MOROCCAN-INSPIRED COUS COUS + CHICKPEA SALAD W/ CREAMY VEGAN PRESERVED LEMON DRESSING

i ♥ salads! there are so many delicious alternatives its hard to choose... but today i was inspired by the jar of preserved lemons in my fridge (gifted to me by my bro, who is a boss in the kitchen!) this dreamy creamy vegan preserved lemon dressing is the perfect accompaniment to a moroccon-style cous cous + chickpea salad

how?

6-8 leaves of cos lettuce, roughly shredded
1 tomato, diced
1/2 tin of canned chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of cous cous
1/2 cup of boiling water
pinch of sumac (optional)

for the dressing:
2 tablespoons of cashew pieces
1/2 a preserved lemon
pinch of cracked pepper
1-2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of onion, diced
4 tablespoons of boiling water

place the cous cous into a small bowl and pouring over the 1/2 cup of boiling water. cover and set aside whilst you prepare the dressing.

place all the dressing ingredients into a small food processor (or wet mill) and blend together until smooth and creamy (approximately 4-5 mins). if the dressing is a little thick add extra water until you reach the desired consistency.

assemble your salad and drizzle over the creamy preserved lemon dressing. serve with a sprinkle of sumac and enjoy!

serves 1 for main or 2 for entree

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

A VERY VEGAN MOTHER'S DAY

i am very lucky to have such a wonderful mum! she has not only single-handedly raised two children, who - even if i do say so myself - are pretty amazing!! ;) but has taught me so much about the world that others seem to have no clue about. 

my mum was a die hard vegetarian long before i showed up... and her transition to veganism some years ago was inspiring! 

thank you mum for being so awesome! your guidance, wealth of knowledge, and encouragement to follow whatever my passion may be, has set me on the path to a happy and healthy life :) 

FRESH HOMEMADE TOFU

although a consciously planned vegan diet can tick all the boxes when it comes to essential vitamins and minerals - not even mentioning its amazing health-giving properties - there are a few aspects that may need some attention. an adequate intake of calcium can be one. so how can you include more calcium in your vegan diet? easy! calcium-set tofu. the australian dietary guidelines advise that 100g of firm tofu contains the same amount of calcium as a serving (1 cup) of milk. just another reason i ♥ tofu!

if you are like me and are constantly looking for ways to cut down on waste, why not try making your own homemade tofu?! its easy to do, guarantees your tofu is fresh, packed full of calcium and delicious!

how?

2 litres of fresh homemade soy milk
1 tablespoons of calcium sulphate (food-grade gypsum)*
1/2 cup of boiling water

* you can buy this from a retailer of brewing supplies (i bought 1kg for 19.95AUD, which will make ~62 blocks of tofu!)

equipment

1 large 3L pot with lid
1 wooden spoon
1 small jug or bowl
1 slotted spoon or small colander
1 tofu press or strainer lined with muslin cloth
something heavy to press your tofu

FRESH HOMEMADE SOY MILK

when i sat down and figured out how many individual (1L) cartons of soy milk my household was going through a week i started to think about alternatives. i am always keen to find ways to cut down on landfill and live an unprocessed life. making my own soy milk has therefore been a big winner! 

this recipe, although having quite a few steps, is simple and the final product is really impressive (says he fussy soy milk drinker). plus there is zero waste!! (the water that is drained off can be used on the garden and the bean residue left behind (okara) can be used in heaps of different recipes!)

i did the maths and it works out to be 0.37AUD per litre of fresh homemade soy milk - crazy!! i pay around 2.25AUD (when on special) for a 1L carton of soy milk from the supermarket - so you can image how happy i am with my results!

this one is definitely worth a try for those yet to explore the world of homemade non-dairy milk - enjoy!

how?

1 cup of soya beans
5 cups of cold water
4¼ cups of boiling water
1½ cups of boiling water, additional

equipment

1 large bowl with lid or plastic wrap to cover
blender/food processor
2 large (3L) stockpots, 1 with a steamer insert
1 wooden spoon
1 potato masher (optional)
muslin cloth or nut milk bag
1.5L capacity bottle to store the milk

MILLET STUFFED PEPPERS W/ ROSEMARY ROASTED CHICKPEAS

a hearty dish that is great for a BBQ or a healthy weekend meal!

how?

