Warm Buckwheat and Lentil Salad with Pumpkin and Broccolini

Hi guys hope you all had a good weekend. I can’t believe how fast its gone. I’ve been juicing away every day with my favorite new addition. I just love watching it do its magic  Here is a couple of the juices I prepared recently. The first one is Beetroot, Pear, Kale and Cucumber. I also made some Sushi with honey soy tofu, avocado and cucumber. The next one is rockmelon, lemon and ginger. That one was a bit tangy, but still very good.

Last night we popped into the vegan restaurant Banana Lounge for some dessert. I also got a sticky beak at their new menu, which is the same for lunch and dinner. I have heard mixed reviews about their food, but I would like to check it out soon. I have only been to the vegan buffet breakfast. On their new menu they have nachos, burritos, mexican rice bowl and raw pizza etc. I was the only one that order dessert. I got the Raw Choc, Date & Pistachio Brownies and the Mexican Chili Hot Chocolate. Both were really delicious! They really know how to make a good vegan dessert.

Tonight I wanted to make something healthy, but hearty. Its so cold here at the moment, so we need something a bit heavier. This dish just keep evolving till I got hungry enough to stop adding things. I brought a whole lot of sprouts today so I am going to try add them to more of my meals for extra nutrients. I am trying to get Marco into sprouts. He didn’t mind a sprinkle of these snow pea sprouts, but they aren’t his favorite thing.

Warm Buckwheat & Lentil Salad with Pumpkin & Broccolini, Roasted Garlic Tahini Dressing and Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.(gf, sf, nf)

Ingredients- 1/2 cup dried brown lentils, 1 cup raw buckwheat, 900 g kent/other pumpkin, olive oil, 2 bunches of broccolini, sea salt to taste, snow pea sprouts (washed, roughly chopped)

Ingredients Roasted Garlic Tahini Dressing- 1 whole garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp ground cumin, pinch ground cayenne, 1/4 cup italian parsley, 1 tbsp tahini (I prefer unhulled), sea salt to taste

Ingredients Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cayenne, sea salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Place lentils in pot with 2 cups of water and bring to the boil, then leave to simmer for 30-40 mins or until lentils are cooked. Then strain any water and leave to cool.

3. Place buckwheat in a pot with 3 cups of water and bring to the boi, then leave to simmer for 30 mins or until the buckwheat are cooked. Then leave to cool

4. In the meantime remove the seeds and skin from the pumpkin and slice into flat bitesize pieces.

5. Place pumpkin pieces and a whole garlic in a bowl and toss through 1 tbsp of olive oil. Then place all on a baking tray and cook for 30 mins or until the pumpkin is cooked, leave to cool.

6. Clean the pumpkin seeds then combine in a bowl with olive oil, cumin, cayenne and sea salt. Then place on a tray and roast for 5 mins or until cooked. Leave to the side for later.

7. Peel the whole roasted garlic and place in the processor.

8. Add olive oil, lemon juice, water, cumin and cayenne and whiz until combined.

9. Then add tahini, italian parsley and sea salt. Whiz until combined. Add more sea salt if you need.

10. Roughly chop the broccolini, then saute in a pan with olive oil until tender.

11. In the mean time, combine the lentils, buckwheat and pumpkin in a large bowl. Then top with the dress, stir through.

12. Add the broccolini to the salad and stir through.

13. Serve the warm salad, topped with snow pea sprouts and roasted spicy pumpkin seeds.

*Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a side.

For dessert I made these Gluten free Yoga Chocolate Cupcakes from Chloe’s Vegan Desserts. You can find the recipe here. Mum called them disgustingly delicious lol. She couldn’t believe how good this vegan cupcakes are. They are really crunchy on the top and soft and moist on the inside. Instead of making 34 mini cupcakes, I made 12. This also means I needed half the chocolate icing.

Hurom Juicer and Pasulj (Serbian beans)

My Hurom Juicer finally arrived today! I have been madly checking the post tracking ever since I bought it for myself. It is my early graduation present. I bought HU500 after I saw it advertised on the Food Matters website. The demonstration videos looked quite impressive and I really liked that it yields more juice with more nutrients.

The post man was so early this morning that he woke me up, but I couldn’t go back to bed I had to try it out my new baby. Albie took advantage of my sleepiness and impressed me with giving me each paw to shake and then sat with his adorable sad face. He is not well at the moment, he has injured himself so we are off to the chiropractor on the weekend. So while I was madly trying to figure out my juicer, he helped himself to my mum’s leather lounge and took a long nap.

After taking the juicer apart to see where it all goes I put it back together and started chopping fruit and veggies. I only had a pear, small beetroot, few sticks of celery and one large leaf of kale, so I wasn’t expecting a lot of juice. I just place a glass under the spout, like they do in the video and started to juice. Before I got near the pear I already had a full glass of green juice. I had to get another glass to catch the rest. I was really impressed with the dry pulp and I really love the little cap on the spout that the juice comes out of, which makes sure you don’t spill any.

The juice consistency was really nice. It wasn’t too watery or too pulpie. To clean the juicer you just have to rinse it with water and use the brush to get off any excess fruit, so easy. I ended up making juice again after dinner tonight to demonstrate it to Marco. He is in love with it too now. Unfortunately we had to go back to his tonight, so we won’t see the Hurom again till tomorrow.

