EATING OUT #7 - THE GARDENER'S ARMS

One of my housemates treated me to a celebration meal at The Gardener's Arms last week. A vegan/vegetarian-friendly pub nestled in a quiet corner of Jericho (Oxford). Quite the little gem. You walk in and it's like your regular pub - down-to-earth, cosy, relaxed, unpretentious. I was struck by the exclusively vegetarian menu and the number of vegan options on offer: mushroom pie, Indian thali platter, vegan burgers and wraps, veggie hot dogs, pitta and hummus, rocket-olives-fresh tomato flatbread calzone...etc. For once, I could take my time selecting what I wanted instead of zooming straight on to the marginal, 2-3 option vegetarian section that you find on most restaurant menus. 

Here's a little extract from the back of their menu:

"The Gardener's kitchen started in 2003 with the intention of serving no-nonsense, quality vegetarian food that was appealing to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. The thinking behind this was that it would be a welcome relief for vegetarians and their dining companions to be able to eat somewhere that guaranteed meat-free vegetarian food with a wide choice of dishes that would be appealing to meat eaters as well..."

With their recognisable, classic pub food, they certainly succeed at appealing to meat eaters. Even my housemate confirmed that the veggie burger was one of the best in town. 

If you're after super-healthy, minimal vegan food then this is probably not your location, but if you want to treat yourself to something hearty and indulgent then this is THE ideal spot.

The Gardener's Arms is definitely a place worth visiting more than once, if only to work my way through the entire menu. It's a bit of a shame that they are relatively far out from the city centre, but the 20-25 minute walk to get there is so worth it!

I ordered the vegan burger served in a flour bap with toppings of tomato, iceberg lettuce and pickled chilli, along with a sweet chilli sauce. Yum!

This was followed by a home-made banana + chocolate sponge pudding (vegan and gluten-free). I could only manage about half of it as my main meal had filled me up, but it was delicious. It had a soft, fluffy texture with a gooey dark chocolate centre. We agreed that it would have been even nicer accompanied with some extra sauce or something creamy (whipped coconut cream, maybe?)

Be sure to check them out if you're ever in the area.

GOLDEN PAPAYA SALAD

More neon orange than golden, but let's not get nit-picky. 

The sun was out today, I was in a fantastic mood and this bright, luscious salad seemed like the perfect thing to have for lunch. I've used pawpaw/papaya in a sweet dessert recipe before, but wondered how it would fare with other savoury ingredients. Verdict? Absolutely incredible. I chopped one half of it into chunks for the salad and used the other half to make a rich papaya-ginger-tomato dressing (oil-free). Sooo yummy. 

I've used a mix of spinach and lettuce leaves for the salad base, but any leafy greens you've got available will do the trick. Top it off with a mix of other bright vegetables and you're good to go.

This would be great to take along to a summer party or family gathering.

Ingredients

- 1 small papaya (pawpaw)

- 2 big handfuls of mixed greens (spinach, lettuce...etc)

- 1/2 yellow bell pepper (chopped)

- 1/2 orange bell pepper (chopped)

- 1 medium carrot (sliced)

- 4 cherry tomatoes (sliced)

- 2 medium tomatoes

- fresh ginger (as much or as little as you want)

- 1 lemon

- chopped basil or partminger (to garnish)

- ground black pepper

To make the dressing, blend half the papaya with a bit of fresh ginger, the 2 medium tomatoes and the juice of one lemon.

Place the mixed greens at the bottom of a large salad bowl, add half of the salad dressing and mix until all the leaves are coated.

Arrange the chopped fruit and vegetables on top, sprinkle on some ground black pepper and garnish with chopped basil or partminger. Drizzle on the rest of the dressing and serve immediately. If you're making it ahead of time, then don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve (to stop the leaves from going soggy).

