Vegan Effect

  Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 6th of August 2021 This is another thing that i messed as a vegan: meatballs!  I have tried different ones and saw these while shopping online, so i decided to try them out. What I liked This had a really great taste and did seem fairly meaty both in taste and texture.  I had them with spaghetti and vegetables and got two meals out of one can.  The meatballs came in a lovely tomato sauce. What I didn't like This is a difficult one to answer because they really were good.  If i was to nit pick, i would say that although they had a great meaty taste and texture, i thought the meatballs could have been a little more dense.    For a meal in a can, i thought these were great, but a little pricey.  I hope you decide to give this a try. If you do, please let me know what you thought in the comments or on twitter.  Please like, share with your friends and subscribe.   

  By McDonald, T.   |  Date 2nd of August 2021 Are you new to veganism?  Do you want to try something special that is easy to prepare?  If so, this is the dish for you.  It is packed with flavour and easy to use.  When you first go vegan, it's vital to pay attention to nutrition just the same as any other diet; however, unlike a meat eaters diet, a vegan diet lacks B12.  For this reason, i add nutrition yeast with B12 to some dinners. Ingredients  Courgette  Carrot  Parsnips Kale Spinach  Broccoli  Red Bell pepper Chow mein sauce (you could make your own, but i just use a packet sauce) Garlic  Nutritional Yeast with B12 Method Cut the broccoli, carrot and parsnips into strips and fry in a frying pan until they start to go a golden brown.  Add the kale, spinach, garlic and bell pepper.  Add the chow mein sauce.  While this is on a low heat, spiralize the courgette and add it to everything else in the f...

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 26th of July 2021 This is my veganised take on the classic dish Honey and Mustard Chicken.  The sauce is sweet and mustardy with tender pieces of tofu in place of the chicken.  The honey can be replaced by any number of sweetness such as maple syrup, pineapple juice or brown sugar.  It is possible to use any veg that you like in place of the ones i have used. The tofu, mushroom and mustard sauce are the main ingredients. Severs 2  Ingredients  Tofu 200g Onion x 0.5 medium sized Garlic x 3 gloves Broccoli x 60g Cabbage x 60g Carrots x 1 medium sized Parsnips x 1 small Courgette  x 80g Mushrooms x 4 or 5 medium sized  Sauce Mustard powder x 1 heaped tsp English Mustard x 1 heaped tsp Brown sugar or pineapple juice to taste Apple cider vinegar x 2 tbsp Water x 0.5 cup Method  Prepare the tofu . Cut the veg into bite size pieces. Boil the veg just enough to part soften it. Fry the tofu, veg, onion and garli...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 23rd of July 2021     The trick to this is to find a really good press.  I had to get a plastic press out of a lack of choice. However, it does the job.  Once you have mastered the preparation of tofu, your vegan life will never be the same. What Is Tofu? Tofu is bean curd and originated from China where it has been a staple for 2,000 years.  It is made from soy milk where it is coagulated and pressed into white blocks of different firmness.  Silken Firm Extra firm Super firm Why Eat Tofu? Apart from tasting really good when it is prepared correctly, tofu is a great source of calcium, protein and iron.  In addition, it is low in calories.   Although the firmer varieties contain more calories, they also have more nutrition. How To Prepare Tofu. Even though some tofu claim there is no need to press their product, most of us will still want to press it overnight. Steps Freeze the tofu.  This i...

  Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 20th of July 2021         If you are looking for something different or you are just an out and out Trekkie, this dish is for you! Bregit lung is a Klingon dish that is meant to be chunks of lizard, but since i am vegan, i will be using tofu instead.  You can have it on its own or with something else the choice is yours. I like mine with Gagh and veg. This is a dish best served with Grapok sauce. Serves 2 Ingredients  200g of tofu Cumin x 2 tsp Paprika x 2 tsp Cornflour x 2 tsp Salt x 2 dashes Method  Prepare the tofu by pressing it overnight.   Cut tofu into bite size cubes.  Add other ingredients to a bowl then add the tofu pieces.  Toss the tofu around until coated, see figure 1.  Add a little oil and toss around some more.  Place in a backing dish in the middle of an oven preheated to 200 C  and bake for 25 - 30 minutes.  Once ready, leave...

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 19 of July 2021 This is a very tasty little dip that has been inspired by Star Trek.  It have a smoky BBQ flavour and is great for dipping tofu or vegan nuggets. A sauce ideal for Bregit lung . Ingredients BBQ sauce x 3 tbsp Cider vinegar x 2 tbsp Tomato paste x 1 tbsp Soy sauce x 1 tbsp Hot water x 50 ml Method Measure out all the ingredients into a small dipping sauce bowl and mix with a spoon.  Achieving the correct viscosity to the sauce is important because you do not want the sauce to run off the Bregit lung when it is dipped into it.  Neither do you want to think a sauce; you should be able to poor the sauce onto the food.  Aim for a thick gravy like viscosity but thinner than ketchup. I hope you decide to give this a try. If you do, please let me know how it turned out in the comments or on twitter.  Please like, share with your friends and subscribe.    

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 18th of July 2021     This is a vegan interpretation of a British pub classic.  A cauliflower stake in place of the chicken, vegan bacon, BBQ sauce and vegan cheese sauce all combine to create a fantastic dish.  Servers 1 Ingredients For Cauliflower stake Cauliflower  Facon (i used Richmond meat-free rashers) BBQ sauce (I used levi roots Reggae Reggae Jerk BBQ sauce) Vegan cheese sauce   Black pepper Salt Paprika  x 1 tsp Coriander x 1 tsp 1/2 a lemon juiced  For side dish Mushrooms Aborigine Onion  Cabbage  Potato to make wedges Method Step 1 Cut a stake out of the heart of the cauliflower. Put the stake in a baking dish and squeeze the lemon juice over the stake.  Cover in the spices and leave in the fridge for 0.5 hours. Roast in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Prepare the vegan cheese sauce.  Cauliflower in spices Step 2  Take out of the oven and cover with ...

  Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 12th of July 2021       There are many different ways to prepare this dish, but i like to make it with cashew cream.   This is an easier dish than you might think to prepare and is very customisable.  For instance, you can add veg or do without the lime juice.  The main ingredients are the tofu and cashew cream, with is easy to make.  I hope that you like, subscribe 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...