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Classic Hummus

In Appetiser, Pantry, Recipes, Snacks by MurielLeave a Comment

I’m not one to make hummus exactly the same way twice, ever, but I figured I should write down a good hummus recipe to share! It’s such a ubiquitous vegan classic, easy and cheap enough to make at home that you’ll be kicking yourself for ever spending money (and wasteful packaging) on store-bought stuff.

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Diabetes, insulin resistance & diet

In Blog, Fats, Nutrition by Muriel1 Comment

Following my first post about Carbs vs Fats, I’m looking into insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. I always thought of diabetes as an irreversible illness where you’d have to take injections every day for the rest of your life. But I’ve learnt a bit more and the great news is, that’s not true. First, some basics: What is insulin? Insulin …

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Collagen on a vegan diet

In Blog, Nutrition by Muriel1 Comment

A star of the beauty industry and the subject of recent bone both trends, collagen has become all the rage as a ‘must-have’ part of a supplementing regime to ensure strong nails, shiny hair, youthful skin. But is it necessary to supplement it? You might have realised that it’s not something that folks on a plant-based diet typically supplement, for the simple reason that …

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Sunflower Mac

In Dinner, Recipes by MurielLeave a Comment

Mac ‘n cheese was a big favourite of mine as a kid, when I lived in Canada: the Kraft kind, from a box. Of course my parents never bought that stuff, I’d get it as a treat once in a while when I visited my best friend next door. And a few months after I moved back to South Africa, I received a big parcel in the post with a dozen boxes of Kraft mac ‘n cheese – best surprise ever!

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Milk those plants

In Blog, Pantry, Practical tips by MurielLeave a Comment

Milk. If I had known the lengths to which the dairy industry goes to convince us that we can’t live without it, the rebel in me would definitely have sought out alternatives sooner. Soy milk was the first ‘milk substitute’ I learnt about—and it’s still my favourite option: it’s high in protein, has a low environmental footprint compared to other …

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Homemade Sesame Milk

In Drinks, Pantry, Recipes by Muriel1 Comment

I ran out of soy milk, and I’m a bit tired of homemade oat milk at the moment. I happened to have a big jar of sesame seeds in the cupboard (no idea why). I know that we can make “milk” from pretty much any seeds, nuts and grains… So.⁣

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Berliner Pfannkuchen

In Recipes by MurielLeave a Comment

When in Berlin, have a Berliner? Or make a vegan one? Yep, I’ll take the bait. I’ve just moved to Berlin for who-knows-how-long, and I thought I’d celebrate the occasion by trying my hand at veganising the city’s traditional pastry. It’s very similar to a doughnut: a light, sweet dough that’s fried until it puffs up, then filled with jam and covered with sugar.

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The Daily Dozen Challenge

In Blog, Nutrition by Muriel1 Comment

The most helpful guide for a healthy diet that I’ve ever come across, hands-down, is called the Daily Dozen Challenge. It’s created by Dr Michael Greger (founder of NutritionFacts.org), from having researched the special benefits of different plant-food groups. It’s all very well to say that it’s best to eat a whole food plant-based diet, but different foods have very different benefits that are often not shared …

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French Toast

In Breakfast, Recipes by Muriel2 Comments

I grew up enjoying pain perdu (French for ‘lost bread) as a weekend treat: crusty day-old bread, soaked in a milk-and-egg mixture, fried, and served up with syrup and fruit. You might also know it as eggy bread (the British take), but it’s a classic dish known and enjoyed in different parts of Europe for ages: the earliest-known recipe dates back 1,600 years! Serve it as a sweet treat with syrup and berries, or as a savoury breakfast with ketchup and vegan sausage 🙂

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Aquafaba: the best vegan egg substitute

In Baking, Blog, Pantry, Practical tips by MurielLeave a Comment

I get a lot of blank stares when I mention this ingredient, which is understandable: it’s quite a recent discovery by a French food blogger in 2014. This revelation was transformative for the vegan culinary scene, opening up a world of possibilities: suddenly, the elusive meringue was achievable, along with chocolate mousse, macarons, nougat, ice cream and marshmallows. What is it? It’s …

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13 ways to eat more beans

In Blog, Food prep, Practical tips by MurielLeave a Comment

I’ve talked about how important it is to eat beans (or other legumes) every day: they’re a super important source of protein, fibre, iron and many other good things. But when we’re not used to the idea of eating beans regularly, our imagination might not stretch much further than emptying a can of beans into a bowl. We forget that there are hundreds of …

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Easy Pesto with Beans

In Appetiser, Recipes by Muriel3 Comments

Pesto fans, rejoice! Here’s an easy blender-friendly recipe! It’s vegan, but packed with flavour and a cheesy tang. It’s quick and easy, and you can use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand: I used parsley, basil and coriander. No cheese necessary, because nutritional yeast packs a cheesy flavour punch.

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Carbs vs Fats

In Blog, Carbohydrates, Fats, Nutrition by Muriel2 Comments

When it comes to dieters and health trendsters, carbs and fats have had avid fans and haters alike, thanks to a very polarised portrayal in the media. As such, we’ve seen both extremes, with low-fat diets minimising fat and oil intake, and low-carb diets minimising all carb-rich foods. Low-fat diets have been around for ages, based on the premise that …

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Fun facts about nuts & seeds

In Blog, Nutrition, Protein by Muriel1 Comment

You know how health blogs always harp on about the benefits of nuts and seeds? Well this one is no exception. Indeed, plenty of nutritional studies (including rigorous interventional trials) have found that regular consumption of nuts and seeds significantly reduces the risk of lifestyle diseases and premature death overall. And despite their high calorie-density, they are causally linked to …