Tag Archives: dinner

Mango Poke

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IMG_1702_polarrA few months ago I was in the Netherlands for the birthday party of my grandparents. It’s always a busy time when I’m in the Netherlands, because I visit so many people and I like to catch up with everyone. One of the things that was on my list of things to go to was my bother’s new workplace. He started working in a really nice place called Pokespot in Groningen. I went with my sister in law and we had lunch here. You can custom make your own bowl by ticking ingredients on a little menu. This is what I did. I chose all the things I love. Funny enough, when I turned over menu, there was a ready made bowl available with almost exactly all the things I just ticked. The food was so good, I definitely recommend going there when you are in Groningen! I loved it soooo much though, that I decided to recreate the bowl at home. I finally did and I want to share this with you, because I think it’s so delicious, you should try it.

5345773A-EA3E-4BF5-B8C1-5AB3395360EBMANGO POKE 

Makes: 2 bowls 

200gr sushi rice (uncooked)
1 small avocado (chopped)
1/2 mango (chopped)
8 cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 cup edamame beans (frozen)
1/3 cup coconut shreds
1 spring onion (chopped)
2 nori sheets (chopped/cut)
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

100 gr tempeh (sliced)
marinade
1 tbs sesame seed oil
1 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tbs maple syrup
1/2 lime (juice)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt 

sauce
4 tbs sesame seed oil
2 tbs soy sauce
1 lime (juice)
1/4 tsp garlic powder 

-Cook the sushi rice as described on the package.
-Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and pour it over the tempeh. Make sure all the tempeh is covered. Set aside (you can also do this the day before, so the tempeh really absorbs the flavours even better).
-In the meantime: Put the coconut shreds in a frying pan (without the oil) on a medium/high fire and roast them for 1-2 minutes, until they turn slightly brown. Keep stirring it at all times, because it easily burns.
-Put the edamame beans in a bowl with boiling water. Make sure that all the beans are under the water. Set aside.
-In the meantime, make the sauce: Mix all the ingredients together.
-Fry the tempeh (with a little bit of oil) on a medium/high fire until they turn a little brown. About 1-2 minutes each side.
-Take the edamame beans out of the water.
-Divide the rice over 2 bowls and also divide everything else over the 2 bowls.
-Divide the sauce over the bowls just before serving.

Did you eat a pokebowl before or have you ever try to make one yourself? It’s so easy and super satisfying. I hope you will try to make this and that you will enjoy it of course. Please let me know when you do. You can let me know by commenting down below or you can tag me on Instagram with @freedomevermore. Thank you! X

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Gut Treat

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C0BDED65-F9AA-4809-9A38-2C9C4461768EI always eat my sauerkraut with my salads, but something I also really like for once in a while is this delicious sandwich. I don’t eat bread very often, so this is a real treat. Last Friday I published a recipe on how to make your own sauerkraut. It will go perfectly with this recipe, but if you do not have any on hand (it will take 2 weeks for the sauerkraut to be finished), you can perfectly fine use sauerkraut you bought in the supermarket. The nice thing about this recipe isn’t only that it contains a good dose of protein, a good amount of healthy fats, but also the perfect combination of probiotics (the sauerkraut) and prebiotics (garlic, onion and mushrooms), which makes this a real treat for your gut!

IMG_3397_polarrGUT TREAT

Makes: 2

2 slices (spelt) bread
1 avocado (smashed)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 tsp lemon juice
salt/pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup black beans (cooked, smashed))
6 mushrooms (sliced)
1/4 onion (sliced)
1/2 cup sauerkraut

-Toast the slices of bread if you prefer that.
-Mix the avocado, garlic, lemon juice, salt/pepper to taste and the black beans.
-Fry the onion and the mushrooms without any oil (use a good pan and a little water if necessary).
-Divide the avocado/bean mash over the 2 slices of bread.
-Put the mushrooms and onions on top of that and lastly top it with sauerkraut.

