Vegan Christmas Recipe: Christmas Cake

Ok, it's early November which is slightly early to be getting Christmas fever, but I'm fully in the spirit already and already planning our Christmas menu with my mum! We'll be making a vegan Christmas cake so my mum can enjoy it, and have a recipe so good that no-one will notice the difference! This vegan cake is also made with whole wheat flour to give it an extra healthy edge.

Dairy Free Recipe: Tarte de Santiago (Almond Cake)

Vegan Recipe: Fresh Peas and Broad Beans with Cherry Tomatoes

Spring is on its way with a whole host of delicious spring produce including peas and beans in a pod. So much better than the frozen ones available all year round at the local supermarket! This recipe is a wonderful way to eat fresh seasonal peas and beans. I know that they taste divine just steamed and served, but sometimes it’s nice to try something different. As a vegan I love this recipe served with little roasted new potatoes and carrots.

A super healthy dish with folic acid and vitamin c.

As a side dish this recipe serves 4.

Top 10 Worst Vegetarian Takeouts

I like to think of myself as a healthy person but I do get the odd craving for a takeout, and as I'm living in the middle of a city there are plenty of options right on my door-step. On those days where I just don't feel like cooking and crave something "naughty", I usually just go for whatever I feel like and I have zero idea of what kind of nutritional info I'm choosing between when debating a Mediterranean pizza over a vegetable Korma. After all, bad is bad right?

Vegan Recipe: Banana Cake with Chocolate Chips

I don’t know about you but these days I can’t bear to throw away any food. It seems tantamount to a criminal offence to sling in the bin any fruit or vegetable which looks like it is on its last legs, so I chuck any leftover vegetables into saucepan of water and make stock or soup, stale bread makes excellent breadcrumbs which I keep in the freezer ready for use, recently wrinkly apples made an wonderful apple crumble!

Top 20 Songs for Your Running Music Playlist

Music is an essential tool for me when I work out. The beat of the music playing tells me the speed I need for the reps, squats or what ever exercise I am doing at that time. For example, if a ballad plays my squats will be slow and deep, if an upbeat tune plays then my squats will be faster, higher but with lots of upper body movement. My music tells me how to work out and keeps all my routines fresh and different, all the time.

Vegan Recipe: Cauliflower Cheese

Sometimes I just fancy comfort food and this week I really wanted cauliflower cheese. Of course this is a difficult dish for vegans for the obvious reason; all that cheese! Vegan cheese just does not cut it as far as I am concerned, so last night I gave into my craving and made a white sauce with a fantastic food that I had never used before; nutritional yeast. Basically this is dried inactive yeast which can be sprinkled into soups, sauces and casseroles, or salads and breakfast cereals. It has a wonderful cheesy, nutty flavour and is packed full of b vitamins. I didn’t tell my husband about the lack of cheese in the sauce and he never noticed, just told me that the meal was delicious. That’s a result!

10 ways to get gorgeous skin

We talk a lot about food and exercise on BodyBabble mostly in relation to losing weight and getting fit, but improved skin can be a lovely a side product of eating right and working out. Those are two important elements of getting movie star skin but there is more you can do. A glowing and gorgeous complexion is something we all dream about, so read on and prepare to revitalise and rejuvenate your skin with these 10 top tips.

Vegan Recipe: Healthy Ratatouille

I will to admit to having this recipe for about 12 years and never making it before. It is from one of my Cranks cookbooks and I have to tell you that it is absolutely wonderful. With aubergines being in season where I live, and courgettes just coming into season, my local market was selling these very cheaply so what better time to try this recipe. There are no tomatoes in this Cranks version but the bright red colour comes from sweet paprika, so use the best quality you can find. Why, oh why, did I wait 12 years!

Vegan Recipe: Broccoli and Tofu Stir-fry with Cashew Nuts

I have had this recipe for a good few years, I think is originally from SparkPeople. It's a recipe that my husband can whip up in one of his cooking whirlwinds, and it's always delicious! The sesame oil so is important as it lifts this dish from ordinary to sublime. Oh, and cashews are just incredible in anything - the only problem is not eating them all before you make the dish. My stir-fries have ended up cashew-less on many an occasion!