Review – Vegan Peasant Supperclub

On Thursday my Husband and I attended Vegan Peasant Catering supperclub at The Grand Howl vegetarian cafe in Hackney.

The cafe’s windows were steamed up and they had their shutter half down so we walked past it before we realised that was the place.

When we arrived we were offered a glass of Prosecco which went down very well and soon the canapés were coming out.

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The aubergine was definitely my favourite which wasn’t a surprise and I am a huge fan of ghanoush. I hate grapefruit with a passion but the it was only a sliver and added a nice citrus burst which cut through the rich cream cheese. The ricotta was pleasant but I don’t remember tasting any fennel.

The dishes were placed on the counter and it felt like a bun fight to get in a grab one, not always being successful and having to wait for the next tray.

Next to come out were the bowls.

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The gnocchi was divine with gorgeous tomatoes and mushrooms. I had big leaves of basil which just added to the gorgeousness.

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The other bowl was my fave dish of the evening. Roasted veg with a sinus clearing horseradish sauce, what’s not to like!

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The desserts were bite size like the canapés and I think I could have done with a bowl size portion! The buttery biscuit with cream and fruit was lovely although I think the cream could have had a bit more flavour. The fudgey brownie squares were rich and intense.

This event was like a reception I would say, in that it was standing. This was the aspect of the evening that I found least enjoyable. We were there about 2 and a half hours and my Husband and I ended up leaning against the wall. It was also very warm and I had to step outside for a bit to cool down.

The meal was good value for money at £25 including the Prosecco and I left feeling satisfied without overly full.

We also got chatting to another who works close to me so we’re going explore our working area for vegan lunch options.

Vegan Peasant said they are starting monthly events with the next one at the end of March. I think this standing style isn’t for me and I would only go to a sit down event.

Have you been to a Vegan Peasant event? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.

Plumes x

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Review – Vegan Peasant Supperclub

Review – Black Cat Cafe Hackney

I went to Black Cat Cafe yesterday with my Sister-in-law Gemma after we’d visited East London Vintage Fair. I had been there once before with my Husband. I tried looking through my blog to see whether I wrote a review last time but when I checked my instagram I realised we went two weeks before I started my blog!

Their website states – “Black Cat Cafe is a 100% vegan, cooperatively run space in Hackney-London that aims to promote an ethical lifestyle”. I really love the interior of the cafe and wish I’d taken some photos. There are as many tables crammed in as possible and it has a very “collective” type feeling, there are magazines that can be read while you’re in the cafe and extensive collection of books for sale from vegan cookbooks to political tomes. “Zionism in the age of the dictators” particularly caught my eye. The menu changes on a daily basis depending on what produced is sourced.

I love a good soda float so I have got a cola float both times I have visited. The only thing that could have made this better was if they served root beer!

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For food I went for the seitan plate which came with seasoned seitan with a dollop of mint yogurt dressing, sourdough bread and a selection of salads. The seitan was really meaty and chewy, ,I’m not sure what brand they used and the salads were all tasty, I especially liked the slaw.

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My Sister-in-law went for the health bowl, which came with houmous, violife cheese and a few more salads. She said she really enjoyed it and it was very filling.

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I had to treat myself to one of the cakes and I went for the coffee and walnut. The cake was rich with coffee and I think it also had poppy seeds in it.

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Black Cat also have a deli fridge, with vegan cheeses and faux meats as well as a huge range of drinks and chocolate on offer. I picked up a few snacks and treats to take home to my Husband which he was very pleased about!

Black Cat was very busy both times I have visited but I think that added to the atmosphere, it feels like there’s a lot going on and there’s a buzz about the place. I would really recommend visiting if you are in the area.

Have you been to Black Cat Cafe? What did you think?

Plumes x

Review – Black Cat Cafe Hackney

Round up of the week’s food 160508

I’ve had a lovely week’s annual leave and eaten some delicious food!

On Monday I had spaghetti with aubergine pesto and vegetables, I used up some romaine lettuce in this dish and if you haven’t had cooked lettuce you really must give it a go!

