Tag: vegan

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Chickpeas

Published on by Sharon7 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for the perfect Winter warmer – Creamy Butternut Squash Soup with Maple-Glazed Chickpeas 💛 With its delicious, sweet flavour and golden orange hue, this soup is so bright and cheery that it’s bound to put a smile on your face. It also happens to be packed full of immune-boosting nutrients to help keep those pesky Winter bugs at bay.

Butternut squash is a fantastic immunity-booster. Of all the winter squashes, it contains the highest amount of vitamin C. It’s also packed with the vitamin A antioxidants alphacarotene and betacarotene. Just one cup of cooked squash provides 52% of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin C and 457% of the vitamin A RDA! (Source)

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Maple-Glazed Chickpeas with Oregano

Published on by Sharon5 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing the recipe for one of my favourite sweet ‘n’ savoury snacks… Maple-Glazed Chickpeas with Oregano ❤️ I’d been hoping to include this recipe in my cookbook, but sadly run out of space, so I’m delighted to be able to share it with you today. These pan-fried chickpeas not only make a great snack, but they are also perfect for topping soups and pasta dishes. They’re really simple to make and ready in less than ten minutes!

I absolutely love chickpeas and eat them most days in some shape of form. The fact that they’re packed full of nutritional goodness makes me love them even more. They’re a great source of protein, dietary fibre, B vitamins and a whole array of minerals, such as manganese and iron. Chickpeas also contain an abundance of antioxidant phytonutrients, including flavonoids and phenolic acids, which boost the immune system.

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Quinoa Winter Bowl with Roasted Vegetables, Cranberries and Balsamic Glaze

Published on by Sharon5 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious quinoa bowl that’s just perfect for serving this time of year. It features roasted veggies, dried cranberries and crunchy pumpkin seeds, topped with a sweet balsamic glaze. We’ve been enjoying it as a light evening meal, with leftovers served for lunches later in the week. It can even be served cold, and Lucien’s been taking it to school in his lunchbox.

I must admit that I never used to be a fan of quinoa. I found the texture and flavour of plain quinoa quite strange and not particularly appealing. However, I discovered a couple of key steps that make it much more palatable…

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Lemon Berry Crumble Slice (Dairy-free / Egg-free / Vegan)

Published on by Sharon6 Comments

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!

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Wagamama-Inspired Yasai Cha Han Donburi (Brown Rice Bowl with Stir-Fried Veggies and Tofu)

Published on by Sharon4 Comments

In early Summer, my family were eagerly anticipating a trip to Wagamamas. On the way there, we psyched each other up, talking about how much we were looking forward to tucking into our favourite Wagamama dish – the Yasai Cha Han Donburi. Upon arrival, the waiter showed us to our seats and handed us the menu. Our eyes immediately moved to the spot where the dish is usually listed, but it wasn’t there. We scanned both sides of the menu but it was nowhere to be seen. We called over the waiter and he explained that they had a new summer menu. Sadly, the Yasai Cha Han Donburi hadn’t made the cut.

Has that ever happened to you? Where you’re looking forward to tucking into your favourite dish at a restaurant, or you specifically go to that restaurant because you’re craving a dish… only to find that it’s been taken off the menu. It’s happened to my family a few times and it’s always such a bummer.

Well this time, I decided to look on the bright side. I’d been meaning to try my hand at making the Yasai Cha Han Donburi at home for a while, and now was the perfect opportunity. I could still remember what the bowl tasted like and its main components, so I set to work re-creating it.

One of my favourite parts of the bowl is the flavouring added to the rice, so I really wanted to nail this part. I chose to use two of my favourite pantry staples as the basis of the dressing – Clearspring Organic Tamari Sauce and Meridian Organic Toasted Sesame Oil. The tamari provides the ‘umami’ flavour, while the toasted sesame oil add a touch of smokiness. I then added a tablespoon each of maple syrup and rice vinegar for some ‘sweet ’n’ sour’ flavour, and finished it off with a sprinkling of garlic granules. I was extremely happy with the way the dressing turned out. For me, it’s the perfect compliment to a Japanese-inspired rice bowl.

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Vegan Man in a Van; Mountain Bike Road Trip to Tignes, France

Published on by Sharon5 Comments

I’ve been reading Sharon’s Bit of the Good Stuff blog for several years and always enjoyed the practical guidance and recipes that have helped me to follow a plant-based diet. Sharon’s blog is an inspiration, demonstrating that following a vegan diet isn’t difficult and this movement grows, it gets easier and easier to eat in this way. Once you’re in a routine, eating day-to-day is easy. We all have our tried and tested mealtime favourites. We know where we can go for vegan-friendly lunches and snacks.

I’ve found it more challenging when I step outside of this routine, perhaps working away from home or visiting new places. However, with a little extra thought and preparation, it’s not hard to overcome any potential difficulties and continue to eat healthy, plant-based food wherever you are.

Last July, I took a road trip to France with a few (non-vegan) friends and below I share a few reflections on what was a fantastic trip. The tips I offer on going on a road trip are perhaps obvious enough but, hopefully, some of these words might show how it is to maintain your plant-based diet, even when you’re the only Vegan in the Van… Continue reading “Vegan Man in a Van; Mountain Bike Road Trip to Tignes, France” →