Vegan Chicken Katsu

Vegan Chicken Katsu

Ingredients 

2x Vegan crumbed chicken fillets of choice or crumbed tofu (I used Meati Crispy Cutlets.

Rice of choice (cooked, I used left over sushi rice)

Katsu Sauce 

4½ Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce 

2 Tbsp vegan sugar/brown sugar

5 Tbsp ketchup 

2 Tbsp vgean oyster sauce/mushroom (or Lee Kum Kee Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce)

Method

Cook chicken as per instructed. Mine just went in the air fryer but if using processed vegan chicken cook as per instructions and if you use tofu you can crumb or coat in potato or corn starch and shallow fry or bake for 15-20mins in a 425F/218C oven, lightly coated with oil and flipped halfway through.

For the sauce add all ingredients into a small saucepan and cook at a medium heat until sugar is melted, lightly mixing during process.

Slice vegan chicken on the bias and serve on rice with Katsu sauce drizzled over the top.

Can also be served with greens such as broccoli, bok choy or choy sum. 

6 Months of Weight Training

I am very new to weight training. I've been doing some arms with dumbbells and machines for years but never got serious about full body. Now in my 40's I realise how important lifting weights is as we get older and we start to lose muscle tone and bone density. I did a bit of research and found a fantastic YouTuber, Cheryl Coulombe or "Lift with Cee" (@ceelifts on IG). She targets exercises for over 40's and since she started lifting in her 40's and at 59 looked absolutely incredible and I was sold to at least try out her workouts. My biggest fear was not knowing where to start or injuring myself further.

So having said that, this is my 6 month account of doing her weight training videos. I have a lower back injury so I started with core exercises and followed her beginner lifting videos for the entire 6 months, deciding I would only start a new workout after the 6months. I could increase the weights if I felt like I need it though. She has some great introduction videos here too. I love that she talks about "fat loss" over "weight loss" since as we gain muscle we may not see a big difference on the scales but certainly will in how our body looks, feels and burns energy.

This is what my workouts looked like;

7 days a week - 8,000+ steps (Cardio), moved to 10,000 steps a day in October

2 days a week; 

• July - Started with Beginners lifting 
• August - Moved to Full Body Workout 30mins  (these are great when I don't have time for the full 60mins)
• September-December - Moved to 30min Upper Body + 30min Lower Body 

In the beginning I added in 3-5 days a week - 10 min Core exercises (Core) because my back needed the core strength. Probably for a couple of months I did this.

And here are the results by month (July 10 - Starting stats);

	July 10	Aug 8	Sept 30	Oct 23	Nov 10	Dec 10	Jan 9
Weight	146.5lbs	147lbs	146lbs	145lbs	146lbs	145lbs	144lbs
Biceps	12"	11.5"	11.5"	11.5"	12"	12"	12”
Chest	38"	37.5"	37.5"	37"	38"	37"	38”
Waist	35"	35.5"	35.5"	33.5"	34"	34.5"	34”
Hips	40.5"	41"	40.5"	39"	40"	39"	39”
Thighs	22"	22.5"	22"	21.5"	22”	22.5”		22"

So it's December and I have to say I feel amazing. As you can see from the results on paper though it doesn't seem like a dramatic change and with not much difference on the scales I see how one would get discouraged but the weight shifts from fat to muscle. I want to eat more and yet and not gaining weight, I definitely see the changes in my body, how my clothes fit, how my muscle is developing and how strong I feel. Bonus is my back pain has been diminished quite a bit. I'll do a 12month progress post but I'm definitely sticking with it.  People have been noticing and commenting on how good I look. I definitely noticed the saddlebags diminished and my butt is higher from all the squats LOL

Toward the end I found her "30-Min Full Body Workouts" the best option, three times a week ideally. Consistency is key and giving yourself a realistic goal like 6 months. I've even upped my weight a couple of times and am closer to the weights she uses in the videos.

Purple Carrot - Meal Delivery Review

 This is my "take 2" on the Purple Carrot review. The first time around I didn't have the greatest experience but a year on I decided to try again and was pleasantly surprised that many of the kinks have worked out. I like to prepare meals myself so they are slightly cheaper than the ready made meals. This was always a temporary "over the summer" thing for me. It's still a little pricey, the cheapest the dinner meal being $11 a serve (if you get four servings). I decided I liked it so much this time that I ended up keeping it but trying to get it every second week. You can easily skip weeks.

