summer means salads

I love this time of year, the weather is warmer, the days are longer and holidays are imminent.  Also, it's stone fruit season!  Nothing beats a fresh and crunchy nectarine whilst basking in the sunny glow of beautiful days :)
They also taste great in salads, perfect!

White nectarine and tofu salad
Serves 2 as a side or 1 as a light meal

Ingredients

1 white nectarine sliced into wedges
2 handfuls of rocket
1/8 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/2 lemon juiced
100 g firm tofu sliced into 0.5 cm thickness
sea salt and freshly crushed pepper to taste

Method

Heat up a small frying pan and place nectarine wedges, flesh side down.  (I used a non-stick frying pan so didn't need to add oil)
Cook for about 3 minutes each side, they should be a little bit caramelised.
Remove from heat and now cook tofu on each side.  Again I didn't use any oil but feel free to if you prefer.
In a medium sized bowl, combine your vegetables, nectarine and tofu. Pour in the lemon juice and seasoning and get your hands in there and give it a gentle but thorough mix so that everything is coated evenly.
Serve and enjoy.

I'm really loving adding fruit to my salads lately, the flavours of sweet and savoury really work well together, and they also add a different texture depending on what you do with them.  I specially love apples in salads and here are two recipes that uses them in two different ways.

Apple Slaw

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 red apple thinly sliced (I used pink lady because of their tart flavour)

1 cup red cabbage shredded

1 TBS slivered almonds

1 cup of spinach shredded 

1 TBS dried cranberries

1/2 lemon juiced

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Combine all ingredients in a bowl serve.

Baked apple and pumpkin salad

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

2 granny smith apples

4 cups of pumpkin chunks

4 handfuls of rocket

3/4 cup bertoli beans

1/4 cup walnut halves chopped

2 TBS dried cranberries

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 degress celcius.  Line a tray with baking paper.

Peel and core apples, cut them into thick wedges and place on tray, along with pumpkin pieces.

Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until pumpkin is cooked.

Once cooked, remove from oven and leave to cool for about 20 minutes.  

In a screw top jar, add balsamic vinegar, olive oil and seasoning.  Shake to emulsify.

In a medium sized bowl, place rocket, beans, walnuts and cranberries. Add the pumpkin and apples and toss gently. 

Serve and enjoy.

And did I mention that I also LOVE figs!  If they weren't so pricey, I'd eat them everyday!!

Fig and spinach salad

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 cup baby spinach leaves

1 fig sliced into thin wedges

1/4 cup yellow capsicum strips

1/4 cup corn kernels

1 TBS goji berries

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

Place spinach, capsicum and corn kernels in a bowl, add vinegar and mix gently.  Add figs and give it another gentle toss.  Sprinkle with goji berries and serve.

And now to some warm yumminess.....

Baked eggplant with spicy tomato quinoa stuffing

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

1 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce

1/2 cup quinoa

1 clove of garlic crushed

1/2 brown onion chopped

1 TBS tomato paste

1 tsp harissa paste

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1 TBS parsley chopped

6 kalamata olives sliced

1/2 vegan stock cube

3/4 cup water

Dressing

Eggplant flesh (from the baked eggplant)

1/8 cup parsley

1 clove of garlic

1/2 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp sea salt

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celcius.  Cut eggplant in half lengthways.

In a baking dish, add tomato pasta sauce  and place eggplant, skin side down.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until eggplant is brown and golden on the top.

In a medium saucepan, add garlic, onion, spices, and both tomato and harissa paste.  Add a little bit of water and mix it all together.  Place over medium heat and cover with lid.  Cook for approximately 4 minutes, until onion is soft.  Whilst it's cooking, rinse quinoa thoroughly and add to saucepan.  Add water, olives and stock cube.  Cover and cook on low-medium heat for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.  If it looks too dry and the quinoa is still not cooked, add a little bit more water.  Once cooked, remove from heat and stir in parsley.

When eggplant is ready, remove from oven and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1.5 cm edge.  Keep the scooped out flesh for the dressing.  

