The Botanist's Vegan Menu

Last night, I was invited to check out the latest additions to the The Botanist's menu - their vegan options. With Veganuary done and dusted, they're keeping on a selection of vegan dishes 'veganually' so there's plant based options all year round.

Before I get on with the post, I just want to say sorry the photo quality isn't amazing - the lighting was quite dark!

I think it's great that restaurant chains are taking this food 'movement' (cringe) seriously. I truly think that plant-based options will become more and more mainstream and accessible and the norm as the environmental impacts of meat and poor factory farming ethics for animal products are more widely discussed. Anyway. Preaching over.

It's also nice to be able to go somewhere that's not exclusively vegan - I get that full on vegan only places can be off-putting, especially if you're trying to get your meat-loving boyfriend to go with you.

So, on to the food.

We got the truffle mushoom ciabatta and falafel to share. The truffle mushrooms were delicious. Meaty mushrooms, tasty onions and a lightly toasted ciabatta. Would make an ideal brunch dish! The sesame coated falafel were an absolute winner too - with whole chickpeas in, and an almost crunchy outer shell, they were so tasty. The peri peri dip was right up my street too, really spicy and tomato-ey.

James and I both said that they didn't taste 'vegan' - I think a common misconception of vegan / veggie food is that it's lacking something, second best, not quite 'right'. It tends to focus on what's 'missing' (so say), rather than the dish in its own merit. These dishes definitely did not taste like they were lacking in anything.

I went for the Malaysian vegetable curry with coriander rice for my main. It was fragrant, fresh and full of flavour. One of those comfort dishes that feels wholesome and tasty at the same time. The veg included baby new potatoes, peppers and courgette with chilli and beansprouts. I love spice, and this did not disappoint - if you're not a fan of spice maybe ask them to hold back on the chilli here!

James went rogue and got the chicken burger with sweet potato fries. Classic vegan dish. The sweet potato fries were delicious, and he got cheese and jalapenos and said it was great, so you can't argue with that!

We also got a side of their tenderstem broccoli to share which was delicious - would recommend this!

We had a smooth pinot noir to wash it all down, before choosing dessert. James got (non vegan) sticky toffee pudding (I don't like sticky toffee pudding, so I was fine with that...), and I opted for the banana, peanut butter and chocolate icecream.

This was the only thing that tasted a little 'vegan' and like it was lacking some cream - still really tasty and exactly the type of treat I'd make at home but with the other courses, I'd not felt remotely like I was being served a 'special' menu, whereas this did (only a little bit, I'd like to add. It certainly didn't stop me eating it all!).

I thought the menu was great and I was really impressed with each course. I'll definitely be back and hats off to The Botanist for making vegan dishes accessible all year round.

I'd also like to say that, perhaps quite naively, my previous thoughts on The Botanist were that it was a little bit 'chainy' - however, the MediaCity branch was LUSH. Live music, a load of plants and really bustling atmosphere - shout out to our waitress Jas who was an absolute babe too. I'm definitely a convert and will be back very soon!

Also full disclosure - as you might have guessed The Botanist invited me to try this new menu so it was complimentary, however, you know me by now, all opinions are my real honest truth.

Spicy Sweet Potato & Coconut Chickpea curry

Yes, before you say anything - the wooden table background is back. Natural light inside the house is tough in dark December, so I took the pan outside on a snowy Sunday morning and stood in the freezing cold to try and get a shot that made this curry look a little bit appealing.

Anyway, enough about the behind the scenes exclusives... this curry is delicious; spicy and warming and full of flavour.

The recipe below will make between 4 - 6 portions depending on if you're adding rice or sides...

You'll need:

• 1 red onion
• Around 6cm of ginger, grated
• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 1 tin chickpeas
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tin coconut milk
• A generous dollop of tomato puree
• Half a bag of spinach (around 100/150g)
• 2 tablespoons turmeric
• 3 tablespoons hot curry powder (usually a blend of coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, garlic powder, fennel etc) (or mild, if spice isn't your thing)

Wash your sweet potato and chop into small chunks (I leave the skin on but it's up to you). Steam or boil for 15-20 minutes until they're soft and pretty much cooked through. 

Dice your onion and heat up in a large frying pan. I just added a bit of water to stop it sticking, but use oil if you wish. Add the grated ginger and turmeric, and add some more water, until a paste like consistency has formed with the turmeric and onions. 

Then, add your sweet potato. Don't worry if the potato starts to crumble a little bit. Add the chopped tomato and coconut milk, and keep stirring. After around five minutes add the rinsed chickpeas and tomato puree (I find it helps thicken sauce up). Keep it cooking for around ten minutes and then add the spinach, folding it in to the curry as you go. 

Finally, add a sprinkle of salt and leave to stand for about ten minutes.

Serve, and add sides as you see fit... 

Lentil & Blackbean curry with a nutty butternut squash mash

This weird and wonderful concoction occurred earlier this week when James and I had come home from a long weekend away and there was "nothing in the cupboards" (apart from 9782 tins of beans and tomatoes). I couldn't be bothered to go out so decided to get frugal and creative and voila, this little beauty was born!

