Costco now stocks Vegan Protein from Weider

I have been a strict vegetarian since 1988 – ever since I left home and began cooking my own meals. During the 90s, for about a decade, I went a step further and became vegan. Even though I used to be a trained chef, and I know a fair bit about nutrition, one of the challenges I encountered following a vegan diet was getting enough protein. In general, animal products such as meat and eggs contain far higher concentrations of protein than vegetable sources.

Being vegan means that extra care needs to be taken to ensure you achieve and maintain a balanced diet. Protein deficiency can cause serious health problems. Symptoms include muscle wastage, hair loss, flaky skin, brittle nails, decreased immunity and poor concentration, to name just a few.

In the past few years, it has become much easier with vegans being better catered to in supermarkets, cafés and restaurants. There is a greater choice of ingredients and ready-made meals. A great example of this is the range of Vegan Protein from Weider which you can purchase at a select number of Costco stores across the UK. Namely, Glasgow, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Farnborough.

Made from a blend of organic brown rice and peas, Weider Vegan Protein is a high quality, lactose free and gluten free vegan protein product. It is also low in fat, low in sugar and cholesterol free. It is available in half a dozen different flavours; Brownie Chocolate, Vanilla, Iced Cappuccino, Piña Colada, Green Apple and Berry Mix. You can use it to make nutritious shakes, smoothies or frappé. Add a few scoops to your cooking & baking in things like protein bars, pancakes and waffles or delicious cakes, muffins, brownies and flapjacks.

Whether you’re a vegan for health, ethical or religious reasons, Weider Vegan is an excellent source of essential protein.

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We’re going Stir Crazy!

This Thursday, instead of our usual Cakes & Bakes offering, we’re sharing a cookbook review.

It’s Stir Crazy by Emmy-nominated TV chef, Ching-He Huang. Born in Taiwan and raised in South Africa and the U.K., Ching shares 100 healthy stir fry recipes in her recently-published book.

In addition to the recipes, Ching sheds light on helpful wok-cooking methods. She reveals some of her ‘stir-fry hacks’ and explains the order in which ingredients should be cooked off and why. And, if you’re on a special diet – she’s got you covered – each recipe helpfully sets out the nutritional information of the dish.

As a veggie, I was thrilled to see that there are 80 pages of purely vegetarian and vegan recipes. Furthermore, in the meat and fish sections, she give lots of helpful tips as to how to convert them to veggie dishes, if so desired.

Not only is this a book review, it’s also a food review; along with Stir Crazy, we’ve been sent a selection of dried and ready-to-eat noodles from Yutaka to try.

The only way to properly review a cookbook AND noodles is to try out one of the recipes using some of the ingredients sent. I chose Ching’s simple spicy spring onion salsa verde with kale and noodles. However, instead of using egg noodles as her recipe called for, I used the pack of the gluten free and organic konjac noodles (called shirataki in Japan).

In addition to being gluten free, the root vegetable Konjac is vegan, low in calories, low in fat and high in fibre. It’s extremely low in carbs, so if you’re following a ketogenic diet this is a fantastic product to include in your meals.

My usual trinity of flavours for wok cooking are chilli, garlic and ginger. However, This recipe didn’t use garlic but a couple of spring onions. The smell of the flavours combining when they were being fried off together were divine.

If I hadn’t been stopping after each stage to take photos, this recipe could have been rustled up in under half an hour. Quick, healthy – and most important of all – tasty!

There are so many other recipes in the book that I want to give a go – Kung Po tofu, vegetable chop suey, egg foo yung, aubergines in a spicy peanut sauce, spicy coriander chickpea fried rice… are you drooling yet?!

All this talk of stir fries is making me hungry – here’s the recipe…

Spicy spring onion salsa verde with kale and noodles

2018-10-03 13:15:56

Serves 2

Prep Time

12 min

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

17 min

Prep Time

12 min

Cook Time

5 min

Total Time

17 min

Ingredients

200g pack Yutaka konjac noodles
2tsp toasted sesame oil
120g curly kale, sliced
2tbsp rapeseed oil
pinch of sea salt flakes
knob of fresh root ginger, peeled an grated
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced at an angle
pinch of dried chilli flakes
2 spring onions, finely chopped
50ml cold vegetable stock
1tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce

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Instructions

Drain the liquid from the konjac noodles using a sieve and rinse under a cold tap
Put the noodles into a bowl, drizzle over the 2tsp toasted sesame oil and toss. Set aside
Pour 1 litre of water into a pan and bring to the boil. Add the kale and blanch for 3-5 seconds, then drain and set aside
Heat a wok over a high heat until smoking and add the rapeseed oil
Add the salt and let it dissolve in the hot oil
Add the ginger, fresh chilli, dried chilli and spring onions in quick succession to explode their flavours in the wok
Add the vegetable stock and stir-fry on a medium heat for 30 seconds
Add the kale and noodles and toss all the ingredients together to warm through
Season with the light soy sauce and give it one final toss, then transfer to serving plates and eat immediately

By Ching-He Huang

Adapted from Stir Crazy

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Cakes & Bakes: Keto baked vanilla cheesecake

I’m still on my keto mission to find the most awesome no-carb or low-carb dessert. One of my favourite things to make (and eat) is this Gordon Ramsay cheesecake recipe. So I took that as a starting point to convert it into a keto baked cheesecake.