While I was enjoying my juice I was watching the Today Show and saw that David ‘Avocado’ Wolfe is here for his Australia Tour! He is  coming to my city in Brisbane next week. Unfortunately I couldn’t convince anyone today to go with me, so I will be going to his evening lecture and day conference by myself next weekend. It is a bit pricey but for the amount of hours it good value. To see a show or do a cooking lesson would cost just as much and thats only 2 hours. I first saw David on Hungry for Change documentary and he really influenced me to get back into juicing. So I can’t wait to see what he says and to learn more about raw food and nutrition.

With such a healthy start to the day I continued with a healthy Mushroom and Baba Ganoush Salad Wrap for lunch. I tried out the new Organic Mountain Bread that I got from Woolies yesterday. It doesn’t have any preservatives, which is great as its hard to find any wraps or lebanese breads that don’t. It also tastes really good and doesn’t have that strange wrap after taste.

Mushroom and Baba Ganoush Salad Wrap (gfo, sf, nf)

Ingredients- 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large flat mushroom sliced, 1 tsp diced basil/parsley, 2 pieces of mountain bread/gf wrap, 2 tbsp baba ganoush (store bought/homemade), 1/2 small carrot grated, 1/2 small lebanese cucumber thinly sliced, 1 radish thinly sliced, 1 small tomato sliced, small handful baby spinach,  1 roasted capsicum, sea salt to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and add mushroom. Saute on each side, when it starts to brown add the basil/parsley and sea salt.

2. Place 1 piece of mountain bread on a plate, then spread baba ganosh and top with carrot, cucumber, radish, tomato, baby spinach, mushroom, roasted capsicum and sea salt.

3. Close the ends of the mountain bread then roll it closed. Wrap another mountain bread around the wrap.

4. Wrap the mountain bread with baking paper and twist the ends of the paper. Then slice in the middle and serve.

* Serves 1

After lunch I started on dinner. I always get so much done when I am procrastinating my uni work. I really wanted to try make another Serbian bean dish that I tried at Marco’s sisters Slava.  It is prepared the same way as Prebranac, which I made with lima beans. However, is stove cooked instead of baked. To thicken the beans and water into a sauce you just add a mixture of flour and water. She also told me that leeks, carrots and capscium can also be added.

According to an article I read this stove cooked Serbian beans is called Pasulj (Пасуљ) and is more like a thick bean soup. It is traditional dish in Serbian, Bosnia, Albania and other parts of the Balkans. Like Prebranac it is made white or brown beans, onions and sweet Hungarian paprika as well as bay leaves, carrots, leeks and other vegetables. It is often prepared with smoked meats, such as smoked bacon, smoked sausage and smoked joints. But the meat is omitted during times of fasting.

Although this dish takes a long time to make its really easy and is a perfect comfort dish for cold weather. I had to add a bit of sugar to mine, as my sweet hungarian paprika was a bit bitter. We enjoyed this soup with some crusty sour dough and sauerkraut.

Pasulj (Serbian Bean Soup) (gf, sf, nf)

Ingredients- 500g great northern beans (soaked/un-soaked), 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 large leek diced, 3 onions diced, 2 cloves of garlic diced, 2 large carrots diced, 1 red capsicum diced,  2 tbsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika, 3 bay leaves, pinch of raw sugar (if too bitter), 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 1/2 tbsp liquid smoke (optional), sea salt and black pepper to taste, 2 tbsp arrowroot/plain flour

1. Place beans in a large pot and fill with water. Bring to the boil, then strain beans and remove water.

2. Place beans  in the same pot and fill with water. Bring to the again boil, then strain beans and remove again water.

3. This time place beans back in pot with water to cover (about 1-2 finger tips). Slightly cover the pot and bring to the boil, then place on a simmer. Cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until beans are quite soft.

4. In a large pan heat olive oil and add the onion, garlic, leeks, carrots, red capsicum, paprika, bay leaves, sea salt, black pepper, sugar and liquid smoke. Cook for 1o mins or until onions are translucent and all the vegetables have softened

5. Add the vegetables to the beans and stir through.

6. Mix flour with 4 tbsp water in a small bowl then add to the beans.

7. Cook beans for a further 30-1 hour, so that they break down a little more and become a thick soup. Season and serve.

*Serves 6-8

Pasulj <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasulj>

Cord Magazine <http://www.cordmagazine.com/images1/pdf/cord77.pdf>

Here is an update on my garden. My herbs are looking a bit sad and my veggies are getting a few bites, but they are all growing nicely. I have started using the pak chop and lettuce. Any advice natural ways to stop bugs? I am using this natural chili garlic spray. Its only the broccoli, cabbage and brussel sprouts that are getting attacked.

I’ve also started growing a pineapple plant with the top root. I will have to plant it soon.

The Forest Food Lounge and a new Aldi buy

In between studying this past weekend I found the time to drop into The Forest Food Lounge at West End for some vegan sweetness. I have been here few years ago, when I first went dairy free. We just happened to be walking down Boundary street and I saw the word ‘vegan’ and decided to see if they had any sweets. So when Marco talked me into coming for a drive to West End and mentioned taking me for afternoon tea, I bribed him with The Forest.

