1000 Vegan Recipes... it begins!

In December last year I got '1000 Vegan Recipes', by Robin Robertson. I was very excited, as I have had excellent use from 'Vegan Planet'. 1000 recipes is a lot of recipes, so I will certainly have my work cut out for me to make any sort of a dent in this book. The good news is that I am slowly but surely making progress. This means that I have an insane amount of photos to share! Here are some of the first recipes I made when I got the book.


The first thing I made was Maple Baked Beans and Creamy Coleslaw. This coleslaw is fantastic, just like the creamy goodness from days gone by. Delicious! And it makes a huge amount too, so I had lots of leftovers. Nom. The baked beans were good too, very saucy. The sauce was quite sweet, having maple in it and all, but sadly lacked the kick of some other baked beans.


Ginger Tofu with Citrus-Hoisin Sauce caught my eye early on, with good reason - it is quite nummy. It also kick started my new obsession with steamed broccoli as my vegetable side - so you will be seeing it often in my photos to come!


Coconut-Peanut Chickpeas and Vegetables is a tasty little number. I made a few teeny alterations to the instructions. I didn't drain the can of diced tomatoes, because I forgot, but you can see it was still a nice, thick sauce. And the flavour was in no way diluted. Also in the original recipe you put the baby spinach in with 12 minutes to go. I added the spinach closer to the end, so it didn't end up a soggy smooshy mess.


I found the Lemon-Kissed Linguine with Garlicky White Bean Sauce to be a little bit dry, and I think that it would be better with stronger lemon and garlic flavours. But a few easy tweaks and you are just a few minutes away from a quick weeknight dinner. I served it with roasted asparagus, which was a great addition.


My dad picked this recipe as the next off the ranks. It is Pineapple-Glazed Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes. It doesn't really mention how to cut the tempeh in the recipe, so I ended up using one and a half 300g blocks of tempeh and cutting them into six nice big squares. Served over rice, and with some steamed broccoli.


A dessert! Sunset Fruit Pudding seemed like just the thing for a summer evening (these recipes were made back in December and January). A simple puree of mango, strawberries and bananas... too easy! It tasted kind of like a smoothie.


Penne Baked with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce was something I made when my eggplant-loving friend came over for dinner. The recipe calls for 375g (12oz) of dried penne, but I only used 250g (8oz) and it still made four big serves.


I made this one night when I was cooking for one and I had not planned anything. This comes together very easily. It is Inspired by Spaghetti with White Clam Sauce.


For the last photo today, a tasty little combination suggested by the book. Chipotle-Painted Baked Tofu and Quinoa and Mixed Vegetable Saute. The tofu recipe calls to be baked for 20 minutes, but I ended up baking and grilling it ala VWAV/Vcon and it came out nice and chewy. The quinoa and vegetable saute was really yummy. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of dry quinoa, but I only used one cup and it still made heaps. I added some extra vegetables to the saute as well.

Still so much to cook and share! I have been using 1000 Vegan Recipes a lot, but of course I am using my other cookbooks as well still (I recently fell in love with VWAV all over again), so I have a massive backlog of photos to share with you. Slowly, but surely, I hope we'll get there!

(1000 Vegan Recipes blogged: 1.1% -> this will keep us all updated on my progress with this book... still a long way to go!)

Kitty Photo of the Post


This is my little Sahara. Any time I leave *anything* on the bed, she immediately claims it as some extra padding for her delicate sleep. A week and a half ago, Sahara became very ill and had to spend some time at work on fluids. I was very sad, I am sure you can imagine. Lots of tests later we had no reason for why she became so sick, but after 48 hours she decided that she was all better. She is now back home and is absolutely fine and dandy, and I am very relieved!

A bundt in the oven.

Oh hai! So... it's been a while. A very long while. I hope everyone has been having a grand old time! What have I been doing? Well, I have been working for one! I am no longer on call (hurrah!) unless people are away (boo) but I am now working more hours during the rostered week. Kitties are still awesome to work with! I have also started doing a part-time research masters, looking at diabetic cats in remission. It's a great project, and is something that hasn't been looked at before! So I am also working in that around the working.

Also, something rather horrid happened. I lost my baking mojo. Towards the end of last year, the constant sleep deprivation and stress of being on call so much crushed that mojo like a bug. I was still cooking so that I could eat, but baking and blogging were just off the radar.

