What Leila Eats

Documenting my once vegetarian, now vegan cooking adventures. Everything is my own unless otherwise stated. If you like the look of something, chuck me an ask and i'll hook you up.

[whatleilaeats]

R.I.P WHATLEILAEATS

ONLY JOKING! I’m just moving! Check out my new website at www.leilabuffery.com 

Don’t panic, all my recipes will still be available on here for a while but all new ones will be posted to the “whatleilaeats” section on the new site.

Feel free to pop over and have a snoop! See you soon xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Hi Leila! First I have to say, I love your YouTube videos, I love your vibe! Second, I'm struggling a bit with going vegetarian. Over the last 2 months I started buying and eating less and less meat. I currently live with my boyfriend (who loves meat) and I find it hard that I have to buy and cook meat for him. I know I can't choose his diet for him, but still I find it sad that I still give my money to that horrible industry. Do you have any advice for me to deal with this? xxx

Hello!

All I can say is that if he’s ever going to make the change himself, he’s got to come to the conclusion on his own. It’s really hard not to make comments or try to get people on side with this sort of thing but the more you push him the more he’ll probably push back! I totally understand you not wanting to put money into the industry and I think you’re well within your rights to say he can buy and cook his own meat if he wants it. That way you have nothing to do with it other than eating at the same time as him! If you stress to him that it’s important to you, it should be something he can get on board with. xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Super Sexy Sunshine Salad (serves 4)

After dat summer bod but not willing to compromise anything? This salad is your gal. Packed with every flavour under the sun and carbing the F up with brown rice and chickpeas and a healthy dose of good fat with some extra virgin olive oil. Hello bikini season #amirite?

What do ya need?

x1 Cup of Brown Rice

x1 Vegetable Stock Cube

1/2 a Cucumber

1/2 a red Bell Pepper

x2 Spring Onions

x1 small Garlic Clove

x1 large Carrot

x1 Cup of Sweetcorn

1/2 a Courgette

x1 Can of drained Chickpeas

x1 Apple

The juice of 1 small Lemon

1/4 of a fresh chilli

x2 Sprigs of Fresh Mint

x1 small bag of Rocket

x2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil (using the good shit is worth it)

x2 TBSP Nutritional Yeast (Optional but good for yo B12 levels and delicious)

Ok so I know this looks like an awful lot of stuff for a little salad but it will serve about 4 large bowls and it’s a great one for keeping in the fridge for the next day!

This salad is my fave because not only is it super filling but it’s a real rollercoaster for the senses. One minute you’ll be chowing down on a sweet piece of apple then you’ll suddenly be punched in the gob by a slither of fresh chilli but then the wound will be caressed by a fresh mint leaf and some cucumber.

First things first, get the brown rice on the boil with the stock cube in the water, this will keep the rice nice and tasty.

Now roughly chop the courgette, Cucumber and Pepper and chuck in a big ass mixing bowl.

Cut the spring onions into thin slithers and add to the mix.

Drain a can of chickpeas and chuck em in the bowl along with the rocket and fresh mint.

Cut the apple and carrot a little smaller than the rest of the veg so they’re easy on your pearly whites. Add to the bowl with the Juice of a lemon. This will add a beautiful fresh flavour combined with the mint and also stop the apple from browning!

Now very finely dice (as small as you can!) the fresh Chilli and garlic and chuck it in along with the defrosted sweetcorn (the quickest way to defrost it is to pour some boiling water over it and leave for a minute, then drain!)

By now your rice should be cooked (brown rice takes between 15-20 minutes) so you can take it off the heat and drain it under cold water. When it’s fully cold add it to the bowl with the Nutritional Yeast and Olive Oil.

Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper and mix!

Voila!

Enjoy,

Leila xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Hey Leila, me again! Just writing you a quick message to say that I absolutely loved your 1st year on YouTube video. I haven't come across a youtuber that is so genuine, passionate and honest before and that makes me want to watch your videos on repeat haha honestly. Keep'em coming please and I really wish you all the success in the world from the bottom of my heart because you really do deserve it. <3

You are just so lovely! Thank you for taking the time to send me this message ❤️❤️❤️

[whatleilaeats]

[whatleilaeats]

Hi, Leila! How have you been? I've got yet another baking question for you. This time it involves the consistency of buttercream. I made two different batches over the last week. For the 1st one, I had my butter softened (too much might I add) by a radiator. The end result was a buttercream with prominent small lumps of butter. Same thing also happened with the 2nd batch, when I let the butter soften on the counter for an hour. What should I have done differently?(I have a hand mixer) thanks! :)

Hiya! So what ya wana do it whisk the butter before you add the sugar to get it lovely and silky. It should still be quite firm but you should be able to press a good hole in it with your finger when it’s perfect! Hope this helps! xx

[whatleilaeats]

Valentines Cookies & Competition!

