Chocolate cake Ingredients ¼ of a cup Xylitol (or 4 tablespoons of agave syrup) 4 teaspoons cocoa ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 ½ cups wholewheat flour, white flour or a mix of the two ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons vinegar (cider vinegar if possible) 1 cup cold water Method     Mix thoroughly the xylitol (if using agave add this later with the wet ingredients), cocoa, salt, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl. 1. Add the oil, vanilla extract, and vinegar and pour the cold water over the mixture. 2. Combine well with a fork but do not beat. 3. Pour into two oiled cake pans (lined if desired) and bake in a moderate oven at 350f / 180c gas mark 4 for 30 minutes.  Take out the oven and leave to cool on a rack.   Chocolate Icing 6 teaspoons  xylitol or 3 teaspoons of agave syrup 3 teaspoons cocoa 6 teaspoons flour 3 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup soya milk 1. Mix thoroughly the xylitol, cocoa and flour in a bowl. 2. Add the vegetable oil, vanilla extract and pour the soya milk over the mixture. 3. Combine well with a fork. You can then place icing on top of one of the cakes place the other on top then add icing to the top of that.  This can be done when warm after about ten minutes and eaten straight away or done when cooled and placed in the fridge overnight.      Raw Chocolate Ingredients 1 cup of cashew nuts soaked for 1 to 12 hours (the longer the soak the smoother the texture) 2 ripe avacados ( unripe will do but requires more blending) 4 teaspoons of heaped cocoa powder 3 teaspoons of agave syrup or 1 banana chopped and frozen for 30 minutes   Method      Blend all the ingredients together.  I find a hand blender is best. 1. Place the mixture into ice-cube containers or lay on a plate smoothed out. 2. Place in a freezer for half an hour and their ready to eat.   Chilli Sin Carne Ingredients 1 large onion diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1-3 fresh chilli‘s chopped depending on the heat you want 1 green pepper seeds removed and diced 400g of frozen soya mince or dried mince that has been soaked 400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 400g can tomatoes 300ml water 2 tablespoons tomato puree 1 stock cube or a teaspoon of vegan bouillon 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½ - 1 tablespoon of chilli powder depending on the heat you want 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder or two squares of sugar free chocolate   Method 1.       Fry the onion, garlic, green pepper and fresh chilli until soft. 2.      Add the soya mince, kidney beans, cumin, cocoa powder or chocolate, stock cube or bouillon, tomato puree, tinned tomatoes, and water and bring to a steady simmer for 30 minutes. 3.      Then add some chilli powder depending on taste.   Serve with rice or tortilla wraps and some alpro plain yoghurt     Berry Ice-cream Ingredients 400g berries (raspberry, blackberry, blackcurrants or a mixture) 1 carton of Alpro soya cream 1 banana or 3 teaspoons of agave syrup   Method   Freeze the berries for two to three hours and if using a banana chop this and freeze for 30 minutes.  Blend all the ingredients together and you have your ice cream.  If you need to you can place it back in the freezer after blending for another half an hour to harden a bit more.   Scrambled Tofu (alternative to scrambled egg) Ingredients 250g packet of plain tofu teaspoon of soy sauce 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon mixed herbs 1 teaspoon mustard pinch of fresh ground black pepper pinch of salt 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil   Method       Mash the tofu, add all the other ingredients and mix in. 1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the tofu mix and stir in the oil until heated, approx 3 mins. 2. Serve on toast.   Bolognese sauce Ingredients   400g frozen soya mince or rehydrated dried mince 2 onions diced 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed 1 pepper (any colour) de-seeded and chopped 8 mushrooms chopped 1 large tin tomatoes 2 teaspoons tomato puree 1 vegetable stock cube 3-4 tablespoons sunflower oil teaspoon soy sauce   Method 1.       Heat oil in a large saucepan or wok. 2.       Fry all the vegetables for 5 minutes. 3.       Add the mince and fry for a further five minutes. 4.       Add the tin of tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube and soy sauce. 5.       Serve with spaghetti.   