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How to Cook Dried Chickpeas

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There is no need to fear the humble dried chickpea! Dried pulses make for cheap and easy vegan yum yums, you just need to know how to prep them properly. Dried chickpeas take some time to prepare so it's best to plan in advance if you are going to use them. I've heard many complaints from people about the farty smell they give off when cooking, which also puts people off doing this. Don't worry - I've fixed this problem with this method and made them extra tasty too! Ingredients 1 cup dried chickpeas Water 1 stock cube or 1 dessertspoon of all purpose seasoning Method Place the dried chickpeas into a large glass bowl or jar. Glass is best because it allows you to easily see how much they have expanded, and whether you need extra water (or a bigger bowl...) Add about 1 pint of cold water. The chick peas will soak a lot up and expand to almost double their size - hence why I always say to use a large bowl or jug. In the video, I use a 1 li

How to make Coffee with Plant Milk - without it curdling!

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One of the most annoying things about being vegan is coffee. No seriously, it is. As an adult, you take for granted the fact that you can make your own instant coffee. It's not hard is it? Well... I've lost count of the number of cups I've had to throw away because the soya milk curdled. Plant milks, and I mostly drink soya, have a nasty habit of curdling in hot coffee and you really can't drink it once that has happened - seriously, don't, it's gross. It looks bad, tastes sour and gives you indigestion. I made it my mission to find a method to make instant coffee at home without the curdling, and I'm going to share my secrets with you today. Take back your coffee power! #adulting How to make perfect instant coffee with plant milk Put your instant coffee, preferred sugar and plant milk into your mug. Note: It's important that you use a microwave proof mug for this.  No fancy gilt edged nonsense - metal is not allowed

Sundried Tomato & Herb Bread (Vegan, Wheat & Gluten Free)

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I've been missing the lovely sundried tomato and herb bread that I usually make recently. Obviously the recipe I've always used includes wheat flour so I've bee racking my brains as to how to make a wheat free version that tastes nice. I came across some receipes online for a kind of no-yeast bread made with one of my favourite ingredients - gram flour . After some tweaking, I came up with this Italian style bread which is very tasty (unlike a lot of gluten free bread!) and also has a good crumb, good structural integrity and responds well to toasting or frying for a cooked breakfast. The gram flour gives it a slightly yellow colour, and a slightly nutty taste which works well with the savoury flavours. Makes 1 Loaf Ingredients 225g gram flour 335ml water 1 tbsp baking powder 1.5 tbsp sugar 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt 1 tbsp dried oregano or Italian herb mix 2 tbsp olive oil 3 sundried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces Method Grease and fully li

What is Gram Flour?

Gram flour is one of my newest and favouritest (is that a word?) flours to cook with. I was first introduced to it a few years back by a friend whose Persian mother was kind enough to teach me some of her delicious, traditional middle eastern recipes.  What is it? Gram flour is usually described a chickpea flour, but if you take a look at the ingredients on the packet of any of the brands you can buy, most also contain a percentage of yellow lentil flour too. It's a highly versatile flour made from pulses that has many uses. Where can I buy Gram flour? It's easier to get hold of than you might think. Pop into your local Asian food store, or if you don't have one nearby, the bigger supermarkets here in the UK normally stock it in their Indian/Asian food aisle. Failing that, you can always order some online from specialist food retailers or on Amazon. What is it used for? Being made from pulses rather than grains, this flour is higher in protein than your reg