Hey dear friends! Today, I am delighted to be sharing one of personal favourite recipes with you – Spanish Omelette (Tortilla de Patatas). This is no ordinary omelette, however, as it’s 100% plant-based!! Yep, not a single egg in sight. In my pre-vegan days, Spanish Tortilla was a favourite comfort food of mine, but I love this vegan version even more. Not only is it delicious, it’s cruelty-free (no hens or chicks are harmed in the making of this omelette) AND healthier than the traditional version. It’s lower in fat, contains zero cholesterol, and is a rich source of plant proteins, B vitamins, vitamin C, and an array of minerals including potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron.
Healthy, tasty AND cruelty-free. A winner all round!
Hi everyone! Today, I’m sharing a delicious vegan twist on the traditional pasta dish ‘Carbonara’. It’s really easy to make and takes just 20 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for any night when you need a quick meal on the table.
Carbonara is traditionally made with cheese, pork and eggs (or cream), so not vegan-friendly at all. These ingredients also make it high in saturated fat and cholesterol (so not great for heart health or waistlines either!)
In contrast, this creamy, plant-based version that I’m sharing today is actually good for you! Not only is it low in saturated fat and with zero cholesterol, but it also contains a whole host of vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds that promote good health. It is also high in protein, with each serving providing 26 grams!
Check out how creamy this sauce is…
… and it doesn’t contain any cream, cheese or eggs. Amazing!!
So how do we make a carbonara sauce using plant-based ingredients? There are a number of ways to achieve this, such as blending cashews or by making a roux using flour and dairy-free vegetable spread. However, the secret ingredient we used for this carbonara was silken tofu.
Silken tofu is much softer and creamier than regular tofu, making it ideal for blending into creamy sauces, dips and desserts. It also makes a great egg replacer for egg-centric dishes like Frittata and Spanish Omelette.
Here in the UK, silken tofu can be found in the world food section of major supermarkets (usually with the Japanese foods), as well as Asian supermarkets and health food shops.
Traditional carbonara also includes pancetta (cured pork belly) or guanciale (cured pork cheeks). Incredibly, there are vegan pork alternatives, including vegan bacon lardons now available in UK supermarkets. If you’re into meaty flavours and textures, this kind of option would definitely be worth trying as a healthier, cruelty-free alternative to pork. My family opted to use slices of sun-dried tomato instead. This worked well, adding bites of rich, savoury flavour and chewy texture.
Mushrooms also work really well in this pasta dish, adding extra savouriness and chewy texture, so don’t hold back if you’re a mushroom fan. I used baby chestnut mushrooms sliced but I imagine that shiitake mushrooms would work great too.
While spaghetti is the most common pasta used for carbonara, you can basically use any kind of long pasta. I used bucatini, which is like spaghetti but a bit fatter and hollow. It’s great for soaking up sauces plus you can whistle through the long tubes which is a bit of a novelty.
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Creamy Vegan Mushroom Carbonara
This vegan twist on the traditional dish ‘Spaghetti Carbonara’ is perfect for any night when you need a quick, easy meal on the table. Not only will it rival its traditional counterpart when it comes to creamy deliciousness, but it beats it hands down when it comes to nutritional goodness. It’s been a big hit with our family and we hope you love it too!
400g/ 14 oz spaghetti, bucatini or other long pasta (use GF pasta, if needed)
½TBSPolive oil
1white oniondiced
1tspminced garlic
250g/ 3½ cups mushroomssliced
300g/ 10½ oz silken tofu
240ml/ 1 cup fortified soya milk or other plant milk
1tspvegetable bouillon powder or crumbled stock cube
3TBSPnutritional yeast flakes
½TBSPwhite misooptional, but highly recommended as it adds a delicious umami flavour
8-10sun-dried tomatoes in oildrained and sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish
4TBSPvegan parmesan(I used home-made cashew parmesan, recipe below)
2TBSPflat leaf parsleyoptional
Instructions
Heat a large pan of water and cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet.
Gently heat the oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan (skillet) and add the onions and garlic. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Stir through.
