Going vegan......old style?!

Cat72

BilberryCharlotte wrote: »

Did anyone see Heather Mills on This Morning last week? She was cooking a couple of Vegan dishes, they looked quite tasty, even Philip ( an ardent meat eater apparently) thought the dish he tasted was lovely.

Has anyone been to the restaurant she has recently opened?

Its called VBITES ,and its in Hove.Here is the menu it rellies heavily on soys but maybe has some suggestions for meals.
There is also the recipe she cooked on this morning, lemongrass chicken style with coconute rice and other recipes here.
She is also selling her own branded meat, chicken alternatives that look awful like some other well known vegan products .
Im not really a Heather Mills fan but the website does look informative and anything that encourages people to become vegan is great.

BilberryCharlotte

I haven`t been a fan either, but she answered the questions put to her (why should people eat vegan food) very well I thought.

Have you been to her restaurant? she was saying that they were doing better than JO`s place.

Just been looking at the menu, are organic wines vegan?

Cat72

Havent been to her restaurant. Be good if there were more vegan restaurants around.Maybe we will see the day.
No not all organic wines are vegan- you have to double check them first .

twinklesmum_2

Goodness - haven't been on here for a while (had to set up new password blah blah hate technology because I'm an old person, sorry Twink:A), but it's still fascinating and useful stuff. So glad you are all still enjoying sharing your ideas/recipes/concerns/info.
On a foodie note, I made a carrot cake yesterday and guests - who had been to Rick Stein's Bistro in Padstow earlier - said it was WAAAAAAAAAYYY better than the carrot cake they had eaten there:j, so thought you might like the recipe. I did use eggs but I imagine/really hope that Twink's flax seed trick would work - maybe she will make it first just to check:o. If not I know O.E.W.I.'s proper-vegan-carrot-cake works which he kindly posted in Feb - and on that note, where is O.I.W.E.? Please come back bringing with you your witty banter....

Carrot cake:
10oz plain flour
1tsp bicarb
2tsp baking powder
6oz soft light brown sugar
2oz chopped walnuts
3eggs beaten (see above)
2 ripe bananas mashed
6oz grated carrot
6fl oz oil

Sift dry stuff into a bowl
Add other stuff
Mix
Bake in a big tin (lined and greased/spring-form) or as a tray bake

Yikes - I'm not a very cakey-bakey person but that's how I do it - and I have an Aga so all I can tell you is that I bake it covered in foil in a hottish oven for about 30-40 mins, until a skewer comes out clean(ish - I always find banana in cakes keeps them soggyish). Let it brown for a couple of mins without foil if you like.

We use frosting to decorate (3oz Philadelphia-type, 3oz butter, 6oz icing sugar, half-tsp vanilla essence - smush it all up together and spread)
I'm sure you all know or can supply vegan alternatives.
Sorry for ounces but have lost my convertery thing.

Right, I'm off to make someone's fab-sounding choc-chip cookies now:T to celebrate the fact that - for the moment - it has stopped raining here in Cornwall.

VeganClaire

My prob is that I find orange juice doesn't agree with me; OH has a carton every day and I actually find myself envious. Has anyone else found they have a prob with OJ, and can recommend a less problematic but equally rewarding juice?

Does it give you reflux (a bitter taste in your mouth, a burning sensation in you chest etc)? You could try something less acidic such as carrot juice or apple juice or tomato juice may be good to try.

twinklesmum_2

Ok I'm making up for lost time, but as it's started raining again I'm still sitting here reading other threads, including....The Preserver's Year (I think) which has an excellent calendar of when to do what. Now Twink will tell you that I'm no Domestic Goddess, but even I can do the business with the jam pan and a few saved jars (yay, very green). All gardeners will have a glut of stuff starting NOW, so go offer to take some off their hands and enter the wonderful world of preserving. All the old granny-type cookery books will have good solid recipes; all the famous types have had a go as well, including Nigella, dreary Delia etc, and if you can get your head past all that offal, Hugh does a good recipe for 'Glutney' - a generic chutney to use up the glut of various veg (River Cottage Year). Our fave is Pear and Walnut Chutney from 'The Complete Book of Preserves and Pickles' by Catherine Atkinson and Maggie Mayhew. There is also a River Cottage preserves book.
If you want to make jam, buy Preserving Sugar which already has pectin added, for a reliable 'set' (but beware with blackcurrants - they have enough of their own!).
If you have a lot of beetroot now and enjoy Indian dishes, try Madhur Jaffrey's Shorvedar Chukander (beetroot with onions) from her book 'Indian Cookery'. As she says, 'Even people who do not have a weakness for this particular root vegetable, manage to succumb to the charms of this recipe'. It really is gorgeous. We like it with spicy potatoes, and maybe chick pea and veg curry. It isn't a preserve but uses up the beets and gives a fabulous glow of colour on your plate.

