Author: amy

Leek-&-Potato-Soup

Creamy Leek & Potato Soup with Polenta & Walnut Croutons

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There’s nothing like soup on these chilly autumn days to warm you up and it only takes a little bit of effort to go from a basic soup to amazingly delicious, this is the best soup ever, soup. This summer I went on an amazing and inspiring vegan permaculture course. I met some really amazing people and got introduced to some great, practical and positive ideas to create a regenerative, cruelty-free landscape and abundant future. (If you’re intrigued to know more next years course is now open for bookings.) One of the other amazing things about the course was the food, especially the soups. I had previously thought I made pretty tasty soups but these put mine to shame. So I decided it was time I upped my soup game! Recently I’ve been getting tonnes of leeks in my veg bag and having helped myself to a field of left over potatoes that were “too small” for the farmer to harvest, leek and potato soup was just calling out to be made. But how to …

gnocchi recipe

Squash Gnocchi

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Autumn is all about those golden tones. Browning leaves, warm golden afternoon sunlight and a host of yellows and oranges that equals squash season. Yes, October is here and it’s time to think of a million and one uses for all the squash that is coming our way. Hang on a minute, October?? Is it just me that is freaking out at how quickly this year is going? It seems like everytime I sit down to write a post I’m like ‘Oh my god, where the hell is the year going!’ Well I’m doing it again…. argh!! Keeping focused on the exciting things that October brings rather than the fact that it will be Christmas the next time you blink, this recipe is awesome! It has simple, subtle flavours and brings those golden colours of the season right onto your table. Over the years of squash inundation that comes with getting a seasonal veg box, we’ve made stews, burgers and tagines. This recipe however, is one of my favourites. It’s not the first thing that …

Oat-face-mask

Oat & Calendula Face Mask

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If all this changeable Autumnal weather is just too much for your skin then you might be heading to the shop to pick up a face mask to soothe your stressed skin. Well, stop right there! Shop-bought face masks are mostly full of nasty chemicals, preservatives and fragrances but I’m sure this isn’t shock horror news to you. Most of us know this but we just keep buying them. Maybe it’s the adverts promising us air-brush, “perfect”, pore-free skin or maybe it’s the convenience but whatever the reason it’s time to break with our old habits and create some new ones! It is super dooper easy to make your very own face mask from simple ingredients. Not only are they free from nasty additives making them better for your skin, they are free from packaging! This oat and calendula face mask is perfect for soothing weather stressed skin. Calendula is well known for it’s skin calming and soothing properties and it’s also anti-microbial. Oats are a great, gentle exfoliant and contain a host of skin …

Elderberry & Echinacea Tincture

Elderberry & Echinacea Tincture

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September has arrived, drawing Summer to a close. Things are slowly starting to change, the temperature is getting that bit cooler, the evenings are drawing in. It’s time to think ahead to those even colder, shorter, darker days when flu rears its head. Why, you might ask… … because the elderberries are out and they are well known to help prevent and ease symptoms of colds and flu. So although Summer has barely had a chance to say goodbye, it’s time to prepare for Winter! At the first sign of a cold or flu many of us run to the pharmacy to buy some concoction of paracetamol and caffeine. But never mind those nonsense chemical lemon sachets, elderberries are readily available (more than likely not very far from your doorstep) and with only a little bit of effort, they make the perfect, natural cold and flu prevention tonic. Last year I made an elderberry syrup which I froze in ice-cubes but this year I have a new found skill that I want to put to the test, tinctures! Tinctures …

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Mallorcan Tumbet

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We seem to be racing through August, yes it is August… You may have indeed forgotten it is actually Summer with all these cloudy grey days and rain. But luckily for us the crops are still managing to realise what season we’re in! So yes, hello August, hello Mediterranean vegetables! There’s tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, aubergine galore. If you get a seasonal veg bag no doubt you’ve already had plenty of British grown med veg : ) If you don’t, get yourself down to your local farmers market and taste the delights, it’s a world away from the stuff you buy in a supermarket in the middle of winter imported from who knows where! Now the Mediterranean isn’t normally associated with vegan cuisine but I discovered a traditional vegan dish in Mallorca when on holiday there earlier in the year. With all these wonderful Medeterrean vegetables in season in the UK, I can now finally recreate it at home. Wohoo! This dish is wonderfully simple but oh so delicious!! Mallorcan Tumbet 1 aubergine 2 courgettes 1 onion 2 …