Would you ever think of this combination? I would love you to try this delicious sandwich and please tell me if you liked it (or not). Let’s make your gut a happy gut! You can show me your sandwich by tagging me on Instagram with @freedomeverymore or let me know down below. Thank you! X

Clever Pumpkin

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IMG_6993_polarrI almost didn’t want to do anything for Halloween, because I’m not the biggest fan. But than I made a 2 layered pumpkin birthday cake for my lovely pig Oliver (it was his 2nd birthday!) and it was so delicious, that I had to make it into a recipe. Around this time of the year pumpkins are everywhere! Go into any supermarket and you will see big boxes with huge pumpkins everywhere and because I love pumpkins so much, I’m always tempted to buy one (or 2..), every time I step into a supermarket. Most people buy them to carve them and make them into pieces of art. Sometimes they don’t even realise what tasty things you can make with them and how delicious they are. So that is why I thought I will buy 1 of those pumpkins and I will show you 3 recipes you can make out of that 1 pumpkin. If you want to carve your pumpkin, you can still make 2 out of 3 recipes. As I said before, there will be the pumpkin cake (and only this recipe is worth buying a pumpkin), but I will also tell you how to roast the pumpkin seeds (sooo addictive) and how to make a big batch of the creamiest pumpkin soup ever (unless you carve your pumpkin, then you won’t have enough for soup). You can also follow my pumpkin soup recipe Pumpi if you don’t like it too creamy. So there we go..

You will need:
1 big Pumpkin (about 4kg)

IMG_2448_polarrPUMPKIN CAKE 

Serves: 8

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch of salt 

Wet Ingredients:
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups scraped pumpkin *
1/2 cup oat milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tbs lemon (juice)

Extra:
1 cup scraped pumpkin*
2 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup raisins

-Preheat the oven at 180C.
-Slice 1/4 off the pumpkin, remove the seeds (keep them for later) and the pulp. Scrape 3 cups of pumpkin.*
-Put 2 cups of the scraped pumpkin + the rest of the wet ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
-Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix it up.
-Gently pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Preferably use an electric mixer to make it a smooth cake batter.
-Add the pumpkin seeds and the raisins to the batter and gently mix them in.
-Grease a baking tin and pour the cake batter in the tin.
-Squeeze as much juice as you can from the last cup of scraped pumpkin (put the pumpkin in kitchen roll, fold both hands around it and squeeze). Then mix in 2 tbs brown sugar and divide this over the top of the cake batter. Use your fingers to push it down a little bit.
-Put the tin in the oven for about 45-50 min.

*See picture: After taking the seeds out, use a spoon to scrape the inside of the pumpkin. It basically looks like grated pumpkin. You can also actually use a grater or pulse it in the kitchen machine until you’ve got the same.

B49DB55B-D947-41D3-BCC6-F41B163D826DROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Makes: 1 cup 

all the seeds
1/2 tbs coconut oil (soft)
1 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp bouillon powder
salt/pepper (to taste)

-Preheat the oven at 220C.
-Try to take out as much pulp as you can.
-Rinse the seeds to get rid of more pulp.
-Cook the seeds in boiling water for 5 min.
-Rinse the seeds to get rid of the last pulp and dry them with some kitchen roll.
-Mix in the coconut oil, nutritional yeast, the bouillon powder and the salt/pepper.
-Put some baking paper on a flat baking tray and divide the seeds. Spread them out as much as you can.
-Put the tray in the oven for 5 min. Then mix it all up and put it in the oven for another 5-7 min. Keep checking, because you don’t want hem to burn. They are perfect when they just start to change colour a little bit.
-Let them cool down and enjoy the crispiness.

