Mini Quiches

This is one of my all time favourite dishes. It's super easy to make, quick and often can be made with just what you have in the cupboard and the crisper. I've adapted my own recipe for these delicious little mini quichies from the 'Self Crusting Zucchini Quiche' recipe in the awesome Day to Day Cookery book (thanks again, Mum, this really is one of the most handy cook books imaginable!)


Ingredients

• 2 medium size zucchinis
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup grated cheese, lightly packed
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1/2 self raising flour
• pinch of cracked pepper

Method

• Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and preheat the oven to a moderate temperature. 
• Grate zucchinis and carrots into a large bowl.
• Stir in onion, eggs, cheese, olive oil, flour and a pinch of pepper.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the cups in the muffin tin (sometimes you might get a few extra depending on the size of the veggies).
• Bake in a moderate oven for about 25 minutes or until the quiches are golden on top.
• Cool, and devour still warm or cold the next day.

Super easy, healthy and delicious! For meat lovers, a few bacon rashers added to the mixture is also good, but try the vego option - it really is delicious!

xo

Pink Deliciousness

On a whim I cooked this delicious Beetroot Risotto for dinner the other night from a totally new recipe. It was the first risotto I have made in more than a year, as my last effort was rather an epic gluggy fail. But since moving into my new house in February, which is complete with a beautiful gas stove top (LOVE) I thought I should give it another attempt, now that I have reliable temperature control.

I found this recipe for a vegetarian beetroot, walnut and goats' cheese risotto and I think the main reason I was so drawn to it was that it was pink! I have never eaten nor seen pink risotto before. Best of all it turned out to be delicious as well, which I was sincerely hoping it would, but was skeptical there for awhile as I have never cooked anything with beetroot as the base.

As far as risotto goes, this was fairly easy to make too (no added roasting pumpkin or other vegies in the oven). I also used feta cheese instead of goats' cheese and added extra leafy greens for goodness, and the leftovers were delicious for lunch yesterday as well. Total, unexpected win!
xo

Indian Spiced Red Lentil Soup

This soup is one of my favourite things to cook, it's quick, easy, cheap, vegan and DELICIOUS! I have even served this for fervent meat eaters and one friend who doesn't really like chunky soup and they all loved it! Best of all, once you buy all the core ingredients they will make at least four batches of this soup.

I used:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup korma curry paste
• 2/3 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1/4 cup pearl barely, washed (soaked if you have time)
• 400g tin of diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable stock (Massel is best)
• 1/2 bunch of fresh coriander
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 packet of pappadums

To make, simply heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat then add onion. Cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add curry paste and stir to combine.

Then stir in all remaining ingredients and cover. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes or until barley is tender. Divide between bowls. Top with fresh coriander, serve with pappadums (which can be cooked in the microwave to avoid oily deep frying).

The day Amy discovered this little gem was a very good one.

xo

Caldo Verde

  

Another of my truly amazing vegan creations cooked straight from the delicious Veggie num num. I made a few minor alterations, mostly due to supermarket limitations. Instead of marjoram I used rosemary and oregano, and as I am not a fan of vego sausages, I chose to use sautaed mushrooms rather than sausages or eggplant. For the greens I just used a whole packet of spinach diced, and as per the original I served with fresh lemon squeezed over and drizzeled with olive oil.

Oh my, it was amazing! Topped off with some left over Turkish bread from breakfast, this delicious winter warming soup was like a little hearty party for my tastebuds. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

xo

Scrumptious Breakky squared.

One of my favourite things about the weekends is breakfast. During the week I usually scarf down breakfast as I am running out the door or doing my makeup, or in front of my computer at work, if I even eat it at all. But on the weekend, I love sitting and having a cup of coffee and some toast or cooking up a delicious feast.

I think I outdid myself with brunch yesterday and best of all, it was totally spontaneous. My lovely friend Suz called me to say she was in the neighbourhood and as fate would have it, I actually had food in the house to offer her.

We fried up mushrooms, garlic and Spanish onion, served on a bed of spinach, with fresh avocado seasoned with lemon juice and salt, (TRY IT!) fried free range eggs, topped off with fresh Turkish bread. It was the most delicious brunch I have had in a long time! And it's always so much nicer cooking for someone, rather than just myself.

The Turkish bread was also awesome this morning for breakfast, toasted and slathered in butter and vegemite, a childhood favourite that I will never get sick of.

All in all, it's been a good weekend breakfast-wise.
xo

Vegan Bolognaise = Vegolonaise!