But good news kids! All that has changed. And it is all thanks to my beautiful silicon bundt pan. Hence the name of the post... I am certainly in no way procreating! I have had it for ages, but was a bit cautious to use it. I had some bad experiences with cheap silicon destroying my baking. But this is not cheap, it is GLORIOUS!


Behold! This is a Chocolate-Rum Coffee Cake from 1000 Vegan Recipes (more on that book to come!). I made it for my friend Jen's birthday party. I was just so in love with the look of it when it came out of that pan! And it was delicious! I was a bit wary of the coffee part of it, because I think that coffee is ick, but it really just adds to the depth of flavour.

I had so much fun that I did it again the next week!


I made Lemon-Coconut Bundt Cake from Veganomicon to take to my friend Shelley's scrapbooking party. Again, it is super cute. And also it is really yummy, and very moist. People seemed to like it!

So, back in the kitchen with joy AND back on the blog world. I'll be blogging every now and then, when the mood strikes, so as not to put too much pressure on myself. But check back! Now I have to catch up on a zillion posts in Google Reader.

Kitty Picture of the Post


Check out my beautiful sleeping Gizmo. Gizmo would like any kind and healing thoughts you might have to spare. She has a chronic urinary tract infection. She's on antibiotics at the moment (I have to inject her every second day because the tablets make her vomit) to start to clear it up, then she needs to have a bladder and kidney ultrasound to see if there is any nastiness causing it. So hugs for my kitty, please!

(1000 Vegan Recipes blogged: 0.1%... more on this soon)

Birthday with the Jens.

I had some more lovely birthday fun, courtesy of the Jens. The dinner my family cooked for me was two days after my birthday. My actual birthday was on a Saturday, and I was informed to be ready and waiting for pick up at 4pm for a mystery afternoon and evening!


First there was bowling, which is always fun! The Jens had also obtained a tiara (with pink flashing gems) and an 'It's My Birthday' badge for me to wear, which thoughtfully helped me blend in with the crowd.


Afterwards we went for dinner at Loving Hut, where they arranged for my passionfruit cheesecake to come with a little something extra. It has been a long time since anyone has sung happy birthday to me in a restaurant with the lights turned down!

After dinner, we went back to Little Jen's place and played on the Wii, which I had never experienced before. We played Mario something or rather, which was rather fun if a little frustrating. Then I played this game called My Vet Practice, or something... which is completely crap and full of LIES and contains no actually correct veterinary information within it. So I got a little cranky at it. ;)

The next day, Little Jen and I went to a Green Living Festival. To be honest, it was kind of a disappointment. But we did buy these awesome herb towers - I am in the process of finishing planting mine up at the moment so photos will come soon! Also it was at the same place as the weekly Mount Gravatt Farmer's Markets, so at least I got some nice fruit and vegetables!

Afterwards, because it was a glorious day, we went for an impromptu picnic down by the bay.


We had outselves a lovely spread - rolls, greens, beetroot, tomatoes, hummus, avocado and sprouts. Ignore the cheese slices and tuna cans - they are in no way associated with me! I just forgot to take them out of the photo.


After lunch, we had a kindy nap under the trees!


And then went for a lovely walk along the bay. Unfortunately, despite all my best efforts I did get rather sunburned. *sigh* But it was a lovely day. :D

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post


Behold this amazing sight! Dim Sim in voluntary contact with Sahara! This has only been witnessed one other tme in history, and is caught here on camera to prove it happens. The previous time had been because Sahara and I were sitting in front of our little fan heater in Sydney, and Dim Sim (who is a heat hog) crept in. But here she is, touching Sahara, on my mother's lap. Why? Who knows. It hasn't happened again.

Happy birthday to.... me!

My birthday was in November. As I make a special menu for each member of my family for their birthdays, my brother and mother have been doing the same for me. This was the second year that they had made me a special birthday dinner, chosen by me. I generally pick relatively easy things (I don't think I am going to suddenly whack them with a seitan roast or homemade sausages... though they are both improtant life skills), but it is always a delicious dinner!


Here are my miniony monkeys... cook monkeys... COOOOK!


My first course was Rosemary White Bean Salad, from Donna Hay Magazine issue 44 (May/June 2009). This is delicious, just fantastic flavours and so simple.


With some grilled baguette on the side. Nom!


The main course was Penne With Eggplant Caponata from Delicious Magazine May 2009 and a side of Lemon-Broiled Green Beans from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. A wonderful combination! Sprinkled liberally with nooch of course.


