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Showing posts from May, 2021

Going Zero Waste: The Report

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 31st of May 2021          Are you someone with an environmental conscience?  Do you care about the wildlife?  If the answer is yes, then this report is for you.  You might think saving the world and helping the wildlife is for specialist people with expensive skills.  Not so.  You can play a role in solving one of the biggest problems in the modern world by adopting a zero waste lifestyle and reducing your waste. Abstract In recent years, I have found myself drawn towards an idea of reducing my waste to zero for environmental reasons but was not sure what to do.  The problem of household waste is that much of it might end up in land fill and create problems for the environment, which prompted me to investigate deeper and find out if it was easy and was it realistically possible?  I started off by searching the internet for clues and literature that could help because I needed a place to start and thought this is the best way.  First, I s

Lemon and Lime Pickle

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 29th of May 2021 I love a good vegan curry, but i never tried making my own lime pickle to go with it.  I only had 2 limes and a lemon, so I'm making lemon and lime pickle today.  I used a mayonnaise jar to store it in because it is better to reuse stuff rather than keep buying new things and i ask you to do the same.  This side dish is a great accompaniment to any curry or as a starter.  Sometimes i have it on its own with some bread as a snack. Ingredients  1 Lemon  2 limes 4 cloves of garlic 1/8 onion   1 tsp ginger 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp paprika  1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp mustard powder 2 tsp of salt 3 tbsp brown sugar 4 tbsp of cider vinegar  Water Rapeseed oil  Apparatus  A glass jar to put the pickle in Saucepan Sharp knife Chopping broad Wooden spoon Method Cut up the lemons and limes into bit size pieces then put in a bowl with the salt. Stir until everything is covered in the salt and leave for a day or two in the fridge. You can get straig

What Is Beyond Sausage Meat Like?

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Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 28th of May 2021   I wanted to try out something new, so i tried a Beyond meat Beyond Sausage , a type of vegan sausage.  I chose Beyond meat because i had heard a lot about it and i wanted something meaty and i had not tried this before. Overall, i really liked it, but it was expensive.  The thing i like the most was the flavour and the slight crisping to the skin. Advantages  Tastes really good will a fantastic texture.  Cooks easy and is still good if it is over cooked.  Freezes well. Easy to cut up and use in other recipes.  For instance, i chopped up a sausage or link as there are sometimes called to put on a skewer to make kebabs. High in protein and fibre Disadvantages Comes in single use plastic packaging. Very expensive.

How To Make Cauliflower Steak Extra Special

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Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 25th of May 2021 I love a cauliflower steak.  However, there is a way it should be prepared in order to make it truly amazing.  For me, at least, it is all in the marinade.  You don't need anything fancy, just some lemon juice, pepper and paprika.  Now, cook it in the oven for about 25 - 30 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.  Please don't underestimate the importance of the lemon juice because it really adds to the flavour!  What i like about this dish is you can have it with any number of delicious sauces.  I like to have mine with tomato, potato or chips, onion rings and mushroom.  Yum! This is one of the best vegan dishes i have ever come across because of its versatility and taste.

Vegan Hasperat

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 24th of May 2021    Hasperat is a favourite of the Bajoran in Star Trek DS9.  Being a Star trek fan, naturally, i want to eat it a lot.  Some people say it is a stew while others say it is like a burrito, but everyone claims it is spicy.  This recipe is for the burrito and is low in package waste.  If you can get lettuce or baby spinach without the waste then by all means add it. Ingredients  Spice Hummus Cucumber Bell pepper Created carrot  Orange White cabbage Onion Method Made the home made hummus. How the make Hummus . Spread some hummus down the middle of the tortilla and add the veg and salad   Now fold the bottom up and one of the sides over  Now put some more hummus on the side you have just folded over and fold again. Keep folding until done. Now enjoy your Hasperat! As you can see it is very easy and is tasty too! Please like, subscribe and share with your friends. 

Cheesy Pasta and Tofu

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 1st of June 2022 This is a quick and easy dinner for the lead up to Pentecost. Ingredients  Pasta  Leek Broccoli   Small chilli pepper Tofu Vegan cheese sauce (I use free from) Method Boil the pasta Boil the veg Fry the tofu Make the cheese sauce and add the chilli pepper. Add everything to a baking dish a put it in the oven for 15 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Roast veg with Peppercorn sauce

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 22nd of May 2021 Pentecost is in sight and many people will be fasting for the nine days between Ascension day and Pentecost.  Shavuot is also close and has a reputation for dairy.  With this in mind, I came up with this simple dish of roast potatoes and vegetables with a peppercorn sauce.  Since i am vegan, i will be using soya milk instead of dairy.  First, what is Pentecost?  Pentecost is the day the Christians celebrate the birth of the Church, which is why it is common to have a birthday cake on that day.  How to make vegan peppercorn sauce.  

