EASY VEGAN DOUGHNUTS

These are fried and not baked, knocking them straight into the realm of unhealthy treats. Such are the food cravings you get around this time of year before those healthy eating resolutions come knocking on January 1st (if you're that way inclined).

I made these by mixing a simple bread dough and enriching it with melted vegan margarine as opposed to the milk and eggs used in traditional doughnut recipes. You can fill the doughnuts with jam if you want, or shape them into rings. This recipe provides the basic canvas but you can be as creative as you want. Enjoy! ;)

Ingredients
makes approx. 10-12
- 1 tbsp dried yeast
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp vegan margarine (melted)
- 2.5 cups plain flour
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- sunflower oil
- cinnamon and caster sugar, for dusting

Combine the yeast, warm water and 1 tsp of sugar. Leave aside for about 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy.

Mix the melted vegan margarine with the yeast mixture and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the plain flour and 4 tbsp of caster sugar. Make a well in the middle and add the wet ingredients. Mix to form a soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm area for about an hour.

Knead the dough lightly (in the bowl) for a minute. With oiled hands, form the doughnuts (for a ring shape, use the end of a wooden spoon or your thumb to poke a whole through the middle...whatever works) and space them out on a lined baking tray. Cover and leave to rest for another 10 minutes.

In a pan, heat enough sunflower oil to deep fry the doughnuts. You'll know the oil is ready for frying when a small piece of the dough sizzles and starts to brown.

Fry the doughnuts on medium heat, flipping them round if necessary, until golden brown all over. Drain on some kitchen paper.

Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and caster sugar.

CREAMY COCONUT, CORN & SCOTCH BONNET SOUP [VIDEO]

If you were at the last pop up, then you got to try this beautifully balanced soup. If not, no sweat... this soup was recently featured on the Radiant Health Magazine website, and you can check out the full recipe by clicking here.


Also handy is this quick tutorial video:

TRYING DURIAN FRUIT FOR THE FIRST TIME [VIDEO]

I'm in Singapore for the first half of December for a couple of special occasions. And while I'm here, I'm trying to experience as much of the food culture as possible. So far so good, and I look forward to sharing more about that once I have time to put all my footage and images together.

Anywho, durian was high up there on my list of things to try during this visit. After hearing so much about this polarising (and stinky!) fruit, I was curious to see on which side I would fall. When I finally got the chance...well, check out the video to peep my reaction ^_^

#AfricanFood Panel Discussion at Facebook HQ [VIDEO]

A week ago today (29th November 2016), I attended the #AfricanFood event hosted by Pop Up Africa and Do it Now Now (click on each link to find out more about who they are and what they do).

The event brought together a range of passionate foodies who are making their mark in the African food scene here in the UK. From foodpreneurs to bloggers, journalists and cookbook authors to TV chefs. Essentially, a glorious melting pot of like-minded creatives who want to usher our diverse African cuisines into mainstream consciousness.

And boy, was I glad to be in that room. I got to hear the unique experiences of others in the field and gathered heaps of inspiration. I left feeling encouraged and excited about the new year - both in terms of the positive direction that African cuisine in general seems to be moving, and also in terms of my own personal projects, goals and vision for The Vegan Nigerian. Once in a while, it's necessary to pause and take stock of the direction you're heading in, and this event was certainly a catalyst to that end.

The evening began with an ice-breaker where members of the audience split into teams of eight to answer African food related questions. This was followed by the main part of the event: a panel discussion to discuss a series of questions pertaining to the current state and future of African food. The third part of the evening consisted of food entrepreneurs giving short presentations about their businesses.

A few things I took away from the various discussions on the night: the importance of perseverance and consistency; the need for us to support and build each other up within this growing community; the importance of taking pride in what we do.

Below is a video with extended highlights from the evening. Hope you enjoy and take something away from it!