breakfast bowls – trying new things in the morning.
Viper eats the same thing every.day. for breakfast. His home made cereal mix and milk. Maybe he refills his bowl a few times, but it’s always that – no real variation in his first meal of the day. So boring.
Actually, I admit I used to be the same. It would always be a morning bowl of porridge in Winter, and maybe yoghurt & muesli in the warmer months. Yes, I used to be a boring-breakfaster. I think my morning-creativity has come about mainly because I have more TIME in the mornings – I’m not usually rushing off anywhere, just hanging with Misty. I appreciate the fact that the morning is a hectic time for most, so the ideas I’m going to share with you today are actually super quick to whip up (if you do a little planning & preparation). When I get a spare minute in the kitchen, I always try and cook extra to stash away in the fridge for quick meals during the week – preparing a pot of quinoa, soaking buckwheat, roasting sweet potatoes and so on. It really makes life easier.
If you follow me on Face Book – you would have seen me posting my breakfasts for the past few days. I’m really into breakfast “bowls” at the moment – a sort of cereal-esque style meal, but with way more exciting ingredients, and a few interesting not-of-the-norm breakfast foods.
I have left these recipes pretty “loose” if you get what I mean – customise to your own likes/what ingredients you have on hand – makes for creative breakfasts, that’s for sure. Read through for a variety of options.
Sprouted Buckwheat Porridge (raw)
Sprouted Buckwheat Porridge (raw)
(Vegan: gluten/wheat/nut/refined sugar free)
- 1C soaked, sprouted buckwheat groats*
- 1/2C coconut milk kefir (or any other milk of choice – almond, soy, plain coconut etc)
- 2t rice syrup (or any liquid sweetener – 1/8 to 1/4t liquid stevia if you are that way inclined)
- Pinch sea salt
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- Whizz all the ingredients together in a food processor until (relatively) smooth – the buckwheat will retain a slight texture, which is all part of the charm.
- Top with some of the following Slow Cooker Apple-Nana Butter, or with dried fruit, chopped fresh fruit, nut butter – whatever you like.
Slow Cooker Apple-Nana Butter
(Vegan: gluten/wheat/soy/seed/nut/refined sugar/grain free)
- 6 medium apples – cored and roughly chopped (you can peel if you like, but I am lazy and like fibre)
- 6 small bananas – roughly chopped into chunks
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/8t sea salt
- 1t vanilla bean paste (optional)
- 2t ground cinnamon (optional)
- 4C water
- Throw everything in your slow cooker/crock pot and cook on low for about 24 hours, or until the mix has reduced by half, and it super thick, syrupy and sweet.
- You could puree the whole lot now, if you prefer a smoother texture to your butter – but I like a little texture (and again, I’m lazy).
*Chuck a couple of cups of raw buckwheat groats in a bowl – cover with water and leave overnight to soak. Rinse in the morning (the liquid tends to go a little gooey. Leave drained buckwheat groats to sprout for about another 12 hours or so (depending on the temperature) making sure you rinse the groats a few times during this sprouting process.
Quinoa with Sweet Potato Custard & Cacao Nibs
Sweet Potato Custard
Vegan: gluten/wheat/grain/refined sugar/corn/soy/nut free (depending on milk choices)
Makes 3-4 serves
- 1C cooked sweet potato (Roasting your sweet potato whole will give you the best – sweetest – flavour. Plus the skins make for great snacking).
- Full fat coconut milk - the amount will depend on the consistency of custard you like, whether you want it very fine & runny, or so thick you can stand a spoon in it. Add little by little. starting with 1C until you reach your desired custard -this can use over 2 cups of milk easily. Almond milk, soy, or cow milk are all good substitutes – just remember that the higher fat milks will give a creamier texture. I also love to use coconut milk kefir here.
- 3T maple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener to taste)
- 1/8t sea salt
- 1t vanilla extract (optional)
- 1t ground cinnamon (optional)
- Whizz everything together in a food processor until super smooth – add milk gradually until you reach your desired “custard” consistency.
This custard is delicious on top of porridge, in a bowl with chopped banana, walnuts and raisins, added to a smoothie, poured over banana “soft serve” – or as pictured - 2/3C cooked quinoa, 1C sweet potato “Custard” and 2T cacao nibs.
