Australia Trip - 2016

I've been a bit AWOL lately because I was fortunate enough to spend 3 weeks in Australia during November! It was mainly a social visit but I was lucky enough so sample some vegan wares...so here goes!!

Sydney

Start with the best first! The Green Lion (previously known as The Red Lion) in Rozelle is Sydney's first vegan pub! Very exciting! There was quite a bot of GF on the menu too (including GF hamburger buns), I had the nachos. My friends had the vegan hot dog, two different vegan burgers and vegan seafood basket!

Suzy Spoon's Vegan Butcher!!!! The best vegan meat I've ever had. It's all handmade and a lot of GF options such as all the sausages, ground beef, these AMAZING beef patties and the veggie balls which I had with marinara sauce and pasta. Unfortunately there is no shop front anymore but if you're in Sydney you can go to the factory in St Peters and buy straight from the door or you can order online and have it delivered most places in Australia!

I found vegan GF Special K on the shelf in IGA in Cremorne and had to try some. It tasted pretty much like regular Special K so that was a win!

Enjoyed a Calippo (Raspberry & Pineapple) - even though I wanted Orange :(

Missed Sheese and found it in the local IGA! Love it with some quince paste!

Was excited to see a vegan rally being advertised while I was there :)

I met a friend for brunch at Girdlers Cafe, Dee Why

Got this delicious juice and avocado on toast. They had some good vegan options there, not all were GF though. Right on the beach, can't beat the location!

If I'm ever in Sydney's CBD (downtown area) I always try to stop into Josophan's Chocolatiers. They have a vegan praline chocolate and a lot of their dark chocolate is vegan, such as the golf fish below. I always like to get some Chilli Hot Chocolate for hubby (which is also vegan) ;) 

I was surprised to see they now have a new cafe section as well!

My lovely brother and sister-in-law bought me some yummy treats from the Little Raw Co. in Cremorne which also has a large range of their own teas. Everything in the store is vegan and desserty but quite pricey so don't forget your wallet :)

Went to yum cha (dim sum) at Greenwood Chinese Restaurant, North Sydney. I always get Asian greens with soy sauce and sesame oil and they were kind enough to make me some plain flat rice noodles with green onion.

I met a friend for brunch at Pablo & Rusty's cafe in Lane Cove plaza. It was a cute place but it was very busy and very overpriced. I liked that they had options for my toast besides avocado, like spinach and mushrooms but they only gave me enough avocado for one piece of toast and the GF toast was a lot extra.

The Australian Hotel, at The Rocks, always a winner with GF vegan pizza options and almost every Australian beer on tap. I find it a great place to meet friends who are coming from work and there is a "ladies parlour" which is great to book if you're coming with kids.

Went to a friends house for tea and she had lavished me with a beautiful fruit platter and my favourite GF vegan cookies. Leda Minton and Choc Chip! Needless to say I stayed longer than I had intended ;)

Went to my brother's house for dinner one night and they had these Smooze GF & vegan frozen coconut desserts! They were SO good!!! Best part is you can get them on Amazon! God bless the internet!

Khao Hom Thai restaurant in Cremorne had a pretty decent selection veg options, I always ask them to make sure not to use fish or oyster sauce and not egg for dishes like Pad Thai. Needless to say I always try to eat my body weight in Thai every time I go home ;)

Plus this Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling went down quite nicely with Thai food! I love getting Riesling and verdelho wines when I go home because I can never find good ones in the States. Plus in Australia the wine is labelled so you know if it's vegan (by labeling any added milk, fish, egg).

Coolum Beach, Queensland

I was lucky enough to get up to the Sunshine Coast to visit family while I was back and my cousin always knows where to take me.

Right on the beach is Raw Energy with smoothies, cakes, lunches and juices.

If you're ever in Brisbane make sure you stop in at the Brisbane Brewing Co. where my cousins Tim & Dan Searle are the head chefs and know all about vegan specialties!

Found these Fry's vegan GF chicken nuggets at Woolworths and they were SO GOOD! I wish I could get them in the USA!

Also at Woolworths I found this vegan My Life Bio Cheese!

...and this Vegan Kale, Rocket & White Ban dip!

...and these Veggie Delights Lentil Patties

My cousin and I took a little day trip to quaint Montville and found...

Castle Glen Liqueurs where almost everything was vegan! I got myself a Whiskey & Coffee Liqueur!

 Chocolate Country where they had vegan rum truffles, vegan coconut truffles and a few vegan dark chocolate slab options like jaffa, mint and macadamia :)

We had lunch at The Edge Restaurant which had amazing views. I had a vegan GF salad on the menu which I normally never choose but it was delicious and strangely filling!

Back in Sydney before I left I stocked up on a few essentials for the suitcase...

