People take the first bite with their eyes with most things in life. So it is really important when I am entertaining that I have a variety of vibrant colours and textures on offer. That way my eyes are excited, my mouth starts to water, and my little snout starts to wiggle with excited anticipation. Couple that with a vibrant taste sensation that explodes in my mouth and I have a winning combination that keeps me snouting down without drawing for breath like a starved horse connected to a feed bag. This was the case the other night when we had our “Vegetarian Mexican Taco Buffet Feast”. We had the deep rich roasted peppers and onions; and the vibrant sweet pico de gallo. Gretchen made her famous mouth watering guacamole that had us all... Keep Reading
OK! So I have been indulging in a bit too much “fun in the sun” and shamefully drowning myself in the Mexican trough of heaven since I got back. I have fallen behind on my posts. Note to self: as a food blogger you need to post recipes! Let me redeem myself by offering up this quick easy fresh tomato salsa we made for our “Vegetarian Mexican Taco Buffet” last week. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and is absolutely scrumptious. This home made vegan salsa is perfect for serving with corn chips, vegetable sticks and drinks for a quick snack on a hot Summer’s night. Or serving as an accompaniment for any Mexican dish. Personally, I will take it any way I can get it. It is simple, fresh and delicious. If you are looking for easy healthy food... Keep Reading
Whenever I am looking for a showstopping vegan dip I always turn to the recipe collection of Kurma Dasa. Kurma is an Australian vegetarian chef I met many years ago while taking some vegetarian cooking classes at The Essential Ingredient (formally The Vital Ingredient) in Melbourne Australia. I immediately became intoxicated with the incredible flavour of his food, and the simplicity of his cooking style. Who can forget the Creamy Raw Vegan Cashew Dip. That is another one of those incredible creamy vegan dip recipes I got from him. Most of Kurma’s vegetarian cooking is inspired by the flavours of India. However, every once and a while he diverts to explore the culinary delights of other exotic regions. This exquisite muhammara recipe – (or... Keep Reading
It doesn’t get much easier than this delicious raw macadamia pesto. I got a version of this raw pesto from The Australian Macadamia Society and it is a winner. They have some fantastic macadamia recipes on their site. This macadamia pesto epitomizes the blend and live philosophy! If you are looking for fabulous food processor recipes this is it! Literally, throw everything in your food processor, blend and chow! No chopping, no mess, no fuss. And best of all -- this raw pesto is absolutely phenomenal. You just will not believe something so easy can have so much flavour. Trust me, this macadamia pesto is just to die for! This raw pesto is a fantastic last minute saver when you want to throw a delicious nibble together for those last... Keep Reading
Back in 2001, I took some fantastic cooking classes with vegetarian chef Kurma Dasa. Kurma introduced me to all kinds of fabulous exotic ingredients that I had not tasted or cooked with before; and it opened up a whole new world of flavours that I have been experimenting with, and enjoying ever since such as asafoetida, pomegranate molasses, and the list goes on and on. One of the jewels I picked up from Kurma, was this phenomenal raw vegan dip, and I have been blending and chowing with gratitude ever since. This is seriously one of the most incredible dips I have ever tasted! Kurma’s wonderful vegetarian recipes have a distinct Indian influence, and he adapted this raw vegan recipe from one found in Yamuna Devi’s beautiful book, Yamuna’s... Keep Reading
I don’t know about you, but I am always on the hunt for another “show stopping” dairy free dip to add to my repertoire. When there is a party, I am always the dip master; and often get called upon to puree and blend up a storm. There are a few favourites that always make the cut. The creamy vegan cashew dip, muhammara roasted red pepper dip, and raw green pea dip are always on the top of the list of requests. Yes I will post them! My sister asked me to bring some dairy free dips to her house for a little gathering they had for Christmas eve, and this spicy carrot dip received rave reviews. I made it the other night when we had people over for dinner, and it was well received again. So I thought it was worth posting here today. As I have... Keep Reading
We made a fabulous vegetarian taco buffet this week, and it was sensational. You know how partial I am to the “come and help make dinner” dinner parties, where everyone congregates in the kitchen, and we make dinner together with everyone’s input. Our gluten fee pizza parties are always a hit. As are our gluten free pasta parties. We decided to switch gears this week and head to Mexico for inspiration. We made grilled onions, red peppers, zucchinis and spinach; home made gluten free corn tortillas; a stellar vegan guacamole (of course!); some fabulous fresh salsas; and a stupendous pico de gallo! The only thing missing, was a great vegan sour cream, which everyone took great pleasure in unanimously voting for. Now, you all know that I... Keep Reading
I thought I would continue my condiment craze and offer up this glorious green mayonnaise as an interesting colourful alternative to more traditional white mayonnaise options. I don’t know about you, but I like to add a bit of colour to the table; and in my humble opinion, nothing looks better than green mayonnaise! If you are looking for a quick easy colourful dairy free mayonnaise this one is a winner. This glorious green mayonnaise is a wonderful spread on vegetable kebabs, fantastic with tacos, and great with steamed vegetables, salads and sandwiches. Not only does it taste fantastic, but it is a great way to blend in some much needed greens and give this mayonnaise a nutritional kick. For me, spinach is always a good idea! The only... Keep Reading
I know I know….is it possible for me to go one month without talking about my love of avocados? The answer is, No! I am an avocado freak, and I am not going to apologize for it. My favourite snack on the planet? Avocado on gluten free toast. I would choose that happy snack every day, and twice on Sundays. I never get sick of it. I am always making guacamole, and Rob and I are always racing to use the last avocado. I am very methodical when I purchase my avocados too. I always ensure that there is a perfect avocado rotation, and that a few delectable avocados ripen to perfection every day. Sometimes Rob decides to indulge in a midnight avo smash and I wake up to find avocado finger smears all over the light switch, and slimy avocado... Keep Reading
Stef, if you are reading this, please don’t have a heart attack! I know it is sacrilege to make any self respecting hummus out of a can! AND with garlic! I know there are fabulous hummus recipes the world over that use a truck load of garlic and tahini. But my friends Rod and Stef, (who in my opinion make the best vegan hummus in the world) would never be caught dead making hummus with garlic! The secret for them? They swear that it is really good quality fresh chickpeas cooked slowly with love, NO garlic, and loads of lemon juice. My fellow hummus aficionados and girlfriends agree. At many a girly lunch feast, Stef has come laden with her famous vegan hummus recipe, and we are all madly fingering the last smear at the bottom of the... Keep Reading
