WIAW - Back to school.....

I hate school.
I always have.
I hated it when I was a child & now that I have my own child, I still hate it!!!
So it was with a very sad face that I set my alarm last night to make sure that I woke up in time to do the regular chaotic prepartion that is a regular school morning.

However, I am not here to complain about the day that was inevitably going to come regardless of how much I dreaded it!
I'm here to share with you What-I-Ate-Wednesday!
Thanks again to Jenn from the peasandcrayons blog for being such a fantastic host! Add your link to join in the fun :-)

Breakfast was polenta porridge with berries:

My daughter informed me this morning that this was her "favourite breakfast". I was quite surprised by this remark because I'm sure I haven't been told that before! Not to mention that it isn't particularly a regular in our home. Then again, kids say anything is their favourite if they are enjoying it at the time. Isn't that right?!?!? ;-)
 
Of course there's always my morning coffee (though I don't usually take a picture of it!).
It tastes better out of a Jemima Puddle Duck mug you know ;-)



Lunch was a wrap with leftover lentil bolognese & lettuce.....

.......accompanied by a brown rice salad with spinach.

 My husband often jokes about my 2nd, 3rd or 4th lunch! ;-) Today there was only 2 lunches!

In the afternoon I put my juicer to work on celery, kale & apples.

For dinner I had spaghetti with aduki bean & veg bolognese..... and totally forgot to take a picture! ~shame~ 
I even had the camera sitting right next to my cooking area!


And last but definitely not least was the delicious dessert that I shared with my hubbie - waffles with chocolate banana soft serve!

Proof that even days that start out bad can have a good ending!

Apple Sponge Cake

Everyone loves apple sponge cake right?!? 

This is a light and fluffy cake with delicious soft apple pieces on top 

- that's fat free! :-)

So enjoy...

You'll need:
1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup ricemilk (or other plant milk of choice)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup pie apples
2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a measuring jug combine the milk & vinegar. Allow to sit for 5 mins.
Meanwhile, combine the flour, baking powder & sugar in a large bowl. Mix well.

Make a well in the middle of the flour & add the milk mixture, apple sauce and vanilla. Fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 

Put the pie apples into a small mixing bowl. Chop any large pieces into small pieces. Stir in the cinnamon and mix well. 

Line a 20cm round baking tin with baking paper. 
Pour the cake mixture into the base. Top with the apple mixture focusing on the middle of the cake as shown:

Bake in a preheated 180C oven for 45 mins or until cooked through when poked with a skewer.

Cool in tin for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: You can reduce the sugar if using sweetened applesauce.

Miso Eggplant and Kale

You know I'm a fan of simple dishes right?!?

I swear it doesn't get any easier than this!

And yet the flavour combination is just so delicious you'll feel like it should of taken you hours to prepare ;-)

In a large frying pan combine:

• 1 medium size eggplant, cut into thick fry size strips

• 1/2 bunch of kale, stem removed, leaves torn

• 2 Tablespoons miso paste

• 4 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1/2 cup water

Put a lid over the frying pan & leave for 15 minutes.

Come back to a delicious smell, softened eggplant, & slightly wilted kale leaves.

Serve over brown rice or other grain of choice.

Join Healthy Vegan Fridays at the veggienook.

WIAW - Last week of the holidays

Well last week of holidays for all the lucky kiddies who get 6 weeks off....... but some of us are already back to work ;-)
Do you ever look back & think about how many things you took for granted as a child???

I prepared the slow cooker to do its job for me before I left for work this morning:

Breakfast was soaked oats topped with applesauce, flax seeds, raisins & cinnamon.

Instead of my standard lunch of salad at work I enjoyed some leftover kale & eggplant on brown rice. The picture truly doesn't do justice for how good this tasted!

Here's my snacks for the afternoon. I've been in love with nectarines this season! They seem so much more juicy and tasty compared to last year!

I was very grateful for the slow cooker when I had a 1 hour 50 minute drive home. To be greeted with this delicious soup was just divine! :-)
I did follow this lovely meal with a waffle and banana ice-cream, but I ate it too quick to get a pic in ;-)

You can add your post to what i ate wednesday by checking out the peas and crayons blog!

Mexican Layered Pie

Here's a twist on the traditional Mexican wrap!
It looks amazing to serve as a dish. It keeps well, and makes for great leftovers that can be easily transported.
My daughter loves the way the tortilla layers become similar to "pastry"!

You'll need:
1 can black beans
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can corn kernels
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
4 tortillas (or more)
1/4 cup salsa
Optional: chilli

Drain the beans & place them in a bowl with the cumin, paprika, oregano & chilli (if using). Mash the beans well. Add the tomatoes and combine.

Place one tortilla on the bottom of a large circular casserole dish. 
Top with 1/3 of the bean mixture. Spread evenly over the tortilla. Place 1/3 of the drained corn on top of the bean mix.

 




Follow with a tortilla, more bean mix & more corn.
Repeat 3 layers.
Finish with a tortilla layer & then spread the top of the last tortilla with the salsa.

