Gastro

Walking With Wildflowers – I made a thing! My first podcast!

If you read my June newsletter, you will know that I promised myself that I would record, edit and upload a podcast by the end of the month – purely for the sheer joy (and agony!) of making something and putting it out there. I’m not sure about you, but in the land of Pretty Girl Dressed In Nice Clothes Posing In Front of Jungle Plants or Historic Landmark aka Instagram, I’ve started taking ages to write and edit images and captions. I also faff over writing blog posts, and what used to take me an hour or two to publish can sometimes take days, if not weeks! I’ve found this relentless pursuit to create something beautiful, unique and let’s not forget, flawless, to really stunt my luss for writing and blogging. Half of the time I give up and don’t post or create anything anyway.

The idea behind publishing a podcast episode this month was to step out of my comfort zone and to try making something completely new! I have never used the voice memo app on my phone or edited an audio file in my life. And can I tell you something? I know it’s not going to be perfect (seriously, I know) and I also know it won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but I HAD SUCH FUN DOING IT. I had fun recording it (like seven times), I had fun researching how to edit audio files (although to be honest, I just kinda faded the music into my recording and left it at that – warts and all!); I had fun googling how to find a hosting platform for your podcast; I had fun doing the (very basic) artwork and I had fun pulling it all together. I felt alive again, like the time I pressed “publish” on my very first blog post on my very first (and very simple-themed) blog. Or like that time my brother and I wrote and recorded our own radio show on our family’s HIFI. We all want things to look (or sound, in this case) good, but sometimes we can get so caught up in the end product, and the fear involved around its reception, that we forget to enjoy the creative journey. I truly loved doing this and the only cash I spent on creating this was signing up to a podcast hosting platform. I think how often we scoff at people who call themselves “creatives” because what does that truly mean? How do you define a creative? In truth we are all creatives – in everything we do! Whether it’s cooking a delicious meal for your family or writing a post card to your friend, being creative means putting a little bit of yourself into doing and making something – and most of all, damn well enjoying the process!

In this episode, recorded on my daughter’s first birthday, I talk about how and why motherhood has changed me and the work I do – for the better! It is me – raw and honest, on my morning walk, talking into my phone about everything from my reluctant-to-detach placenta, my new mom bod and why sometimes being a parent feels like a never-ending cycle of live-die-repeat. Be sure to subscribe and share this episode if it resonates with you! Although it’s mostly me talking kak about myself, so if you make it to the end – good for you! Hah!

You can find the episode on iTunes Podcast (the purple app on your phone with the microphone pic) by searching for my name or for Walking with Wildflowers. Or you can just press play below. I’m still in the approval process for Spotify but hopefully will be available there soon too. Enjoy!

PS: Hold out for the blooper at the end!

passion and ibiza

My husband always tells me that the four worst words in the world that come out of my mouth are “I told you so”. I say it a lot. I can’t help it. My super power is seeing into the future, and my husband’s is being an eternal optimist, so sometimes we do not have quite the same end result in mind. When he told me he had booked five days in Ibiza for our baby-moon I almost shat in my best suit. Ibiza? The party island? Whilst pregnant???? I was furious, and convinced it was going to be THE WORST. Having heard so many stories of debauchery and shenanigans, it was not a place I had quite envisioned for our last getaway as just the two of us. Plus, what was I going to eat? Food is very important when you’re pregnant and all your other indulgences have been taken away! The Spanish are renowned for their love of cured meats and cheeses; I still maintain that it was our trip to Barcelona in 2014 and seeing all the hanging carcasses in shop windows on every street corner that was a major part of the reason I first went vegan. Andrew assured me that Happy Cow indicated there were loads of places with veggie options and that I would fall in love with the little island he had lost so much of his youth (and short term memory) to.

Well. Andrew had got it so right (this time!). The 1960s hippy movement brought many free-spirited travellers to the island of Ibiza, which was a mecca for hippies due to the continued practise by locals of ancient songs, dance and rituals that date back to before the time of Christ. The island is also said to hold many spiritual powers, with the Carthaginian goddess of love and fertility, Tanit, said to live inside Es Vedra, a limestone rocky outcrop on the Island’s southern coast. Despite the influx of the manic party tourists in the summer, ranging from billionaires arriving on yachts to British students arriving on Ryanair flights, there is still a progressive community of spiritualists and artists living on the island, leading to a general appreciation of health, wellness and creativity. There were vegan and vegetarian options at almost every restaurant we visited and the supermarket down the road had one of the biggest selections of vegan “meats” and “cheeses” I have ever seen. There really is a feeling I can’t quite describe about the island, and it’s easily one of the most intoxicating places I’ve visited. It’s not everyday you see a lithe, dreadlocked, real-life nymph at breakfast in luminous green tights and a purple crop-top with a French bulldog on her lap. Let’s just say that I’m almost about ready to pack up my life and move to that dreamy little island!

