Special Diet: Gluten Free

Instant Vegan Gooey Chocolate Cake

It’s winter, and we were looking for something warm and gooey, like a chocolate lava cake, that we could make with readily available ingredients and isn’t too bad for you. Wifey found this recipe on Veggieful for a 2-minute microwave chocolate muffin which we had most of the ingredients to make. I decided to give it a go and make a few adaptations based on what we had to see if it worked.

It came out pretty awesome. It’s soft, warm, gooey, chocolate goodness that comes together in no time at all from pantry staples. Continue reading Instant Vegan Gooey Chocolate Cake

Refreshing Green Super Smoothie

We got silver beet this week to try in smoothies because it was the cheapest green, and it often is. From what I understand it’s actually just as good for you as things like Kale. I’ve never used silver beet in a smoothie before, so I wasn’t sure how it would come out. After a little bit of experimentation I came up with this combination that I was really impressed with. It tastes great with the silver beet being a very subtle flavour.

Depending on how much water you use it’s more like a juice than a smoothie, and each of the flavours comes through to make for a green juice or smoothie that is filling, subtly sweet, and very refreshing. I found one glass (around 250ml) kept me full all morning.

Enjoy!

Continue reading Refreshing Green Super Smoothie

Soyless Kung Pao Noodles

Normally you would use a lot of soy sauce in Kung Pao noodles, unfortunately we ran out so I thought I’d experiment with something different. The taste is a little different to your typical kung pao, but it’s pretty good in my opinion and wifey loves it, so that’s a big plus!

Bonus number two is that it is really quick and easy to throw together using pantry items and a few fresh ingredients. Some of the pantry items are uncommon, but once you have them they last for a while and then you can just throw it together anytime. Continue reading Soyless Kung Pao Noodles

Roasted Peanut Butter

We had some shelled peanuts in the cupboards that have been there for quite a while. We don’t use peanuts in a lot of cooking, which doesn’t make sense since they are one of the cheapest nuts, and they are quite nice. I decided though since these ones have been there so long to have a go at turning them into peanut butter.

I’ve noted previously that most nuts you can just process into a buttery form, but after doing some reading it sounded like roasting peanuts gives them a stronger flavour as well as helping to release the oils to make the butter.

So here it is, roast peanut butter, and it is very cheap and easy to make. I think I’ll be making it in the future instead of buying it.
Continue reading Roasted Peanut Butter

Roasted Pumpkin and Coconut Soup

I really like pumpkin soup, really like it. I wanted to have a go at making it without cream. Turns out, it is really, really good. If you like pumpkin soup, I highly recommend trying it based on coconut like this, it is amazing.

Of note though, even though it is fairly healthy, the coconut content does mean it is high in saturated fat, so eat responsibly and enjoy. Continue reading Roasted Pumpkin and Coconut Soup

Hearty Mushroom Risotto Balls

I first made this for Christmas to serve as an accompaniment to the roast vegetables. They were an absolute hit. The mushroom flavour comes through so strong, with contrasting textures where the outside is crispy and almost crunchy followed by a soft risotto centre.

Definitely one to remember. One thing to note though is that it does take a while because you have to let the rice slowly absorb the stock. So probably best to plan this one in advance but well worth it. Continue reading Hearty Mushroom Risotto Balls

Coconut Whipped Cream

Cream is one of those reasons I have often said I could never be vegan, that and cheese. I can give or take meat, eggs, milk and so on, but cream and cheese always get me.

Then I decided to try whipping coconut cream up to see if it would whip like normal cream. Turns out while it’s not exactly like normal cream it is very close, and frankly, it is amazing! With cream like this, I can definitely do without normal cream. Not only is it cholesterol free and marginally better for me (still a bit on the fatty side though), but it actually tastes better too in my opinion. It also doesn’t have the side effect of phlegm build up in my throat that I get whenever I have regular dairy cream (too much info?).

All I can say is make it, it will blow your mind. Continue reading Coconut Whipped Cream

Lemon, Beetroot Hummus Dip

I encountered this recipe on the Record website while looking for a good dip recipe to serve for Christmas. Unfortunately I didn’t end up needing it so didn’t make it until after Christmas. I found it was quite a nice dip, though it takes a little bit of forethought and preparation to ensure you have your chickpeas rehydrated. I did however feel that overall while it was nice it wasn’t a stand out. With a few modifications, adding some lemon juice and cashews it makes for a much more interesting dip and I keep coming back for more.

Dig in with some quality chips or crackers! I served it with Chipman’s kale and spirulina corn chips. Continue reading Lemon, Beetroot Hummus Dip

Tasty Cauliflower Balls

Wifey was responsible this year for looking after the gluten-free food at her work Christmas party, so I offered to help as I had come across this recipe on Peta Latino that I wanted to try making.

It turned out to work a treat and for something so simple tasted absolutely fantastic. So good in fact I decided to make them again for our own Christmas lunch! It makes around about 40-50 balls depending on how big you roll and works well served or as finger food. Continue reading Tasty Cauliflower Balls