Vegans Of Faith

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

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

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

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

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

Written by McDonald, T.   |  Date 10th of May 2021  Vegan Gammon and Pineapple is very possible thanks to vBites vegan gammon style roast.  This is a tasty roast that is easy and suitable for many different dishes, but today it is time to reinvent a timeless classic.  What i like about this roast is i can either roast it and then carve it or i can carve it and then roast it, which is what i am going to do with this. Simply cut of two steaks and place in an oven dish with some oil.  Put a ring of pineapple on top of the steaks, cover and put in the oven for 25 minute.  All I have to do now is boil some new potatoes and veg.  You can buy the vBites Gammon Style Roast from Alternative Stores .  Making the onion sauce to go with it is straightforward and easy.  You can find the instructions here .  Hopefully you can see that making the transmission to veganism can be painless and simple.  Being a vegan has improved many people's lives and health. Additionally, it helps the environme

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 10th of April 2021 [you need to set the date] This stir fry sauce is quick and easy and the vegetables are tender and tasty. Unlike other stir fries, this dish has particulate vegetables.   This is a light tasty dish with strong flavours and great textures. The beyond sausage meat has a great taste and releases its flavours into the pan to be soaked up by the vegetables. Serves 2 Ingredients  Tofu x 100g Carrot x 50g Cabbage x 50g Broccoli x40g Brussels Sprouts  x 40g Red chilli x 1/2 Red onion x 1/2 Red and yellow bell peppers 50g each Mushroom x 4 Garlic  x 5 gloves Courgette spiralized  x 60g Creamed coconut to fry the tofu x 1 tbsp Beyond sausage meat x 1/2 link  Sea salt to taste For sauce Soya sauce x 2 tbsps Balsamic vinegar x 2 tsp Water 140ml Apparatus  Frying pan with a lid (this is important)   Spatula  Method  Prepare the tofu.  I press the tofu al night and then coat it in spices such as paprika and cumin. Prepare all the veg and dice t

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 3rd of May 2021 Vegan Sunday dinners may sometimes need a bit of extra calcium and or protein.  In any case, tofu is an easy way to do just that.  However, in order to stay in keeping with a Sunday roast something special needs to happen with the tofu.  What better way to do that than giving the tofu a crispy coating and roasting it in the oven?  Tofu is a great meat alternative, which is loaded with calcium and protein.  The measurements will depend on how much tofu you have to cover.  However, you should have more flour than spices and the salt is to taste. Ingredients  Cornflour  Paprika  Turmeric  Salt Method Prepare the tofu by freezing it and then thawing it and pressing it.  Try to get it as dry as possible. Marinade the tofu in your favourite marinade overnight.  Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and add the tofu minus the marinade.  Shake the tofu piece in the bowl gently until all the pieces have been coated.  Roast in the oven wi

By McDonald, T.   |  Date 1st of May 2021 The rich flavoursome gravy will have you in a dream world.  The root vegetables add a bit of firmness to some bites.  Magnificently, the Gran Chorizo sausage is vegan and loaded with flavour!   Ingredients Pasta Gran Chorizo  Carrot Parsnip Cabbage Tomato paste Garlic Salsa Fruit juice of some kind   Balsamic vinegar  Rosemary Method Marinade the slices of Gran Chorizo overnight in sun dried tomato oil with the garlic and rosemary.   Cut the carrot and parsnips into cubes.  Add all the ingredients to the saucepan and add some water.  Bring to a simmer and hold it there for 10 -15 minutes or until the veg is tender.  At the sometime cook the pasta and add to other ingredients in the other saucepan.  Please leave a comment and subscribe to this blog for more.

Written by  McDonald, T.    |  Date 29th of April 2021 This classic dish is easily veganise with modern mock meats.  This is much easier than you might think.  In a conversation with my meat loving brother and his partner, they both claimed that they don't have the time to prepare a health vegan dinner or healthy any kind of dinner.  They just want something to through in the oven and have done with it. Well this is a very simple and spectacular dinner in no time at all.  All you have to do is cut up some veg and make some stock by boiling a kettle.  You can even cut out the frying the onion and garlic if you want.  In short, this is quick and different with great taste and nutrition. You can have it with rice or potatoes.  Lemon Facts Lemons are thought to be good at elevating depression. The origin of lemons is unknown.  Lemons are packed with vitamin C.  Lemons are symbolic of romance and spiritual cleansing. Lemons where discovered by Christopher Columbus. Serves 2 Ingredients