The usual digestive biscuit base has been swapped for one made from ground almonds, butter and a tiny bit of sweetener.

I also used a teaspoon of xanthan gum in place of the cornflour in the cheesecake mixture. If you don’t have any in your cupboard I wouldn’t worry, I don’t think it’s necessary and will probably leave it out next time I make it.

I’m beginning to get used to less sweetness and sugar in my meals – just like I haven’t been able stand sugar in my tea or coffee since I first gave it up 20 years ago!

If you’d like to try my recipe at a later date, you can post it to Pinterest by clicking here

Keto baked vanilla cheesecake

2018-08-15 12:48:34

Serves 8

Cook Time

1 hr

Cook Time

1 hr

For the base

150g ground almonds
1 smidgen scoop 100% pure Stevia powder
40g salted butter, melted

For the filling

280g full fat cream cheese at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
½tsp xanthan gum
2 smidgen scoops 100% pure Stevia powder
½tsp vanilla extract
150g full fat sour cream at room temperature

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For the base

Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas mark 2
Put the ground almonds into a medium-sized mixing bowl, sprinkle over the Stevia and stir in the melted butter until fully combined and the contents come together
Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 18cm/7-in spring-form cake tin using the back of a dessert spoon
Refrigerate while you prepare the filling

For the filling

In a stand mixer, using the K-beater attachment, beat cream cheese on the lowest speed until it’s light and fluffy
In a measuring jug, whisk together the egg and vanilla extract
In a little ramekin or bowl, mix the Stevia with the xanthan gum (I use a little skewer)
Sprinkle the powder mixture on to the beaten egg ensuring that you get rid of any lumps before slowly adding the mixture a bit at a time - with the mixer going on low - to the cream cheese
Add the soured cream and mix until just combined
Pour the mixture into the chilled crust and bake for an hour
Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in there with door ajar for another hour
Remove from the oven and transfer the tin to a wire rack to cool completely
Chill overnight prior to serving

Notes

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Cakes & Bakes: Keto coconut flour bread

Another week, and I’m still sticking to my temporary ketogenic diet. Of everything I’ve been cutting out, I’ve really been missing bread. Sourdough is unfortunately, not an option. I’ve tried a couple of different recipes and am pretty happy with this keto coconut flour bread loaf.

Not only is it ketogenic, it’s gluten free as well if that’s the option you need. There’s very little flour in the recipe so the consistency is more a batter than a dough.

I’ve used xanthan gum as a gluten substitute to thicken and stabalise the mixture. The combination of the bicarbonate of soda and apple cider vinegar causes a ‘fizz’ that makes the bubbles and, along with the yeast, gives the rise. The uncooked loaf is pretty wobbly so be very, very careful when putting the tin in and out of the microwave and into the oven – the bubbles burst and the rise can collapse easily.

Click here to save the recipe to Pinterest for later!

Keto coconut flour bread

2018-07-25 15:10:49

Serves 4

Cook Time

40 min

Cook Time

40 min

Ingredients

1tsp sugar
7g/¼oz active dry yeast
200ml/7fl oz warm water
75g/2⅔oz coconut flour
½ tsp xanthan gum
¼tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
3 eggs, beaten
1½ tsp apple cider vinegar

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If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it

Instructions

Line a 1kg/2lb loaf tin loaf tin with parchment paper
Put the sugar and yeast into a measuring jug and pour over the warm water. Stir until there are no lumps left
Set aside and allow to proof for 10 minutes. (Ensure the yeast mixture is bubbling before you add it to the dry ingredients otherwise the loaf won't rise properly)
In a separate mixing bowl, add the coconut flour, xanthan gum, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Stir until well combined. Make a well in the centre
Pour the beaten eggs, apple cider vinegar, and proofed yeast mixture into the well in the dry ingredients
Combine with a spatula until everything is combined together and there are no lumps
Pour into the prepared loaf tin
Fill a microwave-safe mug with water and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes or until it boils
After the water is heated, add the loaf tin, uncovered, to the microwave with the mug of hot water
Leave the loaf tin in the microwave (with the microwave off) with the mug of water for ½ an hour
After ½ an hour carefully remove the loaf tin (you don't want the aerated batter to fall) and reheat the water for a minute
Carefully replace the loaf tin to the microwave with the mug of water for another ½ hour
Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350°F/Gas mark 4
Remove the tin from the microwave carefully, the bread should have risen nicely
Slide the tin carefully into the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes away clean
Remove the parchment-covered loaf from the tin and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving

Notes

Try it toasted with butter or for cheese on toast

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/