Walnut and Cranberry Pumpkin Triangles

As with all my recipes, this has been tried and tested on many non-vegans or non-vegetarians. This was a major hit! I served these for a light lunch for 8 people. These are very freezable and i will be eating these right through the exam period.

Serves 4 (8 triangles) It is very easy to make more or less.

Ingredients 

1/4 large butternut pumpkin (1/2 a small one)
2-3 sheets of vegan puff pastry (in Australia we have Borg's which i buy at the grocery store)
Handful of dried cranberries
Handful of walnuts (crushed)
1/2 Cup cashews
Sage
Parsley

Method 

1. Soak the cashews in water for 2 -3 hours (if you don't have time don't worry too much) 
2. Cut pumpkin and bake in over for 1 hour at 180c (350c), or until soft.
3. Whilst pumpkin is cooking blend together cashews, sage and 1/2 water until smooth.
4. Next blend the pumpkin into the cashew mix until smooth (or you can mash the pumpkin)
5. Add the parsley, cranberries and walnuts, and mix in
6. Cut the puff pastry into squares and then triangles
   
   
   
    
7. Place some of the mixture on one triangle and cover and seal with another. (you can brush the edges with water because this makes them seal better)
8. Freeze the triangles as you make them (they puff up more if you cook them from frozen)
9. Bake in over for 15 mins, or until crisp
10. Serve

Herb Nut Pate

Holly cow, this is delicious and good for the cows! Finally i found alternative to soft cheeses, or a delicious addition to any platter that doesn't contain dairy or soy.

I introduced this to my dairy loving friends as "nut pâté" as vegan "cheese" would most likely turn people off. This was adapted from several recipes and it turned out beautifully, everyone who tried it loved it. 

Ingredients

2 cups cashews (raw, unsalted)
Sage and thyme or other herbs that you like
1 tbs Lemon juice
1 ts Salt 
1/3 cup Rejuvelac ( i will explain what this is below) 

Equipment 

20 cm x 20 cm of thin cotton (or you can use a clean chux wipe)

Blender or food processor 

Bowls

Rejuvelac 

Rejuvelac is basically the enzymes from sprouted grains. Some people say that it is very good for you as contains probiotics. I used buckwheat to make mine, but many other grains will work. They must be whole, uncooked raw grains though otherwise they will never sprout.

1. Rinse 1 cup of grains
2. Soak in water for 1 hour 
3. Lay on a wet paper towel 
4. Rinse grains every 8 hours until they begin to sprout (this took about a day for me, but the temperature was very hot)
5. Once they sprout place in a mason jar with 1.5 cups of water and cover 
6. When the water is a white color (this only took a few hours for me. If the water smells not very nice you have left it for too long) 
7. That's it!

Herb Nut Pate

1. Soak Cashews in water for 3-5 hours
2. Blend cashews with rejuvelac until smooth 
3. Place in a bowel and cover with cloth 
4. Leave the bowel out of direct sunlight for 1 day (2 days if the temperature is cooler)
5. Blend again adding lemon juice, herbs and salt
6. Shape into desired shape and place on the piece of cotton (or other breathable fabric)
7. Sprinkle with extra herbs and wrap up the mixture 
8. Leave out of direct sunlight for 1 day (or 2 if it is cooler)
9. Unwrap and enjoy!

All the beautiful nuts are heaps better for you than cheese and there are no animal fats! Its also very inexpensive to make and looks and tastes amazing!

Detox week

Now that Tough Mudder is well and truly over I've decided to have a long over due detox week, not only for my body but my mind as well.

So here is the plan for the next 6 days.

Sunday

Eat a clean, fresh, vegetarian diet. (I'm going out for lunch for my grandmothers birthday so a vegan meal may not be possible)

Juggling for 30 mins
Mediation for 30 mins

Going to drink lemon water and peppermint tea for dinner to start to flush out the toxins

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Going on a juice fast, drinking only fresh vegetable juice and herbal tea. Maybe I will have some carrot sticks if the hunger pangs get to much!

Juggling for 30 mins
Meditation 30 mins

Thursday and Friday

 Eating a strictly raw vegan diet with plenty of veggies and tea.

Also continuing the meditation and juggling.


I will be posting my favorite juice recipes throughout the week and keep a log of how I am going!

Most Amazing Healthly "Ice-cream" Ever!!!

Vegan Banana Ice-cream 

I know this is breaking my no non-essential internet rule. But this is essential, it is for the good of all humanity (vegan or health conscious humanity that is)! 

Just had this for lunch, it was amazing. Its really easy to make too!

You will need:

2 Frozen bananas 

Vanilla essence 

Your choice of toppings (i used sugar free chocolate topping)

Put the banana and vanilla in a blender, and blend till smooth.

Spoon into a bowl 

Add sauce

EAT!

Yummo! I ate all of it and don't feel bad at all!

Ok its time for me to get off the internet!

Yummy Vegan Pumpkin and Rice

I was really excited today for a few reasons:

1. My wonderful boyfriend and i had a great golf practice session 
2. I was going up to see my grandfather, who eats mainly vegetarian. This means i can cook a really yummy vegan dinner for him! 
3. I got to cook said dinner in my grandmothers massive kitchen!
   
   

I was thinking about what to cook all day and i ended up mixing a few different recipes together to get a beautiful pumpkin and rice, with broccoli for dinner! You could serve this as a side with meat if you are cooking for someone who wants meat.

Serves 2 (Double all ingredients for 4 people)

Ingredients 

Spiced Rice

1 cup rice

1 red onion

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

1/4 cup pistachios 

Pinch cinnamon 

Pinch nutmeg

1/4 Olives (chopped)

Olive oil

Salt 

Rosemary

Pumpkin

500g - 700g pumpkin (any variety, but i used half a Queensland blue)

Pinch cinnamon 

Pinch nutmeg

Olive oil

Salt 

Rosemary 

Sage

How to make it

Rice

Cook rice as normal 

Fry onion and rosemary in a pan with olive oil

Add other ingredients
Mix in rice

Its as easy as that!

Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 250c
Scrape seeds from pumpkin
Mix the herbs and spices together with some olive oil (use your hands and crush the sage and rosemary)
Rub the mixture on the pumpkin
Wrap the pumpkin in foil and place in the oven
Cook for approximately 45 minuets or until it is easily cut with a knife

Plate up with some veggies and enjoy!

I loved cooking this because of all the different herbs! They smelt amazing! I practiced mindfulness whilst cooking and it felt amazing to become lost in the different smells.

This was my first try at a recipe i hope you enjoy!