Roasty toasty goodness (in Summer - we're crazy!)

Hey guys!
I actually did try out Vegan Dad's awesome roast!
Here's what I put in the stuffing:
1/2 cup cooked wild rice (I cooked the whole packet and then measured the rice afterwards)
1 cup cubed sweet potato
1 sliced leek (it's still around!  WOOOOO!!!)
2tsp garlic
Thyme and Rosemary (it was either that or Thyme and Oregano - I can't remember!)
1/4 cup water
1 cup walnuts cut into teeny tiny pieces
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste.
Method: Fry up the potato, leek and garlic in olive oil.  Once it's starting to brown add in everything else.  Cool and stuff into the roast as per Vegan Dad's directions.
This will fall apart, but it is tasty!
Naked:

Drowned in gravy:

It was pretty good.  I'm going to tweak the roast - I can't find poultry seasoning (the original recipe calls for this), so I'm going to try some of the Massels 'chicken' stock.
What's everyone else planning for Christmas lunch/dinner? 

We're alive (we're just on holidays!)

Howdy!
Yes, I've neglected you blogosphere, but it's all been for a good cause.  Relaxation!
I've been doing way too many crafty things of late!  I've taken up sewing (I'm working on a dress and a top at the moment) and I made little Oliver (a friend's 1yr old) a birthday mobile out of my crazy little creatures!

This was meant to be a ghost (like my purple kitchen assistant)...

Hamster

Octopus (this was my favourite - it's a bit of a pain to do the legs, but it looks the best!)

Why is it that all the bunnies/hamsters I make look like deranged serial killers?

Mr Tadpole (now this was an appropriate colour to use!!!)

I didn't get a chance to get the "Oliver's view" pic.  But you get the idea!  Isn't it adorable?  I think I'll definitely be making this again!
FOOD!
I think Woolworths has finally worked out that they have vegan customers!  As I mentioned last time, they've increased their range of Fry's products (thank you thank you!!!).  We also found a new range of Australian gourmet burgers!

Syndian make these burgers.  They're pretty tasty.  We found best results from cooking on the health grill (I think they'd fall apart if you did them in a frypan).
Mexican flavour was tasty (also these are pretty mushy - which was good when I was recovering from tooth surgery!):
 
I've also been on a bit of a pasta kick (you're really surprised, aren't you? HA!).  I made some sort of mystery pasta a while ago:

Looks like some sort of bolognaise?
Continuing on my obsession with silverbeet, I made silverbeet and cashew ricotta cannelloni with extra silverbeet on the side.  I want silverbeet at every meal dammit!

Yummo!
And....... I made gnocchi again.  I seriously could eat this stuff everyday!  I made a ginormous batch, so we had no less than four bags of frozen gnocchi.  SOOOOOOOO tasty.  I pan fried it after boiling with dairy free pesto from Mrs Flannery's.  Not original but delicious!  I topped with the dairy free parmesan we've been overusing for the last few months (it's like crack, but good for you?).....

This week I'm intending to try out Vegan Dad's roast to see if I can get it to work for Christmas Day.  And we finally found Sweet William choc chips, so there'll definitely be cookies in the future!
Hope everyone's enjoying summer/winter.  I'm seriously jealous of Teresa's trip to Melbourne!

Testing, Testing

Hey everyone.  It's the weekend.  Woot!
Over the past few weeks we've found a few new vegan products in the supermarket.
Exhibit One: Fry's products
OMG, these are seriously good!!!

Sooooooo yummy.  We've had this twice now - you can microwave it (but then the potato doesn't get brown and delicious).  Microwaving is good if you have sore teeth!

Here we find Cottage Pie served with quickly stir fried Silverbeet with garlic.

Droooooooool................

These are pretty good.  They're basically Fry's Sausages wrapped in pastry.

Mmmmmm puffy.

Tee hee - this reminds me of the Seitan O'Greatness when it expands after cooking!!!  Gee I wonder what else it looks like (well you did ask for food porn)....

My lovely friend Melissa (hey Mel!  Congrats on finishing honours!) brought this over to me two days after my wisdom teeth were removed.  You can get it from Mrs. Flannery's stores.  I know Melissa must like me because it's about $15 a tub!!!!!     

