VEGAN MICROWAVE FLAPJACKS

i have to admit that living without an oven is becoming a bit of a drag! in order to get around this little inconvenience, i have started to explore the possibilities of microwave ‘baking’. following my first success – being the vegan mug brownie – i have gained a little more confidence and thought to myself: “why not give microwave biscuits a go?!” – so here are some tasty vegan flapjacks that are easy-peasy to prepare and taste great!

how?

75g vegan margarine

5 tablespoons of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of golden syrup

150g quick-cooking oats

50g sultanas

50g dried cranberries, chopped

50g dried apricots, chopped

combine the marg, brown sugar and golden syrup in a microwave safe bowl. cook on high for 1-2 minutes, or until the margarine has melted. add in the oats, sultanas, cranberries + apricots, mix thoroughly to combine.

2.

press the mix into a small greased (microwave safe) baking dish. cook on high for roughly 5 minutes, or until the center is bubbling. allow the flapjacks to cool, cut them into squares, and get stuck in! healthy, vegan, oven-free and delicious!

makes 12 squares

note: you may want to cut up your dried fruit quite finely so the final product is not so crumbly! 

KIWI FRUIT FTW!

what's so good about kiwi fruit? well... for one they contain more vitamin c than oranges, as much potassium as bananas and a good whack of beta-carotene! but also contain a significant amount of vitamins E + A and are a great source of dietary fibre - which can guard against diabetes and some cancers

that's not all! kiwi fruits have also been shown to reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration by 36%, protect our DNA from mutation, and help prevent asthma - particularly in children. 

for more information about these little green powerhouses check out kiwi-fruit.info and whfoods.com.

VEGAN MUG BROWNIE

still feeling a bit homesick i decided the obvious cure was clearly a gooey, delicious, warm and satisfying vegan mug brownie - made in a minute, this microwave mug cake is the bomb!

how?

dry:

4 tablespoons of plain flour

4 tablespoons of sugar (or 3 of brown sugar for a bit more darkness)

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee

pinch of salt

wet:

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (i used sunflower)

2-3 tablespoons of water

mix the dry then add the wet and stir to combine in your mug of choice (choosing one big enough of course)

place into your microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 mins on high - allow to cool ever so slightly (so you don't burn your mouth) and dive in! this would be even better with some yummy vegan whipped cream or melty vegan ice-cream - but this gooey mug brownie is delish on it own!

thank you soychick for veganizing this one! (note: i didn't add any vanilla extract as i didn't have any on hand but this would give it an extra kick so add it in if you wish)

CREAMY COCONUT RICE

 

ever find yourself with half a carton of coconut cream that you need to find a use for? ... hmm... probably not! but here is a tasty way to whip up an almost healthy dessert anyway

how?

1 cup of brown rice (you can use white but i like the nuttiness and wholegrain goodness of the brown)

enough water to cover the rice by a knuckles depth

2 tablespoons of coconut cream

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional, you could also use nutmeg or even better a pandan leaf if you have one on hand)

coconut cream

place the rice in a medium saucepan and cover with water. half way through cooking (approx 15 mins) add the coconut cream and mix. continue cooking for 15 mins and add the cinnamon and sugar (as desired, if you are using a pandan leaf add this from the start with the rice and water to infuse the broth). continue cooking until rice is done and creamy broth has thicken and almost evapourated

serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!

 

VEGAN CHURROS

vegan churros

before my big move to the other side of the world, and to get into the spirit of all things spanish (and vegan!) i tried my hand at a vegan churros recipe - the results - crispy deep-fried-deliciousness dipped in melty dark chocolate... too good!

perhaps not the best recipe on this attempt but i am on the look out for a fail-proof to give these another try