Alpine Coconut Yoghurt

Well, here it is. A non-dairy, vegan yoghurt that you can buy in one of the biggest supermarket chains in Australia –namely Woolworths. And it is so smooth and creamy too. Granted, it is made from coconut and so has a coconut flavour to it but I find this product to be less coconut in taste than CoYo and much, much smoother – less of a ‘bite’. This product is cultured so does have a tang, but it is not overly sharp. And while it is still a bit pricey, it does cost less than CoYo.

Because of its richness, I tend to only eat, at most, 2 tablespoons at a time. There is suppose to be two varieties available – ‘Natural’ and ‘Passionfruit’ but I have only seen the former in Woolworths so far.

Maybe one day we will have a commercial non-coconut tasting vegan yoghurt available in Australia. Until then, I am happy to indulge in some of this product, from time to time.

Raspberry Tapioca Pudding

I had not eaten sago/tapioca since I was a child but a friendly recently made a batch and I found myself totally loving it!

I had a look online to see if there were any variations from the basic veganized version, and came across this one at:

 http://www.dramaticpancake.com/2012/04/sandra-vegan-raspberry-tapioca-pudding/

We found all the ingredients in the supermarket.  I guess you can substitute with different berries if you like, but we found the raspberries to be delicious.

What you will need:

2 cups almond milk, divided

1/3 cup pearl tapioca/sago

Approx. 400 ml can coconut milk

1/3 cup agave syrup

1 cup frozen raspberries

Pinch of salt

Method:

In a medium sized saucepan, place tapioca in a cup of the almond milk. Cover with a plate and soak overnight (or minimum of 4 hours) at room temperature.

Add second cup of almond milk and bring the mix to boil over medium heat. Add coconut milk and agave. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring slowly and continuously for 10 minutes.

Add raspberries and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. As raspberries soften, use a wooden spoon to crush them up a bit against the side of the pan.

Remove for heat. .Refrigerate for a few hours, and you will find yourself having a smooth, creamy cold dessert for summer.  I found that it tasted even better the next day. Or if it is winter, have it while it is still warm. 

Recipe: Tutti-Frutti Smoothie

A fruity, creamy drink concoction I found in “Vegan Planet” by Robin Robertson. Easy to make and you can find all the ingredients in the supermarket.

What you will need:

2 dates, pitted and soaked in hot water to cover, until soft. Drain.

½ cup canned pineapple chunks

½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 medium sized ripe banana, peeled cut into chunks, and frozen

1 cup apple juice

115g soft silken tofu, drained

Method:

Combine dates, pineapple, strawberries and tofu in a blender. Add banana and apple juice and blend until thick and smooth.

2 servings

Product: Dairy Free Fudge and Coconut Ice by Fabulous Fudge Factory

This is a UK company. I came across these two products in PAWS (the only place I have seen them in Perth, so far) and thought I better try them in the name of "research", tee hee!

First up - the Dairy Free Coconut Ice. Although I have heard of it, I had never had coconut ice before, so I could not compare it to the dairy variety. To me, this was a sweet, coconut tasting treat - minus the cruelty of dairy, of course. My partner, who comes from a British family background, use to love this stuff as a kid, and was very pleased to see a vegan version available. The pink colouring is achieved with the use of raspberries and beetroot and you can taste the raspberry - which I think is delightful.

The Dairy Free Fudge is what is known as 'Devon Set', which means it is soft, creamy and smooth. (As opposed to the Scottish version which is harder and crumbly.) The fudge is made in batches and are hand crafted. I have had dairy fudge so can compare this product. Basically, the flavour and creaminess is all there, minus that animal fat smell that I find so unappealing. Ack!

If you have a sweet tooth, give these two products a go as a treat. I eat these in moderation, as they are very sweet.

Product: CoYo coconut milk yoghurt

There was much excitement when this product finally hit our shops, here in Perth. Finding a truly vegan suitable yoghurt has always been a challenge due to the source of the cultures used. (This product contains plant based cultures.) It is also lactose free, and gluten free.
The company is from Queensland, I do believe, and this product is an award winner.

I started off by trying the 'natural' variety. It is very rich and creamy and has a sharp bite to it. I then tried the passionfruit variety and really enjoyed it. I would suggest eating it with fresh fruit or cereal, as it is very rich.

The cost of the product is quite high for the amount you get, so I only buy it now and then.
There is a store locator function on the CoYo website, though I have noticed that it is not complete for Perth. This product can be found in some healthfood shops and some IGAs but I have also seen it sold in Manna.

Product: Moo Free vegan chocolates

If you don't like dark chocolate, there are other vegan alternatives to dairy milk chocolate. Here is one that I found at PAWS.
Moo Free are a UK company that produces a range of chocolates that are vegan and gluten free. No wheat, no lactose and no cruelty.

I tried their Organic Rice Milk Chocolate Bar which turned out to be very tasty indeed, with a full flavour and just the right amount of sweetness.

Their website lists other products, such as pralines (I LOVE pralines!) and various different fruit and nut bars. I would love to see these on the store shelves here. I guess I will have to keep my eyes peeled.

As just mentioned, this product is available at PAWS, but there are a few other stockists in Perth, as listed on their website.

Oh, and don't you just love their packaging designs? So cute!

