Veggie Sausage, Mushroom and Bean Stew Recipe

It's the perfect time of year for rich stews, You really feel like you've had a good meal when you sit down to stew, It's tasty, filling and utterly comforting. My latest stew is this veggie sausage, mushroom and bean stew which was fabulous.

Sometimes I make stew in my slow cooker, but I'm not always organised enough to use my slow cooker and have a meal on the table in time for dinner. I always have 101 things to do and rarely think about dinner until the afternoon or on the way home from work in the evening, so I usually make stews and casseroles on the cooker top in a cast iron casserole.

Go on, tell me I need to be more organised. I know it, I just don't seem to be able to do anything about it. I am always so busy. If you have any tips for getting organised in the new year, do share them with me.

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Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

I think I'm pretty organised for Christmas. The decorations are up and the presents are bought. I've decided what we're having for Christmas dinner and now I just have to do a food shop and wrap those presents while watching a Christmas movie. Then I can just sit back and enjoy the holiday. 

I still need to decide which soup I'll be serving as our starter, so  I decided to try out a new recipe.

This soup has some of the best winter vegetables, butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots. A lot of sweetness and depth of flavour paired with some warmth from spice. To give it that luxurious finish I added coconut milk at the end and blended it, but not until it was completely smooth. I always think you need a bit of texture in a soup, don't you?

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Vegan Banoffee Pie Cheesecake (no-bake recipe)

I have another indulgent dessert for you to make this Christmas. A luxurious banoffee pie cheesecake. Doesn't that look da bomb?

It may look super fancy, but it's actually easy to make.  Make it the day before Christmas, pop it in the fridge and top it with caramel, slices of banana and grated chocolate just before you serve it.

I made this one vegan, but it's basically my standard cheesecake recipe substituting coconut cream for whipped cream and vegan cream cheese (the coconut kind too) for the cream cheese. Simples.

I really can't be faffed with all this soaking of nuts overnight to make a cheesecake nonsense.  I like to stick as close as possible to the original recipe in ingredients, flavour and texture and this is spot on. It's a little softer than the original, but tastes fabulous.

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A Very Veggie Christmas with M&S

This is not just any Christmas, this is an veggie M&S Christmas.

I used to cook everything from scratch for Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner. And how did that go? Well I spent the whole day in the kitchen and missed all the fun and my wee boy's excitement. Now I make a few things, but I buy a few things in too. Just to make life easier and that's where M&S come in. 

We've missed the date for Christmas Food to Order, but there's plenty of choice in store and actually this gives your more options to suit everyone, including children and your gluten free or vegan guests.

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48 Easy Winter Vegan Meals

Brrrrr! It's freezing out there. Every morning for the last week I've looked outside to a world coating white with a layer of frost and boy is it chilly. I think we've gotten used to mild winters the last few years, but this year is definitely going to be a cold one.

It's time to wrap up and dress in layers, but it's also time to change our diets too. While I'm the first to say that salads are great all year round, it's definitely time to start making soups, stews and savoury bakes. As well as being the best kind of comfort food, they're a great way to make sure we're getting all the nutrients we need to fend off all the nasty colds and viruses floating about at this time of year as well as helping us to get our five-a-day.

Although did you know that scientists now say we should actually be eating 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day? And the great news is a healthy vegan diet is rich in fruit and vegetables so we're already ahead of the game.

With that in mind, I wanted to share 48 winter vegan meals that are easy to make and will take you through the winter without getting bored.

Recipes run from left to right.

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Indulgent Vegan Chocolate Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

An indulgent vegan chocolate cake that's perfect for special occasions like Birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and family gatherings. 

It's easy to make with simple ingredients and turns out perfectly every time. 

Winter is the time for indulgence and this vegan chocolate cake definitely hits the mark. It is my go-to chocolate cake recipe you may have seen Cooper baking as his first day of school chocolate cake. The only difference is I've veganised it. It's about time, I hear my husband mutter.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

It's vegan but you would never know it. This cake is rich with a heavy hit of chocolate helped out by a shot of coffee that really helps boost that chocolatey flavour.

It's easy to make, anyone can make it and everyone loves it. I recently made if for a leaving do at work and it was a big hit. Two people told me it was the best chocolate cake they had ever tasted. Now that is high praise.

Use flax eggs

I made my vegan version with flax eggs (tips below) instead of eggs and dairy free spread, instead of butter. Apart from that it's my standard chocolate cake and tastes exactly the same.  It looks quite dark, but it's not burnt, it's just really dark and rich.

Cheat with shop bought buttercream

I filled it with chocolate buttercream and I have to admit to using Betty Crocker buttercream and icing, which are accidentally vegan and totally lush. I topped my cake with whipped coconut milk (tips below) and raspberries. I did mean to add a grating of good dark chocolate but totally forgot.

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Christmas Gift Guide & a Giveaway Spectacular worth over £800

Christmas is fast approaching and it's time to start thinking about gifts, if you haven't already. I have done most of my shopping already. I really didn't want to leave it until the last minute. Saying that, I will probably end up wrapping at the last minute and that really is hell. The trouble is my house is quite wee so I just don't have room to wrap and store presents. A spare room would be a wonderful thing.

So this is a gift guide, but a gift guide like no other. Everything in this Christmas Gift Guide will be won by one lucky reader. Yes you read that right, one lucky reader will win everything in this guide. How exciting is that. It's like having a second Christmas. 

So let's get this thing started!

Giveaway info below.

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