Hannah's Veggie Lifestyle

Over the years, I've made meat, vegetarian, and vegan versions of sloppy joes and I have to say I've enjoyed them all. The vegan version uses green lentils instead of mince, and I love the fact that they still give a meaty texture, but without using real mince or a processed plant-based mince. Using tinned green lentils takes out all the fuss of having to soak and boil the lentils, so if you have the option, I'd use these! The arrival of delicious vegan mayonnaises and cheeses on the market means that it's easy to top the mince with some tasty toppings, but you can also use dairy versions if you prefer.  I like to make the coleslaw from scratch because it's not difficult to make, but I don't normally bother making the rolls from scratch. If you do want to, I'd recommend putting a tray of boiling water in the bottom of the oven to keep the crusts soft. If I fancy a different filling, I like to swap out the sloppy joe mix with pulled barbeque jackfruit too (pi...

My final product reviews article for Veganuary is here, and I tried out some really tasty new products that I hope you'll give a try! Enjoy x Pukka Pie Vegan Chicken and Mushroom Pie (£1 for one pie) I've been getting a bit bored of not having many veggie/ vegan options when having fish  and chips, so when I saw this for sale in Sainsbury's I knew I had to pick one up ready to go in the freezer. The pastry was just as good as a meaty Pukka Pie, and the sauce inside was really tasty. Considering how many great chicken style pieces you can get nowadays, I was a little disappointed in the ones in here. They were quite soft and chewy rather than meaty- quite similar to the mushroom pieces. This meant I couldn't really differentiate between the chicken and mushroom. However, it was still very tasty, and even better once doused in gravy. ASDA Plant Based Wraps (£2.50 each) We've started going food shopping in the evenings so it's quiet, and this means there's ofte...

Completely vegan chocolate cake - who would know? We are all aware that reducing our meat and dairy intake is a great way to reduce our individual impact on the environment, as well as holding large companies accountable for the damage they do too, of course. So, I've decided to share some of my favourite meat/ dairy replacements for when you want a taste of the original, with a much smaller environmental impact! I'd love to say I'm a vegan, but if I can't find a good enough alternative for some dairy items, I do still eat the original (although in much smaller quantities than I used to). As veganism continues to grow, so does the incredible alternatives available, which means it's getting easier and easier to swap out meat and dairy products in our diets. It's still important to incorporate lots of unprocessed foods like fruit and veggies into your diet, so I do try and only eat these when I truly want an alternative. But, if it's helping us eat less dairy ...

As lockdown measures start to ease and we begin to return to some form of 'normal' life, it felt right to bring the Lockdown Baking Series to a close. But I wanted to end it on a (sugar) high, and what better way to do that than with cinnamon rolls? For years I've been using the excuse that recipes that use enriched dough (a classic bread dough with ingredients such as butter added) can't be made vegan and be just as good, because they wouldn't have the same richness that dairy and eggs bring. However, when I discovered these cinnamon rolls, I was proven wrong.    I first discovered this recipe when I had a craving for cinnamon rolls during Veganuary, and I haven't looked back since. They're just as soft and light, and even with plant-based margarine, they still taste surprisingly buttery. Now I know that a lot of people think the only suitably topping for cinnamon rolls is cream cheese frosting, which of course makes them more difficult to make vegan. Howev...

Coconut yoghurt, granola, sliced strawberries  and banana sprinkled with chia seeds... what better way to start the day? For those of you that know me well, I hate getting up with a passion. When I have to get up early I'll sit blinking at you for twenty minutes until my brain and body catch up with each-other, and don't even think about asking me to do something for you. But, I also hate doing nothing, so wanting to sleep and be busy is not exactly the easiest conflict to solve (and yes, I have tried going to bed earlier. It doesn't work- I just end up sleeping even longer). If I do wake up late I usually skip breakfast and have an early lunch, but this always ends with me eating rubbish in the evenings. I love the fact that there are so many options for breakfast, but what I don't love is the idea of eating them when I've just woken up. I'm much more of a 'eat breakfast food at dinner time' kind of girl, but that leaves me stuck for what to actually e...

This isn't exactly going to come as a surprise, but all of the cookbooks are vegetarian. But if you're a meat eater, don't stop reading! You don't have to commit to a 100% vegetarian or vegan lifestyle to enjoy these recipes (although I can promise you, you won't regret it if you do). 1. MOB Veggie- Ben Lebus The more I learn about MOB, the more I love them. It started off with one guy wanting to help young people cook delicious dishes cheaply, and it's grown so much since then. This book has helped me to experiment with new flavours at university without blowing all my weekly food budget on expensive ingredients. I love the fact that every recipe has a song associated with it too- it shows how much thought has gone into every single dish.  Favourite recipe- Veggie Nasi Goreng This is in the brunch section of the book, but I always make it for dinner and it's become a firm family favourite. Make sure you undercook the rice slightly when you boil it so it doe...

Lots of people are using extra free time to have a spring clean and redecorate the house (or just watch Netflix- which is totally fine too). But if you're feeling extra motivated to changes things up around the house, why not make some changes for the good of the planet too? Here are 5 easy ways to make your home more eco-friendly...  1. Get serious about food waste. Via Unsplash It's become pretty common to have a food waste bin now, but we should still be trying to put as little in it as possible. When you chuck out food, you're not only wasting money, but also wasting all the energy and resources used to produce and transport it. Even if you're pretty good at not letting the edible parts of food go to waste, there are lots of ways to reuse food scraps. Potato peelings can be baked with a little oil, salt and pepper for some zero-waste crisps, coffee grounds are a great fertiliser for your plants, and you can regrow loads of fruits and vegetables from scraps (...

Can our planet cope with increasing demands? Even though it might feel like it's been a few years now since everyone went crazy for coconut oil, with many claiming it's practically a food from the gods and (something about being healthy) (even though it's actually got more saturated fat in than butter), the demand for all things coconut is still growing. New products are constantly featuring coconuts are constantly appearing on supermarket shelves, whether in drinks, desserts or even loo roll- don't worry, I'm as confused as you are on that one. There's a lot of conflicting information about whether coconuts products (particularly coconut oil) are healthy or not, but we won't get into that side too much. Just remember that swapping to coconut oil or coconut sugar doesn't magically mean you're not using oil or sugar, and just because it's trendy doesn't magically make it healthy. Admittedly, I love all things coconut. I'll always happi...