Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Vegan Pear Honey

I found this delicious Jam on All recipes.com, Its very addictive
Ingredients
8 cups peeled, cored and chopped pears
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
8 cups sugar
Instructions 
Place chopped pears into a large pot, and pour pineapple juice over them to prevent them from browning. Stir in sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When the pears are at a full boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is the color and texture of honey. The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. Cooking time is usually 2 to 3 hours.
Ladle into hot sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth, and seal jars with lids and rings.   Enjoy!   =)

Vegan Melting Moments

I've been making these for many years, Found the recipe in a magazine and veganised them since.

Ingredients 
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup Icing sugar
125g vegan Butter, softened
1/3 cup Custard powder 
60g vegan butter, softened, extra
2/3 cup Icing sugar, extra
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions
Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper, In a mixer beat the 125g butter till pale and creamy, Add the 1/4 cup Icing sugar, flour, custard powder and mix with spoon till well combined, Make balls with the mixture and using a fork press it into each ball leaving a mark, Bake for approx 10mins and check every 5mins after that "they don't take long" Set aside to cool while you make the filling.

Filling: Beat the extra butter and icing sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the lemon rind and juice and beat until combined, Put a dollop on the flat side of half the biscuits and sandwich them together with the rest.    Enjoy!  =)

Monday, August 4, 2014

Easy Vegan Arancini Balls


These are great to make if you have left over rice and your not watching your figure haha!
No, they aren't too bad and good for occasional 

Ingredients
Left over risotto
flax meal (if you have it, don't worry too much if you don't)
water to add to flax meal (till its runny)
Panko bread crumbs (preferably without palm oil)
Vegan mozzarella cheese

Instructions
Risotto should be cold from the night before (for best results) roll risotto into decent size balls or any round like shape add a piece of mozzarella cheese to center of each and dip into the flax and water coat well and plonk into the bread crumbs (Ive used with and without flax meal and find the flax makes them a lot crunchier) deep fry till golden brown, Serve as they are or with a vegan bolognese sauce.   Enjoy   =)

Vegan Nutella

Ingredients Hazelnut Butter
2 cups dry oven roasted hazelnuts
1/2 tsp of Salt
1/2 tsp of Sugar or Agave Nectar
Instructions
Remove as much of the outer skins as you can with a clean tea towel by rubbing them together,
In a high powered blender Add the hazelnuts and salt and sugar and blitz till it turns into butter, Mine wasn't a high powered blender so it stayed nutty I didn't mind the texture, Now continue on to making the nutella.

Ingredients Nutella
2 heaped tablespoons of coconut oil
2-3 heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder
½ cup of Hazelnut Butter (above)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients, add maple syrup or agave to taste, If you like it creamier add a splash of nondairy milk, i use Soy Milky Lite.  This part of the recipe i found somewhere on the inter webs.    Enjoy!   =)

 

Vegan Nutella Mousse Cheesecake

This was more of a fluke, I don't live in a town that sells vegan cheeses and creams so most recipes that require using them I make from scratch or purchase them online which isn't good on the money side of things. If you are fortunate enough to get them where you are great!

Ingredients 
360gms vegan Cream Cheese or Mascarpone Cheese I used Mascarpone
1 Can Coconut milk (separate the cream from the milk)
2-3 Tbsp Coco powder
2 Tbsp Sugar or to taste
1 Cup Nutella...(See my Nutella recipe below)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
2 tsp Vanilla
1 pkt Choc ripple biscuits (they are vegan) crushed to crumbs
4 Tbsp vegan Butter melted

Instructions
In a stand mixer add the mascarpone cheese and nutella and beat it till smooth, Add the remaining ingredients including the coconut cream (you can use canned coconut cream but drain the water from it) and whip on high for 5-6 minutes till its light and fluffy (mousse like) in a bowl add crumbs and butter combine till it hold together when pressed, In 4 mini spring form pans evenly distribute the crumbs and press it into the base of each pan...Chill in the freezer for 5mins pour mixture into each of the pans and set in the freezer an hour or so and serve.   Enjoy!   =)

