Dinosaur muffins!

I was lucky enough to receive a dinosaur-shaped silicone muffin tray (like this) for Christmas, and finally had a chance to try them out. Fancy a recipe?

SPELT AND SPICE MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients
2 Cups plant-based milk (I used a mixture of almond, and soy when that ran out)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 Cups white spelt flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 tsp allspice (also known as Jamaica pepper)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 Cup raw sugar
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup dried fruit

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F, or gas mark 6). For metal muffin trays: spray lightly with oil. For silicone muffin trays: place on a metal oven tray.
2. Combine milk, vinegar and vanilla in a measuring jug and allow to curdle.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon and sugar. Make a well in the centre.
4. Pour milk mixture and oil into well in centre of mixing bowl, and fold quickly to moisten dry ingredients.
5. Gently fold dried fruit into mixture.
6. Divide mixture evenly across muffin trays, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked in centre.
7. Place trays on wire racks and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from trays and continue to cool on wire rack.

Vegan Round-up Perth: Update

Just popping my head in to add an update: I was recently lucky enough to try out the breakfast at the Swan Valley Cafe, and as Rebecca mentions in her comment on the original post, the buckwheat pancakes are a real treat–not rubbery as I’d feared, but thick and fluffy, and gently spiced.  The spicy beans, however, were the standout: addictively fresh, spicy and wholesome-tasting.  I must have a whole plate to myself, and soon.

Anyone in the Perth area in the near future should definitely check out the Swan Valley Cafe if they can!

Vegan round-up Perth

Raw lasagne and raw pizza from Swan Valley Cafe

Chocolate cake from Lincoln’s Cafe 102 in Highgate

I’ve never really discussed here the way I survive as a Perth vegan when not personally in the kitchen, and I thought it was about time I made a list of places I’ve been able to find easily-veganisable fare when eating out.

Please keep in mind the following:
I very rarely eat with vegans while in Perth, as most of the vegans I know don’t live here, so I am used to eating out with my vegetarian partner or omnivore family, friends or colleagues. I am also not quite as strict when eating out as I am while cooking for myself. I aim to balance the sanity of the cook, wait staff, my eating companions and myself by limiting the number of questions I ask about food preparation to what I consider to be the basics: ‘Can this be made dairy-free?’ ‘Does this have eggs in it?’ or simply ‘No cheese, no mayo please’ are my staples. I don’t usually ask wait staff/ chefs about cooking oil or whether things are being cooked in the same pan as animal products as a matter of personal preference. I know people draw the vegan line in all different places, but this is just my personal way of satisfying my conscience in a non-vegan world. It’s not perfect, but it works for me. I apologise in advance if any of the below suggestions don’t satisfy your personal convictions and any inconvenience is caused because of it.

Breakfast

Dome cafes – I eat at Dome cafes regularly, because they’re everywhere and omni-friendly.
Personal favourites are the Turkish BLT–no bacon, no mayo (a crunchy Turkish toastie filled with chunks of avocado, baby spinach, hot-as-lava slices of tomato and a yummy homestyle chutney) and the Vegetarian Breakfast–wholemeal toast, no eggs (steamed baby spinach and button mushrooms, a halved and grilled tomato, baked beans out of a can, a hash brown, and a slice of toast).

Lawley’s Cafe, various locations – I get bagels from the Mount Lawley store regularly, and they also do some great basic breakfast options. My personal favourite is the Vegetarian Breakfast–no eggs (toasted sourdough, heaps of sliced avocado, steamed mushrooms and raw baby spinach).

Healthy Choice Cafe, Victoria Park – I have not been here for breakfast yet but their Works Breakfast has lots of vegan options that I really want to try. If anyone’s been here, please leave a note in the comments!

Beaufort Merchant, Mount Lawley – This restaurant also stocks pantry items you can purchase–teas, coffees, chutneys and sauces both savoury and sweet. A personal favourite is the BLT–veggie option, no aioli (sourdough with avocado, tomato, balsamic vinaigrette and lashings of rocket).