Creamy Cacao Bean Bowl
I really love beans. It’s sad, because they don’t really feel the same way about me. I have figured out that I had our romance all back-to-front. It is NOT a good idea to eat a whole can of beans at 9pm, and then wonder why I could not sleep for crippling stomach cramps. Beans for breakfast though, suit me (and my stomach) just fine. I find if I eat beans at the start of the day, they keep me full for ages – without the tummy troubles. You may find it hard to get your head around the idea of (sweet) beans for breakfast, but I really encourage you to give this a go – the following “recipe” is my method for making a delicious bean bowl – pick and choose the ingredients you prefer/have in your pantry:
Basic Bean Bowl
See the options listed below, so you can cater to your own tastes/what you have on hand. Vegan.
- 1 & 1/2C cooked beans (equivalent to 1 can of beans)
- 3T nut/seed butter
- 2T liquid sweetener (OR 1/4-1/2t stevia liquid for a low sugar option)
- 1/4-1/2C non dairy milk
- Pinch of sea salt
- 2T cacao/carob powder
- 1/2t vanilla extract (optional)
- Toppings: (optional) Chopped nuts, cacao nibs, dried fruit, fresh fruit slices, fruit-only jam, additional nut/seed butter.
Options:
Beans…. Kidney, cannelini, butter, chick peas, black turtle.
Nut/Seed Butter…. tahini, coconut butter, almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, walnut butter.
Sweeteners…. maple syrup, agave, rice syrup, raw honey, barley malt, coconut nectar. You can even use things like date paste/mashed banana in place of liquid sweeteners, but I would use MORE of these – for example 4T date paste, or 2 large very ripe bananas.
Milk…. almond, soy, rice, coconut, oat, kefir.
The bean bowl pictured above is made with kidney beans, cacao, tahini, coconut butter, rice syrup and almond milk – delicious!
It’s probably quite obvious that I don’t eat “normal” food – whatever that means. Sweet beans sound weird, but they taste good – I promise…. the photo above is one of my favourite desserts using beans (and tofu AND popcorn, but that’s just me). I like to be a little adventurous and try different flavour combinations and ingredient pairings…. sometimes they work, and sometimes things get spit into the sink. If you don’t try, you don’t know, right?
Do you stick to your tried and true meals? Or are you a little adventurous when it comes to trying out new taste-ideas?
holistic healing (and nut free caramel treats)
I’m quite excited. I’m delving into the world of homeopathy next week – without knowing too much about it (aside from having used a few over-the-counter remedies that I know aren’t of top quality). Sometimes it’s good to dive head first into a new thing, without the time for too many pre-conceived ideas concocted or judgements to be cast.
Basically, what really spoke to me about homeopathy (in what little I have read/heard on the topic) was that it looks deeply into who you are - on all levels – mental, physical, temperament and so on. You know I love ANYTHING that follows a holistic approach, yes?
I’ve experimented with all sorts of natural therapies in my time – reiki, naturopathy, herbalism, crystal healing, seeing a chiropractor, accupuncture – and they have all had their benefits in different ways, some more effective than others. I think being open to alternative healing is the first hurdle – if you make up your mind that it isn’t going to work, or it’s hippie mumbo jumbo, then of course you aren’t going to get the results.
What are your thoughts on natural therapies? Do you seek alternatives over conventional medicine/therapy? Ever tried homeopathy?
While I am seeking holistic healing, Misty, of course will go to kindy…. and needs a well stocked lunch box. His kindy is nut-free due to allergies, and so this little treat was fashioned out of what I had on hand in the cupboard. It’s basically raw, but then I went and toasted the coconut and sunflower seeds, because seriously – the flavours are so much more pronounced when you do. Feel free to keep everything raw if you wish though.
Caramel Buckwheat Bites
(Vegan, gluten/wheat/nut/soy/corn/refined sugar free)
- 3/4C sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat groats (or you could sub in 2/3C quick oats if you like – use certified gluten free if you are sensitive to gluten) If you’re unfamiliar with the sprouting process, here’s a How-To.