It's pretty good.  Because it's raw, the vanilla flavour really shines through.  I liked it!
So, I'm looking forward to a weekend of knitting, TV watching and maybe some dinner cooking.  At the moment I'm thinking of rosemary gnocchi.  Or maybe a stuffed mushroom pasta?  You'll have to wait and see!

Holiday! Celebrate!

Hey guys.  We're back!
Exams are over (woot!).  I passed everything (and Cam did really well - what do you expect!).  Thanks for all your kind good luck wishes in the comments guys!
What else is new?  Hmmmmm.....
I had my wisdom teeth out last week.  It wasn't too painful.  But ice-cream for breakfast gets old....
But I digress, you want the food pornage, don't you?

Sanitarium Hot Dogs in el cheapo doggy rolls and a bean and baby spinach salad.  Fart making materials.....
The stars of the blog muscled into this photo.  I'm in the middle of making them a few new friends.  (Ha - so almost typed fiends - Freudian slip!)

Hearty Winter Soup from How It All Began.  This was a Cameron creation!

Mushroom and Silverbeet Risotto (buried under chiffonaded italian parsley).  I made this after my Public Law exam.  I couldn't stop snacking on this ALL weekend!
I'll keep this post short and sweet.  Hope everyone is doing well.  I'm back @ full time work now, so there's no rest for the wicked.  Mwahahahahaha!

VeganMoFo - catchup!

EAR would like to welcome his new little nameless friend.  Anyone got any suggestions?  I think she's the cutest one I've made yet (I have a crab in pieces, but reading case law seems a little more important right now!).
But here's more exciting stuff.... Food!!!

Mmmmmmmmm gargantuan sandwich.........

Bittersweet's Pizza Scrolls with VCON cashew ricotta.  Yummo!

BTLT (Bacon Tofu, Lettuce and Tomato).  Can you tell EAR wants to run away with it?

EAR and the new toy are fighting over who gets to be in the picture! Tee hee.....
Hey guys,
I have exams in two weeks, so this is going to be my last post for a while.  Cam, on the other hand has already finished exams (grrrrr) so I'm handing over to him.  So here's my final catchup before my last exam in November!!!
Amy out.....

VeganMoFo - Chips around the world part deux

Poutine!  Greasy.  Delicious.

Someone was a little jealous of chips with cheezley and gravy!

VeganMoFo - I'm avoiding study again!!!!

To show you the fruits of my shopping labours!

From the bottom left (clockwise): Fried Tofu, Vegan Codfish pieces, Peach Tea, Vegan Roast Pork, Vegan Prawn, Vegan Beef Chunks, Vegan Soy Pieces, Vegan Chicken Nuggets, Lemongrass, White Miso, Hard Tofu (my favourite brand - all the other ones crumble too much).  This came to about $100.  It'll feed us for more than a month.  D'ya reckon you could do that with meat? :)

VeganMoFo - Tuesday 14th October 2008

Brinner!  And the return of our little friend....

As you can see I restrained him behind a specially designed metal bar to prevent him from stealing the feast of: baked beans, fried 'shrooms and spinach, ginger and apple waffles, tofu bacon and a hash brown.  I wussed out and ate the waffles separately (sorry - don't get the sweet and savoury thing).
The tofu bacon and waffles are bastardized versions of recipes from Vegan With A Vengeance.  Yum!

I'm such a lazy VeganMoFo

All I have to offer you is hummous and quackers:

VeganMoFo - Thursday 9th October 2008

Now this was a meal I was proud of!

Tada!!


Vegan Parmigiana, Garlic Fried Silverbeet (that's Swiss Chard to our American friends) and parmesan mashed potato (NOTE: This photo is before I covered everything in the vegan parmesan)!



EAR was so excited to be in a photo that he was humping my fork.  You dork EAR!

I'm not a dork.  I'm the full strength Coke of evil!  I'm back bitches!!  My evil plan is almost at fruition, I ordered Amy to make me another evil friend.  Mwahahahahahaha.....  It will be unveiled this weekend!!!!!!

Well, I think voting finishes tonight & there's no way in hell I'm studying Constitutional Law on a Friday night, so after I make BRINNER (tee hee) I'll get started!!!!

