Why you must keep on fighting, keep on boycotting and some useful links

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Dear cats, how is everything with you? As the world seems to be going down a darker path every day, I say that we have to keep on fighting for justice with all means possible. For most of us, one of the few things doable is boycotting and protesting (although we have seen a few weeks ago one of the most extreme ways of protesting with Aaron Bushnell setting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington).

Who and why to boycott

Who

It should be clear, at this moment: the State of Israel.

Why – many reasons.

  • First of all – the many years of illegal settlements, constant raids, and control over Palestinian movements (aka having instituted an Apartheid state).
  • Disproportionate response to the attacks of 7th October 2023
  • Having started a genocide against the Palestinians (which has been recognised by the International Criminal Court)

How

The BDS (Boycott Divest Sanctions) Movement has a list of all the companies supporting Israel and the use of illegal settlements, so that you can avoid buying from them (you will see there are overlappings with some of *very bad* non-vegan companies – here and here).

Just a couple of notes:

I was thinking about how to write about all the things I have been learning in the past months but I always find that it is true there are some complicated issues. However, one can say with certainty that the situation has been escalated by Israel.

Don’t forget that there are always economic interests behind the war

For example, gas and natural resources. Following are some interesting resources

42 USC 17337: United States-Israel energy cooperation

§17337. United States-Israel energy cooperation
(a) Findings
Congress finds that-
(1) it is in the highest national security interests of the United States to develop covered energy sources;

(2) the State of Israel is a steadfast ally of the United States;

(3) the special relationship between the United States and Israel is manifested in a variety of cooperative scientific research and development programs, such as-
(A) the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation; and
(B) the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation;

(8) United States-Israel energy cooperation and the development of natural resources by Israel are in the strategic interest of the United States;
(9) Israel is a strategic partner of the United States in water technology;
(10) the United States can play a role in assisting Israel with regional safety and security issues;

The US had a plan in the 1960s to blast an alternative Suez Canal through Israel using 520 nuclear bombs

According to the 1963 memorandum, which was declassified in 1996, the plan would have relied on 520 nuclear bombs to carve out the waterway. The memo called for the “use of nuclear explosives for excavation of Dead Sea canal across the Negev desert.”

The memo added that “such a canal would be a strategically valuable alternative to the present Suez Canal and would probably contribute greatly to economic development.”

One possible route the memorandum proposed stretched across the Negev desert in Israel, connecting the Mediterranean to the Gulf of Aqaba, opening access to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. 

The laboratory noted that there were 130 miles of “virtually unpopulated desert wasteland, and are thus amenable to nuclear excavation methods.” 

But the memo conceived that one problem, which the authors had not taken into consideration, might be “political feasibility, as it is likely that the Arab countries surrounding Israel would strongly object to the construction of such a canal.”

Use of Nuclear Explosives for Excavation of Sea-Level Canal Across the Negev Desert (Canal Studies Filefolder)

The route extends northward from Eilat on a bearing of 5° for 83 miles, then turns westward on a bearing of 295° for 20 miles to pass between two mountains, then turns northward again on a bearing of 348° for
58 miles, to the Mediterranean, passing by Beersheba and the Gaze Strip.

Israel hands out offshore oil exploration licences to BP and ENI to strengthen international relations

In June, Israel approved the development of Gaza Marine, the strip of water off the Gazan coast containing an estimated 1tn cubic feet of natural gas. Offshore Technology said the field would produce about $2.4bn in royalties and profits for Palestine during its lifetime. As the website also noted, Gaza Marine is closer to shore than Israel’s existing oil and gas fields, making it cheaper to develop.

Meanwhile, after Europe cut off Russian oil and gas supplies in 2022, Israel signed a deal with the EU to become a keystone supplier. Joseph Dana, a market analyst and journalist, wrote at the time that the plans would “radically transform” Israel’s relationship with the rest of the world over its occupation of Palestine. In particular, Dana highlighted how new Israeli oil and gas prospects could make pro-Palestinian campaigns in Europe effectively “meaningless”.

