Vegan Chicken Wrap Recipe

I was asked by Loving Hut Southgate to come up with some vegan grab-and-go lunch recipes. So I came up with this idea. This vegan chicken wrap recipe makes a tasty lunch! You can fill the wrap with your favourite nutritious vegetables such as lettuce, tomato, cucumber or avocado to get some of your 5 a day!

Vegan Chicken Wrap Recipe

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Gluten free wrap

1/4 Vegan spicy tofu chicken

3tbsp Vegan mayonnaise

1 Lettuce leaf

1/4 Avocado

1 Medium tomato

Instructions

Firstly make the vegan spicy tofu chicken and vegan mayonnaise.

Now place the wrap on a flat surface. Place a lettuce leaf In the middle of the wrap. Now put down a line of the vegan spicy tofu chicken. Add on the dollops of vegan mayonnaise. Next cut the avocado in half lengthways and cut one quarter into slices. Place the avocado slices on the wrap. Chop the tomato into slices and place on the wrap.

Finally roll up the wrap and cut in half. Enjoy!

Vegan Spicy Tofu Chicken

This vegan spicy tofu chicken recipe is inspired by a trip to Loving Hut Southgate where I was served tasty vegan chicken pieces in rice noodles with stir fried vegetables. Vegan spicy tofu chicken is easy to make and is delicious in a vegan chicken and lettuce wrap or with a meal for dinner.

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Serves 4

Ingredients

1 block tofu

3tbsp gluten free flour

1tbsp ground flaxseed or gram flour

1tbsp dijon mustard

2tsp cumin

1tsp coriander

1/2tsp sea salt

1/2tsp black pepper

100ml water

1tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

Firstly drain the tofu and place it on a piece of kitchen roll. Place something heavy such as a chopping board on top of the tofu and press down.

Now prepare the batter. Add the flour, ground flaxseed, mustard, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix it together, then create a well in the middle. Slowly add the water and mix in as you go, until the mixture forms a smooth batter.

Break up the pressed tofu into bite sized pieces and add into the batter. Cover the tofu in batter.

Add the oil into a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add in the tofu pieces and fry for 10-15 minutes until the tofu sides are golden brown. Turn over the tofu pieces half way through.

Serve warm and eat immediately.

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Cashew Nut Butter Recipe

Cashew Nut Butter Recipe

This delicious homemade cashew nut butter recipe is simple to make. It tastes as good, if not better than the shop bought brands! It takes time to get the cashew nut butter to a smooth consistency but the effort is worth it! You can spread cashew nut butter on oatcakes or toast and add it to smoothies.

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Makes 160g

Ingredients

200g Cashew nuts

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C (without the fan).

Now scatter the cashew nuts on a baking tray. Roast them for 10 minutes until they are golden brown.

Remove from the oven. Pour the cashew nuts into the blender (I use a Vitamix). Blend on medium power. Stop and scrape down the sides. Repeat this process about 10 times. Gradually the cashew nut butter gets more and more smooth. It took me about 25 minutes of blending and scraping to reach a suitably smooth cashew butter.

Now spoon the cashew butter into a jar. Voila! You have homemade cashew nut butter!

Store in a cool, dry place.

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Scrambled Tofu Recipe

Scrambled Tofu Recipe

I love making this tasty scrambled tofu recipe for breakfast. It is the ideal breakfast for vegans as it is high in protein and will keep you going for longer. Furthermore it is quick to prepare and cook in under 30 minutes!

Scrambled Tofu Recipe Scrambled Tofu Recipe Scrambled Tofu Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

1/2 red onion

1 garlic clove

1/4tsp sea salt

1/4tsp black pepper

1tsp turmeric

1/2tsp cumin

1/2tsp parsley

1 large leaf kale

1 block tofu

Instructions

Firstly place the block of tofu on a piece of kitchen roll. Put something heavy such as a chopping board on top of the block of tofu and press down to remove the juices. Leave to press.

Secondly heat up the olive oil in a medium sized frying pan on a low heat. Slice the red onion and add to the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes. Now add the chopped garlic and stir. Season with the sea salt and pepper.

Next pull the kale off of the stem and tear it into small pieces. Place in the pan to steam.

