Cooking for Gina Yashere / London VegFest 2018

October somehow always ends up being the busiest month of the year for me, and it was no different this time around. Between a 9-5 job and a million personal projects related to 'The Vegan Nigerian', I had to remind myself to breathe and take each day as it came. Don't get me wrong, everything I had to do was either fun, exciting or wonderfully challenging, but as someone who isn't much of a planner, seeing my calendar packed out a month in advance made me feel queasy at times. The anticipation builds and builds, but then the satisfaction of getting through each event is unlike anything I can adequately describe, so I suppose it's always worth it!

Aside from the launch of my Plantain Cookbook (have you bought your copy yet?) I also had to prepare for another stint on the London VegFest cooking demo stage. This year's concept was simple: to showcase a couple of recipes from the cookbook. It was an absolute blast. From feeding off the energy of an engaged audience to getting to talk about something I'm passionate about to sharing recipes that I'm proud of, it was simply great to be there again. So much so that I'm now sniffing out more opportunities to organise or participate in workshops and presentations - watch this space.

The day after the buzz of VegFest, I hosted a dinner for comedian extraordinaire Gina Yashere and her amazing friends. If you've been living under a rock and haven't watched any of her stand-up specials or seen her killing it on the likes of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, then you need to get it together! Browse through her tour dates and grab yourself a ticket to one of her shows - you won't regret it. The few clips in this week's video really don't do the experience justice, and in many ways it was far better to enjoy the fun moments in real time rather than worrying about capturing every single detail of it on camera. Gina and her friends were lovely, welcoming and encouraging in so many ways. At the end of that whole weekend, I was on complete and absolute cloud nine.

Plantain Cookbook - Out Now!

The day has finally come!

After weeks of recipe-dreaming, recipe-writing and recipe-testing, I am proud to announce the official release of my Plantain Cookbook.

It's been an absolute labour of love and I've enjoyed every minute of bringing this book to life. 

It's bold, bright, beautiful and packed with just over 40 plantain-infused recipes. Breakfast, lunch and main meals are covered. But so are surprising dessert recipes such as chocolate fudge cake (yes!), pastries, cupcakes, and more. 

Each recipe is accompanied by a glossy image, and when I tell you that the recipes are delicious and accessible, I really mean it.

If you love plantain as much as I do and think it deserves the extreme attention that I have given it in this book (ha!), then it would mean the world to me if you supported this project. You can do so in a number of ways: by downloading or buying a copy for yourself; by sharing this news with someone who would appreciate it; by leaving a review; or even just sending me a virtual pat on the back (that counts too!). 

HOW TO GET A COPY:

• For fans of ebooks, you can download a PDF directly from the Books page on my website here, or download it straight onto your Kindle via Amazon here. 
• For those who enjoy flipping through the pages of a cookbook, you can buy a glossy copy from here or a paperback copy from here. 
• For anyone who wants to share the book on social media, feel free to tag me @VeganNigerian on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and use the hashtag #plantaincookbook so that I can thank you personally and send you a million heart emojis! 

Thank you as always for reading, watching and supporting. I appreciate it greatly and wish you the best week imaginable! 

Love, Tomi (a.k.a. the plantain enthusiast) x

PLANTAIN COOKBOOK: Release Date Announcement

It's perhaps the cookbook you never knew you needed - ha! But if you love plantain as much as I do, then you should be excited to grab a copy of my latest publication. It's going to be released next week, Tuesday 30th October and I cannot WAIT for you to see it!

4 Easy Ways to Make Any Meal Healthier

This week's video is slightly different from the usual recipe or vlog format. I share four key ways to instantly transform a meal from unhealthy to healthy. The principles are pretty basic, and you'll probably have heard them a million times before, but it's always good to get a reminder. Perhaps you're keen to commit to healthier cooking habits, or you're looking for simple, no-fuss ways to hit certain health goals, I hope these reminders give you that much-needed boost.

Have a great week!

Brixton Vegan Market

I had my first stint at the Brixton vegan market offer the weekend and put together this little clip to highlight what it's all about. Special thanks to Jess (the organiser) for agreeing to a short interview :)

I'm excited to see how the market grows over the coming months and I'm even hoping to make a regular appearance there. Catch me there next Sunday (14th Oct) where I'll be sharing more sweet treats and perhaps some savoury too.

