I bought a bag of apples for snacking, but it turns out they weren’t as crisp and sweet as I like them – so, they became applesauce! Stir a couple spoonfuls into your oatmeal or smoothie, or use it as an egg replacer next time you bake a cake. Or just eat it by the spoonful! If you make this …
Chocolate Peanut Butter Mug Cake
If you’re feeling a craving for chocolate cake but baking a whole cake would be a curse in the making, then try this 1-minute microwave mug cake. Yes, it’s indulgent. But at least it just makes one portion, so you definitely won’t end up devouring a whole cake and suffering the predictable guilt afterwards. If you make this recipe and …
Red Cabbage Salad
Red cabbage is possibly one of the most beautiful vegetables out there – at least, I think so. And it’s really healthy, with its cruciferous powers and phytonutrients. But one small head of cabbage is actually a LOT of food, so it’s a good idea to know what you’re going to do with it. Otherwise it’ll be staring at you sadly …
Palmier
This is the perfect recipe for last-minute pop-ins from friends. Just make sure you have puff pastry defrosted (or defrost on low in the microwave). It’s a bit naughty (puff pastry has saturated fats, and there’s quite a bit of sugar in the recipe) – but that’s ok from time to time! If you make this recipe and decide to share …
Spiced Molasses Muffins with Flax and Oats
I wanted to experiment with using a generous amount of flaxseed in a muffin, and I also wanted to use up some blackstrap molasses that I found in the cupboard. I added some spices to complement the strong molasses flavour, some oats for fibre and dates as an extra treat, and ta-da! We have a breakfast muffin that packs a …
Gnocchi with Oyster Mushrooms
I got an oyster mushroom growing kit as a gift (thanks mom!) and it was quite exciting to wake up each morning to see how much it had grown. It even attracted a little spider-friend to live in the village of gill-caps, so cute! Four days later, they were ready to be harvested. So I took some gnocchi I had …
Vegan Greek Salad
A Greek salad is just not the same without the feta. You could make your own from scratch (there are recipes based on tofu, or almonds) but that’s a mission. And why bother when you can buy it ready made? I used the dairy-free feta cheese from Woolworths (specifically, the “Dairy Free Greek White Cheese”), which is beautifully creamy with …
Whole-Roasted Cauliflower
This is my favourite way to have cauliflower: so full of flavour yet still light and fresh enough to include on an indulgent festive menu. This is adapted from Jamie Oliver’s recipe – I love the smashed garlic and paprika paste, with some cumin and turmeric thrown in for extra flavour and colour. If you make this recipe and decide …
Vegan Malva Pudding
You know that feeling you get when you tuck into a familiar childhood favourite? Mmmm that is what malva pudding gives me, every time! This classic South African dessert is traditionally made with eggs, milk and cream – but it’s super easily veganised. I first shared a vegan malva pudding recipe in my early days with Vegilicious (the student organisation …
German Potato Soup
I’ve been looking forward to this for a couple of months, and now that the cold has set in here in Germany, it’s perfect timing. This soup is Marco’s – he made it the way he remembers his grandmother’s soup, but without peeling the potatoes (because who has time for that, and there’s so much fibre, vitamins and other good …
Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
Who doesn’t love the classic combo of lemony tang with poppyseed crunch? This recipe is adapted from the Martha Stewart website – veganised with aquafaba in place of egg and coconut oil instead of butter. The quantities are adjusted to make for a cookie that spreads less and has a more solid texture. Enjoy! If you make this recipe and …
Crispy Potato Skins
I don’t peel potatoes unless a) someone else is in charge of the cooking, or b) I feel like making crispy potato skins. These are one heck of a greasy indulgence, a very occasional treat. Serve them up with a sprinkling of good quality salt, a side of vegan sausages (yum!) and Dijon mustard. Enjoy! Not too often though 😉 …
Chocolate Protein Power Smoothie
This one is for the runners, the gym bunnies, the climbing nuts. A delicious, milkshakey chocolate smoothie with a whopping 29 grams of protein to power your workout: Soy milk: 7.1 g protein Frozen banana: 1.3 g protein Cocoa powder: 1.5 g protein Peanut butter: 3.6 g protein Oats: 3.2 g protein Dates: 0.9 g protein Chia seeds: 1.7 g …
Berry Breakfast Smoothie
My best days are the ones that start with a smoothie. Really, I function so much better with this boost of nutrients! (In winter, I chase it with hot tea so my body temperature doesn’t take a dip.) What’s in it? Frozen banana for a creamy base (don’t skip freezing the banana – frozen banana chunks are a mainstay in …
Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
After I made vegan dog cookies with peanut butter and oats and ended up scraping the bowl clean because they were so good, I thought I should make a version of the cookie for humans, just with a little extra sugar and oil because it’s a treat! These cookies are simple and delicious, with easy-to-find ingredients. If you make this recipe and decide …
Vegan Dog Treats with Peanut Butter & Oats
It’s time to get the vegan dog treats out! There’s something really special about sharing your home with a furry companion, and learning each other’s quirks. As I mentioned in my post about vegan dogs, not only can dogs thrive on plants, but it’s way better for the planet, and for the wallet. Since Kira adores peanut butter, this is …
Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
If you love a good Italian pasta, try this vegan carbonara. It’s not my recipe: it’s all Marco’s doing – he almost outcompetes my Italian friends in his love of pasta, and he knows how to cook! Traditionally, a carbonara is made by tossing spaghetti al dente in a mixture of raw eggs, grated pecorino (a hard, salty cheese), black …
Chocolate Sourdough Pancakes
Over the last few months I’ve been trying my hand at making my own sourdough – first in Cape Town with great success, and more recently in Berlin with mixed success (I used rye, which totally changes the bread obviously, something I need to get used to). Anyway: the one thing about homemade sourdough is the darn sourdough discard that …
Vegan German Cheesecake (Käsekuchen)
One of the most elusive culinary achievements in my vegan kitchen has been a baked cheesecake. I’d only ever tried a frozen cheesecake, which is super easy to make (using cashews) but very pricey and a different thing entirely. Having spent some time in Germany however, I figured I’d try my hand at veganising a local speciality: Käsekuchen. It has …
Classic Hummus
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. If you make this recipe and …