Since Hamas launched its ground attack on Israel on 7 October, European leaders have nearly uniformly backed Israel’s actions. Israel’s latest offshore licences come as its bombing and invasion of Gaza enters a fourth week and as calls for a cease or a so-called “humanitarian pause” grow. A “curious time” indeed.

Gaza: Operation ‘Cast Lead’

On 27 December 2008 Israel launched a major military offensive – nicknamed Operation ‘Cast Lead’ – in Gaza. It prevented the media and aid agencies from entering the area.

In the following three weeks, the Israeli military killed at least 1,383 Palestinians, including 333 children. Palestinian armed groups killed thirteen Israelis, including three civilians, in rocket attacks on Southern Israel.

Israel/Gaza Operation ‘Cast Lead’: 22 days of death and destruction

At 11.30am on 27 December 2008, without warning, Israeli forces began a devastating bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip codenamed Operation “Cast Lead”. Its stated aim was to end rocket attacks into Israel by armed groups affiliated with Hamas and other Palestinian factions. By 18 January 2009, when unilateral ceasefires were announced by both Israel and Hamas, some 1,400 Palestinians had been killed, including some 300 children and hundreds of other unarmed civilians, and large areas of Gaza had been razed to the ground, leaving many thousands homeless and the already dire economy in ruins.

IDF’s Gaza assault is to control Palestinian gas, avert Israeli energy crisis

But in 2007, a year before Operation Cast Lead, Ya’alon’s concerns focused on the 1.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas discovered in 2000 off the Gaza coast, valued at $4 billion. Ya’alon dismissed the notion that “Gaza gas can be a key driver of an economically more viable Palestinian state” as “misguided.”

The Economic Costs of the Israeli Occupation for the Palestinian People: The Unrealized Oil and Natural Gas Potential

The new discoveries of oil and natural gas in the Levant Basin, amounting to 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas at a net value of $453 billion (in 2017 prices) and 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil at a net value of about $71 billion, offer an opportunity to distribute and share a total of about $524 billion among the different parties, in addition to the many intangible but substantive advantages of energy security and cooperation among long-time belligerents. They can also potentially be a source of additional conflict and violence if individual parties exploit these resources without due regard for the fair share of others. What could be a source of wealth and opportunities could prove disastrous if this common resource is exploited individually and exclusively, without due regard for international law and norms.

Several schemes of alternative property sharing methods are identified in this study, anchored in the historical property rights of the parties and recent agreements. The utility of these identified shares is that they are grounded in history and mutual agreement. These shares could serve as background for a negotiation framework.

The exploitation of Palestinian natural resources, including oil and natural gas, by the occupying Power imposes on the Palestinian people enormous costs that continue to escalate as the occupation remains in effect. This is not only contrary to international law, but also in violation of natural justice and moral law. To date, the real and opportunity costs of the occupation exclusively in the area of oil and natural gas have accumulated to tens, if not hundreds, of billions of dollars.

Holocaust survivor Dr Gabor Mate calls for land return to Palestine

He said the historical context surrounding the events of 7 October must be acknowledged to understand the current conflict and move forward.

Mate, who survived the Holocaust after his mother placed him with another family after he was born in an effort to save him, called for an end to the Israeli occupation, an end to the persecution of Palestinians, and the return of Palestinian land seized by the occupation since 1967.

Behind Israel’s ‘end game’ for Gaza: Theft of offshore gas reserves

Renewed interest in pursuing development of the Gaza Marine field surfaced in early 2022 following the war between Russia and Ukraine, the destruction of the Nord Stream Pipeline, and the sanctions placed on Russia that caused a global energy crisis. Joint meetings were held between Israeli, U.S., Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian Authority officials to discuss the project, which was given the go-ahead by Netanyahu following his reelection. In particular, President Joe Biden and Egyptian government officials pressured Israel to pursue the project. (al-monitor.com, June 19)

On June 18, Israel gave preliminary approval for the development of a gas field off the coast of Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming progress would hinge on “preserving the State of Israel’s security and diplomatic needs” and coordination with the Palestinian Authority and neighboring Egypt. At the same time, Hamas official Ismail Rudwan told Reuters: “We reaffirm that our people in Gaza have the rights to their natural resources.” (June 18)