1F683E99-C901-4548-B074-91F2AC8AB112PUMPKIN SOUP 

Serves: 6-8 

the rest of the pumpkin (you can also add the pulp, chopped)
3 medium red onions (chopped)
10 big carrots (chopped)
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 L water 
1/3 cup bouillon powder
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp turmeric
salt/pepper (to taste) 

Cream:
200 gram tofu
1 cup cashew nuts
1 can coconut milk
1 cup almond milk 

Serving:
-1-2 tbs (tofu-coconut) cream
-1-2 tbs roasted pumpkin seeds

-Preheat the oven at 220C.
-Put all the pumpkin, the onion, the carrots and the garlic in a big oven tray (you might need 2!), sprinkle some salt on top and put the trays in the oven for 30-40 min.
-In the meantime make the cream: put the tofu, cashew nuts, coconut milk and the almond milk in the bender and blend until completely smooth (0 crumbs!). Keep a little bit separate, to use as a topping.
-Take the vegetables out of the oven and blend them with some water, the bouillon, nutritional yeast and the turmeric until smooth.
-Put it all in a big pan and mix in the cream.
-Add salt/pepper to taste.
-Serve with some extra cream and some roasted pumpkin seeds.

Are you excited to get a pumpkin now? Which recipe are you most excited about? Please show me your results on Instagram. You can do this by tagging me or by using #planetmanel. Thank you! X

Macashew

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Macaroni and cheeeeeeese guys! The ultimate comfort food, am I right?! Confession: I think I actually never had macaroni and cheese before I went vegan. I only know that I love the vegan version. So even though it’s hard for me to compare the dairy and this non dairy version, I can tell you that I love this version a lot. It’s so creamy, easy to make (just remember to soak your cashews!) and full of flavour.. Everything you want when you think of good comfort food. So I dare you to try it and tell me if you love it as much as I do. I would love to hear if it hit the spot and if it satisfied your cravings. I served it with a little bit of fresh parsley and extra black pepper. Yum!

MACASHEW

Serves: 2

1,5 cups macaroni
1 cup cashews (soaked overnight) 
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
Pinch of salt/pepper
1/3 cup Mozzarella style grated Sheese (optional)

-Cook the macaroni as described on the pack.
-Rinse the cashews and put them in the blender together with the almond milk, the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, the onion powder, the turmeric and if you choose to, the sheese.
-Blend until nice and smooth.
-Add salt and pepper to taste and heat the sauce on a low heat until warm. Do not let it boil.
-Use about 1/3-1/2 cup for 3 cups of cooked macaroni*.

*Leftover sauce can be used for other pasta dishes (add some pesto!), salad dressings, topping for pizza etc.

Is macaroni and cheese something you love as well? Is it something you can really crave and are you going to try this? Please let me know if you liked it and I would also love to see your creation! You can do this by tagging me on Instagram or by using #planetmanel. Thank you! X

Pasta Pesto

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This is the second pasta pesto recipe over here, but everyone likes a good pasta pesto right? ..and this one is so quick and easy. Quick recipes are always welcome I think, especially after a long and hectic day or when you have a whole family to feed. I highly recommend you to make your own pesto though. It really changes the dish. Of course it will be even quicker if you use a ready made pesto (and that is fine too), but if you have the time (or you took the time early in the week), please use a home made one. This transforms a simple pasta dish to something really special. I love using Vivera’s new bacon pieces in here. They are scary good and make such a good combination with the pesto. Btw.. I recommend some extra veggies on the side. It’s yummy with broccoli, green beans or a nice salad perhaps?!

PASTA PESTO 

Serves: 2

200 gr spaghetti (uncooked) 
1/2 tbs olive oil
1 small onion (sliced)
1/2 pack Vivera bacon
1/4 cup pesto (GREENERY**)
Pinch of chilli flakes 

** RECIPE!

-Cook the pasta as described on the pack (I always add a little salt and olive oil in the water though).
-Fry the onion for about 1-2 min in a frying pan with the olive oil.
-Add the bacon and fry all together for another 3 min.
-Mix the pesto with the pasta and add a bit of chilli flakes if you like.
-Add the bacon and onion. 

