Get to know me
Read a bit about me, Nico Rossetti, and my food and travel blog, yumsome!| yumsome
Life in Pai was, for me, as close to perfect as it's possible to be. The locals were kind and friendly, the countryside stunning and peaceful, and the town itself just brimming with great food. Not only of the walk-down-the-street-stuffing-my-face-with-all-the-yums variety but also the incredible fresh produce market where I used to buy everything from fruit and veg to spices, herbs, and noodles. If you've read my post about Kad Ton Payom, you'll know how much I love Thai markets! Continue re...| yumsome
Founded in 1383 by the Lanna king, Keu Naone, to house the relic of Buddha's shoulder bone, the beautiful temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is home to one of Northern Thailand's most sacred shrines. (This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy.) As you'll know from my post about Pai, when a wat has the words, Phra That in its name, it means there is a sacred relic of Buddha housed there, so Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the Suthep Mountain Temple with...| yumsome
As soon as we arrived at Shanghai Mansion, we felt felt as though we had stepped into a different world; the hotel is a haven of calm, and a most welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok's Chinatown. Having stayed there many times now, Shanghai Mansion has become our go-to hotel in Thailand's capital. Deep in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown, on Yaorawat Road, is a welcome respite from the noisy, dusty, bustling streets of Thailand's capital city. Continue reading Shanghai Mansio...| yumsome
Traditional Christmas favourites across Europe, mulled wine & mulled cider make winter so worthwhile! Vegan recipes for both in this post! This time of year can be cold and damp and miserable, but for me, there are two things which make me forget all that, and really and truly appreciate midwinter; seeing snow-topped Alps from my kitchen window, and mulled wine! This is what I see from my kitchen window - spectacular isn't it? Continue reading How To Make Vegan Mulled Wine (and mulled cider) ...| yumsome
This easy vegan Thanksgiving and Christmas stuffing is choc-full of nutritious cabbage, kale, spinach, and mushrooms, and is versatile enough to be used for burgers, sausages, and a variety of other yummy dishes too! Although I originally came up with this stuffing to go inside my stuffed seitan roast, I discovered that it makes great veggie burgers too. And sausages. And actually, it's really good, just pan-fried, and eaten on its own! Continue reading Easy Vegan Thanksgiving and Christm...| yumsome
High in taste and low in effort, this Sicilian caponata is a rich and piquant eggplant stew that's full of nourishing vegetables and fragrant herbs. Serve it on its own with rustic bread, or as part of a larger meal, and you won't go far wrong! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Sicilian caponata “Would you write me a recipe for Sicilian caponata?” asked my BFF, as we sat drinking Bullfrog cocktails in the Che Guevara bar in Cluj. Conti...| yumsome
Deliciously comforting and warming, my rich mushroom gravy can be made ahead of time, and is the perfect accompaniment for roast dinners, pies, mash, and more! My make-ahead mushroom gravy owes its depth of flavour to the partially caramelised onions & leeks, liquid aminos, and paprika, as well, of course, to the mushrooms themselves. It's thick and savoury, and is perfect with roasts, pies, sausages, mash, roast potatoes, etc. Basically, if it's in need of 'meaty' gravy, this is totally up t...| yumsome
This quick 'n' easy piquant pea & leek soup is made with just five everyday ingredients, and is as delicious as it is beautiful to look at! It requires no fancy-schmancy techniques, and is pretty much guaranteed to be loved by all. Unless they hate peas. In which case, please seek help for them ASAP. 😉 This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Continue reading Quick 'n' Easy Vegan Piquant Pea & Leek Soup at yumsome.| yumsome
Perfect as gifts for Christmas, Easter, birthdays, or just to say "I love you", these vegan raspberry chocolate truffles are simple to make, and bursting with flavour. Keep them for yourself, or present them to your nearest and dearest - either way, they’re guaranteed to be a hit! As we’re now in the run-up to the holidays, I’ve been thinking about edible gifts for our families and friends; I’ve made chutneys and jars of ajvar, and will be making some Romanian treats too. Continue rea...| yumsome
Ready in just 20 mins, this mildly-spiced dal fry (lentil curry) is really easy to make, frugal, filling, and comforting, plus it's only 182 calories per serving! Last year, you may recall, I had to have some extensive dental surgery to rebuild my upper jaw - for several weeks, I was unable to eat anything other than really soft foods (yay, ice cream!), so soups, such as mulligatawny or leek and potato, and avocado hummus (by the spoonful, of course) became de rigeur. Continue reading Dal...| yumsome
This vegan self-saucing chocolate pudding has a lovely moist, cakey, almost brownie-like, top part, with a rich velvety sauce hidden underneath. Serve it warm with ice cream, or allow it to cool into a rich and fudgy dessert. When I was child, I loved school dinners - and my favourite dessert was chocolate pudding with chocolate custard. As an adult (and I use that term very loosely), I fell in love with self-saucing chocolate pudding. Continue reading Vegan Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding at ...| yumsome
What can I tell you about this hearty vegan mushroom soup? It's rich, it's creamy, it's chunky, it's very filling, and it's deeply satisfying. And now the weather is cooler, it's more welcome than ever. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. This soup's depth of flavour belies its simplicity. There's absolutely nothing complicated about it - rather, the secret is in caramelising the onions, roasting the garlic, and then letting the whole lot ...| yumsome
