Kung Pao Faux Chicken and a whole lotta love. x

I've been thinking a lot lately about the beautiful ladies I have in my life. We have all been having some very honest conversations about our directions in life and our lack of confidence.

It's amazing just how many strong, independent women I know who, when all walls are down, are actually very shy and insecure, although they exude this beauty and style that is incomparable when in polite society.

It's funny. The people that have come to know me the best over the years are often shocked at just how shy I can be. I come across as fiercely independent, apparently. This is only because I feel the need to get things done and have varied experiences in my life. I bury my insecurities deep down and focus on the task at hand. I refuse to let my shyness win.

Having said that, I can often become very quiet around people that I feel slightly in awe of. I over think my next sentence and don't end up saying much at all.

In all other aspects of my life, I can play the part of nurse, friend and all round good girl, although I never feel 100% correct in my choices. My shyness is incredibly frustrating.

We don't often get a lot of positive feedback in life. I think my shyness relates to not being sure if what I'm doing is good or likeable. I get very shy about my work, but lately I've been loving what I've been creating and that in itself is giving me inner-power.

Last week when I was deejaying, I was saying to my lover that I wasn't sure if people were liking the music I was playing. He said "Haven't you ever heard, no news is good news?" Even though I didn't get any positive or negative feedback during the set, after I was then asked to stay on for another hour and told how much people love having me there. I'm taking this phrase on board and it's helping to make me feel less worried about what kind of impact I am making on this world.

So perhaps, remember that no news is indeed good news, and give someone a compliment. It's a small gesture but it can really make a difference in someones life.

I guess in essence, love what you do. Love yourself and let others know how much you appreciate them. They may just return the favour.

Kung Po Faux Chicken

This recipe is delicious and inspired by all of the asian take out we so often purchase. The faux chicken melted in my mouth and the mushrooms were delectable. I hope you like it, too.

Time: 30 Minutes.
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• One Tablespoon of minced ginger.
• Three cloves of minced garlic.
• Half a red onion, sliced.
• One and a half cups of vegetable stock.
• Quarter of a cup of soy sauce. 
• Quarter of a cup of rice wine vinegar.
• Thee cups of quartered mushrooms.
• One red capsicum, sliced.
• One cup of sliced bamboo shoots.
• Half a cup of cashews. (Traditionally, peanuts are used)
• A light spray of oil. 
• Chilli to taste.
• One packet of faux chicken, or perhaps try some tofu chunks.
• Wedges of lime, to serve

Method:

In a fry pan over medium heat, add the oil, onion, garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil.

Put the lid on and leave to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. It shouldn't take long to cook.

If yours is still a little watery, mix one tablespoon of corn flour with two tablespoons of water to make a smooth paste. Add this to the mix and simmer for a further three to five minutes. I didn't need to do this, but it's a handy hint just in case. 

I served mine with some delicious quinoa and lime. 

I hope you are having an amazing day. x

Make some big jumps...

Vegan Cannellini and Basil Winter Soup... xx

Three recipes in three days! It appears the drought of posts maybe over? Unfortunately, this little adventure in blogging in no way aids my finances, which may explain the haphazard nature in which my blog posts arrive.
I have been anything but frivolous of late. I'm feeling like I have been on a financial diet for the longest time, using all my will power to stop me from spending all my hard earned dollars on random things. The last week I seem to have been bingeing on whatever takes my fancy. I am trying to get myself back in check and so instead of going out and buying lavish ingredients for an exciting recipe, I decided to bite the humble bullet and raid the refrigerator to make something that won't leave me with a blank expression when it appears on my dinner plate.

I have many jars full of wonderful things that sit in my cupboard waiting for the day I remember that they are there.

Serves: 10.
Time: 10 Minutes prep. 1 hour to cook.


Ingredients:

• One sliced leek (Feel free to use onion).
• Two cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped.
• Two Tablespoons of olive oil.
• One third of a cup of packed and roughly chopped basil leaves.
• Three potatoes, skinned and cubed.
• One can of tomatoes.
• One star anise. 
• Two tablespoons of tomato paste.
• One cup of previously soaked cannellini beans. You could use any kind or bean. I think chick peas would work really well here. 
• One Tablespoon of soy sauce.
• One Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. 
• Four cups of veggie stock.
• A few shakes of pepper. 

Method:

Place all of these ingredients into a large pot and bring to the boil. Simmer for an hour or until the beans and potatoes are soft. Remove the star anise.

