I love Indian food.

Always have – especially dahls and dosas and stuffed parathas, the chutneys that go with them and everything in between. I could (and will shortly) write an entire post dedicated to the vegan mecca that is your local Indian grocery store, especially after I bought what has to be the best cookbook I have ever owned – The Vegan Indian Kitchen by Madhu Gadia. (If you’ve stumbled across this page googling ‘best Indian cookbook’ and aren’t much on the vegan, I think she does another tomb that covers all your non-vegan Indian food fantasies too.) Even though it has stacks of recipes (and I have tried most) it is by no means definitive….

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to start working under an Indian lady named Anne. Lucky, because she’s pretty cool in her uniquely ‘Anne’ way, and lucky because she’s mostly vegetarian, an awesome cook and she was intrigued by my veganism. What this translated to was gifts of food every now and then, when she’d cooked something that happened to be vegan and thought I’d like to try it.

Her cooking is amazing.

She *finally* shared with me her cabbage recipe last week, but I suspect only because we no longer work at the same company. It is so spectacularly delicious I thought I’d share it here with y’all :)

You will need:

* Panch Phoron translates literally to 5 spice. It’s a blend of seeds: mustard, fenugreek, nigella, cummin & fennel. I buy it from my local Indian grocery store, but you could probably blend your own from the base seeds (which you should be able to find in most good spice racks).

Anywho… Get yo shit together: Start by dicing the cabbage, roughly to 1.5cm cube cuts. You will need a big ass bowl to hold onto all of it, that is, if you bought a cabbage big enough… Finely slice the green chilli and push it aside, then just quarter the tomatoes and remove the stem base. Pour out some panch phoron ready to go, I’d say about 2+ tablespoons worth for 1/2 a cabbage. Bay leaves ready too.

Ready? Set? ok….

Heat up a LARGE pot to fuckthatshot hot. You’ll be glugging in at least 4+ tablespoons of oil (it needs a fair bit), and want the oil to start smoking. As soon as it smokes, take it off the heat and throw in the panch poron and quickly stir it through the oil – it should sizzle like crazy but not burn. After a few seconds throw in the tomatoes, chilli and bay leaves and stir through. Put back on medium/hot heat and stir every so and so until the tomatoes collapse into a kind of sauce – should take a good 10mins at least…

Once it’s nice and saucy, add the cabbage and try not to freak out how much there is – it WILL shrink, it might be a bit tricky stirring until it starts to soften up a bit. Add some salt and white sugar (about a tablespoon of each, a little lighter on the sugar though, heavier on the salt) and stir, stir, stir until the cabbage is really soft. A lot of the water from the tomatoes and cabbage will collect at the bottom, this is part of the deliciousness :)

It probably needs a good 20-30mins to cook up really soft, or you can shorten the time if you still like a bit of crunch (though the flavours won’t soak through so much). Serve hot, either with potatoes, rice or my personal favourite – paratha or methi thepla – and enjoy the hell out of it. Also tasty served cold.

I’m pretty sure I’ve already mentioned my unholy addiction to grisini, but I don’t think I’ve shared my favourites with you. I’ve also noted that I haven’t been so great at giving specifics of where to find the stuff that I buy. I’m going to fix that, starting now :)

So, this weekend I have done a little cooking (post to follow), but mostly I’ve been sustaining myself on snacks and convenience foods. Lately, and I am most ashamed to say it, this brand of grisini has become a substitute meal for me – I’ll merrily eat an entire bag with a bowl of hot cabbage* and call it dinner…

The ones on the right, onion, are spectacularly addictive. It’s just the right amount of salty, just the right amount of sweet… heaven.

I buy this brand (they have one flavour that uses cheese powder, ‘pizza’, but the rest are good to go!) from a few places. Probably the most well known in Sydney is Harris Farm – I’ve seen them at every branch I’ve shopped in, but most recently at Pennant Hills. They also stock them at the Fruitezy in Westfield Chatswood (conveniently close to my awesome yoga school). I’ve seen the aforementioned flavoures plus green olive (nice), sesame (yum) and plain made with olive oil (still good!).

For those times though when I want something a little more sharable (cause I seem to finish a pack of the grisini well before anyone else can get a look in), I’ve always been a big fan of corn chips and some sort of dippable thing. At times I make my own hummus, more often these days I just buy a jar of this amazing salsa they stock at Thomas Dux (Hornsby store for sure, not certain about the others) and these kick arse corn chips they stock too:

The Desert Pepper Trading Co also make a delicious salsa with black bean, sadly I’m out of stock right this very moment though :( The cornchips are great cause the flaxseed adds a little flavour/extra fibre to your snackage. They also make a Thai spiced version of the same, plain, and vege flavoured corn chips too. All of them are awesome, especially if you have something to dunk them into (but I like them ‘naturale’ too).