Spicy, warming, filling, delicious, and full of fibre and protein, my vegan mulligatawny soup is just the thing for chilly autumn evenings. Mulligatawny soup has such a strange name, doesn't it? I used to struggle with that name as a child… but not with eating it! Although, the stuff my grandmother used to serve me up came out of a tin, was mud-brown, and had little pieces of what I think was minced meat. Continue reading Vegan Mulligatawny Soup at yumsome.| yumsome
Bursting with flavour, my vegan version of Romanian sarmale is easy to make, and packed with goodness. These cabbage rolls will keep for around 10 days in the 'fridge, and taste even better the longer they're kept. What do you do when you have a garden full of cabbages? Why, you do what your neighbours do, and make enough sauerkraut to see you through the cooler months. Yum! And then you use it to make sarmale. Continue reading Sarmale (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) (Vegan) at yumsome.| yumsome
Hearty veg, nourishing buckwheat, and creamy mashed potato make my vegan mushroom and buckwheat shepherd’s pie a deliciously comforting dish, whatever the weather! Why is it that whenever I think of autumn and winter comfort food, I think of my Gran? And in particular, her amazing casseroles and shepherd’s pies? If we'd known about hygge back then, that's exactly how I would have described them. My mushroom and buckwheat shepherd's pie is totally hygge! Continue reading Vegan Mushroom and...| yumsome
The sweetness of the peppers, the slightly spicy filling, the thick, rich tomato gravy, and a mound of fluffy mashed potatoes - Croatian stuffed peppers are Heaven on a plate! Punjene paprike, as they are called in Croatia, are total comfort food, and really easy to veganise. There are many, many things I adore about living a nomadic lifestyle, not least, discovering new foods. I much prefer to be wandering around a food market than sunning myself on a beach, and I would far rather discover...| yumsome
Filling and frugal, laced with warming sweet spices and crunchy walnuts, and drizzled with miso caramel sauce, these simple spiced baked apples are just the thing to warm you up on chilly autumn evenings. And they only take around 30 minutes to cook too! As the days start to cool off, and night falls earlier and earlier, what better to stave off autumn chills than some hearty, comforting spiced baked apples? Continue reading Simple Spicy Baked Apples at yumsome.| yumsome
Level up your desserts with this vegan miso caramel sauce! Bringing a fantastic depth of flavour and richness, the Asian umami flavour bomb that is miso is the perfect partner for this sweet and silky caramel sauce. "What's this?" I hear you ask, "Miso caramel sauce? WTH?" But stop and think about it for a moment... miso is salty and a little sweet, caramel is sweet - you can see where I'm going... Continue reading Vegan Miso Caramel Sauce at yumsome.| yumsome
Sweet, tangy, and crunchy with a hint of chai masala, this vegan spiced plum crumble is so delicious, and easy to make too. Serve it hot with custard or ice cream, and I guarantee you'll soon be feeling completely hygge. (Are we still doing hygge? I know I am - I'm all about the hygge!) This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Continue reading Vegan Spiced Plum Crumble at yumsome.| yumsome
This mildly spicy pumpkin purée is really easy to make, and is very versatile. Use for sweet and savoury dishes alike. I must admit that until October last year, whenever I was making a recipe which called for pumpkin purée, I'd make as needed but when we moved back to Croatia for a while, the weather took a turn for the worse. Almost two months of torrential rain, plus the Bura blowing up a storm, meant that in all honesty, I really didn't feel like going out to the market every morning, s...| yumsome
This mild and creamy vegan curried coconut butternut squash soup is free from gluten, soy, and nuts, is thick, hearty, and warming. It’s ready in around 50 minutes, is perfect for lunch or supper, and will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. I know I’ve said it many times before but for me, autumn and winter foods are the best. I love nothing better than feeling all warm and cosy indoors, tucking into a big bowl of hearty chilli, jota, tagine, or soup while the weather rages outside. ...| yumsome
This spicy tomato, basil, and buckwheat soup is deliciously filling, really easy to make, full of goodness, and frugal too. The challenge is to only eat one bowlful at a time! Apart from the oil, paprika, salt & pepper, and the buckwheat, all of the ingredients for this deliciously and flavourful soup have come from my garden. How cool is that? (And the oil, paprika, and salt are all local to Romania.) The sweet and juicy tomatoes for this soup are ripened under the blazing Transylvanian sun,...| yumsome
This spicy tofu scramble with roasted veggies is easy to make; incredibly filling, while still being light; full of goodness; and is a deliciously complete meal for brunch or supper. Until a couple of years ago, I’d never tried tofu scramble – not because I thought it would be in any way difficult to make but because I have an aversion to ‘eggy’ things. I’ve been this way ever since I was small: I actually vomited over my gran once when she tried to make me eat a boiled egg. Continu...| yumsome
Full of fibre and protein, my easy healthy avocado bruschetta is a delicious way to use up stale bread, and makes for a great breakfast, lunch, or supper. If you have time to make toast, you have time to make this; it's super-quick, and you can prepare the toppings while the toast is cooking. When we lived in Thailand, we had avocados coming out of our ears. They grew everywhere, and we could just go and pick them as we needed them. Continue reading Easy Healthy Avocado Bruschetta at yumsome.| yumsome
