Vegan Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Hi Guys, Amy here!

If you have a sweet tooth, but haven't yet encountered the book 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World' by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero, now's the time to introduce yourself. I don't think I've ever been so excited about a cookbook. I have borrowed this recipe from the book, just to give you a taste test.

An unfortunate side effect of veganism can be a very serious condition called Cake Deprivation. Jo suffers from this, and so does my darling Conrad. It is caused by going to your average cafe, and staring longingly into the cake cabinet - only to realise that there's nothing in there that fits into your lifestyle. Take heart, friends! There is a cure, and it's listed below. Prepare to directions, then administer generously as required.

Stuff cafe cake, you can do it better!

I baked the cupcakes, left them to cool completely, then iced with Rich Ganache Chocolate Topping. I put them in the fridge for a while so the ganache could set, then piped on the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting. Some got a cherry on top, others were graced with a chocolate - covered coffee bean.

Basic Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup soy milk

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used fine raw sugar)

1/3 cup canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb if you're Aussie)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract, to the soy milk mixture and beat till foamy.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredient and beat till no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay).
• Pour into liners, filling three quarters of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Rich Chocolate Ganache Topping

1/4 cup soy milk

1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate (I used Whittakers Dark)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

• Bring the soy milk to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Immediately remove from the heat and add the chocolate and maple syrup. Use a wooden spoon to mix the chocolate until it is fully melted and smooth. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, softened (eg. Nuttelex)

1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened (eg. Tofutti)

2 cups icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Cream together margarine and cream cheese until just combined.
• Use a handheld mixer to whip while adding the icing sugar in 1/2 cup batches. (May get a bit messy, use a bowl with high sides).
• Mix until smooth and creamy, then mix in the vanilla. Keep covered and refrigerated until ready to use.
• This is a great icing for piping, it holds shape really well.

Shiitake Udon Noodles

Becoming vegan has improved my life in some pretty surprising ways. I expected to feel happier and healthier - but I didn't expect all the other little bonuses. My wallet is as happy as I am, and debts are diminishing as quickly as good karma is going up! Turns out it's both cheaper and more cheerful loving your fellow animal. My cholesterol is at an all time low, while my iron is at a personal best. Who knew!

One other tangible benefit, and perhaps the best, is making a bunch of new like-minded friends! Chances are, if they're keen to treat animals that they've never met in the right way, they're going to have a similar attitude to other people. The lovely lady at our local Buddhist supermarket (for Perthies: it's next to Sri Melaka vegetarian restaurant on James St Northbridge) gave me a big bag of fresh shiitake mushrooms, a rarity in sunny, dry Perth.

You can make this recipe at home using the dried ones, I'm sure it will work just as well.

If you're in Perth and would like some freshies - stop by Innaloo Fresh to pick some up.

Shiitake Udon Noodles

Serves

4

Ingredients

1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms (or dried ones, covered in hot water until soft)

1 bunch chinese greens (kailan, choy sum or bok choy)

1 red onion, sliced

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 massel 'chicken' stock cube, mixed with 3 tbsp boiling water

2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tsp sesame oil

2 whole star anise (optional)

2 tbsp canola oil

1 cup green beans, ends cut off and cut in half

1 1/2 cups vegan mock meat and / or firm tofu

1 packet dried udon noodles OR 2-3 cups fresh udon noodles ( I used Hakubaku Organic Udon, sold at Woolworths supermarkets in Australia)

Method

• Bring a pot of water to the boil.
• Add dried udon noodles. Boil noodles until just cooked. Drain. (Skip this step if you're using fresh udon).
• Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a large frypan or wok.
• Add sesame seeds and toast until fragrant. Remove sesame seeds and set aside.
• Add canola oil.
• Fry onion, garlic and star anise.
• Add green beans and mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes over high heat, stirring.
• Take star anise out of wok and discard.
• Add stock mixture.
• Add asian greens and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until leaves start to wilt.
• Add noodles, hoisin, and soy sauce, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
• Serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Winter Lentil Soup

Here in the southern hemisphere, winter is getting into full swing. There's nothing like a hot bowl of soup to scare those cold weather sniffles away. Brown lentils have a really rich, meaty taste, and are packed with essential amino acids and protein - with a hefty side serve of fibre. They also provide excellent bang for your buck... if only we could run our cars on lentils as well as our bodies!

