John Lewis Christmas Event 2017 [Video]

As I mentioned in my previous post where I shared a recipe for vegan Christmas pudding, I attended an exclusive blogger event hosted by John Lewis at the Waitrose Cookery School near Finchley Road. At the event, I learned how to make the delicious pudding, enjoyed a masterclass on how to make a festive negroni cocktail, and got to enjoy a beautiful vegan and gluten-free Christmas dinner.



The event brought together vegan, gluten-free and lifestyle bloggers, and it was great to meet new people and catch up with a few of familiar faces.

The event began with a welcome drinks reception where prosecco flowed and we were given a chance to chat, relax and mingle.

Soon after, the John Lewis and Waitrose Cookery School team introduced themselves and split us up into three groups for the Christmas pudding making session - vegan, gluten-free and traditional. Working in pairs, and with all the ingredients provided, we had a go at making our individual sets of Christmas puddings.

Once the puddings were in the oven baking, we then moved on to the cocktail making. Not only did we get to see the process, but we had a go at making some ourselves.

With drinks in hand, the lovely team then came round with a selection of canapés, including mouth-watering tandoori cauliflower wings and sweet potato sausage rolls.

Festive negroni cocktails

Finally, we were treated to an all-vegan, all-gluten-free Christmas dinner. Although the term referred to it as a 'light dinner', it was anything but! The gorgeous spread featured crispy roast potatoes with maple glaze, whole onions stuffed with wild mushrooms, marsala brussels sprouts with chestnuts, roated rainbow carrots with pine nut sauce, and Italian-inspired masterpiece of creamy polenta mash topped with aubergine, lentil and roasted squash ragu. To the talented chef who put this creative spread together, all I can say is: it was heavenly.

(Marsala brussels sprouts with chestnuts; roasted rainbow carrots with pine nut sauce creamy polenta mash topped with aubergine

The night came to a natural close and we were presented with our Christmas puddings, which the team had put into cute cake boxes for us to take away (after taking gorgeous photographs of each type). And that wasn't all we got to take away, as we were also gifted with a tote bag filled with John Lewis goodies.

It was a night to remember and I enjoyed every bit of it. It's only mid-November but I'm ready to crank up those Christmas tunes!

Don't forget to check out the recipe for the Christmas pudding here.

For more Christmas inspiration, visit the John Lewis Christmas shop here.

Vegan Christmas Pudding | Easy Recipe

Take a long, hard look at that beaut of a Christmas pudding. This could very easily be sitting on your dinner table this Christmas - let that sink in.

A couple of days ago, I was invited to the John Lewis Stir-Up Sunday event at Waitrose Cookery School.

Stir-Up Sunday is a tradition that dates back to Victorian times when people across the UK would make their puddings in preparation for the big day. 

At the John Lewis event, food bloggers and enthusiasts were brought together to do just that. We were split into groups to make either vegan, gluten-free or traditional versions of this classic - a sure reflection of the ways in which our diets are evolving. Brownie points if you can guess which group I was in! 

By the end of the night, we all went away with our mini puds, boxed up and screaming to be consumed (...that's as violent as it gets for vegan food imagery).

In a follow-up post, I will be going into a bit more detail about the event itself, but you're here for the Christmas pudding recipe, and that's what you'll get.

Ingredients
(serves 4)

25g dairy free margarine

1 tbsp milled flaxseed

60g self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

25g coconut oil, melted

40ml black treacle

55ml stout (e.g. Meantime London Irish Stout)

1 tbsp dark rum

Finely grated zest 1 unwaxed lemon

40g peeled, cored and coarsely grated bramley apple, mixed with lemon juice

10g blanched almonds, roasted and chopped

75g currants

20g mixed peel

20g Forest Feast Sour Cherries

200g mincemeat (vegan)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C, gas mark 4.  Grease 4 mini pudding basins and 4 small circles of baking parchment with the soya spread and set aside.  Mix the flaxseed with 3 tablespoons cold water and set aside for at least ten minutes or until it becomes jelly-like and makes ‘flax-egg’.

Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves into a medium mixing bowl, then add the “flax-egg”and the melted coconut oil.  Mix the treacle with the stout and rum in a measuring jug.  Pour this mixture into the bowl and whisk everything together thoroughly. Stir in the lemon zest, apple, almonds, currants, peel, cherries and mincemeat.

Divide the mixture between the prepared basins and top each one with a circle of greased parchment.  Wrap each basin in an 18cm square of foil and fold under the edges of the basins.