suep

Hi all, I havn't been on here for a while, it's nice to be back.
I cant drink OJ either but for different reasons, I have interstitial cystitis and any acidic foods give me cystitis like symptoms, the only things I can drink are water, cammomile and red bush tea and pear juice.
I dont know if anyone remembers a while back I asked for a recipe for a vegan fruit cake ? well I found one and its absolutely gorgeous
Fruity Marmalade cake
8 oz SR Flour
1/4 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 oz sugar
1 oz soya flour
8 tbsp soya milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 oz marg (melted)
1 heaped tbsp marmlade
8 oz mixed fruit
2 oz glace cherries ( halved)
Pre heat oven to gas 2, mix together spices, flours and sugar. Beat in soya milk, vanilla essence, melted marg & marmalade. Stir in mixed fruit & cherries. Place in a greased and floured 7" round cake tin & bake for 11/2 - 2 hours.

I use Oat milk and have never had an exploding carton either! I dont drink it but then I never drank cows milk, I only use it in porridge and museli or cooking.

twinkle_star_2

twinklesmum wrote: »

On a foodie note, I made a carrot cake yesterday and guests - who had been to Rick Stein's Bistro in Padstow earlier - said it was WAAAAAAAAAYYY better than the carrot cake they had eaten there:j, so thought you might like the recipe. I did use eggs but I imagine/really hope that Twink's flax seed trick would work - maybe she will make it first just to check:o.

I am sitting here with a slice of some damn fine carrot cake and a cup of tea and I can inform you all that ground flax seeds work really well as an egg replacement in this recipe. Nomnomnom. :T

Joyful25

Hey guys,

Very interesting that Heather Mill should pop up here, as i was sent a link about the Guardian interview with her:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/19/heather-mills-vegan-restaurant

I reserve judgement to be honest, but it would be interesting to see how it pans out.

Meanwhile, I don't know if anyone does Costco here (there's one in Edmonton and one in Lakeside down this way). It does 3 Alpro soya 1ltrs for about £3 - they last me just about three weeks, depending on whether I do baking. :money:

They also have vegan Belgian chocolate chips for about £2.50, in a massive tub :money:. They're great for the basics too of potatoes, fruit, baking goods and cereals - although last week Sainsburys was doing two massive boxes of Rice Krispies for £4, which at that time was cheaper than CCo, so you do still have to be wary.

Unfortunately I haven't got my receipt to hand, but if anyone wants a better idea of costs, please let me know.

Am trying to include more savouries in my diet (I have such a sweet tooth) and yesterday bought some Corn Thins (99p, Sains) and own brand humous. Am still finding that if I have carrots, celery etc., with dips that my still-healing jaw isn't a big fan, but at least I can eat more than I did 6 months ago!

Last week I had an extremely terrible bout of IBS (pre-period, so it just isn't a pretty sight) and realised I had had too much fibre but I know I have still have to have lentils, chickpeas etc.

Shopping wise, a new Morrison's is opening up near where I work and I'm interested to know if anyone has any vegan tales about it as I'd like to use it as often as I can if it's good value.

Ok, am off to get some inspiration for the coming week's menu :undecided x

savingforoz

Hi, not posted on this thread as yet but always read it with interest! Thought I'd contribute by posting this recipe - very yummy and makes enough for 4-6 meals, depending on how thick you slice the loaf. Great with potatoes, veg and gravy, and can be adapted however you like.

Savoury Tofu Loaf
substitute for 2 eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 box silken tofu (350 g)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2/4 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped mushrooms
oregano, basil & ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegan bread crumbs, or oats whizzed in a food processor
Mix egg substitute, soy sauce, tofu together in blender. Add walnuts & blend until smooth.
Saut! vegetables until onions are transparent (add other diced veggies if you wish - ie peppers, carrots, etc). Add herbs/spices while vegetables are frying.
Mix blender ingredients, cooked vegetables & vegan bread crumbs/oats together in a large bowl.
Press into a greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Turn loaf out and slice.