Ootong and Lincoln, Fremantle – Charming Freo restaurant. A personal favourite is the Avocado Tomato Sourdough, which comes piled high with rocket and drizzled in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Swan Valley Cafe, Swan Valley – I have only eaten lunch here so far, but their breakfast menu looks delicious. If anyone’s tried breakfast at the Swan Valley Cafe, please leave a note in the comments!

Sassys on the Swan, Perth CBD – I haven’t had a chance to eat here yet, but the mere fact that an all-day breakfast menu with an off-the-menu vegan option exists in the centre of Perth (near the Belltower) just makes me happy. If you’ve tried it, please let me know in the comments!

Raw and vegan options

Manna Wholefoods Cafe, Fremantle – I haven’t had a chance to eat here yet, but know that they have raw desserts and tags with checklists such as Raw/ Vegan/ Gluten-free etc., which I love. Fewer questions asked = greater sanity (see above disclaimer). Again, if you have eaten here please let me know in the comments!

Swan Valley Cafe, Swan Valley – A vegetarian cafe tucked away in the gorgeous Swan Valley. We tried some of the specials: raw pizza with tomato, cashew and basil sauce (served with garden salad); raw lasagne (served with quinoa salad, a beet salad, and garden salad); chocolatey beetroot maccaroons (moist, rich and delicious); raw apple delight with cashew cream (fresh, fruity and delicious), and raw chocolates. I’m not very familiar with raw food cuisine, but this was fresh, full of flavour, filling, and refreshing on a sticky summer’s day.

PAWS City Cafe, Perth – Raw and other vegan options available, as well as vegan pantry/ fridge/ wardrobe staples for purchase.

Burgers

Flipside, North Fremantle and Wembley – Home to my favourite vegetarian burger in Perth, the Garden Party–no cheese, no mayo (flattened homemade chickpea patty, beetroot, lettuce, tomato, and relish). They also do great chips.

Betty’s Cafe, Innaloo – Sadly less veg-friendly spin-off of the amazing, but sadly now defunct, Retro Betty’s in Leederville (sigh). The staff are happy to replace any meaty filling in a burger with their veg patty, so don’t be afraid to ask! Favourites are the Biggles flatbread–no cheese, on a burger bun instead of the non-vegan flatbread (cooked mushrooms, avocado, lettuce and tomato with a chunky Mediterranean relish) and the Bulldog–veggie patty instead of the beef (veggie patty, jalapenos, Spanish onion, lettuce, tomato, salsa and guacamole).

Grill’d, various locations – One of those hipster places taking back the burger, with a very transparent approach that I love. They list ‘vegan info’ on their menus and contribute to local community groups on a monthly basis. Cool, right? My favourite is the Garden Goodness–no cheese, no mayo (Crisp-yet-soft-in-the-middle green veg patty, beetroot, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and relish.) I usually add dill pickles, ’cause I like ‘em.

Missy Moos, South Fremantle – I haven’t been here yet but really want to try the Jack and the Beanstalk tempeh burger, which looks vegan straight off the menu. I love that.

Wraps/ Parcels/ Pockets

Nando’s restaurants, various locations – They’re everywhere, have clear nutritional info on their menus, and can satisy that hankering for chilli heat when nothing else will do. Favourites are the vego pitta or burger–no mayo (I like to add a grilled pineapple for juiciness, and of course lots of hot sauce).

Mad Mex, Hillarys Boat Harbour – Mexican with a Subway-style setup allows for easy customisation. My favourite is the veggie burrito–no cheese, no sour cream. Nice and spicy, though heat is customisable.

Miami Bakehouse, Mandurah and Melville – Iconic award-winning bakery with a tasty vegan pastie with wholemeal pastry.