Two months before Oct. 7, the Pentagon began building a $35.8 million troop facility in Israel’s Negev desert, 20 miles from Gaza, allegedly as a radar site to monitor for missile attacks on Israel. The base is part of a “secret” U.S. military presence in Israel. (The Intercept, Oct. 27)

Israeli Cabinet Minister Adds To Calls For ‘Voluntary Emigration’ From Gaza

An Israeli Cabinet minister said this week that the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip will compel Palestinians to leave the territory, despite widespread condemnation of Israeli calls for so-called “voluntary emigration” amid an invasion that Gazan health authorities say has claimed the lives of more than 23,000 Palestinians.

In an interview posted online on Monday by Israeli broadcaster Knesset TV, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said “ we certainly need to encourage emigration” from Gaza.

Anesthetics, crutches, dates. Inside Israel’s ghost list of items arbitrarily denied entry into Gaza


For months, queues of trucks bound for the enclave have been backed up along the highway leading from the Egyptian town of Arish, a major logistical hub for aid, to the Rafah crossing with Gaza. In a satellite image from February 21, a queue of trucks can be seen stretching out for 4 miles from the crossing.
[…]
Israel has long barred certain items from entering Gaza. In 2007, it imposed a blockade on the strip after Hamas took over. A year later, COGAT released a list of banned “dual use” items, making slight modifications to the document in the years that followed.
[…]
Soeripto, who visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing with a UN convoy in January, told CNN she saw several items that Israeli inspectors had turned back.

She said toys were rejected because they were in a wooden box rather than a cardboard box, sleeping bags were denied because they had zippers, and sanitary pads were turned back because a nail clipper was included in the hygiene kit.

Other Useful Information

If you are interested in Palestinian history, culture and people you should be looking at the DecolonizePalestine website.

Visit the UNRWA website to follow the progress they are making in providing aid to Palestinians.

If you want to help Palestinians to get Internet access you can use eSIMs.

Two-State Solution

This would be the best solution – however, Israel wants a demilitarised Palestinian state which doesn’t make sense and would mean that Israel will maintain supremacy over Palestinians, and would be easily able to attack Palestine and its people. How can people think this is acceptable? Surely Israel wouldn’t want to be demilitarised, so why should the others?

Conclusion

I hope you’ll find these links useful. If you have other links you would like to add, let me know!

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – German Chocolate Cake Energy Bites

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Hello beauties! How are you? Here, we’re still enjoying some cold, sunny days and yesterday I tried to fit a whirly (rotary washing line) in the garden – I say “tried” because the pole is now in the ground but the mixture hasn’t solidified too well on the surface although the pole itself is not moving, so hopefully, it will be all set for the next washing! But today, I have done nothing, just took it easy, done a long yoga session this morning then almost finished a book and watched a couple of episodes of Schitt’s Creek. I know this might not be the best way to cope with it, but the next three weeks are going to be so busy (a christening, working three Saturdays in a row, taekwondo pre-grading, seeing a couple of friends, a medical appointment) and I am making the list of all the things I’ll have to do thinking that by doing this I’ll be prepared, however, it dawned on me that I’m just making myself more anxious and instead I should just “go with the flow”. Who knows how my brain works. But surely, I will need all the possible energy so I am going to make these German Chocolate Cake Energy Bites by the MinimalistBaker to assist me.

