pyramids and hip hop

wise words form dead prez:

BE HEALTHY YALL

"They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy
my goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy
cause true wealth comes from good health, and wise ways
we got to start taking better care of ourselves, be
healthy y'all . . ."

coffee scrub

here is something we've been using in the shower lately, that leaves our skin fresh and new
made with the grinds of coffee, giving the beans a second life.

                              half a cup of coffee grinds (or whatever amount you have on hand)

one heaped tablespoon of brown sugar

a teaspoon of cinnamon

two tablespoons of olive oil 

and a couple of drops of vanilla extract

combine all ingredients and mix well until the mixture is moist but firm

put into a jar or something with a seal and use it over the next week or two

happy cleansing 

KFT Feast!

Let's dine at KFC tonight, vegan stylez. Decked out with popcorn tofu, mashed potatoes, and bread rolls, all covered in a delicious array of sauces!

serves 6-8

ingredients
for the popcorn tofu:
1 block of extra-firm tofu (250 g round about!)
2 Tbsp tahini
3-4 generous Tbsp hummus
2 generous Tbsp peanut butter
lotsa hotsauce! (to taste)
very generous sprinkle of smoked paprika
big pinch of brown sugar
3 Tbsp hot water
pinch of mixed herbs
flour, to sprinkle
oil, for frying
some bread crumbs

for "special sauce":
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp tumeric
2 Tbsp tomato sauce

for mashed potatoes:
3 cups potatotes
4 Tbsp margarine
good sprinkle of sea salt & pepper
a few pinches of mixed herbs
sprinkle of cinnamon

for gravy:
3 vegge stock cubes + 1 cup water
a handful finely chopped parsley
1 tsp cornflour

+ bread rolls, to serve (warmed)

directions
for popcorn tofu:
1. in a bowl, crumple up tofu into bite-sized pieces
2. in another small bowl, combine all ingredients for the batter
3. pour batter over tofu & coat all the pieces & sprinkle with flour
4. heat up some oil & the fry up these babies, adding bread crumbs on top. continue to sprinkle with paprika (and maybe a little cinnamon) as they fry. continue cooking until nice and crispy, this should take around 15 minutes

for special sauce:
1. in a small bowl, combine all ingredients

for mashed potatoes:
1. chop up potatoes to lessen cooking time (don't worry about peeling!) boil until very, very tender
2. throw in all the ingredients and then mash, mash, mash until fluffy!

for gravy:
1. simply whisk until a nice, thickish consistency is reached! serve warm

enjoy and veg out!

Golden Delight

experience a sensory explosion with this phenomenal walnut & apple cake. full of warmth, health, and goodness!

ingredients:
2 large apples (preferably red)
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup finely ground walnuts + walnut pieces to top
1/2 cup melted margarine
1 "egg"
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of sea salt
pinch nutmeg
pinch allspice
good sprinkle of cinnamon


directions:
1. in a large bowl, combine grated apples, raisins,  1/2 cup sugar, margarine, and "egg". mix well and let sit for 10 minutes
2. in another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 1/2 cup sugar, wholemeal flour, ground walnuts, baking soda, salt, & spices
3. pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. mix thoroughly, combining all ingredients well. pour into an oven safe dish. adorn with walnuts
4. bake in 180 C oven for 45-50 minutes, until top is crisp and golden & insides are cooked all the way through though still moist!

enjoy while warm! very lovely when served with soy yogurt!

Glowing Skin Scrub

cleanse yourself with this spectacular body and face scrub! a very simple, economical scrub using day to day ingredients from around the home.

makes one jar full (5-6 scrubs!)
ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup olive oil
2 good pinches sea salt

directions:
combine all ingredients very well, until one thick, moist scrub is formed

application:
before turning water on in the shower, grab a handful of this scrub and rub over your body & face in a circular motion. once finished, turn on the water and gently rub off. feel the glorious glow!

use 2-4 times a week

Tahini Spirals

this is a delicious nutty flavoured pasta dish, vibrant in colour & exuding utmost freshness. served with a raw sauce & raw veggies!

serves 2
ingredients
for tahini sauce:
3 Tbsp unhulled tahini
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of ginger powder
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
salt and pepper, to taste

for pasta & veggies:
enough pasta for two people!
1/4 cup carrot
1/4 cup broccoli
1/4 cup cabbage
1/4 cup cauliflower
1/4 cup beetroot
1/4 cup corn
parsley, to garnish

directions:
1. cook pasta
2. mix ingredients of tahini sauce together. stir until smooth!
3. cut veggies up very very small
4. now combine pasta, tahini sauce, and veggies, and toss until all combined!