Now move the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add the pressed block of tofu to the pan and mash up with a fork into small pieces. Season with the sea salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin and parsley and mix in well so the turmeric covers the whole of the tofu giving it a yellow colour. You can add more turmeric if necessary.

Finally fry the tofu for about 5-10 minutes until it is slightly browned. Mix the vegetables and tofu together. Serve immediately.

Inspired by the Southwest Tofu Scramble recipe by Minimalist Baker

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Vegan Restaurant in Crawley

Vegan Restaurant in Crawley

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I was amazed to discover that there is a vegan restaurant in Crawley 5 minutes away from where I work! Loving Hut Express opened up in Southgate in Crawley a couple of weeks ago! They serve delicious Chinese style vegan food. I tried the vegan fish and chips which was delicious and tasted like real fish!

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I will definitely be back again to try out more of the mouth watering meals on the menu such as the tasty chicken balls, dumplings and vegan burgers. It is like a piece of Brighton in Crawley. Thank you Loving Hut for opening up in Crawley!

They also have amazing water that is filtered through an 7 panel ionising filter. It filters out the harmful chemicals and minerals such as chlorine and fluorine, which can cause toxicity in the brain, and it allows minerals that are good for health such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium to remain in the water. In Japan they call it medicinal water because it remineralises the body. It also has a pH of 8.6 which is alkaline so it alkalises the body which is also very good for health with the acidic diet we eat in the West.

The Crawley Vegan Society regularly meets up here to have high vibrational, loving chats. Come along an meet like minded vegan/vegetarian friends!

Strawberry Jam

This delicious strawberry jam is very tasty spread on toast for breakfast or used as a filling in a Victoria sponge cake or in gluten free vegan scones! It makes great use of summer strawberries!

Strawberry JamStrawberry Jam

Makes 200g of jam

Ingredients

100ml      water

200g       strawberries

100g       golden caster sugar

Instructions

Pour the water into the pan on a medium heat. Add in the strawberries and mash up with a wooden spoon. Now heat until the strawberries begin to soften. Pour in the sugar and heat until it has dissolved. Now bring to the boil and boil for 15-20 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a jam jar and leave to cool and set.

Store in the fridge in a sealed jam jar.

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Supplements for Vegans

When on a vegan diet it is important to make sure you are getting all the nutrients that your body needs to function optimally. I have listed the 4 essential nutrients and supplements for vegans below. My recommendations are based on the knowledge I have learnt on my 3 year nutrition course. I want to share my knowledge with vegans so they can remain healthy on a vegan diet.

  • Vitamin B12 – is important for making red blood cells, energy and concentration. It is found only in animal products so it is vital that you take a vitamin B12 supplement. I recommend BetterYou B12 Boost Oral Spray. It is a sublingual spray that is absorbed under the tongue directly into the blood stream for faster action.

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  • Omega 3 EPA & DHA – is important for brain health, building cell membranes and reducing inflammation in the body. The active form of omega 3 EPA and DHA is only found in fish and eggs. ALA is found in flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, rapeseed oil and walnuts. ALA is converted to EPA and DHA is the body but it is thought that only 5% is converted. I recommend taking Opti-3 Omega DHA & EPA supplement. The recommended amount of omega 3 for an adult is 2g per day.

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  • Zinc – is involved in over 100 enzyme reactions in the body. It is also important for a healthy immune system, producing stomach acid to digest food, appetite and taste. Zinc is found mainly in animal products, especially seafood and also in fresh root ginger, cashew nuts and pumpkin seeds. I recommend all vegans take 15mg of zinc daily. A good supplement is Biocare Nutrisorb Zinc Plus Ascorbate with zinc in it’s most absorbable form. Also good is Biocare Zinc Citrate.

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  • Vitamin D – most people in the northern hemisphere are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D functions like a hormone and is important for bone health and mood. You can get vitamin D from animal products and mushrooms. The easiest way to get vitamin D is from 20 minutes exposure to sunlight on bare face and arms daily. In the winter months it is recommended to supplement with vitamin D as your body stores are used up after 3 months, so last until December. A good, clean vegan supplement is Cytoplan Vitamin D3 2500IU made from lichen.

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It is always best to get the nutrients you need from your diet if possible. Supplements ‘supplement’ your diet and are not a replacement for a healthy diet.