Place the basins into a roasting tin and pour in enough boiling water to come 2.5cm up the sides of the basins.  Carefully place the tin in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the puddings are springy and firm to the touch in the centre. Remove from the oven, unwrap, remove the parchment and leave to stand for 10 minutes.  Carefully run a small knife around each one and turn out onto warm serving plates.

OBE SAUCE [REVIEW] - Jollof Rice in 15 Minutes? [Video]

My dad was the first to rave about this product and so when I was sent a couple of pouches to try, you can only imagine my excitement. Nope, this is not a sponsored post. Just me putting the sauce to the test and sharing my discovery with you. If you like what you see/hear, perhaps you'll try it for yourself the next time you spot one on the shelves at Shoprite or other grocery stores around Nigeria.

Obe Sauce is a wonderfully simple but genius idea by the Nigerian food company Easy Sauces Ltd. If you've read my blog for long, you'll know that at the core of most Nigerian savoury dishes is the iconic blend of red pepper, tomatoes and onions (check out my red pepper mix post). It is the base for jollof rice, stewed beans, moin moin, my version of yam pottage, and all kinds of stews. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. 

Regular vs. Hot

What Obe Sauce does is to take the stress out of chopping and blending these ingredients yourself. Perhaps not ideal for the seasoned cook who doesn't mind spending an extra few minutes making everything from scratch, but for those who crave convenience or want to cut their cooking time in half, this is pure perfection.

Vacuum packed to retain freshness, the sauces contain zero preservatives and do not require freezing or refrigeration. They can pretty much sit in the cupboard for months on end and still be good to go. If you think I'm exaggerating, I received these pouches way back in July and only just got round to testing them in the past month. The moment I tore them open, I was hit with that familiar smell of just-blended pepper. If only I could have captured my expression of awe and disbelief on camera... Each pouch contains the right ratio of vine-ripened tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, hot peppers (ata rodo), water and salt. 

In the short video below, you'll see for yourself how I was able to make my beloved jollof rice in about 15 minutes. Less time cooking and more time chowing. For that alone, Obe Sauce gets a thumbs up from me. Talk less of the satisfyingly familiar taste which confirmed that the mixture was spot on!

Note: One 450g pouch was enough for 2 cups of rice (4 servings).

INTERVIEW: DR MELANIE JOY ON CARNISM AND CHRISTIANITY

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Melanie Joy for an article on the Sarx website. 

Dr. Joy is a psychologist, speaker, writer and animal rights activist who coined the term carnism (the invisible belief system that conditions humans to eat meat).

In the interview, she discusses effective vegan advocacy, and shares her thoughts on how carnism and faith can intersect.

Click here to read the full article on Sarx.org.uk.

STUFFED PLANTAIN CUPS [VIDEO]

 There's a name for this is South America: Tostones Rellenos.

In spite of the fact that Nigerians live and breathe plantain (or should I only speak for myself?), it doesn't surprise me that we don't quite have a version of this. It is admittedly a little fussy to make. The sort of thing you'd want to make for a dinner party to show that you've got some culinary flair or something. I mean, let's be real, why shape plantain into little cups when you can simply slice, fry/roast and enjoy them with minimal effort? 

But still, playing around with food is fun. That's how cuisines develop and trends start. That's how you impress your dinner guests or while away some spare time on a lazy weekend.

I've boiled and baked the plantain cups instead of frying to keeps things a bit healthy. For the filling, I've opted for basic rice and spinach but seriously, imagine the possibilities. Go crazy!

Ingredients

- 2 ripe plantains

- 1-2 cups chopped spinach

- 1/4 cup chopped onions

- 1/2 cup cooked rice (season the rice as you wish or have a plain)

- chilli powder

- salt to taste

Bourne Beautiful Naturals (Vegan Skincare)

I'll begin this post with the good news of a discount code, because it'd be a shame if you missed out on it and because if you're anything like me, you love a good bargain! 

So once you're done reading my review of a selection of vegan skincare products by Bourne Beautiful Naturals, go bag yourself some items at 15% off each purchase, using the code: VEGAN_NIGERIAN15 (valid until 31 December 2017).

Photo: www.bournbeautifulnaturals.uk

Right off the bat, Bourne Beautiful Naturals (BBN) is a brand to get behind for several reasons. Aside from the fact that the products are hand-crafted and of high quality (no nasty sulfates, parabens, petroleum or mineral oil), it is also a black woman-owned business. I am all about supporting entrepreneurship in the black community and will forever be the first to toot our own horns ;) 

Kadian, who is also a PhD student, began BBN back in 2014 as a way of addressing some of her natural hair and skincare needs. Her initial experiments led to a full-blown business when she sold to the public for the first time in 2016. Find out more about Kadian's story here.

