BAKED VEGAN LEMON CHEESECAKE

Two words - ABSOLUTELY LUSCIOUS! This baked lemon cheesecake is super easy to make (just a little pre-thought required to ensure you have enough time to chill it in the fridge) and tastes so incredibly heavenly. The crust is "buttery" and tastes just like an ordinary biscuit base (but adds fibre and healthy fats from the oats, buckwheat, and almonds). The filling is part-fluffy-lemon-curd, part-indulgent-vanilla-creaminess. I made this as a Mother's Day treat for dessert last night, so only had one slice left today to capture a quick shot of (before it too was devoured!) 

What you need:

PUMPKIN, CORN + CABBAGE CHICKPEA OMELETTES

What a great way to start the day! Especially on a rainy morning like today. These chickpea omelettes are super quick and easy to throw together and pack a protein punch! As well as being a fab breakfast/brunch idea, they are great as a snack, appetiser for entertaining, or even part of a main meal.

What you need:

SO-WORTH-THE-EFFORT SPICY JACKFRUIT TACOS

This is my first post in literally ages so it definitely seemed fitting to post something that I have been wanting to try for ages! So here is the "how to" for the first proper meal I've cooked since moving back from QLD last week. 

I was super impressed with how amazing the tortillas worked out - they were so pliable and fresh tasting - which is great since we have a huge bag of masa harina that has been waiting to be put to good use for sometime now! And the jackfruit was deliciously smoky and 'texturally pleasing'... if there is such a thing?! I will definitely be making this dish again! 

serves 4

how?

'CHEESY' VEGAN SWISS CHARD FILLO PIE

Ok - this one is a little bit indulgent... but its so creamy and delicious that it's totally worth the extra calories! The flakey fillo and creamy, cheesy swiss chard filling make for the perfect piece of (savoury) pie - yum!

How? 

HOMEMADE SEITAN FAUX TURKEY SUCCESS

Despite living in australia, where the weather is likely to be well above 30°c (86°f) on christmas day, my family religiously opt for a hot dinner – in homage to the mother country I guess! Having a family that, apart from my mum, do not follow an even remotely vegan diet also adds a little extra ‘heat’ to the day. I am sure anyone that who has been vegan for long enough to have encountered a holiday will know what I mean. Especially if you have an uncle like mine, who considers provocation an entertaining pastime!

This year was challenging for many reasons, but surprisingly food was not one of them. My mum and I prepared each component of our hot christmas plate and bought it along to enjoy with the rest of the family. We had the standard steamed greens along with crunchy roast potatoes (that we par boiled and ‘ruffed-up’ before roasting in the oven), homemade sage and onion stuffing, tasty corn pudding and a few slices of homemade seitan ‘turkey’.

Having previously bought a commercially made version of faux ‘turkey’, I was stoked to have successfully reproduced my own at home! For anyone seeking another trimming for his or her plate, I definitely recommend giving it a go! The cooking time may seem long, but your seitan ‘turkey’ can be cooking away in the oven whilst you get busy with other christmas preparations.

How?

VEGAN CERTOSINO (SPICED ITALIAN FRUIT CAKE)

This vegan spiced fruit cake is a christmas staple in my house. Vegan or not, even fruit-cake-lover or not, this certosino will blow you away with its blend of fennel seeds, cinnamon, bitter chocolate and aromatic marsala!

How? 

RAW DECADENT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY CHEESECAKE

october marks the end of birthdays for the year in my family. so i felt it fitting to go out with a bang! with no nasty refined carbohydrates and a decent whack of heart-healthy nuts, antioxidant rich raw cacao and some all-round vitamin-and-mineral-good-guys, this rich and decadent double choc cherry 'cheesecake' was super easy to make and fits the bill for a healthy dessert (if there is such a thing). 

how?

for the base…

1 ¾ cups of raw almonds

½ cup of raw buckwheat

1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

¼ teaspoon of cherry oil

1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder

¾ cup of raisins

for the filling…

3 cups of cashews, soaked for 1 hour, drained

1/3 cup of raw dark agave syrup

6 prunes, pitted

½ cup of fresh lemon juice

¼ cup of water

½ teaspoon of cherry oil

1 cup of coconut oil

¾ cup of raw cacao powder

add the almonds, buckwheat and salt to a food processor. blitz until coarsely ground. add the cacao powder, raisins and cherry oil. blend until the mixture comes together. (you may need to add 1 teaspoon of water if the mix is a little dry). press into a 9-inch springform pan lined with baking paper. place in the freezer whilst you make the filling.

add the soaked cashews, prunes, lemon juice, agave and water and blend until smooth – scarping down the side of the processor bowl as required. add the coconut oil, raw cacao and cherry extract and process until creamy. pour the filling onto the base and freeze until set.