A big part of the reason I fell so hard for Ibiza is that the best restaurant I have ever been to is there. Its called Passion and yes, I think it may even beat my previous favourite restaurant ever, By Chloe. I’m going to straight off tell you that it’s not a fully vegan spot, but it is a health restaurant, and so the eggs, dairy, chicken and turkey they do serve are all organic and GMO-free (they don’t serve any red meat at all). Every menu item is clearly labelled as to whether it’s vegan, dairy-free and/or gluten-free. There is even a symbol for when a dish is vegan, but contains honey as honey, like the consumption of mussels and oysters, is still a grey area for some vegans. The menu is extensive and there are separate menus for breakfast, smoothies and juices and lunch. The only problem I had with Passion was that our stay in Ibiza was not long enough for me to try every vegan option! We ate lunch there on our first day, and after a week of vegan travel food (i.e. junk) my body was screaming for goodness. I ordered the Zen buddha bowl with quinoa, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, broccoli, avo, and butternut. Oh, man. Home run. I was in heaven! If I thought it couldn’t get any better, we ate brunch there every day afterwards for the rest of our trip. I tried out the vegan flapjacks and the vegan tofu scramble wrap, which was so good I had to have it two mornings in a row, sacrificing the chance of trying one of their many avocado toast options. Guys, when a menu has an entire section dedicated to avo toast… then you know – you know?

Passion was founded by the lovely Lana Love back in 2002 – way before the health conscious movement was as popular as it is now. In fifteen years it has grown from one to six shops, including four cafes, a juice bar and a health shop. If you’re in Ibiza, there are cafes in Playa Den Bosa, Ibiza Town on the Marina, San Jose and Santa Eulalia. Each cafe has its own vibe and decor, but a common thread of modern, light design runs through the spine of them all. The menus also vary slightly from location to location – for example, Santa Eulalia is the most vegan and vegetarian friendly cafe, whilst the newest offering, San Jose, is geared towards a wining and dining clientele, with offerings of organic wine and beer as well as delicious and healthy tapas platters. There really is something for everyone and I almost wish we had stayed in Ibiza for our entire babymoon so I could try every spot. Next time!

We stayed at The Gran Hotel Montesol in Old Town Ibiza, which I think is officially my favourite and the prettiest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. We rented a car to get around the island – they drive on the right so take a little cruise around the airport carpark before hopping onto the highway. If you’re not into debauchery, then I highly recommend visiting the island in early spring like we did – we enjoyed some magnificent warm days and I finally got to witness those magical Ibiza beach sunsets everyone (Andrew) bangs on about. Also, accommodation is a lot cheaper in early spring than during the busy summer months. A lot of restaurants, shops and bars are closed during the off-season, so be sure to double check they’re open before missioning there and maybe being disappointed. I wish I could say I did some fancy cultural things like visit museums and art galleries – and we did consider taking a bump pic of me pretending to drink a bottle of whiskey and smoke a joint outside the famous club, Pacha – but I literally just ate, walked the streets and slept the entire time. Hashtag pregnant in Ibiza! Thank you Andrew for being right this time. This little island gem has a piece of my heart forever.

ELL269 – vegan eatery in Hermanus

Happy 2017! If you’re back at work, I hope this post can provide you with a little break from reality, and if you’re still on holiday, then lucky, lucky, lucky you. Festive season for peeps in the hospitality business means work every day, family and friends having to see sneak bits of us when they can, and saying no to lots of fun invitations that involve driving anywhere out of a 15km radius from work. When my little brother was visiting however, I couldn’t waste the opportunity to get out of town for a tiny road trip to Hermanus, and of course, to eat at ELL269 – Norah Hudson’s new little plant-based eatery in the centre of town (in the Carriages Building, to be precise, right opposite the road from the entrance to Woolworths).

