Giovanni Root 66 Shampoo And Conditioner

I had been using Giovanni Root 66 hair products for years with excellent results and I love they contain no Sodium Sulphate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Parabens or Phtalates and nearly the entire Giovanni range is vegan friendly.   I switched to their Colorflage Brazenly Brunette range and found them equally as good.   Giovanni products were not easy to find on the internet at that time and my supplier removed both these products and replaced them with Ultra Sleek, Ultra Volume and Ultra Moist, so I bought some Ultra Moist.   After coming out the shower, my eyes would be on fire, red, sore, irritated, burning and my upper eyelids so swollen they would hang over my eyelashes.   I moved onto the Ultra Volume and then the Ultra Sleek, with the same result.   I tried washing my hair over the bath but found it impossible to not get some of the product near my eyes, I even considered buying some swimming goggles.   I really did not want to switch to another manufacturer as my hair loved all the Giovanni products, even though my eyes did not.

The solution lay in a food allergy test I had the beginning of this year, which showed I was allergic to sunflower seeds and some sunflower oils (dependent on cold pressed or refined), lentils and the kidney bean family.   After following an elimination diet for four months, it turned out I could not eat any pinto, black, navy, soya, aduki or haricot  beans which I can only assume my body thinks are evil!

What has this got to do with shampoo and conditioner you ask?   The common ingredient in all the Ultra range is Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, which prevents static and is derived from the cluster bean, which I can only presume my body saw as an allergen.   I was sceptical at my findings, but was desperate and having found another supplier I checked the ingredients of my old favourite Root 66 ....no Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride.   I bought trial samples and hey presto no reaction so will stick with it in future.

Fennel And Chickpea Soup

I saw this recipe in The Times colour supplement this weekend and as I usually lose recipes torn out of newspapers, decided to add it to my blog to share and so I can always find it.

2 large onions chopped
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 garlic clove crushed
3 bay leaves
400 g can of chickpeas
1 large bulb of fennel sliced
1 green chilli chopped
1 large sprig of bronze fennel chopped or
1 tsp fennel seeds
750 ml vegetable stock
Zest of one lemon
Salt and pepper

Saute the onions in the oil for 15 mins, add the fennel, garlic, chilli and bay leaves then cook for a further 10 mins.   Add the chickpeas, bronze fennel or fennel seeds and cook for a further 5 mins.

Add the stock and lemon zest and cook for 10 mins more, at which point I blitzed half the soup with a hand blender and added it back to the pan.   Serve with crusty bread, its delicous.

Mr Vikki's Chilli Products

I love chillies, in fact I am known as a fire-eater to all my friends, which is a problem when cooking, as I have no idea on the heat of dishes, which I find mild and blows everyone else's head off.

I have tried various chilli products and fresh chillies over the years, but Mr Vikkis have to be the best,  with their Queen Naga chilli pickle number one in my top ten chilli products.   It is not for the feint hearted, as you can see from the thirteen chilli rating on the label.   If you like it hot this is the pickle for you.

Another big favourite are the Nasty Naga Nuts, what else can I say, the label says it all, my husband says they are volcanic and has to mix them with plain peanuts and even then finds them too hot.  I have to hold back, otherwise I would eat the whole jar!

Another great product is the Hot Stuff chilli sauce, which is that good, a bottle is not going to last long in our house.  It is great as a dipping sauce, for adding to dishes such as chilli, curry etc and for drizzling over things like stuffed falafel pittas.

I also love to support companies like Mr Vikkis, a family run business based in Carlisle, Cumbria so all you chilli aficionados out there, check out their range of chilli products, you will not be disappointed.

Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

I have recently been diagnosed allergic to a number of foods, which as a vegan, I am finding very hard and soya is one of them.   I am always cooking Asian influenced dishes, like Thai, Chinese and Japanese and so finding a replacement to the likes of tamari and soy sauce, seemed a daunting task.   However Twitter came to my rescue when I asked the question and someone suggested Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos, which is a product I have never heard of.

