Chocolate and Beyond

Recipe: Leek & Potato Vegan Frittata

This is vegan comfort food at its best! Hearty, filling, simple to make, and - for those who are interested - entirely gluten free. It was so delicious that once it was cooked, I found I couldn't stop eating it. I managed to get through a full half of the frying pan for my dinner last night! That certainly hadn't been intended, as I was full after a quarter. Then this morning, I ate the rest with baked beans for my breakfast. Yummy. But smothering it in sweet chilli sauce is a must, I find.

I've been on a mission to use my cupboard and freezer stock to reduce food waste, and focusing on buying fresh produce that is on offer since my budget is restricted. This means I have been a little more creative with food over the last few days. I don't often buy leeks, but I got these ones on a special deal in Aldi and came up with this recipe. It's a take on my popular mushroom vegan omelette, using gram flour (chickpea flour) as the base and binder.

Recipes: Peaches & Strawberry Cream Smoothie

I know I'm a little late for Wimbledon, but we still have summer ahead of us to enjoy this beautiful and heavenly Peaches & Strawberry Cream Smoothie. And this really is delightful, so creamy and just sweet enough. It's hard to believe such a simple and short list of ingredients can make such a wonderful and healthy drink. Bliss in a glass.

If you're not familiar with vegan cuisine and preparation, cashews are one of the best ingredients that you can use for creating cream flavours and textures in foods that are remininscent of dairy cream. Except they are much nicer, less rich, better for you, totally absent of cholesterol, and better for cows. So, it's specifically for the 'strawberries and cream' effect that I've used cashews in this smoothie, and they are lovely (if you're allergic to cashews, you could try macadamia nuts instead).

Recipes: Tofu Breakfast Scramble with Vegan Chorizo, Kale & Spinach

My latest version of the much-loved tofu scramble really packs some punch, especially with the spicy touch of the vegan chorizo, and the protein power of the tofu. It will keep you going for hours, and give you a good whammy of nutrients to lever you into the day (if you use tofu that has been set with calcium sulphate, all the better).

I had a big-time phase of making tofu scramble soon after going vegan, because previously to that, I tended to rely on scrambled eggs as one of my main breakfast foods. So this popular vegan dish played a starring role in my own kitchen, and for a while, I just thought I'd never stop eating it! I used to make the PPK blog Scrambled Tofu Revisited, and made up a larger amount of the herb mixture so I had it handy for each time. But I have now moved on to my own versions.

Recipes: Vegan Shrove Tuesday Pancakes - Egg-Free & Flippin' Delicious!

When I were a lass, my home economics teacher at school dubbed me the "Queen of Pancakes". Oh the joy! I remember how I blushed when she declared it to my fellow peers after a particularly successful flip. I enjoyed a short period as her cookery class pet, but I eventually fell from grace and she was nice to me no more.

I have no idea what caused her change of mind about me - a slap-dash upside down pudding maybe? Rock buns that were rockier than the Rockies? I don't know, but I put it down to her being something of psychopathic little Hitler in the end, though I never let myself lose that accolade of being a pancake queen.

Recipes: Spinach & Tofu Fritters

Christmas breakfast is always given as much thought as Christmas dinner round our house, and in my first Christmas as a 'declared' vegan (last year I was just playing at it!), I have decided that these utterly delectable Spinach & Tofu Fritters will be on our breakfast table this year.

I made these a few weeks ago and was astounded with how well they turned out, and how totally scrumptious they were, from such few ingredients and with little preparation or cooking time involved. They really are so quick to make as well as tasty and satisfying, but light enough to eat in the knowledge that you will be indulging somewhat later on!

Recipes: Mushroom, Spring Onion & Chilli Vegan 'Omelette'

Okay. Since this recipe has proved to be so popular, and it doesn't even have a post of its own, I decided I needed to ensure it *did* have a post of its own, so readers can find it easily. So I am bringing you this post, with a recipe that has already been published within my site, for that reason.

I featured this 'omelette' in the 12 Yummy Vegan Breakfast & Brunch Ideas post I wrote a couple of months back which seems to have been pretty well-received. So well-received, that a fellow vegan food blogger Adriana has dedicated a whole post on her own blog, called Vegan Omelette, to it. I have to say, I am incredible flattered and there's surely no better compliment a cook could have than this!

Recipes: Black Forest Berry Booster (Dairy-Free Yogurt Smoothie)

Thick, delicious and a perfect start to the day, this berry fruit soya yogurt smoothie, using frozen fruits, is a fabulous way to start the day. And one of the few vegan smoothies I make without using bananas! The non-dairy soya yogurt, of course, ensures it has some filling power, which is the reason I often use bananas.

I ALWAYS have a supply of frozen berries and summer fruits in my freezer, so I can enjoy smoothies like this year-round. Whether you pick and freeze them yourself, or buy them ready-frozen, they are such a versatile fruit that it is really worth keeping them in stock. And they are super-healthy, and I think this is the case for frozen berries just as much as fresh.

Recipes: Vegan 'Bacon & Cheese' Club Tower Sandwich

Need a weekend breakfast idea? Well, oh my giddy aunt, do I have a treat in store for you here! This will get your belly rumbling, even if you're one of those people who says they never fancy breakfast. I don't ever say that - breakfast, or brunch if I end up eating a bit later, is my favourite meal of the day, and I like to make it extra special at the weekend.

Of course, this Vegan 'Bacon & Cheese' Club Tower Sandwich works very well for a weekend breakfast. Or even a lunch, or supper. To be honest, one of the habits I 'unlearned' over the last few years of intuitive eating has been to see any food as particular to a certain time of day. So if I want to eat curry at breakfast, or porridge for supper, I will (how's that for anarchy?).

When I bought the vegan chorizo to try out a couple of weeks ago, I had also found a packet of Redwood Vegetarian Streaky Rashers, which became part of this meal. I can't really call it a 'recipe', as it's more about throwing a few things together. But these few things certainly do work out well!

Recipes: Date & Hazelnut Overnight Oatmeal

Never any time for breakfast? Then this Date & Hazelnut Overnight Oatmeal is perfect for you! You prepare it before bed, chill overnight, and then just grab from the fridge in the morning to take to work with a banana. It is healthy, low-fat, dairy-free, nutritious and easy peasy - a perfect start to the day.

When I'm making it, I chill the muesli in a saved take-out container, which means it can then be used for its purpose in the morning - to take out! Though I rarely eat my breakfast away from home because I work at home, it is handy for those occasions I have to eat on my way somewhere (like if I'm taking the train).

Not only does it mean I won't have to face hunger seeing as the train buffet is unlikely to cater for me, I can then dispose of the container if I wish after eating (but being a keen recycler, that's unlikely to happen!).

Recipes: Blueberry Banana Lime Zinger Smoothie

With a simple, fruity smoothie to start the day, you can't go wrong. Smoothies are more filling that you think, and they make you feel like you've given your body what it needs to get into action.

Blueberries are in season and not expensive at the moment, and they are so full of health-giving vitality and nutrients that I try to eat them whenever possible. And I eat bananas in some form or other almost daily - they have got to be the world's most versatile fruit!

This is an easy, healthy smoothie that will make you feel alive. I love the touch of lime - just enough for a zesty flavour without making you suck in your cheeks to give your mouth a resemblance of a cat's bottom...