And dessert was a Rhubarb Crumble, from the Maggie's Kitchen cookbook. I LOVE rhubarb, and this was great!

So thank you family for a lovely birthday dinner! It was extremely yummy, and it is nice every now and then to do no work and then have something delicious miraculously appear on the table. ;)

Next up - more birthday celebrations and a post-birthday picnic!

Cute Kitty Picture of the Post


This is a beautiful photo of my beautiful first kitty ever Mo. I think this was quite soon after my parents brought her home - which means I wasn't even born yet!

Welcome back blog!

I have returned after a random and rather lengthy break from blogging. I cannot be sure why I was not, I just wasn't. Part of it may have been a recent change in my job structure. I used to do a 30 hour week with three nights on call, which sucked the big one after doing it for two years! But now I am FREE! Oh yes, I am just your regular 38-hour-a-week with no on-call vet. WOOT! Surely this should mean more time for blogging? Well, there has been some adjusting to working several very long days in a row... equally a tired Susan. A tired but happy Susan. And now I am pretty much adapted to my happy new work life, so here I am! Even though I have been away from blogging, I have still been very busy cooking, baking, taking food photos and - of course - eating!

A while ago (a very long while ago) I took part in a package swap organised by Cooking For A Vegan Lover. My partner was the only other Australian to take part, the lovely Mandee of Cupcake Kitteh. This is the fantastic package she sent me (which was received about five or six weeks ago... oops for being so late in posting about it)...


Check out this fantastic haul! Potato chips, beetroot chips, flax corn chips, sesame crackers, tamari almonds, salts, tapenades, spice blends, chutneys and some delicious homemade cookies! Schmoy, what a spoilt girl was I! I had mentioned to Mandee that I generally prefer snacking on savoury rather than sweet - and she certainly delivered! Totally amazing. :D


Plus as an added bonus, some adorable kitty and cupcake stickers, because she knows I like to scrapbook.

What a great package - thank you so much Mandee. :D I am still enjoying many snackages from it. Anyone who gets Mandee in a swap is going to be very happy indeed!

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post


My beloved Sahara, demonstrating her favourite hugging position, the bear hug. This has earned her the nickname Bear. Just be sure you have something covering your skin - those claws are razor sharp and she loves to really happy paws the heck out of your shoulder. Which is sweet, but painful. ;)

And now I must go and feed the above cat and her sisters, for Sahara has been pracing across the keyboard and smooshing into my face for the last 20 minutes to remind me it is indeed her dinner time. As if I could ever forget. ;)

I have so many photos to catch up on, so expect some pretty food photo heavy posts coming up soon!

Now, I just have to tackle Google Reader, which I have also been shunning for the last several weeks... eeep, I say. ;)

Happy birthday Gizmo!

n the 1st of November, the same day I had my Girls Day In... Gizmo had her birthday. She turned 13! I have a teenager. Oh, woes. How do my babies grow so much? Stop it, world! ;) Gizmo thought it was fantastic that all the girls from work came over to celebrate her birthday with her! She sat on her sofa and received guests, accepting pats and snorgles and happy wishes. Here are some photos of her on her special day...


'Good morning world, it's my birthday!'


Sitting on her sofa, receiving her adoring public.


But my, my... what is this fascinating object?


Ooooooh! It is a super duper catnip rainbow! It goes with my super duper rainbow heart from last year! Hurrah!


Birthday dinner. Normally she just gets half a tin but this night she got a whole tin and then got to finish up with some mince that Possum left over.


What an exhausting day!

So happy birthday to my beloved Gizmo. It 2001, when she was 4 years old, I rescued her from a vet clinic where she was a last chance kitty. Abandoned by her owners and unwanted because of her age. But she charmed my heart and when I discovered that her fate was set for three days time, I took her home with me. I have never looked back. I love you Gizmo!

Food Photo of the Post

So normally I have a kitty photo for every post. But this has been a completely kitty post! So here is a photo of...


Behold The Elvis, a variation on the Banana Split Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. A banana cupcake, filled and topped with a massive amount of peanut butter buttercream frosting. Oh my god! Delicious! Though a warning, bu the end this cupcake is about 75% icing, so be prepared to be sugared out. Have a large glass of water at the ready, and take it slow. ;)

Cooking for a Cure

Every year, the Cancer Council hosts a 'Girls Night In' to raise money for women's cancer, and for the past few years I have held an afternoon with the girls to contribute. Last year was my first year holding it in Brisbane, with the girls from work coming over. This year I did it all over again, with many hours of cooking and baking to give them what I hoped would be a fabulous vegan spread!


