Carluccio's, Vegan Menu - Review

I was happy to find out that Carluccio's, Glasgow, offered a vegetarian and vegan friendly menu when I visited recently with a friend. Although most restaurants will be happy to amend meals for people, it's a lot easier to have a premade menu to select from without feeling like you're being a bother by asking your server a ton of questions about your meal.

The menu had a decent size and if you're interested in it you can view it here. To start with I ordered the bruschetta with baby plum tomatoes, basil and garlic (pictured above). Although it was a simple starter, it was tasty and enjoyable.

I was pleased to see that they offered Hendricks Gin and it even came with my favourite brand of tonic water, Fever Tree. I've been a huge gin fan since I discovered Gin 71 and love when I find nice gin offered elsewhere.

I was a little disappointed to see that there was only one vegan option for the main course, but I went ahead and ordered it anyway. It was the "Spaghetti Al Pomodoro E Basilico" (spaghetti with fresh tomato and basil sauce). Now, I wouldn't say that this was a bad pasta, but I would say that I was underwhelmed. It was quite plain and I had to ask myself if much thought had went into their only vegan main course. I understand that meat and dairy are used in almost every dish in most Italian restaurants, but there are so many vegetables out there to make tasty and exciting dishes with. To me it felt like the kind of plain tomato pasta usually offered on a kids menu for fussy children. It didn't taste bad, it just didn't do anything for me and I was expecting more - especially for the price.

Would I recommend Carluccio's? Well if you're vegetarian there were a few more options available, but since I haven't tried them I can't vouch for them. If you're vegan I'd say there's a lot more places in Glasgow with a more exciting range of dishes, and at a friendlier price. I'm hoping Carluccio's change this in future, as veganism is growing in Glasgow, so if they ever do I'll maybe pay them a visit again.

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Paesano Pizza Glasgow - Review

Anyone who knows me will know how much I rave about the pizza from Paesano. Since I first visited it this summer I've been around five times, and not once have I been disappointed.

The pizzas range in price from £5-£8, with the option to add on toppings of your liking. The pizza base is soft, doughy and thin and the toppings are always bursting with flavour. Add a little of their chilli infused olive oil and you have a pizza that can rival even Italy's finest.

It's great news if you're vegan as well, as the menu offers a cheese-less pizza for just £5. To top it comes with garlic, oregano and evoo (extra virgin olive oil), and my favourite add-ons are basil and artichokes. Artichoke is one of my favourite vegetables and I get pretty excited when I find them on a menu as they're rarely offered in Scotland.

It just takes a quick glance at their Paesano's website to see why their pizzas are so good. It reads:

"At Paesano Pizza we are the first to bring authentic, traditional Napoletana pizza to Glasgow. Cooked in Artisan built wood fired ovens from Naples, our Pizzaiolo take pride in adhering to the process in production of the dough and provenance of the produce to Verace pizza Napoletana standard. Our pizza is a hybrid yeast and sourdough proofed for over 48 hours. The long proofing time together with cooking at an intense heat of 500oC produces a moist, light, soft, digestible crust which is aromatic and delicious."

Alongside their pizzas they offer some tasty sides as well. The artichokes and sunblushed tomatoes are my usual go to, but I recently tried the balsamic onions and was pleasantly surprised.

Next time you're looking for pizza, I urge you to visit Paesano. Unfortunately you cannot book a table, but I've never waited longer than five minutes even when it's been busy. Not only are the pizzas vegetarian and vegan friendly, they're affordable and incredibly tasty.

Have you tried Paesano yet? I'd love to hear what you thought!

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

Bread Meats Bread, Veggie/Vegan Menu - Review

Recently I heard that Bread Meats Bread, one of the most popular burger restaurants in Glasgow, had brought out a new vegetarian and vegan menu. I found myself in Glasgow looking for somewhere to eat recently and I just had to go and try it out.

I chose the BBQ Pulled Mushroom Bun after seeing a picture of it on Facebook. It promised "smoked and pulled oyster and portobello mushrooms with sweet peppers; smothered in smoky BBQ sauce and topped with coleslaw & fried onions". You can make it vegan by swapping the coleslaw for dressed, peppery leaves and tofu and miso sauce (I went with the swap).

It was delicious. The mushrooms had great texture, just a little chewy, and there was just enough sauce without being overpowered with BBQ. The peppered leaves were tasty and went well with the rest of the burger. If BBQ isn't your thing, the menu also offered to other veggie/vegan friendly burgers: the Beetroot & Baba' Falafel Burger and the Mexican Falafel Burger (both are on my to-try list).

Although the burger was the perfect size, I decided that I had to try something else. I ordered the caramelised sweet potato fries - with maple syrup, cayenne pepper and coconut oil. These may just be some of the best chips I have ever tasted and I'd encourage everyone to give them a try.

It's safe to say I sufficiently stuffed my belly and will be visiting them again in future to try out the rest of their vegan menu. Glasgow is known for being one of the friendliest vegetarian/vegan cities out there, but I'm glad places like Bread Meats Bread have a dedicated vegan section of the menu so my slightly more carnivorous friends don't complain when we're out for food.

Some of you may be wondering what this has to do with skincare. Well, admittedly burgers aren't going to do a whole lot for you, but eating a lot of veggies does. I became vegetarian earlier this year and I'm transitioning to vegan as I learn about what swaps to make where in my diet. Your diet can do so much for your health and I've felt so much better since I've started introducing more vegetables into my diet. I feel better, sleep better and my skin is the best it's been in years. Although I initially began to change my diet for ethical reasons, I've started researching into the health benefits and I certainly feel a big difference myself. I've decided to start sharing some of my favourite veggie/vegan eats on my blog as I've been sampling some amazing food recently and I love to share it with my readers.

Ps. Keep up with me on Instagram here. 

Pukka Organic Herbal Tea - Review

Although I've been aware of the benefits of drinking tea for a few years, I've never been a big tea drinker. My experience with tea was gulping down some green tea and peppermint at 8:30 in the morning to keep myself awake at work (and it does!). Recently I decided to start exploring herbal teas to hopefully discover some flavours I enjoy. If it too helps my skin along the way I'll be sure to blog about it.

Whilst on holiday last week I came across a cosy wee wholefoods shop in Armadale, the Isle of Skye. It turned out to be part of "Skye Forest Garden", an eco camping and woodland walk area. It was here I came across Pukka tea, and I decided to pick some up to try. I chose "Elderberry & Echinacea", and also picked up a sample of their "Womankind" blend. The Elderberry tea is organic, vegan and dairy/wheat/gluten/caffeine free. I love the strong fruity and herbal taste from this tea and I find it quite comforting to drink. It makes a welcome change from the plainer taste of green tea.

After having a nosey around their website, I'm impressed at the range of teas they offer. Unless you can't stand tea, I'd say there's a flavour there for everyone.

The "womankind" blend was also lovely and I picked that up just because it contained rose. Unfortunately they didn't have a box of it on sale that day.

What's your favourite herbal tea blend? I'd love some suggestions to try! 

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.

My Homemade Lavender Syrup Recipe

I love to use dried herbs in my skincare recipes. Lavender and chamomile are my two current favourites. Both have delicate, calming scents and are perfect for sensitive skin. I spotted my bag of dried lavender when cleaning recently and decided I'd better find a way to start using the rest of it up. So I thought I'd experiment in the kitchen and make some lavender syrup.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 cups of sugar
1 cup of water
A few tablespoons of lavender, fresh or dried
A few spoons of honey

How much sugar you want to use is entirely up to you. Obviously the more you use, the thicker and sweeter the syrup will be. The same goes for the lavender. The more lavender you use, the more aromatic the syrup will be. I used 5 tablespoons, which is quite strong, so be careful.

Recipe:

Mix the sugar and syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the lavender and bring to boil.

Let it simmer on a lower heat for five minutes then take it off the heat. At this point I added the honey as I wanted sweeten the syrup again. Allow to cool for half an hour, then strain and bottle the syrup.

Store in the refrigerator. It should last around a week.

I'm not totally sure if I'm a fan of this syrup yet, it may be an acquired taste. I do have a fair amount to use up, so I daresay by the time it's finished I'll love it!

Do you like to use flowers or herbs in the kitchen? I'd love to hear about your favourite recipes!

PS. Keep up with me on Instagram here.