Tuesday 24 October 2017

FUL MEDAMES (FAVA BEANS) TWO WAYS










Ful Medames (Fava Beans) Two Ways











Oil free Ful Medames (Fava Beans) with cumin, chopped tomato, rocket,lemon,water and cucumber 









These two delicious and healthy recipes are an dairy free, egg free and vegan twist on the classic North African breakfast / brunch dish Ful Medames.  The twist is that there is a oil free version for those who want a heart healthy dish that helps to lower cholesterol. 

These recipes only take 10 mins to prepare and cook.  I have created two recipes to make two Ful Medames recipe options or Fava beans two ways. 

The first recipe is a vegan oil free fava beans recipe and the second fava beans with vegan scrambled eggs.  The vegan egg addition which incorporates Tofu scramble and the recipe is also featured below. All of the recipes are also featured in the video below Ful Medames (Fava Beans) Two Ways.









Fava Beans are a great source of fibre, they are high in protein, dairy free and easy to prepare (well only if you are using tinned Fava beans). They are also cheap and can be 
found in your local middle eastern store for as little as 3 cans for £1 or 69p for a more popular brand at  larger supermarkets. 

Organic Canned Fava beans are also grown in Britain and have made a comeback. These can be found online at hodmedods.co.uk

So Fava beans also known as Ful Medames / Ful / Foul /  Fool or broad beans.  Are a famous plantbased dish eaten in a range of North African and Middle Eastern countries.  This recipe dish is similar to the Ful/ fava bean recipe which is a popular breakfast dish in Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. As I am South Sudanese, so this is what I have eaten all my life.  It is traditionally a vegetarian dish which consists of cumin spiced beans, salad, white cheese and/or mashed boiled egg.












OIL FREE FUL MEDAMES 

1 can of ful medames / fava beans

1/ 2- 1  tsp of cumin
a large handful of green lettuce (I used chopped rocket)
5 cherry tomatoes or 2 tomatoes 
2 - 3 inches of cucumber, chopped (optional)
1 lemon, cut in half
pitta bread or a baguette (sliced)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste 

  1. Open the tin of beans and pour into a saucepan on a high 
  2. heat bring it to a boil add cumin, garlic and coriander (optional) 
  3. Lower the heat to low or low medium heat. Cook the beans until the liquid reduces 5- 10 minutes. After 5 minutes the beans start to dry out add some water then continue to cook.
  4. Once the beans have developed into a thick mixture take them off the heat and mash them. You can mash the beans with a spoon or potato masher and you can leave the beans in a chunky state if preferred
  5. Add a squeeze of lemon, tomato and lettuce, stir then add more salad and/ or the vegan scramble egg(optional).
  6. Serve with bread to eat
  7. Optional serving suggestions: inside a sandwich or wrap; with rice or as part of a buffet dish/ 'mixed Buddha bowl'
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NOTES: 


I JUST WANTED TO USE MY COOKIE CUTTER ON THAT DAY, I NORMALLY USE CHOPPED CUCUMBER TO SAVE TIME.








FUL MEDAMES WITH  VEGAN SCRAMBLED EGGS 

oil free ful medames recipe (above)

VEGAN SCRAMABLED EGGS (TOFU SCRAMBLE)

1 tbsp of sunflower oil or 
1- 2 tbsp of water
1 block of firm tofu (I used tofoo)
1/4 -1/2 a tsp of garlic powder
1/2 - 1 tsp of curry powder or 
1/2 a tsp of turmeric powder 
salt to taste
black pepper
A squeeze of lemon


  1. Heat a frying pan on a medium high or high heat with oil or water. Crumble the tofu with your hand or a fork.
  2. Stir with a wooden spoon or potato masher to create a scrambled egg texture. Whereby the Tofu should of formed into tiny pieces.
  3. Add curry powder/ turmeric and garlic powder stir to combine. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2 mins.
  4. The mixture should resemble scramble eggs. If the eggs dry out use water or add a squeeze of lemon.
  5. Add salt and black pepper. Serve with Ful Medames with salad or mixed vegetables. 
  6. Optional serving suggestions for Vegan Scrambled Eggs (Tofu Scramble): on toast with your favourite toppings, vegan fried rice, in a wrap or sandwich.

WATCH THE RECIPE VIDEO





I hope you enjoyed my recipes and my recipe video. Have you ever tried Ful Medames? If so let me know in the comments below.

