Passion Pasta - Gluten Free

Really, when it comes to pasta, vegans with gluten in tolerances are spoiled for choice. Here is another brand I have come across. Passion Pasta do a range of pastas that are gluten, wheat, dairy and egg free. They take about 8 minutes to cook and keep their shape.

I recently tried the very tasty Garlic and Parsely Spirals. I am not overly keen on garlic but found that it wasn't an overpowering flavour. I loved the texture of this pasta, too.

Also available in the gluten free range are the Saffron Twists, Vegetable Penne, and Brown Rice Twists.


Unfortunately, I cannot remember where I bought this, but it would have either been at Fresh Provisions, Fresh Stop (in the Dogswamp Shopping Centre), or at The Re-Store.

Raw Food at PAWS Cafe

I met up with some friends at the PAWS Cafe and tried, for the first time, a bit of everything from their raw food bar. This included a raw vegan pizza slice that was seriously tasty; a creamy salad that consisted of pear slices, walnuts, spinach leaves and avocado; a crunchy, mixed sprouts salad; and a delicious marinated zucchini, capers and olive concoction. There was even more on my plate than that, but these were the elements that really stood out for me.

I got a medium sized plate, that was full to the max, for just $10. Everything tasted fresh and there were plenty of different textures, colours and flavours to enjoy. No boring limp lettuce and anemic tomatoes in sight!

I do believe that I must read up on this raw foods cookery and give it a go!

Event: Sea Shepherd Fundraiser, Perth, 12th November

When: 12th November. Doors open at 7pm. Cocktails with Captain Paul Watson 7pm - 7:45pm
Main event 8pm - 10pm approx.


Where: Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley


Cost: $25 - general admission. $75 for cocktails with the captain and and entry.


What: In what is shaping up to be the most confronting whale defence campaign to date, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society will return yet again to the waters off Antarctica to defend the Great Whales from the Japanese whaling fleet.

Before the Whales' Navy departs Australia in December Founder and President of Sea Shepherd, Captain Paul Watson will be visiting Perth for one night only. For over 30 years Captain Watson has been at the helm of the world's most proactive marine not-for-profit organisation. He's a man with a complete lack of fear and unrivalled commitment to protecting marine wildlife world-wide.

This year's whale defence campaign titled Operation Divine Wind will see Captain Watson and his international volunteer crew take on the whaling fleet for the 8th year running.

Come and hear Captain Watson speak at his only appearance in Perth which will will raise much needed funds in support of Sea Shepherd's campaign, Operation Divine Wind.

The night will feature live entertainment, door prizes and raffle and the opportunity to mingle with Captain Watson at a special pre-event cocktail gathering.

Better-than-cheesecake

I didn't even know vegan 'non-cheesecakes' existed until I became a vegan. And when I found out, I just assumed that they were made from tofu. When I tried one, I was amazed at how creamy and smooth it was. And it wasn't even made of silken tofu!

A vegan friend made one and shared it with me and some friends, recently. For a lot of us, it was our first time trying a vegan non-cheesecake. ALL were blown away with the texture and the flavour!

This friend got the recipe from another vegan friend. (Vegans are caring, sharing types.) And she in turn has shared it will all on her blog.

You can find the recipe here!

Citrus fruits - the bold and the beautiful

Over this winter and spring, I have been trying out some new citrus fruit varieties. I am not a huge fan of citrus - I HATE grapefruit with a passion - but when I do find a variety I like, I try and get as much of it while the season lasts.

Tangelos are one fruit I started seeing in the supermarket but never bothered to try until one day..I thought 'Why not?'. I had no idea that it was a cross between a tangerine ( a fruit that I have never tried - got to fix that!) and a GRAPEFRUIT. *gasp* I thought it was part mandarin, actually. Despite being part... *shudder* grapefruit, tangelos are actually rather tasty! The skin is rather thick and loose, so it is easy to peel. The flesh is a lot like an orange's and the flavour is mild and sweet. Still available in the shops.

Another citrus fruit I tried out was the Afourer Mandarin. There are quite a few varieties of mandarin available during winter but some are definitely better than others. This one is by far the sweetest and juiciest I have ever had. The skin is such a vivid orange and the inner peel a light pink shade - I was suspicious that the shops were dyeing the peel to make it look more attractive! With a little investigation, I found this not to be the case. It is just a feature of this variety of mandarin. I have not seen the Afourer Mandarin in the shops for a while, so I am guessing it is out of season now.

Finally, after a coworker brought them in daily to eat during our morning break, I just had to try the Rosey Red Naval Oranges for myself. They are super juicy, with pink flesh, seedless, low acid and oh so very sweet. Hands down the BEST variety of orange I have ever had! Even better than Blood Oranges. I didn't find the Rosey Reds in the supermarket, but rather in the fruit and veg shops. They are still in stock but look to be going out of season soon, so hurry to try them before it is too late.

Chic Nuts - vegan snacks

I have to admit, I am a bit of a 'snacker' and I like my snacks savory and crunchy. I am naughty, and often opt for potato chips but sometimes I grab some Chic Nuts.
 Chic Nuts are roasted chickpeas that are great for a snack or entertaining. They come in two varieties - ' Lightly Salted' and 'Sicilian Herbs and Garlic'. They are crunchy, tasty and high in fibre and protein. Oh, and they are also gluten free. You can buy them in the larger bags or in the 25g snack pack size.

Also available are their 'Fava Nuts' which are roasted, split broad beans. Have not tried these yet but intend to!

These products are available from Woolworths supermarkets and some IGA stores.

Recipe: Lentil and spinach casserole/soup

Now, just like in the previously posted recipe, I got this one from "Livwise : easy recipes for a healthy, happy life" by Olivia Newton John.


It didn't so much turn out to be like a casserole you could serve up on rice, but rather like a soup. That may have had something to do with the amount of water I added. A bit too much. *oops*

And instead of spinach, I used steamed kale because I happened to have some on hand. I also recommend using 2 x 400g tins of brown lentils, as I found that one really wasn't enough.

This recipe marks my very first time using asafoetida. I used only half of the recommended amount in this recipe, but if you are feeling brave, go for the full amount. Until I made a new vegan friend (Hi Geoff!) who is a foodie, I had not even heard of this stuff! The great thing about it is that it added a flavour boost reminiscent of onion/chives but without the side effects I tend to suffer when trying to eat that vegetable. You can get asafoetida from Indian grocery stores and some health food shops. It is powerful stuff, so a little goes a long way.

What you will need:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sea salt
an 8th to one quarter of a teaspoon on asafoetida powder
quarter tsp cayenne pepper or sweet paprika
4 ripe tomatoes
1-2 tbsp tomato paste
2 x 400g tin brown lentils
1 carrot, diced
2 large potatoes, diced
juice of half a small lemon
handful or two of spinach leaves or steamed kale
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Method:
Put all the ingredients into a large pot and pour in just enough water to cover the vegetables. If you want it more soup-like than casserole, add more water.
Bring to boil and then reduce heat to a medium low simmer. Cover and cook for approx 30-40mins, just so the vegetables are cooked.
Remove from heat and stir in kale or spinach, and the parsley.