Product Review: The Vegan Kind mail order goodie box

I've heard friends on Twitter getting excited about the arrival of their Vegan Kind 'goodie box' and so I greeted the opportunity to review one with similar excitement!

If you've yet to discover this innovative idea (the first Vegan one in the UK) it goes a little like this:

You pay a subscription every month and receive a box full of mystery Vegan lifestyle goodies every month!

Brilliantly simple.

Here's what January's box looked like:

January 2014 Lifestyle subscription box from The Vegan Kind

With the release of each box (sent out on the 1st of the month to you) the details of the products and their companies go onto The Vegan Kind website, so should you wish to then purchase more, you can find out the details.

If you love trying new things (products and foods etc) and don't get the chance to browse shops - either in town or online as much as you'd like to, then this really would be a great idea for you. 

It's a little treat to surprise you each month and introduce you to some fantastic new Vegan products.

Here are the products I received. Interestingly, I have never tried, or even come across, any of them before! And I shop around - so this was really fantastic!

Goodies in the January box - none of which I had tried before.

£££The money bit:

You subscribe for a monthly fee of £10.00 (no tie-ins) + £2.95 P&P to receive your box containing from 5-8 products with a combined RRP of more than you've paid (so you're never out of pocket). For your dosh you also get an informative newsletter, a free laminated recipe card (free binder supplied with your third box) and the knowledge that 10p from every box also goes towards a different registered animal charity (chosen by customers) each and every month.

My opinion:

Whilst £12.95 might seem like a lot, I know for a fact I spend this each month just from picking up anything in a shop labelled Vegan and buying it on impulse. So as long as I stop doing this, I might as well let the team at TVK read the small print for me and surprise me with some lovely products. This will also get me to try things I may not have come across before or even thought of '- and this is something that appeals to me. There's a sense of fun about it!

The presentation is lovely, the packaging eco friendly and recyclable - the boxes may even come in handy (they're almost shoe size).

This might even be a great gift idea for the Vegan loved one in your life - better still, the non-Vegan loved one! It's something to show them the variety on offer to us these days and the fact that humans simply don't need to use animals to survive very nicely, thank you.

Top tip: Get yours delivered to your office and create a buzz around opening it infront of colleagues and getting some great convos started ;)

So, all in all a lovely idea, and given the emergence of more and more Vegan companies with new Vegan products every day, TVK should be able to offer something new and exciting for the foreseeable (Vegan) future!

Find out more about TVK here.

Get in touch with TVK here. 

Sign up for one here.

Much love

Chantal xx

Note: Whilst TVK approached me to review one of their boxes (sent to me free of charge) as always, my review is genuine and without bias. Constructive feedback has been given to the team regarding better labelling on the packaging to state that it is recyclable and to perhaps use more filling/padding in the box to prevent damage of goods in transit. As a result of experiencing this product / service I have personally subscribed to the TVK box!

Cook Book Review - 'tibits at home'

In my kitchen book stand this month: 

"tibits at home"

stylish vegetarian cuisine

£25 RRP, available from £14

*Note: all photographs are of the food I recreated from the book's recipes at home in my own kitchen.

Many of you will know that I'm a big fan of tibits restaurant in London. You can see my review of the dining experience here.

So I was delighted (and honoured) when they asked me to review their first ever cook book.

Yes, I know, me, new food, and some delicious Vegan options? A match made in heaven...!

And I can tell you that as I excitedly tore open the brown packaging... I wasn't disappointed. There followed much procrastination on work as I made two successive cups of coffee and perused the book cover to cover.

The first thing to say is that this is indeed, as it promises, a stylish book in every sense of the word. The quality of the book as an actual product is beautiful and the layout, graphics and photography is vibrant, modern and stunning.

It's simply laid out in four seasonal sections, each with a poetically written, brief introduction and then selections of juices, soups, salads, sandwiches and more complex main courses.

The style is contemporary, fresh and instantly aspirational! It's a little taste of the perfection we'd all love to secretly achieve in our (home-cooking) lives.

And why not?! A girl can dream can't she?

I was transported for an hour - but, more importantly, it made me want to get into my kitchen and get cooking, and, for me, that's what a good cook book should inspire.

Having spoken to many people about the way in which they use cook books, I find myself not alone in my approach. I skip all the waffle, blurb, life stories and pages of black and white text and cut straight to the recipes. I flick through greedily and see which pictures catch my eye, 'call' to my visual senses and make my tummy rumble. I then fold over the corners of those pages to refer back to later.  

The sign of a really great cook book is when I've given up folding pages over a quarter of the way through, because it's evident that I'm just going to need to try every single recipe!

That's what happened with "tibits at home" (aside from the fact its simply too beautiful to want to go folding corners down) and fortunately they do have two bookmark strands added so that, if you can narrow it down to two preferred dishes, you can safely mark the relevant pages without 'vandalising' the book.

this colourful vegetable jambalaya caught my eye immediately...

So, the important stuff...  

The recipes and what to expect:

• 53 recipes in total of which 12 are for sweets, puddings and drinks.
• Out of all of the recipes 15 are non-Vegan, but 8 of those can easily be 'Veganised' (the remaining 7 do rely heavily on the use of eggs and dairy ingredients).

warm dal with spinach - you'll probably have most of the ingredients in your larder already...