So neither are particularly on the budget friendly side of things (around $6 a bag/jar), but the ingredients are solid and I find that a bag goes a very long way- they just seem to be more substantial and filling to me – so I don’t need to buy them all that frequently and always appear to have a stash at home. The grisini are only $2 a pack, but last far shorter in my pantry. Damn tasty things that they are…

So what’s your go to snack? What do you find you can eat bags and bags of without getting bored of the flavour?

* I am on a cabbage fixation lately, so hot cabbage could be sauerkraut, red cabbage and apple, Indian style (see recipe soon) or just lightly fried with salt. Yes, this is the Polish girl in me…

Ok, yes, I made a giant pot of barszcz today – but in truth that was lunch (with some portions squirreled away for later) as I always planned a roast dinner tonight. Roast veggies, this time with bangers and mash to go with…

A bit of a gourmet affair, I got some awesome organic dutch creme potatoes for the mash, simply smashed with nutelex and soymilk till light and fluffy. The bangers are courtesy of Linda McCartney (they are by far my favourite veg sausages in the universe), which are thankfully stocked at my local Thomas Dux. Gravy is instant from Redwood (though I’ve heard good things of the Massal stuff at Coles too).

But the veggies – oh the veggies…

I will admit it freely – I love brussel sprouts. The poor little bastards have had a hard time of it, because so many people have no fecking clue how to cook them, over cook them, and then the taste becomes akin to sucking on an entire high school football teams socks but with an even more evil after tatse that lingers worse than a groupie at backstage door. Cook them right though, and every mouthful is sweet and a little crunchy and just oh so divine….

I learnt a long time ago the best way to cook sprouts from a flavour lock as well as can’t overcook them viewpoint is roasting. Slice them in half, throw in some other noms like the carrots and onions you see in the pic, cover with salt, pepper, rosemary and fresh organo then mix with olive oil before roasting at approx 180-200c for 45-60 mins. About half way through give the veggies a mix, we actually added a few handfuls of green beans for the last 15-20mins too, and they were spectacular…

So there you have it. I had a bowl of mash, then veggies, then the sausages, then poured the gravy on top. Sunday roast like a boss…

Of course any mix of pumpkin, sweet potato, shallots, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, capsicum, fennel, swede – WHATEVER – works awesomely well too :)

Ok, so… I get lazy sometimes. I like to make sure I have a few go to items in the freezer, and as I am a fan of all kinds of dumplings I try and make sure I have some on hand.

My favourite are these guys – made by Misori – these dumplings are vegan, yet “beef flavoured” – go figure… I think they mean they are styled after the traditional beef dumpling, but they don’t taste anything like meat to me…

What I like about them is how damn versatile they are. Awesome on their own with a little soy and black vinegar, they’re also super quick to boil up in some red bean paste for hot bowl of dumpling soup. They also work surprisingly well as a last moment substitute for uzki or pierogi when you’ve just made a giant pot of barszcz :)

I buy these at my local Korean grocery store, but I have also seen them at the Miracle Supermarket underground in World Square. If you can find the giant ones they are awesome, and Misori also make a smaller soup dumpling as well. Tasty, convenient and no animal bits. Hooray!

With the weather slowing down, and 8 weeks till take off, I’m spending more and more time at home on the weekends. This, of course, has the upside of epic cooking (and writing). Today we felt like barszcz, and although I once upon a time posted my recipe on here (back in 2007-8) it was part of the ‘lost’ blog that got wiped. I think the Internet Archive might still have a copy of it somewhere, but hey, why not just write it up again?

This is one of those true comfort soups – reminds me of childhood, of visiting family, and of eating really well. It’s a thin broth best served in a mug with either some Paszteciki, uzki (an ear shaped dumping filled with mushroom), pierogi or any other dumpling (see my next post on cheaters options!). I can down the stuff like tea when the mood takes me.

You will need:

So, I don’t peel but just gently wash my beetroot before slicing them in rounds. You can chop further, but I find the precious juice just soaks into your chopping board rather than in your soup. Trim the leek and throw it in whole, as to the carrots, parsnip and celery (I don’t peel anything). Add the pepper, bay leaves, pimento, salt and Massal stock if your using it. How much salt and stock? I give it a good tablespoon of salt, and I add a mighty heaped teaspoon of the stock powder (If using the ready made version, 1 litre of stock should then be topped up with water). Cover everything to a depth of 3-4 inches in cold water, bring to a boil. Drop the temperature and let it simmer for a few hours (you might need to top it up with water).

After a few hours, grab your mortar and pestle and smash the shit out of that garlic with some sugar – about a tablespoon. IT should turn into a thick and glue-like paste. Scoop the goop into the soup, and squeeze in the juice of 1-2 lemons. Today I used 1 and half, though they were relatively juicy lemons – you’ll need to adjust by taste so I recommend starting with one and then going from there.

