As many of you will know, I am a big fan of home-made energy balls. Not only are they delicious, but they also happen to be packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients such as oats, dates and nuts that help to boost our energy levels, and support good health in general. Each ball is filled with protein, heart-healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fibre, plus a whole host of minerals and antioxidant compounds. It’s amazing just how much goodness fits inside one little ball!
Healthy AND delicious? That’s definitely my favourite kind of snack!
Today I’m sharing a recipe for smoky tempeh slices that are just perfect as a sandwich filling. They are super easy to make and packed full of flavour. Add some lettuce, slices of juicy tomato and a dollop of mayonnaise and you have a delicious vegan alternative to the classic BLT sandwich – the ‘TLT’ (Tempeh, Lettuce, Tomato) sandwich!
Tempeh originally hails from Indonesia and is made from whole soy beans which are fermented with a live culture and pressed into a block. This gives it a distinct texture and flavour (very different to tofu, which is made from soy bean curd). Tempeh is nutrient dense and contains an array of minerals, B vitamins and prebiotics (types of fibre that promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria). It also happens to be a rich source of protein (100 grams of tempeh contains just over 20 grams of protein).
Here in the UK, tempeh is starting to become more widely available. I’ve been buying the Tofoo brand, which is available in my local Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Tesco and the Plant Power Original Tempeh (from Sainsbury’s). Both can be found in the the vegetarian/vegan chilled aisle.
I must admit that until recently, I haven’t been a big fan of tempeh. I found its texture quite hard and the flavour bitter (even after steaming it). However, the recipe I’m sharing today has been a complete game changer for me. I’ve learnt that by slicing the tempeh very thinly and soaking it for a few minutes in a tasty marinade, completely transforms both its texture and flavour.
The recipe is lightly adapted from The Happy Pear’s Vegan ‘Bacon’ so a huge thank you to Steve and Dave for the inspiration, and for showing me a way to prepare tempeh that’s not only delicious but super easy too!
At the moment I can’t get enough of this smoky tempeh. It’s hard to resist eating it straight from the pan! It’s been a big hit with the rest of the family too. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
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Smoky Tempeh Sandwich Slices
These smoky tempeh slices are perfect for serving in sandwiches. Add some lettuce, slices of juicy tomato and a dollop of mayonnaise and you have a delicious vegan alternative to the classic BLT… the TLT!
2TBSPreduced salt soy sauce or tamari (for a GF option)
1TBSPtomato puree (paste)
1TBSPapple cider vinegar
1½TBSPextra virgin olive oil
2TBSPmaple syrup
1TBSPwater
Instructions
Slice the tempeh as thinly as possible and place in a wide, flat bottom dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients. Pour over the tempeh and stir through, making sure both sides are coated in the marinade. Leave for five minutes (can be left longer).
Heat a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) on medium heat. Arrange some tempeh slices in a single layer in the pan. (You can spoon some of the extra marinade onto the slices if you wish, for an even deeper flavour). Cook the tempeh, flipping regularly until it is browned on both sides and all the liquid has evaporated (I find this takes me about six minutes in total). Transfer to a plate and repeat the process with the remaining tempeh slices.
The tempeh can be eaten straight away or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 48 hours.
Notes
* I used Tofoo tempeh, currently available in the UK from Tescos, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s (in the vegetarian/vegan chiller cabinet). Tempeh is also available from independent health food shops.The recipe is lightly adapted from The Happy Pear’s Vegan ‘Bacon’ so a huge thank you to Steve and Dave for the inspiration, and for showing me a way to prepare tempeh that’s not only delicious but super easy too!
NB: The above values are estimates and for illustration purposes only. Actual nutritional values will vary depending on the specific ingredients used. Percentage Reference Intakes (RI) will also vary depending on individual factors such as age, gender, height, BMI and activity level.
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If you make this Smoky Tempeh, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich sandwich, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here:Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
I originally posted our Pecan-Topped Banana Bread on the blog way back in 2015 and, to this day, it remains our family’s favourite banana bread recipe! It has a beautiful soft texture (definitely more cake-like than bread!) and cinnamon-spiced flavour. I especially love the pecan topping which adds a tasty crunch to every mouthful.
Five years old, this web page was in desperate need of a makeover, so I’ve spent this afternoon giving it some love, brightening up the photos and adding a printable recipe insert.
