Wholemeal Upsidedown Choc Caramel Banana Cake

I made this with Keira today & it went down an absolute treat!!! I had never made a cake with wholemeal flour before but it worked well  I also added some ground Flax/Linseed for extra goodness.

Prep a cake tin by lining the bottom with greaseproof paper.
Slather that with vegan spread then add a good half centimetre layer of raw sugar (I used Demerara)
Arrange a chopped banana in the bottom of the tin in any pattern you like :) Now you are ready to make the cake mix.
You will need...

200g Wholemeal Flour
200g Raw Caster Sugar
4Tbs Cocoa Powder
2Tbs Ground Flax/Linseed
1tsp Bicarbonate Soda
1tsp Salt
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Cup Water
2tsp Chocolate Oat Milk
2tsp Cider Vingar
5Tbs Vegetable Oil
150g Chopped Dark Chocolate

Sift the cocoa & bircarb into a bowl add the other dry ingredients & mix.
Make a well in the centre  & pour in the wet ingredients.
Mix well and pour into the pre prepared tin.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 40mins
Cool for 10mins then turn out onto a rack to cool.
Serve with vegan ice cream for an extra layer of decadence xox Enjoy xox

Family Sized Choc Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Here's my recipe for a family size (2Litre) Choc Peanut butter Banana Smoothie!!! 6 X Ripe Bananas
150g Whole Earth Peanut Butter
1 Litre Chocolate Oatly
Make sure you have a big enough bowl/jug to blend!!!!! Healthy deliciousness for the whole family 😆😄😍

Roasted Beetroot Hummus

Take 4 medium size beetroot's and roast them whole in the skins at 180 degrees Celsius for 45mins or until soft.
Once cooled peel the beets, chop them and put into a food processor with:

* 1 drained can of chickpeas
* 3 crushed cloves of garlic
* the juice of 1 lemon
* 2Tbs Olive Oil
* 2Tbs Tahini
* 2tsp Salt

Blend together and adjust the seasoning to your personal taste and enjoy 😊 Below are a couple of ways I served it but the possibilities are endless!!!

Spice Dusted Avocado

This is a lovely easy snack for anytime of the day. I have just cut a whole ripe Avocado & put each half on a Potato Waffle I heated in the toaster & sprinkled over Kashmiri Chilli Powder, Ground Cumin, Kalwanji (Nigella) Seeds, Salt & Pepper & chopped Spring Onions.

Use your favorite spices if you don't like the ones I have used :)

Polish inspired New Potato & Beetroot Salad

My lovely Polish friends Joanna & Ola taught me how to make this dish at work. I have just added New Potato's to it. The original recipe uses egg mayo but I just switch it and use Vegan Mayo.

Again this is another recipe where you don't need weights and measures just use the combination & amounts of ingredients that works for you.

*You will need to roast the beetroot whole in the skin then peel and chop them to bite sized pieces once cool. Alternatively you could use the pre cooked packets you can pick up for less than a pound at the supermarket. I mostly use these if im honest!!!

*New potatoes boiled whole in salted water till tender & cooled. If they are on the larger side cut them to match the bite size beetriot pieces.

*Chopped fresh Dill

*Chopped Orgorki Kwaszone (Polish Sour Gherkins)

*Cooked Barlotti Beans

*Crushed Garlic

*Vegan Mayonaise

Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste with Salt & Pepper & enjoy.

3 Dip Dinner

Roasted Pumpkin Spinach & Almond Pesto

1 x Butternut Squash or any kind of pumpkin

1 x large onion, chopped

3 x cloves Garlic, chopped

500g Spinach, washed

200g toasted Flaked/Nibbed Almonds

Salt &Pepper

* Peel, deseed and chop the pumpkin. 

*Lightly coat with olive oil and season with salt & pepper

*Roast in an 180 degree oven till soft, golden and caramelised

*Meanwhile sauté the chopped onion till soft on a medium heat then add the garlic and spinach

*Once the spinach has wilted put the mix into a colander to drain

*Put everything into a food processor and blend to desired consistency 

*Season to taste and enjoy :)Spicy Kidney Bean Dip

2 x tins drained Kidney Beans

1x Fresh Lime, juiced

1/2 bunch Fresh Coriander

3 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Ground Coriander

1 x Red Chilli, finely chopped

1 x clovd Garlic, crushed

1/4 cup water

Salt & Pepper

* Put everything into a food processor and blend to desired consistency & season to taste

Babaganoush

2 x large Aubergines

1/2 bunch Fresh Coriander

1 x clove Garlic, crushed

2 tsp Agave

2 tsp Tahini

Salt & Pepper

* Char the aubergines over a gas flame and finish cooking in the oven for another 20mins or until soft

* Once cooled enough to handle peel the aubergines, being careful not to get any of the burnt skin with the flesh as this will make it very bitter