GROCERY HAUL #7

Aaaand...breath. Exam season is over. As is my month-long hiatus from the blog. Mind, body and soul slowly slotting back into place. I've swapped the confines of my desk and revision notes for the great outdoors (well...when I'm not catching up on all my favourite TV shows, that is). Food shopping has once more become an exciting endeavour. All in all, I can't wait to try out the new recipes I've been accumulating.

It's been a minute since I've done one of these grocery hauls. To be fair, they were starting to get quite repetitive, and not every shopping trip is accompanied with a particularly interesting back-story. I've decided to revive the ol' grocery haul post on this occasion though, mainly to encourage anyone who might be considering the vegan diet/lifestyle and to show that ABUNDANCE, not deprivation, is the name of the game. It's been well over a year since I gave up all animal products and I honestly don't think I would have stuck with it if there wasn't such an endless variety of fruit and veg to try. I never count calories, almost every meal feels guilt-free, and I've slowly come to appreciate the positive effects of good food on the body and mind. If there is one tip I would extend to anyone who wants to go vegan, it would be to fill your house with copious amounts of fresh produce. I find that when the house is stocked with plant-based goodness, I simply have no choice but to eat it all, in place of the processed foods I could be reaching for (either that, or I watch my money rot away at the bottom of the fruit bowl, and that's not gonna happen!). 

I'm back home for the week, so all of this fruit and veg isn't just for me. I may or may not be on the verge of convincing a fellow family member to go veggie...

So, here's what we got...

Vegetables: 3 heads of lettuce, green beans, garlic, fresh basil, spinach, spring onions, cucumber, mixed bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, potatoes, carrots.

Fruits: apples, bananas, papaya/pawpaw, lemons, melons.

THE VEGAN NIGERIAN STORE

I get quite a lot of e-mails from readers asking where to find specific ingredients or appliances that I've used in creating some of my dishes. With that in mind, I've incorporated an online store (courtesy of Amazon - you will need an Amazon account btw) into the website, which I hope you will find useful and convenient.

I've hand-picked a selection of food items that I use fairly regularly - beans, rice, almond milk, peanut butter, egusi etc, along with other items that you're guaranteed to find in the [vegan-friendly] Nigerian kitchen. It's basically a one-stop place to find your kitchen cupboard/fridge essentials. I'll keep adding to the inventory as time goes on.

Aside from food, you'll also find some kitchen items, such as the amazing julienne peeler I used for my "Vegetable Spaghetti" recipe, and regular ol' blenders for whizzing up those smoothies or making a batch of red pepper mix.

Lastly, there are sections for Books, DVDs and other fun miscellaneous items. The books and DVDs in particular are resources that have personally helped me along my vegan journey. Guides, recipe books and hard-hitting documentaries that explain why veganism makes sense ;)

Just scoot on over to the 'Shop' tab at the top of the page and take a look. Got any product suggestions? Get in touch! (vegannigerian@gmail.com)

Happy browsing!

VEGAN SNICKERS

Who says you have to give everything up once you go vegan? This post is inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life's all-natural raw snickers candy bars. I've changed it up to create my own version, with fewer ingredients and with peanuts instead of almonds and pine nuts. Dates are naturally sweet and have a caramel-like taste so they mimic the caramel and nougat layer in the regular snickers bar perfectly without the need of added processed sugar or syrup. 

These turned out fantastic - gooey, crunchy and chocolaty all at once - but they are sooo rich that I think I'll only make them once in a blue moon. Snickers bars happen to be a family favourite, so perhaps I'll be able to convince my family to switch to this vegan version.

*Also, check out this interview I did for Vegivoirienne's blog recently :)

Ingredients

(makes about 10)

- 2 bars dark chocolate (about 100 g each)

- 1 cup pitted dates

- 1/4 cup fresh pineapple

- 1/2 cup salted peanuts

Start by lining a rectangular plastic container or small tin with some greaseproof paper.

Melt the first bar of chocolate. Simply break the bar up into small pieces in glass bowl, place the bowl over a saucepan of steaming hot water and stir until the chocolate has melted completely. Pour the melted chocolate into the greaseproof-lined container/tin, making sure it spreads out to form an even layer and covers the base of the container/tin completely.