Place quinoa into eggplant cavity.  To serve, place some of the pasta sauce on the bottom of the plate in a circular pattern and place stuffed quinoa on top.

For the dressing, blend together all ingredients and pipe on to top of quinoa.

Serve on it's own, or with a side of rocket salad with lemon juice dressing.

I've been working on some cakes, so I will post those next.  Look out for berry vanilla cake, upside down pineapple cake and a marble cake.  YUM!!

Not sure if I'll get to post before Christmas so if I don't, I just want to wish you all a great Christmas and a wonderful new year.  I hope that you spend it with your loved ones, enjoying their presence and being present in the moment.  I know for me, I will be reflecting on the year that was, and taking the time to be extra thankful to mother earth for the wonderful blessings she has bestowed on me.  Couldn't be luckier really.  So blessed.

Peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

week 7

So i now only have 5 weeks left of the challenge.  I feel like the time has flown.  I am really entrenched in this way of eating now, and I'm wondering how I'm going to give it up, if it is that I decide to do that at the end.

Whatever the case, I feel like eating to nourish your body is not always a 'be all and end all' type of scenario.  It's more about what works for you, your body and your morals/ethics regarding food and food production.

This is not an easy idea to accept, specially for people like me who are stringent followers of the rules.  I've chosen to eat a plant based diet, and I am enjoying the ride, however, I don't want my health to suffer as a result of developing deficiencies, so my hope is that I can work through this and maintain this way of eating.

Now that we've got the serious stuff out of the way, let's look at some delicious summer treats that I've been playing around with.

I can smell summer in the air, it just keeps getting warmer in gorgeous Sydney, and there's nothing I love more on a warm sunny day, than stuffing my face full of ice cream.  

That's right, I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!!

These two recipes are sugar-free but feel free to add a sweetener of choice if you like things a little extra indulgent. Personally I don't think you really need it, so give it a go without it.  I dare you!

Berry-coconut gelato
serves 2

Ingredients

2 bananas frozen
1/4 cup berries of your choice (i used frozen raspberries)
1.5 Tbs coconut cream
1 tsp sweetener of choice (optional)

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until it reaches the desired consistency.

Banana Peanut Butter Gelato
serves 2

Ingredients

2 bananas frozen
1 Tbs natural peanut butter
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp of sweetener of choice (optional)
1 tsp crushed peanuts for topping

Method

Place all ingredients except crushed peanuts into food processor and whizz until you reach ice cream consistency.
Serve with a sprinkle of crushed peanuts on top.
You could add the crushed peanuts and stir it through the gelato, I think that would add a really nice texture.  Crunch Crunch Crunch :)

Do you get the picture now?  

This is the simplest, most easiest way to make delicious, healthy ice cream in minutes, so there's always a new flavour that you can whip up at a whim.

I always have bags and bags full of bananas in my freezer.  It's such a good way to store them if you have them turning brown.  

I use them to make banana bread, cakes, smoothies, and of course, ice cream.
I picked up 2 kilos of bananas the other day for $2.50!!  Just because the skin is spotted and a little brown doesn't mean the insides are dying.  As long as there's no soft bits and black bruises, they're as perfect as unspotted ones.

Now, as you can see, the banana peanut butter gelato is not alone.  Next to it is a delicious serving of vegan chocolate mousse.
This indulgent treat is delicious on it's own, and also makes a great filling for a chocolate tart.

I have tested this out on my non-vegan friends and told them the secret ingredient afterwards and they couldn't believe it.
Give it a go and see for yourself.

Chocolate Mousse
serves 6 on it's own or makes one 8 inch pie tart

Ingredients

2 cups of avocado flesh (about 2 1/2 avos)
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup non-dairy milk of choice (i used oat milk for this one)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs arrowroot powder
1 Tbs almond butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup raw cacao powder (you can use cocoa powder if that's what you have)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 block of dark chocolate (i used Lindt 70% as it doesn't contain any dairy)

Method

Place all ingredients in a food processor except for the chocolate.
Blend it until smooth, you will need to scrape the bowl a couple of times to make sure it's all incorporated.
In a double boiler, or in a bowl placed over some simmering water, melt your chocolate until smooth and there's no more lumps.
Add to avocado mixture and blend again until all mixed through.  Mixture will thicken into a delicious smooth blend.  Try not to eat it all!!

