Annie Nichols - How to be Vegan and Keep Your Friends

There is no one way; there is no right way. Be true to you. Do veganism the way you choose to.Consider this book a kitchen tool to help you cook food that is delicious, shareable, snackable and devoid of sacrifice. Some recipes are simple, others push you to find unusual ingredients and dishes that break from the vegan norm. It is also an inspiration for living vegan and happy, from eating out in a world of carnivores to having pals over for dinner; tips are scattered throughout.Your options should open up, youll enjoy a whole new menu of food, and your friends well, theyll never have a bad word to say again! Contents These bars are great for an on-the-go breakfast or afternoon snack. Be flexible with the ingredients for example, try camelina, sunflower or pumpkin seeds.

They all give good crunch! MAKES 16 BARS 2 tbsp coconut oil 50g / cup molasses sugar, muscovado or dark brown sugar 4 tbsp maple, date or rice syrup 200g / 7oz canned mango slices in juice (drained weight), mashed, or 1 fresh ripe mango, peeled, stoned and mashed 100g / 1 cups flaked (slivered) almonds 200g / 2 cups rolled oats 100g / cup black and white poppy seeds 50g / 6 tbsp sesame seeds 50g / 6 tbsp flaxseeds juice of lemon 75g / 2 oz dried mango, snipped into small pieces 50g / 1oz coconut chips or desiccated (dried shredded) coconut pinch of salt Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F / gas mark 3. Grease and line a 22 x 32cm / 8 x 12in baking tin (pan) with parchment paper. Place the coconut oil, sugar, syrup and mashed mango into a large pan over a low heat, stirring until melted. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread out evenly using the back of a spoon or a spatula. Bake for 3035 minutes, or until golden.

Leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes in the baking tin. While it is still warm, mark it into 16 rectangular bars, scoring lines with a knife. Then remove from the tin to a wire rack to cool. When completely cold, break into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. MAKES 16 BARS 50g / 3 tbsp coconut oil 50g / 4 tbsp dark muscovado sugar or coconut sugar 3 tbsp maple, rice or agave syrup 120g / cup nut butter (almond, hazelnut or peanut) 50g / cup cacao nibs 1 tsp vanilla paste 2 ripe bananas, mashed 50g / cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or a mixture of both 150g / 1 cups rolled oats 100g / cup Brazil nuts, roughly chopped finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange 50g / cup raw cacao powder pinch of salt Preheat the oven to 160C / 320F / gas mark 3.

Grease and line a 22 x 32cm / 8 x 12in baking tin (pan) with parchment paper. Place the coconut oil, sugar, syrup, nut butter, cacao nibs and vanilla paste into a large pan over a low-medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking tin and level the top with a spatula. Bake for 2025 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes in the baking tin.

While it is still warm, mark it into 16 rectangular bars by scoring lines with a knife. Then remove from the tin to a wire rack to cool. When completely cold, break into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. If using rolled oats or jumbo oats, youll need to soak this breakfast overnight. But if you want to make this on the day, use porridge oats. SERVES 4 MUESLI 200g / 2 cups rolled oats, jumbo oats or porridge oats 600ml / 2 cups nut milk, oat milk or soya milk juice of 1 lemon 4 prunes, stoned and finely chopped 50g / cup dried cherries or blueberries 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds 50g / cup sunflower seeds 2 tbsp dark brown or muscovado sugar STRAWBERRIES 200g / 7oz strawberries 50g / cup coconut sugar or light brown sugar pinch of sea salt flakes pinch of freshly ground black pepper Stir all the ingredients for the muesli together in a bowl.

If using rolled or jumbo oats, cover and refrigerate overnight. If using porridge oats, cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. To serve, slice the strawberries into a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, salt and pepper, toss together and set aside for 15 minutes. Remove the muesli from the fridge, spoon into bowls and serve each one topped with a spoonful of the strawberries. Get yourself a couple of coconuts and make your own rich and creamy milk youll never go back to cartons again. Fresh Coconut Milk MAKES ABOUT 400ML / 14FL OZ 2 mature (brown) coconuts Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / gas mark 6.

Drain the water out of each of the coconuts by piercing the two soft eyes on the coconut shell. Reserve the water either to drink, or you can add it to the first pressing, later. Place the coconuts in the oven for 2030 minutes. This will cause the shell to crack and make them easier to break open. Allow to cool a little and then, holding the coconut in a cloth, use something heavy like a hammer to crack it open. Opening it this way allows you to get the flesh out easily.

Repeat with the other coconut. Remove all of the coconut shell and discard. Break the pieces of coconut flesh into the jug of a blender or food processor. Add about 300ml / 1 cups warm water (or the reserved coconut water) and whizz until smooth. Pour the coconut mixture through a sieve (strainer) lined with a piece of muslin (cheesecloth), then gather up the cloth and squeeze out the milk into a jug (pitcher) or bowl. This first pressing should be rich and creamy.

Place the leftover coconut, still wrapped in its muslin, in a bowl of warm water and leave to soak for an hour, then squeeze the muslin again over another jug or bowl to extract a second pressing of milk. The first pressing is better used for cooking as it is much richer and creamier; the second pressing is really good to drink. You can keep the milks separate or mix together. Place the coconut milk in fridge until chilled. It will keep for 45 days.