The Forest offers a variety of vegan burgers, wraps, sandwiches and pies to order. They also have a salad bar and hot box of different dishes that you can order, such as ‘Fish’ Marsala, Vegetable Thai Green Curry and Ginger Dahl. They often have different faux meats dishes as well. In the dessert window they offer a variety different vegan cheesecakes. I remember a while back I had tried the ginger coconut cheesecake and it was so delicious, after been starved of sweets for so long. Yes I do remember exactly what I had as this was such a monumental day.

This place actually reminds me a lot of the New Leaf Cafe in Murwillumbah, which we visited the day before we got engaged! Another great thing about this place is that its open everyday and they stay open most nights till 10 pm. Which for Brisbane cafes’ that offer vegan food, is a rarity.

So I ended up ordering the Chocolate Cheesecake. We were going to have it there, but Marco was hungry and didn’t want to eat there. So we took it take away and went to a the sustainable Fish and Chip place, called Swamp Dog, which by the way has great chips! I wasn’t hungry, otherwise I would of insisted on that ‘Fish’ Marsala  dish from The Forest.

So the cheesecake was nice, but I am sorry to say no where near as nice as some of the vegan cheesecakes I have had elsewhere, like the Green Edge or The Cardamom Pod. However, I still recommend this place based on the cheap vegan hot food, that I saw others enjoying and the vegan sweets options for a late night dessert.

As I said I have been studying a lot. Only a two weeks for  my Italian exam and three more week for my research assignment which I am yet to start writing. So besides juicing and buying out local Asian food, most of my meals are pretty boring. When I was at Aldi last week I saw this Giant Baked Beans (Gigandes plaki) and figured they would be a healthy, can free quick meal. They are actually Greek version of Baked beans is quite a popular dish, that I would like try to make soon from scratch.

So yesterday I made a pasta dish with them and this morning I had the rest heated and topped on gluten free toast for breakfast. They are not as saucy as regular baked beans, but they have a nice flavour, are in a glass jar and the actually beans are really delicious. I really hope Aldi keep carrying them, as they have a habit of not continuing some lines.

Wholemeal Fusilli with Giant Baked Beans and Spinach (gfo, nf, sf)

Ingredients- 2 serves Aldi organic wholemeal fusilli/other gf pasta, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1-2 cloves of garlic diced, 1 small onion diced , 2 tomatoes chopped, 1/2 red capsicum chopped , 1 x 280 g jar Giant Baked Beans 3 handful baby spinach chopped, sea salt & black pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. 

2. Heat olive oil in a pan, then add onion, tomatoes and red capsicum. Sauté for a few minute, or until onion has browned and tomatoes have softened a little. 

3. Add a 1-2 ladles of pasta water to the pan and continue to cook for a few more minutes.

4. Once the tomatoes have softened enough, so that it has become saucy, add the giant beans (including the oil and sauce from the jar) and season with salt & pepper. Add more pasta water if its is too dry. Cook for a couple more minutes.

5. Add the baby spinach and cook until it wilts.

6. Add the hot pasta to the pan, stir through and serve.

 

Snag Stand

Hi all, I’ve been really busy with uni lately, so  I haven’t been posting much. I’ve been staying at Marco’s, so I have just been remaking some of my previous recipes, such as Minestra di zucca alla mantovana and Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Spinach and Tempeh ‘Bacon’. Marco’s parents loved the Sweet potato and Tempeh ‘bacon’, especially his dad. They have both never tried this strange potato before. He doesn’t want us to leave now, but it’s time to go back home now. I fear that my own mother and our student have been going hungry while I have away. They all love to eat my cooking and otherwise don’t eat as healthy when we aren’t’ around.

The past few weeks we have been using Marco’s mums masticating juicer. We have all been enjoying fresh veggie juicers everyday. I really do notice the difference with this juicer and my centrifugal juicer. It is more cold press and the pulp is a lot dryer. Strangely I don’t feel like I get out as much juice, however it is more concentrated. I really want a new juicer and have been reading up on the best and most nutritious. So I have purchased the Hurom HU-500. It should arrive next week! So I will let you all know how it is going. Also hoping to get a Vitamix for my birthday in July, so fingers crossed.

Now for the reason of this post, I wanted to share a new vegan discovering. Last night Marco and I were at home on a Friday night. I decided I am sick of studying or curling up on the cough like a grandma, so it was time to go out. I needed a reason to put on a dress and some makeup. So off we went into town for late night shopping. We were going to look for a restaurant but then we saw this hot dog stand, Snag Stand. I have never liked Aussie favorites like hot dogs,  pies or burgers, but since going vegan I really like the veganised versions. Without the meat I don’t feel so heavy and yuk when I eat this kind of food and I feel like sometimes places try harder when they give you the vegan option. Lots of Hot dog stands have started to crop up in Brisbane recently and most have vegan dogs too.