German Chocolate Cake Energy Bites by the MinimalistBaker

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup raw pecans
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 3/4 cup packed pitted dates (measured after pitting // medjool are best)
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp creamy almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)

“FROSTING”

  • 1/3 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tsp coconut oil

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Add pecans to a bare baking sheet and toast for 7 minutes. Then add coconut and toast both together for 2-5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned, watching closely and tossing/stirring after 2 minutes to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and pulse a few times until no large pieces of pecans remain (see photo). In a small bowl, reserve 1/4 cup (30 g) toasted pecans and coconut for coating the exterior of the bites (adjust amount if altering the default number of servings).
  2. Pulse the remaining pecans and coconut into a fine meal, then add pitted dates, cacao or cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and almond butter. Pulse until the mixture is broken down and crumbly — we like to stop before it becomes completely dough-like so that the bites maintain some texture. It should stick together when pressed between two fingers; if still dry and crumbly, continue processing until it is sticky enough to form into a ball. If too dry, you can add a bit more almond butter — we didn’t need any extra, though.
  3. Scoop out 1 ½ -Tbsp amounts and roll into balls. If making the default number of servings, there should be ~14 balls. Place them on a parchment-lined plate.
  4. “FROSTING”: To a small glass or metal bowl, add chocolate chips and coconut oil. Carefully place the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula or spoon, until melted and no lumps remain — ~5 minutes. You can also melt the chocolate and oil in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments until melted. Remove chocolate mixture from heat.
  5. Drizzle the melted chocolate mixture over the bites, then sprinkle with the reserved pecans and coconut before the chocolate hardens. Enjoy right away or transfer to the fridge until the chocolate has set – about 10-15 minutes.

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – Cauliflower Curry Vegan Grill Recipe

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Hi beautiful cats! How has your week been? Have you been enjoying your weekend? I was working yesterday, but enjoyed a short walk at lunchtime as it was a sunny yet cold day. At this point I consider a “busy week” if I have more than three extra things happening: this week, I went to my first KCR session (Kinetic Chain Release – I am trying everything to ease the pain in my back), took the car for the MOT and went to a boxing class yesterday just before work (it was a lot of exercise, though I’ve been doing Taekwondo three times a week for two years now, I wasn’t prepared for all the running/strength training etc., but probably will go back). Keeping my mind off things, from work to the usual International affairs (the latest being the U.S. as the only Country opposing the State of Palestine becoming a full member of the U.N.) while also being on day 14 of the Limpia, I wanted something easy, tasty and Limpia-friendly: so this recipe for Cauliflower Curry Vegan Grill by VeggiesSavesTheDay was perfect!

Cauliflower Curry Vegan Grill by VeggiesSavesTheDay

Ingredients

For the yogurt sauce:

  • 1 cup plain nondairy yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
  • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon lime zest
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the cauliflower curry:

  • 1 pound cauliflower florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 pound russet potatoes, diced
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup frozen green peas, defrosted
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (15 ounces)
  • 1½ Tablespoons melted coconut oil, (or substitute olive oil)
  • 1½ Tablespoons curry powder
  • pinch of salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Method

To make the yogurt sauce:

  1. Place all the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and stir until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the cauliflower curry:

  1. Preheat the grill to roughly 400ºF (204ºC). In a very large mixing bowl, place the cauliflower, potatoes, white onions, tomatoes, peas, and chickpeas. Drizzle coconut oil over the top of the veggies, and stir until coated. Add the curry powder and a pinch of salt and pepper, and stir again until evenly coated.
  2. Tear out 4 pieces of aluminum foil that are 12 x 18 inches (30 x 46 cm), and lay them out. Divide the curry cauliflower mixture between the 4 sheets, place it in the middle. Fold the two long sides in toward the middle, and fold the seam together until it hits the filling. Fold the two short sides in, twice, to seal the ends.
  3. Place each packet on the grill and cook for 7 minutes, flip them over and grill for an additional 7 minutes. Carefully, open one packet slightly, and poke the cauliflower and potatoes to see if they are tender. If not, cook until they are.
  4. Once cooked through, place the packets on a cooling rack for 5 minutes before opening and serving.
  5. When the packets are opened, squeeze lemon juice over each one, and top with salt and pepper. Serve packets alongside yogurt sauce and enjoy.

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – Vegan Baked Oatmeal (No Banana!)

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Hello beautiful cats! How is your weekend going? Today I managed to do a nice walk – while I am not still feeling 100% (still with a cold that won’t leave!), I wanted to take advantage of the April weather, that in-between Winter and Spring mixture of coldish and warmish, a strong chilly wind with on-and-off sunshine. When I arrived back home I was quite knackered but I enjoyed the rest of the day more knowing that I moved.

