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Welcome to the Vegetarian chatter thread!
This is a place for you to discuss your vegetarian lifestyle. Please try to remember that actual recipes may get lost in here and would be best posted in a new thread.
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Continuing on from here.
Subscribing but will be back tmrw for a proper post, Ninight :)
Hi all,
I am posting my favourite nut roast recipe - very yummy for xmas. It can be made ahead of time, especially if you do not want the oven going on xmas day. We usually make two nut roasts for christmas lunch, accompanied by baked vegies (if the day isn't too hot) and fresh salads. We serve it warm with a home made tomato and garlic sauce. It can also be eaten cold.
I found this recipe in a book called 'The Vegan Health Plan' by Amanda Sweet.
Serves 4-6
Nut Roast with Lemon and Garlic Stuffing:
NUTMEAT
100g wholemeal breadcrumbs
225g nut meal (almond, brazil, hazel or a combination)
1 large onion, chopped
A knob of non-dairy margarine
1 heaped tablespoon flour
150ml soy/rice/oat milk
150ml vegetable stock
1 teaspoon miso or yeast extract (ie. Vegemite)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Black pepper
STUFFING:
75g wholemeal breadcrumbs
50g melted non-dairy margarine
1/2 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
METHOD:
Set oven to 190 degrees celsius.
Grease and line a 1 kilo loaf tin with a strip of greaseproof paper that overhangs the tin at each end.
Make nutmeat first: Fry onion in margarine until soft. Add flour, stir and cook for 1 min.
* Remove from heat and gradually add milk and stock, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Return to heat and bring to boil, stirring continuously until sauce thickens.
* Add yeast extract/miso, nutmeg and pepper. Stir well.
* Add nuts and breadcrumbs to the onion sauce and mix thoroughly to form a stiff but moist nutmeat.
Make stuffing: Combine all ingredients and mix well.
* Put half the nutmeat in loaf tin and press down firmly. Pile the stuffing on top and press again. Finally, put remaining nutmeat on the stuffing and smooth the top.
* Bake for 1 hour until brown and firm. Cool slightly in tin before inverting on to a serving plate. Remove greaseproof paper.
* Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.
* Can be frozen cooked or uncooked; thaw before baking.
I submitted this nut roast recipe to my local paper and they printed it this week.
Well, we have a xmas party/lunch tomorrow. I WAS going to make rice paper rolls (surprise, surprise) but I found out that someone else who is going to the lunch is making them. So, I have made a tofu salad (marinade tofu in soy sauce, fresh ginger, crushed garlic, olive oil and sweet chilli sauce, then toss with carrot matchsticks, green beans or snowpeas, and purple cabbage) and a Rainbow salad (shredded beetroot, shredded cabbage, carrot matchsticks, thinly sliced green capsicum, roasted slivered almonds, with a dressing of olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, white vinegar, caster sugar. Just prior to serving, add a packet of Changs fried crispy noodles.).
I am part way through making shortcrust custard tarts (egg free, of course) so I will let you know how they go.
Hi there!
I've just read through the original thread, because I'm a vegetarian (vegan at home) who - in 2010 - will begin TTC for the first time :) I have many thoughts and questions about the TTC part, and I'm sure I'll get involved in other parts of BB for that - but of course, I've already had both my parents and the parents in law ask me about veg*n pregnancy and veg*n parenting. So I'm hoping to meet others who have gotten through this and are living it.
More on me - I'm 30, husband is 32, we've been married 3 years, together 5. We live in Hawthorn / Melbourne. I'm finishing a PhD - I work in alcohol and other drug research (public health stuff) and my hubby is also in the university sector working as a writer/editor/teacher. He also writes poetry. Our jobs are for love, not money, so now we are contemplating having a family - I'm hoping we can do it cheaply :) We've been vegetarian 5 years and vegan-at-home 1 year. Would like to be fully vegan but have not yet gotten through hurdles of eating out. I can definitely relate to some of your posts about dealing with veg*n foods and family events! We also live without a car, in an apartment at the moment, and we try to live a Green lifestyle, still learning as we go with that.
Do you have any advice for veg*n diets and TTC and pregnancy? I know there is a lot of info out there about it, and I intend to buy books on the subject... wondered if people had any recommendations or things they learnt from their own experiences with doing this, as well as coping with other people's opinions!