Snag Stand is in Queens Plaza, off the main mall in the Brisbane CBD. They offer a variety gluten free artisan sausages, including vegan dogs. They have four ‘veggie  dogs’ you can order, but if you order exactly off the menu they are not vegan. The actually hot dogs are, so you can get Vegetarian Spicy Spanish Chorizo or Vegetarian Potato, Apple & Sage. For the bread you can chose Rustic, Poppy seed, Gluten free or Broiche. I think only the last one is not vegan.

I can’t remember the exact name of my hot dog, but it had the Vegetarian Potato, Apple & Sage sausage with Beetroot Relish and I swapped the Spicy Horseradish Mayo for the Pickle Relish. Marco ordered the American Classic of course. We also ordered some Chips on the side, which are 100% Tassie Russet Potatoes with Natural Sea salt flakes.

So the verdict. The hot dog was amazing! The best hot dog I have ever eaten and the first vegan hot dog I have ever tried. The actually sausage was really tasty and it didn’t taste very meat like, just without the fat and grease. The bread was really nice and soft and the relishes gave the right about of sweetness. Marco really liked his, but actually preferred mine. Unfortunately he always worries he vegan one will not be as good, but as usually mine is always better. The chips were also really great and not greasy at all. Looking forward to visiting these guys again when I am in town.

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Japanese Favourites

Good evening all! Tonight I tried to make two of my favourite dishes that I have never made before, Sushi and Japanese Curry.

I have always been a bit scared to make sushi. Years ago my brother and I tried to make it, but we didn’t realise you need sushi rice and rice wine vinegar. Our tuna sushi with basmati rice tasted pretty bad, so I thought I would leave it up to the experts. Marco was also very scared about me making sushi when I suggested it a while ago. He was nervous I was going to ruin sushi for him. Well that was until our friends mentions that they made sushi at home. Then he had hope I could do it too.

Making sushi was much easier then I thought. I made 3 large rolls that I cut up into bite size pieces. Half were filled with avocado, for Marco and the rest was filled with avocado and shiitake mushrooms. Not very adventurous  but it was my first time so I thought I would keep it simple. I followed this recipe, Avocado Sushi with Cucumber, but this is also a great site for recipes and tips, Make my sushi. My sushi turned out quite good. The only thing I know for next time is to not putting so much rice, as it is much harder to roll if you have to much.

I was actually planing to fill one of the sushi rolls with Wakame. When I saw this Dried Seaweed salad in the packet at the Japanese Grocery store I thought it would taste like it. But no, this stuff is completely different. It is a mixture of different seaweeds that you soak and then dress, like a salad. It didn’t taste too bad on the side with tonight meal, but I think I will try to find a dressing to go with it as tastes like the sea.

For the main event tonight I finally got around to a recipe that I have had on my Pinterest for a while, Japanese Curry with Edamame. I slightly adapted the ingredients in the recipe to give it a more richer flavor. I couldn’t find any organic or non gmo edamame. In fact, I have never seen any before in Brisbane. There are only the frozen edamame from China available at Asian grocery stores. So I decided to use frozen broad beans instead.

This recipe doesn’t taste exactly like the packet Japanese Curry, but it does have a nice strong flavour.  I have been eating Japanese Curry since the first Japanese sushi train popped up in my local shopping centre when I was in primary school. However, as much as I love it I never order it any more  Since I became aware of all my intolerances I avoid anything that may have  milk products or flavour enhances. The only packet version available here, that I think most restaurants would also use, is S&B Golden Curry. This recipe is a great substitute though and you won’t be disappointed in the flavour department.

I got the idea to make Eggplant Katsu from when I fried eggplant for Eggplant Parmigiana. When I made that dish I used corn crumbs. This recipe uses panko crumbs, which makes it all the more taster on its own. It is a really great substitute for fried cutlets and goes well with the curry.

Japanese Curry with Broad beans and Eggplant Katsu (gf, sf nf)

Ingredients for Curry- 1 tbsp canola oil, 2 onion (2 cups, chopped), 4 carrots (2 cups cut into ½-inch-thick half moons), 2 ½ tbsp curry powder, 2 tsp garam marsala, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 3 cups vegan beef liquid stock, 4 creamy golden/yukon potatoes (2 1/2 cups, peeled & cubed), 1 small green apple (1/2 cup peeled & grated), 3 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp white miso paste, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 cup fresh or frozen broad beans

Ingredients for Eggplant Katsu- 1 medium whole eggplant (washed & peeled), table salt,  tapicoa flour, sea salt, 1/2 cup soy milk, panko crumbs, canola oil

1. In a large heavy based pot, heat canola oil over medium heat. Then add onions and sauté for 7 to 9 minutes, or until lightly to brown.

2. Add carrots, and sauté  for a further 5 minutes. Add a little big of water if the pot gets too dry.

3. Add curry powder, garam marsala and garlic. Cook for 1  minute. Add a little water if the spices stick to the bottom of the pot.

4. Add vegan beef stock, potatoes, apple, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and miso. Stir through.

5. Bring to the boil bring, then place on medium-low heat to simmer with the pot slightly covered.  Cook 30 minutes or up to an 1 hour if you have time. The potatoes need to be cooked through.

6. In the meantime, prepare the eggplant. Cut the top and bottom of the eggplant so that it can stand up. Then slice the eggplants into 6-8 fillets.