Evenly distribute the salted peanuts onto the melted chocolate. Place in the freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate hardens.

To create the caramelly-date filling, place the dates and fresh pineapple into a food processor/blender and whiz to form a gooey paste. (The pineapple is added to provide a bit of moisture, but you'll hardly taste it in the finished product)

Take the container out of the freezer and spread the date mixture evenly over the first layer of chocolate. Place in the freezer for another few minutes.

In the meantime, melt the second bar of chocolate in a clean glass bowl (repeat the process outlined above).

Take the container out of the freezer again and drizzle the second layer of melted chocolate over the top, making sure to cover the date filling completely. Don't worry if it looks a little bumpy or whatever, it's all part of the home-made charm ;)

Place the container in the freezer one last time for about 20-30 minutes so that all the layers harden sufficiently. 

Lift the chocolate out of the container/tin and peel back the greaseproof paper. Use a large knife to cut the chocolate into 10 little bars of roughly equal size. You can trim the outer edges if you want it to look all neat and extra fancy. Share and enjoy!

VEGETABLE "SPAGHETTI" AND BOILED PLANTAIN

I'm in love. With a kitchen utensil. Not even kidding. Here's how it all began... 

As I alluded to in a recent post, it is currently exam season and I've got my French listening exam coming up soon. As a result, I have been binging on a bunch of French YouTube videos - on topics ranging from French culture to politics to literature. All that good stuff. Once in a while, however, I end up watching videos on le végétalisme (veganism) and looking up recipe videos. Not exactly exam material, but at least I'm still absorbing some vocab, right? Culinary vocab, at least... 

Anyway, I was browsing through all these French vegan recipe videos when I came across this one! The food vlogger makes spaghetti from cucumbers. I thought I'd seen it all, but this was something else. Using an appliance known as a spiral vegetable cutter, she was able to turn long vegetables such as carrots and courgettes and cucumbers into what look like spaghetti/noodle strands. I was enamoured with the idea. But because I can be a bit of a cheapskate sometimes, I wasn't ready to invest in a spiral cutter just yet. Thankfully, I came across an alternative way of creating vegetable spaghetti, using what is known as a julienne peeler. I ordered one almost immediately and have been using it almost every day since. It's like being able to indulge in pasta as much as you want without the consequences of overdoing the heavy starch. This little utensil has revolutionised my kitchen. In this recipe, I've used one whole courgette, but it works just as well with a couple of carrots or cucumbers too.

A real tour de force of nutritious vegetables, bright colours and most importantly, taste. If I had to make one little modification, it would be to throw the veg "spaghetti" into the pan towards the end of the cooking time, rather than at the beginning as I did, just so it doesn't wilt as much. I've reflected this adjustment in the instructions below.

Ingredients

(serves 1)

- 1 ripe plantain 

- 1 courgette (or two large carrots)

- 1 tomato (diced)

- 1/2 red bell pepper (chopped)

- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)

- 4 button mushrooms (optional) (chopped)

- 1/2 tbsp palm oil / olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

Cut the ends off the plantain and discard. Chop the plantain into three large pieces (skin left on) and boil in some water for about 10-15 mins or until the plantain is soft all the way through (check by sticking a fork through it). Drain the water and leave to cool before peeling off the skin and cutting the plantain into chunky rounds.

Peel the courgette or carrots into long strands using a julienne peeler. If using a courgette, stop peeling once you reach the seeds at the centre (the centre is too soft and mushy for 'spaghetti' strands - just cut it up into small pieces and throw it in with the rest of the meal so you don't waste it).

Heat the oil in a large pan and add all the chopped vegetables. Stir for a minute or so until they are cooked through. Add the vegetable "spaghetti" strands and keep stirring until they soften. Season with season salt and pepper. Add the chunky rounds of boiled plantain and combine with the veg and "spaghetti". 

Serve hot with more freshly ground pepper over the top. Enjoy!