While I didn’t have anything ready for when I came back, snack-wise, so I decided to make this Vegan Baked Oatmeal by NoSweatVegan. My goodness! Easy, Quick, and just what I needed and something that will do me for the next couple of breakfasts.

Vegan Baked Oatmeal by NoSweatVegan

Ingredients 

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup soy milk
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 1.5 cups frozen mixed berries

Method 

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F or 190C and lightly spray a 8-inch baking with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper.)
  2. Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
  3. Add all of the wet ingredients to the bowl (except for the frozen berries) and mix to combine.
  4. Add 1 cup of frozen berries and fold into the batter.
  5. Transfer the batter to the baking dish. Top with the rest of the berries.
  6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center is done, then remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with vegan yogurt, walnuts, another drizzle of maple syrup, or any of your favorite toppings.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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Hello beauties! How are you? I started the Limpia again this past Monday: the SAD has been kicking in, especially with stomach ache, and I have been feeling like I needed to do a detox so I moved the Limpia up to April instead of May. Hopefully, it will help.

For the Meteoropathics

However, last Sunday, I was enjoying the Spring weather as it was a stormy day, with a lot of wind, and spent a bit of time reading in the garden. While I was sitting there enjoying a Matcha and Moringa Latte, I was looking at the sky: the clouds were passing by so quickly and saw in between them a bright and shiny sun. The sun was always there. It doesn’t go away: it’s a giant, hot ball of gas and other stuff, some millions of miles from us. Clouds form, they stay a bit and then they go away. The sun doesn’t- it’s just there.

And that’s what I was thinking – people often refer to the clouds and the rain with sadness; when it rains for even a couple of days, my parents would say how much the weather brings with it a low mood. While I don’t experience this, I understand well how natural, external factors (i.e. weather, change of season, etc.) can affect a person. As I was saying, I love stormy weather and I do enjoy a windy day, where you can just about perceive the sun, but it will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of rain.

What I usually think though, is that the sun is just behind the clouds and they will go away at some point. A phrase comes to mind: “The sun is always there”. (Also “The crops need rain!” – for all the aficionados of Schitt’s Creek.)

Obviously, this is not an original thought, but I wasn’t sure where I already heard this and looking online, I found that a very similar phrase is found in the poem “The Rainy Day” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882)

THE DAY is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
    And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
    And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
    Some days must be dark and dreary.

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

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Happy Sunday, beautiful cats! I hope you’re having a nice weekend. To be honest, I am enjoying this stormy weather – while walking back from work yesterday, the wind was pushing me a bit and made for a fun walk. And this morning, I spent some time in the garden, with the clouds going so fast in the sky, and I sat reading a book (“Just Another Missing Person” by Gillian McAllister) and drinking my Matcha and Moringa Latte (my own special recipe that I make every Sunday) in the garden. It was very peaceful and the perfect way to start the Sunday.

However, it was during the week that I made something easy and quick and delicious: as I had a short week (what with Easter Monday and Wednesday was my day off) and still felt a bit in holiday mood, I found the recipe for Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs by ItDoesntTasteLikeChicken that was just right for a treat for the week (you know when you would like something sweet after dinner, and want it to be satisfying and at the same time not junk food? this is it!).

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs by ItDoesntTasteLikeChicken

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ cups (8.6oz / 245g) vegan chocolate chips

Method 

  1. In a medium bowl mix together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to form a dough. The dough should be easy to roll into a ball. If the dough is too dry, add a touch more natural peanut butter. If the dough is too wet add a bit more powdered sugar until you reach the correct texture.
  2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Take about 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten the ball to about ½ inch thick, use your fingers to pinch it into an egg shape, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter dough to make about 9 peanut butter eggs. Freeze for 30 minutes (or as long as overnight).
  3. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second increments, stopping to stir, and being careful to not burn the chocolate. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
  4. Remove one peanut butter egg from the freezer at a time (they soften very quickly), and use a fork to dip the frozen peanut butter egg into the chocolate, evenly coating it. Let excess chocolate drip off then place it back on the parchment paper-lined tray in the freezer, or on a second tray if preferred. Repeat with all the eggs. If you have leftover chocolate, you can return the chocolate to the microwave to make sure it is melty, then use a fork to drizzle extra chocolate over the eggs for decoration. Chill the eggs in the freezer for 30 minutes or until the chocolate is set. Peel off the paper and enjoy.