This recipe passed the man test with flying colours - his bowlful was devoured in record time, and he was into seconds before I'd finished firsts! Make this dish more man-friendly with some hot rolls or garlic bread (vegan of course) on the side.

Winter Lentil Soup

Serves

4 for a main, 6 for a starter

Ingredients

1 Lt Vegan stock (I used Massel ‘beef’)

1 cup dried brown lentils

1 carrot, diced

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 large red onion, diced

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cumin

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and stir.

Leave for 8 hours or so, until lentils are soft. Extra time will only improve the texture.

Serve with crisp rolls, warmed in the oven.

A great one to prepare ahead of time – tastes even better the next day!

Weeknight Fried Rice

Hi guys, little sister Amy here!

Conrad, my significant other, is a talented eater. I remember being awed when we first met, that he could put away 4 Whoppers in one sitting, or two footlong Subs and still have room for dessert. Cows and chickens everywhere breathed a sigh of relief the day he went vegan... but now vegetables and fruits should be quaking in their leaves. The man still takes some serious feeding!

He loves this fried rice - and especially loves that it makes such a big batch as he always gets leftovers the next day for lunch.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rice (slightly undercooked is best)

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

2/3 cup green beans, finely chopped

1 large head bok choy, well washed and sliced horizontally

1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped (about 2 cloves)

1 Massel chicken stock cube

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups fried tofu pieces, firm tofu or vegan mock meats, chopped into 1 inch pieces

(I used fried tofu, Crispy-G chicken pieces & vegan king prawns)*.

Lemon wedges to serve

• Heat sesame oil and 1 tbsp of canola oil in a large non-stick wok or frying pan.
• Add garlic and fry until sizzling.
• Add all vegetables except bok choy, and fry until just starting to soften.
• Crumble stock cube over vegetables.
• Add tofu / vegan mock meat and fry over high heat, stirring constantly.
• Add remaining oil.
• Add rice, 1 cup at a time, stirring quickly until all rice is added.
• Add bok choy
• Add all remaining ingredients except lemon wedges (soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sweet chilli sauce and lemon juice)
• Stir over hot stove, until well combined.
• Serve with lemon wedges and hot chilli sauce.

*Mock meats can be found at most Asian grocers. Check the ingredients, as some can contain whey protein, which comes from dairy.

Sweet Potato Pastries

Greetings fellow foodies =)

Entertaining is great fun, but being a vegan host can be a bit of a challenge at times. Gone are the days where you could just grab some party pies from the shop and throw them in the oven - the vegan miniature pastry selection at my local supermarket is pretty light on. Fortunately, it's much cheaper and very easy to make your own.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, cooked and mashed

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 Massel chicken stock cube (or other vegan stock cube)

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp Orgran No Egg Replacer

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp sesame seeds

3-4 puff pastry sheets (Borgs & Coles brands are both vegan)

salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. HINT: I have a fan forced oven, and turn the fan off to cook pastries as otherwise the tops can burn before the pastries are cooked inside.
• Remove 2 pastry sheets from the freezer and set aside to defrost on a flat surface.
• Combine all ingredients except puff pastry and sesame seeds into a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
• Cut pastry sheets into 9 equally sized squares by cutting the sheets twice horizontally and vertically.
• Using a teaspoon, spoon 1- 2tsp of potato mixture onto each square. Don't put more filling than you fit on to half the square.
• Brush edges of pastry square with water, and fold over pastry to seal.
• Brush top of pastry with water and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
• Place onto tray lined with good quality baking paper.
• When tray is full, bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until pastry is a puffy pale golden brown.
• Repeat until all sweet potato mixture is used up.
• Serve hot with your favourite relish, onion jam or BBQ sauce.
• These freeze beautifully for when you have unexpected guests drop by!