7. Sprinkle table salt on the eggplant, to allow the bitterness and moister to come out. Leave for 10 mins.

8. While you are waiting for the eggplant boil the broad beans then rinse with cold water, peel and set to the side.

9. Wipe the salt & moister from the eggplants fillets, then batter with tapioca flour, sprinkle with seasalt, dip in soy milk then batter in panko crumbs.

10. Fry the eggplant fillets in canola oil, then leave on a paper towel to drain the oil.

11. By now the curry should be ready, so add the broad beans and heated through.

12. Slice the eggplant fillets.

13. Serve Japanese Curry topped with the Eggplant Katsu and with Steamed Rice.

*Serves 6-8

Before I go, this a recipe I came up with this morning.  It is a nutritious breakfast that is gluten free, sugar free and goes nice with nut butter.

Apple Oat Rösti with Sunflower Seed Butter (gf, sf, nf)

Ingredients- 1 green apple, 1/2 cup instant oats, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tbsp coconut oil plus more, home-made/store bought sunflower seed butter or other nut butter

1. First peel, slice and grate the apple.

2. Then grind the oats into a flour.

3. Combine both the grated apple and oat flour in a small bowl and add cinnamon. Stir through. If it is too dry add some of the leftover apple juice from grating or a little water. Divide into 3 balls

4. Heat coconut oil in a small pan and add a ball of the mixture. Press it down in the pan with a spatula or with your fingers. Cook for a couple of minutes on both sides on medium-low heat.

5. Serve röstis with nut butter or a sweetener.

*Makes 3 röstis, serves 1.

 

A new sweet discovery

Yesterday instead of studying for uni (which I am extremely behind on) I decided to take Marco’s niece and nephew out for the day. By the time we finally got into the city, Marco finishes work so we all went together to Southbank. We played in the kids room at the State Library, nearly got told off (again) for touching the artwork at the Art Gallery and ran wild in the Museum. There was laughter, tears and many idle threats. Unfortunately there were not many kids activities so I got the brunt of the disappointment. We were all exhausted after that and nearly went home, but I was very hungry and determined that we visit one of the vegan friendly restaurants in town. So we drove over to the Valley and revisited Kuan Yin Tea House. I have only been here once before on Valentines Day with Marco. We quite liked the food and loved special Valentines dessert. The kids were swayed by the promise of their favourite Asian treats, Fried Rice and Bubble Tea. They also don’t mind faux meats, as I have often made them Fry’s Chicken Strips with noodles when they visit.

When we arrived the kids chose their table and decided on Thai Fried Rice & ‘Calamari’. I ordered the Veggie Pork Rib Soup with Rice to try something new and Marco got his favourite Won-Ton Noodle Soup. We told the kids they could either have the Bubble Tea or the special Vegan Lemon Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache. They wanted both so we decided they could share one of each. They decided to get the Soy Taro Milk Tea, after they tried ours and said it tasted like cookies. Our meals didn’t take that long to come out and the picker eater of the two ate more then I have ever seen her eat. They were really looking forward to that vegan cheesecake and so was I.

Thai Fried Rice & ‘Calamari’

Veggie Pork Rib Soup with Rice

Won-Ton Noodle Soup

Unfortunately nearly finishing all their dinner didn’t pay off. Just before we ordered our two desserts, Kuan Yin had just sold the last two cheesecakes. I thought maybe they were joking, but no it was true. Then I had to break it to the kids. There was tears and ‘I’m never coming back here again’. They weren’t just disappointed, they were angry lol.

Luckily I remembered that the night before I had been searching vegan friendly places on The Weekend Edition and came across Lust for Life. This is a tattoo parlour/art gallery/espresso bar, that also sells vegan & gluten free bagels as well as an assortment of vegan desserts. And thank god it was also in the same direction as our car was parked. So we stopped in for something sweet.

This place is vibrant, hip and completely different to anything on the China Town end of the Valley. I would have loved to just sit and admire the lovely artwork and sip on a delicious soy cappuccino, but unfortunately we got there a little late and it was nearly time for them to close. We also had two angry little kids who felt like they been cheated out of dessert. So we ordered the first thing that caught all our eyes, the Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Lemon Coconut Frosting. The photo below doesn’t do this dessert justice and in its glass case it looked exquisite. So we went home and devoured the most delicious vegan chocolate cake we have ever had. So I guess missing out on Kuan Yin’s last cheesecake paid off, as we discovered a new sweet place that I can’t wait to go back to. Conveniently it’s also on the way home from Marco work, so looking forward for some home delivered vegan sweetness.

Panzarotti Night

Baked Panzarotti with Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes & Pine nuts

We haven’t had Panzarotti for a while. Marco is always asking for it, but I usually say no for one reason or another. However, we compromised tonight, he made the dough and agreed that we baked them.

I discovered Panzarotti in Milan on my trip last year and a relative taught me to make them while I was there. Check out my other posts with different fillings, Baked Panzarotti with Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes & Pine nuts and Baked Panzarotti with Tomato, Onion & Cavolo Nero. My dream is to open a Panzarotti store, so perhaps in a few months when I graduate I might try something, but until then I will just be practicing at home.

