Burger Rice

Being flour free means I have to get creative with "burgers".
This is a great option that has all the flavour of a burger, but without either the pattie or the bread! 
Even my flour-eating family enjoyed it! 

I did this in our pressure cooker. But you could always make it over a stove and just stir through cooked brown rice. 

BURGER RICE

Instructions:
    In a pressure cooker on saute function combine:
        1 finely chopped onion
        2 garlic cloves

    Stir until browned. Add splashes of water if needed.

    Add:
        1 cup brown rice
        1 can black eyed peas, drained
        4 chopped mushrooms
        And 1 cup water. 

    Cook on high for 15 mins. 
    Then release the pressure. 

    Stir through:
        2 chopped tomatoes
        1/4 cup finely chopped pickles
        2 Tablespoons tomato sauce
        2 teaspoons dijon mustard
        1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
        2 Tablespoons nooch

               Now serve as desired! :D 

    

Delicious in a lettuce wrap. Or you can just make a burger bowl with a side salad! 

Think you'll give burger rice a try or not?

Bit-like Anzac Cookies!

Ok, I admit I should of posted this a few days ago so you could all benefit from making these delicious cookies....... but surely it clear by now that my blogging mojo left the building quite a few years ago! 
Now sadly I will admit, I have been making this new version of Anzac cookies for the last few years but never made the time to sit down and blog them! 

WELL TODAY IS YOUR LUCKY DAY! ;-) 

How did these cookies come about when I already have a recipe for Anzac Biscuits..... 
Well we haven't had coconut in the house for over 4 years now, and I eat virtually flour free so I decided to make a varied version of the one I already published all those years ago! 

Ok, I know that it's not very traditional to make Anzac cookies without coconut, but when you're limiting saturated fat this version sure gives you the mouth feel of a traditional Anzac cookie, but without the unhealthy fat. I decided to add golden syrup instead of rice malt to this recipe as I really feel like it is what truly reminds me of Anzac cookies! 

ENJOY! 

        You'll need:
        (Makes 8 thick cookies)
                1 cup rolled oats
                1 cup oatbran
                1/3 cup muscavao or brown sugar
                1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
                2 Tablespoons golden syrup
                1 teaspoon coconut essense
                1 teaspoon bi-carb soda
                2 Tablespoons boiling water

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. 

Add the wet ingredients EXCEPT for the bi-carb/water but don't mix yet. 

Mix the bicarb in a small ramekin with the boiling water. When it bubbles, add it to your mixing bowl and stir all ingredients gently til well combined and the mixture holds together. 

Don't overstir.

With wet hands press the mixture into 8 cookies and bake in a preheated 180C over for 10-15 mins til desired done-ness (is that even a word?!?!!!).

I found these a little more crumbly than the original recipe, obviously the flour impacts that. I enjoy this texture more of this version and I also enjoy them a little thicker- thus why I consider them a "cookie" compared to a biscuit! I also enjoyed the golden syrup considerably more than the rice malt! 

TO be honest, I"ll never go back to making them the previous way - probably because I"ll never buy coconut again!! haha ;-) 

If you try both - let me know which version you prefer! 

Creamy Steel Cut Carrot Oats

I quite enjoy making our family a weekend brekkie all together! 
Lately I have been thoroughly enjoying adding zucchini or carrot to our breakfast porridge. 
Today's recipe for you is a great way to sneak in some veggies for your family, or yourself! It really bulks up the oats in a favourable low calorie density way! 
I cooked these steel cut oats in the pressure cooker as it meant I could get my morning walk in without having to stir over the stove! I also really like the creamy texture that cooking steel cut oats in the pressure cooker results in. However, if you don't have a pressure cooker - this would work on a stove top as well :-) 

            CREAMY STEEL CUT CARROT OATS

                Makes 4 servings: (pending your appetite!)

                You'll need:
                    1 cup steel cut oats
                    1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond mylk
                    1 1/2 cups water
                    2 carrots, shredded 
                    1 teaspoon vanilla
                    1 teaspoon cinnamon
                    1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, nutmeg
                    1 Tablespoon raisins (optional)

                Place all the ingredients into the pressure cooker. 
                Set to low temperature and cook for 10 mins. 
                Serve with desired toppings! 

(I'm not great with technology 'stuff' -
but this link ~might~ show you a pic of how creamy they are fresh from the pressure cooker!) 

Mine was topped with frozen cherries, flax and my homemade yogurt.....
and of course my mandatory breakfast item of orange zest! 

I just loooooooooooove orange zest so much! 

The leftovers were turned into an upside down breakfast plate the next day!
I put it in a bowl overnight, then in the morning used a spatula to turn it upside-down on a plate and topped it with mango, berries, yogurt, cinnamon and.....orange zest of course!

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Would there be leftovers of these creamy oats in your house or not?
What toppings would you use for the oats or the upside-down plate?
I reckon walnuts would also be a tasty addition! 

Vegan Mofo Day 13 No packing snacking!!! - Almond Mylk Pulp Crackers

Today's prompt for vegan mofo is snacks without packaging.

I shared on my facebook page a video of how quick & easy it is to make homemade almond mylk.
It's as simple as blending soaked almonds with water and straining the mixture! You can, of course, add any vanilla or sweeteners that you desire.

Even though this way of making almond mylk, most times, ends up less expensive than store bought versions, and without the additives that are so common in plant based mylks, the end result of making your own mylk is pulp!  