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes

Jo was saying yesterday as we were driving to Fremantle, how she wishes there was more cake in her life. Who doesn't?!

These delicious little angels are perfect for special occasions.They taste just like the ones Mum used to make for birthday parties. But don’t let that stop you from making a batch just because!

Ingredients

200g (7/8 cup) Nuttelex dairy free margarine*
1 3/4 cups (370g) raw sugar^
1 large vanilla pod OR 2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp Orgran No Egg Replacer
8 tbsp water
2 3/4 cups (405g) plain flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 cup (250ml) soy milk
Paper patty cases

For the frosting:
½ cup Nuttlex dairy free margarine
500g icing mixture (1 small packet)
2 tbsp soy milk
2 tsp lemon juice
Food colouring
Decorations eg. Sugar flowers, sprinkles etc.

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• In a muffin tray, spread out patty pans.
• Mix the water and Orgran No Egg Replacer together until smooth.
• In a large mixing bowl, add raw sugar and thoroughly scrape vanilla seeds from pod into sugar (or add vanilla extract). Add Nuttelex.
• Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.
• In a separate bowl, mix baking powder and flour together.
• Gradually add flour and soy milk to creamed butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
• Spoon mixture into patty cases until about half full.
• Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until cakes are lightly browned and spring back to the touch.
• Leave cakes to cool on wire rack.

Frosting and decorating:

• In a bowl, place icing mixture and Nuttelex.
• Mix in lemon juice and beat until it forms stiff frosting. Add soy milk ½ tbsp at a time, stir until you reach your desired consistency.
• If you want different coloured icing, separate into different bowls before adding food colouring.
• Pipe frosting onto cakes using a piping bag, or simply spread with the back of a spoon.
• Decorate with sugar flowers, sprinkles etc.

*This is not product placement – I’ve found this is the best dairy free vegan spread to bake with, the firmer texture replicates a butter-like consistency better than some of the softer blends.

^Generally, caster sugar is used in cakes, especially cupcakes. I prefer not to use caster sugar as raw sugar has a richer flavour and is a bit healthier. Caster will probably give a more homogenous cake result if that’s what you’re after.. it’s a matter of preference.

Vegan Minestrone

Hi Guys!

You might think I'm Jo - but I'm not! I'm Amy, Jo's sister, and she's given me the keys to her blogging kingdom! Mwahaha! We thought the only thing better than one of our heads was both our heads together, dreaming up recipes. When you think about food as much as we do, you've got a lot of time to create!

If you're a new vegan, you might have cruised the shelves of your local supermarket, looking for canned food to get you out of trouble when you need a quick fix or are just too tired to cook. I was surprised by how many of the supermarket 'vegetable' soups are actually laden with dairy and meat products. This soup freezes really well and can be kept for those times when you need a 'get out of the kitchen free card'.

Just take however much you want to freeze out of the slow cooker before you add the risoni, as pasta can be a bit dodgy in the freezer.

I served it up with Garlic Ciabatta - which makes it seem a bit fancier than just soup for dinner.

Hearty Minestrone

Ingredients

1 onion

1 carrot

1 small zucchini

2 cups chopped pumpkin

handful of green beans

1 440gm tin of crushed tomatoes

1 litre Massel brand (vegan) chicken stock

4 tbsp tomato paste

½ cup risoni, or other small pasta shape (alternately you can use spaghetti broken into approx 3 cm pieces)

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp garlic

2 tsp paprika

1 tbsp chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

• Chop all vegetables into 1cm pieces
• Add all ingredients to slow cooker
• Cook on high for at least 6 hours (or while you’re at work. Extra time won’t hurt).
• 15 minutes before serving, add risoni and stir thoroughly.
• Serve with warm bread or Garlic Ciabatta.

