Viridian Nutrition

A lot of people don’t use or believe in using supplements/vitamins. There are many arguments for and against and some say that if you had the correct diet then you wouldn’t require them anyway. However, I do believe that they can contribute as pasrt of an overall healthy lifestyle.

I tested out some from Viridian Nutrition. They are an ethical company who support the organic movement and they stock a great range of supplements suitable for vegans.

100% Organic Soul Food Greens – I used to use Spirulina supplement in my smoothies, juices and soups. I have now replaced that with this, as it contains a great blend of many chlorophyll rich green food powders. It helps pack your smoothies with nutrients and I highly recommend it.

Essential Male Multi – There are so many multi vitamins on the market, however this one stands out due to the added Zinc and Co-enzyme Q10. This is an all round multi vitamin and supports a lot from reproduction to your immune system.

Liquid Vitamin D – As I live in the UK I don’t see much sun, so I used to take D3 supplements. I have replaced those with the liquid form of vitamin D. I simply put a few drops in a juice or a smoothie, so much better than filling your stomach full of tablets (I take enough just for my epilepsy).

100% Organic OMEGA 3:6:9 – This is another supplement that is easy to add into your everyday diet, I have been using this as the base for salad dressings. It is an easy way to get all 3 Omega oils and it tastes great. I know some people have a teaspoon of this a day by itself, but I prefer adding it to food!

100% Organic Raw Virgin Coconut Oil – This oil is great; it can be used in so many different ways from cooking to beauty. I have been using this product as a moisturiser, its great for chapped lips and dry skin. I recently had a tattoo on my arm, I used this as a moisturiser for that and it worked better than any medicated cream. Personally, I feel that this has helped the tattoo heal better.

Whilst using these supplements I have vastly changed my diet, cutting out a lot of processed foods. I feel a lot better; this could be a mix of the supplements and the diet. I am not a nutritionist and I am not going to go on recommending supplements as everyone has different needs. However I do recommend Viridian supplements if you wish to have them.

Until Next Time Guys!

Christmas Meal 2014

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, I thought I would share what we cooked up with a quick how to recipe guide!

Starter

Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta –
For this dish prepare the tomato salad first. Quarter the olives and tomatoes, finely chop some basil, place in a mixing bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Then toss until well mixed. Slice and lightly toast your chosen bread, place bread on plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Finish off by topping the bread with the tomato salad and sliced avocado.

Main

Meatless Loaf –
This is a timeless dish and thanks to Suma it’s really easy to make. All you need is a packet of Suma Burger Mix and to make it more Christmassy a box of stuffing mix of your choice. Simply mix the 2 together and add the required amount of water, place the mix in a loaf tin then bake until firm.

Maple Roasted Vegetables –
For this dish we chose parsnips and brussel sprouts but it can be done with just about any vegetable. Prep the chosen vegetables by slicing them, coating them in a small amount oil and, a pinch of salt, pepper and paprika. Roast them for about 15 minutes, coat them in maple syrup and toss them in the baking tray and roast again until cooked.

Smashed Root Vegetables –
Again another classic dish, we used sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrot and swede. Depending on the swede this can take longer to cook so I would advise boiling this for around 10-15 minutes before adding the other chosen root vegetables. Once all of the veg is soft drain and mash/smash to the preferred texture. We added a bit of almond milk to ours to make it creamier.

Stuffed Mushroom –
So for the mushroom stuffing we roasted chestnuts and then put them in a food processor with rosemary, cranberry sauce, salt and pepper. We boiled quinoa in veg stock and then mixed them together. We packed the mixture on top of Portobello mushrooms and put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Gravy –
Fry off some finely chopped red onions, once soft add a cup of real ale and some boiling water. Lastly add some vegetable stock or your choice and simmer to allow the gravy to thicken.

Dessert

Coconut Frosted Chocolate Cake-
Pre heat the oven to 180

Cake Mixture –
¾ cup plain white flour
¾ cup rice flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsps bicarbonate of soda
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup almond milk
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup rapeseed oil
½ cup agave nectar
A few drops of vanilla essence
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Mix the wet ingredients in a bowl and then sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Combine the two and put into a greased cake tin. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes.

Do the same again so you have 2 cakes.

Frosting –
2 tins of coconut milk (just the cream off the top)
1 Cup of pure sunflower spread
¾ Cup icing sugar

Wait for the cakes to cool. Add the frosting to the top of one of the cakes and place the other cake above. Now cover the whole cake with the rest of the frosting. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut to finish.

Hope you enjoy it if you make any of the above and let me know what you think!

Until next time guys!

Lads Night In – October

Halloween is coming up so me and the lads have decided to have a night in watching some good old fashioned horror films. We’ve got The Shining, Psycho and Night of the Living Dead!

My friends aren’t vegan but thought I would treat them to some amazing vegan junk food!

I decided to make them burgers as it’s food that’s really recognizable to meat eaters and not too “scary”. I bought some Fry’s Traditional Burgers, Violife Cheddar Slices and VBites Cheatin Rashers!

I stacked the burger with the “cheese” and “bacon”, and added sauteed portobello mushrooms and red onions in a sticky BBQ sauce. Obviously I had to make it a little bit healthier, so I put some sliced tomatoes on top!

On the side I made potato wedges tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper and vegan gravy granules, and cooked for 30 minutes at 200c.

The guys really enjoyed them and made me prove to them that they were actually vegan by showing them the packets! I like changing peoples opinions on what vegan food is and what it can be. I love surprising people with my vegan recipes.

Hope you like this post, let me know what your favourite burger recipes are!

Until next time guys!