Month: May 2018

Wagamama’s new vegan dishes reviewed

~ Paul ~ 2 Comments

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Wagamama’s vegatsu curry has been making waves in vegan circles – so I was excited to try it when I was invited to the Peterborough branch on behalf of the Peterborough Vegan Group.

My partner in vegan admin crime and I actually tried the whole vegan menu – but I’ve reviewed the kare burosu, yasai steamed gyoza and dessert in a previous blog – https://veganonadesertisland.com/2017/11/26/a-vegan-meal-out-at-wagamama-food-review/

It must also be said that the yasai katsu curry is newly vegan on the menu – originally, the salad dressing meant it wasn’t – that has been replaced with seasoning.

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The harusame glass noodle salad is also new to the menu – don’t worry, the noodles aren’t made of real glass.

It must be said that Wagamama has the Vegan Society accreditation – this is only possible through having a separate vegan fryer in the kitchen. When dishes are ordered they actually flash up white, green for veggie or orange for vegan on the kitchen’s order screen.

I love how the vegatsu and the mixed mushroom and panko aubergine hirata steamed buns are marked with a “vegan hero” symbol – both actually tasted heroic -although, I do wish they would use capital letters on the menu – as a former sub-editor, this offends me greatly (even if the food still rocks).

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I actually fell madly and passionately in love with the, now vegan, the mixed mushroom and panko aubergine hirata steamed buns (£5.50) as a starter. As a huge mushroom fiend (I love them – I’m not a monster with a fungi head), these were always going to appeal to me – but the buns are so soft that they just melt in one’s mouth. They are stunning.

The edamame beans (£4.50) and wok-fried greens (£4.50) are also fine – but not as fine as mushrooms or dumplings (previous blog again).

We washed these down with the new nix and kix (£2.75) drinks – the cucumber and mint tasted predominantly of cucumber and the mango and ginger of mango – so, I preferred the latter. Both contain cayenne pepper to boost the metabolism – you couldn’t taste this though. All 163 Wagamama branches now use paper straws, incidentally, so there’s no damage to the environment here.

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So, how was the vegasu (£10.75)? Pretty damn fine actually. I sold my soul to seitan a while ago and the devilish wedding between the gluten steaks and panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) works well here. The diner is served up a satisfying crunch before they taste the tender delights of seitan. The mound of sticky rice and mild curry (think chip shop curry sauce with class) and accompanying salad (a pleasant light vinegar hit) complete this dish.

A dish not to be upstaged? I thought so until I tried the yasai katsu curry (£9.75). The dish is a replica of the vegasu, except, instead of seitan, you get sweet potato, aubergine and butternut squash dressed in a coat of golden panko. And it works a treat.

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The soft veg compliments the panko gloriously, again working with the rest of the flavours on the plate to serve up a divine dish.

A mixture of flour, water and oil is used to coat the veg or seitan in order to make the panko stick, incidentally, thus veganising the dish.

 

The other new dish, harusame glass noodle salad (£9.50) comes with nice firm tofu, light noodles and a delicate vinegar hit. Again, this works well, especially in the summer months (what we get of them in the UK), and it’s nice to try tofu that actually has some flavour to it.

Elsewhere on the menu, the yasai pad thai (£9.95) is now vegan thanks to the use of rice noodles. The lime taste shines through here and I adore the fresh coriander leaves. This one uses silky tofu and has a nice sticky texture to it.

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The yasai yaki soba (£8.75) has a wonderful ginger hit – and the fried shallot garnish works a treat for me – I like onions almost as much as I like mushrooms! The substantial wheat noodles are a joy to devour too.

If you like things a little spicier, you could do worse than the yasai itame (£10.75). This contains a strong chilli kick and a lovely taste of coconut. The two work very well together to create a “wow factor”. This soup contains chunks of tofu and veg including bok choi – an underrated vegetable in my view.

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It would have been rude not to try the saki as they’re both vegan-friendly. The sho chiku bai (12%) is the cheaper option (£3.50)  and the mio (5%) is equally as nice, but more than twice as expensive (£7.25). Both a light and deceptively mild, although the former does have a strong alcoholic kick. The latter is a sparkling wine equivalent and is actually more refreshing and palatable than it’s more alcoholic sister.

I guess my only complaint is that I’d like to see more choice on the dessert front. While the two sorbets on offer are very nice, a more indulgent vegan offering wouldn’t go amiss.

But, in a city such as Peterborough, which lacks a fully vegan restaurant, the expanding range available at Wagamama is very welcome indeed. They also offer takeaway and delivery services.

https://www.wagamama.com/

 

Don’t get bitten or burnt this summer

~ Paul ~ Leave a comment

Going on holiday this year? Head down to Holland and Barrett and grab some incognito protection. I first noticed the brand last summer before one of my walks in the Fens.

incognito is launching a new improved Second Skin Suncream this month (May). According to the company “the newly formulated triple action 3-in-1 sun cream, insect repellent and moisturiser now provides SPF 30 UVA and UVB (broad-spectrum) protection and is clinically tested to be 100% effective for over 5 hours against mosquitoes that can carry dengue, chikungunya and Zika.”