·

Garlic Ciabatta

Ingredients

1 ciabatta loaf or similar crusty bread

¾ cup dairy free spread (eg. Nuttelex, Olive Grove)

½ tsp salt

black pepper to taste

2 tbsp chopped herbs (oregano & parsley both work)

OR

1 tbsp dried herbs

2 cloves of garlic

OR

2 tsp crushed garlic

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees
• Cut the ciabatta into thick slices
• Mix all other ingredients in a bowl
• Place the ciabatta on a tray with aluminium foil underneath the loaf (enough to wrap the loaf completely)
• Spread both sides of each bread slice with the garlic butter, keeping loaf in its original shape
• Wrap loaf with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until butter has melted and edges are crispy
• Serve hot

Nacho, Nacho Man!

It was Friday night at the end of a long week. Nothing sounds better to me than vegan beer and nachos! Amy and Connie came around and brought the beer with them.

Connie is the perfect man for the beer task, as he is somewhat of an expert. Did you know that some beer and wines are made using animal products? Connie has done a lot of research to discover what ones are animal friendly. On Friday he brought around a few luverly Cooper's varieties.

I must say, my fat head believes that my nachos are the best ever anywhere, probably even better than Mexico's. Well, maybe not, but they are the best I've had in Perth. Give this recipe a crack, but when you eat them, wear your stretchy eating pants. Not for the calorie conscious.

Vegan Nachos

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 cup TVP soy mince
2 400g tins beans, drained and washed
2 400g tins chopped tomatoes
2 large brown onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp veg oil
1 cup beef stock (massal - vegan)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds

1 - 3 tsp chili flakes (depending on your heat tolerance)
1/2 tsp all spice
1 tbsp paprika
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
salt and pepper to taste

600g natural corn chips
Cheezley Nacho Cheese - Sliced thinly and chopped
1 tub Tofutti sour cream
3 mashed avocados
3 stalks of chopped spring onions
Jalapenos to garnish

Fry off garlic and onions in oil at low temp until the onions are soft and pale. Next, add coriander powder, cumin powder, all spice, lemon zest and chili. Cook for a minute until the mix is fragrant and pretty dry.

Add soy mince, tomatoes, beans, stock, vinegar and sugar. Cook for 30 - 40 mins on simmer until the sauce is becoming thick.

Add the rest of the ingredients. The most important part is to check the salt levels. I used about 1 tbsp of salt flakes in my Nachos, but you might like less.

Preheat your grill while the sauce is cooking. You want a hot grill.

To assemble, spread corn chips on a bowl plate. I like to sprinkle cheezley on top of the corn chips, and on top of the sauce. Then spoon on your nacho sauce. I used about 350 mls on each plate. The Cheezley vegan cheese melts best in the microwave, so I pinged it in the nuker for 2 minutes each plate, then finished under the grill for the browned, crispy finish.

Serve with avocado, Tofutti cram cheese, spring onions and if you are like me, loads of jalapenos.

Amy's Meatball Pizza

Amy is my awesome-in-the-kitchen sister. She is also awesome elsewhere, but for this purpose, the kitchen is her domain. I'm only disappointed I didn't get any of the pizza! My stupid oven is broken, so we'll just have to have a mini fantasy about it. Mmm.


Meatball Pizza

These are great for a weeknight dinner after a looong day at work.
Passed the man-test too: his favourite vegan meal yet!



Ingredients

1. 4 wholemeal pita breads or pizza bases
2. 10 Vegan meatballs, sliced(check out the frozen section of your local Asian grocer or can be bought from some vegan restaurants. )
3. Vegan cheese (eg. Cheesley) grated or sliced thinly
4. 1 cup chopped mushrooms
5. 2 cups washed rocket or English spinach

For the sauce:
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/3 cup tomato paste
3 cup semi-dried tomatoes
3 tbsp barbeque sauce (Masterfoods brand is vegan)
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce


· Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
· Place some baking paper on two trays, bases / pita bread on top
· Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until blended
· Spread sauce on bases
· Add toppings and cheese to taste
· Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted
· Serve hot

Cooking with Emma

My best friend Emma is a beautiful ex-model air hostess. She always draws appreciative stares from members of both sexes. We've been friends for eleven years, and we are polar opposites. For the most part of our friendship Emma didn't cook for me. I'm not sure why, but I would understand if it was because she was intimidated. At lunch yesterday I did an informal poll, and it turns out that 80% of my workmates wouldn't cook for me either!