I purchased some online and used it in my spicy peanut stir fry sauce tonight.   It is not as strong as soy sauce or tamari, nor is it as salty which is great, as I do not use much salt and did not detract from the flavour of the sauce, a favourite of mine for a number of years. I will test again, but next time as a soy dipping sauce replacement and update this post then.

Sweet Potato Pea And Mushroom Korma

The inspiration for this recipe came from The Fresh Vegan Kitchen recipe book, buy it, you will not regret it, I have been inspired by the recipes.   However for this korma recipe I was missing some of the ingredients, so I tweaked the recipe and it turned out fantastic so this is how I always make it.

1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped
250 g chestnut mushrooms sliced
3 small onions finely chopped
400 g frozen peas
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
400 ml coconut milk
220 g cashews
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
12 green cardamon pods de-seeded
2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
3 tbsp madras curry powder
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 tbsp fresh ginger finely chopped
400 ml water
Salt and pepper

Soak the cashews in the coconut milk for at least an hour and then blitz in a blender.   Put the oil in a large pan and add the onion, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cardamon seeds, turmeric, ground coriander and curry powder and cook gently for a good 10 mins to allow the spices to release their aromas.   Add the mushrooms and cook for 10-15 mins then add the peas and cook for a further 5 mins.

Add the sweet potato and cashew and coconut mixture and enough water to make a thick sauce and cook until the sweet potato is tender.

Add the chopped coriander, season to taste and serve with basmati rice, chapati or naan bread.

Vegan Omelette

I have been so inspired by the humble chickpea, whether it be in the form of flour, the chickpeas themselves or aquafaba (chickpea water).   The recipe for vegan omelette came about by checking out recipes on the internet and trial and error using different proportions of ingredients and what vegetables I happen to have handy, so today it was the recipe below.   However you can use whatever you like peppers, vegan sausages (these make a great omelette) tomatoes, mushrooms the list is endless.

100 g chickpea flour
175 ml water
30 ml olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 small courgette sliced
2 small boiled potatoes sliced
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 2

Sift the chickpea flour into a bowl with salt and pepper and add the water and whisk until you get a batter of egg like consistency, add the oil and whisk again.

Fry the onion, potatoes and courgette in a large frying pan in the rapeseed oil and cook until nice and brown.   Add the chickpea batter and cook until set on the top, turn the omelette over by placing a large plate over the top and upturn the omelette onto the plate and slide back into the pan.   I have made a few mistakes with this and broken the omelette previously so be careful.

Cook for another 3-4 mins until fully cooked through and serve.

The Aspinall Arms Mitton Road Whalley - 18th July 2015

I took my husband to The Aspinall Arms last night, having only been for lunch before, due to them having an ever changing vegan menu.   It was a lovely sunny evening, the garden and river views are hard to beat, so its worth a drive to get there.

The July vegan menu, as usual had some excellent choices on, with some old die hards like the Vegan Pad Thai, but I chose the heritage beetroot salad with pickled walnuts.

The main course was Keang Pa Thai curry with pea aubergine, squash, baby corn, aubergine and wild rice which I asked for spicy, it was wonderful and as with the beetroot salad beautifully presented.

I was fit to burst by the end of this dish so just had one blob of cherry sorbet for dessert, which I had devoured before I remembered to take a photo!

I contacted The Aspinall Arms earlier in the week, to ask about vegan wines on their list and received a swift reply with the list below, so we pushed the boat out and ordered a very nice Crozes Hermitage.

It gives me a sense of freedom being able to book a table and not have to worry about what I will have to eat or I can walk in off the street and know there will always be something to have.   Its definitely worth a drive to visit The Aspinall Arms.

Vegan Meringues

400 g can chickpeas
165 g caster sugar
Pinch of vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp cornflour

After researching the recipe for making vegan meringues on the internet,  the mix of aquafaba to sugar should be 1:1.33.   After draining the chickpeas the aquafaba weighed 123 g, so I used 165 g caster sugar.   Whisk the aquafaba until it forms white soft peaks, add the vanilla, then gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, whisking well to avoid any grainess to the mixture.   When all the sugar is incorporated, you should be able to hold the bowl over your head, without the meringue falling on it.   Add the vinegar and cornflour and whisk thoroughly.

