Vegan Effect

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 24th of June 2024 No need for kneading makes it so easy! All you have to do is mix all the ingredients together and leave it overnight before baking it the next day. Adding in some folding will improve your bread no end while the salt and sugar help to preserve it for longer although it's not likely to be around long if you know what I mean. Waste Short term waste: Zero  Long term waste: Flour packaging Yeast packaging Sugar packaging  Salt container  Mix the dry ingredients together. Sticky dough. After 12 hours, put into a big pot. Notes Hydration is at 80%, but you can go higher. Baker's notes Flour 100% (500 g) Water 86% (430 g) Yeast 1.4% (7 g) dry  [Fresh is 4% (20) g]  Salt 1.8% (9 g) Makes one 800 g loaf Ingredients 250 g white strong bread flour 2 50 g wholemeal strong bread flour 1 tsp of sugar (optional, but advisable) 9 g Salt   ...

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 4th of March 2024 This is a very simple, yet very tasty meal!  I discovered this one by accident and it is one of those lets through some stuff together and see what happens type dinners that turned out amazing!

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 10th of July 2023    If you want a very simple side dish or even dinner, this is so easy and quick! I love this dish because it is tasty and goes well with a lot of things.  You have two options: use white rice or cauliflower rice.  I hope you chose the cauliflower rice option because it is so good!

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 26th of June 2023 If you need something zingy and refreshing, this is a must.  This dish can be eaten on its own, but is usually served with veg or mock meat including tofu.  It has a sweet and powerful flavour that excites the taste buds. Easy and quick to prepare. Serves 1 Time 5- 8 minute Ingredients Couscous x 60 g Dried dates x 2 or 3 Dried apricot x 2 or 3 Sultanas x 1 tbsp Red onion x 20 g Red bell pepper x 20 g Peas x 20 g Balsamic vinegar x 1 tsp Juice of 1/2 lemon   Zest of one lemon Salt to taste Method Prepare the couscous as directed from the packet. Add the saltus and peas to the couscous. Chop the remaining dried fruit into small pieces and add to the couscous. Finely chop the remaining veg and add to the couscous.  Add the lemon juice and zest, balsamic vinegar and salt.  Mix until evenly combined.    Serve with salad or aubergine steaks.  I hope that you liked this blog and if you ...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 15th of May 2023 Omelettes are one of those things I miss. However, thanks to crackD we have an easy way to make them. This Chinese omelette is sweet, different, and tasty.   Although, the crackD egg replacement struggles with this dish, it is still good and better than nothing.

  Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 22nd of August 2022 If you love potatoes as much as I do, you will love this dish too!  Very simple, but will add that extra layer of taste to your meal.  Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrate, are sweet and delicious.  You can serve these on their own or with your main meal. 

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 26th of November 2021  I used to really like pate before seeing the light and becoming a vegan.  Subsequently, I needed to find a vegan pate.  After many experiments, I think this is the one that hits the mark and satisfies my need for pate. Lovely mushroom flavour and great firmness.  As a snack, I love to have this on toast. 

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Updated 24th of March 2024 Yorkshire puddings are a tasty part of Sunday dinner in the UK not to mention Christmas and Easter.  With this in mind, a vegan alternative is required to satisfy the patriots dinner plate.  I looked for a long time and tried many different recipes, but in the end I had to alter the best basic vegan recipe to make it perfect.