2 small red peppers, halved and deseeded

1 recipe of vegan mexican millet

1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast flakes

1 x can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon of fresh (or dried) rosemary

2 teaspoons of evoo*

salt and pepper to taste

preheat your oven to 200℃ (400℉).

place the chickpeas, rosemary, olive oil and seasoning into a small baking dish and toss to combine. position the pepper halves in the chickpeas (with the chickpeas keeping them stable). stuff the peppers with the mexican millet and top with the nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.

place into the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes. if serving for four people dish up with a tasty fresh salad. enjoy!

serves 2-4

* extra virgin olive oil

HOT CROSS BUNS

ok... so easter has long gone... making this post rather tardy (thanks to a heavy uni workload) but it is such a reliable recipe (and a necessity at easter time - when there are no vegan-friendly hot cross buns in the shops) that i still felt that it deserved to be posted!

using a recipe from a non-vegan cookbook, and a few slight modifications to vegan-fy things, i smashed together a fresh batch of hot cross buns for good friday morning. they were warm and toasty and screaming out for a smearing of nuttelex (in moderation of course) - satisfying!

how?

SPICY TOFU + CHERRY TOMATO SKEWERS ON CREAMY POLENTA W/ SAUTÉD SILVERBEET + BROAD BEANS

ok, so there are a few components going on here - but each requiring minimal skill. the creamy polenta can bubble away while you spear together your crusted tofu and cherry tomato skewers. sauté off the silverbeet and broad beans with some diced onion five minutes before plating up and your done! 

so what makes this dish healthy? well.. tofu brings calcium to the party, whilst the cherry tomatoes and broad beans add vitamin C. silverbeet is a real winner - packed full of vitamins A, E and K (and of course fibre). 

BLACK BEAN CHILLI W/ CORN ON THE COB

ahhh comfort food! this hearty, healthy dish is perfect for a cool weekend night. it is packed full of protein, vitamin C, calcium and fibre... a vitamin and mineral booster in a bowl. 

how?

1 large cob of corn, halved

2 cups of shredded kale

1 cup of cooked black beans

1 x 400g tin of diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/2 brown onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

salt and pepper, to taste

add your onion and garlic to a medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat. sauté with a dash of water until translucent. add the kale and cook until wilted (about 5 minutes). add the black beans, tinned tomatoes, cayenne, salt and pepper. cook until heated through. 

meanwhile, place the corn cob halves into a saucepan with boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes. 

serve the chilli topped with the corn cob and a good seasoning with salt and pepper. 

serves 2

BARLEY, ROCKET, ROAST PUMPKIN + CHICKPEA SALAD

serves 4

cooking time: nil

what you need:

1/2 cup of uncooked pearl barley, cooked

400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 medium butternut pumpkin, roasted

4-6 cups of rocket (arugula) 

add your ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine. season with salt + pepper. serve with your dressing of choice, or dressing-free, for a hearty, healthy lunchbox idea. 

[energy: 745kJ / 178 Kcal; protein: 8.3g; fat: 2.1g; carbs: 26.65g; sodium: 167mg]

BROWN RICE CONGEE W/ PAK CHOY + PEANUTS

serves: 2
cooking time: 2 ½ hours
what you need:

½ cup of brown rice
4 ½ cups of water
2 vegetable stock cubes (i used chicken-style vegan-friendly stock cubes)
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
½ teaspoon of sesame oil
pinch of white pepper
1 bunch of bok choy or pak choy
2 tablespoons of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

equipment:

1. add the rice to your soup pot (choosing one with a thickish base where possible)
2. add the water and stock cubes.
3. bring to the boil, then reduce heat to a very gentle simmer.
4. cover and cook for 2 hours.
5. add the sliced bok choy and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
6. stir through the soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper.
7. serve topped with peanuts and enjoy!


the good stuff...

brown rice is a cheap and easy way to add wholegrains to your diet. wholegrains are a great source of fibre and contain all the nutrients found in the original grain. supporting good health, wholegrains should comprise the majority of your diet when it comes to breads and cereals.

