Home Made Pizza Dough

Who doesn't love pizza and who doesn't love making food. Pizza dough is so simple to make and very impressive! 

Ingredients 

2 cups of strong white bread flour

1/4 of a cup of wholemeal bread flour

Pinch of salt

3/4 of a cup of warm water

1 packet of dry yeast 

Method

1. Mix warm water and dry yeast and set aside for 10 minutes 

2. In a food mixture combined flour, salt and yeast water

3. Mix for 5 minutes and set aside in a cling filmed bowl (this can be left to one side for between 1 hour to 4 hours)

4. Take the dough mixture out of the bowl and kneed on a floured worktop

5. Place back into bowl and set aside for 20 minutes

6. Roll out the dough and shape into a pizza shape

Any topping can be added to this pizza and then simply pop in the oven at 180c (fan) for 15 to 18 minutes. 

Vegan Doughnuts

Ingredients 

1 cup of self raising flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of soy milk
1 Flax egg (1 tablespoon of flax seeds + 3 tablespoons of water)
1/4 cup of vegan margarine
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 150c (fan)

2. In a large mixing bowl add flour, sugar and salt.

3. In a small saucepan heat milk, margarine and vanilla. Heat until margarine is melted.

4. Add to the dry ingredients the flax egg and then the wet ingredients

5. Spoon mixture into doughnut tray

6. Bake in the oven for approximately 12 minutes. The doughnuts will not turn brown.

This mixture will make approximately 10/12 doughnuts.

Once the doughnuts are cooled, they can be topped with whatever you fancy. I used a dark chocolate icing and a vanilla icing.

Vegan Scaremongering

This is one topic I am very passionate about. Vegans have a very bad name for themselves. We are crazy outsiders who have wild outlandish views and shove those views down peoples throats. 

For most of us that isn't true. We are just regular people trying to lead a less damaging and more healthy lifestyle. 

There are a few Vegan out there who for whatever reason feel they are above everyone else, I like to call these people the Vegan police. You know what I am talking about, the people that comment on someone's photo on Instagram calling them a fake vegan or just hating on them for their simple and easy mistakes. 

Being vegan isn't about who can do it the best or be the purest. It is a community who should support anyone who wants to give it a go even if they only go vegan once a week or live the most Vegan lifestyle ever. 

A woman at work today asked me about being Vegan etc and said she had been put off doing it in case she did it wrong! How crazy is that. She was already a veggie but didn't want to make the leap for fear of being judged if she did it 'wrong' whatever that is. 

Being Vegan comes with guidelines but no set in stone rules. People should not be feeling like they cannot join the group because we will judge them when we find out they are not using Vegan shampoo because they cannot afford it! That is madness. 

We all know the harsh reality is that we will never be able to get everyone in the world to go Vegan but by making it such a selective group only open to the Vegan police we are stopping people from doing their bit to help even if it is simply meatless Mondays or going veggie. 

As a community it is our responsibility to welcome and help as many people as we can and not let newbies feel like they are outsiders or as if we will judge them for whatever aspects of being Vegan they try and take up. 

I don't want to be pigeon holed into a freak who hates people who don't follow the unspoken rules.

Fuck all of that. I am Vegan but I also make my own rules to go along with that and screw anyone who tried to tell me that I am not doing it right or what I do doesn't make me a Vegan. 

Rant over!

Almond Vanilla Granola

Yet another one of my favourites for breakfast. 

Ingredients 

3 cups of rolled oats

1/4 cup of chopped pecans

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 cup of flaked coconut 

1/4 cup of flaked almonds 

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon of agave 

1/4 cup of oil 

1/4 cup of water

Method 

1. Pre heat the oven to 150c (fan)

2. In a large mixing bowl combined oats, pecans, cranberries, coconut and almonds

3. In a small saucepan, mix and heat brown sugar, vanilla, salt, agave, oil and water. Bring this to a gentle simmer until all of the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, pour the liquid into the dry ingredients. 

4. Combined the wet and dry mixtures well and spoon out onto 2 lined baking trays. 

5. Cook in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown and dry

6. Leave to cool and then store in an airtight container for approximately 3 weeks. 

This recipe will make approximately 10 to 12 servings 

Vegan Guacamole

I am yet to meet a person who doesn't like gauc! Like seriously who cannot love this stuff. And homemade is even better, so fresh and tasty and oh so simple to make. 

Ingredients 

2 large ripe avocados 

half a red onion (diced)

1 clove of garlic 

4 cherry tomatos 

1 lime (juiced) 

pinch of salt and pepper

dash of olive oil 

half red chilli (deseeded and chopped)

Method

This is really the easiest thing you could ever make and though it may be simple, it will still impress your friends! Simply take all of the ingredients above and put them in a food processor, blend them up and there you go. Guacamole is made. Be careful not to over blend though, it should still have some bite to it. 

Bagels

I have developed such a love for bagels. Bagels for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

There is a bagel for every occasion. Whether it is cheese and tomato, avocado or mushrooms, it is a winner. Simple and easy to make yet so filling and delicious. 

Vegan Banana Granola

Another yummy staple for breakfast in my house. I love anything I can make in advance and grab when I need it!

Ingredients

3 cups of oats
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of flax seeds
3 tablespoons of sugar (any sugar is fine, I used brown)
handful of pecans
handful of coconut flakes
1/4 of oil (any oil is fine)
2 tablespoons of maple syrup or agave (I had both in so used 1 tbsp of each)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 medium bananas (mashed)
50g of chopped dark chocolate

Method

Pre heat the oven to 150c (fan)

In a bowl mix oats, cinnamon, salt, flax, sugar, pecans and coconut flake

In a medium saucepan, melt and mix oil, maple syrup/agave and vanilla extract. Once combined, remove from heat and mix in bananas. 

Add banana mixture to oats etc. Combined well

Line a baking tray and spread oat mixture out

Cook for approximately 20 to 30 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your granola. Give the mixture a mix up every 10 minutes or so to break it up

Once the granola is cooked and cooled, mix in dark chocolate 

Store in an airtight container. The granola will keep for approximately a month and makes approximately 12 servings