Review

Cocoa Sugar Body Butter

Photo: www.bournbeautifulnaturals.uk

This was by far my favourite of the bunch. From the gorgeous fragrance (and brace yourself, as this becomes a running theme throughout this review) to the surprising way it melts into a luxurious cream once it hits the skin, I thought this product was near-perfect. 'Near' and not 'completely' only because I thought it could do with more sugar incorporated into the mixture in order to enhance the exfoliating effect. Or perhaps granulated brown sugar instead of muscovado sugar for a grittier feel? Then again, that is just a personal preference and there is logic to choosing the finer grains of muscovado sugar, as this makes for a gentler exfoliant that is suited to all skin types and unlikely to cause any cuts or scrapes on sensitive areas like the face. I suppose a more abrasive formula would be ideal for treating the dead skin on tougher areas like the feet.  

At the end of the day, my skin was left feeling soft and moisturised afterwards. Thanks, I imagine, to the avocado oil, shea butter, cocoa butter and sunflower oil used to enrich the formula.

Vanilla Bean Body Wash

Again, I return to the fragrance of the product. Imagine intense, pure vanilla in all its intoxicating sweetness. Imagine that scent clinging to your skin and lasting the entire day, so that halfway through a mundane task you close your eyes and imagine that you are skipping through a field of vanilla cupcakes. (Excuse the cringe). That is what it's like to use this particular body wash. I chose vanilla bean from a long list of fragrance options but if that's not your style then one of the others may appeal, including, but not limited to: azalea, basil & citrus, coconut, lavender and peppermint. 

Photo: www.bournbeautifulnaturals.uk

Oat Rich lotion

This was easily my second favourite product to test out. The cream is extremely thick and so the only downside was that it was a struggle to squeeze it out of the dispenser at first. This led me to think that it would probably work better packaged in a lidded tub instead.
My weak arm muscles aside, however, applying the lotion itself is like rubbing silk onto your skin. With ingredients that include coconut oil (my fave), shea butter (my other fave), cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, oat silk and aloe vera, this ought to be crowned the queen of lotions for anyone who struggles with dry, itchy, eczema-prone skin. 

And I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record but this too smells like a dream!

Body Butter Supreme

Photo: www.bournbeautifulnaturals.uk

As if the ingredients mentioned above are not delightful enough, this product contains a few gems such as rose water, mango butter, hazelnut oil and green tea extract. Major points for mixture originality. But points also for function, because this velvety body cream moisturises deeply and lasts a whooping 24 hours. I tested this product over the bank holiday weekend when the weather was particularly hot and humid, and my biggest concern was that it would sit heavily and form a greasy layer on my skin, or that it would clog up my pores and leave my skin feeling sticky and irritated (talk about preparing for the worst!) Happy to report that none of my fears were confirmed.

Photo: www.bournbeautifulnaturals.uk

So Fresh & So Clean Handmade Soap
The most beautiful item of the lot, this block - aptly named Confetti Carnivale - is a mesh of pink, blue, purple, gold and white flecks of soap. I promise that this is the last time I will mention this (well, we're nearing the end of the review anyway so I might as well drop it in), but it smells so gooood. Like apple blossom, to be exact. Or freshly washed linen sheets. Or a beautiful spring day. You get the idea. It works particularly well as a hand wash if you're worried about getting the little flecks stuck in your sponge. Otherwise it's all out great as a bath soap that lathers easily and moisturises effectively (as it also contains a blend of oils and butters).


For the delicious fragrances, moisturising properties and natural (and vegan) ingredients, BBN's skincare products are for sure worth your time, support and consideration. Don't forget to quote the discount code (VEGAN_NIGERIAN15) when checking out.

Connect with Bourne Beautiful Naturals on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Disclaimer: this review was not paid for and there are no affiliate links. All views are my own.

Spaghetti Bolognese (Red Lentils)

Serving suggestion; topped with grated vegan cheese

Spaghetti bolognese used to be my jam in my pre-vegan days. I first came across lentil bolognese at an Italian restaurant here in London and fell in love with the idea of using whole, unprocessed and protein-rich ingredients to replace the meat in this recipe. This is my simple take on it.

Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or 1 tbsp sustainable palm oil)
- 1 red/white onion (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (finely chopped; deseeded if you want less heat)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- salt to taste

Heat the oil (medium heat) in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper and tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened. Add the cooked lentils, mixed herbs and salt to taste. Allow to simmer (low heat) for another 5 minutes.

Serve on a bed of spaghetti and top with grated vegan cheese.

AYA TIGERNUTS | Interview

If you've never heard of tigernut milk, then you are probably not alone. But now is the time to get clued up.

When I first discovered Aya TigerNuts, it was difficult for me to contain my enthusiasm, for here was an exciting new brand offering a plant-based milk alternative to the citizens of Nigeria. I interviewed Damilola, the inspiring entrepreneur who is set to make tigernut milk a household staple across Nigeria and beyond.

Tell us a little bit about yourself: 

My name is Damilola Jimoh-Adewale, also known as the Tigernut Chic. I am an aspiring female agri-business entrepreneur who has ventured into processing locally grown agricultural products (the first being Tigernuts) to provide proudly Nigerian, healthy and delicious food and drink options to counter non-natural alternatives. 

I love reading, travelling, relaxing and listening to music and podcasts.

How and why did you decide to launch Aya TigerNuts? 

Growing up, I discovered I was lactose intolerant with its attendant effect on my skin/metabolism. In seeking out non-dairy choices, I came across tigernuts. This discovery led to the creation of tigernut milk which is liked by most, and has inspired the business. 

The process was really organic. The first thing I did was to do research tigernuts - what I could make with it and where I could source it. Then I came up with a great and God-inspired recipe for the milk and gave samples out to friends and family members. They loved it and began to tell their friends and colleagues about it and that’s how we started and grew our customer base.

Now we are working on building a solid brand known for high quality, delicious and healthy tigernut products.

For those who don't know, can you tell us what tigernut is? 

Contrary to the name tigernuts, they are actually not nuts but tubers, grown mostly in the North-Western region of Nigeria. Tigernuts are a traditional food in Nigeria that can be consumed in various forms. They can be eaten raw as a healthy snack or made into an all-natural, delicious, milky beverage known as 'Kunnu Aya' (Tigernut Milk), which serves as a healthy beverage or as a lactose-free alternative to dairy milk.

Nutritional benefits include:

1. Tigernuts are a highly nutritious plant food that contain a large number of antioxidants.

2. They have a high amount of soluble glucose and oleic acid, which helps lower bad cholesterol and prevent heart attacks. They are also an excellent source of starch, healthy fats, sugars and protein.

3. Tigernuts are rich in Vitamins B1, E, C and minerals such as phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron (as much as red meat), which are all essential for bone growth, tissue repair, muscles, body growth and general well-being.

4. They have a high content of dietary fibre and insoluble fibre which helps control blood sugar levels, thus preventing diabetes. They contain enzymes that aid digestion such as catalase, lipase and amylase, and are often recommended to those who suffer from constipation, indigestion, flatulence, diarrhoea and those who are watching their weight, as they keep you feeling fuller for longer, resulting in lower calorie intake.

Describe the process of making tigernut milk?

1. The tigeruts are washed properly and then soaked in water for about 8 hours.

2. After soaking, you wash again to make sure it is clean and then it is blended with a grinder or a really sturdy blender.

3. While blending, you can sweeten with dates or leave as is.

4. After blending, sieve with a cheese cloth or very fine colander (sieve).

5. Cool immediately. It can last in a very cold fridge for 2 - 3 days (because of the short shelf-life) and in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. 

Flavours: Chocolate, Strawberry, Original, Vanilla

What products do you currently have in your range? 

TigerNut Milk in various flavours (Original, Ginger, Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry).

TigerNut Flour and very soon a snack made from tigernuts.

6. What has been the general response from the Nigerian public? Do you envision more Nigerians switching to tigernut milk as an alternative to regular milk?

The response has been great! People really love the product, however most people consume it as a beverage and not necessarily as a dairy-free milk alternative. Although, we do have some customers that consume it for that benefit. 

What does the future look like for Aya TigerNuts? Any plans for expansion?

Yes, we definitely have more plans for expansion! We plan to release more products and very soon open up a milk bar where delicious tigernut-inspired treats will be served.

Where can customers find your products? 

We are stocked at Green Grill House located at Wole Ariyo, off Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. 

Potential customers can call/text 07063043339 to place an order, or send a direct message to @ayatigernuts on instagram.

Connect with Damilola and follow DeNovo Organics online

Twitter: @ayatigernuts

Instagram: @ayatigernuts

Facebook: Aya TigerNuts