Line baking trays with parchment paper and either pipe the meringue into rounds or you can just spoon on and shape as you wish.

Bake for 2 hours at 110°c then turn off the oven and resist all temptation to open the oven door whilst cooling for a good 4 hours.   Remove from the oven, peel off the parchment paper and store in an airtight container or freeze for up to a month.

Algon Patio And Path Cleaner

I have been looking for a vegan friendly, cruelty free patio cleaner for ages, as power washing lifts the mortar in between the flags.   I was really pleased to come across Algon organic patio cleaner, a Preston based company so I emailed them to ask about its cruelty free credentials and had the following response:

Algon contains no animal products or derivatives.  Algon does not use animals in testing.

Its easy to use just mix with water and apply with either a sprayer or watering can and leave to dry, but make sure there is no rain expected for 24 hours after application.

It works really well and gets off all green algae, moss etc and it continues to work for a few weeks after application and helps restore the natural colour of virtually any outdoor surface the organic way.

Almond And Mint Pesto

I love basil and pine nut pesto, so when I came across this recipe from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, I just had to give it a whirl and it has become a staple in our house.

50 g mint leaves chopped
50 g almonds
1 garlic clove crushed
One lemon
½ tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
75-90 ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4

First finely grate the lemon.   Toast the almonds, leave to cool, then place in a food processor with the mint, garlic, lemon zest and blitz until finely chopped.   Add the mustard and sugar and blitz a little more.   Slowly add the oil till you get the consistency you like, I like pesto quite runny so would use all the olive oil.   Add a good squeeze of lemon and season to taste with salt and pepper.   I make very large portions of this pesto and then freeze it in pots which works really well.

I also often cheat with this recipe and just use untoasted ground almonds and the recipe still works really well.

In his book:

Hugh serves the pesto with linguine and roasted tomatoes, but I use any shape of pasta and love to serve with stir-fried vegetables like onion, aubergine, peppers and fennel with any herbs I happen to have handy in the garden.

Smokey Mixed Bean Stew

I cannot eat certain beans, so prior to developing allergies, I would have made this dish with kidney beans, lentils and black beans, so instead I have used borlotti beans, cannellini beans and chickpeas and it tastes fantastic.

400 g can of borlotti beans
400 g can of cannellini beans
400 g can of chickpeas
2 medium onions chopped
3 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste (I like very spicy food)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 clove of garlic crushed
500 ml of vegetable stock

Serves 4

Saute the onions in the oil for 10 mins until translucent, add the garlic and cook for another 2-3 mins.   Add the cayenne pepper and paprika, turn the heat down to avoid burning the spices and fry for 2-3 mins, add the tomato puree and cook for a further 5 mins.   Drain the borlotti and cannellini beans and crush half of them with a potato masher, add to the pan with the chickpeas and vegetable stock.   Continue to cook for 15-20 mins until the sauce has thickened.   I like to serve with either rice, quinoa or potato rosti.

Rosemary Farinata

I have fallen in love with chickpea flour, otherwise known as gram or besan flour and made vegan omelettes, Burmese tofu and this Italian recipe farinata, a speciality in Liguria especially in Livorno where I sampled a "Cinque e Cinque" (see my review for Torteria Da Gagarin).

I have taken inspiration from several recipes and come up with my own quantity of ingredients, to make two main course portions.

150 g chickpea flour
50 ml olive oil
250 ml water
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper

Serves 2

Sift the chickpea flour into a large bowl and season with salt, add the water and whisk to form a light batter.   Add the olive oil and rosemary and whisk again and if possible leave to rest for an hour.   I do not always leave it to rest and have used it immediately, which does not seem to affect the finished result.