We are really looking forward to this next couple of years - an exciting time! I do hope I can remain vegetarian if not vegan. I'm healthy now so hopefully it is possible! Reading other people's stories certainly makes it feel more possible :)
Hi Tronica! Welcome!
I don't have a lot of time to write right now, but I think I will have a lot to talk about - my DH also did a PhD while we lived in Hawthorn, and we are now car-less; we weren't when we lived there, but could be now.
The girls here will have plenty of info to get you started.
Meanwhile, I'm living on Japanese curry and rice here. And the odd inari, and we managed some soba noddles tonight, but I have a wild feeling they were cooked in some kind of meat broth. Vegan in Japan is one million times more challenging than I expected.
Hi snugglebean!
Have you see Neon Pilgrim? The book was written by a friend of ours: a vegan who hiked through a Japanese island! You might find it relevant :)
I love not having a car, but don't know how possible/feasible that would be once we have a family!
Hi Tronica. :welcome:
Ah, I know who your friend is! I read her article in the latest edition of Vegan Voice.
Funny, after I read Snugglys post, I thought, 'gee, I wonder if she has read the article?'
Snuggly, are you heading to Osaka? Well, just in case you are, here are the details of a restaurant that does 'vegan French-Japanese fusion food' (according to Tronica's friend):
Maman Terrace
1-5-4 Shinsaibashi-suji,
Cho-ku, Osaka
ph. 06 6282 2774
Oh, I really hope you haven't just left Osaka...without finding this restaurant!
Tronica, I will pop back in soon with some info about vegan pregnancy. I have had 3 vegan pregnancies, and my kids are all life vegans.
Hello to Peach, Na Na and Cherished :hello:
OH no I didn't realise there was another thread started :doh: OK so what have I missed...
Aliash that Nut Roast with Lemon and Garlic Stuffing looks yummo, thanks for sharing! adn thanks for your well wishes on my pregnancy announcement thread!
SnugBug hope you're having a great time in Japan, I got your PM, will chat when you get back you lucky Japanese curry eating machine hehehe
:welcome: tronica I too am looking into nutrition and pregnancy again as I am starting to get a bit worried about it :(
Everyone... The acupuncturist/chinese herbal medican man who I credit to helping me get pregnant has suggested that I try to eat some red meat once a week :o:o:o OMG I was in shock!!!!!! mind you my dh has been going too and he didn't say that he needed to eat any meat :crying: SO girls here is what he said the problem was... My liver needs the blood from meat or something like that and as a tonic for the blood (to cleanse it or something as he thinks it's slightly toxic) my digestive system is a bit slugish because it's not 'needing' to really work... I asked him if any of the protein sources that I currently eat would be enough protein and he said an egg (which I have an intolerance to) a day could 'possibly' do the job but the only thing that will really do it properly is red meat :crying: Do any of you know of something which is like a blood substitute for vegetarians? I know it's just the oddest question! But what else will give you the blood and iron etc etc that other get from red meat. I still can't believe that this is even happening!!!
Hello everyone else hope you have a great 2010 xoxoxo
Hey Girls,
How is everyone?
Cherished- That totally sucks about what the herbal man said :( Its hard hey because on one hand you would do anything to keep Baby healthy but then its like argh there has to be another way! I honestly have no idea about a blood substitute for red meat... When I was UTD I just ate as per usual but took folic and elevit... everyone is different though, Im sure the rest of the Girls will have better advice than me :)
Tronica- Welcome! And best of luck with ttc. As I said to Cherished when I was ttc I really just kept doing what I usually did, although I did stop drinking before ttc. I would say I was quite healthy at the time and kept excersizing(sp) while preg. I guess the main thing I had an issue with was peoples opinions, especially mine and DPs families. I had to learn to both ignore comments but also become a bit more educated on vego issues so I had ways to back myself up... Im kind of dribbling on here I think.
Snuggly- How is Japan you jet setter you?! I hope your having an awesome time and have found some good veg food :)
NaNa- Hello and where for art thou?
Aliash- Hi how are you going? :)
AFM- Ive just eaten a whole packet of sanitarium smoked deli slices in one sitting :shhh: DP snatched them off me half way through the pack but I snuck them out of the fridge when he wasnt looking. Man they are so tasty! Things here have been good, xmas was pretty awesome actually my family had so much vego stuff inc heaps of antipasto and dips and DPs family had a heap of veg stuff too for once it was so great to eat nice stuff at christmas instead of going home dissapointed. And guess what? Next year both families are coming ours for xmas day so that should be challenging but good... well see!