Cherub's Chocolate Pie

today we have created a delicious sweet pie! indulge in this chocolate-tofu-tahini pie, served chilled!

ingredients
for pie crust:
3 Tbsp margarine, chilled
1 cup high grade flour
1/4 cup chilled water
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch sugar

for chocolate centre:
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or block
200g firm tofu
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp soymilk
2 tsp tahini
1 pinch sea salt

directions
for pie crust:
1. combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mix until all combine, then use your hands to mould together and form a ball
2. freeze for at least an hour
3. now roll out against a floured surface until large enough to cover your pie tin (we had no pie tin around so had to divide the mixture and bake in muffin tray instead!)
4. bake in 170 C oven (preheated) for around 20 minutes, until crust has turned slightly golden brown

for filling:
1. in a pot, melt chocolate chips
2. now add rest of ingredients and using a blender, whir until smooth!
3. pour filling into pie crust & refrigerate for at least 2 hours!

enjoy! garnish with shredded coconut or orange peels!

hot parsley tea

drink this delectable tea in the morning to awaken your body & boost your health!

ingredients:
1 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup water
1 tsp agave nectar/sweetener of your choice

directions:
1. boil water
2. combine all ingredients & let flavours infuse for 5 minutes before drinking!

the glory of parsley:
1. full of antioxidants! decrease stress, boosts metabolism, and contains high levels of vitamins A & C
2. contains cancer-fighting compounds, particularly against colon & prostate
3. cold combatter!
4. can help maintain a healthy heart: protects against cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks
5. parsley has an incredibly high amount of vitamin K, which is fantastic forhe nervous system & strengthens the bones

the glory of cayenne pepper:
1. detox supporter
2. toothache remedy
3. an all-round cure for infections!

Baby Root Veg Pies

these incredible pies are a fusion of a flavourful indian curry & a classic farmer's pie! they are also gorgeous and petite, our mama's ingenious creation of making them in muffin trays! amazinnn

makes 10 small pies
ingredients
for curried sweet vegetable filling:
1/2 cup pumpkin, cubed
1/2 cup kumara, cubed
1/2 cup carrots, cubed
2 cloves garlic
1 inch pinch ginger
1 tsp turmeric
pinch ground coriander
pinch mild curry powder
pinch garam masala
pinch cumin
1/3 cup peanut sauce
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 vegetable stock cube
1/4 cup water

for mash potatoes:
3 large potatoes, cubed
1 Tbsp margarine
salt and pepper, to taste

directions:
1. in one pot, bring pumpkin, kumara, and carrots to boil. in another, cook the potatoes
2. meanwhile, grind ginger, garlic, and spices in a mortar & pestle
3. drain sweet root veggies, and add ground spices, peanut sauce, cashews, stock, and water. cook together for around 10-15 minutes
4. once potatoes have boiled, add margarine & salt & pepper, and mash up until fluffy!
5. now cut puff pastry into squares and place in muffin trays. pour curry filling in & cover with a spoonful of mashed potatoes! bake in 175 C oven for 20 minutes

serve with gravy or tomato sauce and most importantly... enjoy!

Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Tofu-Ginger Cream

a scrumptious lemon poppyseed cake with a twist of ginger cream! 

ingredients
for cake:
1 cup of plain flour
1/2 cup of wholemeal
zest of 3 lemons
1/2 sugar
juice of lemons
pinch of sea salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 "egg"
4 Tbsp poppyseed
2 tsp ginger powder
1 small pear
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1/4 cup soymilk (only if cake is in need of more liquid!)

tofu-ginger cream:
1/3 cup silken tofu (we only had extra-firm on hand but this still work out!)
2 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1 heaped tsp freshly grated ginger


directions:
1. mix all cake ingredients together! if too wet add the soymilk; if too dry, add more flour
2. grease a baking dish & pour in mixture! bake in an oven of 180 C for around 40 minutes

eat up! best served warm & with a nice big dollop of tofu-ginger cream

banana and cardamom loaf

we had too many overripe bananas sitting in the pantry & had to use them up somehow! try this rustic yet exotically flavoured loaf!