I'm new to this vegetarian thing. I'm not a pure vego, unlike one of my friends who was born and raised without meat and has never even tasted the deliciousness of roast lamb or BBQ pork buns. My other fellow vego/vegan friends are all much more sensitive than I am and after watching Earthlings feel they could never, EVER have another animal's death on their conscience. I feel guilty even admitting this: but sometimes I really miss meat.

I never allow myself to say this out loud. Probably because most of my friends and family thought I was going through some weird hippy faze or a made up detox when I gave up the animal carcasses three months ago. No one really thought it would stick. I can't blame them really, in the past I have ripped a cook chook apart with my bare hands while the soft flesh was still warm, only to shove the drumstick in my mouth and gnaw away happily like a Neanderthal.

Thoughts of never eating mum's Osso buco again or secretly sneaking pork crackling before serving the roast or enjoying delicious Danish Christmas food like roast duck and frikadeller bring so much woe to my heart that I am still not sure if going without these things is worth the principle of not eating meat. But so far I’ve been able to push these things from my mind most of the time because I’m not at home smelling mum’s cooking, my carnivorous housemates rarely cook a roast and Christmas is still seven months away. The meat I miss most of all are my everyday favourites, staples of my meat-eating life, like spaghetti bolognaise.

So when I came across this recipe from the delectable Veggie num num I was pretty excited to give it a whirl and maybe even kill my craving to hoe into the meat again. While I am extremely proud of my efforts over the last three months and have cooked some amazing vego and vegan dishes, this was the first time I tried to make a complete meaty dish into a vegan/vego version, without previous glowing testimonials from friends.

I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, and I was even tempted to ignore the recipe and just make my own up (I was once a kick-ass spag bol aficionado!) But I put my trust in the geniuses behind Veggie num num and was not disappointed. The only changes I made to the recipe was substituting brown lentils for tinned Sanitarium nut mince (available in the health food aisle at the supermarket) as it was already gracing the shelves in my pantry and adding a grated carrot. I also couldn’t quite handle the wholegrain pasta the first time round (I am just not a fan) and used regular spaghetti instead.

The result was vegan deliciousness that was tomatoey and tasty and was freakily almost exactly like spag bol. See for yourself!


So eager to taste was I that I neglected to focus the camera correctly, but you get the idea.
xo

Stuffed Shrooms of Goodness

This recipe is from Amy. I've been meaning to make it for ages, and it did not disappoint! So delicious and simple, portobello mushrooms topped with a mix of cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion, feta, fresh basil, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Then baked and topped with parmesan cheese. Delicious and (somewhat) healthy!

xo

Scrumptious Salad

Dinner tonight was this delicious vermicelli noodle salad. It's so quick, easy and healthy and tastes delicious.

For the salad I used:

• 100g vermicelli noodles
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, grated
• 1/2 red capsicum, diced
• 1 tin of four bean mix, drained
• a sprinkle of sesame seeds

And for the dressing:

• 1tb soy sauce
• 1tb lime juice
• 1tb sweet chilli sauce
• 1/2tb sesame oil

Soak the noodle for five mins in boiling water, then drain them and cut them into small pieces with kitchen scissors. Add the noodles to the rest of the salad ingredients and toss.

For the dressing just combine all the sauces in a small jar or tupperware container and shake to fuse the flavours.

Top with a few extra sesame seeds and you're done!

Best of all this salad is totally vegan. And totally delicious!

(You could add some left over cooked chicken if you so desire as well)

xo

Delicious Vegan Curry

I made this delicious chickpea curry on Sunday night and have been eating it ever since. Best of all, without even meaning to, I made it totally vegan. It was also super easy to make.

I used:

• 1 finely diced onion
• garam masala
• cumin
• turmeric
• paprika
• 2 cups vege stock
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 1 tin chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
• spinach, to add just before serving

I basically combined all the ingredients and simmered it slowly for the flavours to go through the dish. I kept adding more spices, and realised after it was lacking in cardamon later, but the curry was still sweet and delicious and so healthy. I like my curry mild, so I didn't add any chilli, but if you want extra kick a finely sliced red chilli would do the trick.

And to make the golden Indian style rice, just add turmeric to the basmati while it is cooking and it comes out yellow and perfect!

xo

Vego Delish!

My lunch from today is proof that vegetarians can still eat amazing, delicious food.

Main course: Sourdough baguette with lettuce, semi dried tomatoes, red capsicum, Lebanese cucumber, philadelphia cheese and Spanish onion.

Dessert: low fat banana cake I baked (SUCH a good recipe with only 1/4 cup of sugar!) and coffee.

YUM!

This is my 27th day without meat and I honestly hardly miss it. Charlie Sheen, THIS is winning.

xo