Recipe: Teriyaki Noodles

Super simple raw vegan recipe I found in “Ani’s Raw Food Essentials” by Ani Phyo. Not too many ingredients, most (if not all) you can find at your supermarket. The agave syrup you can sometimes find in the health foods section of Coles or Woolworths, otherwise try a healthfood shop. The original recipe calls for the use of either tamari (which I used, otherwise known as Nama Shoyu), which you should also be able to find in supermarkets. You can use Bragg Liquid Aminos, instead, but you will need to visit a healthfood shop for that.

This recipe makes enough for about 3 people. To make the noodles, you will need a spiralizer. I use the Chef Avenue 3-in-1 turning slicer. I have seen it sold in PAWS, and various organics stores, and it usually sells for under $40.

What you will need:

4 cups spiralized zucchini noodles (4 to 5 zucchini) 

For the sauce:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tamari

3 tbsp agave syrup

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tsp minced garlic (optional)

Method:

Whisk together all the sauce ingredients and toss with the noodles in a large bowl. Serve.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Product: So Delicious icecreams

I have blogged about So Delicious before - specifically about their non-dairy milks. This time, it is about their  icecreams - both the tub and 'on-a-stick' varieties.

I didn't think I would see these products in the stores here in Australia. The company is American and I have found that imported refrigerated items tend to be quite limited at times. But to my joy, I started seeing So Delicious icecreams popping up all over the place. It then became my mission to try as many varieties as I could. "Research for my blog" is what I say to my partner, the lady behind the counter, and to my friends. Ha!

First, about the tubs. I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl. Oh boy. Chocolate coconut icecream, with peanut butter swirled through it, plus choc chips. I am not a big fan of peanut butter but even I loved this. Who knew chocolate and peanut butter tasted so good? Plus, for those that may have an aversion to it, you cannot taste the coconut in this product.

My partner loves the Cookie Dough coconut icecream. You can taste the coconut in this, just a bit, bit it is mostly vanilla with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate flakes. Happy to say that despite the name, it is gluten free. 


I currently have the Turtle Trails variety in my freezer, waiting to be tasted. This one is a vanilla coconut milk icecream with caramel and chocolate covered praline pecans. Sounds so decadent!

I have yet to check out their almond milk based tubs, but am looking forward to it. (Not sure about my waistline, though!)

Now, onto their 'on-a-stick' varieties. I have seen a few of these in the shops - both the coconut milk and almond milk varieties.

I found that their Vanilla Almond Milk Minis to be creamy and delicious, with a crisp, sweet chocolate coating.  The Coconut Milk Mini was lovely, as well, though in this case, the chocolate coating tasted more like dark chocolate.

There are many more varieties in both the tubs and 'on-a-stick' products - some (but not all - yet!) which I have seen on shelves here, so do make an effort to hunt them down. It will be worth it, I promise!

I have found some of these beauties at my local healthfood shop and Fresh Stop in the Dogswamp Shopping Centre, and in  PAWS. If you have spotted them anywhere else in Perth, please comment below. Thanks!

On a final note: these are pricey products, so I approach them as occasional treats, which is really just as well. *peers over her shoulder, at her butt*

Cafe: Salad Bar at Loving Hut, Victoria Park

I have blogged about Loving Hut before. Since then, I have had the pleasure of visiting that establishment several times over. They are always coming up with new additions to their menu, so revisiting them is a real treat. When we heard that they had opened up a self serve salad bar at their Victoria Park store, my partner and I made a bee line for it.

The bar is situated at the front window of the cafe, and we noticed that it was catching people's attention as they wandered past. On offer were various fresh vegetables such as lettuce, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, etc. plus various salads such as cous cous and roast vegetable, spicy potato and bean mix, and quinoa with pumpkin and spinach. Also on offer were various sauces,  lemongrass tofu and tempeh, lentil polenta, tandori bites, and cubes of vegan cheese.

The takeaway bowls come in two sizes and we noticed that they are made of biodegradable materials, which was great.

Whilst I was at it, I also ordered some hot food to have with my salad.

My partner and I tried a little bit of almost everything from the salad bar, and all of it was delicious!

We topped off our lunch with some soft serve icecream in a waffle cone. My partner opted for the vanilla which is super creamy. I had the mango, which was not quite as creamy. It had a soft sorbet kind of feel to it, instead. Still, it tasted REAL, if you get my meaning - real mango and not just flavouring. And it was perfect for a hot day.

The best news of all is that Loving Hut in Victoria Park, is now open 7 days a week:

Mon-Fri: 10am to 2.30pm
Weekends: 10am to 4.30pm

You can keep up with what's new and see lots of mouth watering pictures of their dishes on their Facebook page. Check it out!

Recipe: Zucchini carrot ribbon salad in tomato dressing

This is a pretty simple salad and you don’t need any fancy kitchen equipment for it.  Your average fruit and vegetable peeler will do the job. I liked the blend of the crunchiness of the carrot and the softness of the zucchini, which looked and felt like eating fettuccine.  I think next time, I may double the amount of zucchini used.

You can experiment with the ratios of the dressing ingredients if you like, making it sweeter, perhaps.  I could not find sun-dried tomato paste/puree, so just used the regular stuff. Also, if like me, you are not keen on garlic and onions, you can leave them out and this salad will still taste good.

Credit given to the book from which I found this recipe: “Big Vegan” by Robin Asbell.

This amount makes enough for 3 people.

What you will need:

1 tbsp sundried or regular tomato paste/puree

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed (optional)

½ - 1 tsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

2 medium to large zucchinis

1 large carrot

2 spring onions, chopped (optional)

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste/puree, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, sugar and salt.

In a large salad bowl, peel the zucchini and carrot down to the seeds, turning as you go.

Add the spring onions to the bowl and drizzle the dressing over the vegetables. Toss to coat and serve.

(The photo below doesn't do it justice, but rest assured that it is tasty!)

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: Holy Cow Golden Crunch

It's a tough life, being a vegan blogger. So many new and tasty products I *have to* try, all in the name of research for this blog!

I found this product in PAWS and have not seen it elsewhere. It is very sweet and very crunchy. Think of Violet Crumble or Crunchie bars, and you will have an idea as to what this tastes like. (If you are Australian, that sentence will make sense. If not, maybe not so much. Sorry.)

What you get is cinder toffee, covered in dark chocolate. Be warned however, it is NOT gluten free.

So if you have gone vegan but miss the old bit of Violet Crumble or Crunchie, get to PAWS and indulge!

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.