Friday 29 May 2015

Creamy Mustard Mayo Dressing


Creamy Mustard Mayo Dressing

Ingredients

1/4 mayo
1 Tbls mustard
1 Tbls agave
1 tsp coconut aminos
1 Tbls olive oil (garlic)
splash flavored vinegar


Method

Whisk ingredients together.

A Vegan in Oahu, Hawai'i...

Although I had a list of vegan restaurants and eateries in Oahu, none were really that close to our hotel or our activities but we found a lot of places that had vegan options! So along with the Holy Cow list of restaurants you can add these to your list...

This lovely piles of vegan/gluten free goods came from a health food store in Utah - kept me going for breakfast, snacks and plane food!


The Ala Moana Center had a food court and although a few of the eateries had vegan options the best for choice was Aja.


I had the pick and mix bento box - glass noodles, kimchee & steamed choy sum on brown rice.



Goofy's Cafe & Dine just down Ala Moana Blvd was the cutest little upstairs cafe. They used locally sourced food and had some beers from local brew



Kahuku Corn Fried Rice Aloha Shoyu (stir-fried corn) - vegetarian option


Molokai Sweet Potato Chips with Hawaiian Salt


One of the first places we ate was Green Papaya Vegetarian Vietnamese, on the other side of the Ala Moana Center, which wasn't in fact vegetarian at all but did have a substantial vegan menu. Sorry I forgot to take pics of the main dishes but they had a big selection.

Green Papaya Salad with Tofu & Veggie Spring Rolls


Last night in Hawai'i we went to the Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant in the Ala Moana Center because they had a big vegetarian section on their menu. Also the waiters were very knowledgeable about which were vegan and gluten free etc.

Braised Bamboo Fungus with Vegetable


Stir-Fried Ong Choy with Chili


The KCC Markets at Diamond Head were not what I was expecting - it was quite small but all of them were food vendors, including a lot of local fruits and vegetables (I ate my body weight in lychees) and Olakai Hawaii sea vegetable vendor who uses sea asparagus to make vegan sushi, salads and bento boxes.


Little Village Noodle House in Chinatown was pretty much the only thing open...Chinatown was a bit of a let down generally but at least they had some good vegan dishes on the menu!

Eggplant with Garlic Sauce


Tofu with Bamboo Fungus


Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-Fry


Monsoon Indian on Ala Moana Blvd was definitely one of the culinary highlights. The first four vegetarian menu items were vegan and gluten free!

Vegetable Pakoras


Dal Curry & Chana Masala


Simple Joy was on the Holy Cow list of vegan restaurants. It was so delicious!


Vegetable Clay Pot


This was a faux fish hot pot - so amazing!!


Friday 15 May 2015

Teacher's Gift Basket

If your kids school is anything like ours about this time of year they send home "suggestions" of what you should give the teachers as an end of year thank you for looking after your brats all year. Some of the suggestions included notebooks and pencils....lame! I prefer the personal touch...they want to relax in their time off not be reminded of the year to come!


Basket from thrift
Homemade Card

Check out my DIY page and Gift tag for more ideas!

Lecsó (Peppers, Tomato & Onions)

My grandmother always had some lecsó cooking when I would come over. Traditionally she would serve it as a side with potatoes and sausage but I love it on it's own!


Lecsó (Peppers, Tomato & Onions)

Ingredients

2 large pepper
1 large onion
2 tomatoes
olive oil for frying
salt for seasoning


Method

Slice vegetables thinly.
Heat olive oil on a pan or skillet on a medium.
Add vegetables and cook until soft and onion is clear.
Add salt if needed.
Serve hot!

Spicy Smoky Tofu Jerky

Gorgeous hubby got me a huge dehydrator for Mother's Day. My first test is tofu jerky! I had previously tried this in the oven but had mixed results with the texture. Click here for that recipe and an assortment of marinades!


Spicy Smoky Tofu Jerky

Ingredients

1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbls liquid smoke
1/8 cup water
1 Tbls Sriracha sauce or any chili paste
1 Tbls onion powder
1 Tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic
1 Tbls black pepper
1 tsp brown sugar


Method

Mix marinade together.
Slice tofu into 1/4 inch slices and place in a container with the marinade.
Leave for two hours to marinate, turn occasionally to ensure all pieces are marinade.
Place in dehydrator and leave for 8 hours or overnight.
You can do this in the oven on a cookie tray on the lowest setting but it may not turn out as chewy.


Monday 4 May 2015

DIY Foaming Pump Soap

His hand soap recipe from One Green Planet I find amazing for the kids in the bath/shower. It's foaming so it's great for them to only use a small amount.


DIY Foaming Pump Soap

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons castille soap
Water
15 drops Essential Oil of choice


Method

Mix castille soap and essential oils together.
Pour into your pump container and fill water slowly to the top (you may need to let the bubbles settle occasionally)
Screw on lid. Shake around.