Hello you lovely lot and welcome to all my new followers! I’m hitting you with a double whammy today because I’m feeling super generous.

I’ve teamed up with the gang over at Fetch Publicity to give-away not one, not two but SIX films just in time for Valentines.

Casablanca

The Great Gatsby

Crazy, Stupid Love (one of my actual fave films b/c gosling)

The Lucky One

Focus

Magic Mike XXL (oh mama)

Naturally I wanted to put my own spin on it so the winner will also get a bag of these little cuties. I know what you’re thinking “WHAT IF I DON’T WIN?!”… Don’t panic, I’m giving you the recipe.

All you need to do to enter is head over to my food Instagram account (@whatleilaeats) and comment with a love heart under the photo of the cookies! I will be picking a winner before the 14th and will direct message you for your address!

So whether you’re a band widow like myself and some of my dearest friends, a single pringle who has no interest in going out on the snog on the 14th or just fancy a night in getting fat with your favourite films.. read on. (actually please read on anyway, I’m trying to make a living here.)

For the cookies

70g Sugar

120g Vegan Spread

185g PLAIN Flour (more if dough is too wet and to dust the surface you’re rolling on!)

A pinch of Salt

½ a TSP of Vanilla Extract

SPRINKKKKLEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!

For the icing (optional)

50g Icing sugar

Red Food colouring (check for cochineal cuz dats bugz)

Tap Water

Combine the Sugar (about ½ a cup) with the Vegan Spread and mix.

When the mixture is fully combined add 185g of flour (this is about 1 cup.)

Now add a pinch of salt, as many sprinkles as you want and the vanilla extract. Mix until everything is combined and the sprinkles are spread evenly throughout the dough!

Now roll the dough into a film ball with your hands and leave in the bowl while you thoroughly dust the surface you’re going to roll it onto! If the dough is too wet, simple add more flour until you can handle it without it feeling overly sticky.

(If you’re just doing round cookies you can skip this part and break off little balls and flatten them onto the lined baking tray)

Sprinkle a little extra plain flour onto the rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Cut out as many hearts as you can and get the first batch in the oven  on gas mark 6 (180 degrees). While they’re in you can bunch up the cut offs, roll them out again and make the next lot. I got 12 out of this batch!

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes (give those babies a little check half way through)

The greatest thing about these cookies is that they cool real fast so they’re ready to shove in your gob after about 10 minutes.

If you’re decorating them with icing- mix about 50g of icing sugar with a teeny-weeny drop of water. If you’re using a liquid food colouring (I use gel) add even less water as every drop changes the consistency. You want it to be like slightly soft toothpaste! To get the effect I created at the top, simple dip a knife into the icing and swing it back and forth over the cookies. It’s best to do this when they’re totally cool so the icing doesn’t run off!

and Voila!!

Don’t forget to tag me in your creations! And a special thanks to Warner Brothers for providing the DVDs! https://www.warnerbros.co.uk/collections/valentines-day

Leila

xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Hey Leila! Just wanted to say big ups for the past couple of videos you've posted. You're such a wise lil' buddha & I appreciate all of the advice you share. I'm forever inspired by your self-confidence & was wondering if maybe there's a video idea in there somewhere about boosting self-esteem? I suppose you may have covered it a bit before? But gosh, I wish I could be as empowered a 27 yr old as you are. <3 P.S. Sent some treats from Vienna via Sam, hopefully him & Ali haven't eaten them all!

Hiya!

Firstly, thank you for such a sweet message and THANK YOU so much for the treats!! I can’t wait!

Secondly I think that’s a brilliant idea, I’ve got a few videos lined up for the next week or so but I’m definitely going to consider that. My self-love is generally quite balanced now but it hasn’t always been that way.

Leila xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Hey Leila,you probably get this alot but I still just wanted to tell you how much of an inspiration you are. I really love your videos,keep doing your thing. Thanks you,I really look up to your optimism. ❤

You’re so sweet, thank you so much :) xx

[whatleilaeats]

Dinner at Pho!