- 3/4C toasted coconut
- 1/2C toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 & 1/2T coconut oil (liquid)
- 2T rice syrup (or maple syrup, coconut syrup, raw honey – most liquid sweeteners will work)
- 10 pitted medjool dates
- 1/8t sea salt
1.In a dry fry pan, gently toast your coconut and sunflower seeds (separately) until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool
2. Chuck buckwheat groats in a food processor, and whizz until they are a reasonably fine powder.
3. Add in all other ingredients and pulse until a soft dough is formed.
4. At this point, you can roll into balls, or flatten into a lined baking tray for bars. Rolling the dough out between 2 sheets of baking paper with a rolling pin (or empty beer bottle as I did this morning) works well too. This would also make a yummy tart base for a raw(ish) dessert.
5. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. Slice into bars (if you haven’t made balls).
6.Store in the fridge.
I made 3/4 of the mix into bars, and the rest into little snack bars for Misty. The photo above was the very last ball, as he munched all the rest for breakfast.
In other news, Misty has worked out how to climb out of his cot. His method involves doing an unsupported headstand in the centre of his cot, hooking his feet over the bar, and launching up so his legs go over the side. Then he simply does a sort of upside down push-up and gets himself up and over. Nap/bed time has become quite interesting. Sheesh.
*I am submitting this recipe to Healthy Vegan Fridays*
heavy metal, cocaine and chocolate crackles.
I’ve decided to stray from the FOOD component of Vegan Mo Fo… as you know I get bored easily. I love to listen, learn about and discuss all types of music, so I thought I would embrace a little “Vegan-Music” in celebration of Mo Fo. As long as it’s “good” I love ANY type of music… heavy metal included. Some of my favourites (Judas Priest, Pantera and Iron Maiden) site this following band as their biggest musical influence.
A metal band of epic proportions: Black Sabbath. We all know about the ‘biting head off bat’ incident that occurred in the middle of a Sabbath show many moons ago. This incident cast a bit of an animal-cruelty shadow over Ozzy Osbourne. Really, the guts (sorry) to the story is that Ozzy didn’t realise it was a REAL bat – he thought it was a rubber one, and yes let’s just say the rest (and the bat’s life) is history.
OK, back to veganism. BOTH Geezer Butler (bassist and songwriter) and Ozzy Osbourne are active vegans…. and so in the spirit of things, here is a little spiel on (in my opinion) their best album, Black Sabbath Volume4… **WARNING – there will be talk of illicit substances during this post***
The original title of Volume 4 was rejected by the record label: “Snow Blind” – this is obviously in referrence to the driving force behind the creative flow of the album – cocaine. On the back of the record sleeve, the band have written at the end of their acknowledgements “We wish to thank the great COKE-cola Company of Los Angeles.” Enough said. 
Basically, this album came about at the crescendo of a massive cocaine binge. The band employed a “roadie” who followed them around with a suitcase of said pharmaceuticals – and they wondered why they didn’t actually make much money from their music? Yeah most of the “money” went up through their nostrils. Anyway, Volume 4 has been described as “drug fuled sludge-metal genius, featuring slabs of liquid metal” by Rolling Stone Magazine…. and this is an entirely accurate sentence.
“We were getting into coke big time”, Ward explained. “Uppers, downers, Quaalades, whatever you like. It got to the stage where you come up with ideas and forget them, because you were just so out of it.” Source
There is a bit more experimental stuff on this album, but in conjunction with the typical shredding guitar riffs (listen to “Tomorrow’s Dream) and unique vocals of Ozzy Osbourne (“Changes” is a more heart felt ballad which really showcases his voice, which is pretty awesome). Sadly, what goes up must come down, and the “bickering and bloat” which followed this album (and subsequent fall out from all the drugs) really signified the beginning of the end for this stage in the band’s journey.
Ozzy went vegan after watching the famed “Forks over Knives,” so I think his bat-munching days are over (for now) -
“I feel OK actually, I feel better about myself, you know? I go on binges… That’s the reason why I decided to cut out meat out and dairy because I’ve limited what I can have because when you’re on the road and you’re traveling, you grab buns and… burgers are everywhere… so now I’ve just narrowed the margin.”
Considering he is still alive after years upon years of insane drug-abuse, a vegan diet is only going to do Ozzy more good, you agree? 