NYE tonight and we are making pizza and Im going to have some beers and try and stay up untill midnight... which I havnt done since 2005! Im a terrible piker.
Hope everyone has a fantastic night! :)
Hey Cherished, I guess I would say that the advice you have been given is just one person's perspective/opinion. You could visit 10 different practitioners of 10 different modalities and get 10 different pieces of advice. In the end you need to do what feels right for you. I have had similar advice over the years.
A GP once said 'I wish you would just eat meat a couple of times a week' when I was pregnant with my first child. Suffice to say, I did NOT follow her advice. There are some lines I will never cross. I do not believe that I have to eat the bodily fluid or flesh of another animal in order to have a healthy baby. In fact, I have three healthy children, so I know this to be true!:D
Like Peach, I had to deal with the opinions of others who felt that raising a baby on a vego diet was impossible. Thankfully, after our beautiful, healthy baby was born without 2 heads, people shut up! And for my second and third pregnancies, there were no comments at all.
Cherished, if you PM me your email address, I will email you a couple of articles that I wrote for a vegan mag, with info on vegan pregancy. You may find them useful, and at the very least, there are some good references.
I have no doubt hon, that you can grow a gorgeous healthy bub without consuming meat or blood. :D
Hi hi, Cherished just sent me in here to post a recipe for butter chicken that I use. It's vegetarian and can also be made vegan with the right ingredients. I made it for my vegan sister recently and she absolutely loved it. (So did I!!)
To start, the 'chicken' can be purchased from asian health food shops - or search out Lamyong brand, some supermarkets sell it and they have a website as well. They do a heap of asian vegetarian/vegan food and I believe have recently set up online purchasing. I used the chicken steaks but have just tonight used lamyong vegan crispy soy slices in a dish and they were fantastic and would do the job great.
To make it vegan, I substituted cream with a dairy free whipping base that can be purchased from jewish supermarkets, just make sure you read the instructions for making it up if you haven't used it before (I neglected to do that and put way too much in!! Made it a bit sweet).
Butter Chicken recipe is:
100g butter (or nuttelex or other vegan substitute)
4 cashewnuts (I've never added these, always forget to buy them)
1 sprig coriander leaves (or the bottled ones!)
1 tbsp coriander powder
½ tsp crushed fenugreek leaves (have had trouble finding these so haven't used this either)
½ tsp cumin seeds
100ml cream (whipping base)
1 tsp ginger/garlic paste
2 sliced green chillies
Oil
1 onion
500g mock chicken sliced
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
½ tsp sugar
200g tomatoes (I usually use quite a bit more, half dozen or so medium to large ones always truss, more flavour to them)
Rub sliced chicken with garlic, ginger, chilli powder and salt then shallow fry in oil and set aside. Because you're using the vegetarian stuff, try to rub in the flavour as much as possible (without destroying the 'meat'!) as it won't absorb a whole lot since it won't need to cook as long as chicken does.
In oil, put cumin, onion, ginger, garlic and fry. Add whole tomatoes, cashews and any remaining spices, cook covered, add a little water (if necessary) until everything is mushy. Put in blender and blend. With the tomatoes, I score the bottom and cut off the stem section and then put them into the pan/pot to cook with everything else. Once they soften, I pull the skins off as they change the texture of the sauce and it tastes quite a bit better without the skins.
Add hot melted butter and return to heat check seasoning. Add chicken and cream and cook for a few minutes.
Hope you find this a tasty dish, obviously you can increase or decrease the heat but this recipe has proven to be what several of my friends have said is the best butter chicken they've ever had (including my husband who has tried it in many restaurants in his time!).
Oh, and Cherished, the tikka was using the crispy soy strips, green beans, snow peas, a couple of small onions fried up first, and passage to india gluten free tikka masala simmer sauce. Unfortunately this is not vegan, but is vegetarian and it does taste very good.
I have some good friends who are indian and they have been teaching me how to cook authentic indian food. As they know I'm vegetarian (and several of them are too) I've picked up a few great indian recipes.
YAY thanks Smallfry! I will def be trying out your recipe ;) There are so many great recipes from the girls on the 1st thread is you wanna go back through them for any inspiration.
