My name is Amy and I'm addicted to buying vegan cookbooks

Hey guys! Just a quick post to say holy crap I have a lot of cookbooks! (And I still have my eye on a few, particularly Yellow Rose Recipes....)
New ones include:
Cozy Inside by Jonie Marie Newman (which may include a reference to Iron Chef Vegan?). Am I famous now? (It's in the list of blogs to look for. I screamed out to Cam when I saw it!)
My Sweet Vegan by Hannah Kaminsky. Jeebus. This book is just worth it for the pictures (and to be honest, that might be a little more healthy!). I've made the Peanut Butter Bombs. SOMEONE ate most of them. I had one. It was yum!
Soy, Not Oi! edited by Joel Olson. This is just an entertaining read. The recipes do look good though.
Hot Damn and Hell Yeah! by Ryan Splint / The Dirty South by Vanessa Doe. I'm learning lots, particularly about tex-mex & Mexican food, from this one.
Vegan Fire & Spice by Robin Robertson. Cam's already made Moroccan Chickpea and Lentil Soup. Pictures to come!
Vegan Vittles by Jo Stepaniak. I've already earmarked two recipes from this!
Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. This book is HUGE! (It only arrived today with Vegan Vittles - the Australian postal system is so good (not) - expect recipes from this tome soon!)
The updated list is on the sidebar. What to buy next? I believe a certain Australian is coming out with a cookbook soon?
Hope everyone's week is going well. I'm up to my ears in the Tort of Negligence. Woot!

Cinnamon, Sultana & Craisin Bread (with recipe!)

What does a girl do on a Sunday night when there's no bread in the house for the morning? Bakes yummy bread (and does a dance because she's finally discovered how to make the bread SOFT!). Yummers.

Cinnamon, Sultana & Craisin Bread

Ingredients:

270mL Water (replace a third with "milk" of your choice - I used soymilk)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1.5 tsp Salt

2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

3 cups Bread Flour (punk up your own by using 1 Tbsp of gluten flour per cup of plain flour)

3 heaped tsp Cinnamon

1 sachet dried yeast

1/3 cup mixed sultanas & craisins

I was lazy and used the breadmaker. I used the dough setting and pulled it out 30 mins before it finished rising. Then I shaped it for the loaf tin and let it rise again in the cold oven for approx 60 mins (I boiled a pot of water, poured it into a baking tray and shut the door so it could steam). I baked it for approx 25 mins in a 200 degree oven.

Catching up on tastiness!

So here's what we've been eating of late!
Leftover stuff from my birthday party:
Malaysian Curry and Spanakopita (I froze a lot of leftovers – I only put out a half batch – they are a really good and easy snack!)


I made a double batch of the Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse for cupcake filling. It was awesome!


I found a donut maker for $18 the week before my birthday. I used the recipe from VeganYumYum to make mini donuts!


And here they are topped with chocolate:



Money shot...


I got around to trying the Tamari Roasted Chickpeas from Eat Drink and Be Vegan. We've made them about three times in salad!

Yummy Italian Bread that we had with salad one night.



Leda makes Mintons. They're super yummo!


Money shot...


I made another batch of chilli. I put a million veggies in this one!

Finally, I made tofu BLTs. "Bacon" recipe is the Tempeh Bacon recipe from VWAV modified to use tofu. I also used the Cashew Ricotta from Veganomicon as a spread. Drool!

No Food Today...

We're not starving, but I've been caught up in my new studies (and I've discovered Facebook - two years after everyone else).

If you haven't read Atonement by Ian McEwan yet - shame on you. Here's an interview from Australia's best journalist (remember his work in the 2007 election coverage?) Kerry O'Brien:http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2185388.htm

Also, a very nice boy has ordered me about six cookbooks for my birthday from Amazon. I'll post ecstatic pics in about a week, me thinks.

Lastly, I'm thinking of inventing a vegan fish and chip recipe (based on the "fish" that Cam uses for his RDO special). Anyone know how to make the batter they use in fish shops?

Hugs to everyone!

Amy (& Cam)

ETA: Have you seen these? Made me laugh so much I cried!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnVJZkDuVBM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGa29kPBbp4

Happy Birthday to me (for Monday)

I've been busy with my first week of law school (yay!), so here's a quick pic from my birthday party on Saturday night (my birthday was on Monday, so alas I had to party early):



Cookies and Cream cuppers and the Hazelnut Choc Mousse filled Hazelnut Cuppers from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. So yummy. These provided me with the energy to sing karaoke for two hours. Best. Birthday. Party. Ever.

