Today, the UK is home to around 300,000 vegans, but perhaps the first thing to say about being vegan is that it is very easy to live this way. There is no need to go without anything you are used to. Try it for a day – try it for a week – try it for a month, and see how you feel and look.
If you are thinking of making a change there is a lot of information available from the Vegan Society or Viva!, to name just two sources.
The Vegan Society
Donald Watson House
21 Hylton Street
Hockley
Birmingham
West Midlands
B18 6HJ
tel: 01215 231730
Viva!
8 York Court
Wilder Street
Bristol
Avon
BS2 8QH
tel: 01179 441000
For other resources, why not check out the following?
Throughout the last century, expanding human population and ever-increasing industrialisation has wrought a devastating effect on our environment. Climate change, widespread pollution, damaged soil and mass species extinctions are just some of the problems we now face. It is estimated that all of the world's major fishing areas have either reached their natural limits, and nine are in serious decline. Animal-based agriculture is one of the most resource-intensive and environmentally damaging industries going, with world meat production having quadrupled in the past 50 years. Indeed, livestock now outnumber humans by more than three to one, exceeding 21 billion. Factory farming pollutes through methane emissions (responsible for 18% of global greenhouse emissions), fossil fuels used in pesticides and farming equipment, and ammonia emissions from manure storage, deforestation for cattle grazing land (otherwise suitable for growing trees) which leads to localized acid rain and ailing forests.
Every year in the UK alone, around 800 million animals are slaughtered, with the vast majority spending their brief lives in cramped, distressing factory farm conditions. Pumped full of a cocktail of growth hormones, inappropriate and dubious feed and antibiotics, many still succumb to diseases (Swine 'Flu anyone?) or die of neglect before ever making it to slaughter.
Cattle suffer from lameness, mastitis (inflammation of the udders – they are bred to produce ten times as much milk as their udders can hold) and other illnesses and – worst of all – are forcibly separated from their calves just days after they are born, so that humans can drink their milk: an average of five times in their lives. That is after being subjected to a state of constant pregnancy. And at age five, dairy cows are killed off for use in 'low grade' products such as burgers, sausages and meat pies. The males are castrated and have their horns disbudded by heated irons. Egg-laying hens, for their part, may be crammed into battery cages or disease-ridden percheries, and forced to produce twenty times the natural number of eggs before they too are slaughtered for cheap meat when productivity falls too low. Like many farmed birds, they are bred to grow so fast that their own bones snap under their weight. Since only the females lay eggs, 40 million day-old male chicks are killed every year. In the UK approximately a million pigs per year regain consciousness in the middle of slaughter due to farmers' cost-cutting, in an attempt to meet supermarkets' demanded prices. Wool forms a vital part of keeping the meat industry financially viable, with a large proportion collected from the slaughterhouse floor. Over 90% of British sheep flocks suffer from lameness and almost one in five lambs die before reaching market. Much of the same happens even in organic production.
Fish-farming often leads to the deaths of millions of other birds and mammals seen as predators, as well as all the wild fish used as feed (up to three tons of wild fish for one ton of farmed salmon, or up to five tons for one of farmed cod). The government body Defra admits that there are no easy treatments for any farmed fish diseases such as Carp disease SVC, Trout BKD or Salmon Disease.
Even honey bees are prone to infectious diseases (now critically endangered) brought about by intensive production, frequently killed during honey production, and their queens' wings are often clipped.
In fact, almost every species of animal is exploited by industry one way or another: be it the greyhound mutilated and shot for not winning enough races, the ape tortured in vivisection to help another scientist write a prestigious paper rather than search for much-needed cures, or the silkworm baked, steamed and electrocuted in their cocoons to extract their silk. For all these reasons and more, vegans opt to go cruelty-free, and stock-free farms – using plant-based manures, crop rotation and composting – allows just that, whilst avoiding diseases, financial fluctuation and subsidies.
