I have been waiting for the opening of Pho in the newly refurbished Corn Exchange, Manchester for ages and will be visiting next week, so have been checking out their wine selection. They do not label wines as vegan, so I did some research and the following wines are suitable and although not a big choice, anything is better than nothing.
Whites
Cotes de Gascogne, Cuvee Jean Paul, France
Chenin Viognier, Percheron, West Cape, South Africa
Red
Grenache Syrah, Mas de Vigneron, Rhone Valley, France
Vegan Wines At Pizza Expres
I emailed Pizza Express to ask which wines were vegan and would they consider improving the labelling on their menus. I am surprised Pizza Express have not taken this step already, when they have a vegan pizza on the menu and are very much into catering for their customers needs, being Coeliac UK accredited for their gluten-free options.
I had a very nice email back from Lucy in their Customer Experience Team who said:
All wines sold at Pizza Express restaurants are suitable for vegans and vegetarians with the exception of Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio Blush, Pinot Grigio Blush Frizzante, Moscato and Bollinger Champagne. The Valpolicella Ripasso is suitable for vegetarians but not vegans. In regards to labelling which wines are vegan and vegetarian on the menu, please be assured that I will pass on your feedback to our internal menu and food teams.
This leaves a good choice for us vegans, as you can see below:
White Wines
Trebbiano, Marche, Italy
Gavi, Piemonte, Italy
Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
Grillo Chardonnay, Sicily
Rose Wine
Merlot Rose, Veneto, Italy
Red Wines
Chianti Riserva D.O.C.G, Tuscany, Italy
I had a very nice email back from Lucy in their Customer Experience Team who said:
All wines sold at Pizza Express restaurants are suitable for vegans and vegetarians with the exception of Pinot Grigio, Pinot Grigio Blush, Pinot Grigio Blush Frizzante, Moscato and Bollinger Champagne. The Valpolicella Ripasso is suitable for vegetarians but not vegans. In regards to labelling which wines are vegan and vegetarian on the menu, please be assured that I will pass on your feedback to our internal menu and food teams.
This leaves a good choice for us vegans, as you can see below:
White Wines
Trebbiano, Marche, Italy
Gavi, Piemonte, Italy
Prosecco, Veneto, Italy
Grillo Chardonnay, Sicily
Rose Wine
Merlot Rose, Veneto, Italy
Red Wines
Chianti Riserva D.O.C.G, Tuscany, Italy
Nero d'Avola, Syrah, Sicily
Merlot, Sicily
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo D.O.C, Abruzzo, Italy
Barbera d'Alba, D.O.C, Piemonte, Italy
I look forward to the day, I walk into a Pizza Express and can choose a wine labelled as vegan on the menu, but in the meantime I have stored this list to the old memory bank!
Naturtint Reflex Semi Permanent Hair Colour
I do not have my hair coloured by my hairdresser, I have so few grey hairs (even at 54) she told me its not worth having anything done, but comments how shiny my hair is and its healthy condition, which I attribute to a very nutritious vegan diet.
Sometimes though when those few greys hairs bug me, which is rare, I use a semi permanent colour and Naturtint Reflex is my choice. Reflex contains no nasties, is easy to apply, gradually washes out and is vegan, with the added bonus of a tube lasting me four applications so economical.
The kit comes with plastic gloves, Naturtint shampoo and Nutrideep conditioner, which I do not use, preferring my John Masters Zinc and Sage shampoo with conditioner, but my husband uses them!.
Prior to first use, I did the recommended skin patch test for allergic reactions, which I doubt affects many people as Reflex has no PPD, peroxide, ammonia, resorcinol or parabens, the main culprits to cause problems.
My hair is pretty much the colour on the packaging, so dark chestnut brown is perfect and blends the grey hairs really well with my natural hair colour. After use my hair always looks like it has a deep conditioning treatment so I think Reflex is an excellent product.
Sometimes though when those few greys hairs bug me, which is rare, I use a semi permanent colour and Naturtint Reflex is my choice. Reflex contains no nasties, is easy to apply, gradually washes out and is vegan, with the added bonus of a tube lasting me four applications so economical.
The kit comes with plastic gloves, Naturtint shampoo and Nutrideep conditioner, which I do not use, preferring my John Masters Zinc and Sage shampoo with conditioner, but my husband uses them!.
Prior to first use, I did the recommended skin patch test for allergic reactions, which I doubt affects many people as Reflex has no PPD, peroxide, ammonia, resorcinol or parabens, the main culprits to cause problems.
My hair is pretty much the colour on the packaging, so dark chestnut brown is perfect and blends the grey hairs really well with my natural hair colour. After use my hair always looks like it has a deep conditioning treatment so I think Reflex is an excellent product.
Superdrug Solait 50SPF Transparent Sun Spray
I love Superdrug and their commitment to no animal testing and their ever growing range of vegan products, so its quickly becoming a one stop shop for me.
I have tried various sun protection products, but I love this one the best, beginning with the packaging, makes me think of holidays.
It smells wonderful when applied is non greasy, water resistant and has a 5 star UVA rating as well as UVB so your skin is fully protected on all fronts and leaves no white marks. There has been much in the press recently about UVA protection, so this product gets top rating.