What I will say that I like is that if you opt for the four servings it still comes packages in two serve bundles so you don't have to cook all four servings at once which I love. I still love that they have the colored recipe book and don't have many pre-made ingredients so you can easily recreate at home on your own budget. I also love that they display the calories and nutrition at the bottom of each meal. Delivery was much more reliable than last time and there are plenty of GF options. 

I like the "pantry" option too so you can take on a couple things to make free shipping (over $100). What I thought worked best economically beside the four serve option was to skip every second order and in the order I was getting a couple of extra meals. It means I'm spending less per week plus ensured free shipping.

My only real issue is that there is no Eastern hub so everything is shipped from the North West so by the time it gets to Florida I almost have to eat everything the same day because a lot of the greens are on their way out. I also hate the GF wraps, they crumble and are very average. I use my own store bought ones. They give you an occasion free box to send to someone which is great but they definitely should set up incentives for customers to recruit other customers. I've sent two free boxes to friends who became subscribers so it would be more motivating to give something back, Purple Carrot are you listening??

Thanksgiving 2023!

 Thanksgiving 2023 already behind us! We had our plans change last minute but here's what I was able to get together on a coupe days notice!

Rebel Cheese (ordered from Purple Carrot) - Balsamic Fig and Smoked Cheddar

Picked up this Meati chicken made from mushrooms (very low processed - hardly any ingredients). Surprisingly had a very similar texture to chicken. Bought from Sprouts.

Green Bean Casserole is always a must! 

The Full Spread; Garlic Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, Onion Gravy, Stuffed Mushrooms, Southern Collard Greens, Cranberry Sauce, Agave Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Carrots.

Of course, Pumpkin Pie!! Use a premade Wholly Wholesome GF vegan pie crust. Tru Whip Vegan for optional topping.

Also had Chocolate Pie, using premade vegan GF by Mi-Del.

Chocolate Pie

 I found this recipe that didn’t use tofu, because I didn’t have any. I used a premade vegan GF graham cracker crust I had got on sale and the filling took all of 5-10mins to make. Just needs a few hours to set. It was ma HUGE hit! Tasted like chocolate mouse :)

Original recipe from One Lovely Life.

Chocolate Pie

Ingredients

3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

4 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot

1/3 cup coconut sugar (or white sugar)

1 (13oz) can full-fat coconut milk

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

Toppings (optional) 

Dairy-Free Whipped Topping (Like CocoWhip, TruWhip Vegan, or Reddi-Wip almond or coconut)

Dairy-Free Shaved chocolate, chocolate chunks, or mini chocolate chips.

Method

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder, cornstarch, and coconut sugar. Pour in coconut milk and almond milk.

Bring the mixture up to a boil, whisking constantly to help avoid lumps.

Boil 2-3 minutes, or until mixture is visibly thicker. (You want it to really thicken.)

Remove pudding from the heat and add chocolate chips, vanilla, and salt.

Whisk to combine until the chocolate chips are completely melted. (Mixture will be quite thick now.)

Remove pie crust from the refrigerator and pour in your chocolate cream filling.

Cover the pie with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and chill until completely chilled through and set, at least 2-3 hours. (I love making this pie even further ahead–8-12 hours.)

When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and uncover. Top with whipped topping and shaved chocolate, as desired. Note: the surface of the pie may crack as it chills. This is totally fine. That’s what whipped cream is for!

Bubble & Squeak

Bubble and Squeak is almost and English version of a hash frittata. Recipe by Jamie Oliver.

Bubble & Squeak

Ingredients

1 kg potatoes 

600 g mixed vegetables , such as carrots, swede, turnips, parsnips, kale, Brussels sprouts

40 g unsalted vegan butter

olive oil

a few sprigs of fresh herbs , such as rosemary, sage, thyme or whatever you have knocking about in the fridge

Method

Peel and trim all the vegetables, cutting the root veg into small cubes.

Cook the veg in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, or until they are all cooked through.

If you’re using swede or turnips, put them in about 5 minutes earlier than everything else as they take slightly longer to soften up. If using kale, just blanch this for a few minutes right at the end.

Once all the veg is cooked, drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes.

Melt the butter and a large splash of oil in a medium non-stick frying pan (roughly Put a medium non-stick frying pan (roughly 26cm–28cm) over a medium heat. Cast iron works well.

