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Monthly Archives: March 2014

Motorway Breakdown ABC

31 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by flavourphotos in Things I like...

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Alphabet, Motorway ABC, motorway game

Have you ever broken down on the side of a busy road and had to wait for your breakdown cover to send a recovery vehicle?
Here’s a boredom busting new game for creative shape spotters.

A couple of days ago I made my way south to the beautiful city of Brighton for one of the favourite events in my annual calendar – Vegfest (proper write up to follow!).
When my car broke down on the M25 I wasn’t impressed to hear that I’d be waiting an hour and a half for a recovery vehicle… by myself on the side of one of the busiest motorways in the country. However, I’ve come up with a great concept for anyone who ever finds themselves stuck but equipped with a camera/camera phone/iPad etc.

Motorway Breakdown ABC is a game that can be played on the ‘safe side’ of the protective motorway barrier and is a fun way to pass the time. I can’t believe how ‘lucky’ I was to break down just by a large sign, which offered endless creative possibilities 😉 All these images were taken within 10 metres of my car and I only had to cheat a tiny bit (G, P and R).

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I
I
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J
K
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Q
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R
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W
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X
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Y
Z
Z

Disclaimer: Please be 100% safe! Do not put yourself or other drivers at risk at any time.

Moral of the story… don’t ever leave the house without a camera!
I hope this made you smile! Have a great week and safe travels.

It’s Mother’s Day… or is it?

25 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by flavourphotos in Food Photography, Vegan Recipes

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Afternoon Tea, Biscuits, chocolate mousse, cookies, Food photography, Isle of Bute, Mother's Day, Spitzbuben, Tofu recipe, Tofu Scramble, VBites, Vegan, Vegetarian

This Sunday is Mother’s Day – In some parts of the world! I hope you’ll find plenty of opportunity to spoil your mum, your mother-in-law, any mum, really…  Just go for it! I hope these Recipe ideas will give you some foodie inspiration.

Vegan Scrambled Tofu

We all sometimes feel that our own country is the centre of the world. What seems a date set in stone in our annual calendar means absolutely nothing to millions of people around the world. Did you know that there are 10 months in the year where some country somewhere celebrates Mother’s Day? Here’s just a small selection of nations… all choosing different days and reasons to celebrate mothers and motherhood around the globe.

Mother's Day intl
Source: good old Wikipedia 

I’m probably sharing this with you in an attempt to excuse and justify my very own Mother’s Day mix-up 😉
Seventeen years ago, during my first visit to the UK, the shops had their shelves filled with gifts and cards and were getting ready for Mother’s Day. Of course, I made sure to send my mum a card to Germany and she sounded delighted when I phoned that Sunday. Eventually she let it slip that it wasn’t Mother’s Day at all in Germany (had I forgotten that it was in May?) but that she really, really liked the surprise!

Just goes to show… it’s often the unexpected surprises that really touch our hearts. Breakfast in bed, a surprise invitation for coffee or even a trip to the movies…
Make your Mum’s day whether it’s this Sunday or any other. Mongolian Mother’s and Children’s Day anyone (June 1st)?

Vegan Scrambled Tofu

Vegan Tofu Scramble.

Serves 2 (or 4 if you make it as part of a Full English Breakfast)

Sauté two spring onion in a little vegetable oil and add 3 heaped tbsp of chopped, vegan ‘chorizo’ pieces (I used Isle of Bute’s Vegandeli Smoked Gourmet Chorizo, but VBites also do a nicely spicy variety).
Roughly mash a 400g block of tofu with a fork and add it to the pan, together with 4-5 quartered cherry tomatoes. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, garlic salt and a very small amount (just the tip of a knife) of turmeric to add some colour. Adjust the seasoning to taste and sprinkle generously with chopped chives. Great for a brunch with thick slices of granary bread.

Tip: Sliced mushrooms are a tasty alternative to the ‘chorizo’ pieces in this Tofu Scramble.

 

Afternoon Tea Surprise – Chocolate Mousse
Vegan Mousse Espresso

This recipe would be perfect for an elegant afternoon tea.

 

Cheeky Chaps Biscuits (Spitzbuben)
Spitzbuben 4

Appropriately named? These cute cookies make a sweet and thoughtful gift.

Is it Mother’s Day where you are this Sunday? Who’s planning something fun?
I’d love to hear about your very own Mother’s Day ‘traditions’.

 

 

 

 

Springtime in the Cotswolds

17 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by flavourphotos in Things I like...

≈ 13 Comments

The sun has got his hat on… After a weekend of glorious sunshine, I couldn’t resist taking my camera out for a walk this morning! Enjoy some of these beautiful messengers of early spring.

For weeks now, I’ve been following the wordsandherbs blog and have enjoyed the charming ways Cathy captures the spring awakening in my native Bavaria. Walking my two boys to school, I’ve vowed to return the favour and show the fabulous kaleidoscope of colours we’re enjoying this March in the UK.

Have a lovely day, wherever your are 🙂

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All images ©flavourphotos. Please ask if you’d like to use any.

