Top 5 Vegan Recipes and Products {veganuary - five on Friday}

Veganuary may be over, but there are a few recipes and products I have added to my weekly shop or recipes I have added to my repertoire also one place I will visit again for their vegan menu.

Not in any particular order:

1. Falafels & Hummus wraps: I was making this recipe for years before I decided to try being vegan and it is still a go to lunch option. Falafels with hummus and spinach, shredded carrots, and either mint sauce or sweet chilli depending on the falafels.

2. Vegan burger from Honest Burgers - are made with Beyond Burger patties, they are the first restaurant in the UK to have these vegan burgers and let me tell you they are good!! I know it might be a bit weird to go to a burger place to get a vegan burger, but the rosemary salted chips are the best so it's always a win-win!

3. Banana bread recipe from bosh! - I have written a separate post for this so check it out here!

image belongs to violife

4. Violife original flavour block: vegan cheese - Cheese was my biggest fear,  I was afraid how it would taste and worried about the texture . Cheese how can vegan cheese hold up against regular cheese? But this one did and I am still using it for recipes and sandwiches.

5. tofu with spicy peanut sauce - this recipe I actually made in February but it was so good even my children liked this one and both ate it right up! Best part is that it goes in the slow cooker and can be left to it's own devices as you sort the rest of your life out.

recipe:
675g extra firm tofu
2 tbsp veggie oil
85g smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
dash of lime juice
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, choppped
1-2 red chillis, depending how hot you want it
350g baby spinach
chopped fresh coriander
brown rice to serve

Cut the tofu into thin squares or rectangles or whatever shapes you want and pat dry to remove any excess moisture before frying in a pan over a medium-high heat flipping until browned on both sides.
While the tofu is doing its thing mix everything except the spinach and coriander in the slow cooker and when the tofu is ready mix it all together and leave on low from 2-4 hours depending on your slow cooker. 15 minutes before serving add the spinach and cook the rice, if using 10 minute rice, and serve with rice and coriander as a garnish.

*note I only used one chilli as my kids don't like it too spicy, but if you like it spicy use another one!
**note two I chop up the coriander stalks and mix them in with the sauce

There were so many other things I tried and tested in my month of being vegan a few honourable mentions are the Goodfella's Vegan Pizza found in the frozen section and also found in the frozen section Ben and Jerry's vegan ice cream and last but not least the Heck vegan sausages.

Being vegan was definitely an experience and it has taught me a lot and as already stated changed a lot in how I do my food shopping and cook!

Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread from Bosh! {recipe review}

The best part of being vegan was this banana bread. I am just sayin'.

It's not the first time I have baked vegan, but it was always with varying results this loaf turned out great and I ate it for days and now make it whenever I have any old bananas lurking around.

The recipe is really simple and easy to make. It's literally just throw everything into a bowl and mix it together and then throw it in the tin and bake! Finding a recipe as simple as this, but tastes just as great is always a winner and the added bonus as that no animals were harmed in the making of this baked good!

If you are looking for a great baking vegan recipe to test the waters I recommend starting with this one!

Banana Bread

250g plain flour
75g light brown sugar
75g white sugar
1½ tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground allspice
110g dairy-free butter
3 ripe bananas
60ml almond milk
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g dark chocolate
50g pecans/walnuts

Preheat oven to 170C fan (190C/gas 5) and line a 1kg loaf tin with parchment paper.

Pour all the ingredients except the dark chocolate and pecans into a food processor or free standing mixer and beat them to a thick mixture. Scrape any excess mixture back into the bowl.
Break the dark chocolate and pecans or walnuts into small pieces and tip them into the bowl. Fold until just combined.
Pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin and put it in the oven.
Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted at the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Take the tin out of the oven and leave the bread to cool to room temperature. Remove the loaf from the tin and cut it into slices to serve.

Banana and Walnut Muffins

No one ever eats a whole bunch of bananas. That's why I generally only buy 3 at a time, one for me and one each for my little people. I could continue down the path of going on about how these muffins are a great way to use up old bananas, but to be honest I bought discounted already brown bananas just so I could make these muffins! 

Actually I had a bag of walnuts in my cupboard - so this time it wasn't the bananas at all! Except for the muffins. The muffins are about the bananas. 

Banana and Walnut Muffins

3-4 ripe bananas, smashed

75g melted butter

190g sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

200g flour

100g walnuts, chopped up

Heat the oven 180C. Mix the smashed bananas and butter together. Mix in sugar, egg and vanilla. Sprinkle in baking powder and salt and mix. Slowly add flour, blending after each addition. Fold in the walnuts and scoop the batter into the muffin pan, lined. Bake 18-25 minutes. 

These muffins are super easy to make! They actually don't take all that long in the oven and can easily be made upon waking up on one lazy weekend morning! 

Baking Lately - the adventures and happenings at United Cakedom

I wouldn't say I loved my job at Sainsbury's, as an online shopper, but I didn't hate it either. I loved being a witness to the sun rising and to scenes like the one above. I loved having my whole day ahead of me, but most of all I loved my co-workers. It was a comfortable environment and we were a great team of people. The only thing that made me want to change my job is that I was tired of dragging myself out of bed at 3:30am for a 4pm start. Picture below was taken on my last day and you can see how tired I am. 

I have found another part time job that suits my lifestyle better. It's just another change in a year of changes. I am looking forward to a new challenge, but sad about leaving behind two years of essentially some really great friendships. There are a handful of people I will be keeping in touch with, and the rest well let's just say thank goodness for Facebook!

One of things I did before I left is bake this Coffee and Walnut Cake for a charity bake sale going to BIBS, the local charity that our branch is currently supporting. Recipe can be found in Nigella's Kitchen on online here! 

I was told it was big hit and I got pictures of people eating it and the empty plate! The bake sale it's self was a big hit and it raised money for a great cause! BIBS (Babies in Buscot Support) is a registered charity that supports babies and their families in the special care baby unit (Buscot Ward) at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. 

This cake is one of many things I have baked lately, but haven't shared with you all! A lot of what I have been baking is stuff I not only have baked before, but also blogged. Here are a few of the things I've been Baking Lately: 

Strawberry & Cream Muffins 

Banana Bread 

(I haven't actually blogged this, but the recipe comes from the hummingbird bakery cookbook.) 

Muesli Flapjacks

So, that's a quick update on what I've been up to lately! I am still baking, but not as frequently nor as experimental as I used to be. I have also been a terrible baking supporter and have missed most of the Great British Bake Off this year. Think I will spend the rest of my Sunday trying to catch up with it as it is the semi-finals this week! 

It is my hope that once I've settled into my new job and I get a new routine set I will have more time to not only bake, but blog and get back into the blogging world! I have missed it as I have been dealing with real life stuff. 

I was all ready to get my Jamberry business off the ground and running and I've literally done nothing in regards to running it as a business, but I am still buying and using them! My latest manicure is called Ribbon Dance and I'm very pleased with it! 

United Jamdom

A link to my sight if you want to check them out! 

There are a lot of new styles for Autumn/Winter! 

Thanks for reading! Do you have a favorite cake or cookie or pastry or bread and so on recipe that you bake over and over again? Leave a comment below I would love to know! 

notes: This post has not been sponsored in any shape or form by any of above mentioned people/places/things! Please see my contact/policy page above for more information!