Vegan Effect

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 30th of December 2022 I grew up on this.  It is easy to make, makes the kitchen smell amazing and there is no better comfort than this Victorian pudding!  However, this old fashioned pudding can harbour a huge amount of calories.  With this in mind, I decided to reduce the calories and make it a less frightening bit of fun.   So, since it is the new year and you have been dieting in the lead up to Christmas, why not indulge one last time before you get back on that diet? 

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 23rd of December 2022   Getting frustrated with the lack of vegan options lately?  Well, this one is so easy to solve.  It has just four ingredients and is ready in minutes, and you can make it as strong as you like.  In addition, it goes great with Christmas pudding or Christmas cake and is fine hot or cold. Notes I used almond milk because almond and brandy flavours go nicely together. Keeps for about a week in an airtight container in the fridge. Check the brandy is vegan. Makes 5 – 6 servings. Time, 10 minutes.   Ingredients 400 ml of vegan milk 60 g of sugar 25 g of cornflour 6 tbsp of brandy Method Except for 2 tablespoons of the vegan milk, boil the milk with the sugar while stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Take off the heat. Mix the cornflour with the remaining milk and whisk it into the hot milk and sugar and put back on the heat. Keep whisking. Bring back to the boil and remove.  Stir in th...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 19th of December 2022 With Christmas just days away you will need to be prepared for your vegan guests.  Don't worry, in this post I will give you some quick examples of great tasty snack and bits that you can either buy from a shop or make yourself.

  Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 16th of December 2022 Jingle bells, jingle bells… Yes, I am in the mood for Christmas and if you are too, this might be just the thing you were looking for!  It is sweet and fun, which is what people want at Christmas.  These little treats are the precursor to the mince pie.  You can serve them to your friends at your Christmas party and impress them with the history of the English Cuskynoles.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 12th of December 2022 Abstract  Skause is a Viking stew, which contained, boiled meat, vegetables and Mead , an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey and included spices (What Viking Diets Were Really Like, 2021).  I wanted to make something vegan that a meat eater would think of trying.  Being as meat eaters, especially men, see themselves as being a little on the wild side, I needed something that would appeal to the old world fun vibe.  So, when I was looking through old recipes for inspiration, the Viking food immediately jumped out at me.  Bearing in mind I need to appeal to both vegans and especially non-vegans, the mock meat had to be good.  Unfortunately, the mock meat I intended to use, Naked strips, was not available, so I had to improvise.  This resulted in the idea to add three different types of mock meat to the dish.  I struggled to find suitable mock meats at such short notice. ...

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 5th of December 2022 I have had these at Christmas for the last two years.  Although they might not be available this year,  there is still the possibility that they will be, so it is a great idea to look out for them at Sainsbury's.  They are usually only available in the lead up to Christmas and you will likely have to order them to avoid disappointment.  Nonetheless, these No Turkey Parcels from Plant Pioneer are amazing! 

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 2nd of December 2022 I have wanted to make this for a long time.  Plum sauce is a thick sweet and tangy sauce used in a stir-fry, as a dressing or as a dip at your party.  Furthermore, it's easy to make and tasty!  You can spice it up as much as you like or just have it mild.  Whatever you decide to use it for, you will never regret it. Stores for days in the fridge.

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 28th of November 2022 With the Christmas season coming up, it is good to have a few treats in your recipe book to keep these little ones happy.  These are filling and great as a snack but best as a dessert.  They are simple and easy to make and once you have made them you can store them in the fridge for latter.  When you want them, heat them up in the oven for a few minutes.  The fritters are fun, sweet, and tasty!

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 21 of November 2022     If you are short of time, this is great!  Not only is it quick, but it keeps well too in the fridge, and you can even freeze it.  It is ready in 10 minutes and all you have to do is dice some onion and chop a chilli pepper.  

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 14th of November 2021 This is a great meal packed with taste and full of vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, protein and calcium.  The carrot, butternut squash and sweet potato really add a huge dose of beta-carotene that the body turns into vitamin A.  The large amount of red pepper provides vitamin C.  This dish has a strong flavour with a subtle sweetness from the sweet potato and sultanas.