Vegan Bread

It is wonderful to make homemade bread with the smell of bread filling the kitchen. And it is more tasty and satisfying knowing that you made it yourself! This yummy vegan bread has a crispy crust and is light and fluffy in the middle. it is delicious sliced and served with your favourite spread. It is gluten free, egg free and dairy free.

Vegan bread Vegan bread Vegan bread

Ingredients

500g Dove’s Farm Gluten Free White Bread Flour

2tsp Quick yeast

2tbsp Coconut sugar

1/2tsp Salt

1 Flax egg (1tbsp ground flaxseed in 200ml water)

6tbsp Rapeseed oil

1tsp Apple cyder vinegar

400ml Water

Instructions

Put the dry ingredients including the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt into a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Make an indent in the middle of the flour. Now add the wet ingredients including the flax egg, half the rapeseed oil, the apple cyder vinegar and water. Mix until you have a smooth, thick batter. Pour the remaining oil over the dough.

Oil a 1kg bread tin and tip the dough into the tin. Cover loosely with a sheet of cling film. Leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours until the dough has risen to the top of the tin.

Preheat the oven to 200C or 180C fan. Bake for 55 minutes.

Store the vegan bread wrapped in baking paper in a cool, dry place. Eat within a week.

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Vegan Ginger Cookies

These tasty vegan ginger cookies are nice and spicy to warm you up on a cool winter’s day! They are gluten-free and vegan and quick to make. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and good for circulation and the added cinnamon is good for blood sugar control. I would recommend sourcing Ceylon cinnamon which is true cinnamon as the cinnamon in the supermarkets is cassia that can cause liver damage if eaten in large quantities.

Vegan Ginger Cookies Vegan Ginger Cookies Makes 13 cookies

Ingredients

225g Gluten free oats

1tsp Baking powder

1tbsp Ground ginger

1/2tbsp Ground cinnamon

1tbsp Ground flaxseed

150ml Almond milk

100ml Rapeseed oil

2tbsp Agave nectar

Instructions

Preheat the fan oven to 180C.

Weigh out the oats and pour them into a blender (I used the Vitamix) with the baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and flaxseed. Blend until you have a fine flour.

Now pour the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour. Now pour in some of the almond milk, the rapeseed oil and agave nectar. Mix together until it forms a sticky cookie dough. Add the remaining almond milk to mix in any flour sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Now put a piece of baking paper on a baking tray. Next scoop out the dough using a dessert spoon and drop each portion onto the baking tray. Spread out evenly. Now press down on each cookie with the back of the spoon to flatten them slightly.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven a leave to cool.

Enjoy your cookies! Store in an airtight container and eat within a week.

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Vegan Alternatives

If you plan on going vegan it’s important that you have vegan alternatives to animal foods that you have been eating on a daily basis. Having tasty vegan alternatives helps to maintain the vegan diet in the long-term and reduces the temptation to go back to eating animal foods. I have compiled a list of my favourite vegan alternatives.P1000371

  • Meat – there are many high protein alternatives to meat. Mushrooms have a meaty texture, as well as tofu and beans. You can buy Linda Mccartney or Quorn burgers. Or you can make my tasty Quinoa and Lentil Burgers
  • Eggs – you can use flax eggs (1tbsp flaxseed mixed in 2tbsp cold water) as an egg replacement to bind cakes.
  • Mayonnaise – You can buy Plamil vegan soya mayonnaise or making your own Vegan Mayonnaise is quick and easy in a blender.P1020809
  • Milk – there are many dairy free milks available in the shops such as almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, hemp milk, coconut milk and soya milk. It is easy and rewarding to make your own homemade Almond Milk.
  • Cream – you make a simple Vegan Cashew Cream to serve with strawberries or spread on a sponge cake.
  • Butter – You can use soya spread to spread on your toast or you can use coconut oil, olive oil or rapeseed oil.
  • Cheese – cheese is often the hardest animal product for people who are going vegan to give up. Tasty cheese alternatives include VioLife dairy free cheese, Tofutti and Sheese.
  • Yoghurt – Co-yo have a delicious coconut yoghurt with live cultures or you can buy soya yoghurt.P1000143
  • Ice cream – my Banana & Cashew Ice cream recipe is easy to make with only two ingredients! Or you can buy ready made dairy free ice cream from Booja Booja, Co-yo, Tofutti or Swedish Glace.