One of the main things I miss the most about home when I’m living on the road is having access to an oven and it is simple dishes like this that show you why. Incredibly easy, insanely tasty and the perfect addition to any lunch or evening meal or even just as a delicious snack, these bite-sized delights couldn’t be simpler! 5 minutes prep, whack them in the oven, toss them over halfway through and hey presto! Epic, crispy, deliciousness in just 40 minutes.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 5 MINS
COOK TIME 35 MINS
TOTAL TIME 40 MINS
INGREDIENTS
650g new potatoes (halved/quartered, keeping size consistent)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp mixed herbs / fresh rosemary (minced)
Pepper (to taste)
Healthy drizzle of rapeseed oil / olive oil
STEP 1
Heat your oven to gas mark 6 before you prep the potatoes. Wash the potatoes well but keep the skin on then cut into halves or quarters making sure you keep the size consistent.
STEP 2
Transfer to oven dish and spread out evenly. Toss in oil, garlic powder (or fresh if you prefer), see salt, herbs and pepper and put in the oven on the top shelf.
STEP 3
Check after 20 minutes – turn over potatoes and put them back in the oven. Cook for another 15 minutes or until crispy and serve with an extra sprinkle of sea salt.
Oh my, oh my…SUNFLOWER MINCE BOLOGNESE!!! What an absolute dream!
As such an old time favourite and widely adored Italian classic, traditional bolognese is one most people hate to think of giving up when they first go vegan. But fear no more! Sunflower mince to the rescue!
When I went down for one of my regular visits to my local zero waste shop Greener Habitsin Walthamstow (check them out, they’re just the best!), Hannah, the owner, mentioned this newly stocked protein and fibre packed, low fat mince alternative and I am absolutely in love! And the best thing is that you treat it just like your old meat/Quorn counterpart when you cook making this dish super easy, even for novice chefs!
Not only is it cruelty free but it’s also soya and gluten free making it a great alternative for those that struggle with allergies. It’s also got a low sodium content so it really does tick all the boxes as an all round favourite and healthy meat alternative (unlike most of the other meat replacements on the market!).
So you get it… I’m pretty excited about sunflower mince, especially when it tastes this good! Check out the recipe and remember to let me know how you get on when you try it out!
SERVES 4 – 5
PREP TIME 10 MINS(Allow 1 hour to pre-soak your lentils)
COOK TIME 35 – 40 MINS
TOTAL TIME 45 – 50 MINS
INGREDIENTS
115g sunflower mince
120g mushrooms (sliced)
100g flat bottomed squash (diced)
50g green lentils (soaked)
2 carrots (diced)
1 red onion (diced)
1 mild large red chilli pepper (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
700ml passata
250ml water (have a cup extra to hand)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
3/4 tsp white pepper
Handful of fresh basil
GARNISH
Fresh basil leaves
(If you don’t have flat bottom squash, you can sub courgette / aubergine / whatever you like instead)
STEP 1
Boil water and add to lentils in a covered dish to soak for one hour.
STEP 2
Heat a pan and add your oil. When the oil is hot, sauté the diced carrots and onions over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
STEP 3
Reduce the heat, add the chilli and garlic and cook for another 1 minute.
STEP 4
Add the squash and mushrooms, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.
STEP 5
Mix in the paprika, salt, white pepper and thyme stirring the herbs and spices through the veggies thoroughly.
STEP 6
Drain your lentils from the water they were soaking in and add the passata and water to the veggies. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
STEP 7
Stir through the sunflower mince and add extra water if necessary. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
STEP 8
Mix in the fresh basil and nutritional yeast then serve over your chosen pasta and garnish.
If you are reading this blog, you’re probably already familiar with the usual struggles of travelling as a vegan/veggie either as a cyclist or regular tourist. Yes, it’s sometimes challenging, but if we share information and prepare in advance, it’s never impossible! Hopefully this blog helps with some region-specific info.
I’ve recently spent 3 months in the beautiful Northeastern region of India, home to the Seven Sister States and a LOT of meat and fish based delicacies!
Where religion makes the difference
I travelled through Manipur, Nagaland, a little bit of Assam and Meghalaya. Assam is a culturally mixed state but still predominantly Hindu so there are lots of veg options there, especially in Guwahati which is a very built up city. Whereas Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya are predominantly Christian states meaning unlike many Hindus, vegetarianism is not a part of their culture at all. In fact, in rural areas of Meghalaya, meat and fish is such a significant portion of their diet, I had to eat rice with salt on several occasions – not ideal. But in general, rice and dal is always available and if you travel like me, staying with locals, they will make sure they accommodate you.