What I loved:

Most recipes require only a simple list of tasty ingredients which are easy to find in most large supermarkets. There are only one or two items that might be a little tricky.

The recipe information is laid out clearly with ingredients lists under a photo of the finished dish, as well as simple step by step instructions.

Many of the dishes are 'assembly' cooking and therefore it's ideal for people of all abilities in the kitchen - which is lovely.

bulgar and flat bean salad, with a spicy vinaigrette - why complicate the beauty of simple, delicious ingredients?

How could this book be improved? It's subjective of course, but in my opinion, it would help to have:

Info on how many portions a recipe yields, along with the time it takes to prepare a dish (I'm advised that this will be included in the next book.)

More puddings that are either Vegan, or have the potential to be easily Veganised (there was only one). Although I concede this is a 'vegetarian' cook book.

Recipe feedback:

I did find myself adjusting some of the techniques that are recommended in the cooking guidance - but that's just perhaps me and habits gained from years of experience in cooking a certain way!

Some of the quantities of oil suggested seemed excessive and as a rule, I tended to halve the amounts and the food was still delicious.

While tasty and unusual, some of the dishes can be enhanced by increasing the quantities of the seasoning / flavouring ingredients listed - but again, through years of experience I simply know what I prefer and can 'get away with' in the flavour stakes.

the pasta with courgettes in curry sauce is aromatic & creamy, but you can enhance the flavours if you prefer...

My favourite recipe so far:

The Goa Curry - made with tofu, pineapple and crazy amounts of chilli. But even Dave has made this successfully twice now and you know, I'm glad there are no portion quantities added because I have a sneaking suspicion it might have said [serves 4] when the reality is the two of us can happily consume the entire lot in one go ;)

Goa curry - an unusual and incredibly delicious curry that you could enjoy time & time again...

Overall verdict:

"tibits at home" did inspire me to cook and it delivers simple, contemporary, flavoursome Vegan food. Whilst the price seems high, this is a visually stunning book that is a quality product in it's own right and I know that I shall end up using it time and again throughout the seasons and for years to come.

Now what shall I cook next?...

Much love

Chantal xx

Disclaimer: Whilst tibits kindly gave me this book, free of charge, my review is entirely genuine and without bias. All constructive feedback has been passed on to the creative team for future reference.

* * Have YOU got a Vegan or vegetarian book that you'd like me to review? * *

'Veggie Soup for the Soul' blog attracted over 10,000 page views in it's first year alone and myself and my fellow Association Partner have more than 38,000 followers on Twitter between us.

So if you'd like to reach a wider target audience and for me to independently review your book here, then please do get in touch with me through the contact page on the rhs of this screen.

Vegan food review: veggie cafe: Summersault - Rugby, UK

Boo! HNY (well late I know...)

Either I'm just getting better at finding great places to eat out now or maybe vegan food really is making it into our bars, restaurants and cafes more and more? Whatever, it's great!

For 2014 I'm opting for a new style of food review posts - I'm sure you don't need to read all about my lovely day out & how I met my girl friend and how we talked about the usual stuff - you know diets and men...! So I'll cut to the chase - what was the cafe, the service and the Vegan FOOD like?!

Enjoy! much love Chantal xx

Where: Summersault - Rugby, UK

Outside, with strange windbreaks?

Style: 

Organic Veggie Restaurant Cafe & 'emporium' - classy eclectic, yet cohesive decor, filled with beautiful home furnishing trinkets. Beautifully done & with dining on a glass roofed top floor which is lovely. Far better than the usual messy 'rustic' eclectic 'style' of veggie cafes......

Service: 

Warm greeting, friendly, helpful & knowledgeable about Vegan options.

Inside looking to front...

 

Inside looking to rear...

Fresh salad bar 12 options.

Food choices: 

6 veggie hot dishes on the day, sadly all with cheese! Only hot Vegan option was a lentil veg soup. 12 different salad bowls to chose from though (8 Vegan) + 3 different homemade breads + plenty of cakes/bakes - 2 of which were Vegan.

Soup, bread, salad & lemonade!

Nom factor: 

Eating in: The soup was like a thick hearty casserole & absolutely delicious! Huge chunk of sundried tomato bread was also incredible (and they have Vegan margarine). I had 4 salads - Quinoa & herb, butter bean, tomato & cucumber & bulgar wheat with veg - sadly all of these lacked any flavour - some more herbs, dressings, spicing & seasoning would have made all the difference.

Drinking: I drank Fentimans lemonade & didn't try the coffee, although I'm assured it's good.

Salad plate, quite expensive for what it was.

Took away: Some rich fruit cake - packed full of flavour & cherries (my favourite) - it was soooo good! The date flapjack slice I had a corner of (yes, really) was also lush - if a little crumbly.

How much?!: 

Soup & bread £5.30

Each salad £1.40 

and 5 pieces of cake for £11.00 + a mint tea bag for 20p

Other stuff: 

Child friendly (we had a babe in tow), didn't visit the loos (constitution of a camel), made me want to buy home furnishings (could make it expensive), would travel just for the fruit cake (which makes me a fruit cake - but who cares...).

