Eating Out: Mandala Organic Arts Cafe and All-Time Coffee Co Doughnuts

After our big day of eating many things, we decided that the best way to follow that up the next day was with more eating!

We headed to the Gold Coast to sample some of the delights down there. Normally, I head straight for yum cha. However J is not the biggest fan of yum cha (I know, I am shocked). Instead we went to Mandala Organic Arts Cafe. I'd actually been keen to try out some of their brunch options for a while, but I kept on getting distracted by yum cha. But it is good to try out some other places every once and a while!

Because it was brunch time, we all had brunch things! J had the Tofu Omelet ($16), and Leigh had the Brunch Burger ($14). I chose the Benedict ($16), which had mushrooms, spinach, coconut bacon and hollandaise. It was nice!







Mandala is well known for their pizzas, so we ordered a small Margherita ($16) to share. Yum.



We had also pre-ordered some doughnuts from All Time Coffee Co to take back with us. We got an assortment of flavours, but my favourite is the jam and then the Notella (both pictured here).



Afterwards, we headed back to Brisbane via Daily Hill State Forest to see if we could find some wildlife for J. While Daisy Hill does have a Koala Centre, we are not about seeing animals in captivity. We took one of their walks to see if we could see any furry friends out and about. It wasn't looking promising, but right as we got to the end of the walk we saw two cute wallabies! One was shy and hopped off behind some bushes, but the other was quite brave. We didn't try to pat them, of course, but just enjoyed as they came a little closer doing their Wallaby things.



After all that excitement, it was back to Brisbane to spend the afternoon hugging my cats before thinking about dinner.

Mandala Organic Arts Cafe - 2558 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach, QLD - (07) 5679 1762

All Time Coffee Co - 1/2478 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach, QLD

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Dim Sim has black beans for toes!

Recipe Round-Up: American Vegan Kitchen

American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyes is a fun book full of delicious, diner food classics. Growing up in Australia, our version of diner food was very different to America's diner food. And to be honest, I think that America has us beat! One of my favourite places to eat when I was younger and still a pregan was an American-style diner at a shopping center near us. I was very sad when it closed. This book is even better, it has so many more delicious treats than anything I experienced. As well as the individual recipes, Tamasin also includes a list of 'Blue Plate Specials', where you combine a few recipes to create a fun and complete diner meal.

Blue Plate Special: Tuna-Free Noodle Casserole; Bistro Broccolini: Chickpeas take the place of tuna in this yummy casserole, that also has a lovely cashew-artichoke sauce. I used fettuccine for my noodles, left out the capsicum, and added in extra leek and mushrooms. The broccolini was simply done, with pine nuts, garlic and lemon.
Rating: Casserole :D, Broccolini :)



Blue Plate Special: Seitan Goulash with Kraut; Rosemary Carrots; Parsleyed Noodles: I had some sour cream that I needed to use up, and goulash was just the ticket. I did decrease the sauerkraut from 2 cups to 1 1/2 cups, as my dad isn't a fan of too much kraut. I also left out the capsicum. Other vegetables included celery, mushrooms and carrots. Yum! It also has beer in it, I used Coopers Pale Ale. For the noodles, I just made a half batch (using 250g instead of 1lb). They have vegan butter and parsley mixed through. The carrots are very quick and simple, with a tasty taste. I used fresh rosemary, but a whole teaspoon instead of just half because I like rosemary.
Rating: Goulash :), Noodles :), Carrots :)



Blue Plate Special: Spaghetti Pie with Arrabbiata Sauce; Roasted Broccoli and Carrots: The spaghetti pie recipe was super saucy, I ended up with sauce leftover... it wouldn't all fit in the baking pan! But that is OK, because it is a tasty sauce and you can freeze it for later. The pie was tasty, with a tomatoey TVP sauce and a yummy topping of blended tofu, sour cream, cream cheese, lemon, nooch and others. I also topped it with the optional grated vegan cheese. The vegetable side was meant to be broccoli and capsicum, but I roasted carrots instead of the devil vegetables.
Rating: Spaghetti Pie :), Roasted Broccoli and Carrots :)



Noodle Omelet: This was tasty, though I managed to burn my hand making it. Ouch! Tofu and chickpeas are blended up with seasonings and then poured over cooked angel hair pasta to make a thick omelet. I used a small saute pan to cook it in, and it took a little while given the thickness to cook through. It was still a bit mushy in the middle, but warm. I forgot to put the parsley in, so mine isn't as pretty as it could be. It also keeps really well, and then cuts up nicely into wedges.
Rating: :)