Worldwide, animal agriculture used up to 70% of fresh water resources on irrigation and this human impact of the animal industry is being felt most dramatically in the global south. At present, 1.1 billion people have no access to safe water supplies, and 2.2 million (most of them children) die every year from diseases associated with lack of safe drinking water and inadequate sanitation. Beef production in particular requires 30 times as much water per calories as wheat.
Similarly, the UN estimates that 840 million people (14% of the world's population) are undernourished, partly due to the inefficiency of the world's animal industry. Allow us to explain: more than two thirds of all agricultural land is dedicated to feeding animals (in Brazil alone, 5.6 million acres of land is used to grow soya beans for European stock), even though feeding human-edible crops to animals to then feed us is a ridiculous waste of food energy – with cattle passing on between 2.5% to 67% of their gross feed energy to humans. In fact, the typical European omnivorous diet requires three times the amount of land required for a varied vegan diet – and all this in times of global famine and food price hikes. Whilst around 25,000 people are dying every day from hunger-related causes, and the world's population expected to increase from 6 billion to 9 billion by 2050, one of the most urgent questions we now face is how we, as a species, will feed ourselves in this 21st Century?
A balanced vegan diet has been found time and again to reduce the risk of heart disease, some cancers, strokes, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney stones, high blood pressure, asthma and allergies. Turning vegan can also reduce the most harmful form of cholesterol by up to 29%. Without eggs, meat and dairy products to worry about, your chance of contracting food poisoning falls almost to zero. And all those chemicals, growth promoters and antibiotics that are pumped through the animals pass you by. Having said that, all diets need to be balanced, and you will need to eat a wide variety of whole grains and plant foods, particularly if they're strongly coloured ones.
Here follows a primer on some nutrients that may require a vegan's special attention:
· Protein: it is a commonly held misconception that vegan diets lack in this. However, protein is found in adequate amounts in most plant foods: it's fairly low in fruit, potatoes and rice, but particularly high in legumes, pulses, whole grains, nuts and seeds. In fact, proteins derived from meat in an omnivore's diet can often be too concentrated for human health.
· Calcium: 100g of spring greens, kale, mustard greens or Chinese cabbage provide about the same amount of retained calcium as a cup of cow's milk, and also provide folate. And there are many other sources of calcium available to vegans – green leafy veg, leeks, pulses, nuts, seeds, tofu, fortified soya milk, molasses, hummus, figs and sea vegetables like seaweed– the list is almost endless. There's even hard water! And unlike with animal protein, these vegetables won't leach away calcium from your bones.
· Iron: iron deficiency is a problem that affects many people, particularly women. However, iron can be plentiful in the vegan diet: it's in green leafy veg, tofu, whole grains, dried fruit, beans, lentils, molasses, many fortified breakfast cereals and cocoa. Iron deficiency is linked more to a lack of absorption than availability; but if you eat a continued supply of vitamin C with iron-rich food, then this won't be a problem.
· Vitamin B12: this is found primarily in meat, dairy products and eggs, but not plant foods, and is important in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. When deficiency does occur it is more likely to be due to a failure to absorb B12 from the intestine than a dietary deficiency. Therefore it's best to take no chances: use fortified foods (like veggie burger mixes, breakfast cereals, vegetable margarines, soya milk, and some yeast extracts) or supplements (like 'VEG1'), and make sure you get at least three micrograms per day.
· Vitamin D: another trouble spot for vegans, this is present normally in oily fish, eggs and dairy products in variable amounts, but not in plant foods. However, vegans can obtain vitamin D from vegetable margarines, some soya milks, dried shiitake mushrooms and certain other fortified foods. Vitamin D is also synthesized by the skin when exposed to sunlight. But in the winter over here, the body cannot make vitamin D from sunlight – likewise, if you're confined indoors, and also for some Asian women who may be required to keep their skin covered for cultural reasons – and it may be beneficial for bone health to include about five micrograms of vitamin D2 in your daily diet. Though avoid vitamin D3, as this is derived from animals.
