Asian Lunch Salad

Look what I found 'new' at the supermarket the other day!

Here is what I did with my broad beans!
Hoping to make a dip next time, so stay turned for my experiments in frozen broad beans.

What you'll need:
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen broad beans
80g snow peas
1/2 red capsicum
1/4 cup water chestnuts
1 shallot
1 buk choy
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon chili
30g peanuts

Slice the mushrooms and capsicum. Top and tail the snow peas & cut into bite size pieces.
Saute the mushrooms in a frying pan until they start to brown. Set aside.
Place the broad beans in the frying pan with a small amount of water and allow to simmer til the water is nearly evaporate.

Add the snow peas, capsicum, water chestnuts, chili and ginger in the frypan & stir fry until warmed through.
Add back the mushrooms and continue to fry until all ingredients are warmed through.
Chop the buk choy and keep the leaves separate from the stem. Add the stem to the stir fry & cook until its softened.

Place the salad in a bowl & add the buk choy leaves. The heat of the salad will gently wilt the leaves without over cooking them. Mix the salad around.
Top with the peanuts.

 All set for the office lunch now!

Serves 1

Food Inc.

Documentary Review: Food Inc.

I watched the documentary, "Food, Inc." on the weekend.
It shows in considerable depth, the way that food is produced.
I was totally BLOWN AWAY to say the least!

I know this is an American produced movie, but something tells me that nothing is any better in Australia when it comes to food!
I had NO IDEA that the large majority of food was controlled by so few, yet hugely powerful companies. Scary really.

I found it encouraging that it promoted that each individual consumer has some power. I guess we often think, "well what does my little bit count" and this movie just shows THAT IT DOES!

I was also encouraged that for those who choose to consume animal products, there is a somewhat more humane way of doing it. Not that I personally agree with it, but there is a way that produces much less pain & suffering for animals both during their life & during the slaughter process.

We all know that genetically modified foods are quite a threat to our health & our environment but I think the extent that 'regular' foods are being over-processed is now equally as scary! Have you ever stopped to think about what is considered "basic products" and exactly how much processing they have gone through?
Bread, pasta, milk............

I kinda feel also that people tend to think that buying from a local supermarket isn't really that bad. I guess this documentary has definitely changed the way I feel about that!
I personally plan to make more of an effort now to get to our local farmers market & show my support for fruit & veggies that are grown locally & in a way that is less harmful to the environment.


Here is the official website for the documentary.
And here is the Movie Database link.

Recommended viewing score 5/5
I think this is a must see. Not just for people who choose to consume plant-based foods, but everyone.
We can all make a difference to our environment. A little bit each, adds up to a heck of a lot in total! 

Adzuki Bean Soup

I love aduzki beans.
I wonder why they aren't as popular in cans as many other types of beans???

Thankfully they aren't hard to cook.
My favourite way to have them is in my adzuki bean burgers.
They are also really yummy in soup.  

For this soup you'll need:
1 x 800g tin whole peeled tomatoes
1 cup uncooked adzuki beans
1 leek
1 large brown onion

I use my slow cooker for this soup. You could do it on a stove top if you wanted to also.
I put the adzuki beans in the slow cooker and pour boiling water over them & leave it to soak overnight.
In the morning, I drain & rinse the beans & then place them back into the slow cooker along with the tomatoes, & the chopped leek & onion. I add about a cup of water.
Lid on & let the slow cooker do its thing for the next 8 hours on low.
I find this amount of time also works well for actually cooking the beans so its handy not to have to cook them separately first.
If you can stir the soup every 2 hours it will help the tomatoes to break apart - or else just do it at the end :-) They will be so soft that the side of a soup spoon will gently break the tomatoes into pieces that you can then stir through the rest of the soup.

I love my slow cooker - it makes Tuesday evenings wonderful! :-)

Serve in bowls with a sprinkling of dried oregano - or fresh basil if you have some on hand.

Simple Apple Cake - just for one!

This is a great little cake - so easy to make & it takes no time at all.
Wonderful as an afternoon treat or dessert..... or anytime you want really.

I love Pyrex jugs for mixing in, of course you can use another jug or small bowl.
This is what you put in it!

1/2 cup spelt flour
1 teaspoon dry sweetner (I used stevia)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Mix the flours together until well combined.
Make a well in the center and add:
2 tablespoons applesauce
2 tablespoons vanilla soymilk

Combine well.

Pour into a ramekin that has been lightly sprayed with oil.
I must admit I did use a rather 'large' ramekin for this one. Its diameter is 10cm.
Microwave for 1minute20seconds (this was in our 1100W microwave). You may need to adjust time slightly for your own microwave. I recommend doing 20 second intervals.

You know the cake is done when you lightly press in the center and its not sticky & will spring back up.

While the cake is cooking (such hard work that it is) combine 1 tablespoon applesauce with 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar. Mix well.

Pour over the warm cake & sprinkle broken piece of nuts on top. Pecans go well with apple flavour.

These are spoon marks I promise!

Banana Soft Serve

This is a quick & easy way to make "ice-cream"
Fantastic for kids too - not full of sugar like store bought soft serve.

You'll need:

2 frozen bananas
1 heaped tablespoon smooth        natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon of cacao powder (or cocoa powder if you choose)
2 tablespoon chocolate soymilk

Put into a mini food processor and blend til well combined.

Pour into a serving glass & sprinkle with granulated nuts.

Choc-molten Cake

mmmmmmmmmmm, so goo-d!
Who doesn't love warm & gooey chocolate inside a cake???

OK, so yes I was craving chocolate!
I just wanted the most chocolate I could put in my mouth at once.....
And chocolate I got!


In a small jug or bowl, combine:

1/3 cup self raising flour
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
1 heaped tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup soymilk
Stir until well combined & the mixture forms a batter.

Lightly spray with oil a ramekin.
Pour half of the batter into the ramekin.
Gently press 2 cubes (or more if you desire) into the batter - not all the way to the bottom though.
Cover the chocolate cubes with the remainder of the batter.
Optionsal: Put 2 more chocolate cubes on the top of the cake and gently press into the batter.

Microwave for 1 minute.
You could also place it in the oven if you desired, 15 mins on 180 should do the trick. But that would be far too long for me to wait when craving chocolate ;-)


Be careful when removing the ramekin from the microwave as it could be quite hot.

Scrap down the sides of the ramekin to help release the cake.
Put in a bowl & devour....
Serves one ONLY!

Added Choc Top Option

My first attempt at Seitan!

Can you believe I've been vegan now for over 5 years and I've never tried Seitan???
Today I broke the fast ;-)

I was never brave enough before - it was time to conquer my fear.
And conquer I did.....
and boy I was glad I did!

Quite yummy.
Will definitely experiment further.

I used the recipe in the book Appetite For Reduction
Here's the process:

Bring stock and soy sauce to boiling point

Mixing all the ingredients together

Ready to knead

Cut into pieces

Flattening the pieces out
After I'd done this I watched a you tube video & realised I should of used a rolling pin - dough!

Putting the pieces into the boiling stock

Simmer for an hour

Strain

All done!
Can be eatten like this or.....

...like this!
The crumbing process

Crumbed & ready to go

Frying the schnitzels
I started out as a water fry & it didn't really work so I just added a teaspoon of oil

And then, finally, dinner was done :-)
So worth the wait!