City Skillet: Roasted potatoes, mushrooms and tofu are the base for this tasty fry-up. I used extra mushrooms because I had them and mushrooms are great. I would suggest cooking the tofu first to get it nicely seared, then putting it aside until it is called for later in the recipe. The sauce is meant to be a blended capsicum sauce, but I just skipped that step and used good old ketchup.
Rating: :)



'Big Soup' Minestrone: I used the white bean option in place of tempeh here, as my dad prefers beans. I also couldn't find vegan lemon pepper (why do people put milk products in it?), so I used some lemon juice and black pepper. This is a hot and satisfying soup for cold weather, with vegetables and pasta and beans. Served with a side salad and some crusty bread.
Rating: :)



No-Tuna Melt Paninis: This uses soy curls, instead of the regular tuna stand ins, which gives it quite a tuna-like texture. I really enjoyed this tuna salad mix, both on the sandwich or on its own. The sandwiches are also spread with some delicious cheezy mayo, and are layered with a slice of tomato. I used the panini press to cook these, rather than buttering them and cooking in a skillet.
Rating: :)



Tempeh Stroganoff-Stuffed Potatoes: The tempeh is roasted before being added to the other stuffing ingredients, but I found that I needed to increase both the time and the temperature to get the tempeh to absorb all of its roasting broth. This was a very satisfying meal!
Rating :)



Italian Big Bowl: This pasta is full of garlic, sausage, tomatoes, capers and olives. I used some of the fancy Sanitarium/Vegie Delights sausages (these aren't the greatest sausages). I decreased the pasta from 1lb to 250g, which gave me 4 smallish serves.
Rating: :)



Italian-Style Seitan with Linguine: Instead of making seitan for this, I used a package of Fry's Chick'n-Style strips (the old variety). The pasta (I used 12oz instead of 1lb) is tossed with seitan, garlic, mushrooms, peas (standing in for capsicum), spinach and has a white wine and lemon sauce. I would have liked more lemon in the sauce!
Rating: :)



Cute Kitty Photos of the Post



It is well known that cats have toes like beans (thanks Pusheen), and here is Sahara demonstrating her little pink toe beans.

Eating Out: Boundary Street Markets and The Green Edge

After our lunch at Loving Hut, the three of us headed into South Bank for a wander around (and I taught J how to play Pokemon Go, and Leigh then started playing as well, and then we all played). After working off our lunch, we were ready for some early evening dessert before dinner! We headed into the Boundary Street Markets for ice cream.

I have mentioned I Should Coco before, this trip was actually my maiden voyage. Even though their soft serve is a coconut base, it is not a gross make me sick coconut base. It is great! I chose the Super Dooper in a cone, which had maple syrup, seed mix and fresh fruits. Leigh got the Cherry Merry in a cup (chocolate sauce, sour cherries, coconut), and J got the Salted Caramel Pretzel in a cup.





There are quite a few stalls selling other vegan food options there (I am actually going back tonight, and will have a chance to report more fully!), though we had dinner plans elsewhere. We did decide to pick up some BBQ seitan skewers from a grill stall there. Unfortunately I can't remember the name, but there was only one there doing it. Avoid it at all costs. The sauce was lovely, but it was basically raw seitan dough thrown on a grill and slightly heated. So gross. We just ended licking off the sauce.



For the main event, we went to The Green Edge for dinner. To be honest, I don't eat at The Green Edge very often because I find the food to be quite expensive and often just OK. But J was keen to try their famous Epic Burger (all the different proteins on a burger, served on a moat of fries). Leigh got the Satay Tofu burger (I used to love this when they first started making it, but they have changed it now and it isn't as good), and I got the Meatball Sub (which is one of my preferred options from there... I just wish the bread was a bit better). We had also ordered some garlic bread, but when it came out they had accidentally drizzled it with agave nectar rather than white balsamic reduction, so it got sent back. Sorry for the crappy lighting in the photos!







We had vague plans that we might go to the new vegan bakehouse for dessert, but we were all so full! (Don't worry, I have since been there many times and I have a blog post about it coming up). Instead I dropped them back at their hotel and headed home to rub my belly, as we had more eating adventures planned for the next day!

The Green Edge - 229 Lutwyche Rd, Windsor, Brisbane, QLD - (07) 3861 1132

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Sahara loves it when it is sheet washing day, because it means that my doona gets thrown on the floor at the foot of my bed. She loves to snooze on it down there!

