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!