Sounds good – and a bit scientific, eh?

When holidaying or travelling, the best way to be protected is to use an insect repellent to deter mosquitoes and other biting things combined with a sun cream as protection against being zaped with cancer-causing sun blasts.

incognito Second Skin Suncream Repellent is a triple action, 3-in-1 sun cream, insect repellent and moisturiser that provides SPF 30 UVA and UVB protection, naturally. It is also water resistant – so you can go wild swimming in it too and be totally natural!

incognito CEO Howard Carter comments: “We are amazed at our new suncream insect repellent.  We have listened to feedback on our SPF25 and have improved the formulation so it’s now even more effective and has a higher SPF. Uniquely, it also provides 100% protection from mosquitoes for over 5 hours and 88% after 8 hours according to scientific testing. These are hitherto unheard of results and Team incognito are very proud.”

The cream has a non-greasy formulation with a citrus fragrance and is suitable for children aged 2+. It is COSMOS natural certified, assuring quality, plant-based, non-GM, irritant-free ingredients, and no animal testing. The active-ingredient, PMD, is recommended by WHO, NHS, Public Health England, NaTHNaC and, and is the same as that used in the incognito spray and roll-on.

An added benefit is that it helps lighten the load, with three products in one saving you luggage space. Plus it works in conjunction with the other products in the range; incognito Second Skin Moisturiser/after sun and Hair & Body Wash. Using complementary skin care products means there are no competing fragrances and smells which could negate the effects of the repellent.

The Suncream is packaged in renewable source sugarcane plastic, which significantly eliminates the carbon footprint of the product – every kilogram produced prevents 4.6kg of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere. It is produced by an ethical and environmentally conscious company that donates 10% of its profits to charity, such as Enactus Edinburgh projects, Bethsaida Hermitage, and partners with the Travel Foundation charity.

incognito Second Skin Suncream retails at £25 for a 150ml tube. It will be available from Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, independent chemists and health stores, on 020 7792 8687 and from www.lessmosquito.com

Ingredients:Aqua (water), caprylic/capric triglyceride, zinc oxide, PMD (eucalyptus maculata citriodora), sorbitan laurate, propanediol, glycerine (organic), isostearyl isostearate, polyhydroxystearic acid, titanium dioxide, polyglyceryl-4 laurate/succinate, tocopheryl acetate, magnesium aluminium silicate, decyl isostearate, aloe barbadensis (aloe vera) leaf extract (organic), leontopodium alpinium (edelweiss) extract, pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil (organic), isostearic acid, aluminium stearate, alumina, xanthan gum, citric acid, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, citral, geraniol, linalool, citronellol, limonene. All blended together in a unique secret process.

incognito Factor 30 Second Skin Suncream Lifestyle 6

Cleaning up vegan style

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Bathroom

Gone are the days when people used to say “you eat shoes?” when I mentioned the search for vegan-friendly footwear.

Now, it’s generally realised that being vegan goes beyond diet and means doing as little harm as possible.

I personally have been looking for more environmentally-friendly bathroom products. Plastic is killing our ocean life, so this is certainly a vegan issue. I have done away with bottled shower gel and replaced it with vegetable-based bars of soap.

I was horrified by the difficulty of finding a shaving brush not made with badger hair. In the end, I plumped for a kit from www.twaburds.co.uk I found safety razors to be very expensive, so have bought a Preserve razor for Animal Aid – it’s made from recycled materials and it helps a worthwhile cause – http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/household/preserve-razor-triple?cPath=20 They also have a toothbrush available. http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/household

I’ve also noticed an increase in non-packaged bath bombs and soaps at vegan markets and festivals – so it’s all good – and, of course, Lush has a great range of vegan products. Or you could make your own bath bomb – I found this recipe with a simple Ecosia (ethical alternative to Google) search – https://www.bathbombfizzle.com/blogs/news/all-natural-bath-bomb-recipe-that-is-vegan-with-essential-oil

Superdrug is great for products with the leaping bunny logo too.

Why in the 21st century are companies still testing on animals when there are so many alternatives available?

To get around EU regulations, companies test household products abroad. So, when it comes to household cleaning, it can be a dirty minefield out there.

Recently, Method and Ecover lost their Naturewatch accreditation due to a takeover by SC Johnson – who test on animals. Basically, if you buy a product, it helps to make a profit for that company’s parent company – profit which helps funds animal tests elsewhere in the business.