makes 1 loaf
ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp dry active yeast
pinch of brown sugar
1 Tbsp whole cardamom pods
1 cup wholemeal flour
2 1/2 cups strong white flour
4 pinches of sea salt
2 Tbsp vanilla essence
2 large, slightly overripe bananas (mashed)
sesame seeds, to adorn

directions:
1. in a small bowl, mix water, yeast, and sugar, & let set for 10 minutes
2. in the meantime, mash up bananas into a pureed consistency. also, break your cardamom pods & mash up finely
3. sift flour into a big bowl & make a well in the middle. pour in yeast, cardamom, bananas, vanilla extract, & sea salt. slowly combine all ingredients into a dough, adding more water or flour accordingly
4. with your hands, form a ball with the dough. then place on a floured surface & knead for 5 minutes, until elastic and smooth
5. place back into the big bowl & cover with a damp cloth. leave to rise in a warm place for 2 hours
6. preheat oven to 190 C
7. get the dough & knead again for a few minutes. then split dough into three parts & plait. then cover in plastic wrap & let sit for another 20 minutes
8. place the plait on a lightly oiled baking tray. brush with a little water & sprinkle with sesame seeds
9. bake at 190 C for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 170 C and bake for another 15 minutes

carrot tops

the perfect sweet nibbles for this autumnal weather! take a moment to enjoy the deliciously spiced flavours of these very cute carrot cupcakes with a special tofu icing

makes about 35 bite-sized cupcakes
ingredients
for cupcakes:
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup margarine
2 pinches of sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 "eggs"
1 cup of sugar (feel free to add another 1/2 a cup if you are pining after something sweeter!)
plenty of cinnamon!!
1 Tbsp allspice
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 1/2 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup soy milk
2 large carrots, grated
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

for icing:
50g extra-firm tofu
1 cup plain icing sugar
1 cup cooled margarine

directions:
1. combine all ingredients together in a large bowl! you are looking for a sloppy and sludgy consistency, but not wet. if too dry, add a little more soymilk & if too wet, add a little more flour!
2. put some margarine in your muffin tins & spoon in mixture
3. bake in 200 C oven for about 15 minutes (note: if you are making larger cupcakes rather than these bite sized ones, you will need to cook for about 25 minutes! just keep testing with a fork)
4. while you let these cool, whip up your icing: simply blend all your ingredients together in a bowl. we used an electric whipping utensil, but if you don't have one, you can simply beat the ingredients together very vigorously until the consistency is smooth & slightly stiff!
5. let these two components meet harmoniously: smother the carrot tops with your creamy icing & lightly dust with cinnamon

Mexican Lasagna!

our beautiful, beautiful sister lucy is here from australia for just one week. so to welcome her, we're making this fusion food of mexican lasagna! complete with layers of a veggies, fake meat, and chilli beans, as well as a deeelicious cheesy sauce... a most wonderful & hearty meal!!

serves 7
ingredients:
1 large red capsicum
1 large green capsicum
1 large brown onion
1 large red onion
4 cloves garlic
1 cans of tomatoes
1 can chilli beans
1 can fake mince meat (if you cant find any, just use another can of beans!)
1 pack instant lasagna sheets
3 tsp paprika
3 Tbsp olive oil
sprinkle of pepper
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 vegetable stock cube
1 Tbsp tuimato sauce
raw cashews & mixed herbs, to serve

& for cheesy sauce:
2 Tbsp margarine
1/4 cup wholemeal flour (stoneground)
1 Tbsp miso paste
3/4 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp miso paste
1 Tbsp tomato sauce/paste
juice of half a lemon
1 tsp agave nectar
1/2 cup salsa


directions:
1. heat up some oil in a pan & saute roughly chopped onions, minced garlic & slivered capsicums for 5 minutes
2. stir in can of tomatoes & fake mince, as well as soy sauce, paprika, pepper, apple cider vinegar, stock cube, and tuimato sauce & cook for a further 10-15 minutes
3. make your cheesy sauce *
4. now begin with your layering of the lasagna! pour veggie and fake meat mix in a deep casserole dish, cover with lasagna pasta sheets & then cheesy sauce over that. for the next layer, pour in chilli beans & then another layer of pasta sheets & finally another layer of cheesy sauce & top with cashews and mixed herbs. cover with tin foil
5. bake in a 200 C oven for 40-60 minutes, until the lasagna sheets are tender!