Siena’s of Leederville, Leederville and spin-off restaurants in Mount Lawley and Morley – I love a good vegetarian pizza without cheese, but the Siena’s Vegetarian Calzone–no cheese deserves special mention as the parcel method retains all of those lovely tomato and veg juices.

Indian

East Perth IGA, Royal Street East Perth – The IGA supermarket in East Perth boasts an unusual deli counter where you can buy hot, fresh curry to take away. There’s typically a very long line at lunch-time on a weekday, so you’ll want to come early. Don’t be put off if the chef/ server isn’t your best buddy immediately: he’s darn busy, and warms up to the regulars. My favourite is the large vegetarian combo–no dairy (a mixture of the daily vegetarian curries, served with steamed rice). A great deal, and worth the wait.

Punjab Restaurant, Innaloo – Gold Plate award-winning Indian restaurant, in my opinion the best Indian restaurant in Perth. The menu states which meals can be made vegan upon request, which I love. Takeaway lunch specials on Fridays are a great deal, and for dinner Mattar Mushroom, Palak Aloo and Dhal Punjabi are particular favourites.

Bollywood Restobar, Innaloo – Fewer vegan options than Punjab, but staff are always friendly and able to list vegan options.

Little Chutney’s, Subiaco and sister restaurant Nine Mary’s, Perth CBD – Some lovely dishes with complex flavour combinations, and staff are always friendly and able to list vegan options.

Chutney Mary’s, Subiaco and Rockingham – Not too many vegan dishes, but these are clearly marked on the menu.

As will be obvious from the categories above, this is a very arbitrary and by no means exhaustive list, based purely on my own experience over the past few years–which means it’s heavily weighted towards the kinds of food I prefer. If you’ve eaten something awesome and vegan in Perth, please share it in the comments!

XGFX tempeh lasagne with cashew ‘ricotta’ filling.

Last night’s dinner: tempeh lasagne with a tofu-less version of the cashew ricotta from Veganomicon, using Vietnamese rice paper wrappers instead of standard lasagne noodles (inspired by this genius recipe over at Vegan Gluten Free Karaoke), with a sprinkling of Spanish olives on top instead of a cheese replacement (a la the lasagne recipe in An Appetite for Reduction).

Due to my fiddling with the cashew filling (I upped the cashews to 1 cup and added 1 cup of soy milk, but skipped the tofu) my ratio of cashew to tomato sauce was way off, so next time I’ll double (or maybe triple) the cashew mixture.

My improvised red sauce could do with some work–the bitterness of the tempeh (which I love) was a little distracting and stood out rather than melding with the other flavours the way you want in a lasagne.

The rice paper noodles worked a treat: I gradually worked out that using two wrappers together works best so that it’s less fiddly when layering, and there was no noticeable difference in the finished product compared to wheat-based noodles apart from the colour.

All in all, a great starting point for more lasagne experimentation.
What have you enjoyed cooking/ eating lately?

Vegan Fire and Spice

Inspired by Lauren‘s red kidney bean dahl, Amey‘s root vegetable mix (both women are excellent bloggers, and I admire and respect their taste, honesty and grace), and the recipes in Vegan Fire and Spice, this was tonight’s meal.

A red kidney bean and chickpea dahl, adapted from the Quick Red Bean Dal recipe in VF&S (subbing diced silverbeet stalks for onions, and my own hodgepodge of Indian spices for those in the recipe–as I’ve said before, I can’t follow recipes); roasted beets, sweet potato, and carrots adapted from the Roasted Potatoes and Peppers recipe in VF&S; and a mixture of steamed greens which made my tummy and tastebuds really happy. I loved this combination of flavours, and it was really quick and easy to prepare.

I’ll definitely be turning to this cookbook again for some inspiration for tasty midweek dinners.

Easy peasy vegan cheesecake

Over the weekend I adapted this raw strawberry cheesecake recipe from the PPK blog. I’d never actually made a cheesecake before, even before going vegan, and the ingredient lists of most vegan cheesecake recipes, loaded with Tofutti or silken tofu, have never inspired me with enough confidence to attempt them.