I hope you’ll love them as much as I do!

Love,

TVCL xx

To a Peaceful Future

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Happy Easter, beauties! This is going to be a very short post, as I think the stuff that is happening at the moment is just awful and I don’t feel like being super chirpy.

A thought

Last year, many people were cheering at the fact that Easter, Passover, and Ramadan/Eid were being celebrated within the same 2 weeks bringing quite a sense of closeness amongst Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faithful.

Where has that sentiment of vicinity gone this year?

I just hope that we’re going to find that feeling again and that we can soon celebrate these holidays together in a more peaceful future.

With a lot of love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – Vegan Colcannon Recipe (plus an extra one!)

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Hi beauties! How are you? Last week I didn’t manage to write anything – I have a poor two poor excuses for it: it was my Aunty’s birthday and I was really tired from the past week as it had been quite busy between work and trying to have a social life (I went to the hairdresser and then to the opera to see the Carmen with a friend!).

This week has been another busy week and also yesterday was my third Saturday working in a row. Quite tiring. And I also got the umpteenth cold – I am working myself up too much and the Spring doesn’t help.

However, here I am with two recipes, the first one is the Vegan Colcannon by TheEdgyVeg, obviously made last Sunday. Candace is by far in my top 3 favourite YouTubers/bloggers and I enjoy making all her recipes. This one is so delicious, quick and easy, that I am definitely going to make it more than once a year!

Vegan Colcannon by TheEdgyVeg

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups chopped kale, packed
  • 1½ cups chopped green cabbage, packed
  • 4 russet potatoes, peeled and (large) cubed
  • ¼ cup vegan butter or margarine
  • ½-1 cup unsweetened soy milk, warmed
  • 3green onions, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley (optional)
  • sea salt & pepper

Method

  1. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil.
  2. Next, add chopped cabbage and kale into boiling water and blanch for 1-2 mins, or until bright green in colour. Remove greens with a slotted spoon, and place immediately into an ice water bath.
  3. Next, add your peeled and cubed potatoes and 1½ tsp salt to the same pot of water you cooked the greens in, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer the potatoes for roughly 15-20 mins, or until tender. When it’s fork tender, drain potatoes and add them back into the pot.
  4. Add vegan butter or margarine, and allow it to melt. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until smooth and butter is combined.
  5. Gradually, add warmed soy milk, stirring. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  6. Add your cabbage and/or kale and stir again to combine.
  7. Serve garnished with additional green onions and/or parsley.

Extra recipe!

The extra recipe is because I also made these during the week and while they didn’t come out as the commercially available Jimmy Dodgers (I didn’t use caster sugar and I am not used to cream) they came out really nice and had them for breakfast as well as for snacks. So here is the recipe for Vegan Jammie Dodger recipe by WallflowerKitchen.

Vegan Jammie Dodger recipe by WallflowerKitchen

Ingredients

  • 120 g / ½ cup vegan butter (suggested Vitalite dairy-free spread)
  • 55 g / ¼ cup caster sugar
  • 180 g / 1 ½ cups plain flour
  • Seedless raspberry jam

Method

  1. In a large bowl, cream together the vegan butter and sugar until smooth.
  2. Add the flour in a small amount at a time and continue to mix the dough until completely smooth and it balls together. If it’s still crumbly, keep mixing.
  3. Briefly kneed the dough and roll into a smooth ball. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C / 370F and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
  5. Once the dough has chilled, roll to about ½ cm thickness and cut out your cookie shapes. Use a smaller cutter to make a cut-out centre on half of the cookies.
  6. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even baking. Once they begin to turn slightly golden brown at the edges, they are done.
  7. Leave to cool at room temperature.
  8. Once cooled, add approximately half a tsp of the raspberry jam to each full halves of the cookies and place the cut-out centre cookies on top to create a jam sandwich.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xxx