remove the cheesecake from the freezer at least 1 hour before serving. for a little extra glam, top with mashed berries and a drizzle of agave – yum!

makes one 9-inch/23cm cheesecake (enough to serve 16-20)

GÖZLEME W/ SILVERBEET + CASHEW FETA

for those who are not familiar with this tasty turkish dish - gözleme (pronouced goes-leh-meh) are hand-rolled bread-like pockets filled with a variety of ingredients, which then are cooked on a hotplate. perfect for entertaining or as a delicious homemade 'takeout' treat, these gözleme are packed full of goodness - such as vitamins C, A, K, and the B-group; as well as iron and a good dose of omega-3s. 

you will need about 40-45 minutes all up - from set up to chow down

how?

for the dough …

1 ½ cups of white flour

pinch of salt

150ml of warm water

4g of dry yeast

½ teaspoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of olive oil

for the filling… 

5-6 large silverbeet (swiss chard) leaves, shredded 

½ medium leek, diced 

3 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 teaspoon of olive oil 

pinch of salt 

for the cashew feta…

½ cup of raw cashew pieces 

1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes 

pinch of salt 

1 tablespoon of water 

½ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar 

combine the water, sugar and yeast in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture forms bubbles. sift the flour into a medium sized mixing bowl, add the salt, yeast mixture and olive oil. bring together and knead for 5 minutes to form an elastic dough. divide the dough into two balls, return them to your mixing bowl and cover with a clean tea towel before setting them aside in a warm place for about 20 minutes to double in size.

sauté the garlic and leek in a large cast iron pan (this will add extra iron to your food) with the olive oil. add the shredded silverbeet and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until wilted. remove from the pan and set aside until you are ready to fill your gözleme. wipe out your cast iron pan ready for cooking your gözleme

add all your cashew feta ingredients to the bowl of a small food processor (or wet/dry mill) and blitz together. 

once your dough has doubled, roll out one of the balls to rectangle of 2-3mm thickness. place half your silverbeet mix at one end of your rectangle. dollop on some of your cashew feta. bring the other side of the rectangle over the top of your filling and seal the parcel by rolling in the edges. 

heat the olive oil in your pan over a medium-high heat, add the gözleme and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.

remove from the pan and cut into diagonal slices. serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top of your crispy gözleme – yum!

serves 4

SWEET SEEDED VEGAN OKARA CRACKERS

just finished whipping up a batch of fresh homemade soy milk? well here is a quick, easy and zero waste way to use the left over soy bean residue (a.k.a. okara). these sweet and crispy vegan okara crackers are a great accompaniment to your afternoon green tea! 

how?

200g of okara

200g wholemeal flour

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

2 tablespoons of poppy seeds

2 tablespoons of egg replacer

4 tablespoons of water

1 teaspoon of baking powder

for the sugar coating...

2 tablespoons of brown sugar (i used panela)

4 tablespoons of water

equipment 

1 medium sized mixing bowl

1 large baking sheet

1 knife 

1 rolling pin

greaseproof/baking paper

small frying pan or saucepan

preheat your over to 180℃

1. add the egg replacer and water into the mixing bowl and whisk together
2. add the remaining ingredients and mix to form a dough
3. knead the dough for 3-5 minutes until smooth. 
4. place the dough between two sheets of greaseproof/baking paper and roll out to 5mm thickness
5. cut into batons and, using the greaseproof/baking paper to line tray, set out on a baking tray
6. pop these into the over for 20 minutes
7. now mix the sugar and water together into your pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat
8. let the sugar mix bubble away until it thicken
9. remove the okara batons from the oven and toss into the pan with the sugar mi
10. coat the batons then return them to the lined baking tray to cool and the sugar coating to harde
11. once set these tasty, crunchy crackers are ready for munching! enjoy 

makes ~30 crackers

FLUFFY POTATO FILLED DUMPLINGS

if you are an origami pro then you will master these potato filled dumplings in a snap - unlike me who seemed to be all thumbs today! these are light and fluffy and a great idea for entertaining as a fancy little entre or finger food. 

how? 