Serve on its own or with some hot, crusty bread for a perfect winter treat. 

Vegan Potato Bake with Tofu Ricotta and a Cheesy Sauce xx

Each time I go to a BBQ, the omnivores always rave about how amazing the potato bake is. Honestly, with all that fat and cheese drowning those poor little potatoes, they often look like a heart attack waiting to happen. I challenged myself to create a potato bake that was delicious and not so terribly bad for my thighs. This is what I came up with...

Time: Half an hour prep, an hour to cook.
Serves: 6-8.


Ingredients:

• Ten potatoes, washed and thinly sliced.
• Two tablespoons of olive oil

For the Tofu Ricotta:

• One block of silken firm tofu.
• Half a teaspoon of dried basil.
• Two teaspoons of olive oil.
• Two cloves of garlic.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

For the Cheesy Sauce:

• Two Tablespoons of olive oil.
• Half a cup of plain flour.
• Four cups of veggie milk (I used rice milk).
• A pinch of paprika.
• A teaspoon of mustard.
• Feel free to add a teaspoon of nutritional yeast to the mix at the end of the recipe. I don't like the stuff so I don't use it. 
• Half a teaspoon of veggie salt and a few shakes of pepper.

Method:

Let's make the tofu ricotta first:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is a nice, creamy consistency.

You may need to scrape the sides with a spatula occasionally. Set aside.

Now, for the cheesy sauce:

Grab a saucepan. Place it on your stove top over medium to high heat. Add the olive oil and heat through. Mix in the flour. Very slowly, add the veggie milk and stir  the mixture as you do this. You should initially have a paste which will thicken up and become a custard. Add the paprika, mustard, nootch, and salt and pepper. Take off the heat and mix well.

Take a large oven proof pan and add one tablespoon of the oil to the bottom. Rub the oil over the whole pan. Add half of the potatoes and spread half of the ricotta mixture over them. Next, add half of the cheese sauce. Repeat the process so that you end up with the cheese sauce on top. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with some paprika.

Place some aluminium foil over the top of the pan and bake in the oven at 180C or 360F for one hour. Towards the end of that hour, remove the al-foil so that the top gets nice and brown. 

And that's it. Take out of the oven and enjoy! xx

Cannellini Bean Pasta Sauce with Olives, Capers and a hell of a lot of Garlic. xx

It's 4:51 AM. I have spent tonight drawing, watching episodes of Luxury Comedy and New Girl and cooking this pasta sauce. Although it is really delicious even if I do say so myself, where is the fricken greenery? That is one problem with being between night shifts. There is no where to buy lettuce at 3 AM. This pasta sauce is made of a bunch of things I had laying around. The capers were a bargain 75 cents for a giant jar and the beans I buy in bulk, so all in all this is quite a frivolous meal. You can eat the beans with out the pasta but hey, I love carbs. 

Time: 10 minutes prep. 30 minutes if cooked in a pressure cooker, 20 minutes on the stove top, 4 hours on high if cooked in a slow cooker. 

Serves:6-8.

Ingredients: 

• One onion, chopped.
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced.
• One capsicum, sliced.
• Half a cup of olives.
• One quarter of a cup of capers. 
• Three cups of dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight in water and drained.
• Quarter of a cup of olive oil.
• Half a cup of tomato paste.
• Four cups of water. 
• One pinch of salt.
• One pinch of pepper.

Method:

Place all of the ingredients in a pot/ pressure cooker/ slow cooker. 

If using a pot on the stove top, bring to the boil and let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.

If using a pressure cooker, place the lid on and bring to pressure. Reduce heat and continue cooking for half an hour. Reduce the pressure and the sauce should be ready.

If using a slow cooker, place all of the ingredients in the cooker and cook on high for 4 hours.

Good night, fancy world.

Sweet dreams xx

Chickpea and Potato Curry. Brought to you by the words "pressure" and "cooker"...

It's been a while, huh? My sincere apologies. It was my birthday last week and the celebrations lasted a week and a half. In order for this to happen, I was basically working one night on, one night off and then it was a fair whack of four nights in a row. Now, I've had two nights off. I'm deejaying tonight at the Wakefield which will be fun. Massive and fun. 

One of the nights when I was at work I was talking to a colleague of mine who also loves to cook. She was talking about how much she loves her pressure cooker and I mentioned to her that I didn't have one. She offered to sell me one of hers. 