*for cheesy sauce:
1. melt margarine in a large pot & once melted, mix in flour until a paste is formed
2. turn the heat to low and slowly add in the rest of the ingredients

banana-walnut muffins

today we have baked some deliciously sweet and healthy muffins to deliver to our wonderful & charismatic neighbours! munch on these omega-3 rich, potassium filled treats!

makes around 6 muffins

ingredients:

3 medium-sized overripe bananas

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 cup spelt flour

1 1/2 cup wholemeal flour

2/3 to 3/4 cup brown sugar (use your judgment for how sweet you like food as you'll already be getting a lot of sweetness from the bananas!)

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp LSA mix

1 "egg"

generous sprinkle of cinnamon

1/3 cup soymilk (or more, depending on how mushy bananas are!)

1/2 cup walnuts, rather finely chopped

directions:
1. mash up bananas with olive oil and apple cider vinegar
2. add in rest of ingredients, bit by bit, & mix well until all combined!
3. you are looking for a sticky, slightly wet consistency, so if the mix is too dry, add a little more soymilk! if too wet, add a little more flour
4. once all mixed up, spoon into muffin tins & back for 15-20 minutes in a 200 C oven!

cool chick chickpea patties

our brother haz has been a mad chef for the past few days, creating some sensational meals! today he made us the best thing we've ever tasted; chickpea patties! eat up, eat up, they are out of this world!

ingredients:
half a can of chickpeas
half a carrot
a smidgen of beetroot (for the colour!)
1 veggie stock cube
3 pinches of mixed herbs
1 red onion
1 tomato
splash of oil
1 "egg" (optional, though will hold together better!)
1 Tbsp LSA (ground linseed, sunflower, & almond mix)
1 tsp dukkah (or other spices of your choice)

directions:
1.  drain chickpeas & pour into a bowl
2. add very, very finely chopped carrot, onion, tomato, and grated beetroot. mash together until wonderfully smushed!
3. now add flaaaavours: stock cube, mixed herbs, oil, LSA, "egg",  and dukkah & mash up nicely all together
4. preferably, let sit in the fridge overnight (this will allow patties to combine better!) then cook on a grill or non-stick pan, 5 or so minutes on each side, until browned

and presto! you can serve these in a sandwich like we did. youll fall in love if you throw together some bread, tahini, hummus, avocado, grated carrot & beetroot, capsicum, silverbeet, tuimato & rocket fuel!

for another idea, leave out the "egg" and leave as a delicious mushy dip!

thank you hazzie!!!

slow roast

our oven has been broken over the past few weeks. so in celebration, tonight we will be cooking a meal utterly dependent on the warm splendour of the wonderful machine! try our take on the traditional family roast, complete with tofu steaks, roast vegetables in a bed of spices, and creamy broccoli & cauliflower.

serves 6

ingredients
tofu steaks:
1 1/2 blocks extra firm tofu
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 Tbsp miso paste
2 Tbsp white sesame seeds
3 Tbsp sesame seed oil
4 Tbsp water

roast vegetables:
1/2 cup potatoes
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup kumara
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of curry powder
pinch of turmeric
2 tsp cardamom pods
1/4 cup of maple syrup
salt and pepper
drizzle extra virgin olive oil

creamy broccoli & cauliflower:
1/4 head broccoli
1/4 head cauliflower
2 Tbsp margarine
1/4 cup wholemeal flour (stoneground)
1 Tbsp miso paste
3/4 cup soymilk
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp miso paste
1 Tbsp tomato sauce/paste
juice of half a lemon



directions
for tofu steaks:
1. cut tofu into "steaks" (pieces about a centimetre thick & the block cut in half longways)
2. now press the tofu to reduce water content: place steaks on a towel & fold over, covering them. gently press, releasing excess liquids
3. then spread the tofu out in a casserole dish
4. mix marinating sauce in a small bowl & drizzle over tofu. if you want to, drizzle some maple syrup over the top
5. bake at 200 C for around 25-30 minutes

