Vegan Wagamama - VEGATSU

So I FINALLY had the time to go to the Noodle Lab here in London, which is an experimental branch of Wagamama, which, like the former suggests, displays a wide variety of classic and new dishes to try. In fact, the menu has lots of vegan and veggie meals available!

I already knew what I was ordering, the long awaited Vegatsu. My newly vegan colleague got the same, and my other colleague, got King CookDaily's collaboration with Wagamama - COOKMAMA. My non vegan colleague loved the CookMama (pictured above) and said it was filling, so filling that she took half of it home so I cannot wait to try that out too.

Service was fairly quick, but oh my, the serving size did not disappoint! I can literally eat for England, so when I say I was bursting at the seams after this, I am being deadly serious. I got some of their usual vegetable gyozas because I love them, and, like I said, I'm a hungry person.

Usually I find the "protein" part of the meal is overshadowed heavily by it's carb/veg counterparts, and the ratio is way off. However, this was most definitely not the case. In fact, I could say that there was more than enough of the seitan (the chicken alternative) to go round. Accompanied with a generous portion of white rice, slathered in their infamous curry sauce and a lovely, fresh side salad, my tastebuds are salivating as I'm typing this - it was delicious!

I rather simple dish when you think about it, all the elements worked so well together. I haven't had the chicken alternative to compare but I don't even care (rhyming level 100), it was like comfort food that you'd want to curl up onto the sofa having a quiet night in...I should've ordered another to take home. The only "negative" was that it was a bit salty...I think it was the curry sauce but I really don't mind considering I love anything savoury.

VEGATSU: £8-9, seitan coated in crispy panko breadcrumbs covered in an aromatic curry sauce with sticky white rice and a side salad 

Overall I'd give this a 9/10 just because the average person might have some reservations about the salt, but I liked it. Also, because the dish does contain seitan covered in panko breadcrums, it isn't for those with a gluten sensitivity (like me), or worse. Now, usually I can eat gluten once in a while like this meal, but with the stress of recent events and what not, the gluten has had a really bad effect on me, so will sadly not be having the meal anytime soon :( but hopefully, they see how many people love this dish, and will decide to make it a permanent dish at ALL Wagamama locations.

East meets West fusion - Mediterranean vegetables x Chickpea Tikka Masala curry

20mins / Serves 6

I live off homemade curries like 90% of the time as they're so easy to make! This recipe is even easier if you're having a lazy day, as all the vegetables are pre chopped too. The pre made Tikka Masala sauce is absolutely beautiful and is also gluten free! (Recipe for homemade tikka masala sauce coming soon.) This is lerfect for if you're hosting a dinner party too and you don't want lots of extra veg hanging around.

Ingredients: cost - £4.20 (All from Tesco)

Chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables (Contains aubergine, red pepper, yellow pepper and courgette) - £2
Free From Tikka Masala cooking sauce - £1.50
2 × can of washed and drained chickpeas

Additional:

1-2 onions (depending how you like them)
2 tbsp garlic mince or 2 garlic clovea
Seasoning to taste (I added about 1 tbsp of garam Masala, cumin, turmeric and hot curry powder. Also some mixed dried herbs)
Half a tin of coconut milk (optional, could add chopped tomatoes instead - I did 1/4 of both)

METHOD

Let the frozen veg defrost by about 25% prior to cooking.
Sauté the onions in a little oil or some water if you're oil free. Add the herbs and spices and fry for about 1min and add the chickpeas to the pan. Continue frying for a couple of minutes.
Add the vegetables. The vegetables to contain a little oil so it should assist in keeping the previous ingredients moist.
Cook until the vegetables are defrosted by about 80% and add the Tikka Masala sauce.
Simmer for 10mins before adding either some coconut milk or chopped tomato.
Leave to cool and serve how desired. I served mine with long grain rice.

Hope you enjoy!

Green Smoothie pt.1

Serving size: 1 large (meal), 2 small (snack) / Time: 5mins

So, this is one of my go to green smoothie recipes. I have a fair few variations so watch this space! I often have this on Saturday morning when I'm not in a rush to go anywhere, but I've left it too late to eat anything and therefore deliberating whether to eat lunch or breakfast. I guess that means brunch but yknow when you just can't be bothered to make something? And you want something quick to eat? But filling and nutritious? Yeh, this'll do it for ya!

Ingredients:

-Big handful of spinach


-Handful of kale
-1/3 of a mango or 80g frozen mango pieces
-1 banana
-250ml apple juice
-200ml water (or to your desired thickness)
-Half the juice of one lemon
-Tsp of spirulina
-Tsp chia seeds (optional)

Method:
Funnily enough, just whack into a blender (after you've washed all your fruits/veg ofc - click here to see how I wash mine thoroughly) and Bob's your uncle!