Pick and chop the herb leaves, then add to the pan with the cooked vegetables. Season well with sea salt and white pepper, then mash everything up in the pan.

Pat everything into a flat layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until a lovely golden crust starts forming underneath. Fold those crispy bits back into the mash, then pat and flatten down and repeat the process for about 15 or 20 minutes. Concentrate on building up flavours, character and crispiness.

Halfway through the cooking, flip it over. If it breaks don’t worry, just push it back together.

Let it crisp up on the underside then nick a bit and taste it. This is the time to correct the seasoning. 

Vegan Wine - 2023

After moving to the States, trying to find vegan wine seemed so daunting. In Australia labelling laws require wines to state whether they are vegan or not (by way of disclosing if any animal products used in the making of the wine). The hardest part in the States is finding out if it's vegan, and then if you do find one, finding a good one. Different states have different laws as well so there might be a great vegan wine in California that is not able to be sold in Florida. Florida is one of the strictest. The laws are there to give local wineries a chance but when the local wineries are either not good or not vegan then that's when I take issue.

Here are some wines (available in Florida at least) that hopefully will suit everyone's budget and taste! They are wines that I have tried and liked and that are available online from Lueken's Liquor or Total Wine. For some reason there are "Not sold in Florida" wines that are sold on the Lueken's website even though it's Florida based so look there first!

Not in Florida or can't find these wines in your area? Barnivore.com is a database there to help locate vegan wine, beer and spirits. You can even contribute! If you email a winery and they give you the vegan green light, forward the email to Barnivore.com and they will add it. Another hot tip (you're welcome) is to download the wine list of any fancy vegan restaurants in your state - they've done the research for you so their wine list should already be vegan and somewhat available to the general public.

White

Pouilly Fumé - Domaine des Berthiers, Jean Claude Dagueneau, Sauvignon Blanc, France 2020

Pinot Grigio di Trebbiano-  Terre di Chieti, Impero, IGT 2019 – Italy

Sauvignon Blanc - CMS-Washington State, Columbia Valley – 2019

Chardonnay Organic - Gerard Bertrand – 2019

Gavi di Gavi - Tenuta Il Bergo DOCG , Piemonte, Italy – 2020

Rose – Calafuria Tormaresca- Salento IGT, 2020 – Italy

Rose Organic - Gerard Bertrand, Languedoc – 2020

Chenin Blanc - Baron Herzog, Kosher for Passover, 2019 – CA

Chardonnay - Alois Lageder Lowengang Estate, 2016 – Italy

Sauvignon Blanc - Domaine de Reuilly Les Pierres Plate 2017 – France

Petit Chablis - Domaine Louis Moreau Petit Chablis 2020 – France

Moscato D`Asti - Azienda Agricola Mustela, DOCG – 2019

Pinot Grigio Effervescent - Naturally Sparkling Organic Pinot Grigio, NO added Sulfites, Pet Nat, Spontaneous Fermentation

Chateau Ste. Michelle (Rieslings are vegan)

Hedges Winery - cheap and all vegan

Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough NZ (one of my favorites)

Crowded House Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough NZ (sister company of my FAVE wine Catalina Sounds)

Baron Herzog - Chenin Blanc (all past 2013 are vegan)

The Simple Grape

Austin Hope (Hope Family Winery)

Barton & Guestier (B&G - all vegan wines)