The mousse will harden somewhat when refrigerated, and if you are using as a filling for a tart, make sure you place it in the freezer for a couple of hours before you serve it.  It will make it easier to cut.

I have some recipes that work well for tart bases but I will post that up next week as I will be making some salted caramel and chocolate tarts this week.

I have made this as a tart before and it it delicious.  The best thing is that you can freeze the left overs and cut off a piece as you go.

It definitely is a rich chocolate flavour, so a small serving is really enough to satisfy your chocolate craving.

Now that we've had dessert, how about a main?

As I've said before, I HATE waste, so I made the following recipe with the left over risotto I put up in my previous post.  

I made a big batch of the sauce from my spaghetti veganese recipe, and used the left over to make a pasta for the family that included chorizo (they are NOT doing the challenge).

All you have to do is stuff your capsicum with the risotto, spread the pasta sauce on top and a little on the bottom of the baking  pan, and stick it in the oven at 180 degrees celcius and bake for about 30-40 minutes.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle some chopped herbs and some nutritional yeast flakes for some added vitamin B.

Add a side salad and there you have it!  

Now for another savoury dish. 

I was playing around with making some vegan pesto and this is what I came up with.

Tomato Pesto

makes approx. 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup basil leaves

1 1/2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup semi dried tomatoes

1/4 cup evoo

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Method 

Place all ingredients in your food processor and process until nearly smooth.  Now, it will be a little bit thick so I added about 1 Tbsp of water at a time until I got the desired consistency.  I ended up adding 3 Tbsp but it's personal preference.

This is good to have on hand when you are stuck and need to jazz up a meal.  Here's two I used it with.

Quinoa Topped Mushrooms

serves 6 as a light meal

Ingredients

1 cup of quinoa rinsed and drained

1 tsp of vegan stock powder

1 1/4 cup water

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 garlic clove minced

1/3 cup brown onion diced

1/3 cup squash diced

6 sundried tomatoes cut into strips

1/4 cup fresh parsley

1/4 cup fresh basil

3-4 Tbsp water

6 large field mushrooms

pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.  Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Clean mushrooms by wiping with a paper towel to remove dirt.  Place clean mushrooms, caps down on lined baking tray and place in oven for about 30 - 40 minutes.

Whilst your mushrooms are in the oven, place the rinsed quinoa in a medium saucepan with water and stock powder and bring to the boil over medium heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until all liquid has evaporated and quinoa is translucent and cooked.  Turn heat off.

In a frying pan, add your coconut oil, garlic, onion and squash. Cook until squash is a little soft but still has some crunch in it.  Add to quinoa.

Process your herbs and water with a hand held blender if you have it and add this mixture to you quinoa, along with the sun dried tomato strips.  Stir gently to combine.

Return the quinoa to a low heat and cook uncovered until there's no more liquid, this should only take about 3-5 minutes as there's not really that much water added.

By now, your mushrooms should be ready.

Take them out of the oven and place them on a plate, top with herbed quinoa and your tomato pesto.

Bon appétit!

Mediterranean Pasta

serves 1 

Ingredients

Wholemeal pasta or pasta of choice (enough for one person)

1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup of eggplant strips

1/4 cup brown onion diced

1 garlic clove minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

4 sundried tomatoes cut into strips

6 kalamata olives chopped

3 Tbsp tomato pesto (or more if you like)

1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped

2 tsp nutritional yeast 

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

Cook pasta to packet instructions

Heat coconut oil in frying pan and add garlic, onion and eggplant, cook on medium heat until eggplant turns golden.

Add oregano, chilli flakes, sundried tomatoes and olives.  Cook for a further 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add to hot drained pasta.  Stir in pesto and parsley and mix until well incorporated and covering every inch of pasta.  Add your seasoning at this stage if you feel it needs it.

Plate it up and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Serve with some crusty bread and a basic salad.