The good news is that in all of the main travel hubs most people speak English making it very easy to explain your dietary requirements. In fact, I didn’t even need to learn the local way to say I was vegan except in rural Meghalaya where things became significantly more challenging. There, the primary local language is Kasi which was brought over by the Welsh, so despite having the same alphabet as ours, the words are extremely hard to pronounce!
Here’s my phonetic (what it sounds like rather than what it’s spelled like) dictionary for useful food terminology in Kasi language:
I am vegetarian – nya bam dtang kidjar
No meat – nyam bam dhor
No fish – nyam bam dhor kaah
No milk – nyam di doodh
No egg – nyam bam pulang
No butter – nyam bam moch-un
There is a wide selection of fruit everywhere except Meghalaya (although that may be more season-based) where they have less especially in smaller towns. You can still expect to find bananas (of course!) and oranges.
Fun fact! Nagaland is made up of individual 17 tribes that all speak different local languages. That’s why a modern common language, ‘Nagamese’, was invented to help everyone to understand each other. It’s a mixture of Assamese, Bengali and Hindi. You can learn more about the tribes of Nagaland if you attend Hornbill Festival – a spectacular 10 day display of eclectic cultural heritage through food, music, art, performance and crafts held from 1st to 10th of December. It’s such an incredible experience and a must-see if you’re in the area around that time! You can read about my time at Hornbill Festival here.
Things you’ll notice
Being predominantly Christian (Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur), everything shuts early on a Sunday, so make sure you’ve eaten before or stocked up before you get caught out, especially if you’re camping in small villages!
Nagaland ishome to the King Chilli and Assam to the Ghost Chilli meaning you can expect to feel the heat in your food! Make sure you explain that you don’t want it spicy if you can’t handle it!
The veggies (especially in Nagaland) are often served boiled – a green, watery vegetable they call squash is most popular. This is obviously vegan and often what people assume you are able to eat (they literally cannot fathom the concept of vegetarianism!). Explain you can eat curry the same as them just no meat, fish, etc, otherwise you will be served boiled veg everywhere.
Ghee (clarified butter) is not commonly used in this region (unlike elsewhere in India) as it is expensive and not common practice in local food. If you are visiting posher type of places then it may be used although always better to ask either way!
There are an insane amount of different types of rice in the Northeast and as you travel through the region, you’ll get to experience a few varieties in the form of normal rice, rice beer, rice wine, beaten rice and all their other wonderful concoctions!
When most people think of visiting India, your mind jumps to veggie heaven but in this region, you have to watch out for FERMENTED FISH! (Ew, I know!!) It’s in almost everything that’s preprepared as a local dish so be sure to check before a nasty surprise!
TOP TIP:Get pickled! There are so many incredible and homemade pickles available that add so much flavour to your food…the perfect accompaniment for boiled vegetables eh?
A wonderful meal cooked for us at a convent in Meghalaya
Snacking Tips!
BEATEN RICE
You can just add water, wait for 5 minutes, drain it then add fruit and sugar or salt and nuts for quick energy. This is readily available at markets and can be bought without plastic. Especially good for breakfast or to take with you on a hike like I did when visiting the spectacular Dzukou Valley. (Here you can read about my incredible trip to Dzukou Valley and my blog on how to travel zero waste.)
TOASTED CHANA (CHICKPEAS), MUTTAR (PEAS) AND NUTS
Such an amazing, healthy and nutritious street food with many versions available all over the northeast. Even better, they used recycled newspaper to serve them to you so you don’t even need to have a container handy!
AMAZING FRUIT AND VEG!
If you’re a bicycle traveller that likes to camp and cook then I have good news for you! The fruit and vegetable selection is vast and super tasty (especially the pineapples!).
Epic veg display at the Manipuri women’s market
AVOCADOS
What vegan doesn’t love avocados?! Despite the meat takeover in the Northeast, in Manipur and Mizoram avocados are super cheap and much more sustainable because they grow locally. I know, you’re welcome – ENJOY!
Special mentions
Orange Roots
If you’re travelling from Shillong to Cherrapunjee then you have to pass the spectacular Orange Roots! An amazing all vegetarian restaurant that serves a wide variety of options and can tailor a lot of their menu to being vegan. The thali plate was exceptional and the best news is that it’s eat as much as you like! Not the cheapest, but up there with the best! 180 rupees for a standard thali (can be vegan) and 220 for the special thali. Divine!
Shree Monami Marwari Bhojnalaya
We found a gem of a restaurant in Shillong with super cheap and tasty food! Thalis, parathas, curries, all the usual favourites and for a fabulous price! 7 rupees per roti, 40 or so for a curry, 90 for a thali. Excellent!