Immediately we were struck by the aesthetics of the place – my brother declaring it, in only the way he can, “very trendy”. It’s clean, calm, simple and fresh with charming touches like beautiful wooden sculptures of farm animals, as well as seating made out of wooden crates. I first met Norah and her daughter when they were eating at Nomad. Well, actually, I kinda introduced myself! I had heard via the vegan grapevine of this wonderful lady introducing delicious vegan meals to the menu at ELL at Spookfontein in Hermanus and I just had to meet her. Norah is as lovely as I remembered, and was quick to find us a spot and rattle off her recommendations for her favourite drinks. We went for fresh red and green juices, as well as cappuccinos made with their own homemade almond milk. The service was quick and friendly and the worst thing about the entire experience was attempting to choose what we wanted to eat! I settled on an Oriental Surprise box, filled with spring rolls, rice paper rolls, vegetable sushi and mushroom dim sum, while Chris went with the spicy faux chicken burger and sweet potato chips. I think the box must be the most popular dish, as I saw so many going out – and I soon could see why! It was delicious – light and tasty, but also healthy and filling – the perfect meal for summer – and to allow me room for a dessert (who am I kidding? I would’ve ordered one anyway!). I treated myself to the yummiest pavlova and Chris wolfed down his chocolate mousse, a very happy grunt escaping from his general facial area now and then.

When I say I didn’t want to leave ELL269… I’m not joking. There is such a lovely, relaxed and gentle vibe about the place that I could have sat there all day, ordering various items off the menu as the hours went by. I couldn’t wait to go back! And so I did. Yesterday with the whole family! And it was, once again, so good! Highly recommended that you support this lovely spot if you’re in Hermanus – and if you’re not, head on out for a day trip. You won’t regret it, I promise.

Follow ELL269 on Facebook and Instagram. Copies of my guide, A Guide for Wildflowers, are now available at Ell269 and profits will go to the Greyton Farm Animal Sanctuary, so be sure to pick up a copy if you’re there! love x

black coffee

I haven’t done a chatty catch up post in a while (is it just me or does every blog post by every blogger start off like this these days? Sorrreeee.) so here’s a little of what I’ve been getting up to lately. I’ve just returned (with a cold to prove it) from a whirlwind ten days in KZN. It’s always quite a thing returning to your childhood home, especially when it’s the same place where you met and married your partner and lived in for a little while in your adulthood. Returning to the Midlands gives me that weird feeling you get when you’re at home, but feel homesick for some place you’ve never been… have you ever felt like that? And you’re all like, but why am I homesick?? I’m AT home! And I haven’t even been gone for that long anyway… perhaps in my head I’d left ages ago. Amongst the hen party and wedding madness, I managed to spend some very special quality time with my family and explore a bit. I even went for a run, which I’m still super-gloaty about, because who ever goes for runs when they’re away? Olympic athletes, that’s who.

First on my agenda was a massage with Colleen at Midlands House of Healing. If you’ve followed me and my blog for a while, you will know how much I adore visiting this earth angel. This is literally no one in Cape Town or anyone in the world, for that matter, that I’ve come across who can give a massage like she can. It’s not long into my sessions that I’m floating away in a state of bliss and I really, really miss my monthly meetings and massages with Colleen. She is now located on the Karkloof road out of Howick and if you are lucky enough to live in the area, I urge you to visit her. Your body and soul will thank you!

I met up with my friend, Nicola, and got to meet her little Ella child for the first time. What a cutie pie! With only eyes for her mommy, I might add. We did a little perusal around The Ruby Orchard (one of my favourite shops on the Midlands) and I bought her the cutest little owl beanie form Sugar and Spice. My heart – she looks so cute in it! I got to take a look around the new Yard 41 and the buildings, designed by Nick Crooks of Hillhouse, are absolutely stunning. The views from the upstairs balcony at the relocated Farmer’s Daughter is breathtaking too – such a pity about the lack of vegetarian (never mind vegan) options – had to settle for bland green leaves and french fries for lunch – the nemesis of veggies worldwide.

By day four I was itching for some good yummy plant-based fare and so my mum and I headed out to The Snooty Fox at Fernhill Hotel – one of the very few places (if not only) in the Midlands that provides vegan options on their extensive menu. My mom, godmother and I all feasted on the beetroot burger which was just sublime. The patty held really firm for a veggie burger and I smashed it in my hands and around my face like all good burgers should be smashed. For dessert, Cayley Slater prepared us the most delicious creme brûlée! Watch out for this young pastry chef – I have a feeling she is going to go places! Afterwards, executive chef and owner-partner, Alex Poltera, showed us around some of the newly refurbished rooms and they are looking so elegant and lovely. Next time I’m in the Midlands, I will be staying over for sure, because driving home with such a full tummy can’t be good for you!