For those of you that have a copy of the Bit of the Good Stuff Cookbook, this recipe can also be found on p159… it was definitely one I had to include in the book!
For banana bread, you want to use over ripe bananas – the blacker the better – so if you’ve got some bananas languishing in the fruit bowl, this is the perfect way to use them up!
In the centre of the loaf, I’ve added some chopped dates for a touch of caramel-like sweetness. If you wish, you could sub some of the dates for chopped nuts instead. Pecans or walnuts work especially well!
Though I’ve given this loaf the traditional name of ‘banana bread’, it’s so sweet and moist that it’s definitely more cake-like than bread. I find it makes a lovely afternoon ‘pick me up’ with a cuppa. Kids love it too and it makes a great after-school treat.
58ml/ ¼ cup organic rapeseed (canola) oil (or any other neutral flavoured oil)
80g/ ⅓ cup golden caster sugar or coconut sugar
1½tspvanilla extract
210g/ 1½ cups fine wholemeal (whole wheat pastry) flour or chapatti flour
1½tspbaking powder
½tspbicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
3tspground cinnamon
¼tspsalt
90g/ ½ cup pitted dateschopped
45g/ ⅓ cup pecanschopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper or use a non-stick loaf liner.
Place the sliced banana, oil, sugar and vanilla extract in a food processor and whiz until smooth (alternatively use a bowl and hand blender).
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into a large mixing bowl. Tip any remaining wheatgerm from the sieve into the bowl. Stir to combine. Make a well in the middle and pour in the banana mixture. Gently stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in the dates. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and level with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the pecans on top and lightly press them into the batter.
Bake for 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted through the middle comes out clean. Leave in the tin for at least 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.
Stored in an airtight container, the loaf will keep for five days in the fridge. It also freezes well.
If you make this Pecan-Topped Banana Bread (or any other recipes on our blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
Today, I’m sharing a tasty plant-based alternative to the classic Tuna salad sandwich filling. It’s creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty and tangy! I do love to have a mixture of flavours and textures going on in my sandwiches and today’s recipe certainly fits that bill! It is really easy to make and takes less than ten minutes to prepare.
The idea of using smashed chickpeas, mayo and seaweed as a vegan alternative to tuna has been around for a while now. I don’t know who originally came up with the idea, but it’s genius! I like to add a dash of mustard, lemon juice, tahini, dill and salt into the mix as I find it really helps to make the flavours ‘dance’.
Sweetcorn is a classic addition to the Tuna salad sandwich and it lends some sweetness and texture, as well as some welcome pops of sunshine yellow. I also love to add some chopped dill pickles for crunch and tang.
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Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad Sandwich Filling
This tasty plant-based alternative to the Tuna Mayo Salad sandwich is creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty and tangy! It is really easy to make and perfect for lunchboxes.
3TBSPvegan mayonnaiseeither home-made or shop-bought*
1TBSPlight tahini
1-2TBSPfreshly squeezed lemon juice
1tspDijon mustard
2tspnori sprinkles(I use Clearspring)
½tspdried dill
¼tspsalt
50g/ ¼ cup canned sweetcorndrained
40g/ ¼ cup dill pickles (aka cornichon gherkins)chopped
Instructions
Place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and roughly mash using a potato masher.
Add the mayonnaise, tahini, lemon juice and mustard and stir through until fully combined.
Add the dried dill, salt, sweetcorn and pickles and stir to combine. Taste test and adjust the seasoning to suit.
Store the sandwich filling in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep for three days.
Notes
* There are lots of options available now for vegan mayonnaise! You could either use a shop-bought mayo such as Hellmans, Vegenaise or M&S Plant Kitchen… or make you own. My ‘Quick and Easy’ Vegan Mayonnaise recipe can be found here.
NB: The above values are estimates and for illustration purposes only. Actual nutritional values will vary depending on the specific ingredients used. Percentage Reference Intakes (RI) will also vary depending on individual factors such as age, gender, height, BMI and activity level.
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If you make this Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Salad Sandwich (or any other recipes on my blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
In today’s post, I’m sharing a twist on our original Vegan Spanish Potato Omelette (‘Tortilla de Patatas’). A new favourite of ours, this version features roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomato. It is so flavourful and eye catching. I love those pops of vibrant colour running through the omelette!