Arrrggghhhhhh (or Yarrrrr for the piratical amongst us)

This is the THIRD time I've started this post. I attempted to post this twice on Tuesday and Blogger decided that it wanted to be evil that day, so here I am!

I wanted to title this "The Yum Disease", in honour of Cam's medical studies, but now it's just Arrrggghhhhhh (or Yarrrrr for the piratical amongst us).

Here be the tasty stuff:
Special guests Adam and Kath's "Tomato Basil and Garlic pasta with Chickpea Salad". Remind me to get the recipe from Kath. It's full of olive oil and deliciousness!

Cam made a "Mushroom and Pea" type curry, but this included zucchini (a vegetable I can no longer live without) and cashews (which are just tasty dammit). 5 stars. Seen here with turmeric rice!



I made my first attempt at a curry "Zucchini Chickpea Tomato Curry" from Dreena Burton's Eat Drink and Be Vegan. Woweeeeeee. We're not going to include the whole coriander seeds next time, but other than that the flavours were perfecto. I might invade Cam's cooking arena!



My dad came over for dinner (Mum was away at a conference) so I made Lasagne and salad.


The Lasagne uses the "Chik'n" seitan from Volume Two of Don't Eat Off The Sidewalk (which I baked) made into a bolognaise sauce (with the "Marinara Sauce" from Veganomicon) layered with wholemeal pasta and spinach "Cashew Ricotta" from V-con. Topped with "Pine Nut Custard" of the same book.


Cam made Tomato and Walnut Rocket Salad. We used a balsamic dressing (the Paul Newman one is vegan!).


Cam's snack plate using various Asian grocer treats – Spring Rolls, Mushroom Chunks and Cabbage Dumplings.



Get Sconed's New Farm "Mac and Cheez". I added extra mustard powder. Yummers.


It's been a week (or so) of firsts – My first Chili! This one was the Black Bean stew (I think) from VWAV.

With Joy of Vegan Baking Cornbread (another first). Awesome Awesome Awesome!

I sent "Coconut Choc Chip Cookies" from La Dolce Vegan in the Aussie PPK Cookie Swap. Quality testing assured that these were of the highest standard.


Finally, Cam took me out to dinner on Monday to Magic Wok in Sunnybank. I had "Crispy Chicken in Bean Sauce" and he had some kind of fish. We also had greens on the side (that were still crispy the next day when I ate leftovers for lunch!).


Aaaahhhh. That feels better! We're not big on Valentine's Day, so we're having hot dogs for dinner. I'm then planning to crash on the couch and watch Buffy. Toodle Ooo!

Holidays are awesome

So I've been lazy. Woops. Actually, not woops, I've been enjoying my last few weeks of freedom (and Cam's already started Med School, so it's been a bit crazy 'round here!).
I'm excitedly preparing for law school. I had to pick a non-law elective and, in order to be fair to the poor 18 yr olds, I decided not to do English. I'm doing French instead! I've been speaking aspirational French since I was a teenager (yes folks, that's English with a French accent).
We've got lots of food to catch up on, so here we go!
WARNING: There's lots of repeats in today's post – I don't have much of an imagination sometimes!

Spinach and Ricotta (Veganomicon Cashew Ricotta) Ravioli with (Veganomicon) Marinara Sauce:


I continued my fetish for kitchen equipment with a ravioli mold!

Isa's Pumpkin Pie Brownies (I've made these before, delicious!):

The usual fortnightly pizza:

Cam made "Chicken" and Sweet Corn Soup. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tasty!

Random stir fry.... I think I made this?


Apple and Sultana Muffin (bastardized recipe from Don't Eat Off The Sidewalk Vol. 1):

(Yes, I have tiny hands)
The insides were yummo!

Cam's Extra Special Tomato Soup (1 can Rosella Tomato Soup, 20 mushroom chunks (from the Asian grocer) and a can of chickpeas. You'll have to hassle him for the extra special herbs and spices!):


An army of gingerbread cuppers for Cam's last day of work:

VWAV Carrot Bisque (I was sick for about three days – this helped with my recovery):

Lower fat Pumpkin Ziti from Veganomicon (the secret is not frying the topping & just spraying the top with our fancy new non-aerosol oil spray bottle. Yes, another gadget!):

Celine(from the Have Cake, Will Travel blog of awesomeness)'s Cheezy Quackers. Note the hand of our fantastic model Kath!

There's more to come, but I might save our very special Iron Chef Vegan guest chef meal for another day!