Taste it. It might need a little more salt, sugar or lemon juice. You don’t want it sweet, but if it tastes ‘dry’ (a sip makes your mout feel like it’s just become dry) then it needs a little more sugar. If it doesn’t have enough of a lift or bite, add a bit more lemon juice. Some people like to add white vinegar – works well so whatever floats your boat. Salt should be a no brainer in terms of if you think it needs more.

Serve it hot with a smile and your favourite accompaniment :)

Note to self:

Just because the weather has been crappy as, and you’re craving comfort food, doesn’t mean you should make not one but two of your favourite comfort dishes and then eat them together.

But if you do – try and remember it takes a while for the stomach to register when it’s full, so best not to keep eating just because it’s there…

Note to others:

Butternut pumpkin soup is one of the most delicious, simple and, (if you have a pressure cooker) fastest soups I know how to make. For the longest time I’ve put off sharing my recipe with the world, but now I think it’s time:

Sautee a brown onion, chopped roughly, in a good smack of nutelex or other vegan spread, over a low heat until it smells awesome and goes translucent. Add 1/2 a large butternut pumpkin cut into rough chunks about 1 inch square, cover with water, add salt and pepper and cook under pressure for 15 mins. Wizz it with a hand blender and serve (preferably with fresh chives).

Ok…. so… there may or may not be a couple of extra steps you can follow to make it more awesome, but the above has the gist of it.

Tonight, this delicious soup was poured over potato mash – simple spuds boiled in salted water with pepper, mashed with yet more nutelex and a splash of soy milk. And by poured, I mean I mixed it together to make an odd sludge that was so delicious I kept eating more after I knew I should stop. Again, I blame the weather – but I regret nothing: I now have a full, warm and very happy belly :)

I’ve got a pot of my new favourite soup – pasta e fagioli – merrily boiling away on the stove. Tonight’s effort is the first time I’m using dried beans, and I’m experimenting with quantities and cooking times before posting the recipe on here.

The thought of taking a picture anyway crossed my mind, but as it’s at simmer stage it doesn’t look all that impressive just yet. First thoughts are that 45mins under pressure is probably too long for the beans, and if you’re using a mix of beans prob best to try and make sure they’re about as fresh as each other…

Smells awesome though.

I needed to pick up a few bits and pieces on my way home to cook this tonight, and grabbed a few other essentials whilst I was out: wholemeal crumpets, vegan Chinese sausage, beetroot crisps and a sesame snap to munch on. All of these items I was able to pick up locally, with the Asian grocery store I frequent for frozen soy based mock-meat product right next door to a large supermarket.

Checking if an item is vegan or not isn’t something I do much of these days, as I’m very familiar with the products I buy. Most of my shopping basket is basics that I then cook with rather than pre-packed or highly processed (with the rather glaringly obvious exceptions of the mock-meats, occasional dumplings and unholy addiction to grisini). In truth I don’t really think on it much anymore. That is, until I started thinking about my upcoming trip OS and I started thinking on it a lot. I’ve come to realise I probably take for granted how easy eating and cooking vegan in Sydney can be.

I know of 5 Asian and 3 Indian grocery stores within a 2km radius of each other in my local area (in truth it’s probably closer to 1km) where I can stock up on mock meats, dried beans and pulses, spices, dumplings, mushrooms and a variety of greens. The local fruit and veg shop stocks Cheezley amongst other things, and a solid selection of tofu and soy yoghurt can be found in any supermarket. If I travel 20mins north, I have an even wider selection of stores to frequent for all my cooking/snacking/dining needs. There’s enough vegan restaurants to make me happy, and any Thai place worth their salt understands veganism and is happy to accommodate. Hell, a pizza sans cheese is delicious and just as convenient as the non-vegan version.

I’m looking forward to sharing with you all my experiences over in Europe, as I truly wish I could have found more useful information on where to find and what to look for in the cities I visited last time (my web-fu just wasn’t as strong as I wish it was!). Granted, whilst Spain is getting exponentially easier to eat/shop/cook vegan in, Poland is a loooooooong way behind on the vegan friendly stakes. Of course, I did find soy pate last time I was in Krakow, as well as soy based vegan fudge, so I’m certain vegans aren’t starving or malnourished over there. Germany has always been ridiculously easy, but who knows where I’ll end up? And for how long? Spain is the likely settling ground, but I might just as easily end up in Iceland, Ireland or Italia. I’m really playing this one by ear…

Happy Cow might satisfy an immediate need to eat in an unfamiliar city, but dining out every night and shopping exclusively in health food stores is a sure fire way to blow my meagre budget (and fast). What I’m looking forward to knowing is where to go to buy what, and how will this change my daily cooking and eating habits. I’ll be in Spain for at least 2 months so I’m guessing more dried beans and pulses, more tomato based stews or paellas, más patatas y verduras y ensaladas…

If you’re living in the greater San Sebastián or Barcelona area, and you have some tips for living vegan for me, please do get in touch. Maybe we can start a vegan food safari of our own :)

As some of you already know, I do love to get Charlie out for long rides. For those of you who don’t already know, Charlie is my motorbike.

