Saturday 31 August 2013

Vegan how-to: Bestest bagels



I have eaten a lot of bread in my time. Arguably, too much bread. (Arguably because I might argue that there is no such thing, although my bathroom scales may disagree. I've eaten bread from all the cultures, I'm a bread adventurist.

And in my very experienced opinion, if you see a Jewish bakery, that's where you want to get your bread. The Jewish people have it going on when it comes to baking, and I was determined to learn bagels. Because bagels are my favourite bread.

When I discovered the secret to bagels, I was so excited, because it's just one extra step in the process and makes all the difference. Also, bagels are NATURALLY VEGAN. During my conversion I realised I wouldn't have to sacrifice bagels, and that has made everything much easier for me!

Interest piqued? To the recipe!


Friday 30 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Creamy mushroom pasta bake

I wish this was the finished version. I didn't get to see the finished version, it was gone by the time I got home. Imagine this but a bit brown from being in the oven, okay?


I don't know about you, but as a vegan, one of the things I really missed was creamy pasta sauce. I lot of my pastas required it, and I didn't just want to switch to tomato pasta all the time. So I did my research like the diligent person I am, and discovered the secret.

Cashews. They just need to be pre-soaked.

Don't believe me? You NEED to try this. Just you wait.


Tuesday 27 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Mixed veggie coconut korma


This meal is wholesome and filling and hearty, and only as spicy as you want it to be. Today was miserable weather so it seemed like just the ticket, and it was definitely worth it!


Monday 26 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Black-bean filled tortillas with sweet potato



This recipe is the bomb. We are big fans of Mexican-style food in this house, and obviously the discovery of tofutti sour cream meant that we hardly had a dent in the Mexican experience after switching to vegan. These tortillas (or are they enchilladas? buritos? I JUST DON'T KNOW!) have a variety of fillings to cram in for the perfect balance in taste. And, while there are a lot of components, the cooking of them is dead easy.

Sunday 25 August 2013

Vegan Breakfast Recipe: good, ole fashioned porridge






There is nothing quite like porridge on a cold winter's morning. Well, sort of. I mean, pancakes are obviously a winner. Hashbrowns and mushrooms fried up with some tomatoes and a big whack of avocado. But sometimes, you know, it's Monday morning and all of a sudden it turns out you don't have time to whip up a batch of pancakes. Or sweet potato hashbrowns (i will DEFINITELY put THAT recipe up soon!)


Saturday 24 August 2013

Vegan Dessert Recipe: A little bit of Baklavas



I had left over filo, so I decided baklavas were the go. Just a little bit of baklavas, just a brownie tin full. A thin brownie tin. Obviously I wasn't going to go out and buy extra filo (I definitely thought about it).

They turned out so beautifully, although they aren't as pastry-ish as traditional baklavas (as these are "leftover pastry baklavas'). I'm putting the little recipe up here. It's easy to adapt for larger amounts, but I'll make a full quantity as well and update the recipe next time I whip up a batch (this will be soon). Also, I forgot to take pictures of this being assembled. So I'll DEFINITELY have to make a new batch.

Friday 23 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: The mighty taco



Tacos, baby.

Do these really require an introduction? I mean, EVERYBODY loves tacos, right? I have been really working on vegan alternatives for Mexican style food because Mexi is quick and casual and flavourful and fun.

I've just realised that I forgot to put jalapeno chillies on top. NOOOO! Now I'm going to have to make tacos again.

This recipe could serve up to four, because it makes quite a bit of bean filling. Make sure you buy enough taco shells and try not to overfill them (if you must over fill them, wear a bib).

Thursday 22 August 2013

Vegan Dessert Recipe: Quick baked apple scones



We had these left over apples in the fruit bowl. They'd sat there, waiting to be chosen, but had been constantly bypassed for fresher fruit (we have a quick and varied fruitbowl). And now there were a bit soft, a bit bruised, and a bit unappealing. So I decided to get creative, but not too creative, because I didn't want to spend hours baking a pie. So here you have it - dessert for four in half an hour.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Spinach filo comfort pie



I've really missed spinach and feta pie since going vegan, and I'm going to try and replicate it. Right now. With you guys as my witnesses.