Follow Brixton Vegan Market on social media to keep up to date with everything. If you're a South Londoner, you definitely don't want to miss out on the delicious offerings!

Classic Sweet French Crepes ft. Red Violet Blog

Photo: Eisatbeth (www.red-violet.com)

This week's video is in collaboration with my friend and fellow blogger, Elisabeth (Red Violet blog). Before I arrived in Paris, I reached out to find out where I could get my hands on some vegan crepes while in the city. I wasn't going to leave until I had some. Seriously. Words cannot describe how much I love the stuff. After some investigation, Elisabeth reported back to say that there was at least one place that could provide vegan crepes on request, but she also mentioned that she had an amazing recipe that we could use to make our own crepes if all else failed. I liked this idea a lot, and so we decided we'd set aside some time to make some before I left. Best part? Elisabeth kindly agreed to share the step-by-step process. And so, come Saturday evening (I believe it was close to midnight!) there we were in her little Paris kitchen whipping up a stack of delicious crepes. 

For the full ingredient list and recipe, visit Elisabeth's blog. If you give the recipe a go, don't forget to show some love by leaving a comment on there. 

Enjoy the video and bon appétit!

Vegan in Paris / Pastries, Japanese Food & Nostalgia

Fun fact: my vegan journey began when I was living in France for a year, and over the weekend I had the opportunity to return to the scene of the crime! 

My friend and fellow blogger, Elisabeth (Red Violet Blog) invited me to a vegan Japanese cookery workshop, and so I made a weekend of it, arriving Thursday evening and staying until Sunday. Waves of nostalgia hit as I retraced some of the steps I'd taken with my family when we visited Paris for the first time back in 2004, and a second time in 2011. I was particularly dying to visit Montmartre and oh boy, it did not disappoint. Pure beautiful vibes, exactly as etched in my memory. Easily my favourite part of the entire city. It's no exaggeration to say that Paris will always have a special place in my heart.

What made this trip so vastly different from our family vacation though was that - now as an adult - I chose all the places I visited, stayed in a residential area as opposed to a hotel, and did a heck of a lot more walking through the busy streets. I packed so much into the weekend, it's actually borderline OTT. I had an amazing time with my friend (and her cat, Sésame!) and met some lovely people along the way. 

Naturally, I created a hit list of vegan places to visit. I hope you enjoy this week's video as much as I enjoyed editing it. And if you're planning a Paris trip, scroll down for my top picks of vegan places worth checking out.

1. Le Faitout - vegan bar and bistro. We enjoyed stunning French (vegan) cheese & desserts. Go for the live music too. It's a whole vibe.

2. Jah Jah by Le Tricycle - vegan restaurant serving hearty Ital food.

3. VG Pâtisserie - do not leave Paris without visiting this pastry shop. I'm serious. 

4. Hank Burger - one of a few chains (including Hank Pizza) serving up scrumptious vegan fast food.



5. Ara Chocolat - if you've got a chocolate-covered heart, be sure to stop by this cute, family-run artisan chocolate shop. As soon as you walk in, you'll be hit by the most intoxicating chocolate scent. I could have spent an hour in there.

6. Le Potager du Marais - my final restaurant stop of the trip. Go here for veganised classic French dishes. The customer service is also on-point.

And a couple of other pics worth sharing...

Apple-Miso turnovers made by Elisabeth. Can you say delicious! Find the recipe here.

Chef Miho serving up bite-size mont blancs. If you're ever in Nagoya (Japan), stop by her restaurant Grains!

Curried Avocado Pasta

This week, sink your fork into this no-fuss pasta dish. I made this on a whim one day after work, when I wanted something quick and hearty. Do give it a try, and don't forget to tag @vegannigerian on Instagram or Twitter if you share it online! Full recipe and video below!

You might also like this recipe: Creamy Avocado Pasta

Ingredients
(Serves 1-2)
- 200g spaghetti
- Water
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 red onion, chopped
- Handful green peas
- Handful sweetcorn
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp ground cashews (optional)








Boil the spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until cooked.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan and add the onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the peas and sweetcorn. Add curry and chilli powder, stir in the mashed avocado and splash of lemon juice. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a generous sprinkling of ground cashews.