Comments:

Wish they'd use less cheese!

Go for the cake. (Yes it disappeared without a photo...)

Live your life by the sign propped up against the bar ;)

Super Vegan SUPPERS - ideas for Vegan-uary and beyond!

Never has there been a better time to learn about and experience a plant-based lifestyle.

A lifestyle that's kind to you, to animals and to our beautiful planet.

Whatever you've either heard about Veganism or think about Veganism - perhaps: how hard it is, how boring it might be, how bland the food must be - FORGET IT!!!

Negative perceptions - are just that - PERCEPTIONS - because a lot of industries want you to doubt how good a life Vegans have.

But I'm here to let you in on the world's best kept secret - being VEGAN is WONDERFUL!!!

Of course Veganism is a whole lifestyle, but starting with changes to your diet is the most fun way to begin. So let me show you that it's never about deprivation - more about liberation! Through scrumptious breakfasts, brunches, lunches, suppers and treats.

[All the meals you see here have been made by me, from scratch, in my kitchen at home. I take my inspiration from everywhere and love to be creative too. No time to add all the recipes, so please contact me if something takes your fancy and I'll send you your very own recipe sheet.] 

Much love - Chantal xxx

 

Easy flatbread pizza topped with tomato salsa, griddled veg, olives & pinenuts. Great for a Monday night after work!

Roast pumpkin linguine with sundried tomatoes, chilli basil pesto & croutons. Easy to make, then assemble!

Crispy smoked sesame tofu strips with a sweet and sour vegetable stirfy. Always easy midweek.

Lentil & nut roast (from Fair Foods of Exeter) with paprika parmentier potatoes & a fresh 'rainbow' salad.

A hearty vegan sausage & cider casserole with olive oil mash, romanescu and braised red cabbage. Perfect for Autumn/Winter!

There are hundreds of vegan burgers to be enjoyed! This one is a millet burger with onion relish.

Saturday night can still be curry night! This is a red Thai curry using cucumber, romanescu, courgette & extra chillis cos I like it hot!

And on Sundays something like this mushroom in ale pot pie hits the spot! With roast baby potatoes & steamed seasonal veg. The pastry is Jus-Roll vegan puff.

Spicy courgette rigatone with homemade coleslaw & vegan mayo.

Buddhas delight - a light and healthy vegetable tofu stirfry with steamed basmatti rice.

Stuffed fennel baked in white wine with a piquant tomato sauce.

Tofu and mushroom kebabs in a BBQ marinade with couscous & steamed broccoli.

Smokey mushroom burger with avocado and raw red seeded slaw.

Punjabi style potato curry with green salad, vegan raiita, papadums & mango chutney!

Nut Cutlet (Tesco) with steamed seasonal veg & roast new potatoes.

Mediterranean vegetable linguine with chill basil cashew pesto.

Thai spiced tofu cakes with chilli soy dipping sauce.

Vegetable chilli chimichangas with creamy coleslaw & sweetcorn relish.

Broccoli and peanut bake with seasonal steamed vegetables.

Mock BBQ'd pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw and fresh salad.

Aduki bean curry with a trio of vegan naan breads - coriander, kalonji & peshwari.

Mixed but and lentil loaf with steamed green vegetables.

GF Fusilli with kale and griddled artichokes.

Rich vegetable ratatouille with quinoa & bulgar wheat.

Terriyaki tofu with stir-fried vegetables and noodles.

Savoury root veg oat crumble with steamed vegetables.

Beetroot & beanburger with courgette frittes & rainbow salad.

Sundried tomato and artichoke pithivier with steamed greens.

Spicy root veg and red lentil casserole, topped with soya 'cream'  & served with fresh veg.

Full on vegan fry-up!! (with tofu scramble) Why not?!

And there we have it for Vegan-uary! A month's worth of delicious Vegan supper ideas!

Next up I'll be sharing some incredible new recipes of my own and also cooking from and reviewing tibits new cook book and Vegan Zombie's new cookbook!! Cannot wait!

Enjoy!

Much love, Chantal x x

Vegan for January 2014? Give it a try! Vegan-uary-style!

If you're a vegetarian or veggie-curious - go on, you know you want to! 

So, 'Vegan'...Just what is all the fuss about?

Well sometimes it feels like the world's best kept secret! Perhaps that's because governments and industries like the farming industry, the pharaceuticals industry and the food manufacturing industries don't really want you to know about it!

You're in their control right now, if you're not living a vegan lifestyle - 

and do you really want to be in their control?

No! Didn't think so :)

You can learn about how veganism benefits you, animals and our beautiful planet.

It's truly liberating!

So - sign up to the Veganuary experience here. You won't regret it for a second.

Don't forget you can also get help from the fabulous vegan Twitter community - from my friends at @VeganRevoIution and indeed from me! @vegsoup4thesoul

We're with you all the way - we've been there, done it and we now wear 

the vegan T-shirt proudly.

Here's to the best and most compassionate New Year ever!!!!!

Subscribe to the Veganuary YouTube Channel here!