1 cup of plain flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 teaspoons of vegetable oil (i used canola) 

1/2 cup of water 

1 pound of creamy potatoes (used purple skinned potatoes with a gorgeous golden flesh), diced

1 teaspoon of dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon of salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of non-dairy milk (i used organic almond milk)

first prepare your dough - combining the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. make a well in the centre and add the oil and water. using your fingers, bring the flour into the water and oil and mix to form a sticky ball. turn out your dough onto a floured surface and kneed for 3 minutes. the dough should now be elastic and no longer sticking to your fingers. wrap your dough in cling film and set aside for an 1-2 hours. 

place your potato cubes into a medium saucepan and cover with water. bring to the boil and then simmer for around 20 minutes or until your potatoes are tender. drain and set aside to cool slightly for 5 minutes. add the remaining ingredients and mash together with a potato masher to produce a creamy potato mixture. 

now to roll out your dough - using a rolling pin roll your dough out thinly and cut into rounds with a 10cm diameter cookie cutter. place a small ball of the potato mix into the centre of your circle of dough. fold one edge of the circle over the potato mix and pinch along the edge to seal the dumpling. repeat until you have used up all your dough. 

bring a large pot of salt water to the boil. add no more than 6 dumplings at a time (so as not to lower the temperature of your water too much) and cook the dumplings for 3-4 minutes. the dumplings should rise to the top. skim these off with a spider strainer and serve warm topped with a drizzle of good quality evoo and some fresh herbs (i have used parsley flowers). enjoy! 

serves 4-6

HERBY FIELD MUSHROOM AND WHITE BEAN FILLED RAVIOLI

for the second weekend in a row i have been inspired to smash together a fresh batch of vegan pasta – this time with a flavorful herby field mushroom and white bean filling.

how? 

2 large field mushrooms, thinly sliced 

½ a medium sized brown onion, finely diced 

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

½ teaspoon of dried rosemary 

1 teaspoon of dried parsley 

1 x 400g can of butter beans, rinsed and drained 

1 teaspoon of vegetable oil (i use canola) 

salt and pepper to season 

1 recipe of fresh vegan pasta 

heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. add the onion and sauté for a further 1-2 minutes or until translucent. add the dried herbs and stir to combine. add the mushrooms and sauté until tender (5-6 minutes). season with salt and pepper. add the butter beans to the bowl of a food processor. blitz until the beans are smooth. add half of the mushroom mix and pulse to combine. combine the blitzed mix with the remaining half of the mushroom mix in a mixing bowl and stir to thoroughly combine. adjust the seasoning as desired. 

roll out the fresh vegan pasta to desired thickness (i went as far as setting 5 on a manual pasta machine). spoon out 1-2 teaspoons of mix along the length of your rolled out pasta, leaving sufficient space between mounds to seal your ravioli (2-3 cm between each). cover with a second sheet of your rolled out pasta and press down the pasta around the mushroom mix – allowing any air bubbles to escape as you do. cut into ravioli and set aside ready to cook. 

bring a large pasta pot of salted water to the boil. add the prepared ravioli and cook until al dente (1-2 minutes from when the ravioli float to the top of the pot of boiling water). drain and serve with a drizzle of good quality evoo or, as i have, with a tasty homemade vegan tomato sauce.

serves 4

VEGAN CHORIZO

since that fab night at bar kunin i have been dying to recreate the amaze vegan chorizo that even my jamon-adoring housemates loved. well today was the day - with wheat gluten and a tin of dulce pimenton at hand, i took some guidance from a gluten recipe i found in a non-veg asian cookbook and some common sense and hit the nail on the head with my delicioso vegano chorizo receta - ideal para tapas!

MY VEGAN THANKSGIVING SPREAD

vegan thanksgiving deliciousness! tasty rosemary and balsamic roast beetroots, creamy corn pudding, succulent veggie roast, greens and spiced mashed yams made for a wonderful evening. 

HAPPY VEGAN THANKSGIVING!

well  i certainly enjoyed my first thanksgiving day dinner with my family (who all rocked up wearing red, white and blue - i was well impressed!!) 

to celebrate the holiday i made my very first vegan pumpkin pie (not sure that it was 100% legit as i have never tasted (or seen for that matter) a traditional pumpkin pie, but it certainly went down well!); a tasty corn pudding (with homemade bacon bits); steamed green beans; mashed spiced yams; rosemary roasted beets; and glazed up a sanitarium veggie roast roll with some delish rosemary and mint glaze. 

i was super thankful that every dish was thoroughly enjoyed and cruelty free! 

every day i am thankful that more and more people are becoming aware of the amazingness that is veganism! 

happy thanksgiving everyone! 

DECADENT VEGAN CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

happy birthday uncle paul!!! glad you liked this epic-ly decadent vegan chocolate cake! this recipe was surprisingly involved (as i failed to read the recipe in full before getting stuck in... lesson learnt!) but i was very pleased with how it turned out once it was all 'glammed-up' with some chocolate creme frosting and almond flakes.

thanks to sticky fingers' sweets: 100 super-secret vegan recipes for this decadent vegan creation - loving the book!