Place the silken tofu, milk, vegetable bouillon powder, nutritional yeast flakes and white miso in a blender and whizz smooth (alternatively use a bowl and stick blender). Pour the sauce into the pan with the onions and mushrooms and stir through. Continue cooking at a gentle simmer.
When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the frying pan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve in warm bowls with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and vegan parmesan. We also love to add some roasted broccoli on the side for extra goodness.
If you have used a wheat pasta, any leftover carbonara can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours. Re-heat in a large frying pan (skillet). Add a generous splash of plant milk to refresh the sauce. Stir regularly until heated through evenly. Alternatively, you can store the sauce separately in the fridge for 3-5 days and cook the pasta fresh.
Keyword Dairy-Free, Family Friendly, Gluten-Free Option, Plant-Based, Vegan Dinners, Vegan Pasta Dish
This dairy-free ‘parmesan’ uses just two nutrient-rich ingredients which are ground together to make a cheesy, savoury condiment that’s perfect for sprinkling on pasta dishes.
Place the ingredients in a mini food processor or chopper and pulse into fine crumbs. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge, where it will keep for weeks.
I hope you’ve had a great start to 2019 everyone! And if you make this Creamy Vegan Carbonara, 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.
With love,
Sharon xx
READER REMAKES 💚
Been loving all your carbonara remakes! Here’s a selection from Instagram…
The English are famous for their all-day breakfast fry-ups, which typically feature a whole bunch of animal products – sausages, bacon, eggs and black pudding – served alongside mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns, baked beans and fried bread. However, just because you’re passing on eating animals, this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this traditional English culinary experience. There are so many amazing all-day veggie breakfast options available now, and they’re often far more creative and colourful (and healthy!) than the meat version.
Today I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious vegan cooked breakfast that, as the title suggests, is suitable for serving any time of day. We’ve been enjoying it as an evening meal, but it’s equally perfect as a weekend breakfast, brunch or lunch.
The key components of this vegan all-day English breakfast were sausages…
scrambled tofu (to which I added onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and soy sauce to ramp up the flavour) ….
avocado and toasted wholemeal English muffins.
Then we added slices of balsamic-glazed roasted portobello mushrooms…
and baked beans 😋
Since my son isn’t a fan of fresh tomatoes, I added some sun-dried tomatoes into the scrambled tofu instead. This worked a treat!
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Vegan All Day English Breakfast
This vegan all day breakfast is suitable for serving as a weekend breakfast, brunch, lunch or even as a main dinner! Though there are a few components to this meal, it’s really easy to make and takes no more than 30 minutes. The scrambled tofu, beans, muffins and avocado can all be prepared while the sausages and mushrooms are cooking in the oven. Once they’re done, everything is ready to be be plated up.
6-8sun-dried tomatoes in oildrained and roughly chopped
60ml/ ¼ cup fortified soya milkor other plant-based milk
handful baby spinachroughly chopped
saltto taste
400g / 14 oz can baked beans
3 English wholemeal muffins
vegan butter or mayonnaise for the muffins
1 large avocado, sliced
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan) / 400F.
For the roasted mushrooms:In a wide, shallow roasting pan, combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Generously coat the mushrooms in the oil and vinegar mixture, either using a pastry brush or your hands. Arrange the mushrooms in the pan upside down. Cook for 10 minutes then flip the mushrooms over, and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and well browned.
Cook the sausages according the instructions on the packet.
For the scrambled tofu:Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) on medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. Crumble the tofu into the pan. Sprinkle the turmeric on top and stir until the tofu has turned yellow. Add the cumin, soy sauce and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring now and then. Stir in the milk and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the spinach and cook for a further minute (until the spinach just starts to wilt). Season with salt, to taste.
Keep the scrambled tofu on low heat while you warm up the baked beans and toast the muffins.
Arrange the sausages, mushrooms, scrambled tofu, baked beans, muffins and avocado slices on plates and serve. Any leftovers make a delicious ‘all-day breakfast’ sandwich, stuffed into a pitta bread or tortilla wrap.