I also use the pesto as a spread on my sandwiches, and stuff them with salad and baked pumpkin. Yummo!

On the body front, I am still losing hair :( but I have started taking the supplements and it's early days so I'm hoping it will stop soon.  I guess I have to give it some time.  I think about 4 weeks should be long enough to start to see some difference.  Fingers crossed!

Otherwise, energy levels are good, my sleep is still great, give or take a few nights when work has been really hectic, or my girls have a bad night.  But these are normal everyday things that would happen regardless of eating habits.

I've started doing some meditating, just small 5 minute intervals at this stage.  Trying to find a regular time to do it is the only problem as you can imagine.  At this stage, I can only do it at night after the family are all tucked in and asleep.

I know it's best to practice first thing in the morning but alas, it's a rare occasion when I wake up before everyone else.  I'm usually woken up by my youngest poppet calling out 'maaamiiiiii!' from her cot!!

But never fear, I will persevere.

Peas, love and mung beans

xxb

week 4 comes to a close

I'm nearing the end of week 4, 1/3 of the way through the challenge, and I'm a bit up and down.  
Not so much with the food, but maybe my hormones. I don't think that has anything to do with having a plant based diet, or does it?
I've been reading a lot about the effect of hormones in your body and I know for sure that dairy and soy products can play havoc on your system in this regard.
I'm not saying you shouldn't have these things, after all, we're all different and what works for some, doesn't work for others.  I'm not sure where I lie, but I do know that hormones suck and I personally wish I wasn't so susceptible to their effects.
The lability in mood at your lady times, the impact they can have on your skin and even what you crave to eat!!! It's fair to say, they are important little buggers who are not going away.

Although dairy isn't an issue for me at the moment, I am having soy on a nearly daily basis every time I have my coffee.  If there was a coffee shop that used nut milk instead I would be there in a flash, but alas, soy is the only alternative at this stage, and I'm not yet ready to give up my coffee.

I've also been thinking more about the products I'm using on my body.  It makes sense to be on this path I guess, after all, you can't be so aware of what goes into your body to feed your organs and not worry about what you put ON your major organ.
What I found out is this:
-  there are toxic substances in just about everything, and just walking out the front door exposes you to a lot of it....and you haven't even started eating yet!
-  some things found in everyday items, including personal products, mimic the action of natural hormones found in your body, thus altering your body's performance.
-  although you can't avoid everything, there are definitely things you can do to minimise your exposure.

For this reason, I have begun purchasing products which are based on natural ingredients and where possible, organic.

Now I must say, I'm a product junkie.  I love it all, creams, serums, sun care, make up, facials, e.t.c., and after having terrible skin post babies, I really became obsessed with it.  
So, this hasn't been an easy thing for me to do. I'm terrified that my new routine will result in break-out hell and ruin all the time I've spent getting my skin back to normal.
But, for the sake of research, and on the quest of a cleaner, healthier, more aware way of living, I've done it.
So, my new routine is an Australian organic cleanser, hydrogen peroxide 3% at night to keep breakouts at bay and coconut oil to moisturise.  I use a tiny amount of coconut oil on my face and then use it all over my body.

Here's something I found scary but useful and led me to change my routine:

Obviously, it's still early days to know whether this will work for me or not but I'm hoping it will, besides, paying $10 for 500 mls of organic coconut oil really makes my wallet happy :)

Now, let's talk food!

So, I've been dying to try out a cheesecake recipe I found whilst trawling the net during my snack attack phase, and, having friends over for lunch today, proved the perfect time to try it out.

I adapted this recipe from one I found at http://mynewroots.blogspot.com.au, an amazing blog you should check out if you haven't already.  Thanks to my lovely friend Angelica for putting me onto it.

Raw Raspberry 'Cheese' Cake

Ingredients:

Base:

1/2 cup raw almonds 

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup soft Medjool dates

¼ tsp. sea salt

Filling:

3 cups raw cashews (soaked for at least 5 hours but overnight is best)

juice of 2 lemons

1 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract

2/3 cup raw coconut oil, melted

2/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup raspberries (thaw completely if using frozen)

1/2 cup strawberries

Method:

Line a deep pie dish or small round springform pan with glad wrap or baking paper.

Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). 

Scoop out crust mixture in prepared pan and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.

Warm coconut oil and maple syrup in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.

In the food processor/blender, place all filling ingredients (except berries) and blend on high until very smooth.  About 3 minutes.

Pour about 2/3 of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the berries to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. 

Place in freezer until solid.

Remove from freezer and allow to thaw for about 30 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. You can have it on it's own or serve it with whatever accompaniments you desire.

The best thing about this recipe, apart from the taste obviously, is that you can keep whatever is left over in the freezer.  WIN!

But, it was not just cake that we fed our lovely guests, we also made a seafood paella and of course, being on a vegan journey, I just had to make a vegan version.

Here's one I adapted from this recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=738168

Quinoa Paella

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups quinoa

1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed

2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

400g can organic diced tomatoes

1/3 cup red capsicum chopped

400g can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

750ml vegetable stock

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

1 cup artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 lemon

Directions

Rinse quinoa thoroughly and set aside to drain in a colander.

Sauté onion and garlic in a heavy based saucepan with a little water until soft. 

Add quinoa and saffron and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, capsicum and 500 mls vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, check to see if more stock is needed (If it looks dry, add the remaining vegetable stock, if it looks too wet, take off cover until some of the fluid evaporates). 

Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until quinoa is done. 

Stir in peas and beans and cook uncovered until peas and beans are warm and all liquid is absorbed. 

Pour into a serving plate and arrange the artichoke hearts on the top.

Sprinkle with parsley and squeeze lemon juice over the top.

Serves 6

I was really impressed with this recipe, and even though there was no chorizo to give it that extra hit of flavour, it was still super tasty.

I served this with a kale, watercress and orange salad that I dressed with orange juice, olive oil, maple syrup, cumin and red wine vinegar.  It was a good accompaniment as the citrus and astringent quality of the salad really set off the richness of the paella.

This is another recipe that keeps on giving and I'm planning on using the left overs to put into wraps with some wedges of avocado and some red cabbage slaw. Mmmmm, makes me hungry just thinking about it.......

Oh, and not to forget, I found some vegan friendly wine at my local wine shop.  Happy days :)

peas, love and mungbeans

xxb

end of week 3 and start of week 4

Wow, it's nearly a month into my challenge. I don't know about you but to me, the older I get, the faster time seems to pass.  Must have something to do with wanting to try more things, having more responsibility and never, ever, enough time!

This last week I've really been thinking about nutrients.  Am I getting enough? Am I eating the right balance of foods, am I not eating enough of the right stuff, should I combine some foods and leave out others?

It can feel a little overwhelming at times, and the plethora of information out there, although great, can also compound this.

I have found some amazing blogs in the process of my research though, and HOLY KALE and THE WELLNESS WARRIOR are among my favourites.  They are packed with good, practical information and some super duper delicious recipes.  

But back to me :) I guess the only way I'm going to be able to know if I'm on the right track, nutrients wise, is in how my body feels.

At the end of week 3, this is what I've noticed:

1. I'm really hungry after lunch and this leads to snacking non-stop until dinner.  At which time I'm bloated but eat anyway.

2. I've developed some dry patches on my face and have some minor breakouts on my forehead. NOT good.  This could also be due to my lady time approaching.

3.  My hair is falling out and it reminds me of the hair loss I had just after babies, except a little less intense.  But hair loss is hair loss and it points to something not being right.

All is not bad news though.  I still have the same energy levels and am still able to exercise as normal.

I'm sleeping better and I feel more calm in general.  

So, I'm thinking I'm maybe developing some kind of deficiency.  I'm going to make an appointment with a naturopath to sort out what's going on and to get some guidance around what I can do to rectify the situation.  After all, it would be completely silly that in the pursue of health I end up unhealthy!!

There are so many vegans out there who are healthy and great so there must be something I can do to fix this I'm sure.

In the meantime, I have purchased some liquid iron and I'm trying to squeeze in as much protein as I can at each meal.