MY 'CANDLE 79 COOKBOOK' CREATION

considering i left uni early, with the aim of catching up on readings and assignment work, but subsequently getting distracted by other, less studious activities (such as watching tv and the week's meal planning) i felt that i should make a special effort for dinner and tackle a couple more recipes from my ever expanding cookbook collection! 

the candle 79 cookbook is impressive - the photos are mouthwatering and the presentation is inspiring! unfortunately i also find the book to be a little intimidating... mainly because every dish looks so amazing, and i question my ability to achieve anything even slightly resemblant. 

i had already decided miso soup would be the starter in my two course dinner creation but needed a suitably 'asian' main. i pulled out the candle 79 cookbook and the cover picture made up my mind. although the entire dish required the combination of 4 components i had an hour and went for it. using ingredients on hand i substituted the seitan cutlets for tofu and followed the marinating and crumbing steps. i also switched the soba noodles for sticky brown rice i had cooked the day before. 

i have to admit i am really proud of the result (which doesn't look the best in the hurried photo i took before serving... simply because i wanted to get it on the table and dig in!) i would definitely recommend giving one of the candle 79 cookbook recipes a go for a fancy dinner party - they are guaranteed to impress! 

i will post my 2-course dinner "how to" soon, but for now back to that reading! 

CRISPY VEGAN WONTONS WITH EDAMAME + CHILI OIL

keen to test out the versatility of my vegan wonton recipe, following from last night's tasty wonton miso soup, i chucked some of my frozen vegan wontons in to deep fry - crispy, crunchy, tasty, vegan, yum!

how? 

6 vegan wontons, see tasty wonton miso soup recipe

1/2 cup of frozen edamame beans, cooked 

tiny drizzle of chili oil

sunflower or canola oil for deep-frying 

heat the oil in a small saucepan. thaw the frozen wontons and add to the hot oil. deep-fry until crispy and golden. remove from oil and drain on paper towel. serve on top of the cooked edamame beans and drizzled with chili oil. quick, easy, vegan - amaze!

serves 1

VIETNAMESE RICE PAPER ROLLS

oh so healthy, oh so fresh and oh so vegan! with a little bit of prep and some fiddly folding you can smash a bunch together for lunch or a snack. 

how? 

medium sized rice paper 

2 carrots, thinly sliced into batons

1 cucumber, thinly slice into batons with seeds removed

5 small spring onions, thinly sliced

1/4 of a large red capsium, thinly sliced into batons

6 oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced

handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped or torn

combine the vegetables. place the rice paper, sheet by sheet, into a 'bath' of warm water to soften. remove and place onto a dry chopping board. 

place some of the mixed vegetable filling into the middle of the rice paper. fold one edge over the filling and then the two sides in. continue by rolling the rice paper covered filling toward the other edge and you're done! 

leave to dry out a little (2 mins) and enjoy with a simple dipping sauce of soy and rice wine or pre-made sweet chilli - yum! 

other great fillings include:

- rice stick noodles (pre-cooked and cooled)

- straw mushrooms

- a strategically placed mint leaf just before you finish the rolling process

CRISPY CORN CROQUETTES

whilst on my epic shopping trip this weekend just gone (epic in the sense that it was epically far away and epically difficult at one point to find anything i was looking for!) i picked up a bag of maiz (maize flour) as i have become so intrigued by latin american and mexican cooking.

when i got home from work today i started straight off googling some fab maize flour recipes - but was only given the options of tortillas or corn chips... and without an oven or a griddle this left me a bit stuck. so when i thought about the ingredient itself - it texture, cooking potential etc i thought of corn jacks (those crispy, hugely unhealthy, deep-fried 'battons' that tast so good!) 

inspired by the idea of the corn jack i hit the kitchen and whipped up a polenta-like batter which i seasoned with some spicy chilli powder, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar. the result...

VEGAN FINGER FOOD

throwing an intimate cocktail soiree, or perhaps a pre-drinks get-together and find out that there is a vegan on the guest list?! dont panic... a few cheap and easy winners to add to the shopping list:

- nuts (almonds and cashews are generally a good bet)

- vegan-friendly potato chips (generally your plain crisps as manufacturers tend to add milk powder, animal-based flavourings and the like to the others)

- guacamole or homemade bean dip with some fresh and crunchy vegetable dippers

- seasoned popcorn (add a dash of nutritional yeast flakes and a tad of chili powder to a bag of microwave poppers

- a mix of olives, semi-dried tomatoes or even dolmades (you may want to double check the ingredient list on the side of the tin just to be sure!)

- and last but certainly not least... some crusty bread, good quality evoo and perhaps (if you want to be a little more alternative) some dukkah for dipping