You know there are just those days when you need comfort food? It is usually in the cooler months but sometimes when you’re feeling tired, run down or just really blooming hungry you get a craving for a huge bowl of steaming, home cooked food. This is the recipe for you for when you are feeling the need for a hug from the inside. It is so warming, delicious and bursting with mouth-watering flavours, I promise you, you won’t be disappointed by this little piece of slow-cooked heaven. I have always been a fan of a good casserole. Even pre-vegan. I was concerned that after starting on a plant-based diet that these types of meals which usually centre around meaty flavours would somehow be lacking. Boy, was I wrong! The combination of the minted gravy along with the tender dumplings leave you feeling fully satiated. The removal of meat and dairy from this dish helps you feel light after eating. I think this dish would be the perfect meal to feed to both vegans and nonvegans alike and would make a great transition meal for people at the beginning of their journey as you really don’t miss the meat at […]
The other day I was looking through my ingredients in the kitchen only to realise that I had somehow managed to buy three lots of potatoes? Not sure how I managed this but this left me with the challenge of not serving up the same meal three days in a row! (Love cooking challenges!!) I know, I know, I’m a kitchen geek.🤓 Now, as a family, we can’t get enough of a typical potato salad but I think even the hubby would look at me like I’m stark raving mad if I popped it on the table several days in a row. Raised eyebrows and whispers that mummy had finally lost the plot spring to mind. So, on day one we produced the usual potatoes, vegan mayo and spring onion. On day two we roasted them with garlic and rosemary but on day three I was truly stumped. What else can you do with new potatoes, seriously? Then an idea struck me. Many moons ago (pre-vegan) a Polish friend of ours made an egg and leek salad with peas, mayo and gherkin in it and it was truly delicious. I thought the potatoes would give the same ‘bite’ as egg […]
I love this miso noodle soup!! It is full of goodness and it is one super (I refrained from saying souper) speedy recipe. There is something about broth style soups that give you that ‘feel good’ factor. They feel nourishing and comforting. Perfect for when you need a great big food hug! This was a bit of an experiment for me really as I had just bought some miso because I had heard it’s something us vegans should eat but I had never tried it before. Miso is a paste made from fermented soya beans and it’s a great source of iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and protein. After I did a little research I soon realised that miso was perfect for soups so I set about trying out a few recipes. I wasn’t sure if the kids would go for one with so many green veggies but sometimes you just have to use what you have am I right? I couldn’t have been more wrong though as the kids loved it! Maybe it was the novelty of eating out of jars but they both sank the lot. (Happy mummy!). That being said this recipe is so versatile and you could chop […]
Do you ever find that you wake up one day and realise that you haven’t had a particular food for a while, despite having always loved it previously? It’s like you’ve just eradicated it from memory. It just occurred to me today that despite being in love with sweet potato it’s been weeks and weeks since we last had it. It’s probably down to one of the kids getting fussy with it and then us just shying away from it. I am trying so hard not to do this anymore as how will they ever learn to change their tastes if I just stop giving these foods? I think finding different ways of cooking these foods and a constant reminder that we are enjoying them is a far more sensible (if frustrating at times) approach. So today I decided to bring back the sweet potato with a bang and boy did it work out well. Pops is usually one for not liking certain textures so I thought I’d play it safe and not only cook the potatoes so they had some crunch I also loaded them with her favourite lentil Dahl spices too. They were a massive hit with both […]
I have been craving so much Mediterranean food recently. Those rich tomato flavours and fragrant herbs. The comforting bowls of broth, pasta and stews. Maybe it’s the impending summer that has been getting my juices flowing but either way, it is bringing out some of the most delicious recipes from the Real Family Journey kitchen. (Even if I say so myself!) I have finally weaned myself off out Mostly Minestrone Soup and now I have a new addiction to this Mediterranean stew. This stew is light yet comforting. It has a full-bodied tomato and mushroom stock base yet it is carried gently by the perfume tones of the basil. Teamed with a crusty granary baguette you can almost imagine relaxing by the coast of the Mediterranean Sea! Ah, sigh. If only. I just wanted to explain myself a little before getting to the recipe. You may wonder why I’m asking you to use so many cooking pans but really there is method in my madness. (Most of the time!) I always choose to cook my rice and potatoes separately due to the fact that certain negative elements can leach out during the cooking process. Rice can leach out arsenic and […]
We have recently decided to make the move to a more plant-based diet. I am keen to get the family eating nutrient dense meals and not just assume things are healthy just because they are vegan. (Ahem, Oreos.) I have been doing a lot of research on the most nutrient-dense foods and it will obviously come as no surprise that the dark green leafy veg of this world come out top notch. So, I have turned my attention to the wonderful world of salads. Spring is here now (finally!) and it seems like a natural progression to enjoy lighter meals. The warmer weather makes it more important to eat hydrating foods and let’s face it eating a few more plants may help those white pre-summer legs look a little more shapely too! Now, let’s be realistic. I have two young children and with the best will in the world getting them to eat a salad every day is not only a mission in itself it’s also important to make sure they are getting enough calories and fat too. This is why my attention fell on salad dressings and on avocado dressings in particular. Avocados are an amazing fruit boasting substantial amountsof […]