Do you like a good pasta dish? Would you make your pesto yourself? Please show me your creation on Instagram, by tagging me or by using #planetmanel. Thank you! X

Wrap It Up

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A super quick lunch dish.. wraps! Wraps are easy, super tasty, nutritious, handy to take with you, easy to prep and filling. Perfect for lunch, but they can be enjoyed any time of the day really. I like wraps for lunch though. Especially bean wraps. They are high in protein and what I like about it, is that I can make everything the day before. The next day (and the day after that) I only need to warm up a tortilla wrap and scoop everything on top. You fold it up and it’s ready to go. If you want to take it with you, I advice you to cut it in half just before you will eat it, to prevent everything falling out. I hope you will enjoy these delicious wraps just as much as I do.

WRAP IT UP

Serves: 4

4 wholemeal tortilla wraps

filling
1 tbs olive oil
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1/2 can chopped tomatoes
½ -1 tsp chilli flakes
1 can black beans (rinsed, drained)
1 can kidney beans (rinsed, drained)
1 tbs harissa(optional)

salad
2 tomatoes (chopped)
½ cucumber (chopped)
½ cup sweet corn
handful of fresh coriander (chopped)
juice of ½ a lemon

sauce
1 avocado (smahed)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 tsp lemon juice
salt/pepper to taste

-Fry the garlic and the onion in the olive oil until they go a little soft (about 2-3 min).
-Add the chopped tomatoes, the chili flakes and the harissa and mix it well. Let it simmer for about 2-3 min.
-In the meantime: mix the avocado, the garlic, the lemon juice and add salt/pepper.
-Also mix the tomato, the cucumber, the sweet corn, the coriander and the lemon juice.
-Add the beans to the tomato sauce and mix for another minute. Add salt/pepper to taste.
-Spread about 2 tbs of guacamole in the middle of a tortilla, add the bean filling and the salad and close the tortilla by folding it (fold the left and the right side towards the filling and then roll it up).
-Cut the wrap in half and enjoy.

Do you love wraps? Such a great lunch dish! When you make the recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, so I can give you a shoutout! You can also use #planetmanel if you like. Thank you! X

Thai The Noodle

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Thai food is probably my favourite food. I love the rich flavours and the creaminess of the coconut. So any Thai curry or soup is very much welcomed by my body. I used to always make curries, but then I thought I could make it in some sort of soup and add noodles instead of rice. So I experimented a bit and this is the result. I loveeeee this recipe! To make it easier, I used a red curry paste. Make sure to use a vegan curry paste. A lot of brands use fish sauce. I used Thai Taste Red Curry Paste. It’s my favourite and it’s 100% vegan. You can make the soup the way you like it best: I used wholewheat noodles, for some extra protein, but you can also use rice noodles if you prefer. I fried the tofu, but a healthier option is to not fry it. You can then just add the tofu at the same time you add the spring onions. To make it spicer, add some chilli flakes. No matter what you prefer, I’m sure you will love it!

THAI THE NOODLE

Serves 3-4 

1 tsp coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3-4 cm ginger (15 gr, finely chopped)
1 red onion (chopped)
1/2 head of broccoli (chopped)
4 tbs curry paste
2 vegetable stock cubes
750 ml water (boiled)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
3 spring onions(chopped in 2 cm)
4 small heads of bok choy
1 can coconut milk
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1-2 tbs coconut oil
200 gr extra firm tofu (sliced, chopped)
150 gr whole wheat noodles (uncooked)

toppings
Fresh coriander (optional)
Beansprouts (optional)
Sugar snaps (optional)
Lime wedge (optional)

-First fry the tofu in 1-2 tbs coconut oil on all sides until golden.
-In the meantime: Fry the garlic, ginger and red onion for 1-2 min, with the tsp of coconut oil, on medium heat.
-Add the broccoli and fry all together for another 2 min.
-In the meantime: dissolve the stock cubes in the water.
-Add a splash of the stock to the pan and all the curry paste and keep stirring for about 1 min.
-Add the rest of the stock, the coconut milk, the soy sauce, the chilli flakes and both bell peppers.
-Mix well, let it come to boil, turn the heat to a low, add the noodles and let this simmer for about 5 min.
-Add the bok choy and the spring onion to the soup and let it simmer until the noodles are ready.
-Serve in a bowl, with the tofu and choose some of you favourite toppings.