World Farm Animal Day High Tea for ALQ

Sunday, October the 2nd, was World Farm Animal Day (not to be confused with World Animal Day of the 4th). I was able to spend a lovely afternoon at a vegan high tea fundraiser for Animal Lib Queensland. It was held at a property a little way out of Brisbane, which was home to a sassy pig and a wonderful pony. There were also several cats, and I ran into someone I used to work with but hadn't seen in years. This was an unexpected but happy reunion!

Peggy the pig is a retired actor. She was used in the Charlotte's Web movie of whatever year it was. Thankfully she now lives her life stress and expectation free on this property. She couldn't care less that she had a bunch of visitors, and just continued sitting and snoozing happily in her little shelter. Though she accepted carrot treats gently thrown into the reach of her snout.



I also had the joy of meeting Spash, a very handsome horse. I love horses so much! He accepted pats and carrots



And onto the food! It was a lovely spread, served on pretty tiered stands and plates, with lovely tea cups. First up, this stand. It had Apple Cinnamon Turnovers on the top. The second level was PB Oreo Mini Cakes, savoury scrolls, and sausage rolls. And on the bottom quiche, scones and miso orange cookies (the cookies were made by me as a tester for Celine Steen's new book).



The scones were exceptional. The best vegan scones I have ever had! Served with some strawberry jam (there was also apricot jam, but I am devoted to my strawberry... go red or go home) and some vegan spray cream. SO GOOD!



And mini sandwiches. I LOVE mini sandwiches! Below is a photo of my favourite, cucumber and cream cheese. But there were also some tofu egg salad and lettuce sandwiches as well.



It was such a lovely afternoon. Although it was meant to be a hot day, we were sitting on a well shaded veranda and a lovely breeze came through as well. It was wonderful to catch up with Lydia, as well as to talk to some other great people. And pony pats! Plus the event raised almost $1000 for ALQ, which is amazing!

Did you do anything for World Farm Animal Day or World Animal Day?

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Dim Sim, surveying her kingdom from the top of the lounge room shelves.

Eating Out: Loving Hut

A couple of months ago, my wonderful friend Leigh visited Brisbane with her partner, for three days of glorious eating fun times! They were staying near me, which meant that I could kidnap them and drive them around to all the food places. For Saturday lunch, we went to Loving Hut. Loving Hut opened in Brisbane shortly after I moved back from uni, which was helpful because it was right around the corner from the clinic I was mostly at when I was still an intern (I still work at that clinic once a fortnight, but I mostly work out of one of our other clinics now). I have a soft spot for it, and have eaten all of the menu (except the stir-fried veggies because I can do that at home). I don't go quite as often anymore, but I still enjoy it when I do! Leigh and I had a hilarious dinner there many years ago where we ate so much that I had to literally lie down on the seat, so it is fond memories for us as well. As added excitement, there was also a bake sale fund raiser going on that day for Farm Animal Rescue, so there were some treats to be had! We met up with two of our other friends and their daughter for lunch, and a lot of food was ordered!

I love their Summer Rolls ($7.80), which are always fresh and tasty.



I ordered their Lasagne ($13.99), which is not one of my two regular dishes (normally I always order Beijing Black Bean or Seven Seas). I do love lasagne, but I keep forgetting that they top theirs with a weird sweet white sauce, that kind of tastes like Kingland Soy Mayo.



They also have a Rawsome Spaghetti dish ($9.90), which Brendan and Diana ordered. I am rarely if ever into raw zucchini, but if that floats your boat the option is there.



Brendan also ordered the Sweet and Sour Nuggets ($13.20). These were the first thing that I ever ordered from there, all those years ago! It also reminded me that, except for very specific circumstances, I don't really like sweet and sour. However, if you are into deep fried nuggets and sweet and sour sauce, I have it on good authority that this is a good one!



Leigh and J ordered the Norther Pan Bread ($7.50) and the Heavenly Salad ($9.90), which are polar opposites but two of my favourite things. The pan bread is oily, carby, salty deliciousness. And the heavenly salad is so wonderfully fresh, light and crunchy.

Diana got the Crispy Yum, which is a sweet and slightly spicy sauce on fried 'chicken' chunks, with rice and some crisp greens.



I love the Rosella Iced Tea ($6.90) to drink, it is sweet and refreshing.



Leigh and J ordered the Tom Yum Fried Rice ($12.80).



And the Loving Wrap ($13.99). I used to order this a lot early on. It is like a beancurd omelette wrapped around a tofu and veggie filling.



It was a really nice lunch catching up with everyone. And we grabbed a couple of things from the bake sale, but I didn't take any photos. I made a few things for the bake sale as well, which was fun!