BANANA BREAD (GLUTEN FREE)

I've already shown that garri (cassava flour) can be used in unusual ways (check out these garri cookies) and this is entirely the case with this recipe. I had an overload of ripe bananas just sitting in the kitchen and so decided to create my own version of banana bread. I am so pleased with the results and cannot tell you just how amazing it tastes! Seriously. It's naturally sweet from the ripe bananas, but there's also a bit of a tang from the garri. Not only is it gluten free (not a drop of flour in there), but it's also sugar free. All natural, wholesome ingredients. Smells and tastes delicious with the addition of cinnamon too.

You can have a slice for breakfast or as a tea time snack. Just spread on some [sugar-free?] jam or peanut butter to jazz things up.

Ingredients
- 5 ripe bananas

- 1 3/4 cups garri

- 3-4 tbsp mixed seeds and nuts (optional)

- pinch or two or three of cinnamon 

Place the bananas in a large mixing bowl and mash until mushy and gooey.

Add the garri, optional nuts & seeds, and cinnamon. Give it a good mix and leave to stand for about 5-10 minutes.

Give it another good mix, preferably with clean hands to make sure the mixture is well combined.

Transfer mixture to a lightly-greased bread tin or pyrex dish (as I have done). Bake in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 6, for 35 minutes. Take out and leave to stand for 15-20 minutes before attempting to take it out of the tin. It may be a little sticky when you first cut into it, but the longer you let it stand, the more it hardens and holds a better shape. 

Serve with peanut butter or your favourite jam. Enjoy!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LEMON WATER

                                

I drink lemonade almost every day.

Okay, so maybe not lemonade as we know it - the wondrously fizzy stuff packed with sugar/sweeteners that make it so darn addictive! 

No, I'm talking about taking a humble glass of still or sparkling water and squeezing some fresh lemon juice into it. I have to admit that it wasn't to my taste to begin with, but now that my taste buds have adjusted, I can't get enough. Even the smell of freshly cut lemon puts me in an instant good mood. In my head, it has turned into a kick-ass healthier version of regular lemonade. It's great first thing in the morning before breakfast, and is a refreshing drink to sip on throughout the day.

I first heard about lemon water a few years ago and half-heartedly tried it out for a bit before losing interest. It wasn't until I watched one of my favourite guilty-pleasure reality TV shows Tia and Tamera that my interest was reignited. Anyone who has seen the show will have noticed that health-conscious Tia always orders lemon water whenever she's out at a restaurant. Intrigued by her consistency, I went back to seek out those web articles on lemon water and decided I wanted to experience the benefits for myself!

Lemons: these sour fruits are packed full of nutrients, including vitamin C and B, calcium, iron, potassium, pectin fibre and magnesium. Not only are they great for rejuvenating the skin, but they also help with weight loss and detoxification.

Here are my top 6 benefits:

1. Aids digestion: lemon juice encourages healthy digestion by flushing out toxins, cleansing the system and relieving symptoms such as bloating and heartburn.

2. Clears skin: the antioxidants and vitamin C in lemon juice help decrease wrinkles and blemishes. The key to healthy, radiant skin!

3. Aids weight loss: the pectin fibre in lemons help fight hunger cravings.

4. Boosts the immune system: lemons are high in vitamin C, which is essential for fighting colds. There is a  good reason why it is recommended that you snuggle up with a mug of hot lemon tea when a cold hits.

5. Source of potassium: lemons are naturally high in potassium, which is great news for your heart. It also helps nourish brain and nerve cells. And it helps control blood pressure.

6. Balances pH levels and reduces inflammation: Lemons are acidic on their own but turn alkaline once inside the body. Disease states thrive when our body pH is acidic so by drinking lemon water on a regular basis, you decrease the acidity in your body and maintain good health. It also helps eliminate uric acid in the joints, one of the main causes of inflammation.

You'll find tons of articles online that discuss the health benefits of lemon water, so do use this as a springboard to go find out even more!