Tonight I tried two new fillings: Tomato, Vegetarian Pepperoni, Roasted Capsicum, Garlic & Cheezy Bechamel; and Mushroom, Spinach &  Cheezy Bechamel. I used Sanitarian Vegetarian Pepperoni, which I didn’t realize until just now that it is not vegan as it contains eggs. The writing is so small on the packet that I didn’t see that. So it is a great tasting product if you vegetarian, but otherwise use a vegan pepperoni, like Tofurky Pepperoni Slices or Redwood Cheatin’ Pepperoni Style Slices, which are available in Australia. I haven’t tried them, but I hope to soon. 

Baked Panzarotti with Tomato, Vegetarian Pepperoni, Roasted Capsicum, Garlic & Cheezy Bechamel  and Mushroom, Spinach &  Cheezy Bechamel (sf, nf)

Basic Pizza Dough- 3 cups Italian Tipo 00, 1 tsp dry yeast, 1 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tsp salt, 1 pinch raw sugar, 1 tbp olive oil & more for brushing (makes 8)

Cheezy Bechamel Ingredients- 1/2 cup oats/other vegan milk, 1 tbsp arrowroot/plain flour, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp nutlex/vegan butter, sea salt to taste, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (enough for 4 panzarotti)

Filling Ingredients- 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 handfuls of sliced mushroom, 2 tbsp chopped parsley/basil 4 handfuls of baby spinach roughly chopped, sea salt & black pepper to taste, 2 tbsp Cheezy Bechamel (enough for 2 panzarotti)

Filling Ingredients- 1 tbsp olive oil, 2-3 tbsp Tomato Pasta Sauce, 8 slices Vegetarian Pepperoni, 2 Roasted Capsicum from jar (sliced in 4-6 pieces), 2 whole garlic cloves (with skin), sea salt & black pepper to taste, 2 tbsp Cheezy Bechamel (enough for 2 panzarotti)

Prepare the dough:

1. Take a large bowl & brush with oil.

2. Take a bowl and add warm water and yeast. Put some plastic wrap over the bowl and leave it  to sit for 5 mins.

3. Add flour salt and sugar to the large bowl and mix it through.

4. Slowly add water to flour and mix. (add more flour if to stick)

5. Place dough on board and knead for 10 mins.

6. Place dough in a large bowl, place somewhere warm and leave for 1 1/2-2  hours to rise.

Prepare Cheezy Bechamel:

1. Combine oat milk, arrow root and garlic powder in a small bowl. Whisk until combined.

2. Melt vegan butter in a small pot.

3. Add oat milk to the pot and heat on medium to low heat until it thickens. Season with salt & pepper.

4. Add nutritional yeast and stir through until dissolved, then take of the heat.

Prepare filings:

1. First heat a pan with olive oil, then add mushrooms, and garlic cloves. Saute for 3-4 mins or until browned.

2. Then add parsley, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook until spinach as wilted.

3. Remove the mushrooms and spinach out of the pan, but leave the garlic cloves.

4. Heat more olive oil if you need and add pepperoni slices. Cook for a 1-2 minutes on both sides until it has a nice color.

5. Then add roasted capsicum and cook on both sides (less then 30 sec on each side)

6. Remove the filling from the pan and place in another small bowl. Peel the garlic, as it should be nice and soft, diced and add to bowl.

Assemble Panzarotti:

1. On a floury board, roll out you dough balls into a flat circle shape.

2. For mushroom fillings, add 1 tbsp Cheezy Bechamel, then top with the saute mushroom and spinach. Add another tbsp of Cheezy Bechamel and season with salt & pepper. Fold the dough over like a half moon shape. Close the ends with your fingers or with a fork. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make a second on. 

3. For pepperoni filling, add 1.5 tbsp of tomato sauce and then add 4 slices of pepperoni, 2-3 slices of roasted capsicum, diced garlic, 1 tbsp Cheezy Bechamel and season with salt & pepper. Fold the dough over like a half moon shape. Close the ends with your fingers or with a fork. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make a second on.

4. Cook in the oven for 15 mins or until the dough is cooked and golden brown.

*Dough make 8 panzarotti, the filling  ingredients makes 2 of each, but both can be doubled for more.

Pho Ha Long

Today we finally visited a Vietnamese restaurant that I wanted to go to for a while, Pho Ha Long. It is in Mt Gravatt, just near the Garden City Shopping Centre. Last time I attempts to visit them they were closed, so instead we had a disappointing lunch at  Top in Town Pure Vegetarian. I think they must of extended their hours of opening, as they are now open 10am-9pm, which is excellent because I think I have found my new favorite Vietnamese restaurant.

When we arrived there were a few tables of people in for lunch and the staff who greeted us were really  friendly. The decor of the restaurant was really clean, fresh and modern, which is nice for a budget Vietnamese restaurant. I say that because nearby in Sunnybank, where you can find many Vietnamese and other Asian restaurants, sometimes their stores are a bit grotty and dingy. I won’t mention any names, but lets just say this place was very refreshing.

Their menu is quite extensive and offers a selection of traditional dishes that are both vegetarian and meat-based, as well as many traditional Vietnamese drinks. All the food is MSG free, there are many gluten free options and no dish priced over $13.90. Some of the vegan and vegetarian dishes include Vegetarian fresh Salad Rolls, Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Rice Vermicelli Salad, Tofu Fried Rice and Deep Fried Tofu with Salt Pepper.

