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

I must admit that I have never made homemade pineapple jam (jelly) in my life. I grew up watching my grandmother, mother, aunts and friends make it. But not being a sticky sugar lover, I was not all that interested in perfecting the art of boiling up just as much refined sugar as fruit! Oh, the thought of it just makes my colon start convulsing!  I was never a fan of jam/jelly. I don’t think I have ever had it on toast, and was never partial to having it smeared in the centre of cakes and cookies either. I know this revelation is baffling to those of you who crave a great preserve smothered on a piece of crusty piece of bread, with a steaming cup of tea and coffee in the morning. But there you have it. I watched my friend Kris make... 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

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 a... Keep Reading

Yes, I know you want to ask me, “Do I use raw cashews in ALL of my recipes?” Well, I am not going to deny my partiality to the wondrous cashew; particularly when whipping up raw vegan treats. She just can’t be matched for replicating the creamy texture we all know and miss from the dreaded dairy counterparts. And she really does deliver, and hit the spot in more than one area, without needing to be the star attraction with a lot of attention. What is great about the cashew, as opposed to other raw nuts that have stronger flavours, is that it is kind of like milk and cream; in the respect that the cashew will give itself over to whatever you pair it up with. It is this virtue that makes it perfect for making vegan dairy free dips. And... 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 camp I went to about ten 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 between each... Keep Reading

OK – So if your snout has not dipped into the gluten free skordalia trough of heaven - skadaddle! The Greeks really were Gods! Do yourself a favour and partake of this simple rustic gluten free vegan dip inspired by the fabulous spud. As anyone will happily agree -- a spud is never a dud; and these mashed spuds are simple and sublime; a pre-requisite for any self respecting healthy blender recipe. There are a ton of fantastic skordalia recipes out there. A lot of them use crusty bread, which is of course, a recipe for disaster for those of us snouting in the gluten free trough. I like this simple easy alternative gluten free skordalia that uses raw almonds. My snout first fell in love with skordalia when I was dining in a cafe in Henley... Keep Reading