Lately though, Emma has been cooking me recipes that she finds in magazines and newspapers. And do you know what? They have been pretty bloody good!

On Wednesday, Emma came over and knocked up a great feed. Let me share it with you...

Sweet Potato and Bean Ragout

(Serves 6 hungry people)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coriander, shredded
1/2 cup basil, shredded
1/2 cup green beans in 2 cm lengths
200g fresh English spinach leaves
6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp cumin powder

3 tbsp tomato paste
1 400g can chick peas, washed and drained

1 200g can butter beans, washed and drained

3 med size sweet potatoes, peeled and 2cm dice

2-3 green chillies chopped

zest and juice of 1 lemon

chili powder to taste

500ml veg stock

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp olive oil

To serve:
pita bread
tofutti sour cream supreme

Start by prepping up all of the above ingredients. I like to put everything onto plates or in bowls, once I've chopped it up.

Fry off the cumin, garlic, lemon zest and powdered and chopped chili in the olive oil in a heavy based non-stick pot. When the spices are fragrant, but not burnt, add the sweet potato, chick peas, butter beans, stock and tomato paste and pop the lid on for 10 - 15 minutes, until the sweet potato is starting to soften.

Next add the basil and beans and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir through the spinach, coriander and lemon juice until the spinach is wilted and soft. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sweet potato loves salt, so you may need to put in more than you think.

Serve with pan fried pita bread and a dollop of Toffuti Sour Cream Supreme. Yum!

This dish keeps well in the fridge and warms up for delicious leftovers for lunch.

CEO reviews Sizzling not-bacon Spirals

Let me premise this review by saying for the record I am no Matt Preston. Generally speaking, while I certainly appreciate food, I am an ‘eat to live’ not a ‘live to eat’ kind of guy. That being said, I am opinionated, and therefore have no hesitation in giving my two cents worth.

As Jo placed the dish before me I was immediately struck be a beautiful ‘meaty’ aroma. Perhaps it was the psychology of seeing what, for all the world, looked like meat or perhaps it was simply that the right flavour enhancers are added to the faux meat - I do not know. But it smelt delicious!

From the first bite the flavours followed suit. This dish not only smells delicious – it is delicious. Crispy vegetables, lemon infused flavours and a salty, pepperoni like taste without any of the guilt or ill effects (for my blood stream).

As a general rule I am a meat eater. I love it and have the cholesterol level to prove it. But I would happily eat this everyday and not miss the meat. As a great Australian thinker, Molly Meldrum, would say ‘do yourself a favour’ and try this dish. - Paul, Jo Fantasy's boss and CEO of a dynamic community organisation.

Forget 'Fasta Pasta' - Make this instead!

Yesterday my boss said, "I'm very glad that you're cooking so much great food and blogging about it, but why aren't I getting any of the food?!"
I told him that if he had been in bed with Marcus and I on Saturday morning that I would have made him pancakes. He said he thought that sounded like a fair deal. Hmm. I was speechless for once...

So, in the spirit of maintaining positive office relations, I offered to make him lunch one day instead. The catch: he has to review the meal and let me post a picture of him enjoying (hopefully) the dish. I thought that was a lot more generous than expecting him to join our pyjamas-optional Saturday breakfast.

For tonight's dinner I have knocked up this tasty dish. I ate too much and feel fatter than usual:) It is my first attempt at using not-bacon, and I really liked it! The taste is remarkably similar,and I think it has added a lot of texture and flavour to the dish. Tomorrow we'll find out if Paul likes the reheated version for his lunch!