Now if you're like me, you don't want to just throw it away..... so the question remains, what to do with all the pulp! 

My daughter loves these crackers made from the almond mylk pulp!
They are easy to make and are a great snack or addition to a lunch plate.

ALMOND MYLK PULP CRACKERS

               You'll need:
                      1 batch of almond mylk pulp (about 1.5 cups)
                      1/2 cup wholemeal flour
                      2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
                      2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary - finely chopped
                         (you can substitute other herbs if you desire)

In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients together. 

Depending on how dry your pulp is, you may need to add 

spoonfuls of water until the mixture is just combined. 

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the mixture over it. 

Top with another sheet of baking paper and use a rolling pin 

to roll out the mixture until approx. 1 cm thick. 

Using a pizza cutter score the mixture.

Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 20-25 minutes until 

crackers are crisp, golden and cooked through. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray. 

Break apart the pieces. 

Question of the day:
Do you make your own motherless mylk?
If so, which type do you make, and how do you use up the pulp?

Vegan Mofo Day 12 Spicy without heat! - Mexican Baked Mushrooms

Today's mofo prompt is "Spicy without chilies".

Mexican food is often made with chilies and yet for those who don't like heat 

Mexican food also had a lot of flavour.

Here I show you how to enjoy some Mexican flavours without adding any chili..... 

and for those of you who do like heat you can always add some chili in!

This is a meal idea without exact quantities stated. The reason I do this is because I always like to encourage people to get experimental in their kitchen and enjoy the cooking process. It a wonderful way to realise that creative meals don't have to be time consuming or difficult to make. Whenever I make meals like this I make a comment to my husband "It's not that hard to make quick, easy yet enjoyable vegan meals! Why do some restaurants find it so difficult!"


MEXICAN BAKED PORTOBELLO'S

                            You'll need:

                                   Large portobello mushrooms

                                   Cooked black beans

                                   Can or tub of diced tomatoes

                                   Mexican spice mix/taco mix or

                                       - paprika, cumin, coriander & oregano

                                   Avocado

                                   And a batch of my basic cheese sauce

Remove the stems from the mushrooms.
Place them in a microwave proof container with 1cm of water and heat for 2 mins. This helps to soften them and significantly reducing oven cooking time.

In a mixing bowl combine the black beans, tomatoes and spices.
Drain the water from the mushrooms and place them in an oven proof dish.
Fill the mushrooms generously with the black bean/tomato mixture and bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 15-20 minutes until mushrooms have cooked through and the black bean mixture is hot. 

Pour a freshly made batch of cheese sauce over the top of the mushrooms 

and serve with slices of fresh avocado.

I feel like this meal looks a little fancy and if I got served this 

at a restaurant I'd be more than happy! 

What do you reckon!!! Does it look fancy enough to be a restaurant meal?

Question of the day: 

What meals do you make at home that are a little bit fancy?

Vegan Mofo Day 11 Dessert without sugar - Apple Donuts

Today's vegan mofo theme is "Dessert without added sugar"
In my opinion there's no better way to value the natural sweetness of fruit than by drastically reducing your sugar intake. And not just "sugar" but all forms of added sweeteners. 

You've probably all seen apple nacho's doing the rounds on various blogs and I've been making them for my daughter for many many years.....

BUT have you ever seen apple donuts???

Here's a bit of fun way to eat apples to give you inspiration for a tasty & healthy dessert without any sugar! 

APPLE DONUTS

Slice apple into 1cm thick pieces across the core. 

Cut the core out using an apple corer.

Spread with a variety of nut butters. 

Top with seeds and/or fresh or dried fruit. 

Delicious! :D

Question of the day:
What's your favourite fruit to eat?

I would have to say that probably raspberries and mango are my favourite fruits, but I sure do love a fresh crisp apple with nut butter too! 

Vegan Mofo Day 10 Baking without Flour - Breakfast Brownie

Today's vegan mofo prompt is "Baking without Gluten".
Whilst this recipe *may* contain gluten due to the oats, it is a flour free recipe which is something that is very relevant to me as I shared in my Introduction Post! For a guaranteed gluten free version you can substitute quinoa flakes in place of the oats.
I am quite enjoying my flour free life and with delicious breakfast treats like this, it's no wonder that I am not feeling deprived at all!
It would also make a great dessert for anyone who wants a little after dinner treat! 

Single Serve Black Bean Breakfast Brownie

                                  You'll need:
                                        1/2 cup cooked black beans
                                        1 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
                                        1/2 teaspoon cacao powder
                                        1/4 cup rolled oats
                                        1 small overripe banana
                                        1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all the ingredients together in a mini food processor and pulse until lightly combined (best to keep some chunks for added satiety - Chew your food!). Add a splash of water if it's needed to combine the mixture into a thick batter. The water may or may not be needed depending on the size and ripeness of your banana and how well your beans are cooked.
Pour mixture into a silicone baking mould. I press my mixture into a quarter of a large square one. It doesn't spread as it cooks so this works well. Bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 20 minutes until cooked through and edges are crispy.

Delicious served with yogurt and berries.

Showing the pieces of banana and beans so you can see it's not pulsed thoroughly. 

*I find this sweet enough with just the banana, however if you'd like a sweeter version you can add 1 Tablespoon date paste to the batter.
*Multiply quantities if you want to make a multiple serves.