mai, full of amazing scents, wondrous tastes, and where the food is as colourful as the characters who sell it!

Going to Chiang Mai's Ton Payom market every few days was always an adventure for us because we never knew what gems we might find there. As well as seasonal produce from the regular traders, sometimes there would be Hilltribe ladies selling a glorious patchwork of colourful mushrooms (het in Thai) and herbs that they'd gathered that morning from the jungle up on the mountain.

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Is lab-grown meat the future? Is it an ethical solution to combating world hunger, while being ecologically sustainable? Or is it just another way for humans to exploit animals?

Continue reading Is Lab-Grown Meat The Future? at yumsome.

Should schools in Britain provide vegan options for students and staff, as well as vegetarian options? Do most people even understand what vegan food is?

I recently posted the link to a petition (update: now expired) on my Facebook timeline, in the hope that my friends, especially those who are veggie and vegan would sign student, Ella Harris' petition to the UK government.

An interesting conversation ensued, which I love because my friends are great people to debate with.

Continue reading Petition to introduce vegan options in UK schools at yumsome.