Reef Ridge Sauvignon Blanc

Red

Organic Chianti -Classico Coltibuono DOCG, 2018 – Italy

Paso Robles Red Blend - Obvious Wines N.01 Dark & Bold, 2017

Barbera D`Asti Superiore - La Luna e I Falo` DOCG, 2016 – Italy

Reyneke Organic - South Africa, Cab/Merlot blend, 2017

Aglianico Organic “Bocca di Lupo” - Castel del Monte, 2014

Organic Bordeaux - Château MOYA, 2015 – France

DLD 100% Syrah - Red Mountain, 2014 – Washington State

Pinot Noir, The Seeker - La Chapelle de Guinchay, 2019 – France

Grand Vin de Bordeaux - Cheateau Gaby, Canon Fronsac – France

“Baby Amarone” Corvina - Tinazzi Private Collection, 2018 – Italy

Bodegas Ondarre - Gran Reserva Rioja, 2010 – DOC Spain

Cabernet Suavignon-Gran Reserva, Antinori, 2015 Maipo Valley – Chile

Barbaresco Riserva Spezie - Vite Colte DOCG, 2008 – Piemonte, Italy

Nebbiolo D`Alba “Baby Barbaresco” - La Ganhija DOC, 2019

Organic Super Toscan Nemorino-2015 Aged in French Barrel

Macphail Dutton Ranch - Pinot Noir 2014 – California

Brunello di Montalcino - Terre al Sole, 2015 – DOCG

Brunello di Montalcino -Telegramme, Famlle Brunier 2016 – France

Barolo Vite Colte - Paesi Tuoi, 2013 – DOCG

Sagrantino di Montefalco - PERTICAIA Magnum 1.5L, 2013 – DOCG

Nero D`Avola Organic -Caruso Minini, Marsala, Sicily 2019

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo-La Piuma D.O.C. 2019 Forli, Italy

Valpolicella Classico-Corte Volponi, D.O.C. 2016 Peschiera del Garda, Italy

Pinot Nero-Ombroso I.G.T. Provincia di Pavia 2019, Italy

Organic Montepulciano d'Abruzzo-Torre Zambra , Federico de Cerchio, 2020 Italy

Old Soul Cabernet Sauvignon

Elouan Wines - all Reds are vegan

Hedges Winery - cheap and all vegan (Washington State)

The Seeker Pinot Noir

Barton & Guestier (B&G - all vegan wines

El Burro, Malbec, Mendoza AR

Boen Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, CA (red wines vegan only)

Portlandia Pinot Noir, Oregon

Sparkling

Agusti Torello Mata Cava Brut Reserva Organic – 2013 – Spain

Conca d'Oro Rose`-Spumante Rose`, Conegliano Veneto 2018, Italy

Laurent Perrier-La Cuvee -NV Champagne – France

Laurent Perrier Cuvee Rose’-NV Champagne – France

Dom Perignon Millesime- Vintage 2008 – Champagne – France

Champagne Perrier Jouet - BELLE EPOQUE 2011

Dolce Veleno Conca d'Oro-Sweet Red Sparkling, Conegliano Veneto 2018, Italy

Afters

Dow’s Tawny Port 10y

Sherry Napoleon Amontilladobera

Sherry Pedro Ximenez Triana D`

Moscato D`Asti Mustela 2018 Asti

Vinsanto Del Chianti Le Torri Superiorea

Grappa Bianca Gra`It D

Grappa Di Amarone Bonollo

Amaretto Di Saronno

Sambuca Molinari

Limoncello Piacentino

Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro `Asti

Remy Martin V.S.O.P. Cognac Superiorea

Courvoisier V.S. Cognac

Hennessy V.S. Cognac

Frangelico Hazelnut liquor

Butternut Ginger Soup

Original recipe in Edible magazine from Caria Hawkins, Abundant Harvest Farms.

Butternut Ginger Soup

Ingredients

3lbs Butternut Squash, peeled and chopped into chunks (keeps seeds if you want to keep them for serving).

2 Tbls olive oil

1medium onion, chopped

1Tbls fresh sage (or 1.5 tsp dried)

1tsp fresh Rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1Tbls fresh ginger

4 cups vegetable broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley for serving.

Method

If you want to reserve the butternut seeds for serving then Preheat oven to 300F, clean seeds and toast for 20mins. I skipped this step.

In a large pot heat the oil, add onion and season with salt and pepper (I used stock with salt so I waiting till the end to add salt and pepper).

Add butternut and cool

Until vegetables are softening.

Stir in herbs, garlic and ginger.

Add broth and simmer until butternut is tender, around 20mins

Once squash is soft transfer to blender or use a hand blender to blend until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper as wanted and serve with parsley and seeds if using. 

Sticky Toffee Cupcakes

I made these sticky toffee cupcakes for a Halloween party based on the original Sticky Date Pudding recipe. They were delicious and a big hit! Moist and caramelly :)

Sticky Toffee Cupcakes

Ingredients

Pudding
300 g Pitted dates, I used medjool dates.
250 ml boiling water
1 tsp baking soda

1 cup GF baking flour
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
2/3 cup unrefined vegan sugar
1/2 cup vegan margarine at room temperature.