I find it somewhat amusing that a “short, local ride” has become the road up to Wollombi through Peats Ridge. From my current home, that’s a 200km round trip. From Sydney City that’s closer to 260km.

Still! If you ever find yourself in the Hunter Valley reigon, and are wondering where you can get awesome coffee and food with some pretty relaxed yet awesome service, then Cafe Wollombi is for you.

Whilst not a veg cafe, or even on HappyCow’s radar, they’ve always been really good to me. One of the waitresses told me that either chef, owner, or someone in the kitchen at the time was a vegetarian, so they were happy to accommodate vegans.

So – Coffee is brilliant – Toby’s Estate. The outdoor balcony area we always sit in is tranquil, and the food is just.. well… delicious. I’ve had a few breakfasts and a lunch up there, and I’ve always been delighted with them.

This weekend past they made this amazing plate for me:

That’s some sourdough toast drizzled with olive oil, half an avacado, house made baked beans, sauteed mushrooms with garlic, roast tomato, wilted baby spinach and the tasties smashed fried potatoes I’ve ever eat.

The lads and lady I ride with on occasions are also well enamoured with their menu – corn fritters, poached eggs, bacon and all for breakfast and burger/sandwich/mealtime funs at lunch. A happy medium when out in the greater Hunter with not so vegan friends? Go and decide for yourself :)

Ok. So…

I get a massage every now and so with the ever amazing Kim at the Buddha Bar in Newtown. Tonight was a massage night, hence why I found myself in Newtown. Freshly destressed, a rumble from my belly reminded me that food is as important for the soul as a damn good massage is.

Dilemma: Newtown is probably the vegan Mecca when it comes to dining options, but it’s also a waaaaays away from home, and trains don’t just catch themselves you know.

Solution: snackage. Not ideal as a meal substitute, but still, some snacks are better than others.

Que crackers. Tasty, tasty crackers…

I think I may have a slight addiction to the Giuseppe crostini range, especially these sea salt and rosemary ones.

So far I’ve found them at Thomas Dux, and now the 7 star supermarket in Newtown. Not sure where else they are, but I can also vouch for the olive variety. I question if a real meal could have made a better accompaniment to the massage…

So, with being ill and wanting to improve my diet, I have been doing a stack of cooking lately. Mainly soups, but being home and craving comforting food.

The odd thing is, I’ve actually been going to a little more effort, even when just cooking for myself.

Today I used my left over jasmine rice (left over from a mung dhal I made yesterday) and knocked together an utterly delicious vegan fried rice.

Really, really, really super easy, quick and delicious.

I actually made it for breakfast today, cause I’ve had a hankering for fried rice brekkie for some time now. Go me and my strange cravings….

I didn’t take snaps of the prep (or cooking), but thought I’d share the recipe anyway…

Ingredients

• Peanut and sesame oil
• 2 shallots, finely sliced (substitute 1 Spanish onion if you can’t find it)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 200g frozen vegetarian chicken, sliced
• small handful of beans, chopped
• 2-3 medium mushrooms, sliced thick
• 1 small capsicum, sliced thickish
• 3 cups cold, left over rice
• 4 tablespoons light soy
• 1 teaspoon grated palm sugar
• good whack ground white pepper
• 4 scallions, finely sliced – all the green

Method

Start by dissolving the cane sugar in the soy, and mix in the pepper. Set it aside ready for action.

I get all the veggies and soy chicken prepped and ready to go – once you start it’s kinda hard to do anything else except stir…

Heat your wok to holyshitthatssmoking hot, add the peanut oil and a dash of sesame oil. Swirl the oil around the sides of the wok and once it is literally smoking throw in the shallots, garlic and chilli. Stir for a minute or two, or until the shallots start to brown.

Next, throw in the veg chicken and stir for a minute. Next, the beans (stir 30 seconds), mushrooms (stir 30 seconds) and capsicum and stir for a minute (it’s important not to add everything in one hit, as this will cool the wok down too much).

After a minute or so, add the rice and mix thoroughly, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. keep stirring for a minute or so, until the rice is thoroughly heated through and the grains are separating easily.

Finally, mix through the chopped scallions and add the soy/sugar/pepper mix. Stir another minute or so, and serve.

Seriously delicious stuff…