Sizzling not-bacon Spirals

Ingredients:

4 sliced Field mushrooms
1 pack not-bacon, sliced
3 cloves chopped Italian garlic
3 sliced spring onion stalks
2 cups white wine
1 cup green stringless beans, 2 cm lengths
1 cup local green asparagus, 2 cm lengths
1 punnet grape tomatoes
1 cup shredded loose packed basil leaves
zest and juice of 2 lemons
robust olive oil
salt and pepper
parmezano to taste

500g cooked pasta spirals

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add sliced field mushies, grind generous amounts of pepper over them, and cook until just starting to colour. Please make sure your pan is hot and there is enough to spread out mushrooms in a single layer. You can seal the mushrooms in hot oil, just like meat. It makes them taste so delicious, and not shrink up so much.

Add in the spring onions and garlic, and stir gently to prevent garlic from burning. After a minute, add the white wine. Turn the heat down after 30 seconds, then add in the beans, asparagus and whole grape tomatoes. Simmer over low heat until just cooked.

Add the basil, lemon juice and zest, and pasta. Give it a good stir and remove from heat.

In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the not-bacon. It will colour,just like the piggy variety. We want the colour. When it is coloured and sizzling, add it to the pasta.

Season with salt and pepper to your taste. I am a bit naughty and add a splash more of olive oil.

Serve it up with some Parmezano and a crisp dry white.

Diptastic

My darling and I are going to my parent's house for dinner tonight. I'm excited because Mum is going to be making her first attempt at a vegan main course! I took her to Sri Melaka for Mother's Day, and she bought some faux meat there. So armed with her new vegetarian cook book and a bag or two of textured vegetable protein, Mum is going to serve up some culinary delights!

I thought I should contribute in some way, so I knocked up this dip. It is so flavoursome and creamy I could eat it with a spoon! Instead of being a pig and eating it all myself, I'm going to do some pita chips to go with it, and share with my fam.

Avocado Dip

Ingredients:

2 ripe, unbruised avocadoes
1 Tbsp Tofutti sour cream
1 tsp salt
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp tabasco (or whatever suits your tastes)
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves and stalks
1/2 tsp agave syrup
pepper to taste

Easy as: Mash avocado flesh with all of the wet stuff. Stir in the lemon zest and mash til smooth. Fold in the coriander. Check the taste. You may like to add more salt or pepper.

Serve with pita chips, crackers or veg crudites. Mmm!

Breakfast for my Sweetheart

Last night my sweetie got a little bit plastered. I had forgotten how annoying people can be when they are drunk and I am not. I was very much relieved when he passed out in the car half way home. Before that he had been pressing every button in the car - hazard lights, sports button, horn, radio... Gosh it was irritating.

The sweet, sweet vengeance was served not by me, but by his physiology. Hangovers. Yet one more reason to lay off the booze. I was awakened by his signature call from the throne, " Man down! Man down!" Yes, I giggled.

When he got back to bed he immediately conked out again, so I got up to make him breakfast. I hope he remembers this so that next time I have a cracker hangover he will make me breaky too! I can only live in hope...

Banana Pancakes with Lemon Maple Syrup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp agave syrup, or sugar if you prefer

2 cups soy milk

2 Tbsp veggie oil

1 tsp vanilla essence

Veg oil or vegan butter for cooking

Sauce:

4 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp lemon juice (fresh)

In a large bowl, whisk together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. When combined, make a well in the centre and add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk gently, starting from the centre and working gradually outwards until all of the ingredients are smooth and combined. Don't over whisk. Let the batter rest for 20 - 30 mins if you have the time. If you are super hungry and want food now, now, now!, reduce the soy milk by half a cup.

Slice two bananas thinly and evenly into round pieces. Put your best non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat. Use a tsp of oil for each pancake. I use a single pancake pan, so it takes a little while to cook them all. When the oil is hot, add the batter in 1/4 cup for each pancake. Let the batter settle, then place banana slices on to the wet batter.

When bubbles start to pop all over the pancake, flip it gently. Cook for another 30 seconds.