Night shift makes me buy things. I have bought the most random things from EBay at four in the morning, let me tell you. Just bizarre. However, this purchase I am happy about. I just looked up the recommended retail price and I must admit, I got this sucker for a bargain. The first thing I made was obviously this curry. I do like a good curry. They are easy, simple and effective. Of course you can cook this in a normal saucepan. It will take longer and possibly have a different texture. Cooked in the pressure cooker, it simply melts in your mouth. Crazy stuff. 

Time: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker. About 45 minutes to cook in a saucepan. 

Serves: 4-6. 

Ingredients:

• One onion, sliced.
• One tablespoon of oil.
• Two cloves of garlic, minced.
• Half a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
• Half a teaspoon of fennel seeds.
• A teaspoon of cumin seeds.
• One teaspoon of ground coriander.
• Three cardamom pods.
• One stick of cinnamon.
• One star anise.
• 4 Kaffir lime leaves.
• Four potatoes, cut into cubes.  
• Three cups of pre-soaked chick peas.
• Three tablespoons of tomato paste.
• Four cups of water.

Method:

Place in oil in the saucepan or pressure cooker over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, seeds and spices. Allow to cook until the seeds start to pop.

Add the other ingredients and stir well.

Place the lid on if using a pressure cooker and bring to pressure. After 20 minutes, take off the heat and slowly reduce pressure.  Leave the lid off if using a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the chickpeas are cooked and the sauce has simmered down.

Serve with rice and a salad. 

I'd love to hear what your favourite pressure cooker recipes are. Let me know! :) xx

Sweet Potato, Carrot and Pumpkin Soup

Four weeks ago I bought a hell of a lot of veggies from my local market for a bargain price. May I just say that this market is being bought out by Woolworths. It's so sad. I don't shop at Coles or Woolworths.

It's at that stage where all of the veggies are starting to wilt and go bad. So now is the time where we start to get creative. Many of the capsicum were cut and placed under the grill until the skin burned. The skin was then pealed off and the flesh was placed in a jar with a little salt and pepper.

The zucchini and half of the sweet potato were cut and placed in the oven at 200C/ 400F for about half an hour, turning after 15 minutes. These now sit in the fridge and I take a handful to put in my salad for lunch everyday.

And then there is the soup. The perfect food to make with wilted veggies.This simple, easy to make and yet completely delicious soup.

I think I may say that about everything I post on here but hey, I guess I'm a little bias. I was initially thinking about making a sweet potato and peanut soup but I really don't think that I could handle peanuts in a soup base.

I ate a lot of carrot soup as a poor student and I still do really like the sweet taste.

Pumpkin Soup. Pumpkin. Soup. Need I say more on that subject?

Time: 10 minutes prep and 20 minutes to half an hour to cook.

Serves: 4.

Ingredients:

• One onion, chopped.
• One clove of garlic, minced.
• Half a medium sweet potato, chopped.
• About two cups of diced pumpkin.
• Two carrots, chopped.
• One bay leaf.
• One sprig of Rosemary.
• One teaspoon of dried basil. 
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Method:

Place the ingredients in a pan and fry on medium heat for a few minutes, stirring the whole time.

Add about six cups of vegetable stock, or enough to just cover the veggies. Bring to the boil and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. I like to leave mine simmering for as long as possible, even up to an hour. If you do this, make sure you check the water levels regularly and top up if needed.

Blend in a blender or with a hand blender.

Serve hot and keep leftover soup in a sealed jar in either the fridge or freezer.

I've been taking this soup to work with me and in fact, I'm going to eat some now.

Grilled Baby Eggplant with an Avocado and Tomato Salsa on a White Bean Purée.

Get your fancy pants on, kids. This dish is a result of growing super smallish Lebanese eggplants in my backyard and remembering that white bean purée kinda tastes like mayo. There is nothing better than home grown vegetables and it does all look rather fancy once these elements are put together.
So how's life been for you? I feel like it's been a while. My computer spazzed and so this here insert of the latest blog update is bought to you by the letters i & phone.

Time: 15 minutes.
Serves: Two.

Ingredients: • 2 baby eggplants.
• A small splash of olive oil.

Slice each eggplant length ways, down the middle so you are left with four pieces of eggplant. Place the oil in a frypan and heat over medium heat. Place the eggplant on the pan and fry until both sides are a little dark- perhaps 4 minutes each. In the meantime...

For the salsa: •Half an avocado, cubed.
•8 cherry tomatoes, quartered.
•Quarter of a cup of parsley.
•One spring onion sprig, sliced.
•One tablespoon of fresh basil.
•Juice of half a lemon.
•Pepper to taste.