* Place everything in a food processor and blend to the desired consistency and season to taste

Almost Raw Mexican Inspired Corn Tortilla Wraps

You could make these raw if you wanted I prefer the spinach wilted but it would be just as good with chopped raw spinach :)
Again you can use this list of ingredients as a base and add or exchange what I've used for your favourite ingredients. Also the amounts are up to you too add more or less of ingredients depending on your tastes. That is the best way to cook :)

Ok so for the filling I just wilted the spinach and chopped everything else up and mixed it sll together

Fresh Corriander
Sweet Long Red Peppers
Sweetcorn
Wilted Spinach
Avocardo
Red Onion
Spring Onions
Chilli Kidney Beans
(you can make your own chilli beans but I find that Morrisons or Asdas own canned kidney beans in chilli sauce are a nice quick easy substitute :)
Fresh Lime Juice
Salt & Pepper

I topped mine with

Cashew Cheddar (I will post this recipe in a seperate post)
Jalapeños 

Cumin & Corriander Coconut Sauce

To make the Coconut Sauce...

1 x tin Coconut milk
2Tbs Ground Corriander
1Tbs Ground Cumin
1tsp Chilli Powder
The juice of one Lime
Salt & Pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a blender and wizz for a minute or so. If you wanted to make a sour cream type consistency use Coconut Cream instead of the runnier milk.

Also for the second batch I made a Organic Tomato salsa

4 Fresh very ripe tomatoes

1 Red Onion 

2tsp Ground Cumin

1tsp Gound Corriander

1/4 of a bunch chopped Fresh Corriander

2 Red Chill

Salt & Pepper to taste

1tsp Agave

Blend everything together with a hand blender or food processor

6 weeks today :)

So it has been 6 weeks already!!! It seems to have flowen by! I would like to thank everyone that has supported me on my journey.  You may be pleased to know that I have decided to stay mostly Vegan. My boyfriend is now a Lacto Ovo Vegetarian because of my experiment. I have decided that I will eat the eggs from my chickens occasionally and some local cruelty free cheese every now and then. We will be staying off meat, milk and mass processed cheeses. I also believe in eating local honey (not mass produced) The honey business is keeping our bee population alive at the moment and I believe without bees we will all be In very deep trouble. So if I have to give myself a label It would probably be  Lacto Ovo Vegetarian although I prefer Environmental "Mostly" Vegan ;)
Anyway I will still be posting only Vegan recipes on this blog. I may do a seperate Vegetarian one in the future..... 

Gluten Free Aubergine Pizzas

I threw these together the other night for a little starter that satisfied my pizza craving!!!

I made a tomato, garlic and basil pizza sauce and put  it on top of fried slices of aubergine and topped it with my cumin and mint vegan feta. Baked for 20mins and topped with fresh basil leaves they were to die for. Also as is true with pizza they were even yummier cold later on (they didn't last long enough to be breakfast the next day!!!)

Cumin Seed & Mint Cashew Feta

1 2/3 Cups Cashew Nuts 

(soaked overnight in cold water, discard the water before use as it will contain any dirt or toxins that were in the nuts)

1 Cup Water

2 tsp salt

1 Heaped Tbs Nutritional yeast

1Tbs Lemon Juice 

(approximately 1 lemon depending on the juiciness)

1tsp Apple Cider Vinegar 

(preferably unprocessed,  still with the mother)

4Tbs Coconut Oil

(2 for in the mix and 2 for drizzling on top once cooked)

1 heaped tsp Agar Agar Powder mixed to a paste with 3Tbs Warm Water

(Agar Agar, for those of you who don't know,  is a natural thickening agent derived from Seaweed.  It is available from most healthfood shops in powder or flake form. Powder is a must for this recipe. An interesting fact about agar agar... although it sets liquid like gelatin, unlike its animal alternative Agar Agar can be warmed to approx 30 degrees before it melts making it possible to fry this feta without it falling apart. Also I will put my recipe for warm Elderflower Jelly up if anyone is interested. Please let me know!!! :)

3Tbs Whole Cumin Seeds 

(Toasted. 1Tbs for on top and the rest to be mixed through)

3Tbs Fresh Mint, Organic if possible 

(ripped or shredded with a blunt knife to release the essential oils. 1Tbs to go on top before cooking then the rest after)

Put the drained Cashews and Fresh Water in a good strong food processor and blitz till smooth and creamy. This will take approximately 5 mins depending on the strength of your blender.

Add the rest of the ingredients except the mint, cumin seeds and coconut oil that should be kept aside for garnishing after cooking.

Line a loaf tin with grease proof baking paper and pour the mix in. The size and shape of tin is entirely up to you. I used a 20cm loaf tin. If you are using a cake tin or larger loaf double the mix if you want a thicker cheese. Sprinkle the remaining Cumin seeds and 1Tbs of the mint on top.

