HOW TO VEGAN: PLANT MILK GUIDE

One of the most daunting things about transitioning to a vegan diet is finding the best plant-based alternatives to the staple items in your kitchen. Finding the perfect plant milk is one of these, as many are more effective for certain purposes than others, and this guide will seek to help when choosing which milk to opt for. There is no point in assuming these will taste like dairy milk in any way, because they don't, but when you find the right ones they are delicious.

Cereal/porridge: for this, you can essentially use any plant milk on the market as they all compliment cereal in different ways, and in reality this one just depends on your personal preference. My favourite for cereal is hazelnut milk as it has a really rich and unique flavour which adds something extra to your cereal, but when I don't have this at home I just reach for whatever is available. If you want to really treat yourself, try chocolate soya milk in porridge. Sweetened versions of plant milks usually work best for pairing with cereal.

Hot drinks: this is something that scares off a lot of new vegans as the milk can seem to almost separate when in a hot drink - this isn't actually anything to be bothered by but it's understandable to not want this. If this bothers you, try the Oatly Barista edition milk, it's specially made for hot drinks and also I find oat milk to be the one which doesn't alter the taste of tea or coffee - and avid hot drink lovers will appreciate this I'm sure.

Cooking: milk can often be a component to many recipes in cooking and this of course needs to be chosen correctly to avoid the risk of the flavour being thrown off. For curries, always opt for coconut milk as it works the best and is commonly used anyway even in non-vegan dishes (or, try the Oatly cream for something even creamier). For use in making sauces - for example a vegan cheese or alfredo sauce, I stand by oat milk once again, or rice milk works pretty well too. Maybe opt for unsweetened versions to ensure the taste isn't off.

Baking: this is another that generally can universal, however my favourites are almond milk and oat milk. You can adapt the milk flavour to the recipe you're creating too, and even could use chocolate soya or almond milk when you're baking something chocolate flavour for extra richness. A lot of recipes for baking require you to mix the milk with cider vinegar to create a 'buttermilk' type thing, so sometimes this can change the taste - so perhaps don't be too concerned with what type of milk you choose here.

Hopefully this makes things a little easier when deciding your plant milks of choice, and let me know your favourites in the comments! I'm always up for trying new brands and types considering so many new products get released these days.

HOW TO VEGAN: CHINESE TAKEAWAY

I'm starting a new series on my blog titled 'how to vegan', as a way of making meals and takeaways more straightforward to new vegans or those transitioning, and thought as Veganuary is underway this would be the perfect time to begin. Chinese food is one of my all time favourites, and although some of you might be on new year diets and wanting to avoid takeaways, this guide will prove helpful throughout the year anyway. These guides will aim to give some basic pointers as to how to navigate your favourite meals/cuisines as a vegan and make life slightly easier, as well as demonstrating that you can always join in with non-vegan eaters when they order food.

The obvious options: this might be something of a no-brainer, but starting with the basic options that are undoubtedly vegan can get you a pretty substantial offering of choices already (although if you ever are concerned about cross contamination, or where the items are cooked definitely consider contacting the shop before ordering). My ultimate favourites under this category are salt and chilli chips (divine), crispy seaweed and vegetarian mini spring rolls. With a side of curry sauce you've got yourself some tasty options already.

Noodles: this isn't always guaranteed, but it is common for some takeaways to use wheat noodles rather than egg noodles - meaning vegetarian/mushroom chow mein and plain fried noodle dishes are often vegan-friendly. This is one that is often worth checking beforehand, but if you are still concerned simply just switch to fried rice with no egg.

Tofu based dishes: not all takeaways offer tofu based dishes, but where they do, it is delicious. It is deep fried so the classic tofu texture is usually not there at all, and can be found in a variety of styles - black bean, curry, or salt and chilli to name a few (which of course is my favourite, pairing nicely with the chips). If you are struggling to find tofu on the menu, look for deep fried 'bean curd' instead - it's just another name for it, and will probably be under the vegetarian options. If all else fails, a vegetable or mushroom curry could do the trick for your main dish.

Veggie specialised takeaways: this is one for those who predominantly live in bigger cities, as in my small home town this isn't an option, but if you're lucky some Chinese takeaways actually specialise in vegetarian options, offering a selection of mock meats in classic Chinese dishes meaning the options are endless and nothing is missed out on. However, if you don't have access to this, I'm sure this post has demonstrated that it is always possible to create a substantial meal just by looking around the menu a bit more.

So, that's the first 'how to vegan' guide dealt with, if there's any particular meals, restaurants or cuisines you would like to see next, leave some recommendations in the comments for inspiration and I'll try and give those a go, especially if you need help during veganuary!

FLUFFY VEGAN PANCAKES

Pancakes are the perfect weekend breakfast/brunch treat, and even though vegans don't eat eggs, pancakes can still be made vegan - so I thought I would share in time for you to make these on Sunday morning if you fancy. These are just simple fluffy pancakes and you can customise them however you wish - for mine, I added a little cinnamon to the mix before cooking as well as topping with banana and strawberries (I will share my blueberry topping recipe at some point too).