Mom and I also stopped off at Steampunk Cafe for what is widely considered the best coffee in the Midlands, and I was so keen for a strong cappuccino, but alas, no soya milk or almond milk in sight, which still seems to be a common thing in the Midlands – except for a surprisingly good soya milk cappuccino I had at Coffeeberry at Cascades in the ‘borough. Next time will carry plant milk around in my hessian bag… just so I can really stick out. The Americano at Steampunk was amazing though and rendered me upright and focused for the rest of the day!

Speaking of great coffee, we also ventured out to Blueberry Cafe for brunch and to check out their new bean roasting section. Josh Falconer is the barista and the man behind the machine and I made sure to take home a bag of the Cerrado beans to try in our own machine. They made the most delicious cup of coffee – I hit the prefect espresso range and it produced the best crema I’ve seen in ages! The resulting coffee was smooth, nutty and soft – just as the tasting notes implicated. Divine. Whilst at the cafe, I just had to treat myself to one of my very first favourite plant-based meals – the aubergine burger. It was just as good as I remembered and I was delighted to hear that they are introducing a vegan and gluten-free blueberry waffle to the menu! YUM. What great and positive changes.

My brother treated my mom and I to a meal at Tandoor Kitchen in Pietermaritzburg – a North Indian place he’s been wanting us to try for a while. Now, I can see (and taste) why he’s been banging on about it for so long. Indian cuisine is always great for vegans – there is a whole page on the menu dedicated to vegetarian curries and the waiter was happy to point out which ones didn’t contain dairy. I wish I could explain the flavours to you – they were just phenomenal! I wanted to sneak into the kitchen and steal the contents of their spice racks. The decor is seriously minimal and their four-and-a-half star Trip Advisor award hangs proudly on the wall – the place is clearly all about the food, and rightly so! I managed to convince my dad and stepmom later on in the week to get us takeaways, and it was just as mind-blowing again. Simply delicious! Also, get a load of that baaaaard.

The reason we were in the Midlands was for Gemma and Geoff”s special wedding day. For the first time, both Andrew and I were members of the bridal party, and we were so proud and happy to be a part of the union of two of our closest friends in the whole world. Gemma wore the most exquisite dress designed by Yolanda Wortmann (Geoff looked pretty dapper too and there was not a dry eye in sight when he watched his beautiful bride walk down the aisle) and all the food was vegan, including the most delicious chocolate, coconut and cherry wedding cake! What a delight to actually be able to stuff your face with everything on offer at a wedding for once. I was so full and thank god my dress was an oversized one with plenty of breathing room!

We headed home on Sunday happy and full of love and just a little hungover! It was so wonderful to spend time with the family and our special friends in the beautiful Midlands, but now it’s back to the fairest Cape for a good dose of reality and hard work for a bit. And, thank god, soya milk cappuccinos. I missed you so.

Image of Geoff and Gemma by Kristi Smith.
Wedding Cake by Alex Poltera.

nomad – a passion project

I write this in another world from the one I’ve been moulding myself to for the past seven months. Away from jagged mountains, cold seas, soft sand and fields of fruit; the air here is warm and spicy; the ocean gentle and healing, the landscape green and lush. My bones relax, and I get the inevitable sniffles as my body slows down and reassesses the past few months. Takes a deep breath in and out. My shoulders un-hunch and I like what I see in the mirror. The rounded belly, strong, wide shoulders, wild hair, slim legs. I sleep in, read, swim, sleep some more. Isn’t this how it should be, every day? The reflections begin. Where we’ve come from, what we’ve done.

In six months, we’ve started renovating an extremely run-down and out-dated guesthouse. We still have so much more to do there in the quiet winter months. We’ve put up new fences and gates and signs and cleared forests and made gravel and brick paths and fixed broken borehole pumps over and over again. We’ve had to learn how to navigate the pipe and electrical systems. We’ve fixed broken geysers and installed an extremely expensive air-con system which, annoyingly, ended up not working. We’ve had workmen in our ceilings all night, guests throwing chairs into swimming pools and spraying red wine on ceilings and into kettles. Guests stealing towels and sheets. Lovely guests bringing gifts and coming back over and over again. It’s been a roller coaster ride.

