Holistic Vegan

Do you know what holistic means? It may not be what you think. I was surprised recently when a good friend and fellow holistic therapist brought my attention to the amount of confusion and misunderstanding there currently is attached to this word.  It's a word I used on a daily basis here on this blog and my YouTube channel as Holistic Vegan and also in my business name Angel Wings Holistics, so I felt it was time to put the record straight any just clear up some of the questions you might have about it. First of all I want to bust a few myths about what is doesn't mean because personal experience this year has taught me that there is a lot of fear and assumption attached to it, that I must confess, I was blissfully ignorant of. It's not a Religion As somebody who really doesn't get on with any of the world religions and abhors dogma, this is an important one to clear up first. A few years ago, back in 2011, we had a census here in the UK, and

Well it may be May here, but the weather doesn't seem to realise this, so I'm posting one of my favourite winter warmers to keep your tootsies warm on these chilly spring nights! Double carrot and coriander soup is my twist on a classic recipe that I accidentally created (I meant  to add cumin - oops!) and instantly loved. It's very yummy and warming too, so I know you're going to love it. This was also one of the recipes that I first put up on my YouTube channel as part of my Veganuary series in 2017: This video also features Dylan the Cat who is sadly no longer with us, but thankfully even without his "assistance" you can still make a success of this simple recipe. I normally use my slow cooker for recipes like this one, but I've also included instructions for making it on the hob. You could even make it in a microwave at a push. Ingredients 1 tbsp oil (if used - omit to make recipe oil free) 1 medium onion (add two for extra fl

I'm often asked what products I use to wash my clothes, and most people are surprised by the answer. I use an egg!  No, obviously not an actual egg , but a wonderful innovation called an EcoEgg Laundry Egg. Not my actual hand, I borrowed all the pics from the EcoEgg website! These were introduced to me by a friend who swears by them, and I have to say they are now my favourite way to wash clothes.  Vegan, approved by Allergy UK, allergy and skin friendly, these miraculous little eggs are also eco friendly and work out very cost effective too. They use essential oils rather than nasty synthetic scents and I am in love with their fragrances! I have the pink one which is the Spring Blossom scent, and I also treated myself to the limited edition Lavender one last year, because why the heck not.  The "eggs" contain pellets made from two different minerals (one is tourmaline - so you're washing with crystals!) and they can be used alone or alongside any

This is an interesting recipe that I tried for the first time recently. Some people call this one a tortilla, but I personally found that the texture is more like a crepe than a true tortilla, and the slightly nutty flavour goes just as nicely with sweet fillings like vegan chocolate spread as it does savoury. It definitely rolls and folds nicely if you want to make a wrap, so that's a huge bonus. It's also tasty, high in protein and low in fat, gluten free and super cheap to make, so well worth a go in my opinion. The process to make them can seem rather lengthy, and it seems like a lot of effort for a few flatbreads, but this is a useful recipe to have to hand if you've run out of other ingredients and need an alternative to having to spend money at the end of the month! You will need quite a powerful blender for this one, so have your Vitamix at the ready! Ingredients 200g (1 cup) Red Lentils (split peas) 500ml (2 cups) Cold water 1tsp Salt Method R

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

A newly made batch of Burmese Tofu, cooling in the tin. I've accumulated quite a lot of exotic recipes since going vegan, but this one has to be one of my favourites, and as it only needs 3 low cost ingredients, it's a brilliant vegan hack too! Much as I really like the normal soya tofu products, tofu can be expensive and it's not something my rather tight budget can stretch to very frequently as I'd like. I came across Burmese tofu for the first time in Autumn last year, and I absolutely love it. It's easy to make, cheap and has a really satisfying texture that reminds me of boiled eggs. And best of all, it's made using one of my favourite vegan and wheat free ingredients - gram flour. The texture is firmer than silken soya tofu, but softer than the firmer varieties. And a word of warning - don't try to put it in a tofu press to make it firmer, that won't work. (I've tried, it was messy!) This tofu can be cut into slices or cubes, an

There are lots of pasta bake sauces available for sale ready made in a jar, the problem is finding one that's vegan friendly. Add in wheat or gluten intolerance too and you're in for a difficult time! I personally think that it's much nicer to make your own pasta bake sauce, and the good news is that it's easy and cost effective too. Pasta bakes traditionally call for cheese which has been challenging for vegans in the past. Vegan cheese has come a long way in the past few years, but it still has a tendency to dry out and burn if you sprinkle it on top of a dish to go in the oven. You can get away with putting a little bit on top, but I don't recommend covering this one completely like you would do with dairy cheeses. This is a very easy but delicious pasta bake that is also very yummy and popular with kids, so the whole family will love it. For a gluten or wheat free option, just make sure you use a wheat or gluten free pasta, like corn or rice pasta,