VeganMoFo - Wednesday 8th October 2008

It was inevitable. I, the one who refuses to fill out surveys, have succumbed to the vegan survey doing the bloggy rounds. EAR made me do it? I've corrected the English!!!!
1. Name a song that involves food in some way.
Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off – only when it’s sung by Ella Fitzgerald though. One of the millions of things I picked up from my mum was a love of jazz/blues singers.
2. What criteria do you use when choosing a new cookbook to buy?
I constantly update my wishlist on Amazon. Probably every six months I buy about 8. And then they don’t get used! (Unless it’s Veganomicon)
3. What did you eat today?
Breakfast: Leftover cornbread with low-fat Nuttelex
Morning Tea: Dried Fruit and Nuts from the fruit stand @ uni
Lunch: Vegan Lentil pie from the new food co-op at uni. It was an interesting experience visiting their quarters. I suppose you’d say that these guys are REAL hippies.
Afternoon Snack: Icy Pole – raspberry flavour. It was HOT on Monday, so Cam and I got iceblocks!
Dinner: Why answer that and ruin a perfectly good blog post tomorrow? :)
4. Name a vegan food that you know exists but you have never tried.
Tings, Teese – see previous post
5. The Food Network just called and needs you to start your new show tomorrow. What will the title of the show be?
Eat the cupcake dammit. EAT IT!!!!
6. Favourite hot sauce or other spicy condiment?
Sweet Chilli Sauce, but when it’s completely watered down!
7. How old were you when you became vegetarian/vegan?
23 – Vegetarian 25 - Vegan
8. Favourite vegan cheeze?
Cheezley – the mozzarella one
9. Cutest baby animal?
Obviously turtles. They’re so cute when they fall over themselves.
10. Favourite type of jam/jelly/marmalade/preserves?
Raspberry Jam from Uncle Steve. Damn that’s good jam!
11. Do you take any vitamins/supplements?
2 x Calcium, 1 x Multi-Vitamin (for the iron) and 1 x Vitamin D (I don’t like the sun)
12. What food/dish most embodies the Fall season?
Um, it’s called Autumn dammit.
13. What food would you have a hard time living without?
Chocolate.
14. Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate?
Coke Zero?
15. It’s 10PM and you’re starving. What do you eat?
Whatever asian vegan snacks I can find in the freezer
16. If you have an animal companion, what is his/her favorite food?
They love peas!
17. Worst injury you’ve gotten in the kitchen?
I used my mandolin without the cover – I still have my finger tip luckily!
18. When you have a food-related question, who do you call?
The PPK
19. Summer is ending- What food will you miss most?
Summer’s just starting! I will miss leeks over summer though!
20. What snacks do you keep in your purse/backpack/desk at work?
In the fridge/my desk – vanilla soy yoghurt/walnuts to put in the yoghurt
21. Favourite soup to make on a rainy day?
Tomato with either chickpeas or mushroom chunks (a beef analogue)
22. What’s your favourite combination of fresh vegetable and/or fruit juices?
Watermelon, Pinapple, Apple and Mint
23. Favourite brand of root beer?
Bundaberg Ginger Beer – what’s root beer?
24. Make up your own question!
Dear Strongbad, Why wear pants? Creepy pants all the time get some.
Vote early for the next blog overlord! I'd say vote often, but I can only get it to vote once (otherwise there'd totally be rigging going on!).
Otherwise...

(He's threatening you with my nail clippers. Isn't he adorable?!)

Vegan Mofo - Tuesday 7th October 2008

Hey guys, I don't have any new pics today - we've been into the studying, so food has been rather unadventurous (though I did give Cam a quiz on drugs - for uni!).
So I thought I'd do a vegan rant post.
Let me just say how jealous we Aussies are of the marvelous array of vegan items that the Americans can get their hands on. Some of the things I'm dying to try when I (ever) visit the US or Canada:

• Tings - what do they taste like?
• Teese. From what I've heard this stuff really is the vegan holy grail. And now Angel food in NZ has done marshmallows and someone else (or was it Angel food) has done vegan meringues, there really isn't much left to conquer!
• Decent Mexican food. All we have here is Old El Paso (and Cactus Jacks in Townsville - but the only vegan thing on their menu is margaritas as I recall). The PPK DIY task this week was homemade tortillas. Funnily enough I have masa in the cupboard (but there's no way I'll be able to find a tortilla press!) that I bought thinking I'd be able to make tamales, but I'm too lazy to get the whole cobs of corn and carefully tear off the husks. SO lazy I am!!!
• Vegan shoes - have you seen the prices of Aussie vegan shoes? I'm buying some when I finish law school, but that's the only time I'll be able to afford them! Until then, I'll have to be content with not quite so vegan plastic shoes from Big W and my tatty No Sweats!
• Peppermint flavoured soy milk - apparently this is an Xmas delight.

