Melbourne: Trippy Taco

My partner and I went on a short vacation to Victoria recently, and we were determined to visit as many vegan or vegan friendly stores and cafes as we could manage in the short time of just a few days. Before we went, I did some homework and had a list of places to go to in Melbourne. Oddly enough, I missed out on hearing about Trippy Taco. A local told us about it while we were over there. I was a bit dubious, as we all know how much cheese and meat is involved in Mexican food, but I was assured that this place was vegetarian with lots of vegan options. So we decided to check it out.

Trippy Taco is situated on 234 Gertrude Street in Fitzroy. (We discovered a lot of the stores and cafes we wanted to visit were in that vicinity.) It is a very small cafe, with a little bit of outdoor seating. We were lucky enough to nab a table for two and the whole time we were there, there was a constant line of people waiting to order.

The menu was a pleasant surprise. No meat, plenty of vegan options, and gluten free options, too. We had a choice of nachos, several types of tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tamales, and taquitos. Both my partner and I went with the last option - the taquitos. Gluten free and vegan, these 3 crispy, rolled up corn tortillas were presented to us, topped with guacamole and salsa. There was also a lovely and unique salad on the side. Inside the actual rolled up corn tortillas was a bean mixture and I was happy to say that the meal wasn't too hot. Infact, we saw bottles of chilli sauces around the cafe, of various strengths, being used by patrons. Our guess was that they left each patron to add the hotness to their meals, as they saw fit.

Trippy Taco also do a breakfast menu, with vegan options - Breakfast burritos, quesadillas, tacos and huevos rancheros. There are also a few sweets on offer, though not all are vegan. Oh and if you are into booze, they offer a few different beers, tequila, sangria and margaritas. 

They do phone orders and takeaways, as well as dine in. We SO wished we had a Trippy Taco here in Perth! 

For the full menu and opening hours, check out their website.

Spinach Casserole

I found this recipe in the book "The 4-Ingredient Vegan" by Maribeth Abrams, and as the name suggests, it is a simple dish, with few ingredients. If you want to jazz it up a bit, I suggest adding some chopped mushrooms and maybe some herbs and spices. Chilli powder comes to mind, but maybe that's just me?
This recipe is NOT gluten free, alas, as I have yet to find gluten free phyllo pastry.

What you will need:
6 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
600g (approx. More if you like) chopped, frozen spinach
6 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp salt
16 sheets of phyllo dough ( I used the Antoniou brand, which is available in supermarkets.)
spray on cooking oil

Method:
Boil a pot of water over high heat and add potatoes. Cook for about 10 minutes or until fork-tender.
Drain and return to pot. Mash.
Thaw spinach according to packet instructions and then add to potatoes. Also add nutritional yeast flakes and salt, and stir.
Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Spray a large baking dish with olive oil.
Place a sheet of phyllo on the bottom of the dish and spray with oil. Repeat process for a total of 8 sheets.
Then spread the potato filling over the phyllo and lightly pack it in and smooth it out on top.
Lay a sheet of phyllo over the top of that and spray with oil. Repeat the process for a total of 8 sheets.
Spray the top with oil and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and flaky.

Root Vegetable Casserole

Time to get the slow cooker out again. This recipe is a combination of slow and 'regular' cooking, as you will see. The ground spices really 'make' this dish, as does the sweetness from the parsnip and sweet potato. And it smells delicious as it is cooking.

What you will need:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 swede, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
2 tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, and paprika
1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1 can chopped tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp fresh coriander

Method:
Heat oil in a large pan and add celery. Saute for 3 minutes and then add carrots, swede, parsnip and potato. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add ground spices and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
Add lentils, tomatoes, and stock. Bring to boil, stirring and then transfer into slow cooker.
Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours. Stir in fresh coriander and serve.

Rich Vegetable Hot-Pot

This dish takes a bit of effort, as there is a fair bit of chopping involved, so set aside about 30 minutes for preparation work and then 45 minutes for cooking in the oven.
There are a fair few ingredients involved but none are hard to find and they all compliment each other so well.
I suggest using a VERY large pot during the prep. stage and then a very large ovenproof dish. There is a lot to pack in!