bok choy (or pak choy) – high in absorbable calcium – is the perfect ingredient for all types of dishes. try to include 1 cup of cooked bok or pak choy a few times a week for a vegan-friendly calcium-kick!

peanuts bring essential omega-3 fatty-acids to the party. also adding choline and niacin, peanuts are a tasty topping idea; but, like all foods with a high fat content, keep moderation in mind (1/4 cup is an appropriate serving size for nuts)

[energy: 1147kJ / 274Kcal; protein: 8.75g; fat: 7.3g; carbs: 40.7g; sodium: 989mg]

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

HEARTY VEGAN BAKED BEANS W/ OUTBACK DAMPER

weekend mornings allow for a slightly slower pace, creating the perfect opportunity for some brunch creativity. feeling driven to include a little more protein in my diet of late, i decided a hearty baked bean recipe would be the right way to go! as i didn't have any homemade bread on hand i felt that this brunch idea would be missing something... so in true australian-style i threw together a quick and easy (but oh so satisfying) damper dough - which, i have to say, was the perfect accompaniment to these hearty vegan baked beans - delicious! 

how?

for the baked beans…

1 teaspoon of olive oil
½ medium onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
400g can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
400g tin of borlotti beans
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
pinch of salt, to taste
1 tablespoon of raw sugar
2-3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
2 cups of loosely packed rocket



for the damper…

1 cup of self-raising flour
¼ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of sugar
3 teaspoons of vegan margarine
¼ cup of non-dairy milk (i used organic almond milk)
1 tablespoon of water

starting with your damper – combine the flour, salt and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. add the margarine and rub into the flour, creating a crumb-like texture. add the non-dairy milk and mix to combine. add the water as required to form a sticky dough. split the dough in half and roll into balls. place on a sheet of baking paper and put into a preheated oven at 200°C for 25 minutes (or until golden and sound hollow when tapped on the base).

whilst your dampers are baking, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil in an oven-safe sauté pan over a medium heat. when the onion has softened add the beans, oregano, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, sugar and salt. cook for 5-6 minutes before placing into the oven with your damper.

remove your beans from the oven, serve topped with half the rocket and your freshly baked damper for a perfect sunday brunch!

serves 2

ROAST PUMPKIN, COUS COUS, CHICKPEA, ROCKET + CHERRY TOMATO SALAD W/ CREAMY MINT DRESSING

yet another satisfying salad - this time with peppery rocket, sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet and tasty roasted pumpkin, hearty chickpeas, and fluffy cous cous with a creamy mint dressing. 

for the dressing

1/2 cup of loosely packed fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons of cashew pieces

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1/4 cup of water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

place all ingredients into a small food processor or wet mill - using a bamix. blitz for 5 minutes or until creamy and perfectly smooth. serve your salad and top with lashings of this creamy minty dressing - yum! 

serves 2-4 

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

PAD THAI-STYLE SALAD W/ A CREAMY PEANUT-LIME DRESSING

the latest in my salad series was a pad thai-style salad smothered in a creamy peanut-lime dressing. as i had no limes on hand i subbed the ¼ cup of lime juice for fresh lemon juice, reduced the water by half and added the extra peanuts for the salad to the dressing to make it a little less loose and a lot more creamy. this crunchy salad was crisp and refreshing and really quick to pull together with the right ingredients on hand. i did have to make a special trip to the asian grocer for some bean sprouts as i decided it just wouldn’t be pad thai-style without them. although this hasn’t been my fav salad from isa chandra’s appetite for reduction so far, it was a nice change to feast on some fresh asian flavours (and after the rotten day i had, this fresh and crunchy salad had a pretty tough job of inspiring any sense of enthusiasm from me)

CHICKPEA, BLACK QUINOA + ROCKET SALAD W/ BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

working with my left-over black quinoa and isa chandra's appetite for reduction in hand, i smashed together the everyday chickpea-quinoa salad, swapping out the romaine lettuce for rocket (arugula) and skipping the red onion on this occasion  as i planned to eat half for dinner and save half for my lunchbox tomorrow, i held off dousing this with the accompanying creamy balsamic vinaigrette - so you will have to trust me that it was yum (and also try it too as you will most probably, almost definitely love it like i did).