Recipe: Lentil and pumpkin loaf

I lifted this recipe out of Olivia Newton-John's cookbook "Livwise", which although is not a vegan or even vegetarian cookbook, does have some suitable recipes. With this recipe, I made it vegan by using soymilk instead of cow's milk and I made it gluten free by using dried gluten free breadcrumbs.

It is easy to make, with just a few ingredients. You can cheat a little by using tinned lentils instead of boiling up the dried ones.

What you will need:
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
300g butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1cm pieces
1 brown onion (optional)
2 cups gluten free breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
half tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh
half cup soymilk
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Spray with oil, a loaf tin approx 12x21x7 cm. Sprinkle tin with sesame seeds.
Place lentils in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to boil over high heat. reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins. Rinse in cold water and place in large bowl.
Cook pumpkin in a large saucepan of boiling water for approx 10 mins. Drain and set aside.
Mash lentils and add pumpkin, onion (if using), breadcrumbs and herbs. Mix well to combine.
Gradually add soymilk and keep stirring.
Spoon mixture into the loaf tin and press it down firmly into the tin.
Bake in oven for 30 mins. Remove and allow to cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before turning out and thickly slicing.
Serve immediately. Goes well with soups or salads and is quite filling.

Notzarella - THE vegan cheese for melting

I heard of Notzarella a while ago but only just recently purchased some to try out. Infact a group of vegan friends and I all chipped in together and ordered a whole heap to save on shipping. Then we organized a little gathering whereby we all brought along ingredients to make vegan pizzas. More about that later. First, more about this product.

Vegan cheeses are very hit and miss. Some taste better than others, some have a better texture, and very few of them actually melt all that well. Enter Notzarella! This stuff not only melts but also tastes good too! It is lactose free and dairy free, and is made mostly from organic ingredients such as soybeans and coconut oil.

At the moment, Perth folks can purchase this product online. The makers are working on getting nationwide distribution so fingers crossed a store like PAWS here in Perth will pick it up!  In the meantime, see the Notzarella website for details. There is also a Facebook page to check out. UPDATE: Notzarella is now available to purchase in Perth at PAWS and at Loving Hut! It has also been spotted for sale at Swan Valley Vegetarian Cafe in Milledon.

Now, back to my hungry vegan friends....we gathered together various ingredients - roasted pumpkin, mushrooms, spinach, jalapenos, mock meats, baby tomatoes, potatoes, various herbs - you name it! Each pizza and mini pizza was a work of art and had grated Notzarella on it. Each creation was savored and it was such a treat to eat a pizza with melty cheese that was delicious and cruelty free!
Next to try out is Notzarella on nachos and lasagna!

So Delicious Dairy Free

Oh, wow. Here is another alternative the to dairy beverages that blows  pus ridden cows milk out of the water. So Delicious Dairy Free offer coconut milk and soy milk products like sorbet, icecreams, beverages, and even yoghurts. And - get this - they are all vegan and gluten free!


I had the great fortune of tasting their Chocolate Coconut Milk, which was simply divine! No other way to describe it!  I would love to try out more of their range, but being a specialist imported item, this may prove to be a bit of a challenge.

I found this chocolate coconut milk at Good Life health food shop in the Dogswamp Shopping Centre. I dare say some of their other branches may stock this brand. It is certainly worth asking for if they don't already.

Go Max Go Foods - Vegan chocolate bars

Being vegan doesn't mean it is all carrot and celery sticks. Although we like those with some yummy hummus, we also like to indulge, every now and then, in some naughty vegan chocolate treats.

A while back I posted about Buccaneer bars which were like a vegan version of a Milky Way bar. Well, since then, I have tried a few of Go Max Go's  other products. 

There is their Twilight Bar which is a vegan version of a Mars bar, Snap! which is a crunchy rice and chocolate bar that reminds me of Kit Kats, and the Mahalo bar which tastes like a Bounty and is my favourite. Mmmmmmmmm.....! 

There are two products that I have not tried, as they contain peanuts, which my body is not too keen on: Jokerz bars, which I am told taste like Snickers bars and Cleos which are vegan peanut butter cups.

There is palm oil in these products, and if you are concerned about the environmental aspects of this ingredient, the company does provide information on where and how their source this.

These products are not marked as being gluten free, and although they do not contain gluten containing ingredients, they are made in a shared facility so there may be trace amounts of gluten in them. If, like me, you have a gluten intolerance rather than an all out allergy, you should be safe to eat these products...in moderation of course!

If you are in Perth, these beauties are available at both PAWS stores - city and Tuart Hill. 

Product: Orgran Chocolate Mousse

Found this one in a health food shop and I have to say the simplicity of its preparation appealed to me. You can eat this as a sort of pudding/mousse or you can use it as a cake filler or topper. For my first try at it, I gave it a go as a pudding. The pack says you can eat it straight away, but I opted to eat it after it was refrigerated. The texture is nice and smooth and creamy. Taste-wise, if you prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate, you will probably like this better. I found the texture and flavour more appealing after 2 days in the fridge. Next time, I will have to try it out as a alternative to a cream filling or topping to a cake.
This product is dairy and gluten free. Also egg free, so it is suitable for us vegans. Quick and easy to prepare and 98% fat free.