Aliash I would loooove you to email me the articles, I was telling peach earlier that I am desperate for an alternative! I am going to the acupuncturist and getting herbs every week at the moment and after the 1st tri I might drop down to fortnightly and if my body isn't doing what it is meant to be doing than I will have to go and get another opinion. My core belief (and dh's) is that I do not have to eat any meat or blood to be healthy... Having said that I went to the acupuncturist for pains (which he has fixed) but as I said he advise was to eat meat to keep those pains away and to keep my liver working well..... :wall:
Peach thanks for your pm too hon, have a wonderful time tonight drinking bear and staying up late... you rebel! hehehhe
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I hope you all enjoyed New Years Eve. If all goes well this year, next NYE may be the first without alcohol for a few years for me...
I just received an email back from Kerry Hampton of Wise Woman Business (a natural fertility educator in Melbourne), who said she can help me to try to conceive naturally with PCOS - which is something I wanted to try before going the medical route. So now I'm all excited about that!
@snugglebean. Thanks for the welcome! So you know how it is to live in Hawthorn as a student... It's convenient but people around here have different political and social values to us, and we wondered how important that would be when we have a family (eg. would I get along with mothers in a local mothers group or should I move somewhere more aligned with our values?). We don't mind too much being the odd ones out but might be different with kids, as so many things are 'local' (we socialise in the inner north Melbourne even though we live here). - where did you and your family end up moving to?
@Aliash. Vegan pregnancy info would be amazing. I'll PM my email address. I know there are books on the subject. If you could recommend the best one, I'd appreciate that. It's wonderful/inspiring to see someone who is raising a vegan family successfully!
@cherished1. Wow, that's a tough thing to have someone tell you this! I would definitely want a second opinion - surely there is a way of achieving the same outcome without eating red meat.
@Peach. I am a bit concerned about coping with other people's opinions but I'm hoping to be all versed on veg pregnancy and raising a family veg so I can be an example of how it can be done well. Then, maybe other people will see it can be done and do it themselves! That's the plan anyway :)
I'm actually looking forward to having a solid excuse to stop drinking. As much as I enjoy it, I like the feeling of eating healthily and not being intoxicated but have trouble keeping to it when socialising. But I know it's socially acceptable to avoid drinking when pregnant, so I'm happy about that potential :)
Happy new year Everyone!
I had to stop in to share the exciting news, after 2 and a half years gathering dust I am finally using the bread maker DP got me! Only 35 mins left untill I will be tasting(hopefully) amazing home-made bread, yippee!
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I hope you all enjoyed New Years Eve. If all goes well this year, next NYE may be the first without alcohol for a few years for me...
I just received an email back from Kerry Hampton of Wise Woman Business (a natural fertility educator), who said she can help me to try to conceive naturally with PCOS - which is something I wanted to try before going the medical route. So now I'm all excited about that!
@snugglebean. Thanks for the welcome! So you know how it is to live in Hawthorn as a student... It's convenient but people around here have different political and social values to us, and we wondered how important that would be when we have a family (eg. would I get along with mothers in a local mothers group or should I move somewhere more aligned with our values?). We don't mind too much being the odd ones out but might be different with kids, as so many things are 'local' (we socialise in the inner north Melbourne even though we live here). - where did you and your family end up moving to?
@Aliash. Vegan pregnancy info would be amazing. I'll PM my email address. I know there are books on the subject. If you could recommend the best one, I'd appreciate that. It's wonderful/inspiring to see someone who is raising a vegan family successfully!
@cherished1. Wow, that's a tough thing to have someone tell you this! I would definitely want a second opinion - surely there is a way of achieving the same outcome without eating red meat.
@Peach. I am a bit concerned about coping with other people's opinions but I'm hoping to be all versed on veg pregnancy and raising a family veg so I can be an example of how it can be done well. Then, maybe other people will see it can be done and do it themselves! That's the plan anyway :) ...hope your bread is delish!
I'm actually looking forward to having a solid excuse to stop drinking. As much as I enjoy it, I like the feeling of eating healthily and not being intoxicated but have trouble keeping to it when socialising. But I know it's socially acceptable to avoid drinking when pregnant, so I'm happy about that potential :)
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I hope you all enjoyed New Years Eve. If all goes well this year, next NYE may be the first without alcohol for a few years for me...
