It being summertime here in the UK, we’ve been thinking a lot about picnics lately. We’ve noticed that the shops are full of flaccid pies, dreary dips and limp salads, all purporting to be ‘perfect for picnics’. Psht, they’re messing with us! Homemade picnics win by miles. That said, you don’t have to do it…
Chewy Fruit and Oat Bars
As you’ve probably gathered, we do a lot of home cooking but one thing we haven’t quite managed to wean ourselves away from is shop bought energy bars. It seems easier – if ridiculously expensive – to buy packs of granola bars, flapjacks and the like. It’s time we had a talk with ourselves. This…
Popcorn Chilli Chocolate Buns
By the time you read this blog post (she says in manner of a melodramatic movie heroine), we will have finished the Edinburgh Half Marathon – woohoo! After which we will need a little treat. We’ll be having our 100% guaranteed post-race recovery breakfast of Poached Eggs and Curried Chickpeas, of course (try it –…
Date and Sultana Cake
Photo by Zsolt: zsoltsandor.com Everybody loves a slice of cake now and again, right? Cake’s great. What’s not so wonderful is all the refined sugar that most cakes contain. So when we discovered date syrup, we were in seventh heaven. It’s 100% natural, made of nothing but dates and, well, you could say it’s like sunshine…
Sweet Nut and Seed Energy Mix
Ah, yes, here we go. Let’s get the ‘vegetarians only eat bird food’ gags out of the way… This sweet-treat mix made of nuts and seeds does look like something the parrot would enjoy, we grant you, but it’s a brilliant snack for runners. It’s great for before, during and after long runs, and also…
Hot Cross Bun French Toast
These sound like a bit of a novelty ‘just-for-the-sake-of-it’ food, but I assure you they’re beautiful. The spice of the bread lends a grown-up air to breakfast, tasting like something much more complicated – sort of like a beignet. The factory I work at is open on Good Friday, so it’s not quite my holiday yet,…
Superfood Smoothie – Mango, Cinnamon and Tahini
We know our readers hail from around the world (Hello, lovely readers in Kaula Lumpur!) so wherever you are and whatever the weather, we’d like to treat you to a little bit of sunshine in a glass. This Vegan Mango, Cinnamon and Tahini Smoothie will put a spring in your step and a smile on…
Orange and Earl Grey Winter Fruit Salad
This Orange and Earl Grey Winter Fruit Salad is easy and economical but it tastes like a million dollars. If a million dollars were delicious, which it is probably not, unless you have a very vivid imagination and/or fruit for money. But you know what we mean. It’s multi-talented too and can be served in a whole…
Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles
The ancient Aztecs believed that avocados had aphrodisiac qualities and the rumours have stuck. In fact, the link between avocados and libido was seen to be so strong that in the 1920s, avocado farmers actually sought to discredit the theory, trying to make their produce seem more wholesome. Whatever the truth, you’ll feel super sexy…
Valentine’s Macarons
Everybody is impressed by homemade macarons. Take them as an after dinner treat for your hosts, and people will think that you are some kind of chef wizard. I show these pictures to more people than I would like to admit, waiting for their gasps – “But aren’t they impossible at home?” Macarons do seem…
Coconut and Ginger Energy Bars
We Veggie Runners have wanted to create an energy bar for ages. We experimented a bit with savoury versions but couldn’t quite get the mix right. We could get not quite savoury, like peanut butter ones and the like. There are loads of them around though so they didn’t seem quite worth the effort. We also…
Crystallised Ginger
I made this for Mama Veggie Runners’ birthday (her birthday is on New Year’s Eve – best day ever for a birthday?). I wanted to make something that came from the heart, was super delicious and that she could use in other cooking. There are two great by-products from the process, too. In the first…