Bake at 150 degrees Celsius on the bottom shelf for 40mins. I like to turn it at the 20min mark to ensure an even bake.

Once you remove it from the oven sprinkle the remaining mint and coconut oil over the top and leave to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. After the hour wrap the whole tin in cling film and refrigerate for 12 hours. If you want to eat it after the hour it is fine but leaving it for the 12 hours helps develope the flavour and a hard texture more suited to frying so it is completely up to you :) Enjoy!!!

Check out my Instagram page for serving suggestions and inspiration xox

Quick and easy pickles

Thses quick pickles are a great staple for any fridge. They are a great snack straight out the jar, a nice quick side salad (no need for dressing, just mix your favourite veg pickles together) or as an accompaniment to sushi. The possibilities are endless!

I will give you the recipe I used for this lot but it is just a guideline as everytime I make them I use a different spice mix, vinegar or sugar. So feel free to change it up depending on  your favourite ingredients or whats in your cupboard.

2 cup of distilled vinegar (rice wine vinegar gives a lovely flavour too)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 stick of cinnamon
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
3 cloves
1 birds eye chilli (split in half)

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Leave to cool for an hour then strain an pour into sterilised jars fill with slices if your favourite fresh vegetables.

This week I used fresh organic baby carrots, kohlrabi and turnip.

Other veg I love with this recipe are red onion, ginger, radish, cabbage, cucumber, fennel, horseradish and celeriac just to name a few.

Have fun and enjoy experimenting :)

Thing's I have noticed about myself and my surroundings since going Vegan.

*Our rubbish bin no longer smells bad
*The amount of rubbish has dramatically reduced due to not consuming meat or processed foods
*Food tastes so much better
*I don't need or feel like I have to eat loads of food in one go. I used to be able to polish off a foot long subway with ease. I doubt I would get through a 6 inch now not that I even crave it anymore.
*I actually feel hunger. Before I would eat and eat just because it was meal time or I thought I was hungry but I know now it was more thought and habit rather than actual hunger.
*The money we spend on food has dropped dramatically.  People who say they can't afford to live healthily have obviously never tried very hard!!!
*The way I view farming has dramatically changed
*They way I view food and cook as a chef has also dramatically changed.
*Our milk consumtion has gone from 3 to 4 litres a week to half a litre

Ups and Downs

This week I have really been feeling drained :( I woke up on Wednesday morning with super sore swollen eyes (pic supplied lol thank you toxins) thankfully I was off work and could (and did) spend the whole day in bed dozing off and on with fresh Alo Vera and a cool face cloth on my eyes. I have started taking a spoon of Blackstrap Molasses in the mornings for a bit of extra iron and calcium and have ordered some Spirulina tablets which should be here next week. As well as trying to eat my weight in spinach and bananas as often as possible :)

I had a better day yesterday :) After my Angel Card reading with the lovely Erica I went for a nice long walk with a stop for a bit of meditation in the sun by the river. After some shopping and walking home with it, I still had the energy to do some gardening,  clean out the chicken coop, cook potato + vegetable cakes and mushroom + water chestnut steamed dumplings for dinner :) (I will post pics and recipes in another post)

Post Meditation selfie in the sun :)

Im on Instagram, follow me!!!

Please check out my instagram alternative_chef_steph
I post more pictures on there, so if you see something you like on there tell me and I will put the recipe on my blog :)

A Weighty Effect!!!

I should have done this post after the first week but I just haven't got round to it untill now. I will update it each week every monday from now on and having to actually post it for everyone too see will hopefully keep me motivated to do some exercise and not eat too much yummy vegan cake!!!

*Week 1 I lost 1.5kg :) (No extra exercise, just from switching to a Vegan Diet)

*Week 2 no change (I sated my egg and dairy cravings with yummy vegan cake. Note to self Not your best idea!!!!!!)

*Week 3 Another kilo gone :) maybe this week I will exercise.....

*Week 4 So stoked 1.2kgs gone this week!!! I have been walking home every day from Strood (about 25mins walk) 14.3kgs to go to get to my goal weight :)

*Week 5 Not a good week for weight loss :( too much Guinness and good times with friends! :) Maybe next week will be more successful... for the weigt loss ;)

*Week 6 The last week of my trial...

To egg or not to egg..?

So I have been thinking about whats going to happen with my diet when I finish the initial 6 week strict Vegan diet.
I am surprised I really haven't missed meat that much at all so I really don't think I will go back to eating it. I don't miss milk either but I do really miss cheese... So maybe I will occasionally indulge in some local cheeses If I can ascertain that the animals are kept properly and not forced to produce loads of milk through constant  pregnancy.
And so to my main question "To egg or not to egg?" I keep chickens we had 8 but lost Beatrice a few weeks ago so now we only have 7 :( but even so we still have loads of eggs!!! Now my thinking is that I should continue eating eggs once my initial 6 weeks is up because they are completely Organic,  Free Range and Cruelty Free. I mean these are probably the most spoit chickens in the world!!! So those of you who are Vegan would you? And to anyone reading this that isn't what are your views also?