I got this Dick Smith's OzEMite because I'm still looking for a GF Vegemite alternative and this one was made in Australia so winning! It tasted more like Marmite which is fine but not what I was looking for :(

Always essential to stock up on vegan chicken salt for my fries!

I LOVE this Trident Hot & Spicy Thai Noodle Soup and I tried to fit as many as I could in my suitcase!

All Massel Stock powders are GF and vegan so I stocked up on those as well :)

Thai Summer Salad

This recipe comes courtesy of my cousin Tim Searle, who is the head chef at Brisbane Brewing Co. The restaurant features a version of my vegan chilli if you're ever in the area ;)

Thai Summer Salad

Ingredients

1 bunch Basil, sliced
1 bunch Mint, sliced
1 bunch Coriander/cilantro, sliced
1 Red pepper/capsicum, sliced thinly
1 Green serrano chilli, seeds removed and sliced thinly
1 Red serrano chilli, seeds removed and sliced thinly
2 Mangoes, sliced
1 packet Snow peas, roped and tailed
1 Red onion, sliced thinly
2 Limes juiced
2 tsp Sesame oil
1 Tbls Sugar/agave
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)


Method

Ina a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, sesame oil, agave, pepper and chilli flakes.
In a large bowl toss salad ingredients together.
Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Vegan Products November 2016

Here's some products I've found in the last couple of months.

I found Mueller's GF Pasta and it was pretty good and didn't fall apart which is always a bonus! All ingredients were vegan!

I'm in love Ripple pea based milk. It's got a thick texture and tastes very similar to regular milk so it's great as a substitute, especially in my cup of English tea! There a couple of varieties; sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate. Found this in Target.

Found this Pascha chocolate bar, I think at a health store (maybe Native Sun). It was pretty good, nice and creamy. I love dark chocolate but not too dark and I find that anything over 60% is too bitter but a lot of brands under 60% are not vegan, this was!

Got these Hippeas vegan chickpea puffs at Starbucks, so good!!! Only sad part is they some in these tiny little packets!

Can't remember where I got this Lensi chickpea pasta from, probably a health store but it was pretty good and held it's structure well. It was heavy and nutty flavored.

Pure Knead is a vegan/gluten free brand of bread I discovered at a supermarket, I can't remember which one but I want to say Publix or Kroger! Its was pretty good, I mainly use it for toast.

I found these Maya Kaimal Sweet Chili Chickpea Chips at Kroger, they were soooo good!

I'm always on the look out for a good vegan plain yogurt and have yet to find one! I want a Greek yogurt style flavor to make certain dishes with. This So Delicious coconut yogurt was ok, it was a bit too sweet but when I make Raita it works because you normally add sweetness anyway. Pretty sure I found it at Target.

Found these vegan GF soups at Trader Joe's! Organic Split Pea & Organic Lentil Vegetable. They were basic canned soups, neither were anything special but I preferred the lentil.

Trader Joe's seems to have their own brand of vegan sugars which is great! Picked up this vegan powdered/icing sugar.

I found these plant based vegan food dyes at Native Sun made by Color Garden. They work fine but are ridiculous expensive. This pack of four colours was $12 and you can see by the picture how small the packets are - and non-resealable! For one lot of twelve cupcake icing I ended up having to use the orange and the read and yellow just to get a halfway decent orange color. By far the most expensive batch of cupcakes I've ever made!

Finally caved and tried the second vegan Ben & Jerry's flavor Coffee Caramel Fudge that is almost gluten free but not quite. Again it was pretty average compared to some of the other vegan ice creams I've had. It was very creamy but not much flavor. 

My gorgeous BFF found these vegan GF chocolates at Sweet Pete's Candy, Jacksonville FL. SO GOOD!!!!!

Have missed strawberry yogurt but this Almond Dream vegan version found at Target wasn't a good substitue in my opinion. gluggy and flavorless and no strawberries to be seen!

Love Earth Science deodorant and I found these vegan deodorants in TJ Maxx for $4-$5 which is great compared to $8 at the health stores!

Hubby brought home this Olly vegan GF protein powder from Target. It was ok, not a strong flavor so easy to mix with other things.

My BFF got these rice crackers from Trader Joe's ...so good!

Homemade Vegan Baby Food

Making your own baby food is not only much cheaper but it

s super easy and better for your baby because your giving your child the fresh article!

Apparently 0-2 years is the most vulnerable time for pesticides so I only buy organic and with items that are really expensive fresh but reasonably priced frozen (especially items that don't loose a lot of nutritional value frozen such as peas, green beans & berries) I just buy organic frozen. And a lot of them you can steam in the bag so winning!