Isa’s version, however, is completely wonderful. The filling is made entirely in the food processor, and then refrigerated to set. It’s free of soy and gluten and completely raw.
I adapted the recipe for individual serves, using a gingernut biscuit at the base of each of 24 silicone patty pans (although there was enough mixture left over for two or three more, so I poured these into glasses for two ‘cheesecakes-in-a-cup’), and used two cans of crushed pineapple and another 1/4 C lemon juice instead of the strawberries.
Creamy, tangy perfection.

Vegan s'more the first.

I’ve never been a huge fan of marshmallows in their raw form (although I like them roasted while camping, and melted in hot chocolate in winter), and before going vegetarian had never tasted a s’more.

Enter Dandies vegan marshmallows, a slight chill in the air, and the craving for something melty and sweet.

This version, made with wholemeal saltine crackers, sugarfree dark chocolate with almond chips, and Dandies toasted under the grill, certainly didn’t disappoint. I actually think the addition of a little salt was a happy accident. I see many more of these in my future.

Adventures with Seitan.

After seeing seitan made for the first time by friends while on holidays in Albany (using the basic seitan recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance), I was keen to try it out for myself back home. I picked the Simple Seitan recipe from Veganomicon, and while mine looks much lighter in colour than the Albany version it was super easy and very tasty.

On its own the seitan didn’t have the most complex of flavours, but it really came into its own simmered in a gingery, garlicky marinade with soy sauce, tamari, ketjap manis, and maple syrup (from the ‘tempeh marinated in chili and soy’ recipe in this cookbook) and served with onigiri (made using this method).

I can see this quick, easy and moreish combination becoming a weeknight staple.

Going out with a bang.

Regular readers will know that this blog is usually much more knit-centric than food-centric, for a few reasons:
1. I can rarely be bothered taking decent photos of food before I eat it;
2. I rarely leave the house with my camera, and wouldn’t be caught dead photographing food in public (I have issues);
3. While I regularly experiment with my staple set of dishes, these are usually variations on a theme rather than brand new recipes worth sharing;
4. I LOVE talking about knitting. I love the timeconsuming, cumulative, observable nature of progress on a knitting project and the way it can be documented in pictures and words more readily than my attempts at capturing the process of preparing food–which, in my kitchen and at my hands tends to be erratic and adrenalin-charged rather than contemplative and ordered.

All that said, I just had to share one last meal before returning to the usual ‘look-what-I-knit’ posts: sweet potato enchiladas with guacamole and mango salsa.

None of those dishes in themselves are particularly revolutionary, and I suppose to the casual observer the choice of dishes may seem uninspired, but I can happily say that each of these dishes works really well; together, the meal approaches perfection.

What makes me so happy about this is that the meal was made without a recipe of any kind, and I’m relatively new to the art of Mexican/ Latino cooking. Six months ago I couldn’t even tell you what an enchilada was. But with the help of Viva Vegan and other vegan cookbooks, along with the grand old internet, I’m feeling much more comfortable and confident with combining these flavours in satisfying ways.

Hope you’ve all enjoyed Vegan MoFo 2010. It’s been a blast.

Vegan MoFo Recap

My lucky thirteen Vegan MoFo posts for 2010:

Vegan Doughnut Muffins

Red Wine Risotto

Potato and Lentil Bake

Mushroom Balls

Taboulleh

Musings on salad

MoFo survey

Soy-free Vegan Quiche

Musings on the dairy craving

Cinnamon Teacake

Musings on seasonal fruit

Jalapeno Lemon Barley Salad

Two Salads

I have really enjoyed the challenge this month. I’ve found some new staple meals, developed a bit of self-discipline and learnt to actually follow a recipe, and discovered some wonderful new vegan bloggers.
Huge props to Kittee for the mammoth undertaking of organising it!