Notes
Gluten-Free Option
To make the breakfast 100% gluten-free, the muffins could be replaced with a gluten-free alternative, such as hash browns or mini roasted potatoes. Also, be sure to use tamari soy sauce, as regular soy sauce contains wheat.
Keyword Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan All Day Breakfast
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations. Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I 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 new plant-based recipe that my family has been loving lately… it’s the Indian-spiced Sweet Potato Fritter. These fritters are filled with simple ingredients – sweet potato, onion, chickpea flour and spinach – which also happen to be nutritional powerhouses, providing an array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants ✨ The Indian spices used to flavour the fritters – cumin and garam masala – notch up their antioxidant potency even further.
Not only are they quick and easy to make, but they’re super cheap too! According to my calculations, it cost just £1.07 to make six fritters. That’s 18p each. Bargain!
In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe that caught my eye in this month’s Vegan Life magazine. These ‘Chickpea Nuggets’ have been a big hit with the family and we’ve made them multiple times in the past couple of weeks. They’re simple to prepare, packed full of nutritional goodness and budget-friendly too!
I had my first experience of vegan nuggets a couple of weeks ago at a fast food establishment in Valencia, Spain (yes, Valencia has vegan fast food joints! How cool is that?) The fast-food nuggets were okay, but the home-made variety win my vote. They just taste more like ‘real food’ to me. Plus they definitely make me feel better on the inside.
The main ingredients in these nuggets are oats and chickpeas. Both ingredients are packed full of nutrients including protein, complex carbs, dietary fibre, B vitamins, iron, zinc and magnesium.
The nuggets are great for dipping into all kinds of sauces. We love mayo, BBQ sauce, even hummus, but our current favourite has to be home-made chunky tomato sauce. I’ve posted the recipe below in case anyone else fancies trying it. I find it tastes much nicer than shop-bought tomato sauce (fresher and less processed) plus it’s rich in vitamin C, which helps our bodies absorb all the iron in the nuggets.
To make the outside of the nuggets nice and crispy, I used Panko breadcrumbs which can be found on the world food aisle in supermarkets (in the Japanese section). Onion powder is not currently available in UK supermarkets (such a shame as it’s really useful!) however you will find it in independent health food shops and online. (I buy mine in Harvest Coop in Bath).
Along with the onion powder, the nutritional yeast helps to give these nuggets a delicious, savoury flavour. I use the Marigold nutritional yeast flakes with added B12, available from the larger UK supermarkets, health food shops and online.
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Vegan Chickpea Nuggets
These nuggets are simple to make, packed full of nutritional goodness, budget-friendly and versatile! We love to serve them for lunch, as a healthy snack and as a main meal (alongside potato wedges, baked beans and a side salad). They are best served straight from the oven (when the outer coating is super crispy), however they can also be eaten cold and make a great addition to school and work lunchboxes.
400g/ 14 oz can chickpeasthoroughly drained (reserve the chickpea water aka ‘aquafaba’)
½tspgarlic powder or granules
1tsponion powder
½tspsalt
2TBSPnutritional yeast flakes
60ml/ ¼ cup 'aquafaba'(water from the chickpea can)
Chunky Tomato Sauce
400g/ 14 oz can Italian vine-ripened chopped tomatoes
2TBSPtomato puree (paste)
1TBSPextra virgin olive oil
1tspunrefined sugar
½tspsalt
1tspdried oregano
Instructions
To make the chickpea nuggets:
Heat oven to 190C (180C fan) / 365F.
Place the oats in a food processor and process into a flour.
Add the chickpeas to the food processor, along with the garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast and salt. Pulse until crumbly. Add the aquafaba (chickpea water) and continue to process until the contents form a ball. If the mixture feels a little wet, add more oats.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and shape into nuggets. Coat each nugget completely in the panko breadcrumbs and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until firm. Serve with your favourite dip.
Any leftover nuggets can be stored in the fridge for up to five days.
To make the chunky Tomato Sauce
Place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Use a wooden spoon to break up any large chunks of tomato. Taste test and adjust the seasoning to suit.
Stored in an airtight container, this sauce will keep for five days in the fridge.