For drinks I ordered the Young Coconut Drink, which was great, even if Marco thinks it taste likes old socks. Marco ordered a cold Vietnamese Dripping Milk Coffee, which was very cool to watch and apparently tasted really good,  but sadly is not vegan.

For mains I ordered the Tofu Fried Rice. This dish normally comes with egg, but the waiter checked with me if I preferred it without egg, which was really good of him. Marco ordered the Combination (Grilled Pork, Spring Roll, Sugarcane Prawn) with Rice Vermicelli Salad. Lucky for me his spring roll was vegetarian so I had a try of his and it was good. My dish was delicious! The rice was fresh, sticky and full of flavor. The tofu was nice and crispy and the vegetables were fresh and sweet. The serving was quite big and large enough for Marco to eat half of mine too.

So would I come back? definitely. We were both really impressed with our meals and it’s local for us too.

Prebranac (Serbian Baked Beans)

As promised here is a typical Serbian dish from the kitchen of Marco’s family. Although I have enjoying this bean dish for many years, since Marco and I have been together, this is the first time I have learned to make it. Marco never wanted me to make it at home. Partly because he’s been eating it his whole life and perhaps partly because he didn’t think I could make it like his mum. However, since we went to Serbia last year he love of his home food has been reignited.

Prebranac (пребранац/pre-BRAH-nats) is a Serbian baked bean dish, which is prepared with white or brown beans, such as lima beans and great northern beans; onions and sweet Hungarian paprika. It is also known as Pasulj (Пасуљ) and is a typical dish in Bosnia, Albania and other Balkan nations. Many recipes include bay leaves, carrots, leeks and other vegetables. It is often prepared with smoked meats, such as smoked bacon, smoked sausage and smoked joints. However, the  meat can be omitted. It doesn’t have milk, butter or eggs, so it ideal during fasting time.  This dish was originally eaten by farmers during the winter months, due to its high fat content. It can be cooked dry or in a thick sauce depending how much water you add. It can be served hot or room temperature, with crusty bread.

Before I made this dish I consulted both Marco’s mother and his sister. They both have different ways of making this dish and so do their other family members. You can use lima beans or greater northern beans. The beans can be soaked or un-soaked. You can use four onions or one kilo of onions. Some people use 1/2 teaspoon of paprika and others use lots of more colour. You cook the onions with leeks, carrot and/or capsicum or without. You can add the onion and vegetables with cooked beans or you can layer. You can finish off this dish in the oven to brown or on the stove with a bit of flour. You can have this dish dry or you can have it very moist. So many possibilities!

I ended up going with most of Marco’s mothers suggestions as she enthusiastically started the dish for me. The only thing I added, which perhaps isn’t tradition, is a teaspoon of liquid smoke for the smoky flavour. This is because usually Sally adds smoked ribs to the dish before she puts it in the oven. So I still wanted the same flavour, but made vegan. You can omit this though. Other the that this is a really easy dish to prepare, which doesn’t take much work, but it does take time.

So the verdict? It turned out quite well. The beans were nice and soft and the top browned very nicely. I didn’t put enough salt, so we had to add a lot more when it was ready. It wasn’t the same as Sally’s, but it was my first attempt, so I was happy. Mine was a bit dry as well. I thought that I had put enough water, but next time I will add a little more.

Prebranac (Serbian Baked Beans) (gf, sf, nf)

Ingredients- 500 lima beans (soaked/un-soaked), 1/2 cup olive oil, 4 onions diced, 2 cloves of garlic diced, 2 tbsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika, 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional), sea salt and black pepper to taste

1. Place lima beans in a large pot and fill with water. Bring to the boil, then strain beans and remove water.

2. Place lima beans  in the same pot and fill with water. Bring to the again boil, then strain beans and remove again water.

3. This time place beans back in pot with water to cover (about 1-2 finger tips). Slightly cover the pot and bring to the boil, then place on a simmer. Cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, or until beans are quite soft.

4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

5. In a pan heat olive oil and add the onion, garlic, paprika, sea salt, black pepper and liquid smoke. Cook for 5 mins or until onions are translucent, but not browned.

6. Take a baking tray or casserole dish and first layer  half the lima beans on the bottom with a little bit of the cooking water. (The more water you add the more moist it will be).

7. Next add half the onion mixture on top of the beans.

8. Then another layer of beans with cooking water and lastly with the onion mixture.

9. Bake for 30 mins or until browned on top.

*Serves 6-8

Pasulj <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasulj>

Prebranac <http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Prebranac>

Baked Beans Recipe – Serbian Prebranac <http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/serbianvegetables/r/prebanac.htm>

Prebranac (Serbian Baked Beans) <http://food52.com/recipes/19697-prebranac-serbian-baked-beans>

Russian Mushroom Madness

Tonight I made some traditional wholesome Russian dishes for the family. I have never really made or eaten Russian food before, but I was inspired by this recipe Veg Russbiff from Veganwiz.com. I have been wanting to try these cutlets for ages and today was finally the night to do it. I am not sure of the origin of this dish or its name, as the boyfriend of the blogger  found this recipe somewhere. I slightly adapted this recipe and worked out the amounts for all the ingredients. Marco and I both really loved this recipe. These cutlets are made with primarily mushrooms, onion and rice. No it doesn’t taste like meat, but it does have a great taste and texture, that will not leave you feeling like you are missing out. I would love to make this again with a delicious sauce or gravy to make this even more spectacular.