Heavy metal and Healthy Chocolate “Crackles”? The obvious “crack” reference is the best I can do to link these 2 together. 
Healthy ABC Crackles (Almond, Apricot, Buckwheat, Chocolate)
(Veagn: gluten/wheat/grain/seed/soy/refined sugar free)
Buckwheat Crackle Base:
- 1/2C buckwheaties (soaked, sprouted + dehydrated buckwheat groats… alternatively use puffed brown rice, puffed quinoa, even whole oats would work)
- 1/2C chopped almonds
- 1/3C dried apricots (or any dried fruit)
- 1/3C soild coconut oil
- 2T hot water
- 3T Cacao powder (or 4T cocoa)
- 2T agave (or preferred liquid sweetener)
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- 1/4t sea salt
- Gently melt coconut oil… I find adding the hot water and then mushing it around generally works well.
- Cobine with all other ingredients and either pack down into a lined bakin dish, or place table spoons into individual silicone cupcake moulds.
- Chill in the fridge to “set.”
Chocolate Nut Cream
- 1C soaked cashews – soak over- night for best, creamiest results. 2 hours at a pinch is OK. Drain and rinse before use.
- 4T agave
- 3T cacao powder (or 4T cocoa)
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- 1/2C almond milk
- 2T liquid coconut oil
- 2t psyllium husks
- 1/4t sea salt
- In a food processor or high speed blender, whizz all ingredients until super smooth and creamy.
- Top your chocolate crackle bases with the nut cream, and chill again in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Chuck in the freezer if you want to speed up the process.
- Whack a piece of dried apricot, or whole almond on top for a little pizazz if you wish. I’m always up for some pizazz.
Eat some chocolate, listen to some cranking heavy metal. Just awesome, in my opinion.
Not better, just different: New Tuesday Tunes (and brownies)
Usually I don’t like anyone to touch The Beatles. That sounds kind of strange….. but anyway:
Why try to make something already pretty darn great different? Usually covers of Beatles hits don’t hold a candle to the original; covers sort of just make me angry.
This album, however, take something wonderful, like Beatles music and (respectfully) takes it in a whole new direction. The Beatles: Dub styles.
Take this example: I love chocolate…. it’s awesome, and I wouldn’t think you could do much to improve it. Then you try adding just a teensy touch of sea salt and BAM. Heaven: something amazing, made a little different, and taken to a whole new level you had never considered. Different is good.
I love the Beatles, and I love reggae music and dub. So yes, I really dig this album. The Easy All Stars are a favourite in this house…. they are a reggae collective with rotating musicians and singers who are pretty awesome at covering famous bands’ work. Think Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and now, The Beatles.
Favourites would be: With a little help from my friends ……Within You Without You…. Lovely Rita – but really, if you like the Beatles and you like reggae, you can’t go too wrong with this album. Try it, you never know, you might just like it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Something else that is different, yet still good are the following brownies. Well, I think they are yummy, but I like wierd things. Being on an Anti-Candida cleanse makes you a lot more receptive to strange combinations and ideas when it comes to sweet food, let me tell you.
This recipe was fridge scrapings to a T…. leftover cooked beans, quinoa and a few other odds and ends blended up and then baked into a fudgey, dense browine-loaf kind of thing.
Scrapings from the Fridge….
Bean, Quinoa and Cacao Brownies
(Vegan: gluten/wheat/nut/soy/corn/refined sugar free)
- 3/4C cooked black beans (bean sludge)
- 1C cooked quinoa
- 1/2C raw buckwheat groats
- 1/4C cacao powder
- 3T chia seeds
- 2T melted coconut oil
- 1/2C almond milk (or whatever milk you like)
- 1/4t sea salt
- 30-40 drops vanilla stevia liquid*
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- 1/4C chocolate chips/cacao nibs or see idea below for home made.
*1/4C coconut/rapadura/raw sugar could be subbed in here.
Quick Chocolate Chunks – for when you have none in the cupboard.
These are super quick to make, and Candida friendly. It’s basically a raw chocolate.
- 1/4C melted coconut oil
- 2T melted cacao butter
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- 15 drops stevia liquid
- 2T cacao powder
- Combine all ingredients and pop in the freezer until solid.