And then a couple of months ago, we started working on and planning our new baby. A passion project, a restaurant we’ve been dreaming about for a long time. A place where we both could eat, being an omnivore (Andrew) and a vegan (me), a place with options and choices, a place where everyone is welcome and made to feel comfortable in their individual lifestyles. A place where food and its origin is respected and where we try to keep our produce as local and sustainable as possible. What would we call this place? I liked the concept of travel, fluidity, food in flux with the changing seasons. I opened up my thesaurus and came across the word Nomad. I wrote it down and it spoke to my heart. That day we took a drive to Somerset West and Andrew pointed out the word “Nomad” written on a building near the N2. We paid for our smoothies at Kuaui with our cards and the machine displayed the word “Nomad” as it processed our payment. It was surely a sign and we both burst out laughing. We enlisted the help of designer extraordinaire, Andrea Barras, to conceptualise our branding and she came up with the moons in phase in our logo. I’m obsessed with my brother’s tattoo of a compass on his arm, and so she incorporated that into our branding too. It all fit together so wonderfully: our concept, the words and the imagery. We got Chef Marile van Niekerk on board and set to work renovating the restaurant building on the property.

We opened on the first of February, my birthday. There’s still much to do, including a large amount of landscaping and a dam to fill with water. But we’re happy and excited about our passion project and everything that we’re going to learn and experience on this journey. We also have the most amazing team helping us every step of the way – Klaries, Marile, Ray and Keenan are all unbelievably hard-working souls and we are so thankful to have them! Having vegans come up and thank me in in the restaurant for having a choice of pizzas, platters, mains, starters, salads and desserts has assured me we’re on the right path. Making a lactose-intolerant little boy his first ever “cheese” pizza with vegan mozzarella made my heart all mushy. I know the pain of having to go to a restaurant and ask if there are any vegan options, or having to order a tasteless green salad with french fries again. No more. There is no eye-rolling at Nomad from our waiters or chefs about vegans and vegetarians – we are prepared and happy to feed you – and all your omni friends and family! Nomad is about having a good time and celebrating in comfort with your loved ones. We’re about no judgement, good food, good times and flowing wine! I hope you come and pay us a visit.

When I first went vegan, I received some nasty comments from people, saying I shouldn’t promote veganism whilst living on a cattle farm and being married to a man who owns a meat-serving restaurant. But being vegan is so much more than black and white, and in these shadows is where most of the work is done. Removing yourself from life is not the solution. Even before then, the cogs were in motion to set about a new way of making a living. While I would obviously love to be involved in a vegan-only restaurant, I think it’s also important to start incorporating more vegan options at omni restaurants. Although it won’t happen most of the time, now and then, an omni might choose a vegan starter or pizza or salad and to me, even that tiny choice, can make a difference to our planet’s health and the lives of people and animals around the world. The more vegan choices there are out there, the more able we are to start making a real change.

So I sit here on this little tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and I am at peace. This year has been crazy-hard-fun so far and I know I need to go back to a bit more balance – more yoga, more massages, letting go, trusting people, writing more, opening myself up again, allowing myself to be vulnerable. And most of all, finishing up my next passion project… which I can’t wait to share with you all soon! But most of all, to continue living, as best as I can, without judgement, and in alignment with my convictions.

xxx

Nomad is on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – follow for news and updates.

cooking vegan with Melissa’s Food Shop

The well known and beloved South African food shop, Melissa’s, has just launched their online store – which is pretty much the best news for a pyjama-wearing, freelancing hermit like me. If I could do all my shopping online, I would. Oh wait, I live near a city now – I can! *adds to growing list of reasons to love new home* I was also very happy to find out that a number of Melissa’s amazing sauces and dressings are vegan and are such great additions to some of my staple veggie meals. The dishes in this post are all super easy and delicious – not to mention perfect if you’re having meat-eating friends over for a dinner party and you want to ensure that they leave feeling super-full and satisfied (and, of course, raving about your food). Alternatively, the salad makes a great lunch on it’s own, the nachos are fab for when you’re having peeps over for drinks and the bolognese is perfect for an easy midweek home dinner.Before I get into the food, can we just all take a moment to appreciate Melissa’s beautiful packaging? If you know me, you’ll know I’m a massive fan of illustration and pretty wrapping paper, so friends and family – expect your gifts to all be wrapped in this for the next year. Actually, just expect Melissa’s hampers. Pre-packaged and prettily wrapped already, it’s a no-brainer for any last-minute gift (which, let’s be honest, most gifts are). From birthdays to mother’s and father’s days, or even a little me-time spoil – Melissa’s has your back.