Hope you enjoy this refreshing smoothie!

How to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly

Washing your produce, no matter where you get them from, is essential. Not just because they might've dropped somewhere, or that they're expose to the elements, but because (unless they're home grown), they are usually covered in "nasties". By nasties I mean, pesticides, preservatives, and a whole other bunch of chemicals and toxic elements that we do not need in our system. Unfortunately, running things under water just doesn't cut it anymore, so I've got a couple of quick tips when it comes to cleansing and eating the things us vegans apparently only eat. Yeh, I went there.

1) If it's not organic, try not to eat the skin. Although people agree to disagree with this, (Google is free y'know, how do you feel about this?) It is best to peel off the skin on produce like apples, cucumbers, potatoes etc, as it removes any residual pesticides lurking in the skin.

2) Use a brush and soap to wash hard fruits and vegetables - Soap?! I haven't gone mad, I promise...yet. I often have a designated washing up brush and pour a little bit of fairy liquid onto the brush, and scrub my produce clean. An old wives tale, or a Caribbean thing it may be, but it works.

3) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. I have a whole post coming on this nauseating beauty right here. But in the meantime, one of it's many uses is getting any nasties off your produce, especially on smaller or more delicate ones such as berries. Use 1/2 cup or 100ml for (e.g) a couple of punnets of berries and a punnet of plums. Optional, alternatively AND concurrently use 2 tsp of bicabonate of soda too. Soak produce for 10-15mins, use hands to gently wash produce under plain water too.

Hope this helps!

Cheeky chips - guilt free

Actually waiting for them to cook as I write this...I'm so hungry!

Anyway, I don't like sweet things, 10/10 a savoury girl here! Therefore, I'm a massive potato lover: chips, crisps, cheesy mash, dauphinoise, baked, jacket, whatever, you name it, I love potatoes *insert heart eyes emoji*.

So what's a great alternative to your typical white potato meals that are filling, AND guilt free?

Spicy parsnips and sweet potato chips (well more like wedges because I'm too lazy to chop them up finer. Brilliant).

Came home from the gym starving, and I've been craving parsnips for the past week or so (weird craving right?), and i just wanted something light to snack on whilst doing my dreaded uni work, so I decided to make this little guilt-free treat.

Ingredients:

-Parsnips

-Sweet potato

-Herbs & spices (I used paprika, basil, black pepper, cumin, dairy free cheese powder, garlic granules - but, each to their own! Maybe I'll make a post on my condiment cupboard...)

Prep time: 25mins

Method:

-Preheat your oven to 200 degrees for 10-15mins 

-Cut up your parsnips and sweet potato as chunky/small as you like them and put in a pot to simmer for about 7-10 minutes until they soften, but are still firm (keep checking them, as you might find that the parsnips soften quicker, and will therefore have to remove them from the pot earlier.

-Lightly grease or spray a tray with an oil of your choice, and transfer all the wedges to the tray.

-Lightly dust the herbs and spices over the wedges, and place them in the oven for approx. 15-20mins,

-Regularly check after 12mins to see whether any thinner slices are cooking quicker (or burning in my case...oops.)

-After the wedges have 'browned', take them out of the oven, and let them stand for 1-2mins.

-Dust with some salt, and enjoy!

Veggie roast!

I love roast dinners. Especially when it's cold, I always crave hot, crispy veggies to warm my stomach! Whatever the weather, roasted vegetables are easy to prepare, extremely filling and satisfying and can be used in so many ways!

-As a (small portion) starter/side dish to a main meal

-Part of your main meal which should consist of 50% vegetables 

-Leftovers for lunch

-A snack for when you're feeling peckish

Its also an easy way to get your 'five a day' of veg in!

Ingredients:

-Carrots

-Butternut squash

-Celery

-Leeks

-Sweet potato

-Red onion

-Herbs (ready to use) parsley, oregano and thyme

-Gluten free Couscous (or any other side such as quinoa for the carb conscious, rice, bulgar wheat, chickpeas, pasta...the list is endless!)

-Vegetable stock/salt/olive oil (optional)

Preparation: (preheat oven to 250F)

-Wash thoroughly and chop up the veggies as small or as chunky to your preference.

-Mix them together in a suitable oven dish and sprinkle the herbs over them.

(Optional) Drizzle/spray a bit of olive oil and a dash of salt on the top for that extra crisp.

-Cook for 15mins, mix/turn over the vegetables and cook for another 7-10mins.

-Whilst the vegetables are in the oven, cook the couscous with vegetable stock. Should take about 3-4mins. (I personally pour boiling water over couscous in a Pyrex glass dish)

Tip: If you're a bit lazy, supermarkets often sell frozen vegetables or fresh ones that already washed/cut up - less cost effective but an even quicker preparation process!

Serve and enjoy a quick, easy meal!

Fay xo