What's in my lunchbox? Cybher

So rule number 2 for being a vegan is probably take lunch with you. What form that takes is up to you. Indulge yourself. It's your lunch.

So this the lunch I took to Cybher with me.

The sandwiches contain 'egg' salad based on the recipe from How it all vegan and the tofu used for this was made by my own hands. I don't think I've ever actually eaten egg salad in the American/Canadian sense so I've no idea how close this is the original. However what I can say is that it was a very tasty indeed. I do love pickles. I toasted the bread lightly first to stop it getting too soggy and threw in some sun dried tomatoes.

Like many conferences vegan options were thin on the ground. There were lots of biscuits and cakes that I just wasn't going to be eating but who cares when you have an apple crunch Nakd bar and some pineapple?

Likewise the mini burger and chips plate wasn't up my street but happily someone got me a bowl of beetroot salad minus the goats cheese at lunch time.

Moral of this story – it always pays to ask but pack your own lunch anyway, and don't forget snacks. And what was Cybher like apart from the food? – that is a story for another day. In fact its very likely a tale for tomorrow.

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Krazy Korean lunch club

The thing about vegans is that they like to eat. They appreciate good food and lots of it. Alas when eating away from one's home it's often the opposite - a single menu item (which probably involves roasted vegetables). And whether you're eating in a restaurant or at a friend's home there's always the slight fear that your idea of what's vegan friendly and theirs won't quite match.

Happily none of the above apply when attending The Vegan Ronin's underground supper club. My previous experiences of Korean food are somewhat limited, however I'm now inclined to think that it's a cuisine I can really get on with. There was plenty of heat, mushrooms and not a roasted vegetable in sight. I really liked that so much of the food used seasonal ingredients or items that store well (e.g. Dried fruit). And bizarrely in what I have written below I seem to think that many of the dishes are just what my Christmas dinner table needs.

Of course reviews generally are much easier to write if you didn't like something. You can pick at this and that. Instead you get a stream of photo and variations on yummy! If you want to get a proper idea of exactly what food was served I'd suggest reading the Vegan Ronin's write up of the day including the full menu.

I should also say that the atmosphere is fantastic. It was brilliant to meet some other vegans and chat about a whole variety of subjects. Jhenn and Ed were excellent hosts, happy to share their experiences of Japan.

To kick things off, bubble tea. This was my first experience of this beverage. It was slightly odd for the first few mouthfuls and then I decided that it's a drink and snack combined. I'm now wondering if I can make a Christmas pudding flavour version to serve at new year.

We then moved to spicy mushroom soup and fresh tofu. Fresh tofu! I don't think I've tasted tofu so good since I was in Japan and its a definite incentive to percivere with my efforts in this area.

This is apparently a Bibimbap and would usually be served in a fearfully hot stone bowl which would allow all the ingredients to cook together. Happily Jhenn has done some broiling thus removing the need for super hot bowls. The sauce however was wonderfully hot. The kind of heat that clears out your sinuses and makes you long for the next bite.

I absolutely loved the roasted cauliflower with sweet soy. It made my mouth sing in the way that cheddar cheese used to. I tried to express this coherently to the rest of the table but was unable to get much beyond "mmmmm,". I'm imaging serving these at Christmas along with roast potatoes and Brussel sprouts.The hot and spicy wings were fabulous. Something I've always wanted to try but felt my setian making skills just weren't up to it.

And finally dumplings. A definite for the Christmas table as alternative to the more traditional pudding. It was served with warm coconut cream (which reminded me of evaporated milk) and there was brown rice or jasmine tea.
Strangely I seem to have failed to snap any pictures of the Kimchi. This was a central feature of the meal and went with everything (except dessert).

So a fantastic meal, good people and lots of cooking inspiration. I now really want to attend one of the Japanese nights. It might even make onto my 40 for forty list.

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June photo a day challenge

So I have fabulous friends who are wonderful at alerting me to stuff I might be interested in. Carla of Ducking Fabulous flagged up the June photo a day challenge that purplenina is doing. Her theme was 'green' so I was powerless to resist!
I'll be posting a green themed photo each day in June to Instagram (@midorigreenuk). These appear on my main website midorigreen (which attempts to bring together my many interests that make up a fabulous green filled, vegan life).
Happy June!