For lunch, we love to serve it with salad or use it as a sandwich filling. We were introduced to the ‘Tortilla Sandwich’ in Seville last Summer and it is unbelievably good! I highly recommend giving it a try if you haven’t had one before.
As a main meal, we’ve been enjoying it with mixed salad, roasted veggies and vegan coleslaw. Tasty and so colourful too!
And when we’re out of ‘lockdown’, this omelette is going to be perfect for summer picnics, buffets and tapas parties.
It’s equally delicious served hot and cold.
Since this omelette is vegan, of course it doesn’t contain any eggs. How do we make omelette without eggs you may ask? Well the secret ingredients are silken tofu and chickpea flour. The combination of these two, for me, makes the perfect consistency for an egg-free omelette. If you’d like to add some ‘eggy’ flavour, a pinch or two of kala namak (black salt) will do the trick.
If you haven’t made vegan Spanish omelette before, rest assured that it is easy to make. I’ve made this one even easier by giving the option of baking it in the oven rather than cooking it on the stove. Once the batter is prepared, you can simply pop it in the oven, set the timer for half an hour then walk away.
Traditionally, Spanish Omelette is quite heavy on the oil so, to make this one a bit lighter, I first boil the potatoes until they are just soft. I then pan fry them with the onion and garlic in a little extra virgin olive oil and salt to enhance their flavour.
Since I posted the original vegan Spanish omelette recipe back in February 2019, it’s become a firm favourite with our lovely readers, and I’ve absolutely loved seeing all the photos you’ve been sharing on social media! It was these photos and your lovely feedback that inspired me to experiment with new veggie and flavour combinations. I can’t wait to see your pictures of this one!
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Vegan Spanish Potato Omelette with Roasted Red Pepper and Sun-Dried Tomato
This vegan Spanish omelette is easy to make and equally delicious served hot and cold. As a main meal, my family loves to serve it with colourful mixed salad and roasted veggies. For lunch, it’s great served on its own, or sliced into a sandwich. It’s also perfect for serving at picnics, buffets and tapas parties.
400g/ 14 oz waxy potatoes e.g. charlotte, maris peer or salad potatoes (no need to peel)
1½TBSPextra virgin olive oildivided
1large brown oniondiced
2 tspgarlicminced
½tspsalt
60ml/ ¼ cup plant milk(I used soya milk)
300g/ 10½ oz silken tofudrained
2tspDijon mustard
45g/ ⅓ cup gram flour (aka chickpea flour, besan flour)
2TBSPnutritional yeast flakes
2TBSPcornflour (cornstarch)
¼tspground turmeric
¼tspblack salt ('kala namak') optional – adds an ‘eggy’ flavour
2roasted red pepperssliced (I used peppers from a jar, fully drained)
8sun-dried tomatoes in oildrained and sliced
vegetable oil for greasing the pan
Instructions
Prepare a pan of boiling water.
Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters, then into 0.5cm / ⅕ inch slices. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes or until tender, then drain using a colander.
Meanwhile, heat ½ TBSP extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) on medium-low heat and cook the onion, stirring now and then.
Prepare the batter: place the milk, silken tofu, mustard, gram flour, nutritional yeast, cornflour, turmeric and black salt (if using) in a large mixing bowl and blend smooth using a hand blender.
When the potatoes are tender, tip them into the frying pan with the onion. Add 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, 2 tsp minced garlic and ½ tsp salt. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes on medium heat, stirring regularly until the potatoes are fully coated in the oil and salt. (They should start to turn a light yellow colour). Taste test and add a touch more salt or oil, if needed.
Add the contents of the frying pan, roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomato slices to the batter in the mixing bowl and stir through.
To Pan-Fry the Omelette:
Coat the bottom of a clean, non-stick oven-safe frying pan (skillet) with oil and heat on medium heat. (I use a rapeseed/canola oil spray as I find it less sticky than olive oil). Tip the omelette mixture into the pan and use a silicone spatula to distribute it evenly; smooth the top and neaten the edges. Cook for 15 minutes on medium-low heat, or until the edges start to firm up.
Towards the end of the cooking time, preheat the grill (broiler). Place the frying pan under the grill (with the handle sticking out) until the omelette is lightly browned (about 3 minutes). Keep a watch on it as it can burn quickly. Using an oven glove, remove the pan from the grill. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes (it will firm up as it cools), then loosen with a slotted turner and transfer onto a chopping board.