· Omega 3: the 'good' fats that support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems, these do come from fish. However, you can also get all you need from flax seed (linseed), hemp seed, rape seed (canola) oil, and walnuts. Just one teaspoon of flax seed oil or one tablespoon of crushed flax seeds every day will see you right, and then you avoid all those dodgy ocean pollutants like PCBs, dioxins and mercury.
For information on essential fatty acids, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), iodine, selenium (found in Brazil nuts), and other aspects of nutrition, check out Viva!'s online guide, 'The L-Plate Vegan', which takes you through the whole process; or e-mail vegadvice@viva.org.uk for further answers.
It is perfectly possible to bring up a child on a vegan diet, and with their high intake of fruit and vegetables, vegan children have been shown to have lower intakes of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than omnivore children. After starting off on breast milk, vegan children should be given plenty of nutrient-rich foods, and need good sources of protein, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin D (sunlight exposure on the hands and face three times a week, for 30 minutes, is ideal). If breast-feeding, it is important for vegan mothers to reinforce their B12 intake, and can help their child's eye and brain development by eating alpha-linolenic acid found in flaxseed oil, ground flaxseed or rapeseed oil; reducing consumption of other oils or hydrogenated fats helps more.
High-fibre foods can fill up a child without filling their nutritional needs, as well as interfering with mineral absorption from the intestine; for these reasons, foods high in fibre shouldn't be overused. Instead, opt for high-calorie foods like avocados, nut and seed butters, and dried fruits. If you want advice on bringing up your children vegan, contact the Vegan Society for a free sheet which gives a great introduction to this topic, or get a copy of 'Feeding your Vegan Infant – with Confidence', an extensive guide to vegan parenting. Also see http://www.veganfamily.co.uk/ for the day-to-day lives of a vegan family.
Some foods (like vegan cheese) are more expensive than their animal-derived equivalent, but others are cheaper, so there is no reason why you should have to spend more money overall. If you prepare most of your meals from basic ingredients and only use pre-packaged convenience foods some of the time, you can eat very cheaply.
Most existing favourite recipes can be quite easily adapted to being vegan by substituting ingredients such as vegan margarine for and using veggie sausages and meat substitutes. There are bacon rashers, chicken chunks and roasts and even vegan haggis which tastes great. In fact, you'll probably be amazed at what is available! In terms of sweets, chocolate is also readily available: look out for Organica, who produce a delicious 'milk' chocolate, and a vegan white chocolate, and all their chocolate is organic, fair-trade and wrapped in recycled paper packaging. Plamil's range of chocolate, meanwhile, is entirely vegan. But perhaps the real treat is Booja Booja truffles! Dairy-free ice cream, made from oats or soya, is often difficult to tell apart from its dairy equivalent, and readily available in most supermarkets. And Jelly Teddy Bears rate quite highly, too.
For your liquid refreshment needs, watch out for colouring in soft drinks like cochineal, or E120 – a red dye derived from crushed insects. Alcoholically shpeaking, different types of filters used in alcohols are animal-derived: many wines are 'fined' with blood, bone marrow, insect chitin, egg albumin, fish oil, gelatine or milk casein – and labels rarely let you know either way, so it's best to ask. Beers – such as Guinness, Bass (except Grolsch and the bottled Staropramen) and Scottish & Newcastle beers (except Becks) – can be 'cleared' with isinglass, taken from the swim bladders of certain fish. Carlsberg's Holsten Pils, anything from Marston’s Brewery and German beers tend to be vegan, though.
But veganism isn't just about what you eat or drink. It extends to almost all of daily life, including what you wear: due to cruelty issues, wool, silk, leather and fur are off the list, but synthetic or plant-based alternatives are commonly available – if not on the high street, then through mail order: check out Veganstore (http://www.veganstore.co.uk/), Veganline (http://www.veganline.com/), Beyond Skin (tel: 01273 778837, or http://www.beyondskin.co.uk/), Vegetarian Shoes (http://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/), Bourgeois Bohéme (http://www.bboheme.com/), Ethical Wares (http://www.ethicalwares.co.uk/) or Freerangers (tel: 01207 565957, or http://www.freerangers.co.uk/). For a wider list of vegan outlets for all kinds, check out the ‘vegan shopping’ directory on Vegan Village (www.veganvillage.co.uk/shops.htm).