for roast vegetables:
1. roughly chop root veggies into inch-cube pieces
2. place in a somewhat deep casserole dish & coat liberally with seasonings
3. bake in 200 C oven for around 40-45 minutes, until slightly crisp on outside and tender on inside

for creamy broccoli & cauliflower:
1. start with creamy sauce: melt margarine in a large pot & once melted, mix in flour
2. turn the heat to low and slowly add in the rest of the ingredients
3. roughly chop broccoli and cauliflower into small pieces and add into the mix!
4. pour into a casserole dish and bake at 200 C for 15-20 minutes

breathe in deep & hold onto the dazzling aroma and tastes of this delicious meal!

Curried Noodles

this delicious malaysian dish was inspired by the sensational "curry noodle" from aunty mena's!

serves 6
ingredients:
1 cup string beans
1/2 head broccoli
1 large carrot
1 cup frozen peas
1 stalk of corn
3/4 cup cashews (raw or roasted)
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 pack soba noodles (270g)

for curry sauce:
2 veggie stock cubes
2 brown onions
1 can pureed tomatoes
1 can coconut cream
juice of 1 lemon
4 gloves garlic
1-inch piece of ginger
pinch of: turmeric, curry powder, and cumin

directions:
1. begin with curry sauce: boil stock cubes in some water & sautee very finely chopped onions
2. using a mortar & pestle, grind up garlic, ginger, and spices. add to stock
3. add tomatoes, coconut cream, and lemon juice & cook for 10-15 minutes
4. now add finely chopped carrots, broccoli, and corn & peas, as well as string beans, with the ends cut off! cook together for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender
5. in the meantime, cook up noodles. this should only take a few minutes!
6. combine noodles into curry & add sesame seeds and cashews

top with more sesame seeds & cashews!
looove it!

Magenta Magic!

rejuvenate your mind and body with this powerful juice! every ingredient to give you that healthy glow

the beautiful painting in the background was created by justin brown, georgette's father!

serves 1-2
ingredients:
1/2 beetroot, tops removed - full of iron, vitamin B & C, liver cleansing properties
1 carrot, top removed - rich in vitamins across the spectrum: B, C, D, E, K, & fantastic for eyes & skin
4 leaves of spinach - high in vitamin B, C, K, as well as iron & calcium, wonderful for kidneys & liver
1 brussel sprout, top removed - contains high amounts of vitamins B & C, liver cleanser
1 clove garlic (optional!), skin removed - cancer & general sickness fighter
1-inch piece of ginger, skin removed - immunity booster, full of minerals such as zinc & magnesium
2 stalks of celery - calms the nervous system, helps insomnia, full of calcium, iron, phosphorous
2 pears or apples- vitamins B & C, tonnes of fibre
1 orange, skin removed though maintaining the pith (the white stuff, full of nutrients!) - full of vitamin C!

directions:
juice all ingredients in a juicer!
if the juice is too strong, or you want it to go a little further, add water to your taste!
feel the power of this wonderful juice!!!

x

Pumpkin-Chickpea Blissful Soup

The happiness inducing meal! This incredibly healthy soup is full of L-tryptophan from the pumpkin, a chemical which absorbs your body with a sense of well-being and tranquility!

ingredients:
2 cups of pumpkin
2 Tbsp cumin seeds
sprinkle of salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup water + 1 veggie stock cube
juice of one clementine (or an orange will do!)
1 can of chickpeas

directions:
1. cut pumpkin into cubes
2. coat with cumin, salt & pepper, and oil
3. put these pieces in a pot & add stock
4. after pumpkin has softened (should take 5-10 minutes), add chickpeas & clementine juice, then with a blender, puree all ingredients until a heavenly consistency is reached
5. cook for a further 5-10 minutes then serve!

garnish with salt, pepper, and basil!
happiness with every spoonful!

Get Well Tea

we're fast approaching winter & that means you may be feeling under the weather! this tea is a cold-fighter, so drink up!!!

ingredients (per cup):
1-inch piece ginger
1/2 clove garlic
1 cup water
juice of one lemon
2-3 leaves mint
1-2 tsp honey
1 green tea bag

directions:
1. finely chop ginger & garlic
2. combine all ingredients in a cup & let steep for 5 minutes!

made with love by our wonderful brother hazzie!