It's been a super busy last couple of weeks for me so not enough time to play around with recipes, but here's one that I made for dinner tonight.

Mexican Quinoa Wraps

1 Tbs coconut oil

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup brown onion chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp smokey paprika

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 vegan stock cube

1 Tbs tomato paste

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 cup red kidney beans

1 cup of water

Method

Fry the garlic until soft and translucent.

Add spices and chilli and fry until fragrant.

Dissolve stock cube in water and add to onion mixture.

Add tomato paste and stir until all combined.

Add quinoa and cook with lid on for about 20 minutes or until quinoa grains are cooked (will look translucent).

Turn the heat off and stir in the beans.

Put lid on to keep warm whilst you make your salsa.

Avocado Salsa

1 cup avocado cubed

1/2 cup tomato deseeded and chopped

1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced

1/4 cup coriander chopped

1 Tbs evoo (I used chilli infused)

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, being careful not to mash avocado.

You will also need some wraps and what ever other topping you will like to add.

I added some purple sweet potato that I had previously baked.

Assemble and enjoy.

Serves 2

I also have a couple of dressing recipes for you to try.  

As you know, I eat a lot of salads and to be honest, the same ol' dressing gets a little bit boring.  So here are a few that have been on high rotation over my veges of late.

Try them out and you'll have fun adding them to yours based on flavour combinations.

Green Machine Dressing

1 avocado

1/2 clove of garlic

Lemon juice

sea salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

water

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whizz it up with your hand blender until smooth.

Adjust the seasoning to taste and either add more lemon or water depending on how zingy you like it.

I love this dressing on my kale salads and I get my hands into it so that every little bit of leaf is covered.

Today I had this with some crispy wholegrain flat bread which i spread with unhulled tahini and warmed in the oven.

Tahini Dressing

2 Tbs unhulled tahini

2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1 tsp horseradish

sea salt and pepper to taste

Place ingredients in a screw jar lid and shake til combined.

Good on basic garden salads.

Balsamic & Curry Dressing 

Sounds weird I know but you will love it!

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

3 Tbs evoo

1 tsp curry powder

Method as above

I use this dressing when I make a baked vegetable salad.  I will make some soon and post a picture because it really is delish.

Peas, love and mung beans

xxb

End of Week Two

2 weeks down, 10 to go.

Something that was on my mind a lot since commencing this challenge was how I was going to go about eating out.
Most of my social interactions revolve around food, and most often than not, include going out for a lovely meal.
I don't ever want to be seen as the annoying friend who can't eat anything, and who everyone has to accommodate for.  I would hate me if that was me!
To my relief, the 3 times that I have eaten out since the start of the challenge, have been very good experiences.
And not only that, but i've also made a little gem of a discovery!

But let's start with the first place.  
Spencer Guthrie is the name of the restaurant and it's located in Newtown, Sydney.  I couldn't find their website for you but you can google the name and have a look at some pics of their food.
It's a cosy space, with friendly and helpful staff who didn't seem perturbed when I questioned them about the menu and the possibility of veganising something.  I've worked in hospitality in the far away past, and I know that chefs hate to change their menus and I can understand that, they want people to eat their food as they have interpreted it, it's part of their art. I get it, and I can definitely appreciate it.  That's why it's hard for me to have to ask but what else can one do?
Luckily, the restaurant has made allowances for plant food enthusiasts and provide a vegan special!
I guess being in Newtown, I shouldn't be that surprised :)
So, thank you to my bestie for taking me here and for having such great taste.

And here it is.  So pretty, I didn't feel like I should eat it!  

It was quiet delicious, and the little turnips that you can see were pickled and so yummy.  

The next place i went to, was my choice as I have been there before and I knew that they made vegan meals.

It's called The Nepalese Kitchen and it's located in Surry Hills, Sydney.

It's a consistently good place to eat, and they have a large cushion room upstairs if you have a big group.

I don't have any photos of the food because our party was rather large and ravenous and the dishes got attacked before I could get my camera out!

I did tell the staff I was vegan and they were able to adjust the banquet menu to contain a few vegan options.  