Do you love the Thai kitchen as much as I do? When you make the recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, so I can give you a shoutout! You can also use #planetmanel if you like. Thank you! X

Greenery

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This is one of my most satisfying recipes. Pesto is something you can use in so many dishes, fresh herbs are super healthy and you can adapt the recipe the way you want it. You can add a little bit more garlic, lemon juice or oil.. whatever you prefer or you can just leave it the way it is. I like it the best like this, it’s the right balance for me. I love to make pasta pesto with it, add it on a pizza, a sandwich, mix it into some mayonnaise or use it as a dip. You can toast the pine nuts and the walnuts for some extra flavour, but you can also just use them straight from the packet. After making it you can keep it in the fridge for a few days.

GREENERY 

Makes: 1,5 cup 

1,5 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup spinach
3 tbsp pine nuts (toasted, optional)
1/4 cup walnuts (toasted, optional)
2 cloves garlic (peeled)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1,5 tbs lemon juice
2-3 tbs water
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt/pepper (to taste)

-Put everything in the kitchen machine and blend until smooth. 

Do you like pesto? What do you make with pesto most often? Please let me know in the comments below or show me on Instagram. You can do this by tagging me or by using #planetmanel. Thank you! X

London Hotspots

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So normally I’d write a different blog post about each hotspot I find. I did this since I started my blog. I did this as I lived in London and I had the opportunity to visit 1-2 places every week. When I’m on holiday, I write a whole big article and give you hotspot list in the end. Most of you know that I moved out of London and at my new place there aren’t many vegan places (to be precise.. there are none!). This is why I visit London once in a while and try to visit as many places as I can. It really takes some planning, becuase I only have one stomach and even though I’d love to visit 10 places a day, I simply can’t eat it all, haha! Before I plan a weekend, I make a list and I plan my days ahead. So a place for breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes a little thing in between. In these days I’m always super full and the sugar levels are up up up! Haha! But I love to show you new places and I really hope that I can pursue you to go and visit. I went to London last weekend and here are all the places I’ve been to. I will write a little bit about each place and I will give you the whole list in the end of the post. Here we go..

MOTHER
This was one of the first hotspots I added to my list of hotspots for the weekend. A friend of mine really likes it here and I often saw it on her Instagram and it always looked so delicious, that I wanted to try it out for myself. So after I parked my van, I went straight here for brunch. It was so hard to pick something! I thought I picked something, but then I saw there was even more.. after a while, I eventually I went for the ‘Eggless Royale’. That apparently had ‘poached eggs’. I was intrigued and I was happily surprised as it looked super pretty! It was very tasty too. Although, I didn’t find the ‘salmon’ taste like fish and the poached eggs, even though they definitely had the look, were very soft. But it was tasty though! I will be back to try something else next time. Mother is also in a nice location, where you can take a lovely stroll next to the canals and boats and its only a 15 min walk to Westfield.

THE SPREAD EAGLE
I actually had a pizza place on my list for dinner, but weird enough (this never happens) I didn’t feel like having pizza. So I decided to go to the Spread Eagle pub. I never go to pubs, but I make an exception for this one as it’s 100% vegan. Naturally, I think everybody would want to go to a pub like this. Hehe.. It was fairly busy, even though it was a little early still. I guess that is a good sign and that makes me happy. I had a perfect table in the corner and Nola got offered a bowl of water she was very grateful for. I went for a burger and a lovely lady who was sitting close to the till, was recommending me the three way potatoes. They also have little taco’s and as I was very curious about the tofish one, I ordered that one too. I told myself I could always have it take away in case I was too full. And because of all that deliciousness I was indeed very full. The burger was so tasty, but the potatoes were definitely my thing. I’d come back here just for those, haha! I decided to do some work and by the time I was finished that, there was a little bit of space for the taco, that was aso super delicious. This is such a nice pub! Great interior, super friendly staff, a very chill and easy going atmosphere and I definitely recommend going here.