It's definitely comfort food at its finest. And 100% not traditional, as I wouldn't usually put the two together, so you could just make the curry on its own...

It's a good job it tastes so nice because it's really hard to make what's essentially a plate of brown vegetables look nice, even with a filter (I took these pics at about 9.30 when this was ready and wasn't expecting to do a blog post from it, so excuse the shoddy photos).

It really is delicious though, so give it a go.

Serves 4:

For the curry you'll need:

• 1 tin green lentils
• 1 tin black beans 
• 100g chesnut mushrooms (any mushrooms will do)
• 1 tin chopped tinned tomatoes 
• 1 good squeeze of tomato puree (I love it so always use about half a tube)
• 1 red onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons garam masala 
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt to season

Chop your onion and fry in a pan with the garlic. Add the garam masala and stir, coating the onion. After a few minutes, add your mushrooms and do the same. Then, add your lentils and black beans and stir again. Add the paprika and chilli powder and mix. If things are looking a bit dry, add some water (I think I added about a cup of water). Then add your chopped toms and puree, and let things simmer for about 20 mins. Add a sprinkle of salt and you're done!

For the butternut squash mash you'll need:

• Around 300g butternut squash (I used pre-diced frozen stuff)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon paprika (or a teaspoon if you don't like spice)
• Pinch of salt

Boil or steam the butternut squash until it's soft and mashable. Drain and give it a mash in the pan, adding in the tahini and paprika and salt. Mix it up well (tahini has a tendency to stick together). 

Serve :)

So there you go. A really quick and easy recipe to make when you've got next to nothing in the cupboards. 

Butternut Squash Squares

Oh my gosh, this recipe was a complete accident. One of those total accidental foods that you don't expect to amount to anything but the way it turned out means this will be a weekly thing for me now.

I had a butternut squash to use up (does anyone else hate cutting them?! The skin is so tough..), and decided to roast it so I could chuck it in the oven and forget about it, and have it with something for tea that evening.

Now, I'm trying to go more plant based / veggie 80% of the time (more on this later, I'm sure), so I knew I wanted to try and spice this up a bit more to make it more of a 'main event' in a meal.

The flavours, the texture - this is a winner, and I think you'll love it.

You'll need:

• 1 large butternut squash, de-skinned and chopped into cubes
• 3 or 4 tablespoons of tahini (I used Meridian)
• 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Sea salt 

This makes about four portions, so alter if you want to make more.

Chop your butternut squash into cubes, removing all of the skin. It's a bit of a chore to chop, and be careful as it can be a bit slippy sometimes with a knife (or you could buy the pre-chopped stuff). I really hate the stringy bits (they literally freak me out so much), but don't let me stop you adding these if you want to.

Place on a baking tray, and drizzle with olive oil, mixing the cubes until they're covered. Then add your paprika - I love a bit of spice so went for three generous tablespoons but you can adapt to your preferences... also I used smoked paprika because I like the taste but normal paprika is fine.

Next, sprinkle sea salt over the cubes and mix everything so that all your cubes are covered. Then, drizzle 3 or 4 tablespoons of tahini over and mix again, ensuring all of the squares are coated.

Roast in the oven for 40/45 mins at 180 degrees until they're crisp, golden and fluffy inside.

Enjoy!!

Creamy, Smokey Vegan Chilli

This smokey little number is perfect for BBQ season + would make a great side dish at a summer event. It's also a main attraction by its own right though, and, given our typically muddled summer season, is also ideal on its own on a cloudy day. Which is exactly what tonight is all about.

I've shared vegan chilli recipes before; the main difference here is the oaky, barbeque flavour from the chipotle paste.

To make this, you'll need:

Serves 4

1 tin kidney beans (drained)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin butter beans (drained)
1 tin black beans (drained)
1 heaped tablespoon tahini
1 table spoon chipotle paste
1 large red onion
1 red pepper
2 gloves garlic
Squeeze of tomato puree
Salt & pepper to season

One serving of this dish provides 17g protein, so perfect if you're looking for plant based protein sources. 

Finely chop your onion + garlic + fry off in some coconut oil until brown. Then add your red pepper and the beans, stirring so that nothing burns. Add in your chipotle paste and coat the beans. Next, pour over the tomatoes and puree, and turn the heat down low. Stir in your tahini and mix thoroughly. Let the chilli simmer for about 10 minutes (until the edges of the pan have started to go crispy (best bits!!)), and serve...

Tonight, I had mine with jalapenos and crumbled feta (not vegan I know), and I've also got it for lunch tomorrow with some chicken I barbequed (again, not vegan..). It would work well with a fresh spinach salad or quinoa, or a thick slice of bread to mop up all the sauce.

If you want any more vegan chilli recipes, I highly recommend Deliciously Ella's cannellini bean stew or her black and kidney bean chilli.