- Chop into “chunks”.
- Keep in the fridge.
Brownies:
- Place buckwheat groats in the food processor until they have been whizzed into a “flour.” A few chunks don’t matter.
- Add in chia seeds, cacao powder, salt and whizz again.
- Add in all other ingredients except chocolate chunks and bi carb soda. Pulse well.
Or don’t, because I like the chocolate bits nice and gooey. Super dense, super fudgey… amazing with coconut ice cream and this sauce.
The chia seeds and quinoa give these “brownies” a really interesting texture. Of course, I’m not saying that these are BETTER than your usual deliciously decadent dark chocolate brownie Oh No. That would be like saying that the Easy All Stars trump The Beatles. Hardly.
BUT these brownies are super protein packed, full of healthy fats and pretty tasty. Different. Different is good.
sweet treats don’t need sugar. breakfast does not need to be cornflakes.
I should be packing, organising my self (and child), and getting ready for married life (Ha.) Yet, I am making a mess in the kitchen, as per usual.
I’ve been essentially grain free (bar a small amount of brown rice protein and rice milk) while on this candida cleanse. I don’t really count buckwheat, quinoa or millet in the grain category. My latest favourite “cereal” blend is raw buckwheat groats whizzed up with coconut, flax seeds and whatever else I’m in the mood for. You could use sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat groats for this, or roasted groats, but I’m lazy and actually really like the taste/texture of raw.
Basically I whizz up 2C raw buckwheat groats with 1/2C shredded coconut and 1/4C flax meal until it resembles a flour with a few chunks. The good thing about this blend, is that it is SUPER absorbent, and you can add lots of milk/yoghurt until you create a rich, creamy texture. It’s particularly good with coconut milk, vanilla stevia and cacao nibs. Yummo. Grind up a whole bunch, store in a jar, and it’s a quick and easy “cereal” snack when the mood strikes. Also gluten free which is a bonus.
Something that is not so much a new find, but an on- going obsession is cacao butter. If you want to try your hand at raw, home made chocolate-making then this is the gear you need. Loving Earth is the best I’ve found – not to mention all their other amazing products. Oh to be rich and be able to flap around doing raw-foodie angels in such products. Sigh.
The combination of lucuma and almond butter is one that needs to be experienced; don’t think cacao butter needs to be restricted to use in CHOCOLATE treats only. This following recipe is one that has gotten a bunch of ideas going in my head – this would be amazing as a truffle, dipped in additional raw chocolate, or as a filling for a decadent dessert tart. Or just straight up like I have done here:
- 2T raw almond butter (or any nut butter)
- 6T grated cacao butter, melted
- 1/4t vanilla bean powder OR 1/4t vanilla extract
- 1/8t sea salt (ONLY if your nut butter is unsalted)
- 2T raw lucuma powder
- 2T almond milk, slightly warm or at least room temperature
- 10-15 drops vanilla stevia liquid, or to taste
- Combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Pour into moulds (I use silicone cupcake moulds) and place in the fridge to chill – they will harden, but not go super hard like a chocolate bar – think more along the lines of a smooth, solid, creamy fudge.
overwhelmed and then “cake”
Overwhelmed.
That’s how I’m feeling.
And that’s OK.
“Cake” helps. Even though the term “Cake” is used very loosely here.
The last few days have been intense…. stomach bug, sick child, being only physically able to move between bed, bathroom and couch. Top that with trying to organise our trip to Sydney for our wedding in ONE WEEK… and now you realise why I’m feeling a tad overwhelmed?
I admit I did revert to dealing with things ‘like a 5 year old,’ (Viper’s description) – running to my bedroom to cry. Misty promptly started copying me, and I must say his impression of me (hands over eyes, stamping feet and “sobbing”) was pretty darn hilarious (and accurate).
I am totally looking forward to some yoga tomorrow. Just breathe.
These actually look a lot yummier than they are, sadly.
I’m just happy to be able to EAT again…. and while on a candida cleanse…. I’ll take “cake” of any description. I’ve made this recipe twice; I baked it into a loaf as well which was pretty good spread with almond butter.
This cleanse definitely makes me appreciate how GOOD real baked treats are.
