Mel and I had another cook up this week, and we were very pleased with this cilantro coriander mayonnaise. I have recently admitted that I was not a fan of traditional egg-inspired mayonnaise. But I had forgotten about this coriander concoction I used to smear on tacos during my college days. My first great love was half Mexican, and so we ate tacos a lot! Well, he loved to eat anything. But we certainly revisited the taco trough again and again and again. Coriander, as we refer to it in Australia, would be second only to flat leaf parsley, on my list of happy herbs that make my snout sing! Honestly, I would put cilantro in everything if it would work. Having said that, it works with a lot! So you can imagine, there is always at least once... Keep Reading

OK, so my homemade salad dressing crusade continues. This time with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I have to admit, that I am not normally a fan of balsamic salad dressing. The flavour is usually just too strong for me. So I don’t tend to indulge in balsamic dressing very much. So I asked my friend Mel to come over and help me taste test some balsamic salad dressing recipes, as I didn’t trust my instincts, having not really indulged in a lot of balsamic dressings. Everyone else I know seems to be quite taken with the idea! So I thought I owed it to myself to give it another go. My mild version of this classic favourite can always be ramped up a notch, for those of you who are long time devotees. I think the lime juice is the... Keep Reading

Today I continue my crusade against commercially produced salad dressings, and championing the virtues of the home made salad dressings, by showing you how quick, easy, and delicious they are. Today, my war is against the French! Well not exactly. More accurately, my private little war is with the French inspired pre-made dressings, that I am SURE, would make any self-respecting French chef cringe! By the time you drive up to the store and purchase your favourite bottle of French dressing, I will have blended my home made French dressing recipe, chopped a raw salad, eaten it, and have moved onto a yummy vegan dessert. OK, well maybe I am overstating my claim just a tad, seeing as most everybody has an endless array of bottled dressings... Keep Reading

I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good basil pesto. In my previous life, I clung to the firm belief that the key ingredient was a really good quality parmesan cheese. However, I have discovered since my raw vegan days, that that simply isn’t the case. You can reach basil pesto nirvana without being cheesy. There are a ton of really great vegan basil pesto recipes and dairy free pesto recipes out in the world. This simple healthy recipe is just my quick easy favourite that I got from my vegan friend, Beck, about 15 years ago. I have been revisiting Beck’s trough of heaven with gratitude ever since. I think this combination of basil, parsley and raw cashews hits the spot for me. But you could also make a more traditional basil... Keep Reading

I almost wasn’t going to continue posting home made dressing recipes, as I thought it was too basic and obvious – even for THIS recipe blog; where basic is the name of the game! But I was at work the other day, and got to talking about salad dressings. It turned out that nobody there had ever made their own home made salad dressing! Not even the oil and vinegar variety. I drove home determined to change the world -- one pre-made dressing user at a time. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fantastic commercial salad dressings with a recipe for success. But if we are championing the “fresh is best” movement, then why not make your own? Home-made salad dressings are so quick and easy, and a lot better for our health. I don’t know anyone who... Keep Reading

OK, so seeing as I posted a vegan mayonnaise recipe the other day, and bemoaned all things traditional in the mayonnaise world, I felt it was only fair that I give both teams a fair hearing, and post a regular basic mayonnaise recipe using our beloved eggs. Cause I must admit, I do love eggs; and they are key in the main stream traditional blender mayonnaise world. There are tons of mayonnaise recipes out there and they are all pretty similar. You need eggs, oil, vinegar and a bit of sweetness and tartness. The magic is in the emulsification, and of course, our beloved blender (Vitamix). I really thought about which basic mayonnaise recipe was going to get the recipe post guernsey. I settled on adapting this simple blender recipe from... Keep Reading

I must admit, I have never been a fan of mayonnaise. To be honest, I am not really a condiment person in general. I have never really liked ketchup, mustard or relish. I was a plain Jane, lost in the condiment kingdom. Having said that, I absolutely love vegan mayonnaise, or more specifically, raw mayonnaise. I have dabbled with quite a few vegan mayonnaise recipes over the years. There are hundreds of good vegan mayonnaise recipe out there. But I keep coming back to this basic raw mayonnaise recipe I adapted from a vegan cooking class I went to about twelve years ago. It is mild, creamy, and delicious. As usual, I have listed quantities as a guide only. I tend to add in the lemon juice, vinegar and salt at the end, and keep tasting in... Keep Reading

I don’t know about you, but I cannot stand pre-packaged salad dressings. I like to dress up, not dress down, and that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money. In fact, you might find it is actually cheaper to make your own salad dressings. And best of all, homemade salad dressings are fresh, free of additives and preservatives, and just taste better. I will admit that there are some wonderful, natural organic dressings available at health food stores. However, I never get excited about anything on a grocery store shelf if I can make it myself. And there is nothing better than serving up an easy salad, having people comment on how yummy the dressing is, and being able to say that you made it from scratch. As opposed to grabbing for... Keep Reading