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On Tuesday I met my friend for coffee and lunch and we decided to go to a Mexican stall in the middle of our local shopping centre. I went for a salad box, which is basically everything I would have in a burrito without the tortilla. I like the salad boxes as you get more of the filling which is the best bit!

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On Tuesday evening I decided to make some purple coleslaw with red cabbage, red onion, carrot, salad cream and mustard. I served it with a Quorn spicy burger and some fried potato. I love coleslaw and I wish it was easier to find vegan versions as when I make it I end up with a massive bowl and have to eat it for days!

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So on Wednesday I had it again for breakfast with some avocado on toast.

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I went for a simple sausage sandwich for lunch as I was baking most of the day. I used Dragonfly Soysages which are my fave vegan sausages. I microwaved them (for the first time) as I was using the oven for baking and I was really impressed with how they turned out.

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I was baking as it was my Mum’s birthday on Thursday. Her fave chocolate is Bounty and she had asked me to make her some vegan versions when she saw this recipe pop up in her Facebook feed. This turned out really well, the only issue I had was where they had set they got stuck to the wire rack and cracked a bit when I tried to get them off.

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I also made her some banana bread as I had ordered some presents online but they hadn’t arrived (and I had some bananas that needed using up!) I used this recipe  from BBC Good Food and it was really easy. We always had banana bread growing up and this is the first time I’ve made a vegan version. i’m sure my Mum has made some for me because I can’t believe I’ve gone four years without having any!

We went swimming on Wednesday evening and popped to Tesco to pick up some food for dinner. I also picked up these Go On Pots from Alpro and you can read my review here.

Mum had some tinned seitan so wanted to make a stir fry. Tesco have a great deal, with veg, noodles and sauce for £3, (the veg on its own is £2). We went for a butternut squash stir-fry, rice noodles and plum and hoisin sauce. The sauce was nice and light and coated everything really well. This dinner took less than 10 mins to make and tasted gorgeous so I would really recommend trying out, there are various different sauces, noodles and stir fries available so you can do many combinations!

On Thursday I went into town with my Husband and we stopped at our local ice cream parlour. They do about six fruit flavoured sorbets so there’s lots to choose from. I went for cherry and lemon. My Husband took this photo and failed to tell me what a mess my hair was, but did say I had the crazy eyes!

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We stopped in Sainsburys and I picked up a pizza from the counter where they make them fresh. I like doing this as you can request them without cheese. I did consider putting on my own vegan cheese at home but the toppings were so loaded I didn’t feel like I needed to. We also picked up some garlic bread. This is in Sainsburys Basics range and is 70p for two baguettes!

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On Friday I went into London as my friend was leaving to go on maternity leave. Before I headed to the pub for a few fizzy waters I stopped at Simple Health Kitchen near St Paul’s Cathedral for lunch. I had seen a friend post a picture of her lunch from here on instagram and I had to give it a go! I  had sweet potato falafel with quinoa salad, courgetti and avocado dressing. It was a big serving and was really filling, as well as being super tasty. The light wasn’t great so the pic is a bit fuzzy and I couldn’t get internet connection (in central London?!) which was a bit annoying.

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On Friday evening I had the second half of my pizza and garlic bread so didn’t think it was worth photographing again!

On Saturday my Husband and I had lunch in town at a new peri peri chicken restaurant. I had a chargrilled vegetable pitta which contained huge mushrooms, peppers and aubergines. It was all really well seasoned and well cooked. I had sweet potato mash and chargrilled corn on the cob to go with it. The corn was the best I think I’ve had at a restaurant as it was charred perfectly!

Today I went to a vintage fair in Hackney with my Sister-in-law. There was so much on offer I think I had a bit of vintage fatigue by the end! I got a lovely dress and a top, which I’ll probably blog about once I’ve worn them, and I got complemented on the vintage dress I was wearing! We were really hungry by the time we’d finished so we headed over to the nearby Black Cat Cafe. I’m going to write up a full review but here’s a sneak peak of what we had.

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It has been such a lovely sunny day but I am well and truly popped! I changed into my cool cotton pj’s as soon as I walked in the door and am now going to catch up on some TV. Have a lovely week!

Plumes x

Round up of the week’s food 160508