Add all of these into a bowl and mix.

And now the White Bean purée:•Two cups of cooked white beans (I used cannellini).
•One clove of garlic, chopped.
•Juice of half a lemon.
•One tablespoon of olive oil.
•Quarter of a cup of water.
•Salt and pepper to taste.

Place all of these ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add a dollop/half of the purée to the base of a plate.
Top with half of the salsa.
Pop two slices of eggplant on top and drizzle some balsamic reduction over the top (optional, of course).
Have a delicious day. Xx

Call it Creamy Raw Pasta. Call it Creamy Zucchini Salad. Call it what you will. Just call it. xx

Welcome to yet another instalment of my little "must make my body like me" saga involving all things good and delicious. It really is not a chore eating all these spectacular foods. At the end of this week I am heading over to Melbourne for a couple of days and need to eat all the veggies that are in my fridge. I assume that when I get back, the baby rocket  that has sprouted from the seeds of last season will have grown in my veggie patch and I can eat them with my baby eggplant and marinated tomatoes.

I must apologise. I am currently being sidetracked by the movie "Into the wild". It's about Christopher Johnson McCandless who up and left his life and gave all his money to charity to travel in the wilderness. It's a dream that many of us have shared. It's a touching and amazing story. Something you just gotta watch/read. I think the closest the rest of us get to this is a camping trip away or a road trip. Travelling clears your mind and opens your heart in way that is hard to understand until you're a part of it. And you are a part of it. This grand, ol' majestic earth and everything that's in it and surrounds it. Vast infinity both grand and minute. Le sigh.

So... where were we? Raw pasta. I love how raw recipes call themselves things like "pasta" when it's more akin to "salad". But you know what? It tastes good. And it kinda tastes like pasta. It's amazing what the raw food revolution has produced. Who knew you could do so many things with such simple and bare ingredients? Who tricked us into thinking that chemicals are food? It's funny how people don't realise that these so called foods and the mass production of disposable objects is a relatively new thing, only really starting en masse about 40 years or so ago. A good program to watch about the history of western, specifically UK food is Supersizers Go. It's witty, lighthearted and informative. This one is about the 70's which was the birth of non-perishables and TV dinners.






Time: 7 Minutes.
Serves 2.


Ingredients: Seems like there are a lot, but there's really not. 

• 2 Zucchini, grated or sliced in super thing long strips. This, darling, is your pasta.
• One sprig of spring onion.
• A small handful of fresh basil leaves.
• One mushroom.
• One quarter of a cup of sun dried tomatoes in oil.
• One tomato.
• Half an avocado. 
• Ten raw cashews.
• Quarter of a red onion.
• Quarter of a cup of water.
• One half a clove of garlic.
• Pinch of salt and a few shakes of pepper.
• As many olives as you like.
• A pinch of dried chill (optional).

Method:

Place the zucchini on a plate.
Place all the other ingredients except the olives into a food processor and process until creamy. A few chunks in the mix is a-ok.
Place the sauce over the pasta and decorate with the olives.
Serve this little dish of deliciousness to yourself and someone you love. Or, just save it for lunch tomorrow.
xx

Delicious Lentil and Walnut Loaf x

I've been wondering what to have for Christmas dinner. I don't want to eat too much flour and gluten, which is normal pretty predominant in fake meats. I want something nutritious and delicious with a mouthful of punch. This is it.
I remembered going to my brothers restaurant where he made me a pizza that was topped with walnuts. It gave the pizza and almost creamy feel. Walnuts are a great addition to savoury dishes. Walnuts and scouring the backyard for a bay leaves and rosemary. This dish is sorted.

Serves: About 10.
Time: 15 Minutes prep, 1 hour and 45 minutes total cooking time. 


Ingredients:

• 1 and a half cups of brown lentils.
• Half a cup of yellow split peas.
• One bay leaf.
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
• 1 diced onion.
• One stick of celery, diced.
• One carrot, diced.
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
• Quarter of a cup of tomato paste plus 2 Tablespoons.
• 1 Tablespoon of chopped rosemary.
• 1 teaspoon chopped sage.
• 2 teaspoons of chopped dry basil.
• A few shakes of pepper.
• A good pinch of salt.

Method:

Place the lentils and the split peas in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain. Keep the bay leaf.

While that is happening, you have time to prep the other ingredients. 

Then, heat the olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrot and sauté for about 3 minutes. 