With toiletries, it is important to ensure that the products you buy are not tested on animals. Co-op supermarkets won't test their own-brand products on animals, but not all of their products are vegan, so check the packaging. Health food shops tend to stock a fair range of cruelty-free toiletries, cosmetics and household goods which have not been tested on animals. Most skincare, hair and bath products in Lush are suitable for vegans, but all their products are, at the least, vegetarian and free of animal testing.
If you are vigilantly scanning the ingredients lists, here are a list of words to avoid like the plague: beeswax, chitin, collagen, elastin, keratin, lanolin, oleic acid, olostearin, propolis, shellac, spermaceti wax, squalene and stearin. With perfumes, there may be other dodgy substances involved, such as ambergris, musk, castoreum, and civet. Also check out www.crueltyfreeshop.com and www.honestycosmetics.co.uk.
If you want to be in the know about the items that aren't marked vegan, equip yourself with a copy of the 'Animal Free Shopper' (£4.99 from the Vegan Society); a pocket-sized guide to all things vegan, from ready meals to suntan lotion – so when you're faced with a huge list of E-numbers, you can skip to the relevant page, find your product, and you're sorted.
In Bath, there are a number of eateries and outlets that cater to veggies and vegans:
Harvest Natural Foods of 37 Walcot Street are a wholefoods workers' co-operative with a deli counter that sells a wide range of pasties, burgers, pies, cakes and other takeaway food, labelled vegan, and stock just about everything you'll need.
Eastern Eye is an Indian restaurant on Milsom Street with a good range of veggie and vegan foods; though, always make sure to find out whether ghee is based on butter or vegetable oil.
Pria Balti is an Indian restaurant on Argyle Street with various veggie and vegan options.
Seasons of 10 George Street are a health food shop with a deli counter that sells pasties, burgers and cake, and more.
Julian Graves sell a soya milk that is 14% made up of soya, unlike nearly all other soya milks on the UK market (around 6% is normal): this means that coffee will not curdle.
Holland and Barrett (on Stall Street) have a good range of fake meats and cheeses. Or you can use real vegetables, without the processing and pretence – it's up to you!
Pizza Express (Barton Street) can make up cheeseless vegan pizzas on request, and their pizzas have a vegan base.
New Chung Ying (21 Walcot Buildings, off London Road) are a Chinese takeaway that do a range of braised bean curd dishes; remember to ask specifically for no egg or fish.
The Kebab House (16 Kingsmead Square) do a vegan falafel and hummus in a pitta with salad: cheap eats for central Bath.
Schwartz Brothers (at 102 Walcot Street and 4 Saw Close, in the centre) are a local burger chain whose veggie burger is also vegan.
Boston Tea Party (19 Kingsmead Square) is a café whose menu changes frequently, so specify that you're a vegan: expect a tofu curry or falafel wraps (hold the tzatziki!).
Demuths Restaurant (2 North Parade Passage) is a highly-acclaimed veggie restaurant using fresh ingredients, many labelled as vegan.
Hong Kong Bistro (33 Southgate) is a noodle bar with tofu dishes and vegan udon noodles, very nice and reasonably priced; again, explain no egg or fish.
Yak Yeti Yak on Pierrepont Street are a Nepalese restaurant and takeaway with many fresh vegan dishes, and a good understanding of veganism.
Shakeaway (of Beau Street) is a milkshake bar with many vegan-labelled options.
Wagamama (1 York Buildings) is a Japanese restaurant on the corner of George Street and Broad Street, with various vegan options.
Bombay Nights (Lower Bristol Road) is an Indian & Nepalese restaurant and takeout,with a range of dishes and understanding of 'no dairy'.
