Raw...Again

Ok, I know I have said this before, but this time I mean it! For some reason I really feel like I have my head into it this time! Today is day three, and I am having a blast!

Last time I tried going RAW I mostly had issues with the kids - cooking for them especially, which in turn made me crave their hot food. Well, not this time. I cooked for them day one and two (no cravings), but today I really tried to include them in my meals. After Tweenie came home from school today I gave them all a green smoothie and stirred through some cacao nibs (I have had these around the house for a while now, but today was the first time I tried them. AND THEY ROCK!!!!!!). Then I made some cheesy cauliflower popcorn (small cut cauliflower, shaken with nutritional yeast, and pinch cayenne pepper. This can then be dehydrated, but we chose to eat it straight away.YUM) - all gone.

For dinner I spiralised some zucchini and made a different tomato sauce to go through it (I have previously made a red capsicum sauce to go on the zucchini). This was very nice also. Baby spiralised some apples and is still picking at that as I type.
I have joined a cool website/forum called Raw Food Rehab which has a mountain of information, recipes, advice and answers lots of questions.

I found a few Aussies on the the forum and  I found the recipe for raw zucchini pasta with tomato sauce through one of them (thank you!)

You really should try it.

If you know of other Raw food sites/forums that rock, let me know!

Tahn

Oh How I Love Thee, Summer Fruit:Peaches 3 Ways

Last week I bought a heap of peaches cheap at the markets and once I got them home my thoughts turned to how I was going to use them up.

I flicked through my cookbooks and found a chutney and a relish in 1000 Vegan recipes. I would never have thought about making them pre-vegan. Hot, cooked fruit? No way! (especially sultanas!). But I put my prejudices aside, gave these a go, and was very pleasantly surprised.

Firstly I made Spiced Tomato and Peach Relish. (pg. 570). It recommends Chickpea and Vegetable Loaf (on pg. 265) as a fantastic dish to have with the relish as an accompaniment. So I had to make that, too!

Then I made Ginger-Peach Chutney (pg. 564). This was the winner hands down! We had these with Kebabs (post to come later) but they just ROCKED as a spread on bread with Macadamia Cashew Patties (p. 119)!! It was like an orgasm in my mouth! Amazing!

Lastly, I stewed up the rest of the peaches and added them with some puff pastry to my pie maker with some Vegan Whipped Cream (p.501) on the side for an awesome, quick dessert.

My family are really enjoying my urge to cook!

Tahn

Took a break, now I need to catch up!

Wow, has a week gone past already?? I seriously needed the 'break' after posting for all 31 days of Veganmofo!

But now I am back!

This tummy-rumbling picture is a mixture of a couple of recipes I found. The tofu is sesame seed encrusted and it's resting on a bed of capsicum, broccoli, spinach and tomato. DELISH!

Most of our meals in my week off have been very boring.

My mum arrived from W.A today and we went to the South Melbourne Markets. I found Chia seeds and organic cacao powder. After we got home we walked to Woolies to get a few things. We specifically wanted some ingredients for tabouli and oaty burgers. By the time we got home we were stuffed so I ended up using my new toy from the World Vegan day to make some raw zucchini and carrot curls.

I then probably broke the rules of raw and added some heated pasta sauce over the top. Everyone thought it was delicious and I thought of some other wonderful ingredients I would add next time (including making my own pasta sauce!). It was scoffed down before I could remember to take a photo! I think this was a good introduction to partially raw for all of us. The kids were comparing the lengths of the curls to see who had gotten the most and longest!

After we cleaned up I made the kids a green smoothie. I used green grapes, spinach, flax seed oil, cacao powder, banana, chia seeds and ice.

The result was happy kids!

Stay tuned for the tabouli and oaty burgers. Tweenie gets her braces off tomorrow and is very excited. I wonder if I will feel like cooking...not if it is as hot as it was today!

Tahn

Tofu Patties and a new, old cookbook

Today I went for a walk to my local op shop to look for a Jane Austen book. I didn't exactly find a book, rather a text that contains extracts from 6 of her books. Not a bad find, really. I also came across a heap of other book goodies. There is such a huge 'library' there. I found this book:

It's old, but Australian! Gotta love that!

Tonight the kids all had a Halloween disco for school to attend. Baby was first, then YM and Tweenie's time to rock on. So I needed to make an early dinner and I wanted to use up the veggies in the fridge. I made some Tofu Patties which were not very nice so I won't even bother adding the link. From my new, old cookbook I made Saute Zucchini. It was absolutely delicious! It was really simple, although I would never have thought to do it and ALL the children really liked it! Imagine! I'm not a big fan of tomatoes and I really liked it!
I also just fried up some mushrooms and they were tasty with it also!

SAUTE ZUCCHINI

2T oil

3 large zucchini, sliced

1 onion, sliced

3 tomatoes, cut in wedges (although I cubed mine small)

1/4t oregano

1/2C black olives (not a fan-omitted them)

salt (didn't use either)

Heat oil in frying pan and saute the zucchini slices. Add the onion after a couple of minutes and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, olives and salt. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve.

I've had a bit of a 'moment' tonight :( I am really, really missing Popeye. I don't think I will ever get used to this life.

Tahn

Silverbeet, Potato and Tomato Curry

More work today, more cute kids.

Yesterday, on my day off, I did a heap of cooking and I made tonight's dinner which made things A LOT easier when I got home from work.

I needed to use the mortar and pestle (or pestle and mortar) that Popeye bought me ages ago. I needed to post a photo to prove it!

I made a Silverbeet, Potato and Tomato Curry which I really liked but Baby decided she didn't like it, then asked if she could have a piece of fruit! ("I don't think so!" was my answer, in case you were wondering!) I made her stick it in the fridge. Maybe she can have it after school tomorrow, when they all seem to be starving!

I have prepped tomorrow night's dinner also! How on top of things am I??!! Almost all of the Date, Almond and Coconut Balls I made yesterday for school snax are nearly gone (man, they are sooo yummy I can't control myself!!) so I will have to make another batch tomorrow. I just wish I had Popeye's food processor - what should only take 10  minutes takes me about half an hour! (And just as long to eat them!)

Random:

Here is a picture of the brooch I wore to work today. My sister made it for me for my birthday. How cute is it?!!!

More cute kids tomorrow.

Tahn