“I ran 300 km across Spain fuelled by plants – this was the hardest part”

From veganfoodandliving.com 

By Laura Briggs

When vegan runner Laura Briggs began preparing for an eco ultra challenge, she soon realised that the run would only be part of the battle...

I’ve been vegan long enough to know that even in the UK, eating out can occasionally present a challenge. So, when a plan for three of us to run 300 km across the Camino Primitivo in Spain was first pencilled into the calendar, I knew it wouldn’t be plain sailing. Northern Spain, after all, isn’t particularly well known for its plant-based cuisine.

But when our trio unexpectedly dwindled to just one, I found myself on the cusp of a solo adventure that would challenge me both mentally and physically. It was a journey I felt deeply compelled to complete.

I’m a member of The Green Runners, and the adventure was intentionally designed to demonstrate that we can travel sensitively, tread lightly, and significantly reduce our carbon footprint. For me, that meant a strict policy of no flying. I would travel by ferry and bus, carry absolutely everything I needed on my back, and, of course, maintain a vegan diet.

Photo © Laura Briggs

Into the Asturias mountains

My journey began on the ferry from Plymouth to Santander. I spent most of the 24-hour crossing trapped in my cabin, trying desperately to convince myself I wasn’t seasick and feeling incredibly alone. The moment I stepped onto terra firma, however, my spirits lifted. This run was going to be tough, but I reminded myself of our collective mantra: we can do hard things.

After a two-hour bus ride to the historic city of Oviedo – my official starting line – I woke the following morning at the ridiculous hour of 3:30 am. I set off into the pitch-black unknown of the Asturias mountains with a pack weighing just over 5 kg. Tellingly, a significant portion of that weight consisted of ‘back up’ vegan endurance bars, packed in case I was entering a total culinary desert.

My plan was to run an average of 40 km a day over seven days – including a brutal 60 km stint on day one – to reach the resting place of the apostle St James in Santiago de Compostela.

While I was physically fully trained for the mileage, nothing could prepare me for the daily logistics of sourcing meals. In the remote stretches of the Asturias mountains and through rural Galicia, food outlets are few and far between.

Each evening, I learned to become a tactical scavenger. Staying in albergues (pilgrim bunkhouses), I would occasionally be treated to a simple, delicious communal meal. Other nights, dinner just didn’t happen. I quickly learned to squirrel away the remains of the previous night’s dinner, taking leftover crusts of bread and pots of jam with me for the road, and stuffing my pack pockets with the fresh oranges that, luckily, seemed to grow everywhere.

This is just one of the incredible views Laura enjoyed during her epic journey. Photo © Laura Briggs

Highs and lows on the trail

On day one, I headed towards La Espina, leaving the city lights behind for the dense darkness of the mountains, navigating pine forests and dusty trails entirely alone.

In April, the Camino is still in its very early season. The pilgrims who eventually flood the paths toward the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela are few and far between until May. Village shops and bars were generally shuttered. It was a solitary, introspective journey.

Day two took me 40 km to Pola de Allande, which provided my absolute favourite evening meal of the trip. The Dutch owner of the albergue proudly presented a starter of warming lentil soup, followed by a hearty main of seasoned rice and vegetables. Best of all, they even surprised me with a chocolate soya pudding for dessert.

Spending the evening chatting with people from across the globe and sharing food in this humble, communal way is the true magic of the Camino.

Day three was my scenic highlight. I climbed 800 meters in just a few kilometres, feeling completely immersed in the wild Asturias landscape as herds of wild horses swept past. I felt incredibly strong, running the flats, hammering the downs, and fast-hiking the steep ascents.

I arrived in Castro, befriended the resident albergue cat, and luxuriated briefly in a hot shower. Dinner that night, however, left me wanting. Veganism isn’t a known concept in this part of Spain, and the albergue chef genuinely thought cheese was an acceptable substitute. I went to bed having eaten nothing but a single slice of roasted squash and a side of chips.

By day four, the physical rhythm had taken hold. It heavily frustrates me when people assume vegans lack the energy or stamina to tackle major physical endurance challenges. I derive a very personal satisfaction from proving those stereotypes entirely wrong.

As I powered through the miles, I kept my mind occupied by fantasising about all the wonderful things I would eat when I finally reached the finish line.

Culture shocks

On day five, mapping errors on my part turned the stretch from O Cádavo to San Román da Retorta into an unexpected 50 km ultra. I ran through the beautiful, historic Galician capital of Lugo, finding myself treading more on unforgiving tarmac than soft trail. The heat was intense. When I finally reached my albergue that evening, dead on my feet, sinking into a swinging hammock in the garden felt like absolute heaven.

With only two days left, day six brought a massive shift as the quiet Primitivo merged with the popular Camino Francés in the city of Melide. Suddenly, there were more walkers, more open cafés, and significantly less solitude.

At one point, a well-meaning man giving guided tours of a historic church kindly handed me a pain au chocolat. When he wasn’t looking, I discreetly disposed of it in a bin; I didn’t want to cause offence, and the language barrier made it exhausting to constantly explain what I could and couldn’t eat.

I reached the town of Arzúa with little left in the tank, the late afternoon heat becoming almost unbearable. Because it was a Sunday, the local supermarkets were locked up. My only option was a 24-hour express mini-mart, where I cobbled together a makeshift dinner of baguette, microwavable quinoa, and a jar of olives. I was hardly eating like a queen, but it was pure fuel.

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela marks the end of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route. Photo © Laura Briggs

The grand finale

For the final leg into Santiago, I purposely took it easy, slowing my pace to soak in the stunning scenery and talk to my fellow pilgrims. Arriving in the majestic Praza do Obradoiro, the sheer realisation that I had completed 300 km entirely on my own two feet was completely overwhelming. I was rewarded with the spectacular view of the cathedral, looming large over the celebrating crowds.

After a long-awaited shower and a change of clothes, dropping my heavy backpack onto the floor of my accommodation felt glorious. My mind immediately pivoted to a singular focus: real food.

Having a full rest day in Santiago before beginning the long journey home allowed me to embark on a culinary victory lap. First, I visited Cascara Café for brunch, where I ordered not one breakfast, but two. I devoured a vibrant chia berry bowl alongside thick tomato and avocado toast, washed down with plenty of coffee and oat milk.

Later, I tracked down A Corre Vexeta, a phenomenal local eatery. Sitting there that afternoon, I felt like I had stepped into heaven. I feasted on exquisite mushroom and aubergine tacos drizzled with a cool sauce and pickled red onions, followed by a slice of Tarta de Flores – honestly the best dessert I have ever eaten in my life.

I paired it with a chilled glass of local white wine, and felt delightfully light-headed as the sugar, alcohol and accomplishment hit my system all at once.

Running 300 km over rugged mountains is entirely possible on a plant-based diet, and Santiago de Compostela proves that wonderful vegan options are waiting for you at the end of the road.

If you are planning your own Camino, my advice is to message your albergues well ahead of time to state your dietary needs, and always pack plenty of emergency fuel. You are never guaranteed to find options en route, but with a little planning, the journey is worth every single mile.

Ready to challenge yourself? Read our vegan guide to running

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/vegan-green-runner-laura-briggs-300km-eco-pilgrimage/

Richard Makin’s easy vegan recipes for people who think plant-based food is hard

From independent.co.uk

Think vegan cooking is difficult? School Night Vegan’s Richard Makin is out to prove otherwise with three easy, flavour-packed recipes for fuss-free plant-based dinners, writes Prudence Wade

Before switching to a plant-based diet, food writer Richard Makin had a decidedly un-vegan job: making ice cream.

He spent three years driving around London, selling ice cream sandwiches – before turning vegan in 2017, something he called a “surprisingly intuitive transition”.

“I overdosed on dairy ingredients, because I was making all of the ice cream myself,” says Makin, 39, now based outside of Manchester. “So every single day I was pouring cream, eggs and everything into a big pasteuriser.”

This, coupled with the fact he shared a production premises with a now-defunct vegan street food company, showed him the potential of plant-based food.

“They did the most spectacular vegan Vietnamese food you’ve ever tasted, and it was down to those trades – I would give them a scoop of ice cream, and they’d give me a banh mi or something – that I realised that you can love food and be vegan at the same time,” Makin remembers.

“I don’t think I had put those two things together – I always thought that vegan food was kind of a punishment. A lot of people think of it that way, and it’s just not true. It just takes a little bit of learning and a little bit of kitchen ingenuity, and you can create food that’s absolutely as good – if not better – than anything else.”

Makin’s time working with ice cream introduced him to the world of recipe development: “The thing I loved about making ice cream was coming up with those flavours and making them a reality.”

                         Makin wants to take the intimidation out of vegan cooking and make it part of the everyday (Richard Makin)

In 2017, he founded his Instagram account, School Night Vegan, tracking his switch from vegetarian to vegan, and in 2018 he shut down his ice cream business to go all-in on vegan recipe development. In 2023, he wrote his first cookbook – Anything You Can Cook, I Can Cook Vegan – and he’s now releasing his follow-up: Stress-Free Dinners.

While his debut was “very much for vegans”, Makin says, his latest offering is “for absolutely everybody”. You won’t find any unusual ingredients in the recipes, with the dishes designed to be “so accessible and so unintimidating.

He’s also writing in a slightly different food landscape. It seems like veganism was everywhere five or so years ago, but the climate has changed – which Makin calls “a market correction”.

“There was this huge boom in the kind of products that you could buy as a vegan, and that really won a lot of people over – whether it was Beyond Burgers, or the vegan sandwiches at M&S or whatever. It made it a lot easier for people to be vegan.

“I think there was always going to be a pendulum swing, because it was such a huge explosion… but I think most people have just incorporated vegan ideas and vegan meals and vegan recipes into their diet in a way that they never would have 10 years ago, so maybe they don’t identify as a vegan.

“But in terms of the number of plant-based meals that people are eating and the positive attitude towards high-fibre diets and plant-based proteins and things like that, people are just as open as they ever have been, if not more.

“I feel like the tide’s changing, but I don’t necessarily think it’s in a bad way. It’s doing exactly what vegetarianism did 15 years ago, which has stopped being this buzzword and stopped being the butt of the jokes… it’s just not really a big deal anymore.”

This means that “vegans look different than they used to”, Makin suggests. “There used to be this whole image that went along with being a vegan, and it had this anti-establishment edge to it. Whereas now, my mum and dad are vegan; they’re both 75, and they made the switch the past five years and it wasn’t a big deal.

“It wasn’t a political decision, it wasn’t an identity crisis or anything like that. It was just, ‘Oh, we’ll give it a try’, and they found it easier than they thought and they felt good on it, so they carried on doing it. It’s as simple as that really.”

          ‘Stress-Free Dinners’ is Makin’s second cookbook and his first aimed at vegans and non-vegans alike       Bloomsbury

You won’t find much fake meat in Makin’s recipes – in his new book, just one recipe involves plant-based sausages – with a focus on protein sources like tofu and tempeh instead.

Makin suggests that plant-based meat replacements is one area where “the tide has really changed”, suggesting that people were “overexposed” to these ingredients.

“I think overexposure was a big reason for why people started to look elsewhere for their sources of base protein, but also all the conversations around ultra-processed meals and ingredients really put a lot of people off,” he says.

“Whether that’s right or wrong – there’s a lot of pushback on whether that’s actually as big a deal as we thought it was.”

Makin does cook with meat replacements “every now and then” as they can “really help you in a pinch”, but adds: “It’s not something I use every day.”

For anyone who does want to incorporate more vegan meals into their diet, Makin warns against trying too hard. “People tend to overthink it. They try and find stuff that feels completely new that fits their idea of what vegan food is, when in reality, vegan food can be exactly what you were eating yesterday, but without the animal products,” he notes.

“Whether that means you’re buying store-bought replacements or you’re learning how to use tofu… when you make those switches in your mind, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel with every meal. You can substitute in a way that feels really intuitive.”

Roasted carrot pasta

Miso-roasted carrots and silken tofu turn into a rich, creamy sauce without a drop of dairy (Richard Makin)

“Carrots and pasta don’t hang out together enough, considering how well they get along,” says Makin.

“In this recipe, we roast up a bunch of carrots that have been massaged with miso paste, then blend to make a sauce that hugs the rigatoni like a long-lost friend. It’s sweet and smoky, like an elevated mac and cheese, but without the mac or the cheese.”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

450g carrots (around 4 carrots), peeled and sliced into coins

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp miso paste (white or red)

½ tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 bulb garlic

160ml vegetable stock

150g silken tofu

1 tbsp tomato puree

6 sun-dried tomatoes from a jar

1 tsp paprika

340g dried vegan pasta

Fresh parsley, finely chopped, to serve

Chilli flakes, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas mark 7.

2. Place the sliced carrots and onion in a large baking tray and drizzle with half of the olive oil. Add the miso paste and massage into the carrots with your hands. Sprinkle with the salt and black pepper.

3. Slice the bulb of garlic in half horizontally and place it in the centre of the carrots, cut-sides up. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

4. Place the tray in the oven to roast for 30 minutes, tossing the carrots and onion half-way through cooking, or until the carrots are tender and slightly browned.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic cloves out of their skins into the tray with the carrots.

6. In a blender, combine the roasted carrots, onions and garlic with the vegetable stock, silken tofu, tomato puree, sun-dried tomatoes and paprika, and season with salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.

7. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water until it’s al dente. Reserving around a cup of the pasta water, drain and return the pasta to the pan.

8. Pour the creamy sauce over the pasta and place the saucepan back over medium heat. If necessary, use the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Stir until just piping hot, then divide the pasta amongst four bowls. Serve immediately, sprinkled with fresh parsley and chilli flakes.

Spicy tahini lime noodles

A 10-minute, no-cook dinner built for the nights when patience is in short supply (Richard Makin)

“It’s been one of those days where you blinked somewhere around 9.45am and somehow it’s now 8.30pm,” says Makin.

“It’s an orange alert for hanger outbursts and that out-of-date granola bar in your handbag barely touched the sides. Luckily this nutritious dinner requires zero cooking and can be on the table in 10 minutes. Crisis averted!”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

190g thin rice noodles

40g kale, destemmed and roughly chopped

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp tahini paste

2 tsp gochujang (or substitute with harissa paste)

2 tbsp soy sauce (or substitute with tamari sauce)

2 tbsp lime juice

1 small garlic clove, finely minced

½ tbsp minced fresh ginger

160g cooked edamame beans

½ cucumber, sliced

2 spring onions, sliced

2 tsp crispy chilli oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

Method:

1. Place the rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them soak for five to seven minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

2. While the noodles are soaking, put the kale in a separate bowl, drizzle with toasted sesame oil and massage until it softens slightly.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, gochujang, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic and ginger to create a creamy dressing.

4. Add the drained noodles to the bowl with the kale. Pour the dressing over the noodles and toss everything together until well coated.

5. Divide the dressed noodles between two bowls. Top each bowl with half of the edamame, cucumber slices, spring onion, crispy chilli oil, if using, and sesame seeds.

6. Serve warm or cold.

Tiramisu ice cream sundae

Coffee, Biscoff and vegan ice cream make a low-effort dessert with proper payoff (Richard Makin)

“I’m a massive believer that if you have access to good coffee and a scoop of ice cream, you’ve got dessert sorted,” says Makin.

“This recipe takes that idea and runs with it. You’ll need to use an electric whisk or a stand mixer to get the creamy dalgona-style coffee whip going, but trust me, it’s worth it!”

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

2 tbsp instant coffee granules

1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting

3 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp boiling water

1 tbsp coffee liqueur

50ml espresso (or very strong coffee)

8 Lotus Biscoff cookies

4 large scoops vegan vanilla ice cream

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, whip the instant coffee, cocoa powder, caster sugar and boiling water using an electric whisk or stand mixer until creamy, glossy and holding stiff peaks. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix the coffee liqueur and espresso.

3. To assemble, dunk four of the Biscoff cookies into the espresso mixture and place two in the bottom of each of two small bowls or sundae glasses.

4. Top with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and a spoonful of the whipped coffee mixture. Repeat the layers, finishing with a final spoonful of whipped coffee on top.

5. Serve immediately or freeze for up to 30 minutes. Dust with cocoa powder just before serving.

‘Stress-Free Dinners’ by Richard Makin (Bloomsbury Publishing, £22).

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/easy-vegan-recipes-richard-makin-plant-based-b3027651.html

This Decadent Vegan Thai Tea Is Basically Dessert In A Glass

From plantbasednews.org

Think of it as liquid cake

Few things improve a warm afternoon quite like a glass of vegan Thai tea, especially when most of the work has already been done. In a video shared on his popular Yeung Man Cooking YouTube channel, Wil Yeung demonstrates how to prepare a rich, plant-based version of the iced drink in batches, leaving enough tea and homemade coconut condensed milk in the fridge to keep the drinks coming for days.

Yeung is a Hong Kong-born Canadian cookbook author, filmmaker, photographer, entrepreneur, violinist and self-taught YouTube cook. His four cookbooks draw together recipes and inspiration from his channel, which focuses entirely on plant-based food.

Yeung introduces the tea, known as “cha yen” in Thailand, as one of his favourite drinks and describes it as “so decadent, it basically is a dessert.”

That dessert-like quality begins with a homemade condensed milk made from coconut cream.

The coconut condensed milk needs patience

The marbled appearance traditionally associated with Thai iced tea can be created by adding a creamy plant-based milk - Media Credit: YouTube / Yeung Man Cooking

Yeung starts by explaining that coconut cream naturally separates into water and fat. The thick, rich portion is what gives the plant-based condensed milk its body.

He adds roughly 1 cup of coconut cream to a small saucepan, noting that canned coconut cream can also be used. Any coconut cream left over can be saved for another dish, or the quantity can be increased to produce a larger batch.

To sweeten it, Yeung adds one-third cup of cane sugar. He stirs the mixture and brings it to a boil before reducing the heat to medium-low. From there, it simmers for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

This is not a mixture to abandon on the stove. Yeung advises stirring it occasionally so that it does not boil over. He also stresses the importance of stopping at the right moment.