X

Bee

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EASY VEGAN CREPES







Vegan Crepe with Lime Syrup and lime slices made with the Easy Vegan Crepes recipe and a non stick frying pan 


This MUST try Easy Vegan Crepes recipe is perfect for you if you like to add your favourite toppings to make your ultimate sweet or savoury dish. This 3 ingredient recipe produces crepes that are light in texture,easy to eat ,easily adaptable and all you need to make delicious vegan crepes or vegan pancakes. 

It is the same recipe which I have used for years but without the egg and the milk has been replaced with water or plant milk.  I also have a video for this recipe below and I also have an adapted version of this recipe for those who want use plain or all purpose flour scroll down for more. 



   
                                            Easy vegan crepes


Shrove Turesday also know as Pancake Day is one of my favourite days of the year. Luckily I am not alone as six weeks before Easter Christians celebrate the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Yet it is Shrove Tuesday that steals the show in the UK. 

Pancakes which are wide, flat and similar or identical to crepes are traditionally made on Shrove Tuesday or they are bought from the supermarket. 

My mum would make pancakes every year to celebrate. When I learnt how to make pancakes myself, I took over from her and carried on the tradition. When I went vegan I adapted the recipe to make it vegan.

Traditional pancakes 

Lemon and sugar pancakes are the traditional favourite but thanks to pancake restaurants such as My Old Dutch and Crepe Affaire

There are many other options available and all dietary requirements can be met. Due to the increase amount of dairy free, egg free and gluten free options which are readily available. Especially during the lead up to Pancake Day.


My Old Dutch Vegan Pancake with banana,peanuts,icing sugar and maple syrup. This is on the non vegan menu I adapted it to make it vegan.



Crepe Affaire Vegan BBQ Chicken 


 Therefore this recipe is a good base that can be adapted by adding additional toppings and ingredients. 

I usually use a Tefal pan normally my favourite one than I have used for 6 years (maybe longer). Probably because I learnt to cook my first perfect pancake with a Tefal pan 10 years ago. So I will always use and recommend them but any good non stick frying pan can be used as an alternative. 

I also prefer to use a medium-large bowl Pyrex bowls are my favourite they come in various sizes and last forever. I will do a post on kitchen essentials in the future so you can see what I mean.

Alongside a whisk,I prefer to not use an electric whisk as I find it quite therapeutic don’t (judge me) but I always use one if I’m in a hurry. 

Self raising flour and water are my preferred ingredients to make my pancakes as they are my kitchen staples.

I do enjoy making pancakes and I do eat them throughout the year. Yet I probably eat the most pancakes/crepes around February - March. As they are quite light in texture they keep me full without making me feel bloated and are great eat as a homemade dish in winter.

3 INGREDIENT CREPES / PANCAKES RECIPE  (makes 6 pancakes or double to make 12 pancakes)

1 cup of self raising (cake) flour 
1 cup of water* 
A pinch of salt
or 1/2 - 1 tbsp of granulated sugar  (add as much you want)



METHOD : 

1.  Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and use a whisk to make a smooth liquid batter.  
2.  Preheat your hob to a medium heat and place a non stick frying pan on it for at least 2 minutes or set your hob to a high heat and turn it down to a medium heat during step 3 
3.  Then use a ladle to scoop the mixture onto the middle of the frying pan, distribute the mixture around the pan to form a circle shape.  Cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute, flip over with a spatula then cook the other side for no more than 30 seconds.  
4.  Stack the pancakes on to a plate, when a new pancake is cooked place it at the bottom or the middle of the stack. Keep the pancakes covered at all times with a towel or cling film (plastic wrap) to keep the pancakes soft and warm.  
5.  Within 10 minutes the pancakes should have softened (especially if they were slightly over cooked).  Leave the finished pancake stack to rest for 10 minutes before eating them.  6.  Enjoy you pancakes with a sweet or savoury topping of your choice.
7.  The pancakes will last for 3 days in the fridge.  Alternatively just wrap them individually with baking / parchment paper and place in the a freezable bag in the freezer for a month or so.

OR IF YOU DON'T HAVE SELF RAISING FLOUR TRY OUT THE RECIPE BELOW THEN USE THE ABOVE METHOD TO MAKE YOUR CREPES.