Pentecost Peppers and Mushroom

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 21st of May 2021    I am a great believer in letting food tell a story and Pentecost should be no different.  Since this is the case, lets look at the story and then examine this delightful dish.  Mary, the apostles and the disciples are all in the upper room when the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, descends upon them and is described as being like fire.  Peter, whom Jesus said was the rock that he would build his Church upon, rushes out and preaches to a crowed of Jews from all over the world who were in town for the feast of weeks (Shavuot).  Three thousand people convert to Christianity that day.  The main focus of the story is God's gift of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church.  In this dish red is a theme since red is the colour of Pentecost.  The red peppers and sweet potato represent Pentecost.   The mushroom, which should be a big one, represents Peter.  Turn the mushroom over so it looks like a rock.  The peas represent the thr

Vegan Key Lime Pie

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 18th of May 2021 Do you need a special dessert?  Maybe something for Shavuot, the Jewish Pentecost also known as the feast of weeks, or perhaps for the build up to the Christian Pentecost?  This is an amazing pie made with, surprisingly, avocados. Despite what you might think, it doesn't taste like avocado at all.  This is a great option for vegans during these two festivals because have dairy as part of the festival food, so an alternative is needed.  Since cheesecake is a favourite this time of year, this pie is a great option because it is similar to a cheesecake and vegan.  In Judaism, the milk is symbolic of the Torah given to Moses on Mount Sinai nourishing God's people as milk nourishes a baby.  In Christianity, we usually fast on the lead up to Pentecost, eating one small meal each day with some sort of dairy dish.  For instance, macaroni cheese or potatoes with a milky sauce like parsley sauce or peppercorn sauce and paster or courghe

Pentecost Pasta

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 17th of May 2021     With Pentecost only days away at the weekend we need a dinner with a story to tell!  Since red is the colour of Pentecost, this dish is mainly red. Red pepper, red lentil pasta and tomatoes, which are red.  Undoubtedly many of you will be fasting for nine days before Pentecost and some of you will find all of this new.  Whatever stage of understanding you are at, you will all understand a really great dinner!  Since you are vegan or are looking to try something vegan, you will be used to trying something new.  If you want to stick to some Sunday dinner like meal. you can.  If you are looking to explore new dishes, this is a great place to start. Ingredients Red lentil pasta x 50g Red lentils x 30g Red bell pepper x 40g Red chilli pepper (to symbolise flames) x 1/2 Red onion x 40g Carrot x 30g Leak x 40g Mushrooms 50g Quorn vegan pieces  x 50g Garlic cloves x 3 Vegan cheese alternative to grate on top Vegetable stock x 150ml Mint s

Mary's Secrete

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Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 16th of May 2021  On the lead up to Pentecost , the Christian festival where we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit, many of us will be completing a novena , a nine day fast, in preparation.  Often, the fast will allow for one small meal each day and this is one such meal.  Usually, i like to give the meals meaning to symbolise the life of Jesus and this is no exception.  This dish serves as a recap of what has happened.  Mary was in her room alone on Easter morning with John and Peter in the next room in Jerusalem after Jesus has been crucified.  Mary is visited by Jesus who has risen from the dead, but has told her to not say anything until Jesus has spoken to Mary Magdalene and the others.  The word Pentecost means 50 and Pentecost is 50 days after Easter Sunday.  That is seven weeks, which is 7 x7 = 49 days with Pentecost on the 50th day.   The vegetables symbolise the harvest festival while the potato is symbolic of the risen Lord.  Jesus di

NoBull Mushroom Steak with Focaccia and Salad

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Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 14th of May 2021 I have seen these steaks in Iceland for a while and i finely got around to trying them out.  As it turns out, these steaks are really good! On the downside, they are a little small and a bit expensive.  The taste of mushroom comes through strong, so if you like mushrooms you will probably like these steaks.  After eating them, i thought they might go well with mint sauce and i further though i could have them in a mixed grill.  Save to say, i will likely have them again.  Serves 1 Ingredients  NoBull Mushroom Steaks x 1 Tofu x 80g  Focaccia x 1 For coleslaw Carrot shredded White cabbage shredded  Vegan mayo x 1 tsp Cider vinegar x Mustard powder x 1 tsp For salad Lettuce x a few leafs Red chilli pepper x 1 (not a really hot one) Tomato x 1 Cucumber x Beetroot x 1 Spices for wedges Potato  x 140g (about 2 new potatoes) Paprika  Salt White pepper Coriander  Spicy Potato Wedges Method  Press the tofu and cut into bite size pieces.  You