Matildas spicy chickpea stew of champions

       

take 8-10 good-sized roma or truss tomatoes, de-core and de-seed, chop roughly and slow-cook in a sizeable pot (usually one would immerse in boiling water first so as to remove skins, but in this we like the tang and the texture!) until broken down, then take the potato masher to it to create a paste. add salt, cumin, smoky paprika, a good amount of cayenne pepper, perhaps some cinnamon and brown sugar to taste.

in another pan, sweat one red onion and a clove of garlic, chopped, until soft and sweet. add to pot with chopped leeks and soaked, cooked chickpeas, about a cup. cook on a low heat for a little while, perhaps twenty minutes, adding water if it is needed to create desired texture.
add baby spinach and continue to simmer until it is wilted.

serve on a bed of couscous with warm pita!

Chunky Tomato + Basil Soup

slurp up a bowl of vitamin enriched tomato & basil soup on a chilly day! this italian-inspired meal will provide you with vitamin A for your eyes, lycopene for glowing skin, plus calcium and vitamin K for strong bones! perfetto!

serves 4

ingredients:
8 tomatoes (we used roma)
2 handfuls fresh basil
1 large brown onion
salt & pepper, to taste
3 cloves of garlic
3 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil (+ another Tbsp spoon, optional!)
juice of half a lemon

directions:
1. heat up 3 Tbsp olive oil in a pot
2. once bubbles are forming, add in roughly chopped garlic and onion. let soften for 5 or so minutes
3. now add tomatoes, chopped into chunks
4. using a spatula or spoon, crush the tomatoes. keep crushing until much of the juices have been extracted, though make sure chunks remain!
5. add your salt and pepper. we added maybe 4 pinches of salt and equal amounts of pepper, but this is completely up to your palette!
6. add finely chopped basil & lemon juice
7. at this point you can add another Tbsp of olive oil to enhance the flavour, but again this is optional

enjoy!
serve with crusty bread (maybe ciabatta!)

wake n' bake autumnal casserole

baked kumara & lentil casserole

with borlotti & basil dip

casserole:

ingredients:

* 2-3 large kumaras 

* one can of brown lentils

* four or more cloves of garlic

* one can of chopped tomatoes

* a nice amount of tomato paste

* one large red onion

* one cube of vegetable bullion 

* a slash of olive oil

* a pinch of hymalayan sea salt (or any salt you like)

* pepper!

* a bit of soy sauce

* a sprinkling of curry powder

* a generous amount of agave nectar (or any sweetener you like)

* basil!

* bread crumbs 

slice up the kumaras and red onion and garlic and scatter in a baking dish, layer it up!

pour a little olive oil over the delicious vegetables then put in the oven for about twenty minutes.

Meanwhile in a sauce pan mix the can of tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable bullion and soy sauce until all heated together, gradually stirring in the agave nectar, curry powder and salt-n-pepa

soon it will be delicious!  then.....take the baked goods out of the oven for a moment and pour the red sauce all over it and through it. put it back in the oven for another twenty minutes or so.  Then, take it out and put the breadcrumbs and basil on top, add a dash more of salt then return to the oven chamber!

cook for another ten or fifteen minutes.

its really nice with rocket fuel sauce (can be purchased at most supermarkets in wellington)

and.......

basil and borlotti bean dip:

ingredients:

* one can of borlotti beans

* lots and lots of fresh basil

* three-five garlic cloves

* salt-n-pepa

* agave nectar

* apple cider vinegar

* the juice of one lemon

blend all ingredients together in a food processor, or with a slender blender, or if you dont have access to such things, just mash it together with a fork, but be sure to mince the garlic up really fine and shred the basil up. and presto!     

p.s this meal would not have been complete without the generosity of our friend Jono who brought us round a very bountiful bag of fresh basil. thanks Jono! for the gift of delicious greens.

dining with kittens in thailand (lonnggggg post)

Sooo while Charlotte was busy creating delicious dishes in wellington, i went to Thailand and spent some time investigating the mouth sensations there.  In the beginning it was a little difficult to figure out what was what and what was in what, but after breaking through some language barriers and finding a few really special places to dine, i was eating like a king! an animal loving king!