Easy Vegan Protein Shake

I have this protein shake almost every day if I'm exercising, usually after my workout. I'm going to be straight with you; no, it isn't as sweet as sticky toffee pudding flavoured whey, but that's because this shake doesn't have any nasty added ingredients.

Not that I'm preaching - I'm more than partial to vanilla / double chocolate flavoured whey, but sometimes it's nice to know exactly what it is you're putting into your body. And, because I do eat meat, eggs and so on and so forth, I figured it would probably do my body good to go vegan on this one as often as I can.

Pea protein is around 80% protein, it's a great source of amino acids and it's low in carbs and fat. It's not that pea protein tastes bad or anything, it just tastes a bit like hay, which can be an odd taste to get used to. The maple syrup in this offers sweetness, and the cacao is really rich, bringing it all together to taste a lot like a thick chocolate milkshake.

To make this, you'll need:

• 30g unflavoured pea protein (I use Pulsin)
• 1 teaspoon organic cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon / teaspoon pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
• 200ml almond milk (homemade or unsweetened)
• Water to mix to your desired consistency 

Place in shaker. Shake. Drink. 

Spicy Vegan Chilli

 

Chilli con carne has always been, and remains, an absolute favourite dish of mine - I get cravings for its spiciness and loove how hearty it is. I'm having it tonight, as it happens. Rather ironically, I'm also posting a recipe for a vegan chilli as we speak...

I've become a lot more meat conscious in recent weeks, I haven't cut it out of my diet (clearly) but am making an effort to opt for vegetarian choices when I can and want to, especially for weekday lunches. Meat has become something I now don't feel I 'need' as a staple in a meal every day, and I've found it's made me a lot more adventurous in the kitchen!

This recipe is incredibly flavoursome, and the mixture of beans and peppers gives it a variety of texture.

To make around 3 - 5 servings (depending on if you're having this on its own or with a decent helping of sides) you'll need:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tin kidney beans
1 tin black eye beans
(any beans work here really, butter beans are an especially good addition as they're big and chewy, but I didn't have any. As long as you've got kidney beans in there somewhere you're good!)
1 tub passata
Squeeze of tomato puree
Hot chilli powder to season (or mild if you prefer!), I used about 3 tablespoons to make it really hot
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon tahini
Pinch of salt
Black pepper to season

(I don't think you can make chilli look too pretty, so apologies for this pic!)

Fry off your onion and garlic before adding in the peppers. Once the onion is browned, add in your passata. Stir so that nothing sticks to the pan and add in your beans, chilli powder, paprika and salt. Keep mixing to ensure the seasoning is distributed evenly. After ten minutes, add in your tahini and stir this in very well (it has a tendency to stick together in a big lump).

Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy or freeze for lunches / dinner throughout the week.

Sweet potato is an obvious choice as a side with these, as is brown rice and veg, and last week I had it for lunch with mixed quinoa and peas, spinach and avocado - it was d-liiish.

Three T Rice

This little beauty is ultimate comfort food packed with plant based, whole food goodness to refuel after a gruelling gym session or a much needed hearty lunch.

It's so easy to cook and you can make it with pretty much any veg you've got hanging around.

Ideal hot or cold, it makes a lovely warming dinner or winning lunch box eaten cold the day after.

I've called this recipe 'Three T Rice' because three of the most essential ingredients begin with that letter (genius, aren't I). They are...

Turmeric. Tahini. Tamari.

Turmeric has looong been known for its amazing anti-inflammatory and medicinal properties and boasts a load of manganese and iron in just a 4g serving (17% and 10% respectively).

Health foodie queen Deliciously Ella introduced me to Tahini and now I always have a jar of it in the cupboards to mix into sauces, chilli dishes and to make marinades with. It's got a nutty flavour, and is essentially just ground sesame seeds. It's a great source of calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron, as well as vitamin E and a whole handful of B-vitamins. It's nutritional profile also offers 20% complete protein, so it's a good veggie protein source.

Tamari is basically a wheat-free soy sauce and instantly gives any dish an a-miso-ing kick (sorry). It works perfectly in this dish to cut through the tahini and give the rice an abundance of flavour.

You will need:

100g brown rice (when cooked)
1 heaped tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons tamari
2 tablespoons ground turmeric
Half a courgette, sliced
Half a red pepper, sliced
Small handful chopped mushrooms
Half a head of broccoli
...Or any other combination of veg you have in the house

Method:

Cook your rice according to packet instructions. Whilst this is cooking, chop your veg and lightly sauté (I used a tablespoon coconut oil to fry my veg in), mixing in your turmeric.

Once the veg has been cooking for five - ten minutes, mix in a tablespoon of tahini and stir in well so that all the veg is coated equally. Tahini can be quite dense and sticky so you might have to mix it around for a minute or so.

Once the rice has cooked, drain any excess water and add the tamari, mixing around so all the rice is covered.

Then, mix the rice in with your veg and serve, or leave to cool and store in an air tight container.