National Vegetarian Week… A sneaky preview

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by flavourphotos in Vegan Recipes

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Food photography, National Vegetarian Week, recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Society

Are you getting in the mood for National Vegetarian Week? Here’s a sneaky preview of the recipe photos …

How exciting to share these vibrant photos with you – they have just gone live yesterday. The Vegetarian Society are brilliant allies to show off how exciting, fun and delicious meat-free cooking can be!
I know that the food photography world still likes all things distressed and shabby chic at the moment. However, for this year’s National Vegetarian Week the Vegetarian Society has asked me to create recipe photos in a beautiful rainbow of colours! I hope you’ll love them as much as we do 🙂

During the week 19-25 May, I will be posting a recipe each day to share these gorgeous dishes with you. You can also sign up to the ‘Dare to go veggie’ challenge here and get the recipes emailed to you directly. I know, it’s still two months but I just couldn’t wait to let you take a little peek!

Take our #VeggieWeek challenge and we'll email you amazing recipes each day of #VeggieWeek. http://t.co/rPJQx9KShh pic.twitter.com/pMyoDQEvjf

— NationalVeggieWeek (@nvw2015) March 11, 2014

Sausage-sizzling Germany – An unexpected vegan paradise!

10 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by flavourphotos in Vegan Recipes

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Attila Hildman, dairy-free, ethical choices, Germany, health food shops, organic, regional growing, seasonal, sustainability, Vegan, vegan sausages, Vegetarian

Whether you’re vegan, veggie or simply passionate about all things ‘foodie’, get ready for some heart-warming, life-affirming news!

Once upon a time being a German vegan felt more arduous and challenging than trying to rescue a princess from her enchanted tower. However, during the last decade, Germany has steadily turned into a magical fairy-tale wonderland for vegans. A powerful drive in the last couple of years has propelled this sausage-and-meat guzzling country to the forefront of cruelty-free trendsetting.

LRSandwich spreads

Last November, while visiting my family, I researched an article on Veganism in Germany – the results were truly delightful and shocking in equal measure.
Being vegan in Germany is considered really cool right now! With each visit to my home region of Bavaria I am greeted with more vegan food choices, new vegan products, more vegan cookbooks on the shelves and endless exciting news about recent developments. This is delightful. Yet, at the same time, I am shocked that the public perception and acceptance of veganism here in the UK seem to lag behind by such a long way in comparison. I just can’t wait to see the UK embracing vegan lifestyle choices just as positively and whole-heartedly. After all, so much energy and effort is being invested everyday by local groups, national campaigning organisations, vegan show organisers and cruelty-free companies. So let me tell you a bit about the latest headlines from Vegan HQ in Germany. I hope, like me, you will then feel full of inspiration, renewed energy and enthusiasm to be part of the movement for a happier, healthier and kinder planet…

Between eight and nine percent of Germany’s vast population is vegetarian – and included in that figure are 800000 vegans. That’s a huge number of consumers creating a daily demand for cruelty-free food options in supermarkets, shops and restaurants. And these people have created an amazing momentum that is proving hard to stop. In 2013 it wasn’t Jamie Oliver’s latest (and believe me, the Germans love him too!), but Vegan For Fit by vegan guru Attila Hildmann that grabbed the number one spot in the German cookbook bestseller charts. Its sales were way ahead of all the most famous German celebrity chefs.
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The local health food shop Ährensache, in my hometown Bad Aibling, has traded for twenty years and has always been a favourite place for me. But this year I was greeted with a huge choice and variety of new products that really bowled me over. I chatted with Gerlinde Deininger, the owner of the shop, and she confirmed exactly what I was thinking: in Germany, veganism is the next big thing… well actually it is the present big thing! To see this happening in front of my eyes is both exhilarating and incredibly inspirational. Young people, particularly, are beginning to make healthy and ethical eating choices for the sake of their own bodies, for animal welfare and the long-term wellbeing of our planet.

LRHerbal tea

Germans love good food and (maybe it’s a cultural thing!) they will not put up with tasteless or bland food options in their shops. Their wallets speak loudly and clearly… and the amazing choice and variety of produce on the shelves are a true testament to this. German health food shops today stock a vast range of delicious vegan sandwich spreads and pates made from high-quality, often organic, ingredients. One of my particular favourites is a horseradish spread or dip with a sunflower seed base. It’s creamy, nutritious and utterly delectable. These spreads and dips always threaten to tip my suitcase over the airline weight limit on my return flight to the UK! Since becoming vegetarian and then vegan in 1999, the wide range of meat-free alternatives in the chiller cabinet in Ährensache has always been an interesting focal point for me. Anything from vegan sausages to doner kebab, grain burgers and marinated tofu is on sale. And in the last few months there’s been a real boom in the vegan cheese market as well. As a food writer and photographer, these new products get me really excited and impatient to drag my ‘loot’ back home and start experimenting in the kitchen.