Caramel sauce
130 ml canned coconut cream (you can leave coconut milk in the fridge over night and just scoop out the cream from the top)
2/3 cup unrefined vegan brown sugar
2 Tbsp vegan margarine

1lb/450g vegan powdered sugar


Method

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and prep 12 cupcake tray with liners.
In a small bowl, add the dates, boiling water and baking soda and let the dates soak for 10/15min until they are softened. Keep the water!
In larger bowl, add the flour, baking soda, sugar and softened margarine.
Pour the liquid from the dates with the flour and keep the dates aside.
In a food processor, add the dates and pulse until they’re finely chopped, then add the dates to the other ingredients.
With an electric beaters, beat the mixture until smooth and creamy.
Spoon mixture into each cupcake liner till around the halfway mark (they will rise) and bake for 40-45 min or until a knife comes out clean when poked into the centre. 

To make the caramel sauce, add in a saucepan on high heat, the 3 ingredients and bring to boil while whisking. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 to 15 min.
Let cool to room temperature then use an electric mixer to add in small amounts of powdered sugar until thick. (I used the whole bag and added in a dash of vanilla extract).

Allow cupcakes to cool completely before icing (I like to use a piping bag) and store in refrigerator till ready. Will be good for a few days and they keep very moist.

Marinated Vegan Feta/Goat Cheese

 Original recipe from Cheese Knees. I used Violife vegan feta but you could easily use tofu or another brand vegan feta style cheese. Mine looks crumbly in the photo because I had previously frozen the cheese and then thawed (do no recommend).

Marinated Vegan Feta/Goat Cheese

Ingredients

¾ cup olive oil separated

3 cloves garlic sliced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried thyme

8 oz. tofu or vegan feta cut into 1/2" squares

¼ white onion sliced

Rind of a whole small lemon

6 leaves fresh basil

Method 

Heat a small skillet over medium/high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the garlic to the pan. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add it to a large measuring cup with a pour spout.

Whisk in the remaining olive oil into the hot olive oil and garlic. Add the red pepper flakes, dried thyme, and salt to the olive oil and whisk. Set aside.

Place the goat cheese rounds into a large Mason jar. Carefully tuck the onion slices, lemon rind and basil around the goat cheese. Pour the olive oil mixture over the goat cheese and cover the Mason jar.

Gently turn the Mason jar upside down a few times and let the goat cheese marinate for 1-3 hours in a cool, dark place (but not in the refrigerator). Enjoy immediately.

If you are not going to use the marinated goat cheese the day of, place the mason jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Remove the goat cheese from the fridge 30 minutes before using to allow the olive oil to come to room temperature.

Brussels Sprouts with Gochujang Aioli

Original recipe by Alexander Yim published in Northeast Florida Edible magazine. The original recipe was great but I found frying the Brussels Sprouts a little greasy for my taste so I recommend cooking in the oven as in Glazed Brussels Sprouts.

Brussels Sprouts with Gochujang Aioli

Ingredients

2 Lbs Brussel Sprouts, washed, bottoms removed and halved

spray oil

salt & pepper to taste

For Aioli;

1 cup vegan mayo

1-2 Tbls gochujang paste

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 Tbls agave

Salt & pepper to taste

Garnish

Mint leaves

crushed peanuts

Method

Preheat oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. 

Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Directly on the prepared baking sheet, toss the Brussels sprouts with 2 tablespoons of the oil, the salt, and the pepper. 

Roast, stirring once halfway through, until tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

While roasting Brussels Sprouts mix together the Aioli ingredients in a small bowl and whisk gentle to combine.

Serve Aioli either in a dipping vessel or mix through. Top with mint leaves and crushed peanuts.

Eurovision 2023! An International Food Extravaganza!

 We are die hard Eurovision fans in our house, so much so we invited our American friends over this year to enjoy in the splendor! I thought the best thing might be to try to have an international theme for finger food. Not all of it "European" but the thought was there lol

Mini Spinach and Feta Frittatas (which really could be Spain or France right??)

Brownies of course! 

Got to keep the American's happy (actually theses will keep everyone happy)

Australia (yes we are in Eurovision LOL) 

I always keep a stash hidden of Australian 100s & Thousands sprinkles for fairy bread! (White bread, Vegan margarine or butter, Aussie sprinkles) - This was my only non-GF item but you can make it GF

Side note: Aussie sprinkles are very different from the American ones, even if they look the same, they won't taste the same)

Sushi I know it not European but it's always a crowd pleaser and I was keen to try a Watermelon "Tuna" Sashimi recipe!

"Tuna" & Avocado, Avocado, Fried Shiitake Mushrooms with Spicy Mayo