Be afraid.

Kidding.

To the kitchen!

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Vegan Lunch Recipe: Classic curried 'egg' sandwich



Sandwiches made my shudder for the longest time. Ugh. They made me think of school lunches, what a drag. Hot vegemite sandwiches, curling at the edges, that sit in your bag FOR EVER. Yep, I was off sandwiches for ages. And then I remembered sandwiches and thought I'd give them another crack.

You know what kind of sandwiches I loved on the weekend? Egg. It's odd, because my relationship with egg was always a bit uneasy, and soft poached eggs made me feel actually sick. But a good ole, hardboiled egg mashed up with some mayo and curry? Loved it.

Fast forward to me no longer eating egg. Excellent decision, except for the whole missing egg sandwiches on the rare occasion I even thought about sandwiches at all. But then I discovered this recipe, and now it is my staple sandwich go-to. Thanks, online vegan community!

Monday 19 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Baked red curry



I don't know why there's a difference, but baked curry kicks normal, cooked-on-the-stove curry's arse. I don't know why or how, but seriously, once you've had a baked curry you'll start feeling disdainful about curry cooked any other way. This is a household favourite, and when word gets out that this is dinner, there's no way anybody's got other plans. This recipe serves three, and I serve it with steamed rice. There are never left overs!

Sunday 18 August 2013

Vegan Breakfast Recipe: Naughty macadamia chocolate maple scrolls



So, maybe it's the weekend and you're thinking pastry is everything you'd like for breakfast. Or an afternoon snack. Or a just-anytime-treat. I don't blame you, friend. Pastry is AH-MAY-ZING. And I have adapted these little beauties for all your delicious bread-y breakfast and snack needs.

Saturday 17 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Nosages and hash browns.



You know how sometimes you think that a lazy fry up is just the ticket for a quiet night in? Well, this is that fry up. It's super quick (provided you've done a wee bit of prep earlier) and it's FRIED, so that is a bonus. And I like to serve it with steamed veggies so it takes on the vibe of a well rounded meal.

Alternatively, scrap the veggies, fry up some onion and mushroom, roast some tomatoes in rock salt, and serve this meal up as a massive vegan breakfast.

So versatile!

Friday night vegan dinner review



That, my friends, is a steak-eater eating a vegan mushroom stack. He liked it so much he went back for seconds, and furthermore coined the phrase

"If it grows on a tree, it's alright with me."

I'm not counting my vegan chickens yet, but I admire his adventurous vegan spirit.

Friday 16 August 2013

Vegan Cheesecake Experiment: Mango lime panacotta



This is attempt two for the perfect vegan cheesecake. Noting this after the fact, it turned out AMAZING, but not cheesecake. It had the consistency of a pancotta, so clearly I have to work on the agar agar quantity and possibly work with more acidic ingredients to achieve a more cake-like consistency. Sorry, I've been drinking.

CHECK OUT THIS RECIPE FOR VEGAN MANGO LIME PANACOTTA I INVENTED, IT'S AMAZING!

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Mushroom and mash stack with a red wine reduction




Dinner time! It's Friday, I've attended a tutorial, mastered MLA referencing, finished a fifteen hundred word critique, and experimented with cheesecake (stay tuned for the results!)

So tonight we have dinner guests who have just moved house, so I want to do something nice because I reckon those guys have probably been living on take away. I'm cooking for himself (obviously), Jen Raccoon (enthusiast of vegan food) and Paul (steak lover). It's a challenging combo, so I've chosen to make a roast veg salad and a beautiful looking mushroom and mash stack.

So my whole house smells like wine, everybody wins.

Vegan Lunch Recipe: Roast veggie winter salad



You know how sometimes you really want a salad, but it's COLD outside?

Well, this salad.

I'm using it to serve with dinner, but it's a good ole any time food. And it's healthy, but not TOO healthy.

