Without doubt it’s the year of the vegan – no Chinese animals on my calendar for 2018!

The Wooden Spoon Club (WSC) definitely put the full on veg to the test with not an animal product in sight with the help of popular vegan cooks Deliciously Ella and Aine Carlin along with Yotam Ottolenghi and BBC Good Food.

Starters

Layered No Bake Pesto Tart – Aine Carlin

Quinoa & Turmeric Fritters with Cashew Cream – Deliciously Ella

Mains

Mushroom Wellington – Delicious Everyday on Pinterest

Roasted Butternut and Quinoa with Avocado Cream – Deliciously Ella

Sides

Middle Eastern-Inspired Salad of Aubergine & Cauliflower – Delicious Magazine by Deliciously Ella

Marinated Aubergine with Tahini and Oregano – Ottolenghi

Desserts

Lemon Cheesecake (with added orange) served with Raspberry Compote – BBC Good Food Recipes

Chocolate Pie – Aine Carlin

Overall Conclusion:

Not for those with nut allergies that’s for sure. Cashew nuts featured throughout and justifiably so. The versatility they bring is amazing – the creamy yet crunchy texture makes them a vegan dream ingredient. We certainly felt full despite eating just plant-based foods (and very virtuous too!). The meal was fine for one night, but the main thought was – if you follow a vegan diet completely, it could become rather monotonous. Personally, I could providing could eat the odd egg and some fish too.

I prepared one of the starters – Quinoa and Turmeric Fritters with Cashew Cream which I served on a bed of rocket. I am in full praise of Deliciously Ella (aka Ella Woodward Mills) for her amazingly easy recipes which are full of imaginative ideas and creativity, although I would question some of her ingredient quantities and the uniformity of her recipes. If you would like an independent recipe tester #deliciouslyella do get in touch I would love to be part of the team!

Next meeting: Gordon Ramsay – we’ll keep it clean!!