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Forty for 40

My 40th birthday is well over a year away. But it's close enough. I only realised just how close it was talking about potential birthday celebrations for a friend who I suddenly realised was the same age as me.

I know that reaching this age is considered to be the end of youth. As a child 40 seemed very old. I thought that by I'd have my life all sorted out and that I'd have somehow overcome my lack of interest in marriage and children. That I'd wake up at 40 to find I was a mother, a wife and all settled.

However my interests over the years seem to have gone off in all kinds of other directions. Rather pleasing I seem to have turned into an eccentric aunt with lots of exciting things going on in her life.

Setting goals for Club 20 (see www.changeyourlifein20weeks.wordpress.com) has made me think about what I could do between now and then. Small things I never seem to find a couple of hours to try. Larger things that would require planning but be fun to do. So I'm drawing up a forty for 40 list. Lots of the things on it I would have done anyway. However I like the thought of being able to look back from the heady heights of 40 and admiring the richness of my life.

And then start on fifty for 50. After all wonderful things can happen in a year or so. Imagine what one could do with a decade!

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Things I Love Thursday

It's tofu - in case you were wondering

• Pulling the right thread for a jumper to unravel – because it’s more fun than endless unpicking
• Progress on goals with Club 20 – tofu making, knitting socks, decluttering for cash – find out more at www.changeyourlifeon20weeks.wordpress.com
• Amazing vegan food - because between Krazy Korean lunch club, Vegfest, my own cooking, and supplies from Vx I have one happy belly
• Time with friends - self explanatory but no less wonderful
• Sunshine – it’s a novelty
• Decluttering – less stuff, more space
• Playing with my band - we're sounding really tight and it's fun
• Using a Pomodoro timer online http://e.ggtimer.com/pomodoro – great for getting me to stop procrastinating and get started on stuff
• Green glittery shoes - I’ve yet to find an outfit they don’t go with
• Asparagus and potato soup the recipe for this in VWAV is amazing nad extra yummy made with Jersey Royals
• Green mascara - because I never realised it could look so good

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What's in my lunch box? Inspiration strikes

This was a truly delightful lunch and so fast to pull together. It was a bank holiday Monday evening and my challenge was to prepare some lunches for the week ahead. Flushed with inspiration from my various recent activities (Divine home-made food at Secret vegan lunch club, the vegetable glories that are Borough market, sunshine, music and yet more food at Vegfest) I whipped up the following in no time at all.

Clockwise from top right:
Tandoori tofu – This was based on a recipe by Rose Eliot for tandoori paneer. She suggested trying it with tofu. What makes it really excellent is that it doesn't need to marinade for hours. I messed around the recipe a bit because I had lots of fresh ginger to hand and baked instead of grilling but a speedy and tasty triumph. It warmed nicely in the microwave too.
Flatbreads – I've been experimenting with making these a bit thicker. They take a tiny bit longer to cook but are still massively handing as they are fast, tasty and the ingredients are always to hand.
Radishes – These worked well against the warm tofu and thick flatbreads
Baked rhubarb and raspberry oatmeal – This is based on a recipe from Scandi – Home, a most delightful blog. Only I missed out the almonds and cinnamon. And chucked in raspberries and coconut. They are somewhere between a flapjack and a crumble. I bet they would be even better with warm coconut milk poured over (rather in the style of Weetabix and hot milk).

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What's in my lunchbox this week? Bobby's Girl Vintage

I tend to take food with me when I’m out and about. Unless my outing involves a planned visit to a vegan event, restaurant or shop I can never be certain what I’ll be able to eat. I can get by on jacket potatoes and baked beans if necessary but it’s so much nicer to take my own food. A girl can only eat so many baked beans!

Saturday I was manning a stall for Ink Drops Boxes at Bobby’s Girl Vintage fayre in Chelmsford. We were offering stationery pick ‘n’ mix and hoping for a chance to chat with customers and share the joy of hand written letters. Naturally I packed lunch. You don’t get much more vintage than a eating a packed lunch while wearing a 1950s dress and enthusing about letters appearing on your doormat. It just needed a flask of tea to make it really vintage. And maybe a slightly more traditional contents to my lunch box….

Clockwise from top right:
Habas fritas – deep fried broad beans – these tasted rather sweeter than usual
Grapes
Rice paper wraps – filled with brown rice noodles, spring onions and alfalfa
Radishes

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