To Oven-Bake the Omelette:
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan). Grease the sides of a 22cm / 9” loose-bottom flan tin and line the bottom with non-stick baking paper. Add the omelette mixture and press it down using a silicone spatula. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the tortilla is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted through the middle comes out clean. Leave to rest for at least ten minutes (it will firm up as it cools), then gently run a knife round the outer edge and transfer the omelette to a chopping board.
Notes
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the omelette will keep for up to five days. It can be eaten cold, straight from the fridge. Alternatively, to re-heat, I squirt a couple of sprays of rapeseed (canola) oil in a frying pan and cook the omelette slices on medium heat, turning regularly until warmed through.Recipe adapted from Bit of the Good Stuff’s Vegan Spanish Potato Omelette – Tortilla de Patatas
If you make this Vegan Spanish Potato Omelette, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
Today’s recipe is for a deliciously decadent French Toast that’s just perfect for serving as a weekend breakfast or brunch. It’s really easy to make and the batter uses just a handful of ingredients. The real challenge at the moment is getting hold of a loaf of bread! (who would have thought eh?) But if you’re able to seek it out, I would highly recommend using sourdough as it takes this toast to the next level! ✨
Back in October 2018 I had my first experience of vegan French Toast at The Canvas Cafe in London. It was honestly one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever eaten! (and I’m so glad I took a photo before I devoured it… I have so many fond memories when I look at that photo.) I vowed that one day I would have to try and recreate this deliciousness at home.
But there it languished on my ever growing ‘to do’ list… until last month when I spotted this ‘Peaches & Cream Sourdough French Toast’ in the Vegan Life magazine. The recipe looked pretty simple and I happened to have all the batter ingredients in the pantry so I was excited to give it a try! The next time we went grocery shopping, I managed to get my hands on a wholemeal sourdough, which was a win as it was pretty much the last loaf of bread left in the shop!
* Disclaimer: Vegan Life kindly sent me a complimentary copy of this magazine
It turns out that vegan French Toast is so easy to make! It is literally a matter of whizzing the handful of batter ingredients in a high speed blender (I used my Optimum Nutri Force Extractor), then dipping the bread in the batter and frying it.
Kala Namak is totally optional, but if you want some ‘eggy’ flavour in your vegan French Toast then a pinch of this salt will do the trick. It’s really cheap and you can purchase it from Asian grocery stores or online. I purchased a 100g bag from Amazon UK and it cost just a couple of pounds. Be warned, it is very potent stuff so a little goes a long way!
The French Toast is especially good topped with some Coconut Whipped Cream, slices of fresh berries or some berry compote and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Can’t wait to see how you decide to top it!
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Vegan French Toast with Strawberries and Cream
This vegan version of French Toast makes a delicious weekend breakfast or brunch. We love to top it with a generous dollop of coconut whipped cream, sliced berries and a drizzle of maple syrup. We would love to see how you decide to top it!
pinchof kala namak (aka black salt) to impart an ‘eggy’ taste, optional
4slicesof sourdough bread(we used wholemeal sourdough)
1TBSPdairy-free butter
Suggested Toppings
Coconut Whipped Cream*
Slices of strawberry or your favourite fresh fruits. (Compote made from frozen berries is also delicious on this toast!)
Drizzle of maple syrup
Instructions
Add all the batter ingredients – milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, pinch of kala namak (if using) – to a high speed blender and whizz until smooth. Pour into a wide shallow container.
Place two slices of bread in the batter. After a few seconds, flip to coat the second side, making sure all areas of the bread are coated.
Heat ½TBSP vegan butter in a non-stick frying pan (skillet) on medium heat. Swirl the pan to ensure the bottom is covered entirely in butter, then place the two slices of bread in it. Cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. To flip the bread, carefully loosen it first using a slotted turner to ensure all the lovely batter stays on the bread.
Transfer to a plate and place in the oven on low heat to keep it warm while you prepare the next two slices of bread. Coat the bottom of the pan in another ½ TBSP vegan butter and repeat the process as above.
Once the French Toast is ready, arrange on plates with your chosen toppings and serve.
N.B. The above values are estimates. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.
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Big thank you to Vegan Life magazine and Anthea Cheng for inspiring today’s post! ✨
If you make this Vegan French Toast, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