Recipe Sunday – Pear Almond Torte Tatin

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Hello beauties! How are you today? Here we can’t complain – I was speaking at an online conference for International Women’s Day and I had been very nervous for the past few weeks: I was very excited about the invitation and also about sharing my research. But I am not good at all at public speaking, like that’s not my skill. However, I have also been invited to give a workshop with a colleague at an in-person conference in June. So I thought that if I can manage this online one, it will be good prep for the in-person one. Also, at this past online conference I prepared the presentation, I rehearsed it and it was an excellent chance for me to share my research project and my findings.

And you know what? I nailed it! Two of my colleagues were following the event and they both came after my talk to tell me that I did very well, they learned new things and also they gave a hug! The attendees at the conference left many lovely positive comments and one person also suggested that they can help progressing my research. I won’t lie: I was DRAINED after the event, but couldn’t stop because I had another event I had to attend with a colleague (that also went well!). Yesterday I was working too, so such a busy week!

And you know me, even if I’m busy I want something tasty, some kind of comfort food and it has to be easy and quick. I was so lucky to stumble upon this recipe for a Pear Almond Torte Tatin by Miyoko Schinner. I am not a fan of pears, but oh goodness this is such a great recipe! (Also, now the Pear Galette, my go-to recipe with pears, has some competition!)

Pear Almond Torte Tatin by Miyoko Schinner

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pears, sliced
  • 2/3 cup of brown sugar (plus 3-4 tablespoons for the caramelization)
  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus 2 tablespoons for the caramelization)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C;
  2. Prepare an 8-9 in cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper at the bottom;
  3. Brush the 2 tablespoons of olive oil on the paper and sprinkle the 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar (this will help with caramelization);
  4. Put the pears now: you can fan them out or just set them there without much attention (the fanning will make the end result prettier, but to be honest I just threw them there) and set aside;
  5. Put the half cup of oil with the 2/3 cup of sugar and stir;
  6. Sift the flour with the baking powder then add the almond flour;
  7. Add half of the flour mixture to the oil mixture and stir;
  8. Then add half the milk and whisk well;
  9. Add the rest of the milk and the rest of the flour;
  10. Add the vanilla extract;
  11. Pour the batter over the pears and we’re going to put it in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
  12. Check with a toothpick if it comes out clean. Flip it upside down and let cool.
  13. Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Recipe Sunday – Roasted Cabbage Steaks

/ thevegancatlibrarian / Leave a comment

Happy Sunday, cats! How was your week? Here, it has been another fairly busy week, and I am also preparing to speak at an online conference next week (no pressure!). We’re also going to host an event for International Women’s Day on Friday afternoon – so, plenty to do! I haven’t been feeling like trying new recipes, but while I was making my cabbage soup for the weekend, I noticed I had a lot of cabbage so that’s when I decided to try the Roasted Cabbage Steaks by EatSomethingVegan. They didn’t disappoint! Extremely easy to make and a great result. Definitely will make it again, maybe with some basmati rice and a tempeh roast. Will let you know!

Roasted Cabbage Steaks by EatSomethingVegan

Ingredients

  • 2 small cabbage heads
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder

Method

  1. Cut the stems off the cabbage heads and then cut each one in half, then in half again. You should have four flat discs of cabbage that are about ¾ to 1 inch thick from each head. Place the cabbage steaks on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper, allowing some space between each one to even cooking.
  2. Brush the cabbage with the olive oil, coating them thoroughly. Then generously sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, and paprika on the cabbage steaks. Flip the cabbage over and repeat, brushing them with oil and sprinkling the seasonings. Then add a pinch of red pepper flakes to each one, if desired.
  3. Bake the cabbage steaks at 400°F for about 25 minutes, until the leaves are browned and the center is tender. Serve hot out of the oven and enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx