Feed Me Vegan: Lucy Watson

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Put the dried mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl. Pour 150ml boiling water over them and leave to rehydrate for 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid for the bechamel sauce. Roughly chop the mushrooms. It’s the greatest feeling when people message me to say they’ve gone vegan because of me. It makes everything worthwhile.” What would I change? Sadly the cooking time didn’t work for this recipe in my oven. The recipe calls for 35-50 mins. Mine took longer than this; around 55 minutes until the skewer came out clean.

With a brand-new book and a blossoming business behind her, Lucy Watson is making the case for veganism in an era where the stigma around meat- and dairy-less diets is giving way to new ideas and – best of all – tasty new dishes! Pour the milk into a bowl and add the sugar, flour, nutritional yeast, cinnamon and salt. Whisk well.I never tell doctors I’m vegan because I’m genuinely interested in what they’re going to say – if they think I’m missing anything from my diet,” she says. Now 27, Watson has made it her goal to spread all the positive aspects of her vegan lifestyle far and wide. With a social media audience of millions at her fingertips, the Manchester-born star has also opened a vegan restaurant, ‘Tell Your Friends’, in London alongside her sister Tiffany, and now has two cookbooks to her name, including her latest, Feed Me Vegan: For All Occasions. Three out of the four dishes I tried were brilliant and that Mushroomy Mac ’N’ Cheese was TO.DIE.FOR. First impressions? The dish looks nice but doesn’t scream ‘make me’! It certainly sounds interesting though with the use of wild mushrooms.

A lot of people go cold turkey and freak out, suddenly thinking “Oh god I cant do this” – especially if they’re meat-eaters. If you do it in stages, you’ll find it much easier. Try going vegetarian first, then cut out dairy gradually. I think eventually, people will realise that veganism is the only compassionate option," Lucy adds passionately. "Eventually they'll change laws around the situation, and it will become a lot harder to access non-vegan products. I hope to see it in this lifetime, and if not, I'd hope to leave behind some sort of influence." The Feed Me Vegan meals, which include shepherds pie, spicy chili, and curry, were put on shelves in 155 Waitrose & Partners stores across the country last October. How complex was the recipe? Pretty easy. There were a few steps but nothing complicated – sauté onion, garlic and chilli with the spices, add beans and tomatoes and simmer for 15 mins. It’s really more of the same, but obviously everything has a specific occasion – but it’s mainly about doing stuff that’s a bit more difficult at time maybe, but I think everyone can find something that suits them.”The book has been read, a selection of recipes tried and tested, and so without further ado, here is my comprehensive and independent review of Feed Me Vegan by Lucy Watson. So I HAD to find a good recipe for mac and cheese - one that would actually taste similar to the original," adds the former Made In Chelsea star, explaining how this recipe ended up in her new book, Feed Me Vegan. You need a blender, or a NutriBullet or something similar, because they are so handy for blending nuts and things like that. Nutritional yeast is a real good too, that’s got a nutty, cheesy flavour that can be used in so many things: I use it in my tofu scramble every morning.” She has also noticed she has more energy, is less susceptible to illness and even has stronger nails. What is this recipe good for? I think this would work really well in the slow cooker for a weeknight meal.