LEON
I’m sure everyone tried the LOVE burger at Leon. If not.. why not?? It’s delicious! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it. Even omnivores love it. Leon is doing super well with their vegan options and very recently they launched their newest vegan addition: Jack Wings! They are made with jackfruit. So I expected pieces of jackfruit with a breadcrumb coating, but in real life they were a bit like the famous Dutch ‘bitterballen’, but then cheesy and not round like a ball. I truly liked them though. Maybe because I was expecting something else, but maybe becuase they are just very tasty. I love jackfruit anyway, but I’m sure that if you don’t like jackfruit, you will like these too. They aren’t a typically jackfruit dish, but creamy, a little cheesy and full of taste. I really liked them with the aioli sauce, which is also vegan. So whenever you’re near a Leon, go and try them!

BUBBLEWRAP
When I saw this on Instagram I was like WHATT?! I needed to try this for sure. I had never heard of it, but that is probably because there weren’t any vegan options at first. Now there are. It’s located in China Town (close to Piccadilly Circus/Soho) and easy to find. It’s a small shop and when I was there it was busy (I don’t know for sure, but I expect it to be busy any time of the day). There is a pre-made option (as in they picked the flavours for you), but you can also custom make one. There is one base that is vegan and 2 flavours of ice cream: chocolate and pistachio (of course I had to try them both). There are lots of toppings that are vegan and it’s hard to choose. I went for strawberry, banana, pecans and peanut butter sauce. GREAT combination! You pay per item/topping and so you can make it as expensive as you want. I thought it to be a lot like a pancake and it to be quite filling, but the ‘pancake’ is fairly light. It’s crispy (a bit like the crispy sides of a pancake), with a little bit of soft/sticky inside. I’m curious what toppings you will choose!

HEMA
Who knows Hema? All Dutch people do, because it’s the best Dutch shop ever! When, a few years ago, I discovered there was a Hema in London I almost cried! Haha! All their make up is free from animal testing, but not vegan. BUT.. Recently they launched a whole vegan and cruelty free line, called B.A.E. I tried their foundation as I always used to have their foundation before I was vegan. I really like it. It’s not my every day foundation, but I use it as a top up for during the day. Mainly because they come in a perfect little tube. So handy for on the way. So I got a new one today, in their Tottenham Court branch. The last time I also got the heart stamp (so cute!) and a little perfume I like (also for on the way). There is a lot more though, but I don’t wear a lot of make up. It’s definitely worth a try though. I also always just have a little wander around and I always become so greedy. Hehe.. I don’t buy anything I don’t need, but gosh.. deep down I want to buy everything! Have you been to Hema?

KALIFORNIA KITCHEN
As I went to Hema I also planned to go to Kalifornia Kitchen. It’s only a 2 min walk. If I’m really honest, I mostly went to this place because of the interior. I would never style my house (or van! Hehe..) like this, but I love it though. It’s boho, kitch, but classy and fun! Great combo. I love how daring they are and it is soooo Instagram proof! So much detail and best of all.. they are all vegan! Down stairs it was quite busy, but the hostess (Who reminded me of the singer Susan Cagle so much and I love her. Look her up if you don’t know her and read up on her story, it’s amazing!) asked if I wanted to sit up stairs and there was nobody there and it’s so pretty up stairs. Nola got a bowl of water and I tried to decide what to have. As I had so much sugar and unhealthy things this weekend already, I decided for a super healthy meal. I also ordered a sea moss smoothie. It was all very tasty and looked very pretty. So all pretty and nice here at Kalifornia Kitchen, but it is a little expensive though. I would say it makes a great party location. Birthdays, anniversaries and any other celebrations.. it’s a real treat going here and it feels special. Oh they also have lovely dessert btw, but I didn’t go for one as I was going to get a doughnut afterwards.