Sam and I went for dinner a couple of weeks ago at Pho and as it’s one of our faves I thought I would be the annoying freak in a restaurant who photographs everything.

We started with some juices, mine was the darker green one and isn’t on the menu online, it was called the Detox Juice and it had Kale, Pineapple, Apple and something else green in it. Super tasty but quite sweet compared to my usual juices so it felt a bit naughty! Sam had the Apple, Mint and Lime juice which was really refreshing!

Here I am being adorable drinking my juice.

For a cheeky little starter we both had the Chả giò Crispy spring rolls served with lettuce & herbs to wrap & dip. We both chose the Peanut sauce because, well.. peanuts. SO SO GOOD.

After ramming these little babies down my throat I was keen for round 2. The service was super fast so I didn’t have to wait long!

I had my absolute fave which is the Tofu & Mushroom Bun Noodles which come with ANOTHER crispy Spring Roll (heheheh) and a Garlic & Soy sauce. This meal is so filling but the noodles are super light, there’s heaps of salad in there too so it’s really not that heavy on the digestion either!

Sam had the Cà-ri rich, fragrant Vietnamese curry with veggies & mushrooms, topped with nuts & served with broken rice. 

He gets this every time because not only is he a creature of habit but it’s just so damn tasty!

Restaurants like this are my fave, the service is friendly, the food is speedy and we can always eat here with our carnivore pals. An all round lovely choice of eatery.

Check if there’s one near you on the website here 

Leila xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Staple #whatleilaeats happy morning. Coffee. Kale, Apple, lemon, celery, ginger and carrot juice & the King of my heart- avocado smash on toast with toasted seeds and chilli flakes 😍😍😍😍😍

[whatleilaeats]

Take a slab of Jus Rol puff pastry, stuff it with a pan fried portobello mushroom, pesto and violife vegan cheese and bake in the oven til golden brown. HELLO.

[whatleilaeats]

Cauliflower Carbonara with Raw Courgetti, Tofu Bacon & Toasted Walnuts (serves 2!)

This recipe is simple as pie and SO much healthier than any other Carbonara sauce you’ll come across, vegan or not!

If you’ve watched my latest Youtube video on what I got for Christmas, you’ll know I’m currently crushing hard on my new Spiralizer. So for this recipe I’ve used courgette (or zucchini) noodles but you can use real pasta or even use a potato peeler to make courgette ribbons.

What in fresh hell do you need?

x2 Large Courgettes (or about 220g of spaghetti)

x2 Large Garlic Cloves

x1 Veggie Stock Cube

1/2 a head of a large Cauliflower

A Small pack of Rocket (optional)

A large handful of Walnuts

Salt

Pepper

x3 TBSP Nutritional Yeast

x2 TSP Liquid Smoke (1.5 TSP smoked paprika will do)

1/2 a pack of Smoked tofu

Oil

A small amount of flat-leaf Parsley to garnish

Bring 250ml of water to the boil in a medium sized saucepan, add the stock cube and when it’s fully dissolved, add the roughly chopped Cauliflower & Garlic (you’re going to blend it so don't worry about perfect chopping). It should only take between 5-7 minutes to cook so take it off the heat when it’s done but DON’T drain it!

Now’s the time to get you’re courgette noodles ready.

When they’re done, add them to a big bowl for mixing (they’re going to be raw with the sauce stirred in... unless you’re cooking pasta, in which case.. do whatever the hell you want)

Cut the smoked tofu into small cubes and slowly fry in a pan with a little oil of your choice, 1/4 TSP of salt and the liquid smoke.

While the tofu is crisping up, add the cooked Garlic and Cauliflower to a blender with 100ML of the stock it was cooked with. Chuck in the nutritional yeast, another 1/4 TSP of salt and 1/4 TSP Pepper and blend into a creamy sauce, it should still be warm but not boiling hot.

When the tofu is nice and crispy on the outside, add the walnuts and toss in the hot oil. They won’t take long so keep and eye on the pan and as soon as they start to brown, turn off the heat.

Pour the Cauliflower sauce over the noodles and mix until they’re fully coated.

Set out two plates with a bed of fresh rocket on each and pile up the Carbonara. To finish, sprinkle over the Tofu and Walnuts and garnish with Parsley.