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 3rd of September 2021 You are new to cooking and you want to make something different to go in your sandwiches, on your crackers with your vegan cheese or something to add to the side of your plate at dinner time.  Onion chutney , a sweet onion gooey delight, is great for any of those and if you make enough of it, it will last for ages in the fridge.  However, it is best if you leave it for a few weeks before you start consuming it.  Can last for about six months in the fridge. Literature search  The Guardian (2010) ' Caramelised Onion Chutney Recipe '    Guardian News & Media Limited .  Available at https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/03/caramelised-red-onion-chutney-recipe (Accessed on 16/08/21). Palmer, N.   (2021) ' Onion Chutney Recipe ' Good To Know. Available at https://www.goodto.com/recipes/onion-chutney (Accessed on 16/08/21) Tesco (n.d.) ' Caramelised Onion Chutney Recipe ' Avail...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 9th of August 2021 I love bread!  These rolls are quick and easy to prepare and the rest of the time is just waiting.  If you want a no fuss bared, this is it! Makes 4 large, 6 medium or 8 small crusty rolls. Waste Short term waste: Zero  Long term waste: Flour packaging Yeast packaging Salt container    Sugar package  Ingredients  1.5 cup of self raising flour (195g) 1.5 cups rye flour (195g) 2g of instant yeast 1 tsp of salt 2 tsp of caster sugar  310ml (1.25 cups) of warm water Method Step 1 Mix all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Add the warm water a bit at a time and stir until you get a very sticky dough, see figures 1 and 2. Cover and leave for a minimum of 3 hours (i leave mine overnight on the counter in the kitchen).  Figure 1, make a well and poo in water. Figure 2, mix until you get a sticky grey dough. Step 2 The dough should be puffed up and bubbly, see figure 3 Use a...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 30th of July 2021 Guacamole makes a great dip or sandwich filling.  You may have bought it from a shop in the past in which case you know it comes in a plastic container, which you might not know is harmful to the wildlife. Thankfully, it is easy to make and if you shop wisely picking out the loose veg it can be completely zero waste too. Waste Zero package waste if you buy the ingredients loose. Serves 3-4 Ingredients  Avocado x 1 large Garlic x 3 gloves Tomato x 1 Pepper 20g Onion 20g Lime x 1/2 Method Mash the avocado in a bowl. Chop up the tomato, garlic and pepper then add them to the avocado. Add the lime juice and mix. Store or serve. Please like and share with your friends.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 9th of July 2021  This is great for stuffing in something like a bell pepper. Very tasty dish that has its origins in Star Trek.  It is great on its own, but is better as a side dish to complement your feast. Serves 2 Ingredients  Mushrooms x 60g Aborigine x 70g Onion x 1/4 Cranberries x 1 x tbsp Garlic x 2 cloves Nutritional yeast x 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar x 1 tsp Soy sauce x 3 tbsp Method Heat a frying pan to a medium heat and add some oil. Dice all of the veg ingredients, add to the frying pan and stir. Mix all of the wet ingredients together and poor into the frying pan.  This will result in a lot of steam, which is good, but now you need to put the lid on to keep the steam in.  Add the nutritional yeast with B12. Keep checking every minute and stir.  Add more liquid if it starts to dry out.  Once the veg has softened, turn the heat off. You can add spinach or kale to the recipe to give it more nutriti...

  Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 23rd of June 2021   While looking around for different types of bread, i found several posts for making lentil bread and i though i would give it a try.  However, when i looked in the cupboard all i had was yellow split peas.  Nonetheless, i thought i would give it a try to see what it was like.  This has 2 basic ingredients: yellow split peas and water.  The salt is optional and you could even add some sugar if you want.  Blended yellow split peas Serves 4 Ingredients  Yellow split peas x 0.5 cups Water x 300ml Salt x a pinch (optional) Method Soak the split peas in the water for 4 hrs or better still overnight. Without draining, add the split peas and the water into a blender and blend until a creamy paste forms. This should take about 1 -2 minutes on high speed. Poor a thin layer into a hot frying pan.  Use the back of a tablespoon to shape it into a circle if needed.  Use the flippe...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 17th of June 2021 If you like Salsa, this is a great way to make it zero waste.  Why buy expensive products in plastic when you can just make them yourself without the plastic packaging for less?  Just remember to buy the loose ingredients. Salsa is the easiest thing to make.  It is low in calories and goes with most things.  Waste Short term Zero. Long term  Zero if you don't use salt or can get it without the packaging. Ingredients  Tomatoes x 5 Onion x 1 small Chillies or Jalapeno peppers x as hot as you like! Salt x a dash (optional)  Herbs (optional) Water x 2 tbsp Method  Step 1 Chop three of the tomatoes and the onion.  Pulse in a blender or continue chopping.  The idea is to get small chunks of tomato and onion not a paste. Poor out into o bowl or container.  Step 2 Blend the remaining two tomatoes to a paste.  Poor the tomato paste over the chopped tomatoes and onion. ...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Updated 4th of August 2021 This is the easiest bread in the world!  Just two ingredients sweet potato and flour for the basic recipe.  You can use plain or wholemeal flour the choice is yours; furthermore, you have the option to add salt and or nutritional yeast for extra flavour and nutrition.  Although the official ratio of potato to flour is one to one, I usually find I need a little more flour.

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 7th of June 2021 Spicy potato wedges are potato cut into wedges and covered in spices.  I like eating this dish but i don't want the bag that comes with it if i buy them from a shop.  Since i can buy potatoes lose, i decided to make my own.  It is possible to use any type of potato such as white, red , new or even sweet potato . Likewise, the choice of spices is up to you although using hot spices like cayenne pepper is traditional. I chose white potato of medium size and no eyes because when cooked they have a nice sweet taste with a soft texture and they is no need to boil them first or remove bits, which spoils the presentation. The spices covered the potato wedges well, but i did need to add a bit more cayenne pepper.  Putting the spices in a bowl with the wedges and shaking them around worked well and will be my standard way to coat them from now on.  It also could work well for coating tofu in the fu...