Rich, sweet onions nestle inside a crisp cheesy and herby wholemeal pastry crust, making this vegan caramelized onion tarte tatin such a great summertime lunch or supper, and it's perfect for picnics too! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Vegan caramelised onion tarte tatin recipe I have a garden full of onions. OK, slight exaggeration, I have roughly a quarter of a garden full of onions... Continue reading Vegan Caramelized Onion Tarte Ta...| yumsome
Vegan Thai massaman curry is a mild, nutty, and slightly sweet dish from Thailand. Unlike other Thai dishes, massaman uses spices that are more commonly found in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, and marries them perfectly with tamarind, lemongrass, galangal, and coconut milk. But… before I go any further, I have to tell you that Transylvania is awesome! Really, really, awesome! We moved here a few days ago, and while it’s been as much of a culture shock as when we first moved to Thailan...| yumsome
Massaman curry paste (Prik Kaeng Mussamun) is used to make Thailand’s famously mild curry: warming Indian and Middle Eastern spices come together with Thai herbs to create a marriage of flavours to tantalise the taste buds and delight the senses! My friend, Aye, chef extraordinaire from Chiang Mai’s Anchan Vegetarian Restaurant, makes the best massaman curry I’ve ever had. Until, that was, he taught me his recipe. Continue reading How to Make Vegan Massaman Curry Paste at yumsome.| yumsome
Just two ingredients, ridiculously easy to make, and full of innumerable culinary benefits, this cashew cream is every good cook's secret weapon! When I lived in India, my friend Usha taught me some of the secrets of her amazing cooking. Chief among them was this... cashew cream. It's the key to giving curries an amazingly creamy consistency, plus a hint of sweetness, without having to add any dairy, extra oil, or sugar. It really is a little miracle! Continue reading How To Make Cashew Cre...| yumsome
My easy Thai pomelo salad (yum som-o) is super-simple to make, and is a deliciously refreshing example of the Thai flavour cycle of hot, sour, salty, and sweet. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. What is Thai pomelo salad? One of my favourite dishes when we lived in Thailand was yum som-o (pomelo salad). A mind-blowingly delicious fusion of fruity, salty, and sour flavours, all held together with a goodly dose of chilli. Continue reading Ea...| yumsome
My simple, 4-ingredient vegan salted caramel sauce is the perfect accompaniment to ice cream, puddings, sundaes, cakes, cookies, and fruit crumbles. Simple 4-ingredient vegan salted caramel sauce Is... gluten-free nut-free dairy-free totally delicious and only 22 calories per teaspoon! A teaspoon straight out of the jar (yes, it is thick enough to spoon out when it's cool!), is perfect when you have that urge for something sweet. Continue reading Simple 4-Ingredient Vegan Salted Caramel Sauce...| yumsome
With fewer than 10 ingredients, and ready in under 10 minutes, my easy apple, pineapple, and coconut ambrosia is creamy, sweet, fruity, and nutty. And tastes utterly divine! It's also dairy-free, oil-free, gluten-free, and contains no refined sugars. Goodness, what a week this has been - and not all entirely good, either! We flew to Britain, we celebrated Mummy's 80th birthday. Twice - once on the day, with afternoon tea at amato mio's sister's, and secondly on Sunday at Mummy's garden party,...| yumsome
Simple, yet so satisfying, this delicious mayo-free loaded potato salad is brimming with nourishing spring veggies, and perfect for al fresco dining and barbecues. Apparently, May is National Loaded Potato Month and National Salad Month, so what better way to celebrate than with a super-healthy combination of both? I love traditional British potato salad, I love Venetian potato salad, and I adore this loaded potato salad too. Continue reading Loaded Potato Salad at yumsome.| yumsome
Ready in just 20 minutes, this vegan som tam is an incredibly simple, yet wholly delicious Thai salad made from crunchy vegetables, dressed with a fresh and zingy hot, sour, salty, sweet sauce. The taste explosion that is som tam (som = sour, tam = pounded) is usually made with shredded green papaya, and often accompanies sticky rice and laab (which is actually a Lao dish). This version, however, was taught to me by my dear friend, Aye (owner of Anchan in Chiang Mai), is made with green mango...| yumsome
This simple vegan aloo gobi masala is a delicious mildly-spiced north Indian dish made with potato and cauliflower, and can be served dry, or with a gravy. This mild and creamy curry is another of the wonderful dishes that my friend, Usha, taught me to cook when we lived in Fort Kochi. It's easily one of my favourite dishes, and is fantastic with rice, appam (rice hoppers), paratha, roti, naan. Continue reading Simple Vegan Aloo Gobi Masala at yumsome.| yumsome
Fantastic with so many dishes, and made with just a handful of staple ingredients (and no nuts), my vegan nacho cheese is creamy and cheesy, with a little bit of a spicy kick! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Nacho cheese The trouble with all of the nacho cheese I've tried over the years is that that it's all been just a bit…. Continue reading Nacho Cheese - A Really Easy Vegan Recipe at yumsome.| yumsome
Home-made naan is so easy to make, and is far superior to the pre-packaged breads you can buy in supermarkets, which tend to be a bit dry and crumbly. My naan is soft and pillowy, with just the right degree of chewiness. If you love the naan you have in Indian restaurants, you'll adore this! Some people advocate leaving out the yoghurt when making naan but I really don't recommend doing that, especially if you're not using any spices or herbs to flavour it because what you'll be left with is ...| yumsome