Chinese Stemed Vegetable Dumplings

I adore authentic Chinese food especially dumplings!!! I always have a packet or two of dumpling skins in my freezer for a quick and easy dinner. If I have a bit more time I make my own skins or steam bun pastry, I will post my recipes for those another day :)

For this filling I sauted onion, spring greens, cabbage, chestnut mushrooms, spinach, ginger and garlic till everything was soft then folded through chopped spring onion and seasoned to taste with dark and light soy, black vinegar and Shaohsing Wine. But you can used any combination of your favorite veges :)

Wrap a spoonful of mix in each skin and steam for approximately 10mins then enjoy with your favourite dipping sauce.
I mix light soy, my homemade chilli oil, black vinegar, sweet chilli sauce, toasted sesame oil and chopped spring onion.

Hearty Hashbrown Breakfast :)

Home-made hash browns are sooooooooo delicious and so simple, every time I make them I kick myself for not making them more often!

All you need is

1kg waxy yellow potato (I used Desiree)
2 large Spanish onions

Scrub the potatoes clean and place them whole in pot of cold well salted water.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins.
Drain and let cool for half an hour
(if your in a hurry you can skip the cooling step and use clean rubber dish gloves for the next step)
Grate the potatoes on the larger side of the grater, followed by the onions.
I grate mine without peeling because I don’t mind a few bits of potato skin in the mix but If you want them to be neater you can peel the skin off after cooking.
Season the mix with salt and pepper, mould into desired shapes and shallow fry on a medium heat. If you like thicker hash browns finish them on a tray in the oven at 180°C for 10 mins

Serve them on their own with a dipping sauce as a snack or as the platform for any of your favourite scrumptious breakfast ingredients :) or any other meal for that matter!

Today we had them with lightly blanched Organic English Asparagus and fried Organic English Chestnut Mushrooms and Spinach.

Tofu Scramble

Tofu scramble is a lovely vegan breakfast. I will list the ingredients I used to make the scramble in this picture but you should use it as a base recipe and add ingredients you love to personalise it :)

1 x packet of Cauldron Firm Tofu

1 x red onion

7 x chestnut mushroom

4 x slow roasted tomatoes or sun blushed

1 x packet of fresh baby spinach

4 x cloves of garlic

3Tbs of Vegan pesto

Fry the onions and mushrooms till soft add the garlic, spinach and tofu and cook gently until all the moisture has evaporated and everything starts to colour slightly. Turn off the heat and stir through the tomatoes and vegan pesto. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

I have served it here on toast rubbed with a garlic clove when hot then spread with olive oil spread but you could serve it in loads of different ways. On home-made hash browns, herb and garlic roasted Portobello Mushrooms, vegan cornbread or in a burrito wrap just to name a few. 

The most important thing is to have fun cooking and eating it :) Enjoy :)

Unintentional Detox...

Wow ok so when I decided to take on a vegan diet for 6 weeks it really didn't occur to me at all that I would be hit with a massive wave of toxins all fighting to leave my body at once!!!!
A few days in I started getting a really bad flair up of eczema,  puffy swollen itchy eyes, fatigue and irritability. At first I didn't think much of it, maybe I was coming down with something until I googled my symptoms and came across a whole bunch of people describing how they went through something similar when they switched to a vegan diet!!! 
So now it's dawning on me what kind of effective meat and dairy really have on our bodies...

A little intro...

Ok so I really wasn't that prepared for this 6 week Vegan experiment. I honestly didn't think it was going to be a big deal but one week in and I have decided to start this blog to share my experiences.

I recently started working as a chef at Fortify, a vegan/vegetarian café.
Which if you asked anyone in my family they would say was pretty unlike me as I grew up on a small lifestyle farm in New Zealand, eating meat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in-between too if possible!!!

I have been a chef for over 13 years now and have worked in kitchens all shapes and sizes around the world including top restaurants in London, my biggest achievement being hired personally by John Torode to be his Pastry Chef at Smiths of Smithfields. I have always had an interest in Vegetarian/Vegan food and was always the go to girl for Veggie and dietary requirement dishes as most chefs weren't really bothered to do more than a salad.. as Im sure many of you are already aware!!!
I have experimented at work & home but have never cooked Vegetarian/Vegan food solely for a living. So having to cook and invent mostly vegan dishes for work I decided to undertake a 6 week vegan diet to help me understand the lifestyle and hopefully inspire me to create new and exciting recipes for the customers at Fortify, friends, family and of course myself to enjoy.

I will be posting as often as I can with updates and recipes so watch this space...