Vegan Food & Living

According to research, people in the UK prefer Italian food to all other cuisines, tucking into at least two Italian-inspired meals every week. I guess you can’t always rely on the British weather, but you can bring the sunshine to your plate by recreating Mediterranean flavours! So this issue we are whisking you away to a rustic waterside trattoria (can you picture it?), with everything from frittata (p16) to panna cotta (p23). Pour yourself a glass of Pinot and enjoy… We’re also channeling those spring cleaning vibes this month, as our resident dietitian shows us how to refresh our diet for the year ahead (p56) and author Sadie Jade shares her ideas for detoxing our homes (p92). The amount of chemicals we’re exposed to daily is really quite shocking, so…

NADIA FRAGNITO Cookbook author Nadia from The Vegan Italian Kitchen shows us how to cook authentic Italian flavours on p15-16. SAM HAMREBTAN The Course Director for the Natural Chef School, nutritional therapist Sam explains how healthy soil has a surprising impact on our own wellbeing on p64. RACHEL HIGGINS Viva’s Environment Campaigner Rachel is on a mission to educate the public about important topics like regenerative farming (p88). CATH SHORT A women’s health expert and founder of Complete Body Reboot, Cath takes a deep dive into the protein debate on p60 this month. DANIELLE MAUPERTUIS Having worked in 5-star hotels across the world, leading vegan pastry chef Danielle shares her classic British desserts on p83 – yum! SADIE JADE As author of The Vegan Lifestyle Journal, Sadie aims to make…

TEMPEH TAKES TOP SPOT As consumers look for healthier alt-protein options, tempeh Asales have soared over the past 12 months. A protein staple in Indonesia since the 16th century, tempeh is made from fermented soya beans and contains gut-friendly fibre, prebiotics and iron. British brand Tiba Tempeh recently raised £1.1 million to fund its expansion, whilst Better Nature has launched a new and improved Organic Tempeh (£2.70 at Tesco, Asda and Ocado) with 44g of protein per pack (equal to 6 eggs, or up to 800g of butter beans). Not only is this protein source packed with nutritional benefits, but it requires far fewer resources to produce than animal-based protein, has a lower carbon footprint, and uses less water than many other crops. Did you know? A vegan diet rich…

PERFECT TOFU KEEP AN EYE ON THE TOFU AS TIMING WILL DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF THE PIECES. YOU WANT GOLDEN TOFU BUT NOT EXTRA CRISPY. IF YOU PREFER A MORE TENDER TEXTURE, CUT BACK THE BAKING TIME BY 5 MINUTES. TOFU BOLOGNESE By Florentina Lile (veggiesociety.com) Serves 4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 1 hr 400g block of extrafirm tofu, unpressed2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari1½ tbsp olive oil2 tsp granulated onion1½ tsp smoked paprika1½ tbsp nutritional yeast2 tsp maple syrup340g spaghetti FOR THE SAUCE 794g whole tinned tomatoes1 small onion, finely diced1 celery stalk, diced1 small carrot, finely grated3 cloves of garlic, minced1 pinch of chilli flakes1 tbsp tomato purée118ml vegan red wine2 bay leaves1 sprig of rosemary1 tsp fennel seeds, optional1 tsp sea salt 1 Preheat your oven to…

CASHEW RICOTTA By Yvonne Hoelzl-Singh Makes 235g | Prep 10 mins plus soaking and fermenting 150g cashew nuts30ml plain kombucha1 tsp Himalayan salt 1 Soak the cashew nuts overnight. 2 The next day, pour off the water, rinse and drain. Mix the cashew nuts with the kombucha and salt using a stick blender until smooth. 3 Put the mixture in a glass or ceramic bowl, cover with a plate and allow to ferment for one to one-and-a-half days at room temperature. The taste will be stronger depending on the external temperature and the ripening time. Once the ricotta has reached the required intensity, store in the refrigerator until used. 4 The ricotta can be kept in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. NUTRITIONAL INFO Calories (per serving) 209 | Total fat 16.5g Saturates 3g | Salt 2.5g…

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI By Philip Hochuli Makes 16 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 14-18 mins 100g ground almonds100g icing sugar, sifted40g light wheat or spelt flour1 tsp baking powder½ tsp cornflour1 large pinch of salt1 tbsp neutral vegetable oil50ml almond or soya milk2-3 dashes of lemon juice½ tsp bitter almond flavouring35g vegan dark chocolate (45-55% cocoa solids), finely grated20g vegan dark chocolate, melted (optional) 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. 2 Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar, flour, baking powder, cornflour and salt in a bowl. Add the oil, soya or almond milk, lemon juice and bitter almond flavouring, and mix briskly until smooth. Finally, fold the finely grated chocolate into the batter. 3 On a baking tray lined with baking parchment, make about 16 small mounds, spaced out evenly over…