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Gnocchi "Vegan Chickn" Soup

This fantastic dish is from one of my favorite bloggers and is inspired by her recipe Here
 Check her out. I made this when I first went vegan and its one of my go to soups.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp Butter
8-10 Cups chicken broth (I used vegetable)
4 medium roughly chopped carrots
2 celery stalks plus a couple of leaves chopped
1 medium Onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
approx. half a box of the Fry's
Rice Protein & Chia Stir Fry Strips Here!
1 pkt vegan Gnocchi (check the pack)
1/3 cup Parsley
1 Bay leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme minced
4 cups full fat coconut milk (approx 3-4cans)
3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup if you like a thinner soup (can also be gluten free flour)
Optional 1 cup chopped Spinach and 1 tsp minced Dill

Instructions 
To a large pot or stock pot, Add oil and butter add the onion carrot celery garlic and herbs and saute till the onion becomes translucent or about 8-10mins, Add the flour now and stir well cook for 2-3mins to cook off the flour taste. At this point add the vegan chicken and combine, Add the stock and coconut milk now and turn up heat if necessary to bring to a boil cook for 3-4mins then reduce heat to low and cook till the veggies are tender, The stock will thicken up.... though it may look separated at first, but its fine. When the veggies are tender add the gnocchi, Leave it to cook through about 4-5mins till the gnocchi is tender, Don't forget the bay leaf! Serve with a nice warm crusty roll or great on its own!  Enjoy! =)

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients
500ltrs Soy milk
1 small juicy lemon (squeezed)
2 tsp salt flakes
1/2 tsp onion powder


Instructions
In a sauce pan add the milk and bring slowly to a boil stirring constantly, turn it down when it start to bubble and add the lemon juice.
Don't panic it starts to curdle add the salt and onion powder and keep stirring, Have a cheese cloth bag or fresh new chux cloth handy so that it can strain the liquid from the curds, keeping it in the cloth pop it in a strainer and leave it 30mins to drain, After 30mins fold the edges up and squeeze gently but firmly even more liquid out of the curds till its dry enough to crumble, i used a ramekin to store it till chilled and it was good to go, can be eaten fresh and hot used in cakes, muffins, salads and pasta where ever it requires ricotta cheese.  Enjoy!  =)


Light Fluffy Vegan Pikelets "Pancakes"

 
This is the only Pancake recipe you need, You will be so surprised just how fluffy these are, I like to make these for special breakfasts for my partner Andy and he just loves them, also great for dessert with ice cream.

Ingredients
1 cup Self Raising Flour
1/4 cup Custard powder
2 tsp Castor Sugar
1 cup non-dairy Milk (or less, to make a thick batter to make fluffy fat ones)
1 tsp Vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Instructions 
In a bowl, place flour, custard powder, sugar and salt and mix well, drizzle in milk till its a thick batter,combine well.
add a small amount of vegan butter to a frying pan and on medium/low heat spoon in dollops of the mixture....one side is done when the bubbles that formed on the surface have all popped and flip over and cook the other side. Traditionally served cold with jam and cream
*vegan of course... if they are pikelets or any topping of your choice  Enjoy!  =)





Polymer Clay Charms

Polymer Clay Charms are a fun creative craft for any one, My charms are free from cruelty, they can be used for bracelets, necklaces or anything! Here are a few of mine I made when I first started out.






                                               
           
                                                                             

Friday, August 1, 2014

Vegan Coconut Ice

I remember the CWA fetes growing up and all the yummy cakes and goodies homemade by all the senior citizens, I would come away with toffees and banana cake and the coconut ice would have to be my favorite, Why go without? Just make it cruelty free

Ingredients
1 Can of soy condensed milk
3+1/2-4 cups Dessicated Coconut
3 cups Icing sugar
vegan pink food coloring, Beetroot juice is great!

