Recipe: Pasta Florentine

This is another recipe I found in the book “30 Minute Vegan” by Marck Reinfelf and Jennifer Murray. It is creamy and cheesy and works best on smaller shaped pasta.  My partner absolutely wolfed this dish down, and no wonder – it is delicious!

What you will need:

350g of uncooked pasta (I use gluten free, rice pasta). You can use more pasta is you wish.

1 and a half tbsp olive oil

1 cup thinly sliced onion (optional)

2 tbsp minced garlic (optional)

8 cups fresh spinach

1 cup plain soy or rice milk (I use Bonsoy as it is thick, creamy and is not sweet)

Quarter cup and 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1 tsp dried oregano

Method:

Bring pot of water to boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Drain, rinse well and place in large bowl.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil to a large pan over medium-high heat and add onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add soy milk and lower heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Add pasta and gently mix.

Variations:

Add 2 cups of chopped, assorted mixed vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, and zucchini, after adding onion and garlic.

Try substituting coconut milk for soy milk.

Recipe: Porotos Granados (Chilean Bean Stew)

I found this recipe in “River Cottage Veg Everyday!” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall which is a vegetarian cookbook but with some vegan recipes that are marked as being such, so you can spot them at a glance.

This recipe has a curious mix of ingredients that you might not think go well together – but just wait until you taste it!

What you will need:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped (optional)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (optional)

1 tsp sweet paprika

Dash of dried oregano or marjoram, or handful of fresh, chopped

400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and well rinsed

1 litre vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

750g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm chunks

200g green beans, cut into 2cm pieces

Can corn kernels

Method:

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic (if using) and sauté for approx 10 minutes. Add paprika and oregano/marjoram. Cook for another minute.

Add stock, bay leaf, beans and pumpkin and simmer until the pumpkin is just tender – approx 15 minutes. Add green beans and corn kernels and simmer until all vegetables are tender.

Serve hot. Left overs taste just as good, heated up the next day.

Event: Tree Planting Day with Perth Advocates for the Earth

Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre and Perth Advocates for the Earth invite YOU to be involved in a day of Tree Planting.
This will be a  hands-on community project to help regenerate the habitat for the endangered Black Cockatoos.

When: Sunday 27th May, 9am – 2 pm

Where: Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre , 322 Mills Road East, Martin

Come and join Perth Advocates for the Earth at Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre for a fun day of tree planting.
You will be involved in a major reforestation program helping to restore a regional park of Jarrah and Marri trees.
Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre relies on volunteers and tax deductable donations from the community and local businesses.

What you’ll need:
• Warm clothes or wet weather gear
• Boots for the muddy conditions
• Hat
• Byo lunch (tea and coffee provided)

Recipe: Peruvian Quinoa Vegetable Soup

As you might have guessed by looking at the recipes on this blog, I love soups. They are super easy to make, nutritious, and taste oh so good. I found this one in the book "The 30-minute vegan". If you are not keen or chili or a bit of a 'lightweight', as I am, you can just add a dash of some mild chili powder instead.


What you will need:
7 cups of vegetable stock
3 tbsp soy or tamari sauce
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 and a half cups chopped potatoes
1 large carrot
3/4 cup diced onion (optional)
4 garlic clove, minced (optional)
1 cup sliced cabbage
1tbsp seeded and minced jalapeno or other chili pepper
2 large tomatoes
quarter cup minced fresh coriander
quarter cup minced fresh parsley

Method:
Place the water or vegetable stock and soy/tamari sauce in a large pot over medium high heat. Add quinoa.
Begin prepping the vegetables and place them in the pot as you go, starting with the potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, cabbage, jalapeno and tomatoes.
Cook until potatoes are tender and quinoa is cooked. (approx 20 minutes from when the quinoa was added)
Add coriander and parsley.
Serve.

Event: Kanyana Open Day - May 6th

Late notice, I know, but better than never!
Kanyana is a not for profit organization that provides care for sick, injured, and orphaned native animals - including reptiles, mammals and birds.

When: Sunday May 6th. 10am to 4pm
Where: Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, 120 Gilchrist Road, Lesmurdie
Cost: I believe entry is by gold coin donation
What: Live entertainment, stalls (white elephant, 2nd hand books, etc), food, drink, tour of the hospital, and children's activities.

There is no public parking on site, so people are encouraged to get themselves to Lesmurdie Senior High School at 21 Reid Road, Lesmurdie, and catch the shuttle bus which will be running every 15 minutes up until 4:15pm.

Event: Cruelty Free Money Speaking Tour, Perth - 14th May

Where: PAWS, 120 Beaufort Street, Perth
When: 14th May, 6.30pm
Cost: Donations are encouraged. Funds raised will be shared equally between PAWS and Animal Actionist.
What: Cruelty Free Super is Australia's only animal friendly Superfund.
Their mission is to bring animal welfare issues to the areas of retirement planning, savings and investment.
Cruelty Free Super will not invest in companies which are involved in animal testing, intensive farming, polluting, armaments, deforestation, climate change, live exports, tobacco, human rights abuse, gambling or genetic modification.

Cruelty Free Super offers a choice for those with certain beliefs, such as Christians, Muslims, vegetarians and vegans, who might be in a default industry fund that invested in shares that did not match their belief systems. No other super fund exists to truly cater for people who want to avoid investing in companies whose activities exploit animals. Now Australians have a choice, and they can put their money where their principles are.
People are exploited by companies, as is the environment, and Cruelty Free Super will make sure that no investments are made in any company whose activities could be considered cruel or exploitative in three main areas – animals, people and planet.

Lee Coates, OBE owns and runs one of the largest specialist, ethical investment financial planning firms in the UK, as well as a separate ethical research company. Lee has come to Australia for the months of April and May this year to deliver a speaking tour all about money.

To be honest, I had never before thought of what my super may be used for on my behalf. I just always went with the flow, mostly out of ignorance. This talk should be prove to be very informative.