vegan lifestyle

Recipe Sunday – Jeera Aloo Cumin Spiced Potatoes

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Hello kittens! How are you? It’s been ten days since last time I wrote: I had 2 busy weeks and I am on my second Saturday working (next one will be the third I do in a row), I was at a christening, an opera, taekwondo pre-grading, film night, plus a lot happening at work. And still doing the Limpia, although on two occasions I had some bread. However, one dish that is definitely Limpia-friendly and I have enjoyed recently were these Jeera Aloo Cumin Spiced Potatoes by VeganRicha: perfect for a weekday dinner that is whipped up in just 4 steps and delicious!

Jeera Aloo Cumin Spiced Potatoes by VeganRicha

Ingredients

  • 2 (340 g) medium Yukon gold potatoes boiled, peeled and cubed, into ½ to ¾ inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 hot green chili finely chopped or thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne or use paprika for less heat
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Generous pinch of hing asafetida, optional, or use 1 clove of garlic and add with ginger
  • ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, omit if you don’t have them
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ¼ cup (4 g) chopped cilantro

Method

  1. Boil, peel and cube your potatoes, if you haven’t already and set aside. see notes
  2. Head a skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and toast until they have significantly changed color and are very fragrant. Then add the green chilies and mix in, then add the ginger and mix in.
  3. Then after a few seconds add all the ground spices and salt and mix in. Add the cubed potatoes and toss well to coat. Add the lemon juice and fenugreek leaves and mix in well and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 1-2 minutes to let the spices infuse and coat the potatoes.
  4. Uncover, add cilantro, mix well and take off heat.
  5. Serve as is or as your breakfast potatoes or as a side with indian food or add to wraps or sandwiches. Or serve as a Chaat snack topped with onion, tomatoes and cilantro chutney or lemon juice

Enjoy!

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

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 – Roasted Cabbage Steaks

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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

December Affirmations – Day 9

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It is important to not only give love, but also to receive it – when you accept the love you receive, it means that you know that you are valuable and worthy of love, which will make you appreciate how precious of a human being you are, with your uniqueness in experiences, thoughts, and skills.

When you are grateful for the love you give as well as that you receive, you will be closer to a happy life.

I am eternally grateful for the love I am capable of giving, and for the love I am yet to receive

Recipe Sunday – Hot Cocoa Cookies

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Happy Sunday, my beauties! You might have seen that last week I shared some December Affirmations, just some words or phrases to give you a bit of respite from not only the Holidays madness, but also to give our minds some rest from what is happening (and it has been going on for more than 2 months in Gaza). I hope that seeing these words is helping you cope, even just a little bit better.

If you are like me, all this just makes you seek more comfort food (as it was clear from last week’s Recipe Sunday, with the very decadent Mac and Cheese!). So I’m here to rescue you with these Hot Cocoa Cookies by FromMyBowl – decidedly easy and quick to whip up, with a delicious result (you’ll have to make a double batch of these because they’re sooo good!).

Hot Cocoa Cookies by FromMyBowl

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup cane sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips divided
  • 1/2 cup plant-based mini marshmallows* (about 3-4 per cookie)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the ground flax with the water in a small bowl and mix well; let sit for 5 minutes, to thicken.
  2. Add the butter, brown sugar, and cane sugar to a large bowl and use a hand mixer (or bowl of a stand mixer) to cream them together until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thickened flax seed and vanilla to the butter mixture. Mix again until combined.
  3. Add the flour to the mixing bowl and sift the cocoa powder on top to prevent clumps. Add in cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and mix well with a spatula. Add 1/2 cup of the chopped chocolate to the bowl and fold into the dough.
  4. Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, roughly 3 tablespoons each. Place each cookie dough ball 2” apart on the baking sheet, then top with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate, pressing it into the top of the ball slightly so it sticks. Do not flatten the cookies on the baking sheet as they will spread when they cook.
  5. Bake for 7 minutes, until the cookies have spread and are puffy. Remove the cookies from the oven and quickly press in 3-4 mini marshmallows per cookie; it’s ok if they flatten slightly as you decorate. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes, to set the marshmallows.
  6. Remove the cookies from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes, to allow them to set. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely (or enjoy warm!)
  7. Let the chocolate fully cool and solidify before storing. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to one month.

I hope you’ll enjoy them!

Love,

TVCL xx

December Affirmations – Day 7

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Breathing and being grateful go hand-in-hand: breathing is not only essential for our survival: when this action is performed mindfully, thinking about what we are doing, it will also allow us to take a step back, assess the situation, and give us calm.

With every breath I take, I am bringing more and more gratitude into my life.

There is a breathing technique that I have been doing lately and that has given me a lot of comfort, making me feel grateful for the present:. Take a deep breath in, to the count of three, hold it for the count of three, and then release at the count of three. Do it another couple of times. You can increase the count number, some people get up to ten! I hope this will be helpful!

December Affirmations – Day 6

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Whether for reasons of work, friends, or family, we’re probably going to interact with a lot of people: stores are more crowded so even going to shop for groceries will inevitably be a busy chore; there are those friends who will want to see us before the end of the year to catch up and family dinners.

While this is great for the social butterflies, all this activity might be straining for others and there is potential for triggering social anxiety: if you think someone is suffering from this, please give them space; if they’re trying to set boundaries, respect them.

I always treat others the way I expect to be treated