And as you can see from the label, its is clearly marked suitable for vegans, makes shopping so much easier.
I have tried various sun protection products, but I love this one the best, beginning with the packaging, makes me think of holidays.
It smells wonderful when applied is non greasy, water resistant and has a 5 star UVA rating as well as UVB so your skin is fully protected on all fronts and leaves no white marks. There has been much in the press recently about UVA protection, so this product gets top rating.
And as you can see from the label, its is clearly marked suitable for vegans, makes shopping so much easier.
P And O Cruises
I have cruised with P&O for years and their wine lists have come on leaps and bounds. They label wines clarified with vegetarian substances, with those by the glass totalling seven. However they could easily go one step further, as to vegan suitability, but they are in good company, the majority of restaurants don't either.
I decided as an experiment, to check the vegan credentials of their wines by the glass, which totals twenty and I expected probably three or four to be vegan. It was quite a job, involving emailing the winery, vineyard or UK distributor, with some like Boutinot way ahead of everyone else, specifying vegan suitability on their website.
I was surprised that out of twenty wines, twelve are vegan friendly (come on P&O where did seven vegetarian wines come from?)
I will have even more wine choices when I next cruise and hope that P&O will improve their labelling, because if I can find out, sure they can.
I decided as an experiment, to check the vegan credentials of their wines by the glass, which totals twenty and I expected probably three or four to be vegan. It was quite a job, involving emailing the winery, vineyard or UK distributor, with some like Boutinot way ahead of everyone else, specifying vegan suitability on their website.
I was surprised that out of twenty wines, twelve are vegan friendly (come on P&O where did seven vegetarian wines come from?)
I will have even more wine choices when I next cruise and hope that P&O will improve their labelling, because if I can find out, sure they can.
Vegan Mayonnaise
I have had to forego my favourite Plamil mayonnaise, due to severe allergic reactions, which I originally thought was due to the high proportion of sunflower oil or its soya content, but just discovered it also contains the stabiliser guar gum, which if you have read my allergy post, is a huge problem for me.
So how glad was I, when I found out you could make mayonnaise using aquafaba, so here is the recipe I used courtesy of Peanut Butter and Vegan.
Makes about 1 cup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp aquafaba
¾-1 cup of rapeseed oil
Blitz the vinegar, mustard, salt and aquafaba using a stick blender for a few seconds to thoroughly combine.
Whilst the blender is still running, slowly drizzle in the oil. The mixture will begin to thicken up and turn a lovely creamy colour and you will need to move the blender around to ensure its mixed properly. Once the mixture is so thick that it does not run off the blender, you can stop adding the oil, as the mayonnaise is ready.
Pour into a plastic container or jar and store in the fridge, where it will thicken up and is ready to use.
So how glad was I, when I found out you could make mayonnaise using aquafaba, so here is the recipe I used courtesy of Peanut Butter and Vegan.
Makes about 1 cup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp aquafaba
¾-1 cup of rapeseed oil
Blitz the vinegar, mustard, salt and aquafaba using a stick blender for a few seconds to thoroughly combine.
Whilst the blender is still running, slowly drizzle in the oil. The mixture will begin to thicken up and turn a lovely creamy colour and you will need to move the blender around to ensure its mixed properly. Once the mixture is so thick that it does not run off the blender, you can stop adding the oil, as the mayonnaise is ready.
Pour into a plastic container or jar and store in the fridge, where it will thicken up and is ready to use.
I made some coleslaw which is delicious.
Celery and Potato Soup
This is such a creamy soup and yet there is not a hit of cream in it, I serve it drizzled with chilli oil for a spicy kick! This makes 8-10 portions depending on how hungry you are and I freeze in small portions to use later.
2 heads of celery chopped
4 small onions chopped
6 medium potatoes chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1.5 litres of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
1 red chilli finely chopped
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tbsp olive oil
Soya cream (optional)
Mix the chilli with the olive oil and leave for as long as possible to allow the oil the absorb the chilli flavours. You can strain the chillies and just serve the oil, but I love spice so I use all of it.
Saute the onion, potato and celery in the rapeseed oil for 15 mins, until soft and translucent, add the garlic and cook for a further 5 mins.
Add the stock to cover the vegetables and cook for 15 mins on a gentle heat. Check for seasoning and add to taste. At this stage you could add some beans like cannellini, haricot or butter beans, but I like it just as it is. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth
Then you can add a swirl of soya cream or drizzle with the chilli oil.
2 heads of celery chopped
4 small onions chopped
6 medium potatoes chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
1.5 litres of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
1 red chilli finely chopped
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tbsp olive oil
Soya cream (optional)
Mix the chilli with the olive oil and leave for as long as possible to allow the oil the absorb the chilli flavours. You can strain the chillies and just serve the oil, but I love spice so I use all of it.
Saute the onion, potato and celery in the rapeseed oil for 15 mins, until soft and translucent, add the garlic and cook for a further 5 mins.
Add the stock to cover the vegetables and cook for 15 mins on a gentle heat. Check for seasoning and add to taste. At this stage you could add some beans like cannellini, haricot or butter beans, but I like it just as it is. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth
Then you can add a swirl of soya cream or drizzle with the chilli oil.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)