Fluffy Vanilla Vegan Pancakes

Happy pancake day peeps. If you’re after a simple pancake recipe that’s light, fluffy and gets the job done, look no further. Chances are you already have all the ingredients at home, making this perfect if you find yourself in the “I-forgot-today-is-pancake-day” camp. 

These pancakes turned out pillow soft thanks to the vegan buttermilk, in combination with the self-raising flour. Remember that you can create your own self-raising flour by combining plain flour with baking powder. Another tip for making sure the pancakes are fluffy is to combine the wet and dry ingredients gently. Do not over mix or mix too vigorously. If there are still a few small lumps, that's perfectly okay.

Basic as this pancake recipe is, you can top it as you wish and get creative. Fresh fruits, syrup, chocolate, nuts, seeds, yoghurt or ice cream... choose your fighters.

Enjoy!   

Watch the recipe video on Instagram and tag me when you share your creation!

🥞 Recipe (makes 12):

• 2 cups unsweetened soya milk 

• 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract 

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil (plus extra for frying)

• 4 tbsp sugar (I used coconut sugar but any type will do)

• 2 cups self-raising flour

• pinch of salt

🥞 Method:

1. Mix the soya milk and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) together in a large mixing bowl and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

2. Whisk in the vanilla, sunflower oil and sugar. 

3. Add the flour and salt. Mix gently until well combined; it’s okay if there are a few small lumps.

4. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Scoop the pancake batter in and cook until bubbles form around the edges or on top. Flip over and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

5. Serve with any toppings of your choice. I went for vegan yoghurt, jam, banana, crushed peanuts and a little drizzle of brown rice syrup. 

10 Years of The Vegan Nigerian

 Ten years ago today, 20 year old me was sprawled across the sofa at home with my pink mini Dell laptop open and search results for 'how to start a blog' plastered across the screen. One spicy bean burger recipe later and The Vegan Nigerian officially came to be.

Since then... I mean, how do I even begin to list all the ways that this niche blog has radically changed my life? From the dear friendships and relationships I have now, to the career opportunities I have gotten to explore, to the lessons in consistency and passion and going after the things you want in life (no matter how weird or odd they may seem). To experiencing first-hand the power of community and connection and service. To continuous learning and unlearning. To falling more and more in love with the beautiful vegan lifestyle that has a far-reaching positive impact on how we relate to the world around us (animals, planet, people). I can trace all these things back to that afternoon on the sofa.

In every direction work and life has taken me over the years, it's always felt good to return to the blog as a home base. A reminder of where so many of my cherished memories started.

In terms of what comes next, here are a couple of things I'm currently working on and what I hope to work on in the near future:

1. Online cooking workshops. In an effort to become more laser-focused, I will be expanding and becoming more intentional about hosting online cooking workshops where I teach participants delicious vegan recipes and cooking techniques. Targeting teams and groups that want a unique bonding and/or learning experience. Think office team-building events, bachelorette parties, fundraisers, black history month activities, etc. To make this particular service more streamlined, my husband (who is very tech savvy) helped me create a sister website - Cook With Tomi - which is still under construction but has most of the key details on there already. I hope to be booked out every month if possible so if you're reading this and you're part of a team or group that would be interested, I'd love to hear from you. 

2. Another cookbook. I'm in the early ideas stage (i.e. still mulling things over in my head) for another recipe book, this time focused on creative, one-of-a-kind desserts inspired by West African ingredients. Aside from being a fun and tasty project to get stuck into, I truly believe there is room for innovation when it comes to the sweet side of our cuisine. The desserts will be mostly healthy, perhaps a bit wacky and experimental. Now that I've put this out there, I hope it provides some accountability and that it's not too long until I have some new updates to share. 

2023 is going to be a super eventful year in more ways than one. I hope yours has gotten off to a great start and that you already have a ton of exciting things to look forward to. Thanks for supporting my work over the years. My door is always open if you ever want to swap ideas, share your updates or share ways that I can support your work in return.

Tomi x

20 years old; early days of my vegan lifestyle in France

Creamy Chocolate Avocado Dip | Vegan, Gluten-Free Recipe

It’s date night and you want to spend less time on prep and more time on romance. This quick, healthy and delicious chocolate avocado dip, made using avocados, is the perfect recipe for you. The slightly nutty flavour profile of the avocado complements the chocolate beautifully in this dip.

Avocados are a great source of beta carotene, magnesium and Vitamin E (which promotes the production of hormones that support attraction, mood and desire). With their high number of phytonutrients, it’s no wonder they are considered a natural aphrodisiac.

Watch the recipe video on Instagram and don't forget to tag me if you try this out!

Ingredients 

(Serves 2)

1 large ripe avocado

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Pinch of sea salt 

2 tbsp maple, date or rice syrup

6 tbsp unsweetened soya milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

To serve: fruit, pretzels, crackers, biscuits, chocolate shavings/chips etc.

Method:

1. Place all the ingredients in a small blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy.

2. Serve with 'dippable' snacks such as pretzels, crackers and fresh fruit.

Beans and Plantain Waffles

Gluten-free, vegan waffles never tasted so good!

I was recently asked to develop a recipe using a legume of my choice. This black-eyed beans and plantain waffle recipe might seem like an unusual direction to go in considering that we often associate legumes with savoury dishes, but trust me when I say that it just works. Paired with deliciously sweet plantain, you have a winning breakfast or brunch dish.

No fancy ingredients or techniques required. Simply plonk all the ingredients in a blender, heat up your waffle iron and you're good to go. I served mine with fried plantain and brown rice syrup but you can customise it in any way you wish - fresh fruits, whipped coconut cream, peanut butter, strawberry jam, etc.

You can watch the recipe video on my Instagram page. If you try it out, I'd love to know. Feel free to tag me in your post :)

Legumes are a healthy superfood, packed with iron, vitamin B, minerals, fibre, and gut-friendly probiotics. As if all that isn’t enough, they are also highly sustainable, with a low carbon and water footprint. So let's get into the recipe!

Makes 8 waffles

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry black-eyed beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 1 cup water
• 1 ripe plantain, peeled and cut into chunks 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch sea salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil 

To garnish:

• pan-fried sweet plantain 
• maple or brown rice syrup 

Method:

1. Blend all the ingredients until you have a smooth batter
2. Cook the batter in a pre-heated waffle iron (3 minutes for soft waffles or 6 minutes for crispy waffles)
3. Garnish with slices of fried sweet plantain and syrup of your choice