Instructions
In a large bowl add all ingredients except for food coloring and mix well, as you get close to combining all the ingredients you may want to use your hands to work it in well, Separate half the mixture into a lined tray small but deep is best and with the remaining mixture add a couple of drops of coloring to it any color you like, mix well and lay it on top of the white mixture and press firmly and evenly.
Cover with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge for 2hrs to set or freezer and slice. Enjoy!   =)

Low Fat Vegan Corn Chowder

                                                                                    
Ingredients
1 Large Onion diced
4-5 Cloves Garlic minced
3x 600gms frozen Sweet Corn
5x canned Creamed Corn
1.5Ltr Vegetable stock
3 tsp Onion powder
2 tsp Garlic salt
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp chopped Parsley
pepper and sea salt to taste
* For a creamier chowder soak a cup of raw cashews over night and blend them up till smooth and add at time of stock.


Instructions
Fry off onion in a stock pot till translucent and add garlic cook for 2mins stirring, Add all the corn and creamed corn stir, Add all the stock liquid and herbs and spices cook though for 20 min stirring occasionally so as not to stick till the corn is tender add salt and pepper to taste at this point and set aside to cool completely (I portion mine into individual freezer bags)  Enjoy!   =)



Pumpkin Chickpea Vegan Pie

Ingredients
2-3 large wedges of pumpkin   
1 Onion finely diced
1-2 cloves garlic diced 
1 cup frozen peas and corn
Chickpea flour (approx 1/2-1cup)
Vegetable stock (approx.1-2cups)
2 sheets puff pastry

Instructions
Chop the pumpkin into chunks and roast in the oven then set aside to cool, In a pie dish put the pastry and with a fork prick the base and lay the pieces of pumpkin around evenly spread, in a pot fry off onion and garlic, Add peas and corn stir, in a separate bowl add chickpea flour to liquid stock stir well and pour into pot cook out for 2-3mins stirring constantly it should start to thicken...before it gets too thick pour it into the pie dish on top of pumpkin till it reaches the top, Bake in a moderate oven about 180C for 20mins.     Enjoy!  =)

 

Mostly Raw Vegan Blackberry Cheesecake

                                                                                   

This is such a deliriously delish creamy smooth Cheese Cake, I cant take all the credit though I found it Here! But this is my take on it to suit my partner and I. The base I changed as he isn't really into dates and raw sweet things but the center is the same as the recipe, The topping is almost the same I just didn't have blueberries so I used what I had blackberries, Ill put below the changes I made to it.
The base I used vegan plain sweet biscuits crushed to a sand texture with rolling pin, I added melted vegan butter to them till they start to clump together pop into a spring form pan and press firmly pop into the freezer, I then made the berry syrup using blackberries but any frozen berry would work here.
Just follow the recipe above and I have no doubt yours will look just as spectacular and taste as great as this one....If you prefer the raw sugarless gluten free version just follow the recipe to the letter.        Enjoy!  =)

                                                                            

"No Bake" Vegan Passion Fruit Swirl Cheesecake

Oh my! After many months of making different flavored cheesecakes I made this one, And let me tell you it's my absolute favorite to date!                     
                                                               
Ingredients
2 Tubs of Tofutti Cream Cheese
1 Lemon Juiced
1 cup Passion Fruit Pulp (strained if you prefer)
1/2-1 cup Vegan Condensed Milk (to taste)Make it yourself!

Base
2 pkts of vegan plain sweet biscuits I used Arnotts Nice biscuits (processed to a fine crumb)
Approx 1/2-3/4 cup melted vegan Butter or Marg 
1/2 cup Desiccated Coconut

Instructions
Make the base first by combining both ingredients and pressing it into a spring form pan, Pop it into the freezer to chill firm.
In a food processor, Add Cream cheese, Lemon juice, Pulp, And slowly add the condensed milk tasting as you go (my favorite part) keep whipping it for 2 mins, Pour into the base, And decorate as you like! Chill in the freezer till 30 mins before serving.  Enjoy!   =)