Spanakopita or spinach pie. This was a staple in our family until I became vegan, then we found it difficult to replace the feta cheese and the egg.  Egg was easier; we just omitted it, but the feta was more difficult, there was no vegan cheese alternative that was to my taste.
 
But of course, like any traditional cultural dish, it is made differently in each home. You do not need cheese, as long as you have spinach, onions, herbs and good pastry.
 
Today, we are so lucky to have Hungry Soul cream cheese alternatives that make any dish you add it to a little cheesy and very, very tasty… Happy Days!
 
INGREDIENTS:
Serves 4 

For the filing:

• 1 bag of baby spinach ...
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tub of Hungry Soul - Garlic and Chives 
• a little salt
• a drop of olive oil 
• ½ tsp of dried oregano
• A few springs of basil, fresh if you have it on hand

 
For the pastry:

• Plain flour    200g
• Vegan butter 100g ( cold from the fridge )
• A few tablespoons of ice-cold water

 
METHOD:
 For the filling

1. Soften your onion in a little olive oil on low heat until soft; you do not want it to brown. Set aside.
2. Wash your spinach, but do not bother to dry, just wilt it in a pan. One cooked, chop it nice and small.
3. Mix the spinach, the onion, and the herbs together and set aside.

 
For the pastry:

1. Cut the butter into the flour with a knife, then use your hands to crumble it all. Move quickly so as not to warm the pastry too much. Add a tbsp at a time of ice-cold water until it all comes together into a ball.
2. Let it rest in the fridge for 30 min. If made the day before, take it out 30 minutes before you need it.
3. Split the ball in two and roll it out to desired size, quite thin.

 
Assemble it together.
 
On one of the layers of pastry, spread out 2/3 of the tub of Hungry Soul, leaving a 2cm edge. Spread the spinach mixture over the cheese then cover with the other layer of pastry, and press the edge together. Make a few holes with a fork.
 
Put it into a hot oven at 200 °C, then turn it down to 180 °C and cook until browning, approx. 15 to 20minutes.
 
Allow to cool, 5 minutes before cutting and serving ... the taste is better.
 
Bon Appétit!

Jacques  

As a mum, I am always looking for simple ways to help my daughters wind down at bedtime, especially if they are feeling a little anxious or have had a busy day. We recently started using the Pillow Sleep Spray, and it has become part of our evening routine.

​I simply give two sprays on their pillow or around the bedroom before bed. The gentle aroma helps create a calm atmosphere and signals that it is time to relax and settle down for the night. We have found it helps make bedtime feel more peaceful and relaxing for everyone.

It has been especially helpful during the recent heatwave. When warm nights make it harder to switch off and get comfortable, the familiar scent helps create a calming bedtime routine and makes settling down that little bit easier.

Ellie and Rosa love the scent, and I love having a natural option that helps create a sense of calm before sleep. It is a small addition to our routine, but one that has made a big difference in helping us all end the day on a more restful note. Review by Eimear, Ellie & Rosa

If you grow your own herbs or regularly buy fresh bunches, you have probably experienced that moment when they start to wilt before you've used them all. One of my favourite ways to avoid this waste is by making a shrub.
 
A shrub is an old-fashioned drink concentrate made by infusing vinegar with fruit, herbs, flowers or spices. Long before refrigeration, shrubs were used to preserve seasonal produce and create refreshing drinks that could be enjoyed for months. Today, they offer a simple and delicious way to reduce food waste while creating something special.
 
The beauty of shrubs is their flexibility. A handful of mint that's about to fade, rosemary from the garden, lemon balm, thyme, lavender or even edible flowers can all be transformed into something special. Instead of composting those last few herbs, you can capture their flavour and enjoy them long after the growing season has ended.
 
Making a shrub is a wonderful reminder that reducing waste doesn't have to feel like a chore. Sometimes it simply means looking at ingredients differently and finding creative ways to extend their life.
 
Simple Herb Shrub Recipe
Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh herbs (mint, lemon balm, rosemary, thyme or a mixture)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2-4 tablespoons honey or a few spoonfuls of leftover jam (optional)*

 
* While traditional shrubs include honey, you can make a lighter version without it. I often use mine in salad dressings, marinades or diluted with water, where the herb flavour shines through without needing much sweetness.
 
Method

1. Wash and lightly bruise the herbs to release their flavour.
2. Place in a clean glass jar and cover with the vinegar.
3. Put parchment paper on top of the jar before you seal with the lid as the vinegar corrodes the lids.
4. Seal and leave to infuse for 5 to 7 days, shaking occasionally.
5. Strain out the herbs.
6. Stir in the honey or leftover jam until dissolved.
7. Store in the fridge for several months.

 
How to Serve
A little shrub goes a long way.

• Mix 1-2 tablespoons with sparkling water for a refreshing summer drink.
• Add to still water with ice and a slice of lemon.
• Use as a base for homemade mocktails.
• Splash into tonic water for a sophisticated alcohol-free aperitif.
• Drizzle over fruit salads or fresh berries.
• Add a spoonful to salad dressings for a bright, tangy flavour.
• Stir into hot water in winter for a warming herbal drink.

 
Whether you use herbs from your garden, your windowsill or the back of the fridge, shrubs are a simple way to reduce waste, preserve flavour and enjoy the best of the season.
 
Enjoy

Geraldine Fitzpatrick

We had a notable reaction to our social media posts about the liberal spraying of Roundup on the grass verges recently. I think it's safe to say it struck a chord. It does bother a lot of people that Roundup is used liberally and without due thought.
 