First time I fed him I let him try to feed himself, it was quite messy lol

I started at 6 months but many people start at 4 months. Start with individual items for a few days to watch for allergic reactions. My baby had an issue with broccoli straight way (horrible gas pain) and quinoa (blotchy red raised rash around bottom as passed in feces and trouble digesting).

Once the baby is ok with certain foods you can combine with one more item and monitor for reactions with the second item. Then you can add a third item etc.

Start with vegetables then add in fruits and then grains. I like brown rice and organic baby multi-grain cereal (which I mix with a little bit of formula and then add to a fruit/veg combination).

He loves peas!

I've got a list of combinations I really like (and that baby likes) at the bottom of the page :)

At the moment my baby at 9 months old loves everything I give him but apparently the fussiness kicks in around the 10th month+ so I will update on that. After 7-8 months depending on baby's progress it's fine to make the purees a little chunkier, especially with items that are easily mashed in the mouth such as bananas and sweet potato.

The easiest way to prepare apples, peas, potato, carrots, squash & spinach is to steam (or boil but retain some of the water - not from spinach though) then once cooled slightly add a bit of water (purified if you like) and blend.

For grains I cook as per instructions then add a small amount of water to puree. I bought a Rival "bullet" which was $10, compared with the Magic Bullet which is $30+ and it works great.

With bananas I usually just use 1/2 a banana and mash by hand.

Once pureed I spoon into ice cube trays and freeze overnight, then transfer into a labeled container.

Never add salt, sugar or seasonings as babies love the natural flavor of food. Variety is key, introducing a wide variety of colors and flavors to give your baby a well rounded palette.

For sweet potato just wash and prick with a fork then bake at 375F for 40-60 minutes turning half way through.

With apples, peel and slice, make sure none of the hard core parts are present before chopping and steaming.

At 9 months I am feeding my baby 3 solid food meals a day (including 3-4oz of breast milk/formula) and 4x 5-6oz bottles of breast milk/formula with rice cereal mixed in.

For the solid meals I usually contain 3 cubes, each cube is around 2 Tbls (so 6Tbls per serve). If I'm serving cereal that is mixed with formula then that counts as 2Tbls so I only use 2 other cubes (or one cube and 1/2 banana).

Roughly the schedule goes;

6:30 am - Bottle 5-6oz breast milk/formula mixed with 1-2 Tbls rice cereal

8:30 am - Solid meal in a bowl of 6Tbls food + bottle 3-4oz breast milk/formula

10:30 am -Bottle 5-6oz breast milk/formula mixed with 1-2 Tbls rice cereal

12:30 pm - Solid meal in a bowl of 6Tbls food + bottle 3-4oz breast milk/formula

2:30 pm - Bottle 5-6oz breast milk/formula mixed with 1-2 Tbls rice cereal

4:30 pm - Solid meal in a bowl of 6Tbls food + bottle 3-4oz breast milk/formula

6:30 pm - Bottle 5-6oz breast milk/formula mixed with 1-2 Tbls rice cereal

I microwave 1 cube 30 seconds, 2 cubes 45 seconds and 3 cubes 1 minute. That generally works for most foods but some need a little extra. Then I mash with a fork because some items like brown rice can stay solid.

These are the baby cereals I use. The rice is good for bottles because it doesn't get too thick. The multi-grain and oatmeal are good for the solid food. 

L-R: Spinach, Peas, Brown Rice, Potato, Apple, Carrots, Raspberry, Blueberry

Some combinations that baby likes:

For 4-6 months

Apple & Potato

Peas & Carrots

Banana & Cereal

Sweet Potato & Mango

Banana & Avocado

For 6-9 months

Green Beans, Sweet Potato & Apple

Pea, Carrot & Spinach

Sweet Potato, Mango & Carrot

Sweet Potato, Mango & Banana

Sweet Potato, Mango & Brown Rice (or Quinoa)

Apple, Potato & Spinach

Spinach, Pea & Apple

Raspberry, Banana & Cereal (or Brown Rice/Quinoa)

Sweet Potato, Carrot & Mango

Butternut, Apple & Banana

Sweet Potato, Apple, Carrot (and a cereal)

Potato, Carrot & Sweet Potato

Sweet Potato, Peas & Green Beans

Apple, Sweet Potato & Cereal

Peas, Carrots & Brown Rice

Apple, Carrot & Cereal

Banana, Blueberries & Cereal

These sites also are great resources;

Wholesome Baby Food

Feeding My Kid

Homemade Baby Food Recipes

This PDF from First Steps Nutrition is fantastic for information and recipes for vegan children birth to 5 years.

Ready for the next food stage? Here's my post of toddler foods :)

As they get older introduce soft chunks instead of puree;

Creamy Spinach Pasta

Easy basic white sauce pasta dish. Would be divine with some sauted mushrooms too!