VOILA!!! Enjoy this delicious sin free meal with a smug face and a full tummy.

Leila xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Hey Leila, I watched your November favs video and got the cranberry mask from Lush and it was awesome! Thank you for recommending it. You're a super fucking awesome person. Just wanted to say your video about depression also helped me a lot with what I went through a couple of weeks ago. I have some great jobs and an academic scholarship at university but I still felt so down and I thought I was alone in it. Have a great christmas and new year! Thank you :)

I'm so happy to hear that ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[whatleilaeats]

Vegan Pea & Coriander Fritters!

So the other night, after Sam winging for a minimum of 30 minutes about how he wanted a take-away and me expressing my annoyance at having just spent £100 on a food shop which he had no interest in, I agreed to replicate our favourite Thai with a starter or sweetcorn fritters and sweet chilli sauce. He was so excited that he invited our good friend Ali over. At which point I discovered we had no sweetcorn or chilli sauce.... BUT the show went on regardless and we made the huge leap over to peas.

You, however, are more than welcome to sub the peas for sweetcorn in this recipe and live the fantasy I denied from Sam.

These babies were so simple and delicious, i’ll be making them whenever we have the gang over for food. In theory, they’re a savoury pancake.

You will need:

160g Plain Flour

A large pinch of Salt

A pinch of Pepper

x1 TSP of Onion Powder

x2 TSP Garlic Powder

x1 TBSP Baking Powder

200ml of Coconut Milk (soy or almond will work too)

x1 Mug of defrosted Peas or Sweetcorn

A bunch of chopped fresh Coriander

Mix all the dry ingredients in big bowl, add the milk and mix until a batter forms. Then add the defrosted and drained Peas (...or Sweetcorn) and Coriander.

Fry in a lightly oiled pan until golden brown, then flip and do the other side.

Wham bam theres a fritter.

Enjoy!

Leila xxx

[whatleilaeats]

Chunky Winter Veg Soup Recipe!

So it’s around the time of year when everyones feeling snotty and gross and salads are a thing of the past but you still need to raise your veg game. This soup is perfect and real filling for those cold nights!

You will need:

150gs red lentils

2 carrots

1 large leek

5 new potatoes

½ a sweed 

1 onion (red or white, I DON’T CARE!)

A big bunch of Thyme

2 vegetable stock cubes

2-3 cloves of garlic (depending on your snogging sitch.. I use about 7 to deter any pests like Mr. Carter)

Salt & pepper to taste

You can use any root veg you want for this, hell, chuck a parsnip in there if you’re feeling mental, it’s up to you.

Throw your lentils in a nice big saucepan with 700ml of water and the stock cubes and bring to the boil. While this is getting its freak on you can be chopping up your veg and adding it to the pan. I do it in the order it takes to cook so you want to cut your sweed and potatoes first and get them in to the lentil/stock combo STAT. 

Once all the veg, onions and garlic have been added you can start seasoning the hell out of it with Thyme, salt and pepper. I think this is really personal so you can do it to your own taste but I used about 6 sprigs and a hefty pinch of each. Don’t bother chopping the herb, (Thyme, not weed) just pinch the top and drag your fingers along to get all the tasty bits off. None of the stem cheers.

All in all the boiling time shouldn’t be more than 20 mins but you can always sample a spud to see if it’s ready before. DON’T you dare blend this masterpiece, the thick cut vegetables are what brings it to life!

ENJOY XOXO

[whatleilaeats]

OK, so this recipe didn't exactly go to plan... BUT I've very kindly given you two choices of cookie to make.. heheheh.

If you want the giant cookies that I've made, use self raising flour and if you want smaller, harder biscuits, use plain.

Preheat the oven to 180 (gas mark 6)

Combine 70g of Sugar (about 1/2 a cup) with 150g of Vegan Spread and mix.

When the mixture is fully combined add 150g of flour (the choice is yours haha) this is about 1 cup.

Now add a pinch of salt and 1.5 TSP of ground Cinnamon.

When you've got your dough, add a large handful of chopped Pecans and 3 TSP of Maple Syrup.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes (give those babies a little check half way through)

and Voila!!

Don't forget to tag me in your creations!

xxx

Where else can you find me?

Instagram: Leila Buffery OR whatleilaeats Tumblr: www.whatleilaeats.tumblr.com Twitter: whatleilaeats