The Weekend Post: Making Vegetarian Sushi with Kelly Loves Sushi at Home #TooHotToCook

 

The last thing you want to do when there's a heatwave in the UK is to put the oven on, so this lovely kit from Kelly Loves Sushi was the perfect kitchen friend for some al fresco dining this weekend!

I've had a love affair with sushi for a long time, despite me not eating fish. There's so much more to sushi than raw fish so don't let that put you off! Nowadays there's a huge range of vegetarian and vegan sushi available, and of course, it's very easy to make yourself at home. You just need the right tools and ingredients.

If you fancy having a go yourself, the Kelly Loves Sushi at Home Kits is a great place to start. Designed by the world-renowned Asian businesswoman Kelly Choi, these kits are super easy for beginners to help them explore the exciting world of sushi in the comfort of their own homes.

I was very kindly sent the Kelly Loves Sushi Complete Sushi Kit to try out and this contains all of the essential ingredients that you need to make a wide range of sushi rolls and maki. 

Inside this kit, you'll find Sushi Rice (500g), a pack of Nori Sheets (7 sheets), Sushi Vinegar (150ml), Spicy Mayo (285g), Sushi Ginger (150g), Crispy Fried Onions (150g), and a very handy Bamboo Sushi Rolling Mat. Just add your fresh ingredients and you're good to go!

The instructions for how to make your own sushi/maki rolls are illustrated simply on the packaging, though I did find it helpful to have a look at a couple of YouTube videos for some extra guidance.

How To Make Sushi/Maki

Cook the Sushi Rice in a steamer or large saucepan - you know it's done when all the water is absorbed and it feels quite sticky. Mix in a little of the Sushi Vinegar to bring it to life and allow to cool.

Cut the Nori Sheets into two and place one on the Bamboo Rolling Mat. Add 80g of the cooled Sushi Rice and your fresh ingredients (cucumber, avocado, carrots etc for vegetarian/vegan sushi). Carefully roll it using the mat and seal the roll with a little water. Cut into bite-sized pieces and either consume alone or dip into the Spicy Mayo or Sushi Ginger, or sprinkle over some of Crispy Fried Onions.

I found it very easy to make my own sushi with this kit and the Bamboo Rolling Mat is the key to getting your rolls absolutely perfect!

Delicious!

Kelly Loves Sushi at Home Kit - The Complete Sushi Kit* retails for £19.40 at kellyloves.com

Have you tried making your own sushi before?

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Foodie Friday: Healthier Snickers Bars (Vegan, Dairy-Free & Refined Sugar-Free) recipe

For this week's Foodie Friday, I've made a healthier, vegan, refined sugar-free and dairy-free version of one of my favourite childhood chocolate bars - Snickers!

This terrible weather has made me want to raid the cupboard in search of sweet, chocolatey snacks every evening and whilst I don't mind indulging every now and then, it was becoming a little problematic for my weight to be scoffing chocolate bars every single day. My metabolism just isn't what it used to be sadly!

So I decided to try my hand at making a healthier version of a Snickers bar and I'm really pleased by how these have turned out. I tested out a couple of 'raw food' recipes for them that I found online, but in the end, I decided to use roasted nuts as they gave the bars a much more realistic 'Snickers' flavour.

The date caramel on the top layer is just the most amazing thing ever, and even though the bottom layer is made from oats and coconut flour, it's still incredibly satisfying to eat - these really do hit the spot when you have a chocolate bar craving!

P.S: Don't be put off with the list of ingredients and the steps - these are actually VERY easy to make as you're mostly just blending and layering everything together.

Ingredients (makes around 6-8 bars)

For the date caramel layer:

• 10 Medjool Dates
• 75g Peanuts, unsalted roasted or raw
• 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1 tbsp Tahini
• 50ml Coconut Oil, melted
• 40ml Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

For the oaty base layer:

• 60g Wholegrain Oats
• 40g Coconut Flour
• 2 tbsp Rice Malt Syrup
• 40ml Almond or Cashew Milk
• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil, melted

For the chocolate flavoured coating:

• 100g Cacao Powder
• 200ml Cacao Butter, melted
• 60ml Maple Syrup
• Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

Method

• First, discard the pits from the Medjool Dates and add to a bowl. Pour hot water over them and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes to soften up. Drain and set aside.
• Add the Oats and Coconut Flour to a blender or food processor and blitz until you get a fine texture, and then add this to a mixing bowl.
• Next, add the rest of ingredients of the base layer to the mixing bowl - Rice Malt Syrup, Coconut Oil, Salt and Almond Milk, adding the Almond Milk a few tbsp at a time. Mix together with your hands to create a soft dough.
• Press the dough into a lined loaf tin, smoothing out the top and then place in the freezer.

• Now for the caramel layer - add all of the caramel ingredients, except the Peanuts, to a blender and blitz until smooth and creamy. Add a little water if needed.
• Remove the loaf tin from the freezer and carefully spoon the caramel layer on top. Sprinkle in the Peanuts and roughly smooth everything out. Return to the freezer for 3-4 hours.

• For the chocolate coating, melt the Cacao Butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, remove from the heat and sift in the Cacao Powder. Add the Maple Syrup and Salt, and whisk together so that you have a smooth and glossy liquid chocolate.
• Remove the loaf tin from the freezer and lift it out so that you can slice it into 6-8 bars. Dip each bar into the chocolate coating and place on a flat board that will fit into your freezer. Once all the bars are dipped, pop the board back into the freezer to set for 30 minutes.
• Once set, you can store the bars in an airtight tub in the freezer for up to a month - enjoy!

