Chocolate and Beyond

Review: Vegan Beer & Food Tasting at BrewDog Manchester!

Although it's been open for more than a year, it was just a few weeks ago that I visited BrewDog Manchester for the first time. I have been to a London Camden branch before, swayed by the prospect of vegan bottled beer and a cool atmosphere, but I actually didn't even realise Manchester had become home to a BrewDog until I was invited to a beer and food pairing there.

So yes. The first thing to know about BrewDog is that all their bottled beers are vegan. And some of them are pretty damn good. Cask ales not so - I remember being told this by the bar staff in Camden, and also the Barnivore site lists them too.

Recipes: Walnut Kohl-Slaw with Sweet & Tangy Dressing

Have you been wondering how to use up that kohlrabi that came in your organic veg box this week? If you're anything like me, the weird and wonderful fruits and veggies that come in boxes can be baffling to know what to do with. This vegan coleslaw recipe using kohlrabi instead of white cabbage is hopefully some inspiration for you, and a fresh and interesting take on traditional coleslaw.  It's quick and easy to make, and could even be a reason to go out and buy kohlrabi. You know, on purpose.

I first discovered kohlrabi when I had veg boxes delivered some time ago, and spent a wee while trying to work out what to do with it. I don't get veg boxes now but I have since come to really enjoy this less common vegetable, also known as 'German turnip', which is from the cabbage family. It's more akin to a milder tasting turnip however than cabbage, and it's frequently eaten raw.

New to Help You! A Recipe Index Page on Chocolate and Beyond

Just a short post to make an annoucement! After many hours of hard labour (heh), I've now created a Recipe Index page on Chocolate and Beyond. This should help you find recipes more easily, as I have listed all my recipes in various categories to scroll through and browse. Obviously some recipes belong in more than one section so I've tried to pick the main one to make things easier.

The 'Main Courses' category is predictably the largest, so I might look at splitting this off further when I find a way to (cold and hot, one pot or not? Etc). I will endeavour to keep the Recipe Index updated and add each new recipe as I go along. So - I hope this is useful for you and helps you navigate the site better? If you can offer any feedback, I'd love to hear it.

See the RECIPE INDEX.

Rustic Vegan Pizza with No Yeast Dough (Budget Recipe, 60p Per Half Pizza)

I was utterly greedy and ate a full one of these. It was too much, I was stuffed full and then felt a little in pain. But I blame the after-effects of doing Live Below the Line, as this was my dinner on the day after doing it! I was CRAVING pizza, and missed out on Vegan Pizza Day on the Saturday 28th June. And pizza is not even normally a food that I am that bothered about. However, with this budget friendly, no yeast dough, vegan pizza recipe, there is actually enough for two as a plentiful dinner, especially if served with salad or other vegetables. For less hungry people, it could even spread around four.

The pizza base itself is silly cheap to make if you use basic ingredients (around 9p for the whole batch - which makes an approximate 12 inch pizza), and it works well for a quick meal, because no yeast is required. So if you love fresh pizza, but are put off by having to make a dough that needs yeast, then try this base out instead.

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).

Raw Blueberry Pie - Exclusive Recipe from Rebecca Kane

Raw blueberry pie, oh my. And as promised on Monday when I announced the Shine Inside and Out giveaway from raw food goddess Rebecca Kane, I am posting Rebecca's exclusive recipe for this gorgeous raw food dessert. Although I do have to come clean and say that mine didn't turn out like Rebecca's lovely pie (see below). It didn't set well, so is on the runny side. However, I do have to admit that it still tastes divine, the consistency hasn't stopped me eating it!

I'm really not sure what I did wrong. My pie (pictured above) was great until I cut into it! It may be that I didn't emulsify the coconut oil into the filling well enough. But as Rebecca has published several recipe books and does cookery demos everywhere and is a total raw food expert, I know whatever happened is definitely going to be at my hands and not an issue with her recipe. So with that in mind, I reckon you should give this a go.

FREE Rebecca Kane Raw Food Recipes & 'Shine Inside and Out' Book Giveaway!

Does the idea of 'raw food' conjure images of cows chewing the cud, or rabbits nibbling on lettuce? I have to admit, I too was guilty of harbouring misconceptions about raw food until a couple of years ago. I thought it meant just smoothies (which I do love, but not all the time) and boring salads. I didn't realise the world of raw food could be so creative and flavourful until I experienced raw tacos at a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, a couple of years ago.

Now, I'm certainly no raw foodie (as you can tell from the recipes on my blog, I LOVE cooking), but whenever I give a raw recipe a try these days, I am always pleasantly surprised. And even more so when it is very simple to create. I don't have equipment like a dehydrator (so anything involving one puts me off), not even a spiralizer, which is exactly why Rebecca Kane's Shine Inside and Out book is brilliant. There's nothing complicated in it at all, so how fab Rebecca has offered to give a copy away to one of my readers?!

Recipes: Raw Vegan Cherry Tomato & Chilli Lime Soup

Oh my god! Do not, I repeat, do not, look at the name of this recipe and think "Urgh! That's one of those raw vegan recipes, I won't be eating THAT!" This chilled, raw soup is utterly delectable. And let's face it, there is ABSOLUTELY NO COOKING INVOLVED! How can you grumble at that? It takes literally minutes to whizz up (so please, none of that "Oh raw food takes so much time" nonsense), and it is also very cheap to make. I was taking advantage of Aldi's current 49p a pack of cherry tomatoes for this, admittedly - but they never cost that much, do they?

It is also not very 'tomatoey' tasting, so tomato-haters, take a chance. This is creamy and delicious, and really - don't expect a standard 'tomato soup' flavour because you won't get it. In fact, dare I say it, I am most amazed with myself for this creation. It is so very yum and is going to be something that I will impress people with at dinner parties for ages to come, I'm sure.

Live Below the Line: All Done! Thank You! And a Review :)

The first thing I want to about my Live Below the Line challenge, which I finished a few days ago, is thank you so much to the kind people who sponsored me and helped me raise £243 for Action Against Hunger (including my offline donations). This was really what it was all about, and I am so happy that so many people wanted to support me to do this challenge, and donate to a good cause.

Otherwise - I think I'd like to concentrate this post on what I learned over the past few days. Oh, and that I'm really proud of myself for going out on Friday night and only having a glass of tap water, while my friend had a glass of wine. But on a reality-check level, this highlights the less realistic side of Live Below the Line. I may have been controlling what I ate and drank within a daily allowance, but I had still paid £15 for the ticket to the show we were watching, even though I drank tap water!

Live Below the Line: Day 4 - Breakfasting on Bean Burger & Banana!

After realising I was going to have jiggle my menus around somewhat to ensure I eat the things I've made, and keep within my £1 daily limit, breakfast today was one of my chilli bean burgers, an eighth of my home-baked soda bread, and a half banana. Strange combo, I know, but at least it's relatively healthy and if I was really living in extreme poverty, would I be grumbling? I think not.

Lunch was the remaining portion of sweet potato & lentil curry I made, with only a spoonful or so of rice, since I dipped into it yesterday to make the bean burgers. I had another eighth piece of bread to pad it out a little. And guess what dinner was? Oh yes, the dreaded pasta and sauce, with a sprinkle of chilli flakes as suggested by Kristen in her comment on my post about this meal. But I DID decide to put it on a square plate, and what a difference that made. Appearance is everything!