Vegan – The Food Wife

No-knead no-fuss Focaccia

10th September 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes one 9×9 focaccia

Wow, this is so easy and so delicious. A no-knead no-fuss focaccia. 24 hours with little intervention, just letting it do its thing. Give it a go, you wonâ€™t be disappointed.

Ingredients:

400g organic white bread flour

350g warm water

7g fast action yeast

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

For topping:

More olive oil

Flaky salt

Rosemary (optional)

Olives (optional)

Step 1: Start by putting the flour, water, salt, oil and yeast in to a large bowl, and mix together loosely. You shouldnâ€™t have any visible dry ingredients left, but it will be a rather sloppy mess! Fear not! Simply leave it covered in the fridge for 24 hours! You simply need to take it out occasionally (I did it 3-4 times) and gently stretching and folding the dough, turning to reveal its smooth side after each go before covering and returning to the fridge.

Step 2: After 24 hours, stretch and fold again but this time leave out of the fridge until doubled in size (an hour or so). Then take a 9×9 inch baking pan, oil it well with olive oil and slip the dough into the pan. Drizzle more olive oil on top and use your fingers to gently stretch and push the dough out to the edges.

Step 3: Allow the dough to rise again for another hour and the. Use your fingers to dimple the top without disturbing the bubbles that have formed. Adorn with rosemary and torn olives, a scrunch of salt and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Step 4: Bake in a 220c oven for half an hour.

Allow it to cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Watermelon Mocktail

29th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 450-500ml

Inspired by my favourite drink on my trip to Thailand in April (watermelon shake) this is the most refreshing little watermelon mocktail and with only 3 ingredients!

You could freeze the watermelon for extra coldness!

Ingredients:

300g Watermelon, large chunks

60ml sugar syrup

10 ice cubes

Garnish: mint

Blitz together in a blender the watermelon, ice cubes and sugar syrup. Decant into glasses and garnish with mint. Drink immediately.

Mojito

29th June 202529th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 1

This is a cocktail that is rarely not seen on a drinks menu. Hereâ€™s how to make your own at home, youâ€™re going to love it!

Ingredients:

Mint leaves

50ml/ 2 shots white rum

30ml/ 1 shot lime juice

15ml/ 1/2 shot simple sugar syrup

Soda water

Ice

Garnish: mint leaves and lime wedges/slices

Begin by muddling (bruising) 5 mint leaves in your cocktail shaker. Next add the rum, lime juice, sugar syrup and ice, and shake together. Strain into a tall glass filled with ice and then top up with soda water. Garnish with mint and lime as desired.

With thanks to Grant Walker for being the best mixologist!

Paloma Cocktail

29th June 202529th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Makes 1

This refreshing cocktail is a Mexican classic. The alcohol base is tequila (use a good quality one please!) and it is flavoured with grapefruit. You could also add a squeeze of lime if you fancy it. Rimming the glass with salt is a fun addition. If you do this, before filling the glass with ice, either run a cut lime around the rim of the glass or dip in sugar syrup, then dip in a plate of salt.

Ingredients:

45ml/ 1 1/2 shots tequila

1/2 ruby grapefuit, juiced

15ml/ 1/2 shot simple sugar syrup (or agave)

75ml/ 2 1/2 shots Soda water

Optional: squeeze of lime

Garnish: salt rimmed glass and a slice of grapefruit or lime

Fill a glass with ice (already rimmed with salt if using). In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake the tequila, grapefruit and sugar syrup (and lime if using) together until very cold. Pour into the iced glass and top up with the soda water and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

With thanks to Grant Walker for being the mixologist

Chilli Tofu with Chard

17th June 2025
by thefoodwife

Serves 2

Another haul of chard from the allotment, honestly it all brings me such joy!

Despite picking what felt like a generous bunch for two people, once cooked it wilts down to practically nothing, but still it provided an excellent addition to our meal.

A vegan fare of tofu, onion and chard, fried with soy, sugar and crispy chilli oil. Served on top of coconut rice. Honestly it was so good. Make it even if you donâ€™t have a bunch of chard!

Ingredients:

Oil

Firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 White onion, halved and sliced

A bunch of chard (or a pak choi) shredded

2 tbsp soy sauce (gluten-free if required)

2 heaped tbsp crispy chilli oil (or just one if you donâ€™t like it too spicy)

2 tsp sugar

Step 1: Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add a tbsp oil, and then the tofu.

Step 2: Once the tofu has cooked for a couple of minutes, add the sliced onion and chard and start moving it around the wok.

Step 3: add the soy, crispy chilli oil and sugar and cook for a couple of minutes until everything is soft, the tofu is hot and coated in the wonderful flavours, the chard (or pak choi) is wilted and the onions are translucent.

Serve immediately, over rice.