KALE, TOFU + BLACK QUINOA BOWL W/ ROMESCO DRESSING

with left over romesco dressing on hand, i made a slight alteration to the kale, tofu and quinoa bowl with creamy chavez dressing - swapping the white quinoa for a nuttier black variety of this protein-packed grain and smothering it all in the practically no-fat romesco dressing. this was super yum, i was very happy whilst devouring this vegan bowl of deliciousness!

CATALAN COUSCOUS SALAD W/ PEARS + ROMESCO DRESSING

continuing to work my way through my growing vegan cookbook collection, i threw together isa chandra's catalan cous cous salad with pears and amazingly delicious romesco dressing. cous cous is so simple to prepare, slicing a crisp pear takes seconds and blitzing up the dressing will be done in minutes. as quick as this fab meal comes together it will dissapear off your plate - an absolute winner!

this is the second recipe i have attempted from isa chandra's appetite for reduction and i am really loving this book! the recipes are low-fat (excellent!), the ingredients are stock-standard in a moderately established vegan pantry, it takes no time at all to have a really special looking dish on the table, and 2 out of 2 have been really, really, really satisfying and tasty.

KALE, TOFU, QUINOA BOWL W/ CAESAR CHAVEZ DRESSING

i have mentioned before that i have an overflowing bookcase full of amazing vegan cookbooks, which are in turn full of inspiring recipes and ideas. although i spend alot of my spare time flicking through their pages, i have only managed to work my way through a small number of these fab recipes. there are just too many dishes and not enough meals in a day! but i have made a rule that i cannot buy anymore cookbooks until i have exhausted the books i currently have (this of course is an ambitious rule, which i am likely to break if i happen to find myself surfing the pages of bookdepository.co.uk!)

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!

VEGAN FETTUCINI W/ LEMON CHILLI PARSLEY CRUMBS

whilst scanning through my collection of vegetarian cookbooks, retired from the shelves of my (rather overstocked) bookcase to the shelves of my storage cupboard, i spotted a recipe for spaghetti scattered with golden, crispy, seasoned crumbs. this became my inspiration for the day and the above dish was the result.

FRESH VEGAN FETTUCINI

this was my first attempt at homemade vegan pasta - requiring a good dusting off of the ol' pasta machine, which had been tucked away since the days of having chooks roaming around our backyard (it has been a while!!). i really love the process of pasta making - it amazes me how you can create something so fancy from something so basic!

CHICKPEA, RICE + KALE SOUP

thank you IsaChandra for this absolutely delicious (and easy to make) chickpea, rice and kale soup. check out post punk kitchen for this tasty recipe! (it's a must!!)

MY VEGAN WEIGHT-LOSS MEAL PLAN [UPDATE]

over the past 6 months, since moving back to australia, i have been focused on losing the “holiday weight” i had piled on – and with a reasonable degree of commitment to healthy eating, and light exercise, i have managed to lose over 13kg (28 pounds).

i feel the key to my weight loss has been to keep busy and eat less. being out of the house and away from the kitchen may help to avoid temptation and eating out of boredom.

in my experience i have found adjusting what i eat and how much i eat to have influenced at least 90% of my weight loss in the last 2 months. in fact, i have done almost no exercise (apart from the 15 walk to/from the train station to work/home) since returning to work 2 months ago but have managed to drop a further 5kg (11 pounds) simply by being away from the kitchen. being vegan helps too – there is practically nothing i can buy to eat where i work – so avoiding snacking outside of what i bring with me that day is much easier.

something i have noticed is the ‘humps’ along the way – where i was progressively losing weight to a point that i just didn’t seem to get past at the same rate. my weight fluctuated at these point for a while, but with slight adjustment to my food intake or level of exercise i was back on track and moving down the weight scale.

another key to my weight loss was buying a set of bathroom scales. being able to track my weight – and from this identify what I did that day that may have helped/hindered my progress – has been really valuable.

my suggestion to anyone trying to lose weight are: