Vegan in Reykjavik | Iceland

In December I visited Reykjavik in Iceland, it's a beautiful capital city surrounded by some of the most incredible scenery you'll ever see.

Approaching Christmas, almost every house and tree had warm white lights making even the cold feel cosy and Christmassy. Sunrise was around 11am and sunset/darkness around 4, but the sunrises and sunsets sort of merged into one another, with the sky glowing pink, orange and yellow hues for hours. It was absolutely breath-taking.

Day 1:

Mushroom Ragù Bianco (White Bolognese)

Ragù bianco, or white bolognese is the cousin of the better-known ragu alla bolognese made with tomatoes. This version has white wine, rosemary and thyme and I made it vegan with a mince of both dried and fresh mushrooms and walnuts for an umami flavour that's rich and delicious. 

The mirepoix and mushroom mince are made in the food processor for speedier prep, then sauteed to brown and reduce. I first made this in the summer, so you could swap out the courgette for the more traditional carrot for an autumn-winter recipe.

Spiced Pumpkin Hummus

Nothing quite goes together like vegans and their hummus and whether it's classic, jalapeno, beetroot or this spiced pumpkin hummus, you can't go wrong!

Creamy pumpkin hummus, seasoned with cumin, paprika, chili powder and some warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. This hummus is the perfect fall dip, topped with a mix of toasted pumpkin, sunflower and nigella seeds tossed in rose harissa for an extra kick. 

Grilled Harissa Aubergine

Grilled aubergine in a marinade of harissa, on a bed of creamy Greek yogurt, with a tangy and sweet herb dressing with pistachios and dates.

The perfect way to make the most of those late summer veg and still warm days, when you're not quite ready to welcome Autumn just yet. You can cook this inside on a griddle pan, or on the BBQ, until the aubergine is perfectly melty on the inside and a little charred on the outside. 

Black Forest Smoothie

I have memories of visiting the black forest when I was about 11 or 12, it was a snowy paradise and we stopped off in a little village for a winter hike through the forest and a bite to eat and of course we just had to try a piece of black forest gateau. Little did we know just how boozy this cake really was and my 12-year-old self really didn't appreciate it, so my parents and older brother finished it off. 

But that's not to say I didn't love the rich chocolate and cherry combo that are the hero ingredients of this cake. This version in smoothie form is safe for breakfast (and for kids) as I've omitted the booze, for a rich chocolatey smoothie, with sweet, slightly tart cherry flavour, served ice cold for that frozen-milkshake texture.