Bake at 200C for 20 minutes.

Slice and serve.

 

Baked Cannellini Bean Stew

This is a really easy dinner that is tasty & can be served with many different sides.
Also great as a leftover on toast!

You'll need:
2 x 420g can cannellini beans
1 x 310g can creamed corn
1 zucchini
1 teaspoon sage

Drain the beans. Mash one can.
Add the creamed corn and mix well. Add the other can of beans, but don't mash those ones. 
Grate the zucchini into the mixture & add the sage. Stir until well combined.

Pour mixture into a lightly oil-sprayed pie dish.
Bake at 200C for 35 minutes until golden brown on top. You will see the bean/corn mixture bubbling around the sides. The top will be crusty and the mixture underneath will be moist & tasty! 

Serve!

Potato Waffles

BEST ALTERNATIVE TO HOT CHIPS EVER!!!

These are so easy to make.  They don't take long and they can be served in so many ways.
Enjoy by itself, with tomato sauce, in a bread roll (who doesn't love a hot chip roll!!!???) served with salad, as a side or use them as a 'sandwich' to mix and match your veggies between 2 waffle potatoes!




Place potatoes in the microwave for 10 minutes with enough water to cover them completely. Drain the water and make sure the skin is dry.




Place a potato in a preheated waffle iron.


 






Press the lid til completely closed. The potato will squash down.

Heat for approx 4-6 minutes per potato.
You can press more than one potato at a time if you like. This will depend on the size potatoes you choose. 

Do not lift the lid if you think the potato is going to stick, it means it's not cooked enough yet. This will pull the potato apart. If in doubt, wait a bit longer! 

They will just get more crispy!

Banana English Toast

What do you get when you cross an English muffin with French toast?

ENGLISH TOAST OF COURSE! :D

Upon having quite a few 'brown' bananas leftover this week I decided to include them in this recipe - its a great flavour hit & yet still has that lovely taste of French toast that everyone knows :-)

Combine in a blender:
1 banana
1/2 cup soymilk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend until it becomes a smooth, it will still be thick.


Place the milk mixture into a tray/dish.
Cut your English muffins in half and place in the milk mixture and allow to sit absorb for about 30 seconds.



Flip the muffins over & allow the other side to absorb the milk mixture also.

 


Place the moistened muffins in a frying pan on high heat.
Dry fry for approx 3 minutes each side until golden brown. The edges will be crusty.

Serve with your choice of fresh fruit or syrup.

The Same but Different

The great debate:

Feeding omni's and vego's in the same meal..... is it possible?

The answer is simply YES.

It might take a little bit more work but its not 'hard'.

Over Christmas I read a long debate on a discussion website about how many vego's still cook meat for their friends and family even though they hate doing it! 
I regularly have to practice this skill since there is NO WAY I could convince family members to eat vegan meals with me!
So in this post I'll give some practical tips on how to make meals that compliment both appetites!

Below you'll find a list of great ways that you can share a meal that is "The Same but Difference" - a phrase that my hubbie and I often have a little laugh about ;-)


Shepherds pies - made with lentils in place of the meat. Try this recipe for a fab lentil shepherd pie.

Enjoy a meal of mash and pies together. Pie fillings can be as creative or as simple as you please! Same goes for 'bangers and mash' - plenty of faux meat options to make easy similar meals.

Left - meat pie                                    Right - mushroom pie

           

Another easy option is to have burgers together. I love a good veggie burger! Why not try this lentil pattie recipe.

Bolognese - Try using a bean or lentil bolognese over pasta, along with a mince bolognese.

Meat balls are another great option that can easily be turned vego! Try using lentils, red kidney beans, okara or gluten flour to make meatless balls.

   Left - regular mince meat balls                           Right - okara 'meat' balls

Pizza! - this has got to be one of the easiest meals to share together. Vego pizza options are endless - just make sure you top it with pizza cheeze sauce.

Stir fry's are also easy to just make the same vegetable base & just top with either tofu or other.

Roast Dinner - can easily keep everyone happy - esp on a cold winters night. Veggie roast are endless, try using legumes of all kinds, nut roast or if you're having a lazy day there are some amazing premade store-bought roast available too.

Left - chicken roast dinner                                                                Right - seitan roast dinner

Baked Loafs - along with a meat loaf  you could serve a lentil loaf or bean loaf.

Lasagne - another great dish that can easily been turned veg. Try this version for a very 'meaty' option!!!

Check out this version of home-made 'Cheese and Bacon Muffin' breakfast:

Tofu bacon with tofutti cheese slice & hash browns. Now surely that is "The Same but Different" to an omni's meal!!!


Is that enough meals to make you feel like you can eat veg in an omni setting???

Better still - why not tell your friends and family about all the benefits of a plant-based diet???

You never know - they may just look at your meal and decide it's equally delicious!

Not only for their health, but for the many lives of animals that suffer for our dinner plates.

Decide on a vegan resolution you won't regret it!