Thai By The Weir (16 Argyle Street) is a new Thai eatery just past Pulteney Bridge with many veggie and vegan options, and an attention to special dietary requirements.
Yen Sushi (11-12 Bartlett Street) has a good range of vegan sushi and other vegan dishes, offering very good value for money.
Dashi Sushi, based at the platform of Bath Spa train station, always have at least one vegan option.
Clive Arts Cafe (St James Memorial Hall, Lower Borough Walls) is a new vegetarian cafe opened up beneath the Chapel Arts Centre, formerly known as Invention Arts and Window Arts Centre.
The Bell Inn (103 Walcot Street) is a popular pub that does a baguette with vegan marg, hummus and salad and vegan rolls.
The Porter (2 Mile's Buildings, George Street) is a vegetarian pub with various vegan-labelled dishes, serving from 11am til 9pm.
Scoffs Wholefood Bakery & Cafe (19-20 Kingsmead Square) comes highly recommended.
The Green Room (32 Corn Street, above the Mission Theatre) is Bath’s first veggie theatre cafe, open 10.30-2pm Tuesdays to Fridays, and has a small array of vegan options.
COOKING HINTS AND TIPS
Before the various recipes to follow, here are some rough hints and tips for food prep, vegan-style:
· If you miss eggs, then use black salt to flavour tofu. It makes it eggytastic
· If you like fishy flavours, then use seaweed as a flavouring
· If you like cheesy sauce, then try blending soy milk with oil, nutritional yeast and stock to make a nice thick replacement cheese sauce
· If you re worried about missing anything in your diet, then it can probably be found in dark leafy greens like kale
· If a soup or stew is too salty, add chunks of raw potatoes. Discard them after they have cooked – they will have absorbed the salt. If a soup or stew is too sweet, add salt. If a main dish or vegetable is too sweet, add one teaspoon of cider vinegar
· Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like quiches or custards. To replace one egg in a recipe, purée one quarter cup of soft tofu. It is important to keep in mind that although tofu doesn’t fluff up like eggs, it does create a texture that is perfect for 'eggy' dishes
· If you like sweet things but are having trouble finding vegetarian sugar, then try agave syrup. This is also perfect in place of honey, and great for people worried about diabetes.
· Eggs in a recipe act as either a binder, thickener, or leavener. There are numerous egg substitutes, depending on what you are trying to achieve. For instance, in veggie burgers or casseroles, you would want a 'binding' or 'thickening' effect, so you could add arrowroot, cornstarch, flour, oats, or breadcrumbs to reach your desired consistency. However, when trying to substitute eggs in baking, it can be a bit trickier. When making cookies, breads, and baked goods you can use apple sauce, puréed bananas, puréed dates, or 'Ener-G Egg Replacer' when you need the binding properties of eggs. To achieve the thickening qualities in pie fillings or custards, use agar-agar, kudzu, arrowroot, cornstarch, or flour
Libraries will have a good selection of vegan or vegetarian cookery books to experiment with before you buy anything, but in Bath you can browse bookshops like Topping and Company on The Paragon and Good Buy Books on Manvers Street, alongside more mainstream outlets. If you have internet access, you could also try to pick books up from local Freegle groups – start at www.freegle.org. For eating out, take a look at 'Vegetarian Britain' published by Vegetarian Guides (available from the Vegan Society) to find out where the vegan-friendly places are in your area.
And lastly, if you don't feel that you can go 100% vegan straight away, then take it gradually by cutting out non-vegan foods bit by bit. Perhaps aim for one vegan day a week and increase this when you feel comfortable. Once you get going you'll be surprised at how great vegan food can be!
Other than the following, there is a host of recipes on the web: www.vegansociety.com/food/recipes and http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/ should start you off.
MEXICAN CHILLI (to serve 10 to 12)
Six tins (1.5kg) mixed beans (kidney, black eye, butter beans, haricot beans, etc.)