What you will need:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped (optional)
2 small - medium eggplants, cut into small cubes
3 zucchinis, cut into small cubes
1 cup frozen peas
handful of green beans, cut into pieces
450g new potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
11/2 cup vegetable stock
sliced black olives to garnish

Method:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot and cook onion (if using) until golden. Add eggplants and cook for 3 minutes. Add zucchinis, peas, beans, potatoes and the spices. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour mixture into a large oven proof dish and level the surface. Pour stock over the top.

In bowl, mix together both the fresh and tinned tomatoes, 1 tbsp oil, and the parsley.
Spoon over the eggplant mixture.
Cover with foil and bake in the oven for approx. 45 minutes.
Serve with sliced black olives on the top. This adds a salty bite to the dish.

Pana Chocolate

Pana Chocolate has to be one of the very best raw, vegan chocolate I have every tried. It is handmade, organic, contains no dairy or any other animal products and is low GI and gluten free. Oh, and it is DELICIOUS!

There are several varieties available:  Mint, Orange, Rose, Nuts, Cinnamon, Coconut and Goji, Raw Cacao, 80% Cacao and the new Sour Cherry and Vanilla - which I just tried and loved!

If you tend to shy away from dark chocolate because of bitterness, you have nothing to worry about here. This chocolate is neither bitter or sickly sweet. It has just the right balance. Also, it is so very smooth in texture.

The bars are small and quite expensive, so I just treat myself to a square at a time - the way it should be, really. Pop a square into your mouth and savour it!

Pana Chocolate is available in several healthfood shops, cafes and organics stores.
Their website has an extensive list of suppliers in Perth. Just pop in your postcode.

Thai Rice Noodles with Lime-Basil Sauce

I found this recipe in the cookbook "Big Vegan" by Robin Asbell. I used it as a 'base'. In other words, I changed a fair bit of it to suit me and the results were more than favourable.

The rice noodles I used were the Trident Rice Stick Noodles but any will do. You can find them in regular supermarkets. I tend to soak them in boiled water for longer than what is usually advised - about 10-15 minutes.

This recipe is gluten free - just make sure to use tamari and not soy sauce. again, I have had no trouble finding tamari at supermarkets. Sometimes it will be shelved in their 'health foods' section. 

Agave syrup can be found in health food shops or organics stores. If you want, you can use sugar, instead. 

You will find that as you are cooking this, the vegetables will give off a fair bit of liquid, but don't be concerned, as when you add the noodles, they will take up a fair bit of the sauce created.

What you will need:

Approx 250g dry rice stick noodles

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

small broccoli, cut into florets

1 medium carrot, julienned

4 spring onions, diagonally sliced (optional)

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp of light agave syrup 

2 tbsp tamari

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

1 tbsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger

a few leaves of basil, slivered

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped (optional)

Method:

Place dry rice stick noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak for at least 10 minutes and then drain.

In a wok pan, heat the coconut milk over medium high heat and add tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and (is using) spring onions. Bring to a simmer and add lime juice, agave, tamari, ginger and garlic (is using). Stir while cooking. How long you wish to cook is up to you. Some prefer the vegetables to be firmer, whilst others prefer them to be tender. Taste test ever few minutes until vegetables are to your liking and then add the noodles. Stir to coat with the sauce and heat thoroughly.
Add basil and peanuts (if using) and toss.
Done!

LaZuppa Classic Bowls

I am finding that more and more vegan friendly products are showing up on our supermarkets, which is great. My latest discovery is the LaZuppa Classic Bowls range. These are available in Coles and Woolworths, found in the same section that has the canned and packet soups. Whilst not all the range is vegan, a lot of it is.




The portions sizes are perfect for lunch, as they are the equivalent of a good sized bowl of soup. I have been having one a week for lunch at work, during the cooler months. All you need is microwave oven and about two minutes. Easy.




I have tried all the vegan varieties and they all get the 'thumbs up' from me: Spinach and Chickpea; Pumpkin; Minestrone; Ribbolita Tuscan Vegetables;  and Moroccan Pumpkin with Chickpea. They are as close to home made tasting soup that I found on store shelves, so far.
And they are also gluten free!