Add the walnuts, tomato paste and  herbs and mix together for a further 2 minutes. 

Mix in the drained lentils and split peas. Add the salt and pepper. Taste it. Does it need more salt and pepper? Add to taste.

Pull out a loaf tin and grease well with olive oil. This will allow the loaf to slip out easily.

Stuff the mixture into the loaf tin. Once its all in, spread with the 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. Place the bay leaf on top. It should look like the picture above. 

Bake at 180C or 360F for 1 hour. 

Place a dish over the top of the loaf tin. Being very careful because it's quite hot, turn the loaf tin with the dish attached so that the dish is now on the bottom. The loaf should slide right out. 

Serve with mash potato. 

Vegan Maple Roasted Pecans with Roast Pumpkin and Garlic Cream Cheese Salad

Sometimes my body just screams for salad. Something crunchy, creamy, healthy and delicious. These pecans are phenomenal. They are just so good that I'm even considering making some and placing them in little gift bags for people for Christmas. And they are so simple. Delish. This recipe does look complicated, but it's really just cooking time. I choose to think of cooking time as time I can be doing other things, like dancing around the house. The ingredients and simple and so is the method. Trust me. You want to eat it.

Makes: 2 Serves.
Time: 10 Minutes prep, 45 Minutes cooking and 2 Minutes to throw it together.

Roasted Pumpkin Chunks

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of diced pumpkin.
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
• A few shakes of the old salt and pepper.

Method:

Place the pumpkin on a tray and rub the olive oil all over the little suckers. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top. Bake in the oven at 180C/ 360F for 45 minutes, turning after 15 minutes.


Maple Roasted Pecans


Ingredients:

• Half a cup of Pecans.
• 1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup.
• Small pinch of salt. 

Method:

Place all of the ingredients on a baking sheet on a tray and mix together with your hands.
Place in the oven next to the pumpkin at 180C/ 360F for 15 Minutes.
That's them done.


Next the Garlic Cream Cheese.

I'm usually opposed to adding tofu to things. I think this is because when I first went veg in 1992, The taste of tofu was terrible and mum used to add it to everything. I drowned out the taste with tomato sauce. Tofu is now one of my favourite things. It's delish. Honestly though, the tofu in this dish is offset by the fresh garlic. I love garlic. Feel free to adjust if you aren't really a garlic person. Oh, and you could use white beans instead of tofu for a very similar effect if soy is not your thing.


Makes: About 2 Cups.
Lasts: About a week in a sealed container in the fridge.


Ingredients:

• 1 Cup of ground cashews (Use a coffee grinder or a spice mill or a super heavy mallet. Ground cashews make everything so creamy. It's a worthwhile investment.)
• Juice of one lemon.
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.
• 1 and a half cups of silken firm tofu or cooked white beans.
• 2 cloves of chopped fresh garlic. 
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped.
• A few shakes of pepper and salt. 

Method:

Add all of these ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy. Stop occasionally to scrape the sides down.

Now the salad:

Ingredients:

• All of the above plus a few fistfuls of shredded iceberg lettuce. 

Method:

Place the lettuce into two bowls. Place half the pumpkin and pecans on each. Add one Tablespoon of the cream cheese. 

Eat and enjoy! xx

Vegan Creamy Cauliflower Cashew Curry.

I love curry, in case you couldn't already tell. This curry is rich, creamy and delicious. I kept wanting to eat seconds and thirds. In fact, I have made up many small portions with rice that are sitting in my freezer for future busy/ lazy days.

Time: 10 Minutes prep, 25 Minutes cooking.
Serves: 4. 


Ingredients:

• Half a cauliflower, sliced.
• Half a cup of cashews, ground. (Do this in a high speed blender, a coffee grinder or put them in a plastic bag and wrap it in a tea towel. Whack the nuts with something heavy, like a hammer or a rolling pin.)
• 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil.
• One onion, sliced.
• A cinnamon stick.
• 4 cardamom pods.
• 2 green chilli's, sliced lengthways. 
• 1 tsp ground turmeric.
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger.
• 2 cloves.
• 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce or tamari. 
• 2 cups of rice milk.
• 1 tsp salt.
• A few shakes of pepper.

Method:

Place the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and spices. 

Add the cauliflower and stir fry for a few minutes. Add the cashews, soy sauce and the rice milk, stir and then bring to the boil. 

Stir again and cover the saucepan with a lid. Reduce the heat and let simmer for another 20 minutes or so. 