Who doesn't love a good bagel? I know I do. Not those dry quoits you find in supermarkets, but proper soft-yet-chewy bagels. I was taught to make these traditional Jewish bagels a long, long time ago, and they remain to this day, my favourite. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. During my late teens and early twenties, I used to go to a lot of nightclubs, and on the way home - usually in the wee small hours - I'd stop for a coffee at Bar Ita...| yumsome
These vegan salted caramel chocolate pots are so yummy and decadent; just four ingredients and 10 minutes (plus chilling time) are all that's required to make these delicious little wonders of chocolatey delight! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Y'know that thing about love at first taste? Yep. Yep. Completely. Continue reading Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Pots at yumsome.| yumsome
Fragrant and spicy, this vegan tom yum (aka tom yam) - a delicious hot and sour soup - is deservedly one of Thailand's most famous dishes. After phad Thai, of course! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Tom yum No matter where you are in the world, if you come across a Thai restaurant, it will have tom yum on the menu. Continue reading Quick 'n' Easy Tom Yum (vegan) at yumsome.| yumsome
Nam prik pao (aka Thai chilli jam) is a highly versatile, delicious, fiery hot, sweet-sour condiment, commonly used to flavour lighter dishes such as tom yam, tom kha, banana flower salad, stir-fries, and both fried and steamed rice. It's every Thai cook's secret weapon - a staple, even - and one you'll want to have if you are serious about cooking authentic-tasting Thai food. Nam prik pao is also used as a dip (e.g. Continue reading Easy Vegan Nam Prik Pao (Thai Chilli Jam) at yumsome.| yumsome
All of yumsome's recipes have been cooked by me, and eaten by friends and family (as well as by myself, of course!). Many appear on the menus of cafés and hotels around the world. Many have been successfully recreated by my friends and readers. However, due to variations in cooking methods and equipment, weights and measures systems, availability of ingredients, geography, climate, culinary skill (!), etc, I cannot be held responsible for the outcome of any of my recipes which you recreate...| yumsome
My deliciously rich classic Italian tomato sauce is ideal for pizza, pasta, and al forno dishes alike, and as a soup base too!| yumsome
My decadent and exquisite Mozartkugeln feature two layers of marzipan and one layer of nougat, all wrapped up in a coat of silky smooth chocolate. Discovering Mozart! I first discovered Mozartkugeln as a teenager, when I was invited to the home of a German friend one Christmas Eve. It was the most magical, fairytale home I'd ever visited, and it made me want to spend every Christmas in Alsace. Continue reading How to Make Mozartkugeln - an Easy Austrian Recipe at yumsome.| yumsome
My easy and comforting ribollita (aka Tuscan bread soup or minestra di pane toscana) is a hearty vegan pottage, full of seasonal vegetables, bulked out with bread. It's easy to make, incredibly frugal, and perfect for filling you up on a chilly day! What is ribollita? Like most cucina povera, this ribollita(or Tuscan bread soup) is made with whatever is to hand. Continue reading Easy and Comforting Ribollita (Tuscan Bread Soup) at yumsome.| yumsome
Made with a handful of basic pantry staples, and flavoured with fruit purée, my easy vegan marshmallows are based on a delicious Russian confection, called zefir. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Vegan marshmallows aren't great! Have you ever bought vegan marshmallows from a shop, and been utterly dismayed at the bag of overly-sweet, tough lumps of rubber masquerading as confectionary? Continue reading Zefir - Easy and Delicious Russian ...| yumsome
My festive bread pudding recipe is perfect for using up stale bread. The addition of masala chai spice and cranberries makes this traditional everyday cake into something very special indeed! This bread pudding is super-easy to make, and will keep for several days at room temperature. It freezes well, too. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. What is bread pudding? Continue reading Festive Bread Pudding (vegan with vegetarian option) at yumsome.| yumsome
If you're looking for Christmas cookie ideas, why not make some pryaniki? These soft gingerbread cookies are easy to make, and taste similar to German lebkuchen or Slovenian medenjaki. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. What is pryanik? Although it's often referred to as gingerbread, or Russian gingerbread, pryanik is more accurately described as Russian honey bread. Continue reading Easy Christmas Gingerbread Cookies (Pryaniki) at yumsome.| yumsome
My restaurant-style malai kofta recipe consists of fried potato and paneer dumplings in a creamy mildly-spicedgravy. Indian comfort food at its finest! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. What is malai kofta? Hailing from Northern India, this delicious mild curry rose to fame during the reign of the Mughals (1526-1876). Continue reading Malai Kofta at yumsome.| yumsome
Making fudge brownies from scratch is super easy, and only takes a few minutes longer than using a box mix. These are made with nutritious ingredients, too. The pumpkin keeps them moist, and using cocoa as well as chocolate makes them deeply... well, chocolatey! There's also tahini for added richness and fudge, and they're topped with even more chocolate (yay!). As well as being vegan, these brownies are gluten-free and packed with Vitamins. This post contains affiliate links. Continue readin...| yumsome