Anyway, this recipe isn’t terrible, and if you’re on a restrictive diet at the moment, you might want to try it? If not, then I would go bake some sort of delicious, sweet, fruity cake dripping with agave and cashew cream and then tell me ALL ABOUT IT.
- 1C buckwheat kernels ground to flour in the food processor
- 1 + 1/4C coconut milk
- 1/4C ground flax seed
- 2T coconut flour
- 1t apple cider vinegar
- 1/4t sea salt
- 20 drops vanilla stevia liquid (or to taste)
- 1/8t baking soda
- Mix all ingredients together…. spoon into silicone cupcake moulds or into a small, lined loaf tin.
- Cupcakes = bake 30 minutes at 170 degrees C Loaf = bake 40 minutes at the same temperature.
The “frosting” was basically 1 avocado, 1/8t sea salt, 2t carob powder, 10 drops of vanilla stevia, 1t lucuma powder and enough almond milk to get it to the right consistency.
Misty, being the crazy kid he is, decided he LOVED this loaf crumbled in a bowl, with almond milk and eaten with a tiny spoon. He ate about 1/2 the loaf this way. Plus he decided my sewing basket is a really cool car. Go figure.
driving me bananas
I know what makes Misty happy.
Lock him in the car and let him “drive.” Works a treat. I think if I let him, he would spend hours in there. He’s either going to be a race-car driver, or a graffiti artist/vandal as he found a tiny little piece of chalk in the car, and proceeded to tag the entire interior. Bless.
Actually, I think he just likes to “drive” anything… he attempted to drive a cane picnic basket today. What is it with little boys and vehicles? He definitely doesn’t get it from me… you know with my fear of tricky car manoeuvres and such.
He doesn’t dig dolls, but maybe that’s my fault, as I encouraged him to decorate ‘baby.’ Possibly where the inclination to graffiti came from too?
Misty has totally inherited my taste buds though… all he wants at the moment are bananas, and I’m not going to deny him any of that sweet goodness. Banana soft serve with cacao is a particular favourite, but I thought I’d try and entice him with some banana-sweet crackers that also feed my OCD habit of not.wasting.any.food.
I think I’ve found my favourite way to use up almond pulp (from making almond milk). It took a bit of experimenting, but I think I’ve got it…. Viper reckons these have an almost Anzac Biscuit thing going on… I reckon they taste a bit like caramelized bananas – either way they are yummy.
- 1 + 1/4C almond pulp (leftover from almond milk) or almond meal
- 1 ripe banana
- 1C pitted dates (approximately 12)
- 1/2C dessicated coconut
- 1/4C chia seeds
- 2C raw buckwheat groats
- 1/2t sea salt
- In a food processor, blend together almond pulp, dates, banana and salt.
- Transfer into a mixing bowl and stir through remaining ingredients… mix well.
- Let mix sit for about 15 minutes.
- Spread onto dehydrator sheets and dehydrate at 65 degrees C for around 12 hours or until crunchy…. you could possibly try using your oven on it’s lowest setting with the door open for a few hours to achieve similar results if you don’t have a dehydrator. I don’t trust my oven to try though.
Quite possibly I may have used these as a vehicle for yet another bean-based dip. Obsessive? Me? Not a chance.
Misty’s top tunes and Lou’s tangents
Misty has pretty good taste in music.
Even when he was only a few days old, his favourite thing was bouncing around to ZZ Top… maybe he just liked their beards? Ironically, the dude without a beard’s name is Frank BEARD. Ha.
A particularly favoured album in our house is Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” If you haven’t listened to this, I highly recommend you do – Paul Simon has the sweetest voice, his lyrics are magical and the African influence is just the cherry on the top of an already awesome ice cream sundae. Perfect listening for both adults and kiddos.
This album has particular significance for Viper, as it his first real memory of LOVING music… he says the whole album instantly takes him back. The start of a life long obsession.
I love to bounce around with Misty to ‘You can call me Al.’ The video clip for this crack me up, as Chevy Chase reminds me so much of an old house mate of ours….“He who shall remain Nameless.”*
We were trying to answer the question, ‘What Hollywood star would play you in your life-story-movie?’ I always said that if Chevy Chase and Steven Seagal had a love-child, that man would play the part of “He who shall remain Nameless,”* in such a film. *I recommend you read the post which introduces you to our colourful friend. He’s a treat, for sure.