The side dishes I made to go with the Veggie Cutlets are also typical Russian dishes, that complemented them well. The recipe Buckwheat Pilaf with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onion is by Bois de Jasmin. This traditionally dish is from Belarus and uses butter and is served with boiled eggs on top, but this was omitted to be vegan. Many recipes also use vegetable liquid stock to cook the buckwheat, or you can just use water as I did. This is a great nutritious dish that will leave your tummy very content on a warm winters night.

The last dish was adapted from Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage from Bon Appetit. This is a popular dish in Russian and throughout the Balkans. The sweet and sour flavours are strong, but they really complemented the rest of the meal.

The only other Russian dishes that I have attempted are Borscht & Pirozhki. I just love Slavic food and I can’t wait to bring you all some more dishes. Tomorrow I should hopefully be learning to make a Serbian bean dish… Russian Veggie Cutlets (gf, sfo, nf)

Ingredients- 200 g mushrooms thinly sliced, 1 onion finely chopped, 1 cup organic medium grain rice/other, 2 tsp sweet hungarian paprika/other spices, 2 tbsp diced italian parsley, sea salt & black pepper to taste, 3/4 cup whole soy milk/oat milk/creamer, 1 cup organic unbleached plain flour, 1 cup quinoa crumbs/bread crumbs, olive oil/other to fry

1. Cook rice in a rice cooker or on the stove. Cook 1 cup of rice with 1 1/2 cups of water. Leave on warm until ready to use.

2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan, then sauté mushrooms for 5 mins or until browned. Remove from pan and place in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add another tbsp olive oil, then sauté onion for 5 mins or until browned. Remove from pan and combine with mushrooms in the mixing bowl.

4.  Add cooked rice, paprika, parsley, sea salt and black pepper.  Mix well and taste to make sure there is enough salt.

5. Place the mixture in a processor and add soy milk. Blend so the mixture is thick, but the contents have been broken down. Add more soy milk if you need. If its easier do in two batches.

6. Place mixture back into the mixing bowl and add flour and quinoa crumbs.

7. Make 10 – 12 large balls with the mixture.

8. Place them one at a time in a hot pan with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. Press them down while they are in the pan with a spatula or with your fingers, so they are flat. Cook on each side for 2 mins. Repeat until you have cooked all the patties.

*Makes 10-12 Veggie Cutlets Buckwheat Pilaf with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions (gf, sf, nf)

Ingredients- 2 cups buckwheat, 6 cups water, 2 onions (sliced thinly), 8 cups of thinly sliced white/brown/wild mushrooms (about 450 g), 5 tbsp nutlex/vegan butter, sea salt & black pepper to taste, 3 tbsp minced parsley

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

2. Place buckwheat in a bowl and stir through 3 tbsp of vegan butter. Then place buckwheat on a tray and toast in the oven 20 min. During this time give them a stir, so they toast evenly. If you have pre-toasted buckwheat you only need to toast for 10 mins.

3. Bring a large put with 6 cups of water to the boil and add salt.

4. Add toasted buckwheat and stir through. Bring to the boil, then place on a low heat and cover. Cook for 20 mins or until the water has absorbed into the buckwheat.

5. Heat a pan with 2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the sliced onion for 10 mins or until browned. When finished remove from pan and set to the side.

6. Add another tbsp of olive oil and sauté mushrooms for 10 mins or until they have absorbed any water they have released and browned.

7. Add onions, mushrooms, sea salt, pepper, parsley and 2 tbsp vegan butter (omit butter if you prefer) to pot with the buckwheat (water should of absorbed). 8. Fluff buckwheat with a fork, then cover pot and leave on the lowest flame for 15 mins. After this serve.

* Serves 4-8, depending if it is a main or side dish serving. Sweet-and-Sour Red Cabbage with Apple (gf, sf, nf)

Ingredients- 2.5 tbsp nutlex/vegan butter, 1 onions (thinly sliced, about 2 cups), 1/3 cup (5 tbsp) red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup applesauce, 2 tbsp raw sugar, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 bay leaf, 2 whole cloves, 1/2 head red cabbage (sliced into 1/2-inch-wide strips), 1 large green apple (cut into thin slices), 1/4 cup apple juice

1. Melt butter in a  heavy large pot, over medium-low heat.

2. Add sliced onions and sauté  for 10 mins or until they are translucent.

3. Add red wine vinegar, bay leaf, raw sugar, sea salt, black pepper and cloves.

4. Add red cabbage and cook for 5 mins or until it starts to wilt. Stir often.

5. Place on a simmer and cover pot for 15 mins or until cabbage is tender.

6. Remove lid and add apple sauce, apple juice and apple slices. Cook for 10 mins or until apple is tender.

*Serves 4-6 as a side dish