Calorie Density

Are you following a plant-based diet and finding that you're putting on weight instead of losing it? This article about calorie density on the Forks Over Knives website might help to explain why. http://www.forksoverknives.com/the-calorie-density-approach-to-nutrition-and-lifelong-weight-management/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter062612

Fairly Traded Charcoal

As a keen camper who loves being outdoors, I am one of thousands of people who enjoy barbequeing. Barbeques are not just for meat eaters. Plant-based options include vegetable kebabs, grilled vegetables and home-made vegan burgers.
Today, I read a piece in The Co-operative Food magazine about their Fairly Traded Charcoal. Although I used to work for The Co-operative, I didn't realise that they were the first retailer to launch fairly traded charcoal back in 2009. The charcoal they stock is from Namibia, and The Co-operative ensure that the producers have contracts, are provided with free kilns and that they typically receive three times the minimum wage. So, if you want to barbeque with a conscience this summer (when we get nice weather again here in the UK!), you know where to shop.

Planet Friendly Treats

Back in November last year, I told you about how I had been experimenting with converting recipes into plant-based, planet friendly alternatives. Over the past few months I have started to share some of these recipes with you, but the area where I am finding this hardest is baking. I’ve been doing lots of research into healthier alternatives to oil-based products, eggs and sugar, but I’m not quite there yet with the final product. I’m glad that none of you could see some of my baking disasters so far. I have made some progress, though, and I wanted to share that with you. Below you will find my recipes for shortbread and chocolate brownies. Admittedly, they do both contain oil (in the soya spread) and sugar. However, the recipes are both vegan and if you want to treat yourself occasionally or you’re looking for a slightly healthier, but still sweet, snack for the kids, these are both great. Remember, though, if you are going to buy sugar then make sure it’s Fairtrade. We’re very lucky to have a sugar producer here in the UK called Silver Spoon who are very proud of their home-grown, Assured Food Standards sugar.

I tested the chocolate brownies on my colleagues at work, giving them both the original recipe (with eggs) and the vegan version, to see if they could taste the difference. The two are noticeably different, as xanthan gum is not as light as using fresh eggs, but I’m happy to say that my human guinea pigs said they both tasted great! Plus, both recipes are super easy to make.

Shortbread

Ingredients

125g/4oz soya spread

55g/2oz caster sugar

180g/6oz plain flour

1. Heat oven to 190º/375º/Gas 5.
2. Beat soya spread and sugar together until smooth.
3. Stir in flour to get a smooth paste. Turn onto a work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm/½ in thick. Cut into rounds/fingers and place onto a baking tray.
(I can never be bothered with this bit. Instead, I roll some of the mixture into a ball in my hand and flatten into on the baking tray).

4. Sprinkle with icing sugar (still tastes OK without the icing sugar if, like me, you forget to buy it) and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

　

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

125g soya spread

175g caster sugar

1 tsp xanthan gum

125g plain flour

55g cocoa powder (make sure it’s Fairtrade/local)

¼tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 170ºc/150ºc fan/325ºf/Gas 3. Use a little soya spread to grease a 15cm x 20cm deep baking tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Melt the remaining butter and set aside to cool.
3. Put the sugar into a large bowl, and whisk in the melted butter.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Mix this together and then fold into the sugar/butter mixture. Add the xanthan gum and quickly mix in before transferring the brownie mixture to the prepared tin. The xanthan gum will start to set straight away, so you do have to be a bit speedy with this.
5. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer when inserted at the centre comes out with just a few crumbs on. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes until before slicing.