Michael J Fox in his ‘Marty McFly,’ days would play Viper.
Viper and “He who shall remain Nameless,” avoided answering the question about me. Should I be offended? I remember once, as a 9 year old getting told that I look like, ‘Brooke Shields with a mono-brow.’ I promptly cut off both of my eyebrows with nail scissors, and now I have to pluck them every day. I suppose the Brooke Shields bit was a compliment? For a 9 year old?
Onto food related things, I do really miss my food processor. Though being without one does make me hunt out creative ways of doing things… as I said yesterday, it’s pretty darn easily to bash out your own buckwheat “flour.” I tend to avoid buying buckwheat flour, as the stuff available in the shops is kind of hit-and-miss. Sometimes it has the strongest bitter flavour, other times it just tastes weird. Having no food processor has gifted me the answer to my buckwheat flour problems… buy raw groats, and bash away. Hooray.
Spiced Fruit Slice with Lemon Coconut Icing:
(Vegan, gluten/wheat/soy/nut/seed/corn/cane sugar free)
- 2 tea bags (I use 1 black and 1 green)
- 3/4C boiling water
- 1/4C agave syrup (or honey/maple syrup)*
- 1/2C raisins
- 1/2C pitted dates, finely chopped (or just “squished up a bit”)
- 3T ground flax seed
- 1C buckwheat “flour” – either whizz raw groats in a food processor, or bash away with a pestle & mortar.
- 1/4t sea salt
- 1t ground cinnamon
- 1/4C non dairy milk mixed with 1/4t apple cider vinegar
- 3t coconut oil
- 1/2t baking powder
- 1/8t baking soda
- 1/3C raw coconut butter, softened… make this recipe but skip the toasting step.
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2t agave syrup
- 2t lemon juice
- Pre heat oven to 170 degrees bake.
- In a heat proof bowl, steep your 2 tea bags in 3/4C boiling water.
- Add agave, raisins, dates and flax seed and leave to brew/soak for about 15 minutes
- Combine non dairy milk and apple cider vinegar… set aside.
- Add all other ingredients to the tea mix, mixing in milk, and baking agents last.
- Pour into a lined baking tray/loaf pan/silicone pie dish… my oven SUCKS so the only way I can bake is to not have the mix any higher than about 2-3cm.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through (a skewer stabbed into the centre should come out clean, and it will be firm to the touch). If you want more of a “loaf”, then I suggest baking it low and slow… 150 degrees C for up to 50 minutes – just cover the top with foil if it gets too brown.
- Let the slice cool down, combine all icing ingridients and then slather with the coconut lemon joy.
*If you want to cut down on sugar… you can omit the agave completely, just up the water to 1Cup. I find the dried fruit is ample sweetness for me, but I’m a bit strange.
This reminds me of a slice my Mum used to make… I just remember it was cakey, super sweet and contained raisins. Her lemony sweet white icing was awesome. Ah, memories. For some reason, it was called “Russian Slice.” Not sure about the connection with Russia, but anyway.
I am very very happy with my buckwheat version. Food processor? Bah.
*EDIT to add – I am submitting this to Healthy Vegan Fridays*
sneaky pumpkin pie pudding
Misty is too young to work out what I feed him is healthy… Ha. I find it’s a lot harder to convince fully grown adults to try something healthy. Maybe it’s just the word healthy that freaks them out… the assumption that because something is good for you, it’s going to taste terrible. Or it’s rabbit food/bird seed/grass clippings. Yeah, I’ve heard all the jokes. Ha, ha. they’re getting pretty old now. Bite your tongue, Lou, bite your tongue.
Why do people get excited over food that is laden with sugar/trans fats/white processed flour/additives/E numbers?
‘Oh I’m being so naughty eating this, but it’s so delicious I can’t help myself!’
Yeah, I know your brain + mouth are telling you that it’s tasty, but is the impact on your body really worth it? What happens after years and years of eating in this way? Your taste buds are trained into thinking they need sugar/artificial flavours/trans fats to enjoy food. No wonder you screw your face up when offered a fresh salad or piece of fruit.