Two tablespoons cooking oil
Half a bulb garlic, finely chopped
One large onion, diced
Two tablespoons ground coriander
Two tablespoons ground cumin
Two tablespoons chilli powder – or fresh chillies, finely chopped, or a mix
One tablespoon ground black pepper
One tablespoon ground cinnamon
Two peppers, red or green, diced
2,000g (4 lb) passata, or chopped tomatoes/tomato puree mix
One pack Realeat veggie mince or 500g (1 lb) brown lentils
One tablespoon chopped coriander leaf
25g (1 oz) vegan dark chocolate
Lemon juice
If using brown lentils rather than veggie mince, sieve these and add to a pan of roughly one litre of water, brought to boil; after three minutes, simmer for another ten. Then, heat the oil in a separate large stock pot over a medium heat, and add garlic, onion and spices and fry off for two to three minutes. Add the peppers and fry until they start to soften. Add the passata/tomatoes, beans and veggie mince/partially cooked brown lentils and cover. Turn down the heat, and leave for 20-30 minutes, stirring every five. Add extra chilli powder, cinnamon and lemon juice to taste! Towards the end, add the chocolate and stir in until it melts. Finally, add the coriander.
It’s always worth serving this with rice, vegan sour cream (vegan yoghurt, fresh lime juice and chopped coriander leaf) and a slice of lime on the side; or with nacho chips or spicy potato wedges!
FALAFEL (to serve four to six)
225g (8 oz) cooked chickpeas
Two pitta breads or slices of dry bread
One large onion, coarsely chopped
Two garlic cloves
Two dessert spoons ground cumin
One teaspoon ground chilli
Two dessert spoons flour
One teaspoon salt
Chopped flat leaf parsley
Sesame seeds
Oil (preferably sunflower)
Reduce bread to crumbs in a blender. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, chilli, flour, salt and the parsley, and blend to a paste. Keep the blender running at a low speed and add the chickpeas slowly until a thick paste forms. If it seems too dry, add a little water; if it’s too wet, add more breadcrumbs. Then roll into 2.5 cm/1 inch balls, and coat with sesame seeds. Fry these in hot oil, until they’re brown and crunchy. Alternatively, you can cook them in the oven at a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, and they’ll turn out lovely like that, too.
ONION BHAGEES
Chickpea flour
Onions, chopped
Tandoori spices (roasted coriander seed, roasted cumin, dried garlic, chilli pepper,
oregano, salt, ginger, dried onion, cardamom, paprika, bay leaves, star anise,
cinnamon, black pepper, cloves)
Oil
Pre-heat large amounts of vegetable oil in a saucepan, with the whole spices, to simmer. Meanwhile, make the batter by whipping the flour, water and remaining spices until they are thick, like cake mixture. Then, mix in the chopped onions, and roll into the balls with the batter. Deep fry the golden balls until golden brown – watch out for scalding oil splashes!
SPICY CASHEW AND VEGETABLE RICE (to serve two to four)
One cup brown basmati rice
Half a cup raw, unsalted cashew nuts
Seasonal vegetables such as:
One red onion, chopped
One large courgette, diced
Half a bell pepper (any colour), chopped
One tin sweetcorn, drained and rinsed
One or two fresh chilli peppers (to taste), chopped finely
Three cups spring onions, chopped
Two or three cloves crushed garlic
Two teaspoons grated ginger
Olive oil
A handful of finely chopped fresh coriander, basil or mint
Rinse the brown basmati rice and let it stand in cold water. In a medium-sized pan bring two cups of water to the boil. Drain the brown basmati rice and add the rice to the boiling water, reduce heat and simmer with a lid half covering the pan, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is soft. Don't stir the rice, let it sit in the steam with the lid on the pan while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
In a frying pan or wok, heat approximately two tablespoons of olive oil and fry the cashew nuts and red onion until lightly golden. Then add the bell pepper, chilli peppers and courgettes (or other preferred seasonal vegetables), along with the ginger and garlic, and fry until golden.