What vegan things would you like to try that are impossible to get in your neck of the woods? I might be persuaded to send extra large jars of Vegemite to people in the US in return for some vegan marshmallow spready stuff!!!!
Obviously I need to visit the Vegan version of Mecca (Portland, Oregon) one day!
Also - have you voted yet for EAR's friend? The whale is JUST in front.... Link here

VeganMoFo - Monday, 6th October 2008

Ha - that sounded like the opening to The Daily Show (thank jeebus I can watch online!).... I was busy this weekend writing TWO assignments - so glad that they're over so I can start revising for my exams (that start in a both). Yee haw.
Anyway, I had cause to bake on the weekend (there was a small disaster with a giant cupcake tin - you definitely need a faster baking recipe in this thing, Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes are WAY too dense) because of someone's birthday.... I also found vegan sprinkles (yes, I was in Coles and I said "oooh sprinkles" like Homer Simpson):

This was the second thing I baked (the first thing I baked ended up being a faaabulous batch of charcoal!). It was tasteeeeeeeeeee.

And because it was someone's birthday, I made him Oreo Cupcakes to take to uni. I had to use Copha for the icing. I'd read (somewhere) that it was a cool idea to grate the Copha for easy melting. It looked so rad that I had to share!

Of course someone else was stalking for cupcakes on the bench.
Quiet you! Not a peep out of you today!!!!!
Hi everyb
Hey - I won't make you another friend!
Okay, I'll be quiet (for once).

See our nice (quiet!) model with Cam's chips and Curry Sauce? The inspiration comes from here. Don't ask me how he came across it!!! He's planning a series of Chips and Accompaniments From Around the World. Stay tuned......
And compare that not so healthy dinner to my "chicken nugget" salad (thank you asian grocer!). This dinner was exactly what I wanted - a shiteload of veggies with balsamic dressing - it's Paul Newman dressing:(

So, seeing as I seem to be getting more hits because you all love EAR, how about you guys get to vote on what friend I knit him next. All the patterns I use are in "Little & Friends" by Jake Henzler.
I've added a poll to the main page, so vote!!! You have three days....

VeganMoFo - The Director's Cut

Someone escaped from the pantry and threatened me with sharp objects, so I guess I better let him have the limelight again... Sigh

Greetings.  It is I, EAR.  I have escaped from the cupboard to reveal the evil cooking secrets of Amy and Cam's meals past!  Mwahahahahahahaha.  Also - Amy forgot to take her camera to dinner tonight.  My revenge will be swift and spiky....

She claims these are Nachos.  But where are the Mexican hats?  And why isn't she drinking a margarita?  What?  Oh, you had a margarita with this?  I disprove of this meal - how am I meant to dip the nachos in the guac without opposable thumbs?

This appears to be some sort of bread based item.
It's pizza!
But how can it be Italian with pineapple?
Don't get me started, I let you out of the cupboard, just get on with the commentary!!!!
Fine fine....

Wow!  This looks restaurant quality.  Are you sure that you made this?
I was avoiding study!  for four hours.....
And what else did you do while avoiding study?

You knitted me friends?  Wow!!!!  I really am taking over this blog....  Tee hee!!!!
Meet Steve the armless overstuffed alien (thanks for the name Theresa!) and Teddy the tadpole!!!
Do I need a new gimmick yet? :)

It's not Vegan Cupcakes taking over the world.....

It's me! EAR! All of you bow down before me....

Mwahahahahahahahahaha
Oooh... what's this green stuff Amy?

That'd be Coriander EAR.
I must have some..... nom nom nom

Hey! Did you eat all the Coriander in the house?
Yes! Now I'm going to run away with your cheezley pizza. It looks so good and tasty.
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

Looks like I've inherited an ego maniacal rabbit, not just an evil acrylic one.
It's okay, I've put him where he can't cause any trouble......

Hopefully lack of opposable thumbs will stop him from eating my chocolate!