4 INGREDIENT CREPES /PANCAKE RECIPE  (makes 12 pancakes)

2 cups plain or all purpose flour 
2 cups of water or 2 cups plant milk (soya,almond etc) + 1/2 of water 
1-2 tbsp of Maple syrup
1 tsp of baking powder 
or
1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
METHOD : THE SAME AS THE INGREDIENT RECIPE ABOVE 


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NOTES:
  1. THE SECRET IS TO USE EQUAL MEASUREMENTS OF WATER AND FLOUR. NO OTHER INGREDIENT IS NEED TO BIND THE MIXTURE TOGETHER. 
  2. BE WARNED IF YOU LEAVE THE PANCAKE STACK TO REST FOR LONGER THEY WILL STICK TOGETHER SO BE AS CAREFUL AS POSSIBLE.
  3. IF YOU WANT TO USE OIL ONLY USE 1 TBP,THIS WILL ALLOW TO MAKE A WHOLE BATCH OF PANCAKES WITHOUT LETTING THE OIL BURN AND ENDING UP WITH BURN PANCAKES.








Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you you like crepes/pancakes? Do you celebrate Pancake day? If so let me know in the comments 

Bee

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Friday 20 October 2017

HOW MUCH CAN YOU BEAR ????





How much can you bear ?











As an animal lover I am always sad to hear about the poor living conditions which animals all around the world sadly endure.  Vietnam is a beautiful country in South East Asia that I have always wanted to visit.  Yet I never knew that bear bile farming is a practice which currently takes place in Vietnam.  Where bile and other parts which belong to bears are extracted (from the bears) to be used in traditional medicine. This is a lucrative business but as a consequence around 1,300 bile bears endure miserable lives.  Where these bears live in cramped metal cages in Vietnamese farms and private backyards.









I decided to take an endurance test to found out more.

The test helped me to understand why Four Paws need our help to encourage the Vietnamese government to make a change. So when I was asked if I would help to raise awarenessthe campaign I said yes.  As I believe many people like myself are actually unaware of the practice of bile farming, just like I was. Just a gesture such as signing a petition will help to make a big impact ,so please click the link below for moreinformation.



PLEASE SHOW YOU SUPPORT AND TAKE THE TEST HERE:  












FOUR PAWS are calling on the Vietnamese government to take the necessary measures to end bear farming. “To be able to send a strong message to the Vietnamese government, FOUR PAWS aims to bring the voices of 1 million people across the world who have signed the petition to the Vietnamese government”, states Kieran Harkin, Head 
of International Wild Animal Campaigns at FOUR PAWS. “This will help deliver an unprecedented message that now is the time to finally end bear farming for good.”








Four Paws are currently constructing a new state-of-the-art sanctuary in Vietnam that, once the government agrees, will eventually be able to offer a home to a hundred of the bears. They aim to change public perception in Vietnam with the opportunity to come and learn and see them in a species-
appropriate environment. The new bear sanctuary will soon 
open its doors to the first bears in urgent need of rescue.





The Sanctuary Plot 




To sign the petition or to find out more about the bears and FOUR PAWS click on the links above. 

Did you know the truth behind what happens to these bears 
or the practices taken to produce tradition medicines such as Chinese medicine which is sold in the Uk ? Let me know Your thoughts below in the comments.

 X Bee 🐝


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Thursday 5 October 2017

RAINBOW SUPERFOOD POT







Rainbow Superfood Pot




This recipe is perfect for your lunch, as it can fit into a pot, a sealed container or into a sandwich. 

It's simple to make and incorporates your favourite ingredients that are all ready in your fridge.  Not only is easy to prepare, it full of a wider range of nutrients thanks to the range of colourful ingredients. 

So it's time to eat the rainbow, to fuel your body with ingredients that are full of fibre to keep you fuller for longer such as the Houmous.  Red cabbage contains contains a large amount of antioxidants which help remove free radicals in our bloodstream to keep us healthy. The list goes on and it truly is a vitamin and mineral rich pot of goodness.









WELCOME TO DAY 5. Find out more here 



Welcome to day 5 of Blogtober,if you want to find out more visit the link in the caption underneath the image above. 