This really easy mild potato curry - aloo masala in Hindi - is a deliciously comforting, lightly-spiced mixture of fried potatoes, onion, and tomato. It's a fantastic meal at any time of the day! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. I really love aloo masala - it's one of my most favourite curries in the whole wide world. Continue reading Easy Aloo Masala at yumsome.| yumsome
This is my original carrot bacon recipe that started an internet craze! It's salty and sweetly smoky, really delicious, and easily made from carrots and five other basic ingredients. Try it for yourself! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. The original carrot bacon recipe! You saw it here first! Years before anyone in the West had even heard of TikTok, I developed and published this baked carrot bacon recipe. Continue reading How To Make The...| yumsome
How to make easy and delicious soy-free vegan sausages using vital wheat gluten and a handful of basic pantry ingredients. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Moist, firm & full of flavour, my vegan sausages are better than anything you can buy in the shops! I make them the day before I’m planning to use them but if you’re pushed for time, you could get away with refrigerating them for just five hours. Continue reading Easy and Delicious...| yumsome
These easy vegan coconut macaroons are sweet and moist, chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Not only are they perfect for Passover, or as an alternative Easter treat, they're easy enough to make at any time of the year. They're gluten-free, too! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Coconut macaroons were one of my favourite weekend treats when I was a child. Continue reading Easy Vegan Coconut Macaroons at yumsome.| yumsome
The perfect gift for Mother's Day or Easter, my vegan chocolate matcha truffles are light and creamy, with a delicately refreshing green tea flavour. Made from a cashew cream base and raw cocoa butter, sweetened with agave, flavoured with matcha, and rolled in cocoa, these truffles are decadence itself. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. (By the way, this is an image-heavy post!) If there's one smell that reminds me of when we lived in Chia...| yumsome
Ready in under four minutes, Thai stir-fried morning glory (phad pak boong fai daeng) may well be the fastest and easiest Asian food you’ll ever make! Despite its simplicity, this spicy, garlicky street food dish with fermented soya bean sauce will also be one of the tastiest. Unfortunately, this is not a dish you'll often (if ever) see on the menus of Thai restaurants in the West, which is a shame but I guess it's just not considered 'special' enough. Continue reading Thai Stir-Fried Morni...| yumsome
I have just realised that it's been a couple of years since I did a Valentine's Day post - how very tardy of me! If you're stuck for inspiration, here are 16 deliciously easy vegan desserts for Valentine's Day! Vegan pies and puddings Vegan 'Snickers' Smoothie Bowl This vegan Snickers smoothie bowl is a deliciously creamy blend of avocados, dates, and velvety melted chocolate, topped with chopped mixed nuts, more melted chocolate, and salted caramel sauce. Continue reading 16 Easy Vegan Desse...| yumsome
Deliciously nutritious and comforting soup really doesn't get any better than my mildly-spiced easy crockpot tomato lentil soup! It's vegan and gluten-free too! Continue reading Easy Crockpot Tomato Lentil Soup at yumsome.| yumsome
Few drinks are as comforting as a cup of masala chai (chai latte to those of you across the pond); it's my go-to hot beverage of choice in any weather. And speaking of weather, masala chai is perfect for banishing autumn and winter chills. Traditionally, along with black tea, sugar, and a blend of warming spices, it's made with milk from water buffalo but my chai uses oat milk, which gives a rich and creamy cuppa! Continue reading The Best Vegan Masala Chai at yumsome.| yumsome
Packed with goodness, my quick & easy vegan palak paneer is really easy to make, takes around 35 minutes to cook, and makes for a perfect weeknight meal! Continue reading Quick and Easy Vegan Palak Paneer at yumsome.| yumsome
No Christmas feast is complete without a slice of rich and fruity Christmas pudding. Not only is it super-easy to make from basic store cupboard ingredients, it can be made well in advance, and stored for up to a year! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. English Christmas Pudding In half a minute Mrs. Cratchit entered – flushed, but smiling proudly – with the pudding, like a speckled cannon-ball, so hard and firm, blazing in half of half...| yumsome
Do you find yourself at a loss as to what to cook at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas (or any get-together), that omnivores and vegans alike will enjoy? My vegan stuffed seitan roast is the solution you've been looking for. It's simple to make, chock-full of goodness, and is completely delicious too! Vegan Stuffed Seitan Roast Recipe Packed with veggies, and brimming with goodness, this vegan stuffed seitan roast not only looks and tastes impressive, it's really economical too. Continue re...| yumsome
What could be better than vegan Nutella straight from the jar? Apart from an intravenous drip. Duh. Nutella liqueur, of course. Vegan 'Nutella' cream liqueur. Or, more properly, vegan chocolate hazelnut cream liqueur. Oh. My. Glob. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Vegan 'Nutella' Cream Liqueur Recipe Guys, guys, this is amazeballs. Continue reading Vegan Nutella Cream Liqueur at yumsome.| yumsome
Creamy and indulgent, this vegan butterscotch pudding is really simple, and made with just six basic ingredients. And because it only takes 15 mins or so to cook (plus a bit of time in the fridge to chill), it's perfect as a weekday dessert, Sunday teatime treat, or even as a kids' party pudding! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Continue reading Vegan Butterscotch Pudding at yumsome.| yumsome