Serve with some tart lemon maple syrup. Simply combine the lemon and syrup in a bowl, and pour the desired amount over your pancake. My husband has slathering of butter too.

15 minute Asian Soup

Chinese Dumpling Soup


We are about to head out to a fundraising night for the Lords Taveners Cricket Team. I am pretty hungry, and can't stand the thought of subsisting on bar snacks tonight, so I've knocked up this healthy and yummo soup. I am serious when I say it was 15 minutes max, including prep time. I am eating it as I type, and my gosh it is deeeelish.

Ingredients:

For the stock-
2 cups Water
1 Massal Beef stock cube (this is vegan - love Massal!)
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp raw sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
chili flakes to taste
6 drops sesame oil

For texture-
a good handful asian green veg (choi sum, kai lan, bok choy - wash it first!!)
8 - 10 asian vegan dumplings
3 - 4 sliced shitake mushrooms
5 stalks and leaves of fresh coriander
2 stalks of sliced spring onion
Fried shallots

Put a pot on the stove and fill with all of the ingredients for the stock. Bring it to the boil. When it has been boiling for 3 minutes, add the dumplings, spring onion and shitake. Boil for a further 3 minutes until the dumpling wrappers go translucent. Now add the rest of the ingredients, except the shallots. Boil for a further 30 seconds, stir, and serve in a nice big bowl. Garnish with some fried shallots.

Faux Meat - A new convert's bestest friend

Buffalo Popcorn Chicken

I love faux chicken. Well actually, I love real chicken more because it is delicious, but I choose now to eat the next closest thing - faux chicken.

My favorite naughty treat right now is buffalo popcorn chicken. It is this spicy, sticky, crunchy treat that goes great with rice and pickled Japanese veggies. Or you can just eat it by itself for a snack. I like this amazing stuff called Greenfarm Popcorn Soya Chicken. You can get it from the Vegetarian Market on James St, next to Sri Melaka restaurant (another of my favorites).

Ingredients:

4 pieces of popcorn chicken (still frozen is OK)

1 tsp peanut oil

2 tbsp BBQ sauce

1 tbsp ABC Chili Sauce

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan on a low flame. Place the chicken in the oil and swish around to coat. Pop the lid on the pan and walk away for about two to three minutes. Come back and check the chicken. It should be crispy and brown on one side. Turn it, pop the lid on and walk away for another two to three minutes.

Now your chicken should be brown all over, so sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and add the sauces to the pan. Toss your chicken through the sauce until it is evenly coated. Fry for a little longer, maybe 30 seconds so the sauce dries out and starts to caramelise.

Pop it out of the pan and onto some rice. I've served mine tonight with twisted brown rice. It's basically brown rice cooked in vegan chicken stock with some silken tofu and spring onions tossed in. Yum! Serve with pickled Japanese vegetables (recipe to come) or some crispy steamed veg.

Jo - Now Comes in Cruelty Free!

Guess what? This is my 61st day of being vegan. It is as much of a surprise to me as it would be to people who know me. Why you say? Well, I started out my career as a chef. I have eaten A LOT of meat in my life. I have cooked even more meat than I have eaten. I have savoured every mouthful, loved every roast duck, blue steak, suckling pig and lamb roast. Drooled over meat pies, barbeque chicken and calamari rings. I have been known to ridicule and serve up crap to vegetarians and the dreaded vegans in restaurants that I worked in.

But now I am changing. Sometimes my brain hurts when I think of the enormity of my new lifestyle choice. Gosh, I have become the person I once despised!

Come and visit me as my weeks become months, and months become years. I am dying to share the amazing food I am now creating. This is food that comes guilt-free (excepting the occasional calorie). This is going to be a place for recipes, info on vegan food stuffs, restaurant, film and book reviews, testimonials from my guinea pigs at work, and most likely anecdotes about wearing my shoe on the other foot nowadays.

I am predicting that some people will need to restrain their tongues from licking the screen. Stay tuned!