Add the salt and pepper. Pick out all of the cardamom pods, cloves and the cinnamon stick before someone eats them. Give it one last stir and then serve with rice. 

The rice milk will cause the sauce to thicken up really nicely, however during simmering it may thicken up a bit too much so feel free to add some water, enough to make it not stick to the bottom. Maybe half a cup at a time. Don't worry if it gets too runny. Any excess water will simmer off in no time. 

Vegan Risotto- things you can do with a rice cooker. Vegan MoFo Day 10

Hello darling people,

I am super strapped for time this week as I am doing yet another block of four ten hour night shifts at work.

I did, however, have enough time to add some arborio rice, vegetables and stock to the rice cooker and let it simmer away until it came up with this lush and nutritious meal. You could, of course, make this meal on the stove in a saucepan. It's much of a muchness. The stove method takes a while longer though.

Time: Five minutes prep time and forty minutes to cook, or until your rice cooker says so.
Serves: 4-6.

Ingredients:• Two cups of arborio rice.

• Three cups of prepared vegetables. I used mushrooms, sliced leek, half a capsicum, sliced and a few florets of broccoli.

• One preserved lemon, chopped.

• One tablespoon of minced garlic.

• Four cups of stock.

• Juice from one lemon.

• A tablespoon of capers.

• Parsley, for garnish.

Method: If using a rice cooker, add the rice, veggies, preserved lemon, garlic and stock. Put the lid on and hit the cook button. Wait until the stock has absorbed and mix in the lemon juice and capers. Add pepper to taste. Top with parsley and serve.
If using a saucepan, add the veggies, preserved lemon and garlic over medium heat with a little oil. Stir for three minutes. Add the rice and stir for about three minutes. Add the stock a cup at a time, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next cup. This should take some time. You may need more or less stock depending on how fast your rice is cooking. Once all the stock is absorbed, remove from heat and add the lemon juice and capers.
Serve topped with parsley and mix through pepper to taste.

Vegan French Onion Soup- The smell alone is sexu-wah-wah. Vegan Mofo! xx

I stood over this pot for literally an hour and a half just smelling how good it was. It's divinity in a bowl. The ingredients are simple but it does take a bit of time to all come together. Having said that, you still don't really need to do much. It's just so freaking simple that I can't believe I haven't made this before. You know that amazing smell when you saute the onions and garlic at the beginning of a recipe? Well, this recipe is that. Concentrated and in soup form.

Time: An hour and a half.
Serves: 4.

Ingredients:

• Quarter of a cup of veggie butter or olive oil.
• Four cups of sliced onions.
• One tablespoon of minced garlic.
• Six cups of good veggie stock.
• Two bay leaves.
• Two sprigs of parsley.
• A teaspoon of dried tarragon.

Method:

Add the oil or butter to a saucepan over medium heat and melt. Add the garlic and the onions and mix them so they are covered in the butter/ oil. Pop the lid of the saucepan on so that no air can escape and leave it to simmer in it's own juices for about 20 minutes. Lift the lid to stir once or twice during that 20 minutes.

Take the lid off and one cup of stock. Leave it to simmer until the stock has almost evaporated. Add another cup and do the same.

Add the remaining four cups of stock and the herbs and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer for about twenty minutes and then take the herbs out.

Serve with fresh crusty bread.

xx

Mash Potato and Baked Bean Pie- Yes, You read that right.

I'm just eating them now... for breakfast.

Time: 25 minutes if using an oven, 7 minutes if using a pie maker.

Makes: As many as you like.




Ingredients:

• Store bought puff pastry (always read the lable to make sure it's vegan).
• One tin of your favourite baked beans.
• A small amount of mash potato, depending on how big your pie is...

Method:
 
It's literally store bought vegan puff pastry cut to fit and put in a small pie tin (or pie maker) filled with tinned baked beans and pre-made mash potato. The amounts of these depend on how big your pie is. For mine, it was about 2 tablespoons of each. Start by putting the beans in first and then the potatoes.
Put a circle of puff pastry on the top of the pie to cover. 
Cook at 180*c for twenty minutes or until golden (or for five minutes in a pie maker). Hope that helps! :) I'm so full... (yep, I ate two. I could probably eat another...) x

Vegan Macaroni & Cheese

Mac & Cheese isn't that popular here in little old Adelaide. I mean, sure you can purchase the packet stuff from the supermarket, but I don't know many people that do, and we call it "pasta and sauce"... It comes in a ridiculous amount of flavours and it contains an awful lot of numbers. Every now and then though, we all need a little comfort in the form of food. A creamy pasta is the best way to do that, with a couple of pieces of garlic bread and adding some fresh tomatoes and fried mushrooms. In fact, I'm sitting in bed, watching Freaks and Geeks and eating mac & cheese as we speak.

