Vegan Vision

Over the last few years, the human population has grown, and with that growth comes an increase in food choices and dietary requirements. It's now also become common for people to choose to eat gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian or vegan. It's amazing to think we now live in a world where we aren't limited to what we can eat, or where we can get our food from. The world of food has come a long way, and with it brings a whole host of new directions we can take our diets down.

Today I'm going to be sharing some Vegan dishes. One of my friends is soon to be going Vegan, and so I thought I'd help her out by sharing some yummy alternatives to some of her favourite snacks. Just because you're limited to what you eat, it doesn't mean you can't have fun playing around with new ideas, opening your eyes to new dishes, and new cultures.

Veganism is a lifestyle that avoids all animal foods including meat, dairy, eggs and honey; all animal derived products such as leather and wool, and also products tested on animals. A recent study done by The Vegan Society found that there are over half a million vegans living in Britain today, and at least 542,000 people in Britain are following a vegan diet-they do not consume any animal products.




The BBC Good Food website has so many gorgeous vegan recipes, so if you're stuck for some inspiration head over here.

Breakfast:
Breakfast Bars 2.0

This is a delicious alternative to cereal or toast, by Nigella Lawson, and is gluten-free, dairy-free, full of seeds and is virtually sugar-free.
Some of these ingredients can be expensive or difficult to come by, so do shop around, and find another seedy alternative.

Ingredients:
250g dates
2 tsp ground cinnamon
75g goji berries
75gpumpkin seeds
150g brown flaxseeds
50g cocoa nibs
25g chia seeds
25g cornflakes (gluten-free if required)
100g porridge oats

Check out the method here.

Main Course:
Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
Half a red onion, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 courgette, chopped
1 pinch of cinnamon
2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed *optional*
1 pinch chilli flakes
1 pinch coriander seeds
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 pinch paprika
100ml hot water

For the method, head over to the BBC Good Food website!

Side Dish:
Roti Bread

This is a brilliant alternative to rice, and can be served with chillies or curries.

 Ingredients:
225g self-raising flour
Half a tsp. salt
1tbsp vegetable oil, plus a little extra for dusting and frying

Check out the method over on the BBC Good Food website.

Snacks:
Seeded Breadsticks

Breadsticks always go down well with kids, and are a great crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:
250g white seed and grain bread flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp sugar
1 tsp fast-action yeast
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
A little sesame and poppy seeds, for rolling the breadsticks in
Sea salt, to sprinkle

Check out Mary Berry's scrummy breadstick method here.

Dessert:
Zesty Tofu Cheesecake

Tofu is a great alternative used in so many vegetarian and vegan meals, in this cheesecake recipe it's mixed with coconut cream which just gives it that extra layer.

Ingredients:
200g crushed digestive biscuits
75g butter or vegan margarine, melted
1 lemon, zest and juice
200ml Limon cello liqueur
3 tbsp. agar-agar
400g firm tofu
1 tbsp. vegan cream cheese
400g coconut cream
Few drops vanilla essence
115g caster sugar
Fresh berries to serve

Once again, for the method, head over to the BBC website!


And there you have it! Some yummy vegan treats for all your dietary requirements!

Happy baking,

Charley.

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