I’ve accepted that eggs on toast won’t be part of my life anymore, and that doesn’t make me sad because they don’t do me any favours. But it’s the recipes that have eggs as an integral ingredient that I miss. So I’m pretty chuffed with this egg replacement using soft tofu, because it means that I can make a pad thai that’s pretty close to the original!

I wouldn’t eat this on toast, but it makes a great substitute in a meal. I give you scrambled tofu:

1 packet soft/silken tofu

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coconut oil

 

In a bowl, roughly mash the tofu so it is still lumpy and mix with the seasonings. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then toss the tofu until it is brown and hot through. Optional extras you could throw in include spring onion, chopped chilli, fresh herbs, mushrooms, chopped spinach…the list is endless!

 

Anyone who has discovered coconut yogurt knows that it’s a revelation; creamy, rich, tangy and full of probiotics without the side effects of dairy. Anyone who has bought coconut yogurt knows that it’s really expensive!

I’m here to tell you that making your own coconut yogurt is ridiculously cheap, easy, and good! Here are the basics:

You will need:

• a tin of good quality coconut cream (one without added water or stabilisers)
• either a couple of tablespoons of left-over yogurt from a previous batch (store-bought is fine) OR
• a probiotic capsule
• any flavours you want to add. I like to add some natural vanilla paste

When your previous yogurt batch is down to the last 2 tablespoons, just add the tin of coconut cream and any flavourings you want. Give it a really good mix/shake, and leave in a warm place for 2-3 days. That’s it. In winter I like to use my yogurt maker, but I fill it with hot tap water rather than boiling water or it tends to separate. Otherwise, a hot-water cupboard,  a sunny windowsill or any other warm, draft-free spot will work fine.

If you want to start from scratch, instead of using old yogurt you can open up a probiotic capsule (the ones you take for gut health) and sprinkle it in. These all have different strains of probiotic and strengths, so you might need to experiment with using more than one if it doesn’t turn tangy after a a couple of days.

My advice is just to have fun; it only costs the price of a can of coconut cream so experiment until you find a recipe that works for you. I had a few fails before I settled on a recipe that works for me.  I like to use Kara coconut cream and either leave it unflavoured (so it works for savoury or sweet dishes) or add a touch of vanilla bean paste. But the possibilities are endless!

Please comment if you come up with a great flavour combination; I’d love to hear about other people having success with coconut yogurt making.

 

 

Trying to convince a teenager to take a salad for a school lunch can be difficult, unless you can call it a ‘deconstructed salad’. Somehow then it’s cool. I give you my deconstructed sushi salad. Guaranteed to keep you full all afternoon, and never be boring.

For 4 serves:

2 cups cooked brown rice (or sushi rice)

Approx 5 tablespoons sushi seasoning, check bottle for amount

1 cup shredded cabbage

2 carrots, grated

2 radishes, thinly sliced

3/4 cup frozen edamame beans

1 spring onion

1/2 packet tempeh or tofu

2 sheets nori

4 little bottles soy sauce (I keep the ones from sushi shops, but you could fill up little pots from your bottle in the fridge

Optional extras: sliced avocado, wasabi mayonnaise

 

Cook the rice according to packet instructions, cool, and season to taste with sushi seasoning. Layer in the bottom of 4 containers/bowls.

Layer the vegetables over the top. I just chuck the edamame beans in frozen; they’ll be defrosted by lunchtime, promise.

Lightly fry the tempeh or tofu in a pan until brown on both sides. You might want to splash some soy sauce on while cooking for extra flavour. Add this to the salad.

Lightly toast the nori sheet; I hold mine over the gas hob until it goes crisp. You could toast it in a frying pan. Roughly rip this into pieces and put on top of the salad.

Tuck a little bottle of soy sauce in, to be added to the salad just before eating. Yum!

*Meat eaters might like to add some cold chicken or tinned tuna. You can make this salad to order.

 

 

The more studies that are done into diet and health, the more the evidence seems to suggest that a mainly plant-based diet is the way to go. The whole food plant based diet is based on a massive study done over several years in China, called The China Study, which concludes that “the closer people came to an all plant-based diet, the lower their risk for chronic disease.”

But isn’t cooking without animal products complicated? Isn’t it impossible to make meals interesting and tasty without meat or cheese? And don’t I need to carefully work out my protein requirements if my diet is vegan? Well, no! When you eat a diet based on fruit, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and legumes you naturally get the levels of nutrients your body needs. And planning meals using vegetables as your starting point allows for so much creativity!

I’ll be sharing some of my whole food plant-based recipe ideas over coming weeks. They are by no means spectacular, but are quick and easy to make, and satisfy a busy, active family. I also try to make extra servings of my dinners which can double as packed lunches the next day. Bonus!

First up:

San Choy Bau, vegan style

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like most of my recipes, this doesn’t have specific amounts, or even ingredients! You can mix it up depending on what you have in the fridge. For instance, this night I had a bowl of leftover coleslaw in the fridge, so I filled my lettuce cups with that. Have fun experimenting!

1/2 iceberg lettuce

200 grams noodles (I used kelp noodles, but soba or vermicelli are also good)

1 packet silken tofu

2 cups raw mixed vegetables, e.g: shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, grated carrot, courgette, radish, avocado, capsicum….

3-4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1/4 cup toasted seeds or nuts (optional)

 

Gently pull the inner leaves from the lettuce, and arrange in cups on a big platter. I work with 2 per person, but you might want to do more.

Cook the noodles according to packet instructions, drain and cool. Share evenly among the lettuce cups. Fill the cups with your choice of vegetables, then sprinkle over the crumbled tofu. Drizzle with hoisin sauce. It can be nice to sprinkle over some toasted sesame seed or cashews to add extra crunch.

Pick up the lettuce cups and eat with your fingers. Keep napkins close by!

I’m always looking for inventive ways to serve vegetables! This is a beauty of a recipe: low fat, gluten-free, dairy-free and plant based. Oh, and did I mention delicious? I found the recipe here at the upbeet dietician. Of course I made a few tweaks, just by using my own favourite curry powder blend and sneaking in some fresh herbs for an extra punch.

I served the pakora with a sauce made from coconut yogurt, filtered water, chopped fresh mint, and a shake of sweet chilli sauce. It was declared a winner all round!