I’m not even going to start on a rant about kids that are fed this way from day dot… how are they meant to know that it’s not real food?
The best way to try and coax people into eating something relatively good for them is to not announce that it’s healthy. Sneaky? Who me?
Anyway, this recipe sneaks in a lot of nutrition packaged up as a pumpkin pie pudding. It’s also a good way to introduce a “new” ingredient (buckwheat) for those unfamiliar with one of my favourites. For fussy babes and boring adults alike, dressing anything up as a dessert can help in tempting those terrified of anything labelled “healthy.” Anyway, I don’t need any convincing, so I actually use this as a spread… a cereal topper… with fresh fruit…. or just as is by the spoonful.
Pumpkin Pie Pudding
(Vegan, gluten/wheat/soy/cane sugar/nut free)
- 1 + 1/2C cooked pumpkin
- 1/2t mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice)
- 1/4t sea salt
- 2Tcoconut butter (or sunflower seed butter/almond butter if you’re not sensitive)
- 6 medjool dates microwaved for 2 minutes in 1/4C water
- 1/3C soakedraw buckwheat groats (soak over night = covered with water… rinse off the ‘goo,’ discard water, and you’re ready to go).
- 2t maple syrup (or honey/rice syrup)
- 1/4C milk (I used almond)
- Blend in a food processor until smooth.
If you’ve had 3 hours sleep and 2 really really blow-your-face off strong coffees, maybe you could play with cookie cutters and make towers like me. Loser.
dehydrating hippies and other tales of adventure
I was really disappointed yesterday. I mean, not heart-breakingly, more annoyed and frustrated.
I’d been meaning to check out this relatively new organic/raw cafe for a while now, and when Viper suggested a mission, I was pumped. This place boasted a probiotic bar – yes, kombucha on tap, so you bet I was excited. We had Misty with us, who seems to have a time limit in places like cafes/shops, so we decided just to go for a drink to suss out the place.
Having worked in hospitality for years… I know both sides of the counter. I’m not the most patient of people, and sometimes, after a long day of cooking, cleaning and coffee making I wouldn’t always be in the chirpiest of moods. I did, however always make an effort to acknowledge a customer when they walked in – doesn’t matter how busy you are… eye contact, a quick ’Hi, there!’ a smile doesn’t take much.
Walk in. Nothing. Find menus by myself. Nothing. Stand at counter, holding wallet and menu…. looking thirsty. Nothing. Finally a little fairy with bells around her ankles jingled up, and looked at me blankly. ’Ummm, I’m just after a few drinks, thanks.’ Blank stare. ’Can I have a Kombucha and a Jungle Juice please?
‘$10.’
Passed over money. Nothing else.
First impressions, not so good. There were about 5 staff in the kitchen, and three others just floating around. Customer count?
- Viper
- Misty
- Me
- 3/4C medjool dates
- 4t cacao powder
- 2t mesquite powder (if you don’t have mesquite, substitute with 2T coconut if you like)
- 1/2C raw, skinless peanuts, dry roasted until golden brown (not a crucial step if you want them completely raw, but I reckon raw peanuts taste like plastic).
- 1/4t of sea salt
- Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the mix resembles a fine crumb.
- Press down tightly into a lined baking tray, or roll into balls for truffles.
- Chill in fridge.
- 1 small dried banana, chopped into chunks
- 2T lucuma powder
- 2t ground flax
- 1/2t vanilla extract
- 1/2t spirilina powder
- 6 medjool dates
- 1/4t sea salt
- 1/2t lemon juice
- 2T sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat groats (or brown rice puffs/rolled oats/even chopped nuts will work if you can’t be bothered doing the sprouting thing, oh yes I’m such the hippie)
- Pulse everything in the food processor except for the sprouted buckwheat
- Tip out mix, and smoosh in buckwheat (or whatever you choose)
- Roll into balls
- Store in the fridge
I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend… a few angry hippies ain’t going to spoil mine. I’m also thinking of getting Misty some of those tinkly hippie ankle bells so I can keep track of him. Cunning.
Vegan. Stay at home Mum of Misty. Yoga teacher in training. Passionate about REAL food - creating it, eating it, sharing it. I can never stick to a recipe.