When the vegetables have softened, add the sweetcorn and spring onions, and stir in the rice, adding a small amount of water to help the ingredients mingle. Turn the heat off and add the fresh herbs of your choice. Season with salt/pepper as required.
This dish is excellent drizzled with lemon juice and served with soya yoghurt and a fresh salad, and to accompany other dishes
THAI COCONUT SOUP (to serve four)
500ml (16 fl oz) coconut milk
250ml (8 fl oz) vegetable stock
5cm/2 inch piece of ginger, cut into thin slices
150g (5 oz) tofu, cut into thin strips
One to two teaspoons red chillies, finely chopped
Two tablespoons light soy sauce
One teaspoon brown sugar
30g (1 oz) fresh coriander chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the ginger, vegetable stock and coconut milk into a pan and bring to the boil, and simmer uncovered over a low heat for eight to ten minutes. Stir occasionally. Then add the tofu strips and red chillies, and simmer for another ten minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sugar. Finally, add the coriander leaves and mix well, seasoning to taste. Serve immediately garnishing with coriander.
BEETROOT SOUP
Five large beetroots
Four shallots
Three cloves garlic
Two sticks lemongrass
One hunk fresh ginger (about the size of a large thumb!)
Two large chillies
One teaspoon cumin seeds
One tin coconut milk
Salt and pepper
Some oil for frying
Roast the beetroots on a high heat for about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, put everything apart from the oil and the shallots in a blender and whizz till really smooth, making a curry paste. Once the beets are roasted and cool enough to touch, skin and chop them. Then chop the shallots and fry in the oil. Add half the curry paste to the shallots, giving them a stir. Then add the beetroot for a short time while stirring. Then add lots of water and leave to simmer for around half an hour. Add the rest of the curry paste and the coconut milk. Finally, blend the soup once more until really smooth.
RICE CAKES
100g (4 oz) sweet potatoes
100g (4 oz) potatoes
75g (3 oz) fragrant rice
25g (1 oz) wild rice
1cm ginger
Two chillies
Two spring onions
Three cloves garlic
One tablespoon coriander leaf
Plain flour
Cook the potatoes and sweet potatoes and rice until soft, then mash it all together. Then finely chop the ginger, chillies, onions, garlic and coriander, and then mix with the potato/rice mash. Shape these into small flat patties, and cover with flour. Fry until golden.
TOFU SATAY SAUCE WITH NOODLES
Vegetable oil
Silken tofu
Four tablespoons peanut butter
Two tablespoons sweet chilli
Sesame seeds
50g (2 oz) creamed coconut
Noodles
Chop the tofu into cubes and fry in pre-heated veg oil, until more firm. Add the creamed coconut until partially melted. Then add the peanut butter and sweet chilli, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Mix well. Add water until you have the required consistency – usually about one cup. Simmer until the noodles are cooked, and serve.
YUMMY CHOCOLATE FRIDGE CAKE
300g (10.5 oz) dark vegan chocolate
Handful chopped glace cherries (optional) and dried fruit
250g (9 oz) biscuits (Hobnobs or other vegan biscuits)
100g (4 oz) vegan margarine
150g (6 oz) golden syrup
Handful flaked almonds
Melt the margarine in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the golden syrup and stir. Break up 100g (4 oz) of the chocolate and stir it into the mixture. Then bash the biscuits until they resemble crumbs. Add to the pan. Chuck in the dried fruit. Line an 8x8 inch tin with cling film. Pour the mix in and pat down firmly. Melt the rest of the chocolate and pour this over the top. Decorate with glace cherries if you so wish. Place the tin in fridge and wait patiently – approximately two hours, in fact. You could, however, use this time to exercise, as once you start eating these it’s very difficult to stop! So it might be a good idea to burn a few calories first.