Light and fruity, with just a hint of tropical coconut, my luxury vegan mincemeat may be a traditional British Christmas favourite but it's packed with ingredients from places we've lived around the world. A few weeks back, when I was thinking about making some vegan mincemeat, I looked in my cupboard to see what I already had, and it suddenly occurred to me that actually, this one simple dish represents most of the countries we lived in during the seven years we spent away. Continue reading ...| yumsome
At last... 'tis the season to be thinking about which easy vegan Christmas recipes we're going to be making - huzzah! Time to deck your chef's hat with holly, tie some tinsel on your pinny, and rejoice in the fact that at Christmas, we can cook all the things! Can you believe that it's now less than a month until Christmas? It seems like only a couple of months ago that I was putting together my festive drinks round-up, and now here we are, rushing headlong into December again. Continue readi...| yumsome
Aromatic, sweet + soft, rose Turkish Delight (lokum) is really simple to make, and is a luxurious treat any day of the year, not just at Christmas time! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. What is Turkish Delight? Turkish Delight, or lokum, is a gel-like candy, made from cornflour (cornstarch) and sugar. It can be flavoured with aromatics, such as rose or lemon. Continue reading Simple Rose-Flavoured Turkish Delight at yumsome.| yumsome
Ready in around 30 minutes, cauliflower cheese is a traditional British dish, which has been around for at least a couple of centuries. The tender whole cauliflower is smothered in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, then baked in the oven, and finished with a sprinkling of smoked paprika. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Traditional Cauliflower Cheese When I was child, one of my favourite dishes that Gran used to make was cauliflower cheese ...| yumsome
Filling, frugal, and hearty, and really easy to make, this vegan mushroom barley risotto is full of flavour, and an ideal low-effort midweek meal that's on the table in around an hour. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Mushroom Risotto Recipe This is based on a traditional Czech recipe, houbový Kuba, which means mushrooms Jacob. Continue reading Vegan Mushroom Barley Risotto at yumsome.| yumsome
Easy to make, and practically foolproof, my creamy vegan cauliflower cheese soup is made with just seven ingredients, and is comforting, filling, and deliciously satisfying! Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe Autumn has very definitely arrived; the days are growing colder, and the nights are drawing in, which can only mean one thing… IT'S HEARTY SOUP SEASON! Yay! Honestly, I know that some people love autumn for its beautiful colours and cooler temperatures but for me, it's all abo...| yumsome
One of my favourite go-to snacks and appetisers, zacuscă - Romanian eggplant and red pepper spread - is deliciously creamy and comforting, really easy to make, and perfect with rustic bread. It's also great with crackers and covrigi (Romanian pretzels). I've even been known to use it as a relish, pasta sauce, pizza base, and as a topping for baked potatoes too. Yep, it really is that versatile! There was a time when I believed ajvar to be the pinnacle of roasted eggplant and red pepper sprea...| yumsome
Perfect for after-school snacks, party finger food, or as part of a meal, these kid-approved vegan baked cheesy pumpkin tots are really easy to make, nutritious, and they freeze well too. Why not make a few batches to keep for emergency snack attacks?! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. I'm sure that most of us have, at some point, looked into the freezer cabinet of our local supermarket, and reached for a bag of frozen potato treats, only ...| yumsome
My vegan jota is a hearty smoky bean and sauerkraut hotpot, is simplicity itself to make, and is perfect during cooler weather! I'd never ever eaten sauerkraut before we moved to Slovenia, and if I'm honest, it's something that's never really appealed to me; I'm not a lover of fermented or pickled foods, and sauerkraut seemed to me fall into these categories. However, I'm so glad I bit the bullet, and gave it a try because I can honestly say that I pretty much love it now. Continue reading Ve...| yumsome
Fasole bătută is a creamy Transylvanian vegan white bean purée, topped with a pile of sticky, gooey, sweet caramelised onions. It's traditionally served with sausages and pickles, plus home-made bread (pâine de casă), of course. It makes for a fantastically filling and simple frugal meal, especially when there's not much in the way of fresh produce around. When we lived in Băiţa, once autumn had set in, our garden was no longer producing enough vegetables, fruit, and herbs to sustain u...| yumsome
Hearty and warming, my simple vegan Irish stew is the perfect thing for filling hungry tums. Made with a handful of everyday staple ingredients, this easy frugal meal can be cooked on the hob in a large pan, or in a slow cooker. Although a substantial meal in itself, when served with a bowl of colcannon or buttery mashed potatoes, it's pretty much heaven on a plate. Just the thing for chilly autumn evenings! Continue reading Simple Vegan Irish Stew at yumsome.| yumsome
Quick to make, and packed with protein, fibre, and omega fatty acids, as well as plenty of Vitamin C and Iron, this vegan fruity hemp and buckwheat porridge is an ideal breakfast to see you right through until lunchtime, with no mid-morning cravings! (As with my Cookie Butter Blondies, I've partnered with Buy Wholefoods Online to bring you this recipe.) When I was a child, on Sunday winter mornings, my grandmother would always bring me breakfast in bed; there'd be a mug of warm Ribena and a s...| yumsome
This vegan butter chicken (murgh makhani) is a delicious lightly-spiced combination of tangy yoghurt and sweet tomatoes, with butter and cashew cream to add a decadent richness. It's definitely not an everyday recipe... but it's perfect for celebrations and special occasions! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. I recently made this show-stopping, protein-packed curry for my oldest friend, Sue, when she recently came over to stay with me. Co...| yumsome
Soft and fudgy, with a rich caramel flavour, my delicious cookie butter and macadamia blondies are really easy to make, and dangerously more-ish! Although admittedly not very diet-friendly, this bondies recipe is an absolute a corker. All of you watching your waistline, please look away now. (Or y'know, just lick your screens.) I can't tell you how many of these I've made. No, actually, I can, around 650 a month when I was baking professionally in Margate. Continue reading Easy Cookie Butte...| yumsome
Meaning, 'fried (with) soy sauce', this pad see ew only takes around 15 minutes to make, and is both delicious and filling! This is a vegetarian version but you could add any kind of protein you want. Continue reading Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-Fried Rice Noodles) at yumsome.| yumsome
This decadent vegan chocolate chilli is nothing short of amazing. Packed with pumpkin, beans, and mushrooms, with a little chocolate to give an extra layer of richness and depth of flavour, this spicy, rich, smoky chilli hits all the spots. All the spots. No spots are left un-hit. Do you ever have times when you make something so delicious that you just want to eat it every day? Continue reading Decadent Vegan Chocolate Chilli at yumsome.| yumsome
Deliciously hearty, this spicy dal, aubergine, and kale casserole is simple to make, and not only fills your tummy with its warming goodness but also fills your kitchen with its comforting aroma! There's something really special about the combination of lentils, tomatoes, and chilli, isn't there? It's among my favourite throw-together dishes... y'know, the kind you make when you haven't been out shopping, and really don't have the wherewithal to make anything overly creative with what's in th...| yumsome
Sweet parsnips, spicy ginger, and deliciously smoky garlic come together in my thick and warming soup that's topped with protein-packed roasted chilli chickpeas, plus fresh coriander. This gingery parsnip soup with spicy roasted chickpeas is the perfect antidote to chilly weather! As much as I love hot weather (and I really do), the big advantage of cooler temps is that I get to cook all the hearty foods I love so much. Continue reading Gingery Parsnip Soup with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas at yum...| yumsome
My easy healthy vegan chocolate maple pudding is sweet and velvety-smooth, takes just 10 minutes to make, and is legitimately good for you too! And it has a secret ingredient. It's not chickpeas. Nor is it aquafaba. Nor even avocado. Honest. No, really, it’s sweet potatoes! Sweet potatoes in a pudding, I hear you ask? Why, yes! Continue reading Vegan Chocolate Maple Pudding (with a secret ingredient!) at yumsome.| yumsome
This loaded vegan lasagne is chock-full of seasonal veggies, and brimming with my wonderfully creamy besciamella (béchamel). Its deliciousness completely belies the ease with which it is made, and is pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on the faces of all who eat it! This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. Loaded Vegan Lasagne Recipe A few weeks ago, one of my friends said to me, Nico, you're half Italian, why are there no pasta recipes on yu...| yumsome
Taking just 15 minutes to cook, this easy vegan kung pao jackfruit is better than anything you'll get from a takeaway. The Thai birds eye chillies deliver a hot and spicy kick, while the red peppers tone it down with a layer of sweetness. It's clean-tasting and fresh, and not in any way greasy or heavy. Serve on its own with noodles or rice, or with a selection of other dishes as part of a more elaborate meal. Continue reading Easy Vegan Kung Pao Jackfruit at yumsome.| yumsome
This vegan 'Snickers' smoothie bowl is a deliciously creamy blend of avocados, dates, and velvety melted chocolate, topped with chopped mixed nuts, more melted chocolate, and salted caramel sauce. Oh, and there's a banana too, for good measure! I'm going to be completely honest here, and say I've never really seen the point in smoothie bowls, barring having something pretty to share on Instagram; however, having spoken to several customers at Beet Bar, I've come to realise that far from being...| yumsome
Easy to make, and ready in just two minutes, my vegan fish sauce delivers the essential umami-bomb that's central to Thai cooking. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please see my privacy policy. What is fish sauce? In SE Asian cooking, fish sauce is used to give that distinctly salty, slightly sweet umami hit to dishes, and is an essential component of the Thai holy flavour grail of hot, sour, salty, sweet. Continue reading How To Make Easy Vegan Fish Sauce (Mai Nam Pl...| yumsome
Thailand's ubiquitous fried noodle dish, phad Thai, is fast, cheap, and easy to make, and very filling. Serve with fresh bean sprouts and spring onions, plus a dash of lime juice, and finish it in true Thai style, with crushed peanuts, chilli flakes, a little sugar, and some spicy vinegar. Delicious! Before we went to live in Thailand, most of the Thai food I’d tried was eye-wateringly spicy at best, and downright painful at worst. Continue reading 15-Minute Vegan Phad Thai at yumsome.| yumsome
My sausage, fennel, and bean casserole is completely vegan, and is incredibly simple to make, yet is bursting with rich tomato and fennel flavours. Plus, has a tiny little chilli kick to liven things up! Who remembers Poldark in the '70s? I loved it so much. And I loved Robin Ellis too. He was so perfect in the role. I honestly don’t remember how or when I first came across Robin’s blog - it was certainly long before the lovely Aiden Turner donned the Poldark mantle - but a couple of year...| yumsome
Glazed with a with a deliciously sticky barbecue sauce, and perfect for summer al fresco entertaining, these meaty BBQ seitan ribs are really simple to make, and practically guaranteed to keep everyone at your gathering coming back for more! Firstly, please let me apologise for the lack of new yums recently; for the past couple of months I've been freelancing my cooking skills at Beet Bar, a vegan café here in Margate. Continue reading Meaty BBQ Seitan 'Ribs' at yumsome.| yumsome
My home-made tofu-free veganaise (vegan mayo) is so much better than store-bought. It's rich, creamy, and silky, really easy to make, and is deliciously more-ish! It's fantastic on burgers, with sausages, in sandwiches, on potato salad. And of course, with fries or wedges! Veganaise Aah, veganaise*, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Okay, okay, I'm not going to get all Shakespearean on you; however, I really can't help enthusing about how I never cease to be impressed with this del...| yumsome
These perfectly crispy vegan mayo-roast potatoes are really easy to make, and there's no nasty greasy baking tray to clean afterward! Have you ever thought, "Ooh, I really fancy so and so", only to discover, when you're halfway through making the object of your desire, that you don't have a key ingredient? I'm sure we've all been there, right? A few months back, I had a hankering for roast potatoes; I really, really wanted to tuck into a bowlful of crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle ...| yumsome
With just a handful of basic ingredients and no complicated preparation methods, my foolproof vegan choc chunk cookies are soft and moist, and can be slightly chewy or crumbly (depending on the fat and sugar you use) - everything a great cookie should be. And they couldn't be easier to make. They are, quite simply, the best choc chunk cookies I've ever made. I'm not alone in this assessment either. Continue reading Foolproof Vegan Choc Chunk Cookies at yumsome.| yumsome
While it may not be the most attractive dish in the world, what this vegan tagine lacks in style, it more than makes up for in flavour. Chock-full of delicious veggies, and cooked with fiery spices and fragrant herbs, this vegan Moroccan vegetable tagine is not only a sumptuous feast of goodness, it's incredibly easy to make too. One of the best things about living in Taroudannt, in Morocco's Souss Valley, was the availability of fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices. Continue reading Ve...| yumsome
Whipped up in under 30 minutes, packed with B vitamins and essential minerals, plus 30% of your daily fibre needs, these simple Asian-style mushrooms with ginger are just bursting with flavour, and make a fantastically delicious meal at any time of the day! A while back, while living in deepest, darkest Transylvania, amato mio and I spent a lovely weekend in the delightful medieval city of Sibiu. Continue reading Simple Asian-Style Mushrooms With Ginger at yumsome.| yumsome
At under 100 calories per glass, and with its zingy citrus kick, my quick and easy mango and lime lassi is creamy, tangy, and fruity, and whizzed up in a jiffy. It's the perfect accompaniment to any Indian meal! Mango lassi If you've been to Indian restaurants, and enjoyed a lassi or two, you know how well they go with some of the more fiery curries, and how well they cool the palate; however, even if you tend to stick with mild dishes, such as palak paneer or aloo gobi masala, a smooth and c...| yumsome
Forget buying tubs of ready-made broth from the supermarket, making your own vegetable broth from scraps is so easy, and once you get into the habit of it, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Do you have recipes that you know so well - recipes which are so commonplace in your kitchen, that it just doesn't occur to you to that other people may not know how to make them? Continue reading How To Make Vegetable Broth From Scraps at yumsome.| yumsome
Chocolatey and rich, moist and fudgy, made with only 10 ingredients; my perfect vegan brownies are ready in just 40 minutes, and are everything a great brownie should be! My quest for perfect vegan brownies has been ongoing for a few years now; I have made so many, and while most have not been disasters, there have nevertheless been few that I’ve been really, really happy with. The two recipes I’ve previously published on yumsome have been super-yummy… but they’re far from being tradi...| yumsome
Deliciously creamy and velvety, ready in 30 minutes, and made with just half a dozen ingredients, my easy vegan Nutella is quick to make, and far healthier than its shop-bought counterpart. Vegan Nutella recipe I suppose I shouldn't say Nutella though, since it's Ferrero's brand name... but 'vegan Nutella' rolls off the tongue so much easier than 'vegan chocolate hazelnut spread'. It also rolls ON the tongue rather well. Continue reading How to Make Easy Vegan Nutella at yumsome.| yumsome
Clocking in at a mere 46 calories each, my 4-ingredient chocolate peanut figgy truffles are vegan, gluten-free, healthy, dead simple to make, and have no added sugar. Put some in your tum today! Truffles may be expensive to buy, and therefore, seemingly decadent but y’know what? They are so incredibly easy to make. In fact, over the years, I’ve made gazillions of ‘em, precisely because they’re so darned expensive in the shops, yet so simple to throw together in the kitchen. Continue r...| yumsome