I just received an email back from Kerry Hampton of Wise Woman Business (a natural fertility educator), who said she can help me to try to conceive naturally with PCOS - which is something I wanted to try before going the medical route. So now I'm all excited about that!
snugglebean. Thanks for the welcome! So you know how it is to live in Hawthorn as a student... It's convenient but people around here have different political and social values to us, and we wondered how important that would be when we have a family (eg. would I get along with mothers in a local mothers group or should I move somewhere more aligned with our values?). We don't mind too much being the odd ones out but might be different with kids, as so many things are 'local' (we socialise in the inner north Melbourne even though we live here). - where did you and your family end up moving to?
Aliash. Vegan pregnancy info would be amazing. I'll PM my email address. I know there are books on the subject. If you could recommend the best one, I'd appreciate that. It's wonderful/inspiring to see someone who is raising a vegan family successfully!
cherished. Wow, that's a tough thing to have someone tell you this! I would definitely want a second opinion - surely there is a way of achieving the same outcome without eating red meat.
Peach. I am a bit concerned about coping with other people's opinions but I'm hoping to be all versed on veg pregnancy and raising a family veg so I can be an example of how it can be done well. Then, maybe other people will see it can be done and do it themselves! That's the plan anyway :) ...hope your bread is delish!
I'm actually looking forward to having a solid excuse to stop drinking. As much as I enjoy it, I like the feeling of eating healthily and not being intoxicated but have trouble keeping to it when socialising. But I know it's socially acceptable to avoid drinking when pregnant, so I'm happy about that potential :)
Peach :D there needs to be a drooling icon! hehehe ENJOY!
hehehe hope the loaf has turned out beautlfully Peach. I use mine constantly and absolutely love it. It's the only bread I can eat without ending up with bloating and indigestion so I can't afford to not use it! Specially now I'm UTD! Let us know how it turned out.
My bread maker totally ROCKS!! Ended up making tomato and red lentil soup for dinner to go with it (and the rain), DP and I demolished the entire loaf with a little help from DD. I will admit it wasnt the best tasting bread Ive ever eaten, but it was so damn satisfying just having home baked bread I didnt care... yes I am totally stoked :)
Hope everyone is having a good day!
Oh have any of you eaten at the red pepper in west end? Is it good?
Of course I've only just realised I can't PM anything til I've been here a bit longer and have made 50 posts.
Aliash you can message me using my address which is my username at gmail. Would love to read more about vegan pregnancy/families!
Hi Tron, I will email you today!
Peach, I am so happy that you are using your bread maker. I love mine. I have a wholemeal loaf baking at the moment (with poppy, flax, sunflower & sesame seeds). You have to make calzone! Do you have a recipe for it in your book? If not, I will give you my recipe. I have also made foccacia and date & walnut bread, and I will be making pizza dough this afternoon. I have not bought bread since we got the machine in October! We do not eat as much bread as we used to. If I haven't made any, we don't buy it, so we don't eat it. Oh, and you have to make Cherished's spelt bread (recipe in original vego thread). We can but spelt flour at Woolies now (macro wholefoods brand).
Cherished, did you get the info I sent you? I hope you are well. I agree about the drooling icon.
Oh, it is pouring rain here...a great day for warm bread!
Aliash, I would love your calzone recipie! Yuuuummm. Next thing I want to make it a fruit loaf of some description. A cafe I worked at in Melbourne had the most amazing fruit loaf with apricots and figs oh yeah *intsert imaginary drool icon*
SIL came over today with DDs cousin so I made chickpea and veg soup with my homemade bread,dukkah and a rocket,walnut and balsamic reduction salad, very yummy!
Peach, I make a basic fruit loaf which works really well, white bread base and add a mashed banana, sultanas and vanilla extract. Goes great toasted or fresh. Good to hear your getting the breadmaker happening! I love mine!
Aliash yes hon I did get the email and I've been ever so rude not getting back to you :redface: You are a very talanted little cookie writing it :D
Peach so glad your bread turned out well, you will be hooked now!
tronica how wonderful to have some help TTC and to give up drinking ;)
Smallfryplus I'm gona try that fruit loaf too!
Hello everyone else :hello:
AFM I think I have found a herb which is great as a blood tonic I think it's called dongwoo? I cant' remember but I have it written down, so I will see how I go with that :D
Woo hoo on the dongwoo, Cherished! We knew there had to be another way! Glad you got my email. Sorry for mentioning it, I was just worried it might have been lost in e-space.....
