Vegan Favourites 2014 - January

Sigh. That is the sound that I will make when the month of January ends - where has it gone?! Yet February brings many positive events in my life, and I am looking forward to delving even more into this vegan journey. I want to add that I am not yet 100% vegan, although by the end of next month I hope to be. I am simply using things up that I do not want to waste before buying some more vegan goodies!

This post is going to focus on some of my favourite vegan meals, snacks, drinks and the like from the month of January that I have been savouring. I hope you enjoy! And whether you are a committed vegan or like me, just starting out, keep it up! 

Meals:

• Baked sweet potatoes with hummus. So simple I know, yet so comforting in this winter chill! I am having this for my lunch today as a matter of fact, due to my obsession with the taste that is delivered with this 'dish' (can you even call it that?).
• Vegan fettuccine alfredo - delicious! I use the recipe from the 'Chloe's Vegan Kitchen' cookbook and let me tell you that it does not disappoint. I sprinkle some nutritional yeast and garlic salt on top and hey presto! 
• Chia porridge oat parfait with banana 'soft serve ice cream'. I gained inspiration for this from the OhSheGlows website. The recipe in question used carob, yet I stuck with some raw cacao powder. Here is what I used to make this delicious breakfast:

1/3 cup porridge oats

1 tbsp chia seeds

2/3 cup of almond milk

1 tsp cacao

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Put all of the above in a sealed container, stir, then leave in the fridge overnight.

Banana 'soft serve':

1 banana, sliced and frozen

2/3 tsp cacao

1/2 sachet truvia

A splash of almond milk to help with the blending.

Blend all of the above until smooth. Layer in a bowl/jar with the oat mixture and serve immediately. Yum! 

Snacks:

• Bananas with nut butter. Need I say any more? I buy the Whole Earth peanut butter sachets and have one with a banana as a light breakfast/snack. 
• Fruit! I am currently in love with clementines and cherries - absolute bliss, and makes me feel like I am in a tropical paradise instead of the UK. If only...

Drinks:

• Coconut water! Specifically, Zico. This stuff is deliciously refreshing, and provides the electrolytes that Lucozade would with a healthier twist. Great after a workout if I done such a thing often enough! 
• Juices. My amazing other half bought me a Sage juicer for Christmas and I am in love! My particular favourite is 1 mango, 1 pineapple and 1/3 of a lime juiced. Serve 2 people over ice and enjoy! You can thank me later ;) (This could also be a meal for 1 if you juiced a large mango, large pineapple and the 1/3 of a lime - great for a detox!)

So that sums up my main delights of January. To state all of the things that I enjoyed this month would be far too time consuming! I will try to do reviews of some of the items that I have missed out. In the mean time, enjoy the rest of January!