Summer Green Juice

Summer Green Juice

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I have to confess, I’m a bit of a green juice addict. They’re so refreshing and nourishing, it’s like drinking a glass of pure health. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact that juicers are an absolute pain in the arse to clean, I would genuinely be an addict! With all this said, I have just one particular favourite juice that I pretty much make all the time! The only trouble being is that it has apple in it and right now, in the height of summer, we are all out of last seasons apple stores and a few months away from this years season – so I’m having to come up with summer juice alternatives! This one is made with refreshing fennel and cucumber, giving you the perfect taste of summer! It is a pure green juice as it contains only vegetables with only a tiny piece of sneaky lime. It’s not too sweet but it’s crisp and fresh, perfect for a hot August day! Summer Green Juice 1/2 small fennel bulb 1/4 …

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Vegan Strawberry Mousse

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We’ve waited a very long, dark winter and rather rainy spring for soft fruits to come back round into season. And I know I’m not the only one gorging themselves now it is finally upon us. Strawberries are of course the first of the year to ripen (just in time for Wimbledon) and there’s plenty to make with them! Unless you’re my Mum of course who thinks they are so good you should just eat them raw… Well Veronica had different ideas with her Strawberry Galette which she shared with us last strawberry season. I have kept them raw, strictly speaking but have blended them up with cashews to make this delicious and creamy raw strawberry and cashew mousse. It’s so quick and easy to make you have to give it a try. It makes the perfect dessert for a long, warm summer’s evening. Vegan Strawberry Mousse 150g raw cashews 300g strawberries 1 tsp coconut oil 2 tbsp agave syrup Soak the cashew in cold water for at least two hours or preferably overnight. Rinse them thoroughly and leave …

Green your moontime

Green your Moontime // Washable sanitary pads

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Here at Wrapped in Newspaper we are always trying to do our best to minimise our negative impact on the planet. Whether that’s through not consuming animal products, eating local, seasonal produce or avoiding unethical companies, we are always seeking alternative ways of doing things. So what about our menstrual cycle then? We are educated to use disposable sanitary products which is reinforced by advertising and product choice available in mainstream retail outlets. But are disposable products really the best option for the environment and our own health? So even at first glance it would seem that the very nature of disposable pads and tampons are bad for the environment, the clue is in the name there! An average woman throws away 125-150kg of sanitary products in her life time and considering that it takes centuries longer for those products to degrade in landfill than the lifespan of the woman that used them, it really isn’t looking good for the environment. Add to that the fact that many of those products won’t actually make it to landfill and things get …

Vietnamese Vegan Pho with Grilled Asparagus

Vietnamese Vegan Pho with Grilled Asparagus

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Hallelujah! Asparagus is finally here! When you eat in tune with the seasons and something that you haven’t eaten in nearly a year comes back into season, it’s defiantly reason to celebrate! I choose to do so by making something extra-specially delicious. Last year Veronica shared this asparagus soup for the illusive two month asparagus window that runs from the end of April to June here in the UK. I have chosen to share one of my all time favourite dishes, a Vietnamese Pho with the addition of some grilled asparagus which is my favourite way to cook it!! A traditional Pho is all about a slow cooked broth, normally made with beef. However, the main star of the show is really the aromatic spices not the meat so it easily adapts to create a super tasty vegan meal and this version uses a bit of vegetable stock to speed up the process. But of course if you have time, the longer you cook it for the better it’s going to taste! The broth makes enough to serve four which is …

Nettle & WIld Garlic Crepês

Nettle & Wild Garlic, Buckwheat Crêpes

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Last month I wrote about the impending hungry gap when I posted a recipe for a tagine using the last of Winter’s root vegetables. We’re now well into April and the hungry gap is definitely upon us. The Winter crops have come to an end and there’s little in the way of new season produce to fill our bellies. But it’s not all doom and gloom, if you happen to be partial to a spot of foraging there is plenty to be had at this time of year and fresh young nettles are just perfect right now. I’m no foraging expert (so you’ll have look elsewhere for comprehensive guidance) but with a little know how and a little common sense you can find yourself enough to rustle up something resembling a meal in no time. I managed to find the perfect spot of nettles that had just started to come up in a park where a hollow had been left to go wild. Pinch off just the young tops of the nettles (whilst wearing gardening …