Peach, I am off now to put DS2 to bed. I will be back to type out some bread recipes. My pizza dough turned out really well and made a delicious pizza base. Your lunch sounds very delicious *insert drooling icon here*.
Peach, I have a Breville ikon. The following recipes came with the machine.
CALZONE
Add ingredients to loaf pan in this order:
240ml water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
150g/1 cup wholemeal flour
300g/2 cups bread flour (ie. high protein flour, I use Lighthouse brand Bread & Pizza flour);
2 teaspoons yeast
Set machine to Dough-Pizza setting (this is a 50min cycle on my machine).
FILLINGS:
My faves- pesto, chopped olives, diced capsicum, diced tomato;
Chopped broccoli, corn kernels, cheezly.
The possibilities are endless!
*Remove dough from pan and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a circle of approx. 15cm diameter;
*Cover half of each circle with the filling, leaving a rim around the edge;
*Brush edges with water, then fold the uncovered half over the covered half and seal the edges;
*Place onto a lined baking tray. Use a sharp knife to make a small slit in the top of each calzone;
*Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 deg for 15-20 mins or until cooked and golden brown.
I know that is a bit long-winded, but I promise, it isn't complicated and it is so worth the effort!
FRUIT LOAF
For 1kg loaf, add ingredients in this order:
330ml water
2 tablespoons oil
1.5 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
600g/4 cups white bread flour
3/4 teaspoon bread improver (I use a crushed vitamin C tablet as bread improver)
2 tablespoons soy milk powder
1 tablespoon ground mixed spice
2 teaspoons yeast
2/3 cup dried fruit (you could use apricots and figs).
Set machine to SWEET setting. It takes 3 hours and 25 mins in my machine.
Note: I have not made the fruit loaf. I reckon you could add more than 2/3 cup of dried fruit but I have no basis for that thought, just mere speculation.....:lol:
Hey Girls,
Aliash Thanks heaps for those recipies, I will definately have to try them yuuuum!
Smallfry- Your loaf sounds delish Ill let you know how I go making it :)
Cherished- Stoked you found dongwoo! How are you and the Spawn? :)
I found won ton wrappers finally on the weekend and made the most amazing vego dim sims! DP and I ate all 40 of them :o Fat Chops just woke up but will post the recipie at a later date, gotta run!
Oh Peach, I am hanging out for your wonton recipe. I love how you ate all 40! I think that is reasonable though. They are only tiny afterall. And that is only 20 each :lol:
You remind me of my DH and I. We used to be like that, but now we have to share with DD and DS1. So I'd be lucky to get 5 out of that lot!
I made the fruit loaf a couple of days ago. I used cinnamon & nutmeg as the spices, and I used Iranian dates, Turkish apricots, sultanas and macadamia nut pieces. It was delicious. It didn't last long.....I am going to make another one tomorrow, but I want to use wholemeal flour. And I did add a little more than 2/3 cup of fruit (and nuts) and it was perfect.
As promised!
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...dumplings.html
Aliash that loaf sounds so nice. Im so hungry right now but we never buy snacks at shopping, only heaps of fruit and veg and things that take time to prep. I should start dinner now before Piglet wakes up otherwise its impossibe when she is climbing up the back of my legs.
Hope your all well :)
Hi girls, gee it's been a while since I've posted in here...
Peach I lost heps of my herbs over the christmas/new year period due to so much rain :( whilst we planted them in good soil, underneath there's a fair bit of clay is with so much rain the soil just didn't drain properly and it drowned my herbies :crying: There are still lots that are ok but it killed some cooking herbs like my basil, oregano and even my rocket!!!
Aliash thanks for those bread maker ones, I will try them :p
OK so I need some help.... I am tired and feel so lazy and to make it worse I don't know what I feel like eating most of the time and to be honest I couldn't even tell you what I've been eating I'm that vague :rolleyes: What can I make to keep in the fridge to eat when I don't know what to eat??? I've thought of some filling salads like cous cous with mint, nuts, saltanas etc and maybe one with lentils & chic peas that has more of a tomato base... Any yummy ideas?
I recommend have salads with protein/carbs in the fridge for nibbling on. I've done that over the past two weeks with both a soup and a salad (yes, soup, even in summer). My salad options have either had quinoa as a base or kidney beans (organic tin of), with whatever vegies you prefer (I love carrot - grated, raw beetroot - grated, even zucchini - grated!, capsicums, bean shoots, and rocket/spinach leaves, cucumber).