Serves: 2.
Time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• One cup of macaroni.
• Two cups of boiling water.
• Two tablespoons of vegetable margarine.
• Three tablespoons of plain flour.
• One and a half cup of your favourite veggie milk.
• Two teaspoons of mustard.
• One and a half teaspoons of veggie salt.
• A pinch of turmeric.
• One teaspoon of nutritional yeast.
• A shake of pepper.
• Half a teaspoon of minced garlic.

Method:

In a saucepan, bring the macaroni and boiling water, well, to the boil and simmer for ten minutes or until the pasta is tender.

In another saucepan, melt the margarine and then add the flour over medium heat. Stir it together and fry for about a minute, stirring it the whole time.

Add the garlic and the mustard and then slowly, and bit by bit add the milk. Stir the whole time that you do this.

The sauce will thicken. Add the veggie salt, the turmeric, nutritional yeast and pepper.

Drain the macaroni and then in a bowl, stir through the sauce.

Add spring onion and EAT! xx

Vegan Cashew and Soy Bean Stir Fry. Pure Delish.

This is a super easy and cheap recipe that I came up with out of desperation and hunger. I love soy beans. Green soy beans are just delicious fried in Asian dishes and of course, they are super good for you.

The humble soy bean. What can't it do?

Make sure yours are ethically grown though. There are many forests and jungles in the world being torn down to plant these crops and many are genetically engineered. Beware the demon soybean. The devil in disguise.

Serves: Two.
Time: 10 minutes.


Ingredients:

• One onion, sliced.
• 1 Tablespoon of oil.
• 1 Tablespoon of minced ginger.
• One clove of garlic, crushed.
• Two cups of green soy beans ( sold in the freezer section of your local Asian grocer for around $2).
• 1/4 cup of cashews.
• 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce.

Method:

In a fry pan over medium to high heat, add the oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and ginger and stir for about two minutes.
Add the soybeans, soy sauce and cashews and fry, stirring intermittently for about 7 minutes.
Serve with rice.

Quick and easy. Lush! xx

Lentils and Rice- or- The best taco filling I have ever tasted...

This taco filling is inspired from a recipe by my friend Chelsea, who took the recipe from her hippy mother.

You can make it one of two ways. You can either follow the do-it-yourself step-by-step recipe you see here, adding all the seasonings yourself, or you can simply fry the lentil and rice mixture with a store bought taco mix. I prefer to make everything myself from scratch. You just don't know what is in those packets these days. Anything that's called a number is obviously not a food. This mixture tastes a lot like a mince. It's surprisingly tasty and moreish. You'll love it! I know it sounds kinda boring, but trust me on this one. It's so good...

Time: Fifty minutes (including 40 minutes simmering time.)

Serves: Four.

Ingredients:

• A cup of  brown lentils.
• Half a cup of brown rice.
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds.
• Half a teaspoon of mustard seeds.
• One teaspoon of cumin.
• One teaspoon of coriander.
• One teaspoon of smoked paprika.
• Half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional).
• One teaspoon of onion powder.
• One teaspoon of garlic powder.
• A shake of pepper.
• Two tablespoons of soy sauce.
• Half a cup of water.

Method:

In a saucepan, place the lentils and rice. Cover with water by at least an inch.

Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 40 minutes. Drain.

In a fry pan over medium heat, add the seeds. Once they start popping, add the lentils and rice.

Add all the other spices and the water. Mix together and fry until the water evaporates.

If it starts to look a little dry, add a little more water.

And that is it! Add to your taco's/ burritos/ nachos and enjoy!

Jacket Potato and Coleslaw with Mustard Dressing

This is a really simple, healthy and satisfying meal that can be eaten for lunch or dinner. The purple cabbage adds so much colour and vibrancy, and how do you beat a jacket potato?

Time: 10 minutes prep time and 1 hour cooking time.

Feeds 4.

Ingredients:

• Quarter of a purple cabbage.
• One carrot.
• One fresh corn cob.
• One spring onion.
• One tablespoon seeded mustard.
• One tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
• One tablespoon of water.
• One teaspoon agave nectar/ rice syrup/ corn syrup/ sugar.
• Shake of pepper.
• 4 large potatoes.
• Hommous.

or to make your own Hommous:

Ingredients:

• Two cups of cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
• One tablespoon of olive oil.
• Two tablespoons of tahini.
• Two tablespoons of lemon juice.
• Pepper, to taste.
• One teaspoon of smoked paprika.
• One clove of garlic.
• One tablespoon of soy sauce (instead of salt).
• Half a cup of water.
• I added two tablespoons of parsley to my mix.

Pop all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more water if it's still thick and blend to get it to a consistency you like.

Now, back to the potatoes:
Stab the potatoes a few times with a knife. Turn your oven up as high as it can go. put the potatoes in on the racks and leave to cook for an hour. The skins will become all crispy-like. Yum!

To make the coleslaw, grate the cabbage and the carrot. Cut the corn away from the cob. Slice the spring onion and put all the veggies in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix the mustard, apple cider vinegar, water and sweetener and pepper. Pour over the veggies.
Take the potatoes out of the oven, cut in half and top with coleslaw and hommous.

Delicious Avocado and Antipasto Pasta with Garlic Chips -or- Sally's not a coeliac! Yeay!

I did look up 'antipasto' to make sure it doesn't mean anti-pasta, just in case. It means 'before the meal', but in this case we are incorporating all of these yummy ingredients into the main event. Today I went to the doctors and found out that not only that I'm not coeliac but also, my liver and kidney function, my cholesterol level, my vitamin d levels and even my B12 levels are fantastic. The doctor even said "It's all good. You're not allowed to be all good are you?" He was joking. I assume he means that the majority of people that come in to see him must have some kind of discrepancies in their blood work. Jeez... I wonder why?
I bought fresh pasta, marinated eggplant and capers to celebrate. The zucchini I made a few weeks ago.

Serves: 4

Time: 20 Minutes.

Ingredients:

• 250 grams of pasta. I used tagliatelle.
• One avocado. Chopped.
• Half an onion, sliced.
• About a quarter of a cup of marinated eggplant, sliced.
• The same of zucchini.
• Two tablespoons of capers.
• Two handfuls of fresh, baby spinach.
• Two tablespoons of olive oil, or use the oil from the marinated veggies.
• Juice of half a lemon.
• One clove of garlic, sliced.

Method:

In one saucepan, add the pasta and fill with water. Bring it to the boil and simmer until al dente.

In another, add the oil and once heated over medium heat, add the onions. Fry until translucent.

Once the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the onions.

Add the avocado and vegetables, along with the capers. Stir through. Add the baby spinach and stir through. You can take the food off of the heat as you just want the spinach nicely wilted.

Add the lemon juice and lots of pepper.

In the saucepan you used for the pasta, add a little oil and the slices of garlic. Fry until brown and then top over the pasta. Yum!

Creamy Eggplant and Potato Curry- Or The Best Damn Curry I Have Ever Made.

This is so delicious that I licked the fry pan clean. True. You could use whatever vegetables you wanted and it would work perfectly. Honestly, I am really bad at saving money and I was thinking I needed to go to the shop to find something  to cook for dinner. Then I saw it. The eggplant left over from the moussaka I made the other night. I raided my pantry and found all the deliciousness needed to create a striking, fragrant curry. I do love curry. It's one of my favourites.

Time: Half an hour.
Feeds: 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of Oil.
• 5 Cardamom Pods.
• 1 Star Anise.
• 4 Whole Cloves.
• 3 Cloves of minced Garlic.
• 1 Tablespoon of minced Ginger.
• 1 Teaspoon of mustard seeds.
• 1 Teaspoons of fennel seeds.
• 1 Teaspoons of cumin.
• 1 Teaspoon of turmeric.
• 2 curry leaves, sliced thin.
• 2 Kaffir lime leaves.
• One cup of coconut milk.
• One eggplant, chopped in thick pieces.
• One onion, chopped.
• 2 Tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce.
• Pepper.

Method:

In a frypan, fry the cardamom, star anise, cloves, mustard seeds and fennel seeds in the heated oil. You'll know when to add the onions, garlic and ginger because all the little seeds will be popping away. Mix these through until they become translucent.
Add the cumin and turmeric and stir through.
To this, add the eggplant and potato. Fry for a few minutes until completely coated in the spices.
Add the coconut milk, tamari or soy sauce, pepper, and leaves and bring to the boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Serve with rice. Yum fricken yum!