“It’s important to be mindful not to overcook the condensed milk as it’ll thicken further as it cools,” Yeung says.

That warning matters because the mixture may still appear comparatively loose while it is hot. Continuing to cook it until it resembles cold condensed milk could leave it excessively thick once chilled.

The finished coconut condensed milk is transferred to a storage container and allowed to cool completely before going into the refrigerator. Yeung estimates that the batch is enough for approximately four to six drinks. He says it should remain good for a few weeks when properly chilled.

Even before it meets the tea, the mixture has plenty of appeal. “This condensed milk is so good just by itself,” Yeung says. “Imagine how it would taste in a drink.”

Choosing the tea and prepping the spices

YouTube / Yeung Man CookingYeung toasts crushed cinnamon sticks and star anise in a dry pan to activate their natural oils and build aroma for his Thai tea base

Thai tea is commonly prepared using a commercial mix. Yeung shows what he describes as a popular traditional brand, but points out that the product contains more than plain tea leaves. Its ingredients include added sugar, artificial flavouring and food colouring.

For his version, he chooses black tea leaves that he already enjoys using. He emphasizes that either approach is valid and that the choice ultimately comes down to personal preference.

Yeung places 1 cup of loose black tea leaves in a large, heatproof bowl. He then turns to the spices, adding two cinnamon sticks and three pieces of star anise to a mortar. The spices are coarsely crushed with a pestle rather than ground into a fine powder.

This helps open them up before toasting. Yeung places the crushed cinnamon and star anise in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring them for a few minutes.

The brief toast serves a specific purpose: It activates the spices’ natural oils and gives their aroma a head start. Once fragrant, you can turn off the heat and add the toasted spices to the bowl of black tea leaves.

Steeping and storing the Thai tea base

A generous pinch of salt follows, along with approximately one-half teaspoon of vanilla extract and one-quarter cup of cane sugar. The salt is a small but useful addition in such a sweet drink, helping sharpen and balance the other flavours rather than making the tea taste salty.

Yeung then brings approximately 4 cups of water to a boil. He pours the hot water over the tea, spices, vanilla, sugar, and salt, giving everything a thorough stir.

The tea steeps for only three to five minutes. That relatively short brewing time allows the black tea to develop its bold character without sitting indefinitely and becoming unnecessarily harsh.

Once steeped, the liquid is poured through a sieve into a second bowl. The sieve catches the tea leaves, cinnamon, and star anise, leaving behind a smooth, deeply flavoured tea concentrate.

The resulting base makes around four drinks. Like the condensed milk, it can be prepared in greater quantities when a larger supply is needed.

It can also be used immediately. For make-ahead drinks, Yeung allows the tea to cool before refrigerating it and says the base should keep for up to a couple of weeks.

Turning the components into an iced drink

Once both elements are ready, assembling the drink takes little more than a minute.

Yeung combines 2 tablespoons of coconut condensed milk with 1 cup of the prepared Thai tea base. He stirs them thoroughly, transforming the dark tea into a vivid orange-caramel colour.

Then, Yeung pours the sweetened tea into a cup filled with ice. Traditional Thai iced tea is often finished with evaporated milk, but Yeung replaces it with a small amount of creamy oat milk.

As the oat milk meets the tea, it creates the marbled appearance associated with the drink: Pale, creamy ribbons move through the orange tea before the layers are stirred together.

The result is an especially rich vegan Thai tea, with bold tannins from the black tea, coconut-derived sweetness, gentle spice and two different sources of plant-based creaminess.

“This should literally be a dessert,” Yeung says after tasting the finished drink. “It is so rich and creamy and decadent.”

He describes the coconut condensed milk as bringing a subtle fruitiness and an almost honey-like sweetness. The cinnamon and star anise remain present without overpowering the tea. They provide what he calls a “playful hint” of spice.

The tea’s distinctive orange colour is more muted and natural than the brilliant hue created by some commercial mixes. However, it still develops a warm caramel appearance when blended with the coconut condensed milk.

Most importantly, the drink rewards advance preparation. Making the tea base and condensed milk requires some simmering, steeping, straining, and cooling, but neither component needs to be prepared every time a craving arrives.

Stored separately in the refrigerator, they can be combined with ice and oat milk whenever needed. As Yeung puts it, “With a little bit of prep ahead of time, you can have Thai iced tea for days.”

For more irresistible plant-based recipes from around the world, check out Wil Yeung’s YouTube channel.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/decadent-vegan-thai-tea/