YUMMY CHOCOLATE CAKE
250g (9 oz) plain flour
50g (2 oz) cocoa
One teaspoon bicarbonate soda
250g (9 oz) sugar (castor or brown)
125g (5 oz) vegan margarine
300ml (10 fl oz) soya milk (sweetened or unsweetened are fine)
Two tablespoons golden syrup
Sieve the flour, cocoa and bicarb, and mix together in a large bowl. If using castor sugar, add this now. Melt the marg, syrup and milk in a saucepan. If you are instead using brown sugar rather than castor, add this now to the pan now. When melted, add the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into cake tins; the mixture should be fairly runny. Bake at 170°C for 35 minutes.
CARROT CAKE (based on a recipe in The Cake Scoffer by Ronny Worsey)
Cake:
225g (8 oz) grated carrot
225g (8 oz) grated carrot
170g (6 oz) sultanas or raisins
140g (5 oz) self-raising white flour
140g (5 oz) self-raising wholemeal flour
170g (6 oz) sugar
One teaspoon cinnamon
One teaspoon ground ginger
200ml (6 fl oz) vegetable oil
200ml (6 fl oz) water
Pinch of salt
Dash of vinegar
Half a teaspoon vanilla essence
Icing:
115g (4 oz) vegan margarine
170g (6 oz) icing sugar
Half a teaspoon vanilla essence
Cashews or walnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Sift the flour twice. Add the rest of the dry cake ingredients and mix well. Mix in the wet ingredients. Beat for one minute. Bake for 45 minutes in a greased cake tin, then reduce the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 and cook for another 20 minutes. Leave in the tin to cool. To make the icing, mash the margarine and vanilla essence into the icing sugar with a fork. Ice the cake once it is cold. Finally, you can optionally top it all with very roughly chopped nuts.
PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA CUPCAKES
100g (4 oz) self-raising flour
Two teaspoons baking powder
100g (4 oz) vegan margarine
100g (4 oz) sugar
One banana
Two tablespoons peanut butter
Soya milk to mix
Mix the sugar, marg and banana together. Then add the flour, peanut butter and baking powder, and mix. Add the soya milk as needed until you have a sticky paste. Divide this into cases and bake at 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 or 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 for 12-15 minutes.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH
Six cups of cornflakes or rice crispies
One cup of golden syrup or agave syrup
One and a half cups peanut butter
225g (8oz) vegan dark chocolate
Vegan margarine for oiling the tray
Lightly oil a baking tray, and pour the cereal into a big bowl ready. Then heat the syrup in a saucepan until it is thin and runny. Remove from the heat and beat in the peanut butter until smooth. Pour the mixture over the cornflakes and mix well. Push the mixture into the baking tray to form a slab, making sure it's firmly packed. Then melt your chocolate in a pan and pour over the top. Refridgerate for at least three hours then cut into bite-size chunks. It ends up like a vegan version of Snickers bars, but nicer.
APRICOT FLAPJACK COOKIES
115g (4 oz) porridge oats
115g (4 oz) vegan margarine, plus extra for greasing
One dessert spoon golden syrup or agave syrup
75g (3 oz) unsulphured dried apricots, chopped
75g (3 oz) sugar
115g (4 oz) self-raising flour
Cinnamon to sprinkle
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Meanwhile, mix the oats and sieved flour in a bowl with 50g (2 oz) of the dried apricots. Then put the marg, syrup and sugar in a saucepan on a low heat, mixing constantly until it has all melted to a runny liquid. Pour this over the dry ingredients and mix well, until a batter. Then shape the mix into roughly nine cookie shapes on a pre-greased baking tray. Stud the top of these with the leftover apricot pieces, and sprinkle finely with cinnamon. Then bake it all in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until golden.
Meets on the 2nd Monday of every month
8.00-9.00pm at The Bell public house
Walcot Street, Bath
Come along to discuss what YOU can do
to help bring an end to animal cruelty
Bath Animal Action is a non-violent action group
Bath Animal Action, PO Box 426, Bath, BA1 2ZD
tel: 07787724717
e-mail: bathanimalaction@yahoo.co.uk