RAINBOW SUPERFOOD POT RECIPE 









INGREDIENTS 

2 tbsp of houmous 
2 inch piece of cucumber, sliced
40g, sliced red cabbage
2 tbsp of cooked sweetcorn
1 medium carrot, grated
1 tomato, chopped
6 black olives, finely sliced
Handful of rocket
1 tsp of sunflower seeds
salad dressing of your choice (optional)

METHOD

  1. Layer the ingredients inside the jar one by one.  Begin with the houmous, followed by the grated carrot, cucumber, sliced red cabbage, tomatoes and sweetcorn. 
  2. Finish off with rocket, olives, sunflower seeds and if needed serve with a salad dressing of your choice.
  3. Eat alone as a salad, use as a sandwich filler or as a topping store in the fridge for up to two days.

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS RECIPE FEEL FREE TO READ MORE OF MY POSTS


Catch up on my previous post's BLOGTOBER (here), HEALTHY GUACAMOLE DIP (here) VEGAN CHILLI TOFU VARIETY BOWL (here) and PLANTAIN BERRY NUT PORRIDGE (here).



Do you like healthy lunch recipes if so which one is your favourite let me know in the comments below.

Bee 🐝 x

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Wednesday 4 October 2017

HEALTHY GUACAMOLE DIP






Healthy Guacamole Dip 


This Healthy Guacamole dip is so easy and quick to make. 
Easy Guacamole dips are rarely spoken about even though they taste even better than the Guacamole dips that you can buy in the Supermarket.  

Strange but true. 

Luckily I realised this a long time ago. Fresh avocado, lemon, coriander, garlic, chilli, onion and lime are all you need for this simple yet amazing dish.




Healthy Guacamole Dip 





Welcome to day 4 of the Blogtober challenge.  Find out more here . I am posting a new vegan food & lifestyle related post every day in October.




Blogtober Challenge








HEALTHY GUACAMOLE DIP (makes 2-3 servings)

Ingredients

2 avocados, mashed
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
a handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1/2 a tsp of salt (optional)
1 lime, cut in half to form two halves
pinch of black ground pepper
1/4 of red chilli pepper, finely chopped
tortilla chips to serve

Method

  1. Add the avocados, tomato, onion, garlic, chilli and coriander in a bowl, squeeze 1 lime halve into the bowl and stir. 
  2. Add salt & black pepper, then stir and serve with tortilla chips. 
  3. To prevent the guacamole from browning add another squeeze of lime, cover and store in the fridge for up to two days.
Catch up on my previous post's Blogtember (here), Vegan Sugar Cookies (here).  Chilli Tofu Variety Bowl (here), 3 Ingredient Banana Cookies (here) and Plantain Berry Nut Porridge (here).


I hope you enjoyed my recipe if so let me know in the comments.



Bee


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Tuesday 3 October 2017

VEGAN BUTTER COOKIES








Vegan Sugar Cookies










Butter biscuits,Sugar cookies or basic biscuits are a childhood memory for me eating them at parties or at home with a cup of tea. Luckily I only needed to substitute one item from my previous recipe.  


I am so grateful that I am still able to make my 4 Ingredient Sugar Cookies when ever I please. These 4 Ingredient Sugar Cookies are simple to make and they are deliciously rich but light in taste. 

I hope you enjoy Day 3 of Blogtober (find out more here). 




Day 3 of Blogtober 


VEGAN BUTTER COOKIES ( makes 23 - 28 cookies)



INGREDIENTS 

90g dairy free spread
50g caster sugar 
130g plain flour, sifted
1/2- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon 

METHOD

  1. Place the dairy free spread and caster sugar into a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or a whisk until well combined. 
  2. Add the plain flour and your cinnamon stir /whisk for 1-2 minutes.  Then use your hands to bind the mixture until a soft cookie dough mixture is formed .  
  3. Pre - heat the oven to 170 C.  Line a tray with baking parchment, scoop walnut size amounts of dough with a teaspoon in order to create 2- 2.5 cm wide ball shape.  Then use the back of a fork to flatten and shape each individual ball into a cookie.  
  4. Make sure that there is space between each cookie.  Use two trays if needed and place the tray(s) in to the oven for 20-25 mins.
  5. Remove the tray(s) from the oven once the cookies are golden brown and slightly darker around the edges.  Place the cookies on to a wire rack to cool down for 15 minutes,this will allow the cookies to harden. 
  6. Once cool serve immediately, store in a jar or tin for up to three days.



Recommended reading 




Thank you for reading my blog post! Do you like butter cookies to if so let me know in the comments.

Bee 🐝 

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