It has made me ponder what it takes for people to think.. I figure that if people genuinely understood the danger, they might not be so keen to use the poison. I figure that is the missing link. The knowledge of how dangerous something is. If you knew, would you act differently?
 
Remember that scene in Erin Brokovich where she offers the water to the Attorney? She refuses the water because she recognises the damage it has done. How many of us are willing to drink the “water”?
 
So much advertising has been done to convince us that the “water” is safe to drink. So much money is pumped into changing a narrative and distracting us from the source of harm. Shutting down those who spoke up. Silencing those who blow a whistle of harm.
 
Eventually, and I mean eventually, the research mounts up to a critical mass where time and distance are spent between the cause and effect. There is a distinct difference between knowing and not knowing something is harmful and continuing to implement a process. We forgive readily the person who unknowingly creates harm.
 
It is a different story when direct harm is identified and the signals are ignored and sidelined, especially for the profit motive. There are countless examples of this behaviour with medicines and food. It is naïve to think that the experts would not harm us knowingly. Very naïve.
 
Meanwhile, there are many who believe that a product would not be sold if it were harmful. They readily believe the safe (& effective) narrative. Believing the best in people, they wonder why on earth someone would consider selling a product that is harmful. Surely it is checked for safety? That trust is readily taken advantage of, unfortunately. Sadly, that trust can lead to immense direct harm and ill health.
 
It is up to us to learn more about the “water” in our lives. The more we know, the more empowered we become to make better choices for ourselves. 

Anne Maher

Obviously, our algorithms vary according to our interests, and lately my phone has been dosing me with Alpha Gal syndrome…
 
What is that you say? Apparently, it is an anaphylactic response to meat or dairy following a bite from the Lone Star tick.. a serious thing because you end up becoming allergic to meat and dairy… don’t worry, though, the plant-based diet will come to the rescue. How timely with the advice to come off meat and dairy…?!
 
A CNN report from Martha's Vineyard zoomed in on the effect it was having on the local farms and restaurants
 
Now that would put the kibosh on the Irish agricultural industry, don’t you think?
 
Needless to say, I had to investigate a bit more from a terrain-theory perspective.
 
The germ theory narrative is lone star tick bites you and you react with an anaphylactic response. Tick bad. Poor you.
 
Who discovered this connection? Looks like it is a chap called Thomas Platts- Mills
 
Of course, when you start looking into the narrative more, you find stories of boxes of ticks found on farms in the US. A sinister motive, perhaps? Could there be a bio-weapon element to this? It has a precedent with the military during the Cold War. Is it safe to say it is a possibility? Anything is possible. A certain William Gates gets mentioned in association with this theory, of course.
 
When I zoom out a bit, I wonder about the history, though. Alpha Gal is not new. Tick bites are not new. But certain things have changed in recent years. Our immune systems have been challenged with the dose of extra “supports” we have been encouraged to have for our health. Perhaps our immune systems have been ultra primed and the tick is the last straw? I thought the following diagram from 2020 was interesting.  A lot of immune-challenging medications have happened since then…
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​Watch out for this latest dramatic food development. I have no doubt it will be used to further an agenda. Don’t panic, though; they are developing a vaccine for it…
 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213219819307950
 
Anne Maher

I am giving the book review a holiday for July! In reality it is hard to choose and we have brought in a few new titles for you to peruse! Check them out! 

​Anne Maher

It's that time of year – but let's elevate it up a bit!

• Fresh cream – raw if you can
• 1 bottle of kefir or a homemade batch of the same
• Frozen pack of strawberries

 
Whizz up the ingredients in a processor and freeze in a tray for another hour.

So simple but gut-healthy and delicious! 

Anne Maher

This is what you get with several leftovers put together … you get a feast!  We had this meal quite literally on the shores of the mediterranean.  I had made a chunky tomato vegetable sauce the night before for pasta - a ragu.   Along with that was a chickpea salad from the day before. I threw in a few nice dark calamata olives and it was served with some nice baguette smothered in Hungry Soul. Yes, a true feast.
 
You do not need to heat this up, just have it at room temperature, so good!
 
Will make 4 plates
 
 
INGREDIENTS 

• Ragu – a tin of whole tomatoes, one onion, one garlic clove, a small courgette, ½ an aubergine, olive oil, salt and fresh basil
• Chickpeas salad – a tin of chickpeas, ¼ of red onion, 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes, olive oil, salt
• Calamata olives, with the pits, a big hundful
• Baguette – sourdough, if you can get it ( pain au levain )
• Hungry Soul – they are all very good, I used the Cracked Black because I had it on hand.

  
 
METHOD

• Ragu – a ragu is really just a chunky sauce. Soften the onion and garlic, add aubergine cubed and cook a few minutes, then add the courgette also cubed and when they are a little cooked, toss in the tin of tomatoes, the basil, a pinch of salt and a good drizzle of olive oil. Let it simmer 20 minutes, then allow to cool completely … even better the next day.

 

• Chickpeas salad – drain your chickpeas, finely chop the onion, cube the tomatoes then mix it all together with a good drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

 

• Calamata olives, with the pits, a big handful

 

• Baguette – 4 slices each should do nicely …or more if hungry

 

• Hungry Soul – Spread a nice layer onto each slice of sourdough.

 
 
PLATING IT ALL 
By looking at the photo you get a good idea of how it was presented… but just in case you need a little help; 

• Ladle a nice amount of the ragu onto you plate, over it or on the side, add the chickpea salad and add the olives and ring the plate with the slices of baguette and Hungry Soul …

 
So tasty, really a perfect dish for hot weather – a complete meal, yes, 100% vegan and delicious!
 
 
Bon appetit!

Jacques Brennan ​Hungry Soul Vegan