LRChilled section LRGerlinde DeiningerGerlinde Deininger

Browsing the stacked aisles, I came across the organic fresh produce section. The owners have spent many years building up strong and fair relationships with the local farming community. And so their fruit and vegetable display is brimming with wonderful, seasonal produce ‘Aus der Region’ (from the local region). Apples and pumpkins from the Bodensee (Lake Constance) area, local organic potatoes and onions etc. Mrs Deininger also told me about a very conscious move towards more sustainable, regional crop planting which is offering a real alternative to her customers. The farming area around the Bodensee turns out to be a wonderfully fertile ground for producing soya beans. So now, instead of relying on imported soya, Hofgut Storzeln is using these locally produced soya beans to make dairy-free milks.

LRFresh produce
LRBodensee Soya milk LRDairy alternatives LRSpreads and Patés LROrganic veg
After feeling all the energy and passion fuelling this amazing change that is giving veganism such a great name in Germany, I felt a bit deflated at first on my return to the UK. It didn’t last long, though!
When I think of all the fabulous vegan fairs and festivals up and down the country, Veganuary!, new vegan magazine publications, vegan supermarket appearing etc., I feel really encouraged and re-energised. Knowing the power we exercise every day with our wallets and shopping trolleys, gives me a real sense of hope for a happier, kinder world for us all. So watch out Germany, we are ready to change the world for the better, with you!

This article was published in Fresh Vegan Magazine, Spring 2014

Have you ever found delicious meat-free meals in unlikely and unexpected places? It would be great to read about your special finds! And if you’ve ever travelled to Germany, I would just love to hear all about your experiences.

Pancakes, Pfannkuchen and Crêpes…

03 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by flavourphotos in Vegan Recipes

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

Banana Pancake, Breakfast, Crepe, dairy-free, Fasching, Leek, Main course, Mushroom, National Vegetarian Week, Pancake, Pancake Day, Pancake race, Pfannkuchen, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarian Living

Whether you call them pannenkoek, panqueca or krep, there’s no two ways about it… they are a food of many happy memories! Can’t wait to share these two recipes for Pancake Day.

My mum is a fabulous cook and whenever she made Pfannkuchen for my sister and me, she’d be trying hard to keep up with our endless appetite. I can still conjure up the sweet smells in the kitchen and the hissing sound as the pancake batter hit the pan. Whether you have got a sweet tooth or are a lover of all things savoury, I hope you’ll find a recipe to inspire you for Shrove Tuesday?

NVW Pancakes

Vegan Savoury Pancakes

Creamy Leek and Mushroom Pancakes

This recipe was part of my first Vegetarian Living column. The combination of the mellow sweetness of softened leeks with the crunch of roasted hazelnuts works really well.

Serves 4

For the pancakes:
1 cup soya milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp chopped parsley
vegetable oil

For the filling:
2-3 leeks, cut in slices
3 spring onions, sliced
250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
dairy-free cream (e.g. soya or oat cream)
vegetable stock cube or powder
salt and pepper
chopped roasted hazelnuts

Place all pancake ingredients in a large measuring jug and whiz with a handblender until completely smooth. Add a little more milk until you have a runny batter that can easily spread around a frying pan. Use your favourite pan and make 4-6 pancakes. Cover and keep them warm until your filling is ready.

Next, sauté the leeks and spring onions in vegetable oil over a medium heat. You don’t want them to turn brown but go nicely soft and mellow. After about 5-7 minutes add the mushrooms, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and keep sautéing over a medium heat until the leek is tender. (Add a little vegetable stock if necessary.) Pour in a generous splash of cream and season to taste.
Spoon some filling onto each pancake, sprinkle with hazelnuts and fold it over.

NVW Pancakes

Patricia’s Breakfast Pancakes

Patricia’s recipe was part of last year’s National Vegetarian Week. It worked out perfectly that I was taking the photos on the actual Pancake Day last year :-)Serves 2

Ingredients

1 mug plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 mug soya milk
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method
1. Mix the plain flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. Add the soya milk and a mashed ripe banana. Mix well with a wooden spoon. (I think I added a little extra sugar to this. Sorry, sweet tooth!)
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and pour in a quarter of the mixture. When golden on the bottom, turn and cook the other side.
Serve immediately with maple syrup or fruit salad and plain soya yoghurt, soya cream or vanilla vegan ice cream.
The cultural differences around the pre-lent days still make me chuckle a bit. In Germany there’s the biggest, craziest Fashingsparty going on around Shrove Tuesday. There’s fancy dress, processions and oversized smurfs, celebrity and politician lookalikes and other characters on floats dishing out sweets and little toys to the vast audiences. Meanwhile in the UK we mark the day with… oh yes, pancake races like this one in a local town! 😉
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Check out these pictures from my home town in Bavaria. What a crazy bunch!I would just love to hear all about your favourite pancake memories and toppings. Are you more in the savoury or in the sweet team – do let me know how you eat yours. Happy flipping!

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flavourphotos

flavourphotos

I'm a vegan food photographer and cookery writer - my passion and my job for over 11 years now! I'd love to share my experience and knowledge to make this world a happier, more compassionate and kinder place for us all.

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