VEGAN CROSSTOWN
This was my Saturday dessert. They close at 19:00 and I had to rush to get there, but I made it just (really just!) in time. A few were already sold out (sadly the chocolate one was one of them), but I still had plenty of choice. I had to decide quite quickly, because they were basically closing up. I went for the ‘Cinnamon Scroll’ (obvious choice) and also the ‘Rhubarb, Raspberry & Ginger’ one as I heard it was good. As I was there anyway I also got the ‘Strawberry & English Sparkling Rosé’. When I payed the guy, he said he put an extra in there as they were closing. So I also got to try the ‘Lime & Coconut’ doughnut. Gosh.. 4 doughnuts.. that is a big dessert. I ate the whole cinnamon one (soooo good!) and I had a bite of all the others to taste them whilst they were still fresh. The rest I saved for later. I definitely liked the cinnamon the best. I’m a chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, coconut, toffee kind of person and not so much a lime, ginger and strawberry girl (at least not in dessert and cakes etc,). I did like the other ones as well though. Out of those 3 I liked the ‘English Sparking Rosé’ the best. I really liked the crumbs on top of them btw, it reminded me of the bottom of a cake we always made every birthday when I was younger. I will definitely come back for the ‘Dark Chocolate Truffle’ and the ‘Peanut Butter & Blackcurrant Compote’ though, because I mean.. come on! Which one would you have picked?

PARADISE PLANTBASED
I’m sure some of you know this place, because this is my favourite cafe. I used to live next to it and I always go here when I’m in London with my van or when I’m taking someone to breakfast. I actually went here twice this weekend as I park my van around the corner. Handy place to use the toilet and to have breakfast. The first morning I met up with Maddie, a gril I got to know through Instagram and we both had the chickpea omelette (I always have this one, it’s so good!). The second morning I just had a smoothie (as I was planning to have pancakes for breakfast later) and I did a bit of work before I traveled to Shoreditch. The smoothie I had was the ‘Ziggy’ btw, super healthy.

DUTCH POFFERTJES
I was planning to get some pancake from OSU Pancakes, but I couldn’t find them anywhere. Does anyone know where they are at Brick Lane? I was in the House of Vegan and there was a stall with Dutch Poffertjes. So in the end I went for poffertjes instead. Being Dutch I know them very well, but I didn’t have them for a long time. There were so many toppings to choose from. I went for strawberries and chocolate sauce.  A classic, but always good. They were very delicious and a yummy breakfast. They are quite popular I think, because I saw another 2 stalls with poffertjes. D

HEMP & WILLIAMS
I discovered this place by accident. I wasn’t planning to go here and I didn’t even know it existed. I just finished my Dutch Poffertjes and then I saw this very happy guy handing out ice cream. I decided not to get anything, because I’d be too full, I just had something sweet and I didn’t even have a proper lunch yet.. But the ice cream was made out of hemp and after walking another circle and checking out the instagram page, I decided that I had to try it. He let me taste all the flavours and I actually liked them all. The mango was fresh, the strawberry sweet and the chocolate and chili was so unique and surprising. Normally I’m not a fan of chocolate in combination with something else, but this worked. You taste chocolate and then there is the chili flavour as soon as you swallow, a proper wohw effect. Talking about unique.. all the flavours are. He makes everything himself and they are all delicious. It’s not really like ice cream and it’s not like a sorbet, it’s a bit in between and it melts perfectly in your mouth. I went for the plain chocolate flavour in the end (because.. chocolate..). It was so good and I discovered something else very that was very unique. It basically doesn’t melt!! So weird, but it’s like an forever ice cream. It took me at east 15 minutes to eat it. I could lick it and lick it and lick it and it was super delicious, but it was like it would last forever. I can’t recommend this enough and I urge you to try it! You can find Hemp&Williams every Saturday and Sunday (both days from 11:00-18:00) at the House Of Vegan in Brick Lane.