Creamy Spinach Pasta
serves two

Ingredients

1 cup chopped spinach (if frozen, defrost)
200ml soy/rice milk

2 Tbls GF flour

1 tsp vegan margarine

2 cloves garlic, finelty chopped

1 tsp salt

1 Tbls water at room temperature
2 Tbls nutritional yeast
salt or seasoning to taste (I like vegan chicken salt)
1/2 box GF pasta (serves two)

Method

Cook pasta per packet instructions.
In a non stick saucepan add margarine and garlic on a low heat and sauté for 1 min.
In a small bowl whisk in flour and water and till it forms a paste without lumps.
Reduce heat to very low and pour in paste.
Whisk and pour in milk, small amounts at a time until blended.
Continue whisking and pouring milk until milk is finished.
Increase heat to medium and simmer until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally.
Turn off heat, whisk in salt and nutritional yeast.
Stir in spinach and mix well.
Add in the cooked pasta and fold through.

Homemade Chai Tea

Adapted from a recipe on The Hathi Cooks. For Chai Latte add twice as much milk.

 Homemade Chai Tea
(makes 1 large cup or 2 small)

Ingredients

1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup water
1 to 2 tsp. vegan sugar, or agave
1 tsp. loose tea leaves
1-2 whole star anise
1/4 tsp. chai masala  see recipe below


Method

Pour all ingredients into a saucepan.
Place over medium heat.
Allow to heat until small bubbles appear around the perimeter of the milk.
Stir the chai, scraping the bottom to avoid scalding the milk.
When the milk comes to a boil, turn off the heat and stir well.
Bring to a boil once again, turn off the heat and stir well.
Allow to steep for a few minutes.
Strain carefully into a cup, and serve.

Chai Masala
Makes about 1 cup of chai masala.

Ingredients

16 g. whole black peppercorn (or finely ground, same weight. Volume: 1 cup + 7 Tbsp)
25 g. whole dried ginger or ginger powder (Volume: 1 cup + 8 Tbsp)
10 g. cinnamon sticks (or finely ground, same weight. Volume: 1/4 cup + 2 1/2 Tbsp)
10 g. whole cardamom seeds (or finely ground, same weight. Volume: 1/2 cup + 1/2 Tbsp)
1 g. whole cloves (or finely ground, same weight. Volume: 1 Tbsp)
1 g. nutmeg (or finely ground, same weight. Volume: 1 Tbsp)


Method

If you are using whole spices, weigh out the appropriate amount, place in spice grinder and grind into a fine powder.
Mix all the spices together, store in an airtight jar in a cool, dry part of your kitchen.
Do not expose to too much sunlight.

Brown Lentil Dahl

Original recipe from NY Times. Dahl is an easy, tasty & healthy way to enjoy Indian cuisine. I love it paired with raita and saffron rice.

Brown Lentil Dahl

Ingredients

½ pound brown lentils (about 1 1/8 cups), washed
1 small onion, cut in half
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
1 bay leaf
4 cups water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnish


Method

Combine the lentils, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and water in a medium soup pot or heavy saucepan.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Add salt to taste (under-salt slightly because you will be reducing the liquid), and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes, until the lentils are falling apart tender and fragrant.
Remove the onion and garlic and discard.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the spices and stir as they sizzle for about 30 seconds, until very fragrant.
Add the beans with their liquid and cook, stirring and mashing with the back of a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, like refried beans.
Add salt to taste, once the mixture has reduced to the desired consistency.
Spoon onto plates and top each serving with a generous spoonful of yogurt and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.

Fried Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Original falafel recipe from Tori Avey.

Fried Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound (about 2 cups) dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans - you must start with dry, do NOT substitute canned, they will not work!
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3-5 cloves garlic (I prefer roasted)
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cardamom
Vegetable oil for frying (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil work well)


Method

Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water.
Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak – you will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well.
Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.
Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms.
Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides.
Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste.
Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches.
Heat the oil slowly over medium heat.
Meanwhile, form 2 Tbls of falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop.
The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry.
Before frying my first batch of falafel, I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan.
If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total).
If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again.
When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.
Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.
Let them drain on paper towels.
Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce.


Tahini Sauce

Method

1/2 cup tahini paste
1 Tbls lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste


Method

Whisk or process all ingredients adding a small amount of water and increase the water until you have the consistency you desire.

Coriander Quinoa Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

I invented this when I had some left over quinoa and it was so delicious. Serves two as a side or one big piggy like me :)

Coriander Quinoa Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Ingredients

1 cup cooked quinoa
2 carrots cut julienne or shredded
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, topped and tailed
1/4 cup wilted baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
Juice of one lime
1 tsp agave/sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp sesame oil


Method

In a large bowl mix together the salad ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, agave, salt, chilli flakes and sesame oil.
Pour dressing over salad and toss well.