Vegan Effect

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 9th of December 2024 If you are looking for a true piece of decadence, this is it. Plenty of flavour from the rum and raisins and plenty of sweetness from the chocolate and coconut cream.  This dessert takes longer to chill than it does to make, so if you are sort of time, this could be for you.  All you have to do is soak the raisins overnight and make the dessert in the morning and put it in the fridge.  When you get home, the dessert will be more than ready. 

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 2nd of December 2024 If you want to make your pecan pie a little more fancy for this Christmas holiday, why not add some bourbon?  Yes, adding alcohol to desserts will always make them a little more Christmasy!  This vegan pecan pie is great and I think it is perfectly ok to cheat a little and use pre-rolled pastry, just be sure it is vegan. 

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 25th of November 2024 Christmas is the time for baking!  If you would like to have a little treat that is like a Christmas cake, but much quicker and easier, this cake is for you.  It is full of flavour and different texture to delight the senses with every bit. It is full of fruit such as figs and cherries has nut too and looks great dusted with a little icing sugar.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 18th of November 2024 Vegan chilli is packed with nutrition!  Yes, not just is it really tasty, it's also high in roughage , dietary fibre and protein. This is another great comfort food that I would have as a child growing up in England.  It makes any winter night much more fun, so I hope you decide to give it a try, especially if you are a new vegan.  Traditionally, this dish is made with minced beef, we will be using vegan mince, which is lentils and tvp. Notes TVP is Textured Vegetable Protein. It is sometimes known as soya mince or soya curls. This dish keeps well!  You know that it is going to taste even better the next day.   Serves 4 Time, 30 minutes approx, which includes prep time.  More if you use dried lentils. Ingredients Green lentils x 80 g TVP x 8 tbsp (47 g) Onion x 100 g Tin chopped tomatoes x 400 g Tin of red kidney beans x 240 g drained weight Yeast extract x 1 tsp Cider vinegar x 4 tbsp Lemon...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 11th of November 2024 This is a relatively easy pizza.  I say relatively because it can be a little tricky, but not impossible.  The key is to stay calm and not try to rush it. With this in mind, if this is your first time at making a pizza dough with a high hydration, do it on a day that you have time to think and follow the instructions at a pace that suits you. The results are well worth the perseverance and the more you make this recipe the better and easier it gets. I have used vegan pepperoni, but you can use any toppings that you like.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 4th of November 2024 Focaccia is great Italian bread that is easy to make and will impress any dinner guests.  It is light and soft with amazing bubbles, texture, and taste.  I have made a wholemeal version before using strong bread flour.  This time, I thought I would try the more common type using plain flour.  I was pleasantly suppressed on how it turned out. Hydration is at 84% Baker's notes Flour 100% (500 g) Water 80% (400 g) Yeast 1.4% (7 g) dry  [Fresh is 4% (20) g]  Salt 1.8% (9 g) Makes one 800 g focaccia Ingredients Plain flour 500 g Instant dry yeast x 7 g Salt x 9 g Water x 420 g Olive oil x 2 tbsp (you will need another 3 tbsp to grease the pan and more for on top) Apparatus Dough scraper Danish dough whisk Spatula Large mixing bowl Large baking dish  Method  Mix all the dry ingredients together and add the lukewarm water.  Use the Danish dough whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredie...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 28th of October 2024 This is very much like a vegan cheesecake or key lime pie, so if you like those, you really need to try this recipe! Yes, it does include pumpkin spice and has all the flavour of autumn. Although it is called a cheesecake, it doesn't even use vegan cream cheese. Instead, I have just used pumpkin purée and coconut oil to hold it together. With this in mind, you might think, will it stay firm?  The answer to that is yes! The base uses dates and almonds, which is brilliant in taste and texture, but if you can't have nuts, you can use digestive biscuits. Just check they are vegan.

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 21st of October 2024 This beautiful breakfast has a lot of warmth to it both in colour and taste.  The pumpkin spice brings out the natural flavours of the already terrific dish.  The pumpkin spice is made up from cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.  Perfect for this time of year. Serves 1 Ingredients 1/2 a cup (40 g) of rolled oats  1 cup (250 ml) of coconut alternative to milk  1 tsp of chia seeds   1 tsp of flax seeds  1 tsp of ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp of ground ginger 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg  1/8 tsp of ground cloves 1/8 tsp of salt 15 g of sultanas  Apparatus A jar Method Put the 1/2 a cup of oats into the jar with the sultanas, flax seeds, chi seeds, spices, salt, and sugar, into the jar.    Poor the coconut milk in and give it a good stir.   Place in a fridge overnight. Serve on its own or with fruit of your choice.  I hope that you liked this blog and if ...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 14th of August 2024 This traditional British dish is traditionally made with minced lamb, but we are going to use a tried and tested vegan alternative of green lentils and tvp.  I find this dish fantastic for brighting up any dull day. Its richness in tastes and textures make it a sensational delight for any day in the week.