The good news is that it’s so easy to pick up alternatives on the High Street – Astonish is a well-known and well-loved brand of vegan cleaners – they are available in many pound shops and Asda – a full list of stockists is available here – https://www.astonishcleaners.co.uk/stockists/

There is also Marks & Spencer, Co-OP, Waitrose and Ecozone. Look for the leaping bunny symbol – but, be careful, that symbol means the company will not use any newly-derived ingredients tested on animals after a fixed date. This means testing on animals now and in the future is frowned upon.

The Compassionate Shopping Guide from Naturewatch has lists of companies which are and aren’t endorsed as being cruelty-free. Get one here – https://naturewatch.org/compassionate-shopping/compassionate-shopping-guide

Peta also have some useful PDFs available online – http://features.peta.org/cruelty-free-company-search/index.aspx

Of course, there’s still the issue of plastic packaging and chemicals – so why not make your own products? Baking soda and white vinegar are the staple ingredients of most DIY cleaners and they work very well. Simply Vegan magazine recently published a “one mix to clean them all” recipe. This included 1 cup of Castile Soap, 2 cups of purified water (filtered or boiled then cooled), 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp of baking soda, juice of a lemon, 5 drops of tea tree oil, 5 drops of orange oil, 5 drops of eucalyptus oil and 5 drops of lemongrass or lemon oil all mixed together in a spray bottle.

Naturewatch also sells a household cleaners recipe book – https://naturewatch.org/compassionate-shopping/homemade-household-cleaners

There are also some good tips and recipes here – https://wellnessmama.com/6244/natural-cleaning/

I’m sure many of you have tips and recipes too – I’d love to read those.

 

Let’s talk iodine

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Let’s talk about iodine

Why? Well, the Press and non-vegans seem to think it’s a problem for us vegans – isn’t it nice how they worry more about our health than we do?

Until recently, I, probably like many of you, hadn’t even heard of iodine, let alone wondered about its absorption into my body – so what is it?

In the words of the Vegan Society, “Your body uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control how fast your cells work. In the UK, the recommended iodine intake for adults is 140 micrograms per day. Every vegan needs a reliable source of iodine in their diet.”

So now you know!

Earlier this year, there were a couple of articles about concern vegans weren’t getting enough of the stuff. There are always articles about what vegans lack (I lack tolerance for stupid comments made by non-vegans, for example), but I wondered how many people had actually heard of the stuff? So I decided to blog on it – because it’s important nutritionally. Iodine deficiency affects mental health and alertness and can cause fatigue and stunt mental growth in children – it’s vital pregnant women get enough (incidentally, breast milk is another good source). In the words of Wiki: “It may result in a goiter, sometimes as an endemic goiter as well as cretinism due to untreated congenital hypothyroidism, which results in developmental delays and other health problems. Iodine deficiency is an important public health issue as it is a preventable cause of intellectual disability.”

In other words, it’s important.

So, why is it a vegan issue? Well, some believe (wrongly) that animals are the only source of iodine – or the only reliable source anyway.

The best source is some seaweed (kelp, nori, kombu, wakame). But, the Vegan Society warns: “Although seaweed is a rich source of iodine, there are several reasons why it may not be the best option. The iodine content of seaweed is variable, and sometimes too high. Also, some types are contaminated. Iodised salt is not a good option because public health authorities recommend that we cut down on salt.”

They argue that a supplement may be the best option.  The Vegan Society markets a daily vitamin and mineral supplement designed for vegans called VEG 1, providing reliable intakes of vitamins B12 and D, iodine and selenium. Please discuss the use of supplements with a health professional to help ensure that they are suitable for you. Read what they have to say on the issue: https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/downloads/iodine

Personally, I adore samphire – I love foraging for it and cooking it – most of all, I love eating it! In fact, I wrote about it last year: https://veganonadesertisland.com/2017/07/23/foraging-for-samphire/

But it is rich in iodine. The amount of iodine in veg varies so widely because it comes from the soil in which they grow – and the amount in soil varies wildly. Therefore, the dairy and eggs supposed to be strong sources, also vary according to the amount of iodine the cows and chickens themselves receive.

The Vegan Society explains: “During the last century, farmers started supplementing animal feed with iodine because research showed that this could make their businesses more productive. This also resulted in a huge increase in the iodine content of cows’ milk, particularly during the winter months when grass is limited. Disinfectants containing iodine also contribute to the iodine content of cows’ milk because they are used to clean teats and tankers. It is probable that supplementation of animal feed boosted the iodine contents of meat and eggs too.”

In other words, animal agriculture is only a reliable source because the products are supplemented with it – hardly natural!

It also needs to be said that you can get too much. ODing on iodine causes thyroid issues and weight gain – so be careful with the supplements. The NHS online says taking a 0.5mg or less supplement a day is unlikely to have any adverse effects.