Shall we begin?

Thursday 15 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Half hour bolognaise spectacular



Hey pasta, what would I do without you?

Cry, probably.

Anyway, I had the most ridiculous amount of stuff to do today. What I mean is, I had to write an essay and do a whole load of editing, so of course I also baked some goodies (recipe will be forthcoming) and cleaned the entire house. Including the shower. Ugh.

The good news is, the house is SPAHKLING. But I was running short on time to prepare dinner, because I'm going out tonight. So pasta it was, with whatever I could find in the fridge.

Wednesday 14 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Savoury tofu-cakes



They're here! It's savoury tofu cake time! Get excited!

No seriously. We have these babies for dinner ever couple of weeks because they are simple to prepare and delicious.

This is a half hour meal spectacular again, except that it's better if you mix up the tofu cake mixture about an hour before you fry it so all the flavours hang out together. I always do, but if you're in a hurry you can get away with just fifteen minutes of sitting.

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Asian-Fusion-Udon-Noodles



Okay, today has been NO FUN. Left house at 6:15. Arrived at work and tried to re-assemble dismantled bits of coffee machine. Failed. FAILED. Had to call in re-enforcements who brought chocolate to me on their day off. Ate chocolate (obviously). It was a cheeky little dark Italian number and improved my day somewhat. Left work covered in coffee, went straight to a uni tutorial.

So basically I got home at five o'clock with a MASSIVE headache, feeling like I needed something more nutritious than chocolate, something full of tasty goodness, and something I could cook that didn't involve being in the kitchen for longer than half an hour.

Enter the Asian Fusion Udon extravaganza.

Monday 12 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Fat pizza!



Monday today. It's been pretty poor weather, and today is my one full day off in the week (because I don't have work or interning or uni) so I have time at home to cook, should I so desire.

And who doesn't desire pizza, like, all the time?

Sunday 11 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Day-before-shopping-day Dahl



Frying goodness


It's Sunday, and I worked all morning and did uni readings all afternoon. I DIDN'T want to shop for dinner. Tomorrow is veggie shopping day, thank you very much, and I don't darken the door of a supermarket on a Sunday. That way madness lies.


Saturday 10 August 2013

Vegan Dinner Recipe: Spinach cannelloni like Nonna never made

I promise to get better at taking photos.

It rained all day basically, which meant there was really no reason to leave the house. Himself had a hangover and I pottered around, and since I wasn't doing much I decided to get experimental and make spinach and vegan ricotta cannelloni for dinner.

Friday 9 August 2013

Stop, in the name of good taste.

Amazing vegan burger in Kampot, Cambodia
I love food. Love it. Food is great. And I don't take food for granted. I would never do anything to jeopardise our relationship.

I became a vegetarian at thirteen because my house went vegetarian.

It wasn't a big deal, because I wasn't really into meat. I mean, I didn't love taking a THERMOS OF DAHL to school while all the other kids were eating sandwiches, but that is a story for another time. In my late teens I realised that vegetarians were derided and considered difficult to feed. So I started eating seafood, the least offensive (IMO) of the edible flesh.

Fast-forward to 2013, almost twenty years after I stopped eating almost all the meats. My partner in crime (who will henceforth be referred to as 'Himself') decided that his time with me had involved too much butter, too much cheese, and too much saturated fat.

So began the conversion of our house to animal-free. (Mostly. I mean, we couldn't get rid of the dog.)
Look at that face.

I was concerned, obviously. As I mentioned above, I love food, and while I could do kick-arse vegetarian food a lot of my recipes featured butter. Blue cheese. Boconccini. And there was the other concern as well. I've already copped a lot of shit in my life for being vegetarian. And I'd always mocked vegans. Was I putting myself in a category that meant I would never be safe from derision again?

We didn't go vegan straight away. I had to check that I could do it, investigation was required. I have some amazing friends who would email me internet recipes to assist my research, and got some cookbooks, started reading.

And I discovered some stuff.