UNITY DINER
I don’t know if you remember, but I promised myself that every time I’m in London, I’ll visit Unity Diner. If there is one restaurant that I want to support, then it’s this one! Unity Diner is a non profit restaurant and they have the most amazing food!! I mean, I just can’t get over it really. I officially made this my favourite restaurant. I wish I could go every day. Haha! The staff is amazing, the atmosphere is super chill and the restaurant looks so good that I want to live there. This time I went for the Tofish & Chips. I was thinking about tofish the whole weekend and so it was a perfect dish to end the weekend with. The portion is so bigggg and I promise you that it won’t disappoint. It comes with mashed peas, chunky chips and a yummy sauce. I also ordered some extra garlic mayonnaise with it. I enjoy eating it so much, but it also frustrates me, because it tasted so much like fish. What makes me wonder why on earth someone would rather kill a fish, destroy the ocean, the world and their own body whilst this is an option. Wouldn’t it be amazing if every fish&chips shop throughout the UK (and the world!) would serve this instead of a dead animal? I’m convinced that it’s the future and I really hope you will go here to taste it, experience it and to spread the word! Unity Diner is open from Tuesday-Sunday.

HOTSPOT LIST:
Mother: 1, Canalside Here East Estate, E20 3BS.
The Spread Eagle: 224 Homerton High St, Homerton, E9 6AS.
Leon: 49-51 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JS.
Bubbelwrap: 24 Wardour St, W1D 6QJ.
Hema: 252 Tottenham Court Rd, W1T 7RB.
Kalifornia Kitchen: 19 Percy St, W1T 1DY.
Vegan Crosstown: 5-6 Picton Pl, W1U 1BL.
Paradise Plantbased: 59 Chamberlayne Rd, NW10 3ND.
Dutch Poffertjes: 152 Brick Ln, E1 5EG.
Hemp & Williams: 152 Brick Ln, E1 5EG.
Unity Diner: 5 Hoxton Market, N1 6HG. 

Have you been to one or more of these hotspots yet? Which one is your favourite or where  would you go if you could go right now? Tell me all about it! You can do this in the comments below or tag me on Instagram! Thank you! X

Tofuture

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I wanted to put some more basic recipes on my blog. Scrambled tofu is one of the first things that comes to mind and many people have asked me about this recipe. So here it finally is! It’s simple, nutritious and super delicious. I always make it this way and everybody loves this. It’s just so good, I can really crave this. I often eat this for lunch after coming back from a work out or when I’m just very hungry. There is not a lot that can top this! It’s perfect as a scrambled egg substitute, so if you crave scrambled egg, this is what you want to make. When I have left overs  (to be honest, this doesn’t happen a lot) I often add 2 big spoons of mayonnaise, mix it up and put it in a sandwich. Perfect for on the way.

TOFUTURE

Serves: 2

2 slices of bread
200 gr tofu (I used Tofoo)
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt/Pepper (to taste)
8 cherry tomatoes (cut in 1/2)
Handful of spinach
1 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tbs mayonnaise (optional)
2 tbs vegan cheese (grated, optional)

-Put the olive oil in a frying pan and crumble the tofu in a pan.
-Add the turmeric, garlic, paprika and some salt and pepper to taste.
-Mix it well and fry for about 3-5 minutes on a high fire.
-In the meantime toast (optional) some bread and put on some mayonnaise.
-Add the tomatoes and fry for another minute.
-Add the nutritional yeast and the spinach and fry until the spinach is soft.
-Divide the tofu mixture over the slices of bread and top it with some vegan cheese.
*I also like to add some sriracha mayonnaise on top.

Are you going to make this? Please show me your version on Instagram! You can do this by tagging me or by using #planetmanel. I’d love to see it and I’ll give you a shoutout when you do. Thank you! X