First up, the dips! This is Baba Ganoush from The Garden of Vegan, which to be honest I was not super impressed with. It didn't have that glorious creamy texture or wow flavour that I like in my eggplant dips. And it was kind of plasticy too! I would suggest giving this one a miss, there are much better ones out there!


This Avocado Salsa, also from The Garden of Vegan, was a total stand out! I had several requests for the recipe. It is delicious - creamy avocado, sweet corn kernels and salty olives all blend together to equal NOM! I left out the icky capsicum, of course. I made a double batch of the recipe and it was eaten all up.


A Hummus Recipe, from Veganomicon was well received. How can you have a party without hummus?!? Again there were requests for the recipe, which I think confirms its status as pretty damn awesome hummus. ;)


And of course, a delicious platter of pita bread and carrot sticks (there were also cornchips in another bowl) to scoop up all that fantastic dip!


Some Tomato Basil Bruschetta from The Garden of Vegan was rather nice. Especially served on my sourdough baguettes from Sol breads!


Onto some sweet stuff, and the Blueberry Coffee Cake from Vegan With A Vengeance was a hit. It makes a huge amount in a 9 x 13 inch cake tin, and was cut up into many more squares than the 16 suggested in the recipe (how big are your cake slices Isa?). It was also quite an expensive cake to make, with the blueberries and a whole cup of maple syrup. Here in Australia, a 250mL (1 cup) bottle is between $8 to $10 a pop! I think it could easily be halved for a cheaper and smaller cake. But it was delicious! Not too sweet but really flavourful. Quite a few people took home chunks of leftover cake with them.


Nice Krispie Squares from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan were a fantastic way to use up a bag of my recently acquired Dandies, though to be fair the whole bag didn't make it in as I had to snack on a few first, of course. ;) It is ridiculously sweet and sugary, which one would expect from such a treat. People were impressed that vegan marshmallows were available - vegans totally rock. ;)


Here those last two are on my cute coloured tier stand. I love this stand! It is kind of leaning though because when I was assembling I got one of the screws in on and angle and was too lazy to go and get a screwdriver at that point to undo it and start again. So it was a leaning tower of noms.

Oh... sorry, were you waiting for cupcakes? Well, I suppose so....


Lemon Macadamia Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I love these babies, they are tangy and delicious! I also added some chopped vegan white chocolate, but not too much. The icing is fantastic - the lemon-ness (is that a word? It is now) of it really counteracts the feeling of ingesting a thousand kilos of sugar that usually freaks me out and gives me a sugar headache with other buttercreams. The icing does make a fairly small amount compared to other icing recipes in the book. Using the amount of icing you see on the cupcake here, it only had enough to top eleven of the twelve cupcakes. So be sparing.


The second cupcakes I made were Chocolate Mint Cupcakes, also from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. These were also awesome, a perfect mix of chocolate and mint. And super cute! A few notes, if I may. I found that the mint icing was really soft, even after I had left it to firm up in the fridge. As a result, even though I used a pretty star tip to pipe it out it really just looked like a tube. Leave out the extra tablespoon of soy milk and see how it goes. Also, when I was colouring it green in my pink bowl it looked like a nice greed colour, but as soon as it hit the dark chocolate of the cupcakes and ganache it got washed out. So make it greener than you think you need it to be so it still stands out. Thirdly, time you ganache cooling carefully. Too hot and it will obviously melt the mint icing, but I let it sit a bit too long so it wouldn't run attractively over the cupcake but more had to be dabbed on. But, despite all these minor issues I still think we had a super delicious and rather cute little cupcake!


I displayed the cupcakes on my newly purchased cupcake tree! Hurrah! It only carries 23 cupcakes, which was good because I could leave off the naked lemon one for me to eat later.


And a random shot of the table, full of food. It was a fun afternoon, and we raised almost $300 for cancer, so win! Now I need to start planning what to make for next year's one... must outdo myself! ;)

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post


Today's Cute Kitty Photo comes courtesy of Sahara, my favourite little red kitty. I have chosen a photo of her today because at this very moment I am the subject of her intense 'feed me dinner, the time is now' campaign. She's so cute! ;)