Notes
Recipe lightly adapted from Heather Lawless and Jen Mulqueen’s ‘Chicknuggets’ in The Chickpea Revolution, featured in the April 2018 edition of Vegan Life magazine.
Big thank you to Heather Lawless, Jen Mulqueen and Vegan Life magazine for the inspiration! This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making time and again.
And if you make these vegan nuggets, 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 recipe for a delicious baked treat – Lemon Berry Crumble Slices. These slices consist of a fluffy lemon sponge, studded with juicy berries and topped with crumble. They use basic pantry ingredients and are simple to make, yet they’re bound to impress your family and friends!
The August edition of the Vegan Life magazine landed on my doorstep just before we set off on our family summer vacation, so I tucked it into my luggage and looked forward to reading it when we arrived in the Dordogne.
One of the first articles that caught my eye was an interview with Mellissa Morgan (aka Ms Cupcake). Canadian born, Mellissa now lives in London and runs the infamous Ms Cupcake bakery in Brixton. I love Mellissa’s kooky, fun style and vivacious character. Whenever I see photos of her (especially in those wacky cupcake hats!), they always bring a smile to my face.
Along with the interview, Mellissa also shares her Signature Dish… the Lemon Blackberry Square. It sounded delicious and, since I’d never tried a crumble-topped sponge before, I was intrigued to find out how it would taste. I bookmarked the page and when we arrived back in England, I headed into the kitchen and got baking.
This cake is baked in a large rectangular pan; what we would call a ‘Traybake’ here in the UK. (I’m not sure if they’re called the same elsewhere). I love traybakes as they’re a convenient way to bake a large amount of cake in one go, so perfect for parties, buffets, cake sales, or when you want to stock the freezer with cake ready for friend and family visits.
I’ve made this traybake twice already this month, and it’s been a huge hit with everyone that’s tried it. The sponge layer is light and fluffy, with a beautiful, zesty lemon flavour. I would never have thought of putting crumble on top of sponge, but it works really well, especially with that layer of juicy berries in-between. The first time I made the cake, I didn’t feel that there was quite enough berries so second time round, I increased the quantities. Also, on Mellissa’s suggestion, I doubled the quantity of crumble. Like her, I’m a crumble-lover, and this was definitely a good move! Below, I share Mellissa’s recipe with my light adaptations.
This recipe has been lightly adapted from Ms Cupcake’s Signature Dish published in Vegan Life magazine Issue 29. It’s a delicious treat, consisting of a zesty lemon sponge studded with juicy summer fruits (berries, cherries, blackcurrants) and topped with crumble. It yields a large quantity of cake, so perfect for parties, buffets, cake sales or when you want to stock your freezer with cake ready for friend and family visits.
200g/ 1½ cups plain (all-purpose) or self-raising flour
100g/ ½ cup brown or demerara sugar
100g/ ½ cup dairy-free spread / vegan butter
Cake mix
450g/ 3¼ cups self-raising flour
200g/ 1 cup unrefined sugar(I used golden caster sugar)
zest of 2 unwaxed/organic lemons
⅓tspbicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1tspvanilla extract
300ml/ 1¼ cups soya milk
200ml/ 1 cup sunflower oilor other flavourless oil
80ml/ ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
145g/ 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries, blackcurrants and/or cherries. (I used Sainsbury’s Frozen Black Forest Fruits)
Instructions
Line a 33cm x 23cm (13” x 9”) baking pan with non-stick baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F.
Make the crumble: In a bowl, mix together the flour and sugar. Rub in the dairy-free spread/vegan butter using your finger tips. Set to one side.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, sugar, lemon zest and bicarbonate of soda, and stir through to combine.
Add the vanilla extract, soya milk, oil and lemon juice to the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined (but do not over mix). Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin.
Slice any large berries into halves or quarters. Distribute the fruit evenly in the pan and lightly press them into the cake batter.
Sprinkle the crumble evenly on top.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted through the middle comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin until completely cool, then slice. I divide mine into 20 slices, measuring 7cm x 6cm.
Stored in the refrigerator, the cake will keep for up to 5 days. It also freezes well.