I have a couple of other photos from recent Loving Hut meals kicking around, so I thought I'd just share them here as well. This is the Peking Luck, which is a delicious duck pancake. It was a special, and I am not sure they have it anymore, but I would recommend it if they do.



For a brief and glorious time they also had hot cinnamon sugar doughnuts, which were quite lovely. But they seem to be gone now. Boo!



And we had our ALQ volunteer meeting there a couple of months ago, where I ordered one of my favourites. The Seven Seas Delight is meant to be vegan fish... but it is not gross like I find most vegan fish and seafood. Instead it is just nicely seaweedy in flavour, with a nice sauce and is served with rice and veggies.



Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Leigh has a love for all her kitty nieces, but has a particular draw to Sahara. Sahara is very alluring. Here she is, looking very smug because she has managed to get onto her grandparents' bed for a snooze.

Menu: Indian Menu from 1000 Vegan Recipes (Father's Day 2016 Edition)

Due to business with the BrisVeganFest and Sydney and Brisbane OzComicCon, we had to delay Father's Day celebrations for a few weeks. My dad loves Indian food, so I decided to pull out 1000 Vegan Recipes for the first time in a while and make the Indian menu from there. I did leave off the Vegetable Pakoras and the Mint Coconut Chutney, just from a time and stove top space perspective. But the meal itself was still pretty great!

Potato Samosas: The dough for these samosas gave me the worst time. It was way too sticky using the amount of water called for, and no matter how much flour I added it never really went right. There was no rolling and cutting the dough. There was smooshing out rounds of dough and trying to fill them and close them the best I could. The recipe said it makes 4 samosas, but these would have been huge! As it is I got six, and they were pretty big. The filling is delicious, but I only needed half of it to fill them. I fried them, a little, then finished them in the oven. They were really big, and the pastry was pretty stodgy. We discovered they were best to eat with your hands rather than cutting them up, just pick them up and take a big bite, then you got a nice mix of filling and pastry. I also had one cold the next day, which was really good.
Rating: :| - :) because of pastry issues but still pretty nice.




Tamarind Sauce: As I wasn't making the mint chutney, I served the samosas with Tamarind Sauce. This was delicious! Drinkable, really. It is based on tamarind, dates and spices. I soaked my dates in the water for a bit first to soften, and then I was able to easily blend this smooth using my handheld blender rather than having to dirty my big blender. This is so quick and easy to make, bu was delicious. Perfect with the samosas.
Rating: :D



Indian-Style Pizza: This is a version of uttappam, a savoury pancake based on yoghurt and semolina flour. The recipe makes 2 servings, but I split the batter into thirds initially, rather than half, because there were three of us. After cooking up the first pizza using a third of the batter, I knew there was no way we could all eat something of that size plus all the other things. These are a meal on their own! So with the remaining batter I made three smaller ones so we could each have a cute little personal sides uttappam along with everything else. I served it with coconut sambal (from Vegan Without Borders), jarred mango chutney and coriander.
Rating: :)



Three Lentil Dal: This was meant to have green, brown and red lentils. But I couldn't find any brown lentils so I used yellow split peas in their place. I had to add more water during the cooking time to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan and to get the lentils all nice and soft. It has a subtle flavour, but was good proper comfort dal.
Rating: :)



Mango Lassi: This wasn't an official part of the menu, but it seemed like a fun and easy addition. Vanilla yoghurt, mango and soy milk. I used frozen mango, which made for a lovely thick drink. I skipped adding ice cubes and needed to add a bit extra milk!
Rating: :)



A table and plate full of Indian deliciousness!





Paradise Pudding: The meal finishes with a sweet dessert, and this was wonderful. It is based on semolina, and gets really thick. I used a blend of mango and pineapple juice, and is also has pineapple chunks, sultanas (meant to be golden raisins but I didn't have any) and roasted cashews. It was a hot day, and I had made these that morning, so we enjoyed these cold straight out of the fridge. Really great.
Rating: :D



Bonus photo! Remember that first Indian-Style Pizza I made that was too big to serve? I wrapped it in foil and popped it in the fridge. The next day I made it into an actual pizza for lunch. I topped it with a yoghurt and tamarind base, then baby spinach and roasted cashews, then Daiya Smoked Gouda cheese. After it came out of the oven, I topped it with leftover coconut sambal and mango chutney. SO GOOD!



(% 1000 Vegan Recipes blogged: 27.9%)

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Sahara's preferred sleeping position at night is between my legs. Terrible for my lower back, but delightfully snuggly and who am I to say no to her?