January - maybe Veganuary

I (Zena) try and keep my Monday's vegan for all the health and world benefit's all year round, as well as helping out my 5:2 diet regime. But, let's face it, I am a cavewoman who is happy to hunt with the men and bring back the bacon, that said, I have an appreciation for creating vegan recipes made with the season's finest veggies and dry store ingredients.

Vegan restaurants have dwindled since Covid, which is more reason to celebrate the ones that are left in our fine city of Norwich. We used to be in the top 3 vegan cities in the country, but I'm not sure how we stand now! (Google says we are now no. 10!).

Norwich Market

Norwich Market has two vegan gems:

Lucy's has two parts on their main market stall, to the left you'll find a dedicated vegan fish and chip stall, including other battered goodies. At Christmas, they offer battered brussel sprouts! But always have something special on the menu.

Falafel and Friends are totally vegan, and amongst my favourite dishes from these guys is their potato spiral drizzled with sweet chilli sauce, it is just £4.50, plus they made a gorgeous aubergine snitzel burger which is edging on divine and just under a tenner with some house fries.

Restaurants

Namaste is a vegan Indian with a host of evolving menu dishes, sometimes with a Namaste worldly flare like their anglo-saxon/anglo-chinese dishes, with an emphasis on street food and wholesome fresh eats. They also offer festivals, cookery classes and a second location which is a location which is a hotel with vegan restaurant attached up from Norwich Railway Station. Best known for their Dosa's (think pancakes) - made from a fermented soaked rice and lentil batter.

Further afield, but only a 10-minute drive out of Norwich, is the long-standing River Green in Trowse. I once took my children there for breakfast and they announced the vegan breakfast the best out of any breakfasts they'd ever had - so no meat-loss there!

Recipe

Here is my recipe for a very comforting, tasty vegan pasta. 

A healthy fresh fish for the New Year, filling and fabulous. Try wholemeal pasta it's packed full of fibre - well needed after all the chocolate's at Christmas. Red pesto also works well with baked chicken, steamed fish or try stirred into a risotto (it can also be frozen).

Wholemeal spaghetti with homemade red pesto (V)

Serve 4

350g wholemeal spaghetti

Red pesto - 

1 red pepper or 1/3 jar roasted (100g)

50g pine nuts - lightly toasted 

50g sundried or sun-blushed tomatoes

1 clove of garlic - crushed

1/2 lemon - juiced and zest

2 tablespoons / handful of basil - chopped

1 tablespoon / small handful parsley - chopped 

5 - 6 tablespoons olive oil or the oil from sundried tomatoes

Seasoning

Method

• If using fresh, first roast or grill the pepper to blister and blacken the skin, remove the skin when hot, discard along with the stalk and seeds
• Boil the pasta until cooked*
• Meanwhile blend (see below) all the ingredients for the pesto until smooth and season well to taste
• Drain the pasta, saving 2 - 3 tablespoons of the water to add back in and stir in the sauce
• Serve - for added extras, grate on some parmesan cheese and tear on some basil leaves 

Tips for cooking pasta

Cook pasta in a large saucepan with plenty of rapidly boiling water, a touch of salt and a glug of olive oil. *Follow the timings on the packet minus one or two minutes if you prefer your pasta like the Italians, al-dente. 

Back to Vegan Eating in the City

But, of course every food place mostly anywhere offers vegan options and there is so many Norfolk producers with vegan alternatives. 

Cuppie Hut cafe always bake vegan tray bakes.

Dottie's on the market have a vegan section.

Ernie's Zero Waste in Anglia Square are great for all your dry stores bought by the weight and vegan alternatives like yorkie puddings. 

You will always get a fabulous vegan beast New York style sarnie at Bodega on the market.

Plus, Rainbow in the city centre and the Greengrocers in Earlham Shopping Centre have a good vegan cheese selection with ready meals.

Are you struggling to replace eggs?

• Try a pan-fried tofu scrambled egg or for egg mayo
• Replace eggs in your bakes with apple sauce
• Or swap for powdered Guar gum which acts like a glue binding dishes together
• You can buy substitutes in places like the Greengrocers such as Oggs liquid vegan eggs
• Bananas work well in pancakes by adding squashed
• If making sauces like mayo - you can emulsify veggie oil into soya based milk
• Flax seeds work well as a binder in cakes
• Aqua Faba (the juice from a tin of chickpeas) are perfect for a meringue substitute, especially in chocolate mousse
• Tapioca starch will apparently make a fried egg white substitute - I shall be experimenting!
• Silken tofu - soft is good for mousses, especially white chocolate
• Gram flour - chickpea flour - to make the batter/egg mix in a Spanish omelette

Cheers to a Happy New Year and a food-fuelled fiesta of 2025. 

Zena Leech-Carlton - Love Norwich Food