Third place is Nourishing Quarter.  It is also located in Surry Hills and it really is a little gem of a place.  It's cutely decorated with old and nostalgic items, and you somehow feel like you're going to dinner at your eccentric and nurturing grandmother's house, who used to be a wild and carefree young woman that once ran away with a gipsy and lived a life of adventure all over the world.

The food was AMAZINGLY good, and our little group, who were all non-vegan, loved it as much as I.

All dishes are based on whole grains and are so flavoursome and textural, it really was a pleasure to eat, as all meals should be.  I will most definitely be going back there, the sooner the better.  We had 'cheese' cake for dessert and no one could believe that it didn't have any animal products in it.  But, don't take my word for it, go there and try it out for yourself. 

And now I'll share a little gem I've found, it happens to be in Newtown, Sydney.  I'm having visions of sunny days, pushing my girls there in the pram, whilst we work up an appetite for one of their delicious desserts like the one I got to take away on Saturday - Neopolitan Ice Cream Cake.  Enough said.

 

It's called Sadhana Kitchen and you can check them out here: http://www.sadhanakitchen.com.

It's the first cafe of it's kind in Sydney and everything they make is raw and vegan!!! I'm so totally excited about this place I can hardly contain my excitement. yay!

The ice cream cake was so delicious and although I know I should have shared it, it was really too good to spare even a teenie tiny little spoon full.

So to the owner, I salute you!

Really am grateful that you are sharing an obvious love for good, healthy and nourishing food.  

Before I go, I want to share a couple of recipes with you.

The first one is a breakfast recipe that I came up with when I craved a savoury breakfast.  I could eat porridge until the cows come home but sometimes you just need something savoury.

This was my first attempt at making it but really, how hard can blending be?  I think it turned out pretty good :)

Scrambled Tofu

1 tsp coconut oil

1 cup firm tofu

1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond)

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp tumeric

2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes

Pinch of sea salt

Cracked pepper to taste

Process tofu, milk,spices, salt and yeast until blended but not completely smooth.

Heat up coconut oil in frying pan and add tofu mixture, cook on medium heat until slightly more golden in colour and warmed through.

Easy Peasy.

I served it with some lightly sautéed silverbeet and wholegrain spelt toast with avocado and chilli flakes.

I would have added some sautéed mushrooms but I didn't have any on hand and I think next time I'll add some parsley to the scramble for an iron boost.

The next recipe is what I had for dinner tonight.  It's more of a dressing recipe as it is what makes the dish really delicious.

Quinoa and Kale salad with Dukkha Dressing

For the salad

2 cups kale

1/4 cup red capsicum

1/2 small tomato chopped in large chunks

!/4 small red onion sliced thinly

1/4 cup cooked lentils

1/4 cup cooked quinoa

1/4 cup avocado cubes

For the dressing

2 Tbs dukkha

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbs raw unfiltered acv

1 Tbs chilli infused evoo 

1 tsp sea salt or to taste

Mix dressing ingredients together (i use an old mustard jar to shake it to death)

In a large bowl, place all salad ingredients together and pour on the dressing.  Using a large flat spoon, gently fold the ingredients together to incorporate the dressing until it's all covered in it's yummy goodness.

I served it with a baked sweet potato. YUM.

For those who are wondering what the hell dukkha is, you can find a really simple recipe here: http://pinterest.com/pin/10414642859093563/

I feel like I've been trying to do and eat as much plant based foods as possible to prove to myself that it's just as normal as a diet incorporating animal products.

I realise now I really don't have to do that.  Normal is very subjective.  It is what it is and what makes you feel the best is what should be normal to you.

My concerns re: eating out, amazing treats, delcious 'creamy' things, getting enough protein/iron are being eased the more I read and the more I see and experience.

So now I will take a deep breath, wind down the momentum, and start fresh.

I will try to get back to the normal routine of eating, which doesn't always include cake and ice cream! 

My goal for this coming week, is to try and cut down on the sweet little treats by finding alternatives.

I've got some pesto recipes that I want to try out and make some dips and 'cheese' too.

Wish me luck lovers!

Peas, love and mung beans

xxb