The recipe is actually one that I just got from Tasty - their fluffy vegan pancakes recipe, and it is certainly the best I've tried and they taste no different to pancakes I had as a non-vegan. Other recipes I have tried haven't tasted as sweet or just don't quite satisfying my pancake craving so I always stick to this one now.

This recipe serves 4 (however if you're feeling particularly hungry and want to indulge, split it between 2), and is taken from the Tasty website which is linked here.

125 grams flour (I use gluten-free flour for mine, however literally any will work)
2 tablespoons organic sugar (organic ensures it is vegan-friendly)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
240 millilitres of vegan milk - I use oat milk and think they taste best with this, but again any will work just as well and using your favourite is the best idea!
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (allows you to create a buttermilk so they are fluffy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Any toppings you desire (and I also added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the mix)

Recipe:

1.  Add the dry ingredients and combine by stirring
2. Combine the vegan milk, apple cider vinegar and vanilla and stir to combine - leave to rest for a few minutes so that it kind of 'separates' - this is necessary for the fluffiness, don't freak out over it!
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients - then leave the batter to sit for a few minutes again
4. Pour desired amount of batter into a pan (non-stick works best) and wait for it to bubble, then flip on the other side
5. Serve when still warm and top with whatever you desire!

This really is such a simple recipe and now it's got me craving pancakes again. I want to try a few more topping/filling ideas at some point so I'll definitely be back to report my findings of what works really well. Don't forget to tag me on Instagram if you try any of the recipes I post - @v.petitedecember

COMFORTING VEGAN SHEPHERD'S PIE

As the weather gets colder and more grey, I start craving more comforting winter meals such as shepherd's pie. This used to be one of my favourite meals before turning vegan, and with this recipe I threw together it remains one of my favourite recipes. The recipe here I have listed is for 1 serving (I made this for myself in a small serving dish as my family aren't vegan and so I am basing it on that, but just multiply the recipe to suit any needs and make it in a bigger dish and serve separately). The secret ingredient is baked beans - only a spoon or two - and before you squirm at the thought of it, it needs to be tested as it adds a lot of flavour and some extra protein.

Ingredients: (1 serving)

• 1 tbsp of oil (any kind)
• 1/2 a white onion
• 1 small carrot
• 1 handful of frozen peas
• 1/4 of a bag of vegan mince (I use Tesco own vegetarian mince which is vegan, but any will work)
• A few spoons of baked beans
• 1 baking potato
• 1 tsp of vegan butter
• Approx 100ml of gravy (red Bisto is vegan), or veggie stock depending on preference - I use gravy as it adds extra flavour

Recipe:

1. Chop onion and carrot into small pieces (like pictured above) and fry off gently in the oil until slightly soft
2. Add the vegan mince and fry until no longer frozen, adding the peas once this has happened
3. Reduce the heat, and add a few spoonfuls of baked beans to the mix and stir
4. Pour over the gravy and stir until thick but with some liquid still remaining (you may not need all the gravy, or you may want to add more - totally depends on preference) and remove from heat
5. Add this mixture to a dish and place in the oven for around 15 mins
6. Whilst this is cooking, chop and boil the potatoes until soft
7. Once potatoes are soft, mash until smooth and add vegan butter/milk as preferred so that it is creamy
8. Remove the dish from the oven and place the mash on top, creating some fork marks so that the top can go slightly browned and cripsy
9. Place back in the oven for around 15 minutes, or until it is as crispy as you desire
10. Serve immediately, with fresh cooked vegetables and extra gravy if you wish.

In reality this is a very simple meal to make, and you can throw in any veg you want - or even make the mash with sweet potato! Instead of vegan mince you could also try this with lentils, it really is a super versatile meal and brings a lot of comfort in the cold winter evenings.

MY JOURNEY TO VEGANISM SO FAR

Earlier this year, I decided to make a transition in my life and being a journey towards a vegan lifestyle. Although I can't claim to be fully vegan yet in terms of general lifestyle (more on this later), my diet has fully transitioned and I have been eating vegan/plant-based since the end of February this year. I had been putting off posting this for a while now as I had no idea how people would react to it, however with so many big talks on climate change and the environment over the past couple of days I could not delay it any longer - as a plant-based diet may offer some solutions to these pressing problems.

After facing various struggles over the past year or two I began to become less motivated about blogging, however I thought this transition towards veganism would be a perfect way to restart and become passionate about this again. Even more so because I am still on the path towards full veganism - being a uni student I just can't afford to throw away all my makeup and toiletries and buy new ones (I also think wasting current products creates another problem), so my process so far is when things run out I am replacing them with cruelty free products over time, and in the future my full collection will eventually be fully cruelty free. This way, I can use my blog to trial and test cruelty free makeup and prove that it is possible and affordable to make slight changes like these - as there are so many things on offer now.

My aim for this new blogging journey isn't to be overly preachy, nor critical of people who make certain changes and not others - in my opinion any change has the opportunity to make a difference and so this shouldn't be scrutinised (something that I have witnessed a lot within the vegan community). In this current period where change needs to happen in order to save the planet, this is a time for encouraging (not forcing) people to look into veganism/being plant-based, rather than attacking those who make small changes rather than the full change. So with this being said, the future of my blog will share recipes, as well as beauty and fashion products as I did before with a focus on the cruelty free/vegan market.