Serving tip: Don't fancy a whole bar? Cut them in half for smaller 'bites' and remove from the freezer to defrost slightly before eating.

Have you made healthier chocolate bars before?

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Foodie Friday: Crispy Tofu & Mixed Veg Rice Bowl (Vegan recipe)

One meal that I've been cooking a lot of lately is this delicious Crispy Tofu & Mixed Veg Rice Bowl. Packed full of nutritious veggies, plant-based protein and wholegrain carbs, this healthy meal fills me up but doesn't make me feel bloated or sleepy afterwards.

When I'm short on time or don't have the energy to spend an hour cooking, I love nothing more than just grabbing a bunch of fresh ingredients from the fridge, chopping everything up and popping it all into a wok for 10 minutes. You can't beat a good stir fry and this Crispy Tofu & Mixed Veg Rice Bowl is a fast and easy dish with only a little bit of prepping to do.

It's also a great way to use up any leftover veggies at the end of the week which is what I did for this particular post. Feel free to grab whatever you have in the fridge and make this tasty bowl your own!

 Ingredients (serves 1)

• 60g Brown Basmati Rice
• 150g firm, drained & pressed Tofu
• Pinches of mixed Spices (e.g Paprika, Cayenne, Turmeric, Cumin etc)
• 1 tsp of Cornflour
• 2 tsp of Toasted Sesame Oil
• Large handful of leftover mixed Veg (I used Broccoli, Kale, Runner Beans, Chestnut Mushrooms, Chillies and Yellow Pepper)
• Sprinkle of chopped Peanuts (to serve, optional)
• Salt & Pepper or Soy Sauce (to serve, optional)

Method

• Cut the Tofu into bite-sized cubes and add them to a bowl with the mixed Spices, Cornflour and 1 tsp of Toasted Sesame Oil. Mix well and leave to marinade whilst the rice is cooking or if using microwaveable rice, leave for at least 20 minutes. 
• Cook the Brown Basmati Rice according to the pack instructions.
• Add 1 tsp of Toasted Sesame Oil to a wok over a medium heat and add all of the chopped leftover Veg and the marinaded Tofu. Stir fry everything together for around 8-10 minutes, until the Tofu becomes crispy.
• Plate up the bowl with the Rice first, then add the Tofu and Veg on top. Sprinkle over the Peanuts if using, and add your seasoning of choice. Enjoy!

P.S: You can try this dish with my recipe for Crispy Madras Tofu Bites.

What are you cooking this weekend?

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Foodie Friday: Sponge Vegan Carrot Cake review #CakeDelivery

Something a little different for this week's Foodie Friday feature, as I haven't wanted to switch my oven on thanks to the blistering hot weather, I've decided to review a cake instead! Meet the latest addition to Sponge.co.uk's tasty range of homemade cakes - the Vegan Carrot Cake!

Special occasions call for cake, but if you can't personally make it to the event for whatever reason, there's always the fuss-free and stress-free option of letting someone else do all the hard work and make a cake for you. Better still, why not have a cake delivered straight to the recipient?

Sponge offers a wide variety of delicious cakes which are all handmade at their bakery in Holt, Norfolk, and they can send a cake to any address in the UK with next-day delivery as standard. The cakes are made using high-quality local ingredients and they have something for everyone, with classic favourites such as Victoria Sponge, Bakewell, and Coffee cakes, alongside contemporary flavours like Gin and Tonic and Rocky Road. You can even make your own personalised cake, order a gluten-free cake, or try a cake with lots of different flavours - yum!

So when Sponge got in touch to ask if I'd like to review one of their cakes, I had to say yes of course (I mean, who would say no, really?) and after some umming and ahhing, I decided to try their new Vegan Carrot Cake. 

The cake arrived on time and was delivered via a DHL courier in sturdy packaging that protected the cake perfectly during transit. There was only one piece of plastic film which covered the cake itself to keep it fresh, and the rest of the packaging materials were recyclable cardboard. 

Opening up the box, I quickly realised that the cake was a lot bigger than I had initially expected - it was huge and had a hefty weight to it! The Vegan Carrot Cake serves 8 people but the portion sizes are definitely on the generous side as I was able to cut some pretty big slices so it could certainly serve more.

But I know what you want to know - how did it taste? AMAZING.

Sponge's Vegan Carrot Cake is perfectly soft and moist, with lots of Walnuts and Sultanas throughout adding some extra flavour and texture. The blend of spices was spot on with Nutmeg coming through the strongest and I could taste subtle hints of Vanilla too. I really enjoyed the tangy Lemony frosting, and perhaps my only criticism is that I wished there was a layering of frosting in the middle of the cake to break up the sheer density of the sponge (and also to ensure that vegans don't miss out as the regular Carrot Cake from Sponge includes this).

Overall, the cake received many compliments from family and friends who enjoyed helping me to taste it and everyone said that they couldn't tell the difference with it being vegan and dairy-free, so I look forward to seeing additional flavours added to Sponge's vegan cake range in the near future!

Sponge Vegan Carrot Cake* (for 8 people, £14.75, link)

[N.B: All of Sponge's cakes are made in the same bakery and whilst they do everything that they can to minimise the risk of cross-contamination, this cannot be 100% guaranteed]

Have you ever ordered a cake online?

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