Oil a large round pan, I use a metal pizza pan and put it into a hot oven at 220° for 5 mins.

Remove the pan from the oven,  pour in the batter and return to the oven for about 15-20 mins.   Its cooked when you shake the pan and the farinata comes away from the side of the pan and is firm to the touch.

As for a filling, well the world is your oyster, I love it with garlic mushrooms and a good drizzle of olive oil.   I have previously posted a vegan omelette recipe which contains tofu, however having recently been diagnosed allergic to soya I will be posting a new omelette recipe made just with chickpea flour.

Dil Raj Indian Parson Lane Clitheroe - 9th July 2015

I met up with a friend, who had recently moved to a house just outside Clitheroe, with the Dil Raj being his favourite Indian restaurant in the town.   Dil Raj is only small with a tiny bar and seating area and the menu is a typical Indian menu with the dishes made using vegetable oil, not butter ghee which is great.

I kicked off with a poppadum with the usual chutneys (avoiding the yogurt one) my favourite being chilli pickle   I had onion bhajia, which I had eaten before I remembered to take a photo, but they were delicious, light and not stodgy which they can sometimes be.

I ordered two side dishes for mains, to get some variety, one being channa masalla (chickpeas) which I asked for extra hot and the waiter said they would add some naga paste, the naga being one of the hottest chillies in the world.   The dish was also served with fried red dried chillies on top, it was really tasty and the heat right up my street (my husband says I'm a "fire-eater").   When I ask for a hot curry in many Indian restaurants, they tend to ruin the dish by throwing in a load of chilli powder, but the spicing and heat here was well balanced.   I also had mushroom bhajia with loads of freshly cooked mushrooms which also had the red chillies on top, but was a mild but very tasty dish.

I had boiled rice and side salad which I always like with curry and shared a very nice bottle of Cave de Turckheim Gewurztraminer vegan friendly wine, which really compliments spicy food.   I will definitely return as it is a good place to meet up with my friend.

Skechers Go Walk 2 Walking Shoes

I have been searching for vegan friendly, lightweight walking shoes for ages,  which do not rub my feet.   I have had so many feet related problems of late, the last being on my cruise in May, where I had huge blisters which caused me no end of trouble.   I finally found Skechers Go Walk 2 shoes, the lightest pair of walking shoes I have ever come across, like walking on air.   They look great with jeans, trousers, even dresses and skirts, are vegan and machine washable, an absolute bonus.   One tip is to order a size smaller than you would normally wear, so I bought a 4 instead of a 5.

Piccolino Moor Lane Clitheroe - 5th July 2015

I and my husband have been to Piccolino's Clitheroe several times and always get a warm welcome from manager Dan Atzori, who seems to know every customer that walks through the front door and who always ensures that everything runs smoothly.   After a very nice glass of Prosecco in the bar, we were shown to our table.

We had complimentary bread with olive oil whilst we decided what to have.   There are not many vegan options on the menu, but they are very accommodating about veganising any dishes like pizza, risotto, salads etc.    I ordered an asparagus starter, without the poached egg and buttered breadcrumbs, as a vegan option, so with salad as a replacement, after speaking with our waiter, who was fully clued up about vegan and who ensured that everything I was served was vegan friendly.   I was half way through eating this dish, before I remembered to take a photo, so I had eaten half of it already, but it was excellent.

I ordered a Capricciosa pizza,  which is mozzarella, mushrooms, ham, olives, artichokes, tomato and basil, but I replaced the ham and cheese with roasted peppers and capers and it was really delicious as can be seen from the photo.

I ended the meal with a large espresso, as I was so full I could not manage a dessert although there are sorbets on the dessert menu, which maybe vegan friendly, but I never asked, perhaps next time!

I have been to several Piccolino's including the Manchester branch, which I reviewed earlier in the year with the visit being a disaster.   The Clitheroe branch is my favourite, the service is always excellent especially when Dan is there and the venue is in a lovely iconic building with outdoor seating if the weather is good so I hope to revisit sometime soon.