Thailand apparently ranks second in the world of countries that are tainted by immense animal cruelty.

but there are some great people doing some great things, like Sangduen Chailert (lek) who founded the wonderful elephant nature park in Chiang Mai, a place where people help and heal elephants rather than abuse and disempower them.  http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/

I found this website very useful: http://thaiwildorchids.com/environmental_concerns.htm

in other news there are so many cats and dogs everywhere! some look very sick and feral but the locals seem to love them anyway and feed them when they can

but now...onto the food! 

in bangkok i mostly ate the 35 baht pad thai and spring roll

what a bargain, and very delicious and simple too

im not too convinced its very healthy but it was good fuel for the adventure fire

they make it right there in front of you and as long as you specify no eggs, tofu instead of chicken, and the rice noodles they are totally vegan.  This was our favourite lady:

in Chiang Mai the food was splendid, i must admit not all of it was actually thai food, but outrageously great and brimming with health benefits none the less.  I am now planning to move there next year for a couple of months and concentrate solely on being the healthiest being i can possibly be, including studying massage, yoga all the time, and consuming only health and life affirming infused things

here are the highlights:

JUICY4U

5 Ratchamanka, Chiang Mai, Thailand

the best veggie burgers around! the first place we found avocados, after over a week of craving them.  And as the name implies they also craft magical freshly squeezed juices, my favourite was the beetroot, carrot, celery and wheatgrass.  With prayer flags, wall hangings, om symbols galore and a really friendly staff, this place quickly became my morning ritual.

DADA KAFE 

across the road from juicy4u we discovered kombucha tea at the dada kafe

(which i plan to have a go at making in the coming weeks, so stay posted for that!)

(...this site looks rather useful on doing so: http://kombuchanz.blogspot.co.nz/)

and the most delicious thing i have actually every put in my mouth: homemade peanut butter, almond milk, and cinnamon shakes. Also i must add that the mango and avocado shake was also a delight.

 AUM

 65 Th Moon Muang

on our main walking route between our lovely guest house (http://www.giantguesthouse.com/index.html) and our favourite bar we found AUM, an absolute treat. the best we had was the eggplant pizza and the avocado maki (sushi)

CHA TEA HOUSE

Moon Muang Rd., Soi 6

 and last but definetly not least, as this was my favorite place to eat of the whole trip:

the cha tea house. With an abundance of playful and well loved kittens hanging out, two genuinely warm ladies running the operation and the healthiest looking and tasting food i had the whole time, it was hard not to love this place. upstairs there is also a stomach detox massage centre and a nice low to the ground table with cushions to sit on on an elevated deck sort of thing out the front, with indoor plants and trees galore.  the most impressive of all was the summer rolls with a ginger and peanut sauce, truly delectable and only 45 baht! the two soups we tried were some of the best soups ive ever eaten, especially the simple pumpkin and coconut creme one sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds.The ginger tea tickled all my senses and gave me an immunity boost.

so that was Chaing Mai....what a special and for the most part, positive place!

here are some other random food moments from Thailand, i dont know what the places were called that we found them at, but i do know they tasted exquisite. there was pinepple and sticky coconut rice wrapped in a leaf accompanied by noodles in a simple fragrant broth swimming with perfectly cooked vegetables. there was DRAGON FRUIT..the most visually stunning fruit i have ever laid eyes on and then the yummiest samosa i have ever tried by far (with maybe only the exception of our mothers homemade miracle samosas), and believe me i have tried many a samosa.  we found these at an awesome indian restaurant in bangkok and dined here on my last night, or i should say feasted. 

so all in all i managed to remain pretty dutiful to my preferred ways of eating. but you never know, and i did eat a few veggie green curries which i found out later almost always have shrimp paste in them.

here are some websites i found useful:

http://www.enjoythaifood.com/learnthai/vegetarian.php

http://www.eatingthaifood.com/vegetarian-thai-food/

i think before i go next time i am going to do a lot more research and learn to speak and understand as much Thai as i possibly can.  Thailand is amazing, everyone should visit! i just hope that it and every other country makes some vast changes in regards to the treatment of animals. And that people traveling will think carefully and ethically about the things they partake in