I make these up and they last for a few days; I'm the only one eating them.
The soups I've made for 4 but been eating just for myself for lunch include curried pumpkin and rice soup, lentil and barley dahl-style soup, and one called a green soup which includes zucchini, frozen peas and split peas.
I've also made sure I've made at least one fresh dip per week (make heaps at once and eat over 5-7 days) to go on rivitas or rice cakes or sourdough bread. These have included the old favourite of homous as well as an eggplant and sundried tomato one, and a vegan pesto, using almonds instead of parmesan and adding a little mustard powder for some flavour!
If anyone wants a recipe, let me know - I'll go fetch any of the above. :) Hope that gives you a few ideas cherished!
I second tronica on the dips, cherished, they're awesome in the heat too, straight out of the fridge on corn thins, or with bread or something. I always have a straight red lentil puree, then I just stir chutney or some spice or herbs through it to make it yum.
I edited a recipe of mine over the weekend, and it turned out SO well. We had the most decadent meal of the year on Sunday night: Rum Beans with Coconut Rice, corn on the cob and steamed green beans.
Rum Beans:
1 onion, sliced into half rings. Fry over high heat (I didn't use oil) then toss in 1/4 cup rum & water mix
(add as much rum as you think you'll like. The alcohol all cooks off, but the sweet flavour is awesome)
Tip this into slow cooker with borlotti beans, chopped celery, diced sweet potato, tomato juice and water - I'm not great at quantities, but it was probably a cup of beans and a total of 1 1/2 litres of liquid. I also added two drops of liquid smoke, but it was unnecessary. The tomato juice was leftover after some Bloody Marys!
Coconut Rice:
1 1/2 cups long grain (couldn't cajole DH into brown.)
2 hadnfuls almonds, chopped
1 tbsp turmeric
1 good handful of sultanas
1L liquid, which included:
1/2 can coconut cream
Tomato paste (leftover from something? Probably about a tablespoon)
Basically I tipped these two into a jug and made it up to a litre.
Both dishes smelled SO good while cooking. We hardly ever have tomato paste - what an awesome treat! I actually think it might sort of be a good cheese substitute - all salty and good. Had to have the extra vegies to balance out the richness of both dishes - totally wicked!
Anyway, we're back home now, into the swing of it. A friend is making us some vegan lamb chops as an Australia Day present - nicest thing ever! I'm more excited about the gesture than anything else. We're going to an all-day sort of a barbecue, so have some leftover salad from last night's Tofu Awesome Wraps, which we'll do with barbecued tofu, and I'm making a Chickpea Salad to take to have with our "lamb chops"
Ohh, also, making Beetroot Dip. I think I've posted it before for you Cherished, but will do so again, since you're probably all baby-brained (yay!)
Beetroot - can use boiled fresh, or drained canned. Doesn't matter. Whatever quantity - it all balances out!
1 clove garlic
Toasted cumin seeds
Toasted coriander seeds
Walnuts
Silken Tofu
A few fresh coriander leaves.
My friend Harry once came over and had this, and I remember him asking "would it be bad manners to eat the rest of this with a spoon?" He loves it so much! He will be there today, so I'm pretty much just making it for him. :D
Happy Australia Day all.
Well happy Australia Day to you too SnugBug :loveshower: and thanks for those recipes
tronica Your salads sound yum and I think I will make some and dips too! Yes I imagine they will be yumo with my spelt bread...
Now I just need the energy to get off my butt go to the store get ingredients and come home to make them... Oh woe me :boohoo:
Well I"m very impressed with myself! I've made a pasta salad with olives, sundried tomatoes, loads of fresh basil, nuts etc I also made a potato salad which is totally yummo, I made the dressing with natural yogurt, lemon juice, vinegar and some honey, than I cooked some almonds and mustard seeds to throw in, plus some red onion and some regular & hot mint from the garden (thankfully something which is hard to kill so it's still alive)! I also made some curry rice salad with vegies etc in it and dried figs which are so soft and yum!... Then I made some spelt flaxseed bread (which I must have mucked up cause it came out half the normal loaf size) :doh: but it still tastes good... And now I am about 2 minutes away from taking some muffins out of the oven YAY, I made some blueberry and some banana and walnut ones :p
Friday will be dip day and more salads :D
WOW Cherished, I am very impressed! Well done.:D I only managed to make one thing for the fridge today - a babaganoush.