This first recipe is one of my favourites and a lunchtime meal I have at least twice a week. I’m always on the lookout for yummy dressings to jazz up my salads and this Pomegranate and Cranberry White Balsamic Vinegar is a new favourite.

Chickpea and Quinoa Salad with Melissa’s Pomegranate & Cranberry White Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients
1 can of chickpeas
1/2 cup quinoa (I used red quinoa)
Baby spinach leaves
Rocket
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumber
Yellow Pepper
Avocado

Method
Bring the red quinoa to boil in a pot filled with 1 cup of water. Allow to simmer until cooked (about ten minutes). Drain any excess water and allow to cool. Drain and rinse chickpeas throughly. Chop your tomatoes, cucumber and yellow pepper as desired and place in a mixing bowl with the baby spinach and rocket. Add 2 tablespoons of Melissa’s Pomegranate & Cranberry White Balsamic Vinegar and mix gently with a wooden spoon. Place on plate as desired (I used a rectangular serving plate) and then cover with quinoa, chickpeas and sliced avocado. Finish off with a generous slug of the vinegar over the top and serve.

This next recipe is one that I’m really excited to share as I am a massive fan of Nachos – always have been, always will be. The only problem with eating vegan is that nachos now have to be served sans the cheese… or do they? I found a fabulous recipe for a vegan ricotta cheese from the Thug Kitchen cookbook which works marvellously alongside the guacamole and Melissa’s delicious Tomato Salsa.

Nachos with Guacamole, Vegan Cheese and Melissa’s Tomato Salsa

Guacamole

Smash 2 avocados with lemon juice. Add salt and pepper.

Salsa

Mix Melissa’s Tomato Salsa with one tablespoon of Melissa’s Sweet Chilli and Tomato Jam. Add sliced jalepenos if you’re into spice.

Vegan Cheese (recipe from Thug Kitchen)

1/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1 block tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Pour the sunflower seeds into a food processor and blitz for 2 minutes.
Take tofu out package, and drain of any excess water. Add to food processor and blitz with sunflower seeds until smooth.
Place mixture in a mixing bowl with the lemon zet, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic. Mix in gently with a wooden spoon. Stir in the nutritional yeast slowly. Done! (I add in chopped basil or coriander leaves for extra yumminess, but that’s purely up to you). Place in fridge until cool.

Place the guacamole, tomato salsa mix and “cheese” into separate bowls and serve alongside your choice of nachos. Yum!

This dish below is adapted from one of my favourites from the Deliciously Ella cookbook. It never fails to disappoint, and may I just throw it out there that some meat-eaters (ok, just my husband, but he is a chef so he counts as like ten meat-eaters) have agreed that it’s actually better than regular bolognese! I used my absolute favourite Melissa’s product for this one – I eat it with a spoon right out the jar – the Slow Roasted Marinated Tomatoes to add extra flavour to this dish.

Lentil Bolognese with Melissa’s Slow Roasted Marinated Tomatoes

Ingredients
3 large carrots
1 jar of Melissa’s slow roasted marinated tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 packet tomato puree
2 tins of lentils, drained and rinsed
500g spaghetti

Method
Peel and grate carrots.
Add the carrots, the jar of slow roasted marinated tomatoes and crushed garlic to a large saucepan with the tins of tomatoes, lentils and 2 cups of boiling water.
Stir everything together, bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 45 mins, stirring now and then,
Once it’s almost ready, cook the pasta al dente and drain. Place on dish and spoon bolognese over the top (or, alternatively, mix in with the bolognese and then serve).

You can order all of the Melissa’s products used above from their online store. Happy cooking! Let me know if you try out any of the above dishes – I’d love to know how you found them.

** The vegan cheese recipe is adapted from the Thug Kitchen cookbook and the lentil bolognese is adapted from the Deliciously Ella cookbook – both books are essential to any vegan’s bookshelf, in my humble opinion. **

eating vegan in london

London is Paris’ vegan-friendly healthy cousin. While Parisians consider black coffee and a cigarette perfectly fine for breakfast, London is all about acacia bowls and green juices. Or at least, that’s what I gathered from the places we visited. Two out of the three restaurants we went to were raw vegan and the other place I was lucky enough to try out was Vx aka Vegan Cross, where I sampled a very not-raw yummy cheese quesadilla (oh, the dripping, melty yumminess of vegan cheese) and a delicious chocolate blueberry cupcake. There are so many other vegan places to try out in London that I wish I had been there for an entire month – with a pot of gold! And don’t even get me started on Whole Foods Market. People of the first world, you should be so grateful!

Wild Food Cafe is situated in Covent Garden and opens at 12pm sharp – make sure you’re waiting at the door if you want to grab a table straight away – there was already a queue forming when we got there at 11:50am. The service was fantastic and the food arrived in very good time for a place so packed with customers. My salad was delicious and jammed full of the good stuff! I could easily have had another one – but then I am just a big pig. Andrew had the burger (of course – which I’m not completely sure was raw, I probably should have taken a photo! Whoops) and proclaimed it to be really tasty and filling. I just had to have a slice of the blueberry cheesecake because you don’t really find vegan cakes of any sort in SA pretty much ever, and I wanted to weigh it up against the one I have made before. It was really yummy – not too sweet and very moreish and kind of similar in taste to the one of my own creation. I should totally open a vegan restaurant. Ha! Nama in Notting Hill reminded me a lot of the amazing Raw and Roxy in Cape Town’s Woodstock region and so of course I loved it! Their sushi rolls in particular were fabulous and they also offer great tapas, raw pastas and all kinds of desserts. I had the basil pesto pasta (surprise, surprise) and Andrew had the tapas platter which was just exploding with flavours of all sorts. Nama also offers courses in raw food cooking as well as catering for functions and events. Just imagine hosting a big vegan birthday party – and not having to do all the cooking! Heaven.

It felt so much easier to be a little plant muncher in London and I must admit that it was a bit of a comedown to come home (kudos to the freaking fantastic vegan meals on British Airways though – I was so impressed!) to only one great vegan salad option at Woolworths (good lord, that grain and lentil salad is a lifesaver) and one or two vegetarian or vegan options, if you’re lucky, on many a restaurant menu around the country. I have faith though that we will very soon be catching up to international standards as more and more awareness around food starts happening in South Africa. I have already noticed – in my nine short months of being vegan – the change in perception of a plant-based lifestyle and the eagerness of people to find out more about it. There is so much opportunity here in SA for both vegan products and eateries and I predict a big boom over the next two years or so. You heard it here first – get on it.

Thank you to my lovely fellow veggie friend Andrea for taking me out and about – can’t wait for our next adventure!

eating vegan in Paris

A great place to start when looking for vegetarian and vegan restaurants when traveling is by checking out the website, Happy Cow. This website (and there is an app too) will let you know where all the veggie restaurants, as well as the “muggle” restaurants are who carry veggie options and which ones are the closest to you at the moment of searching. Jussie, guys what did we do before GPS? Get lost, that’s what.

I found Paris to be surprisingly vegan-friendly for a nation so obsessed with cheese! We ate at Brassiere Lola’s twice, not only because it was just one tube stop away from our hotel, but because the food was so amazing! The Chicken Caesar Salad is literally better than any other one I’ve tasted in my life – even before I was vegan. Andy had it both nights he loved it so much! I also had the special quinoa salad there which was fabulous and just what I needed after a week of travelling and eating stodgy fast food! I love going to vegan restaurants and looking around at all the other patrons and wondering about all their pasts and what their stories are in and how they came to choose a vegan lifestyle. Also, it’s so relaxing knowing that every ingredient on the menu is vegan and you don’t have to think twice about any hidden ingredients when ordering anything. I still have to pinch myself when I’m in the surroundings of other veggies – it’s a very rare occurrence for me to be not the only vegan in a room!

We also ate at Hank’s Vegan Burger (near the Charles Pompidou Centre) which was probably the most wondrous experience ever. The staff were young, energetic and super friendly – they even giggled at my jokes so I reckon that Parisian vegans are my new favourite people. And the burgers were…. mind blowing. I had the La Catcheuse (VEGAN CHEESE BURGER IN MAH FASH). It was sooo yum. The sauces are all so tasty and the flavours just sublime – their mayo needs to be bottled and sold! I could easily have eaten there again. Every day, in fact. I also want someone to please help me bring Hank to Cape Town. (Inbox me if you’re keen to invest – seriously) (yes mom, I’m looking at you). There are so many other veggie places to try in Paris and the fresh fruit and veg is amazing too – once again: so little time, not enough ZAR. Can we go back again?

light summer lunches: raw creamy avocado and cucumber zucchini noodles

I know Saturday was a bit of a freakishly weird warm day for Cape Town winter, but it got me hankering after this dish which I originally found on the amazing vegan food blog, Simple Veganista. I’ve made this meal a couple of times and have adapted it according to mine and Andrew’s tastes. As we near summer and are preparing to get our nekkid bodies out, a lot of peeps are looking to cut their intake of sugar and carbs. Someone once told me when I went vegan that I should always make sure that one of my meals every day is a salad – and this dish, whilst pretending to be pasta, is totally a salad. It is raw vegan food, but if you’re a carb monster like myself, feel free to swap the zucchini noodles for pasta – the flavours will carry through either way. I added pine nuts to my recipe for extra yumminess, and you could probably add some beans to the dish too if you’d like – chick peas or cannellini beans would go best. It’s ridiculously quick and easy to make (the most amount of time is spent on peeling the zucchini and cucumber, which is not much at all) and it really is a great meal to whip up when you’re on the run but still trying to stay on the health bandwagon.

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 big zucchinis aka marrows (I used a julienne peeler to slice mine, but you can buy spiralized zucchini from the shop or make your own with a spiralizer)
Cherry tomatoes
Rocket leaves
Jalapeno slices or Olives
Pea Shoots

For the sauce:

1 medium sized cucumber (the bigger your cucumber, the runnier your sauce will be)
1 large avocado
Juice from 1 lemon
A handful of basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Place your zucchini noodles in a mixing bowl. In a blender, blitz all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth. Toss with noodles and then place on a plate and decorate as desired with tomatoes, olives, rocket and pea shoots. Easy, huh? Enjoy!

an afternoon walk & spicy butternut & chickpea soup

The sun is going down and the house is settling into its closed-curtain and roaring-fire state. I’ve just taken the dogs for a short walk down the driveway because once again this morning we didn’t have time to take them for their usual five kilometre exploration. Although they sniff at the same bushes and wee on the same tree trunks every single day, you’d swear that every morning it was their first time out in their whole lives and I feel terribly guilty if they don’t get their daily walk. Also, they stare at me and whine a lot if they haven’t, which is pretty bloody annoying. Anyway, whilst out on my walk, I was thinking about what to cook for dinner and I remembered this yummy soup I made a couple of weeks ago and thought I must share it with you all over here because it was so yummy. I’d also quite like to make it right now, but alas, I have no chickpeas. Perhaps I shall try it with lentils. Anyhoo, here is the recipe and some pics I snapped from the last time I made it. And also some pics of the driveway this evening because the light was just too lovely not to take a snap or two, and I don’t have many more evenings like this left in the Midlands.

This spicy butternut and chickpea soup was born out of two essential components: pretty much nothing else to eat in the house, paired with freezing cold winter weather. I’m not the greatest fan of a traditional butternut soup, but in my drive to eat as local and as seasonally as possibly, the humble butternut has now become a weekly feature in my local vegetable box. I therefore wanted to create a butternut soup with a bit of a zing and how better to do that than by adding some of my favourite spices (forget cookies, I’m the cumin monster). My friend, Olivia, who eats vegetarian largely by default (dodgy gall bladder), made this for her husband and three sons the other day and they all couldn’t believe that it was meat and dairy-free! So vegan or not, give this baby a whirl on a cold day or night this winter.

Ingredients:

1 small white onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon cumin spice
1/2 teaspoon ginger spice
1/2 teaspoon coriander spice
1/2 teaspoon mild curry powder
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 butternut, peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
Vegetable Stock of your choice
300ml boiling water
1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Fresh coriander and coconut cream to serve

Method:

In a large sup pot, fry the onion in the olive oil for about three minutes. Add the fresh garlic and celery, as well as the cumin, ginger, coriander, curry powder and turmeric and stir fry the whole lot for another 3 minutes. Add the butternut, sweet potato and potato. Stir it all about in the onions and spices for a few minutes. Add the hot water and veg stock and boil until the vegetables are all soft. Mash everything up or shove it in the food processor if you want it really smooth. Add the chickpeas in at the end and cook for another five minutes. Serve with fresh coriander and a good dollop of coconut cream.