Shepherds pie Ingredients 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 onions peeled and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped 400g frozen soya mince or rehydrated dried mince 1 large tin tomatoes teaspoon mixed herbs pinch black pepper pinch salt vegetable stock cube 50g frozen peas 1 carrot – peeled and finely chopped 10 medium potatoes 3 tablespoons soya margarine 4 tablespoons soya milk bisto onion instant gravy granules   Method 1.       Pre-heat oven to 220 c / 430 f / gas mark 7. 2.       Fry onion and garlic in the vegetable oil for two minutes. 3.       Add the soya mince, vegetable stock, tomatoes, carrots, peas, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes. 4.       Chop potatoes into quarters and boil with or without skins for 15 minutes until soft. 5.       Mash the potatoes with milk and margarine. 6.       Add a teaspoon of gravy granules at a time to the soya mixture until it is quite thick. 7.       Place the mixture in an ovenproof dish and place the mashed potatoe on top, smooth down with a fork. 8.       Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes until the top has browned.  It may help to switch to under a grill to finish browning the potato topping.   Eggless Pancakes Ingredients Vegetable oil Self raising flour Soya milk (the higher the soya content the better) Xylitol or agave syrup   Method 1. Place some self raising flour in a mixing jug and slowly add some soya milk stirring it with a fork until it thickens to a smooth but not too thick paste.  You should still be able to pour it.  2. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a fryin pan (non-stick works best) making sure all the pan is oiled. 3. slowly pour in the batter mixture to cover the base of the frying pan and fry for about 2 minutes until slightly brown and turn.  Fry the other side for the same result. 4. Serve with a teaspoon of agave syrup or xylitol.   Notes Try with a small mix at first then build up to a large mix to do more pancakes.  If you want to keep the mixture it will keep for at least a few hours in the fridge just re-stir before you use it again.  It’s a case of practise to get the consistency of the mixture right and when you get used to it it’s easy to toss the pancakes over.  You’ll also find that when you get it right you’ll be able to use plain flour or wholemeal flour.   Follow the same instructions but add some finely diced onion and mushroom and a pinch of salt for a pancake effect.  The more you experiment the better they become.     Cream of chicken & mushroom soup   Ingredients   550g mushrooms 6 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions diced 1 tablespoon cornflour 250ml soya, oat or rice milk 1 litre of hot water with 3 vegetable oxo cubes crumbled and mixed in 100g of mock chicken (Any chicken substitute tinned mock chicken from Chinese supermarket of Granose brand from health food shop, or Grassington chicken steak or nuggets frozen from supermarket, Realeat chicken strips from health shop or unflavoured dried soya mince re-hydrated. 1 teaspoon dried sage 250ml Alpro soya cream   Method 1. Reserve 50g of the mushrooms and roughly chop the rest. 2. Gently heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onions, chopped mushrooms and sage.  Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables for 15 minutes or until soft. 3. Add the cornflour, stir for a couple of minutes, then add the milk and the stock.  Bring back to the boil and simmer for twenty minutes.  Allow to cool slightly then blend and return to the pan. 4. Finely slice the remaining mushrooms and the chicken substitute meat, unless using mince.  5. Gently heat the remaining oil in a separate pan and add the chopped chicken and mushrooms.  Fry for a few minutes. 6. Add this to the other pan with the carton of soya cream and heat for a few minutes whilst stirring then serve.     Simple, healthy salad  Ingredient Tin of red kedney beans or chick peas drained and rinsed Bag of spinach or quarter of chopped cabbage or any other green leaf 2 carrots grated 1 chunk of ginger finely diced 3 spring onions chopped 1 pepper any colour chopped 5 tomatoes chopped ¼ cup of cashew nuts ¼ cup of sunflower or pumpkin seeds ¼ cup of re-hydrated sundried tomatoes (optional) 1 jar of artichoke hearts (optional) 1 ripe avacado spooned out or chopped up   Method Mix together in a large bowl.  You can add all sorts of herbs also parsley, mint, basil, coriander, rocket, chives, depending on taste. Dressin Ingredients  Juice of 1 lime, ½ lemon or 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard pinch of salt pinch of pepper 9 tablespoons of olive oil   Method  Place all ingredients in a jar and shake together for 30 seconds.  Alternatively you could add a few tablespoons of egg free mayonnaise from most health food shops and supermarkets.  Pour over the salad and mix together.