Hey SB, it is great to 'see' you again. Your Rum Beans sound delicious. How was your BBQ today? Your friend sounds very generous. I like how you are having a vegan version of the meat that has been promoted for Australia Day. Poor little lambs. My local butcher has a sign out the front saying ' 1/2 yearlings $300'. I hope Harry was stoked about the Beetroot Dip. I can also personally vouch for your Beetroot Dip.
Tronica, Hi, I would love to have your pesto recipe...I make a raw Basil and Maca nut pesto which is delicious. But I am always looking for new vegan pesto recipes.
We had a quick visit to Sydney on the weekend. My sister took us to a cafe called Naked Espresso. They do a vegan breakfast on the weekends. They have a dedicated coffee machine that has never had cows milk through it. The premises are used as a Pizza cafe in the evenings (and they do awesome vegan pizzas apparently). Anyway, the vegan b/fast was delicious. I had Redwood sausages, hash browns, baked beans, wilted spinach, tomatoes, sour dough bread, scrambled tofu...and Vanilla Slice! I have not had vanilla slice in about 14 years. The woman who made it has taken some time to perfect the recipe. She has also written a recipe book called Vegan Indulgence (published by Aduki independent press) but unfortunately the vanilla slice isn't in there. So, I still don't know the secret recipe!
Is anyone going to the Green Earth Festival in Brisbane?
Aliash - my sis is vegan, has been for donkeys years. She is addicted to sweet things so always makes different cakes and stuff vegan. I know she has a vanilla slice recipe that is apparently quite good. I've never been a fan of the stuff vegan or otherwise so can't give it a personal rating. Will see if I can get her recipe off her for you.
Oh, Smallfryplus thanks so much. I appreciate your offer. My DH was always a big fan of vanilla slice, so I will be able to surprise him.
Vegan pesto - from Vegetarian Cooking Without, Barbara Cousins, p.140 (adapted)
1 bunch fresh basil
1 spring onion
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup almonds
juice of one lemon
2/3 cup good olive oil
salt and pepper
After washing/preparing, place all ingredients in food processor until smooth!
We had it over pasta and roast veg.
Aliash, I just got my 'Becoming Vegan' book in the mail. Excited to read it! Also, I just got offered fulltime permanent work in my field. Excited about that although will make it harder to finish phd; I guess, it will just take longer.
The important part of course is that I can relax a bit about income and know that *when* DH and I are successful on the TTC front, perhaps in 6-12 months, I'll be eligible for maternity leave. And we have some chance of moving into a new home too with more income. Phew :)
PS. Aduki press are great. I know the woman who started it up (Emily). I've never explored Sydney so I'll have to remember that recommendation when we go!
Thanks Tron! Sounds delish....
I am glad you got your book. I have found it very helpful. I read it cover-to-cover when I first bought it, and now I refer to it from time to time. Have you read The China Study? ( by T.Colin Campbell). Such a great read, lots of useful info.
My DD will be using my Aduki calico bag as her library bag when she starts school next week! It is the perfect size....and unique too.
The cafe that I mentioned, Naked Espresso, is having a Bake-off on Valentines Day. Aduki are involved too. I so wish I could be in Sydney for it. Mmm, what dessert would I enter, if I was? Maybe a lemon baked cheeze cake or my faithful staple, a decadent chocolate cake....I think I would rather be a judge than an entrant!
Well done on the job front too. That's great. I can just imagine you, in the final weeks of pregnancy, hurrying to get your PhD finished! I so hope that is the case....Sending pregnancy vibes your way!
Hello Peach...I hope you are well. Not long until DD's first birthday! Did you decide on a cake recipe?
I have news... well, a basic recipe anyway! Spoke to my sis about vanilla slice and she said it's simple, just blind bake two sheets of puff pastry and make up some very thick custard using whatever method you use to make vegan custard (she's in the middle of moving house so didn't go into details but I assume you can get vegan custard mix and make it up with soy or rice milk? I'm not a custard fan so have never looked into it). Put the custard between the two layers of pastry and put icing on top - lemon, plain, chocolate, whatever flavour you want. Oh, and the custard needs to be sweetened so add sugar to it when it's being made. Set it in the fridge and away you go :) rumoured to be very yummy!
Aparently it's a messy job cutting it and the best way to cut it is to use a hot knife.