In Just 73 Days...
recipes, tips and book tour dates
Welcome to Leftovers. We’ve nearly made it to the end of January! I’m sharing what I’ve been up to plus recipes, tips and events to look forward to.
⬇️Don’t forget to VOTE!⬇️
For the second year in the row, I’ve been nominated for Digital Creator of the Year by Fortnum & Mason. If you’ve enjoyed my recipes, liked my videos or have looked forward to reading this newsletter during the past year, it’d mean so much if you could take 10 seconds to vote for me. Tap the link above and you’ll also be in with the chance of winning £150 worth of prizes!
73 DAYS TO GO!
Things are getting exciting behind the scenes at La Manna HQ as we get plans in place for the March publication of my new book You Can Cook This! Over 120 brand-new recipes to treat your taste buds, reduce food waste, and save you money and time. I’m very proud of these recipes, I think they’re my most delicious yet and I can’t wait to hear what you think too!
Place your pre-order now so it lands on your doormat before anyone else
You Can Cook This! Book Tour Dates
Get ready because I’m coming to a town near you! Check out the dates below for when I’ll be in your local area on my book tour and mark it in your calendar now. Come say hi, get a copy of my book signed, take photos and let me know which recipe I should cook next.
Tuesday 4th April - Toppings, Bath
Wednesday 5th April - Waterstones, Bristol
Wednesday 12th April - Toppings, St Andrews
Thursday 13th April - Toppings, Edinburgh
Saturday 15th April - Waterman House, Belfast (cooking demo)
Late April - NYC book tour
Early May - The Netherlands & Germany book tour
1st-4th June - Big Retreat Festival, Pembrokeshire
Saturday 8th or Sunday 9th July - The Sustainability Show, Manchester
Sunday 27th August - The Big Feastival, The Cotswolds
Saturday 21st or Sunday 22nd October - The Sustainability Show, London
Cauliflower Bolognese
One of my absolute favourite vegetables is the cauliflower! Beautiful and fluffy like puffy clouds on a summer day, they’re also the perfect blank canvas, ready to take on all the flavours you choose to add around them. And best of all you can use the whole thing – leaves and stalks as well. Don’t throw them out! Use the leaves in pestos, treat them like any green veg, or whizz them up in a blender with the rest of the cauliflower and some mushrooms, with walnuts and lots of tomato purée to make this hearty, filling, comforting, delicious, best ever meat-free Bolognese. Give it a go today, I guarantee you won’t regret it. Find the recipe on my YouTube channel.
WHAT I’VE BEEN UP TO THIS MONTH
The Salad Project and I have teamed up to create an exclusive zero waste salad available from now until the end of March in their London stores at Bank and Spitalfields and through @ubereats_uk. Enjoy a packed-out bowl of pearl barley, kale, roasted sweet potatoes, cauliflower leaf pesto and vegan feta, topped with even more cauliflower goodness in the form of perfectly crispy, crunchy cauliflower popcorn.
EATING ON THE GO
Although leisurely dining is definitely one of my favourite ways to spend my time, I’m often out and about travelling on trains, at meetings or working away from home and mealtimes have to be something a bit quicker. Rather than buying a sandwich or salad, often wrapped up in single-use plastic packaging, I’m making a conscious effort to cook at home and take my food with me – it’s a great way of using up those leftovers too. BYOL – Bring Your Own Lunch! – it’s probably the simplest change you can make to live a more sustainable, waste-free life.
And now I’ve found the perfect containers from @brabantia to keep my food fresh and avoid spills, and they look great too!
The salad box is amazing – no more soggy leaves as there’s a special pot for
the dressing as well as sections for toppings and added extras. Check them
out on my Instagram, where I also share three recipes for meals on the move
– and then upgrade your own al fresco mealtimes with some new boxes and drinksware here.
DON’T LET GREY SKIES LEAVE YOU FEELING BLUE
As someone who struggles with their mental health, let this be a reminder to take things slow and be kind to yourself. Here are five ways to boost your mood and show yourself some love.
Eat more veg – OK, so this probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise for me to say this! But making sure you’re eating nourishing, home-cooked, delicious food will boost your mood so much more than a family bag of chips and dip. Check out my Instagram, YouTube, website and my first recipe book, More Plants, Less Waste for hundreds of recipes to make you feel better from the inside out. Don’t know where to start? Try my Immune Boosting Smoothie or my Bang Bang Broccoli.
Feed your mind – If the weather means you’re stuck inside and all you want to do is lie on the couch and watch TV, give your brain a boost with something inspirational. The Swimmers on Netflix is moving and motivating and will make you appreciate everything you have, or listen to a podcast – my go-to is How To Fail by Elizabeth Day.
Get moving – Healthy body, healthy mind. Get outside for some fresh air, stretch those muscles and feel the chill on your face, or play your favourite song and DANCE!
Write a list – Before the week gets properly started, write a list of everything you want to get done, then break it down into ‘must-dos’ and ‘good to dos’. It’s impossible to get everything finished that we want, so don’t pile pressure on yourself to be perfect!
Be kind, be gentle and breathe - Remind yourself to take it slow and if you feel as though doing nothing is the best thing for you, then do nothing. It’s important to take moments throughout the day to put your phone down and simply do nothing. I try take a few moments to do nothing every day, and in that time I usually find I see or hear something that I haven’t experienced before.
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH…
Love is in the air next month as Valentine’s Day approaches, so whether you’re planning on cosying up with your partner, pals or your pet, let those around you know you love them.
In February’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing more tasty content, food hacks and behind-the-scenes subscriber exclusives.
Follow me on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Whisk for more plant-based content!
Thanks for your support,
Max