Macadamia Nut Cheese

The cheese can be used as a spread or in wedges.

 Soak the nuts for 3 hours if you don't have a power blender.  If you have one, skip this step.

 Blend all ingredients except the agar in soya milk and probiotics.

 Divide into 3 - 6 ramekins to be used as moulds.

Recipe:

2 1/2 C (400g)  macadamias (soak the nuts for 3 hours then rinse if you are not using a power blender)
1 C water
1 C unsweetened soya milk
1/2 tsp agar agar powder
1 T lemon juice
1 T organic maple syrup or agave
1 1/2 t Himalayan rock salt
1/2 t coconut oil
2 probiotic capsules

Heat soya milk with agar agar powder to boiling point.  Simmer for 2 minutes.

Blend all ingredients except the probiotics and agar agar/milk mixture in a food processor or power blender until the nut cheese is completely smooth.  Add warm soya milk with agar agar slowly to the blender.  Add probiotics and blend through on low speed.

Use any bowl or container that will easily release the cheese. Spray with a non-stick cooking spray.  Divide mixture equally into ramekins/containers.

Allow for fermentation time in the fridge of 24 hours. Loosen on the sides with a knife and turn over onto serving dish.  Use within 1 week.

Optional:  Add -1 tsp of fresh herbs of your choice.
                          1 clove garlic
                          1 t freshly ground black peppercorns

Quinoa with Sweet Peppers and Pineapple

This is a wonderful high protein recipe that my 10 year old nephew, Alex, adapted from one of Jamie's 15 minute meal TV programs.  Yes, he did take notes while watching the show.  He is an amazingly enthusiastic young cook.

 Spinach, spring onions, coriander leaves, mint and bell peppers

 Alex

 Alex chopping Peppers into bite size pieces

 Fresh Pineapple

 Chopping done.

 Fry together with Paprika and All Spice

 Blended greens mixed with Quinoa

Voila!

Ingredients:

250g Quinoa

2 -3 Cups of roughly shredded Spinach

3 Spring Onions

1 green Chili

1 handful of fresh Coriander leaves

½ Cup of fresh Mint leaves

For the Topping:

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

2 x large red and yellow sweet Peppers cut into bite size pieces

1 x Pineapple cut into bite size pieces

300g Vegan Chicken Strips or Vegan Chicken Julienne

1 tbs Paprika

1 tsp All Spice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

• Cook the Quinoa according to the instructions on the packet. (Rinse before cooking)
• Blend the Spinach, Spring Onion, Chili, Coriander leaves and Mint leaves in a food processor until finely shredded.
• Add green mixture to cooked Quinoa.
• Fry the Sweet Peppers, Pineapple, Paprika and All Spice in the Coconut oil. When it starts to brown (about 6 to 8 minutes) add the Vegan Chicken Strips or Vegan Chicken Julienne. Cook until done. 
• Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Dish the fried ingredients on top of the Quinoa on a large platter.
• Decorate with Balsamic Glaze. 

Serves 6

Earth Day - 22 April (2013)

                                                                                                        Source: Being Vegan                                               

                                 What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to live a vegan lifestyle!


As a species, we can help save our planet from depletion through a method as ridiculously simple as eating a plant based diet. Yes - if you are vegan, you are already contributing to this effort - whatever the reason for your decision to abstain from using any animal products. But if you knew the facts, which by the way have been distorted and completely twisted by the global giants of the Animal Industry, you would take the truth as a responsibility and contribute even more to the healing of our precious Earth.

Dr Richard A. Oppenlander in his book 'Comfortably Unaware' captures the whole scope of Global Depletion. Instead of focusing on issues that branch off from the actual problem, this book reveals and lays on the table the issue society seems to be avoiding - the fact that global warming is only a small piece in the growing puzzle of Global Depletion of renewable and non-renewable resources. He states:

"Meat and dairy industries are responsible for using 45% of Earth's entire landmass and 29% of all fresh water withdrawals, they produce over 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for 80% of all rainforest loss, cause over 50% of all modern day extinctions, eating up 77% of all coarse grain produced in the world, and causing more water and land pollution in the U.S. than all other industries combined. Our demand to eat fish has caused the collapse of 85% of the world's fisheries with more than 1,000 fish species now endangered--on the verge of extinction." 

So take the chance to learn what everyone should have been taught a long time ago, share the facts and tell them why every environmentalist should be vegan. Make a difference in your immediate environment. 

After all - the Earth is what we all have in common.

Choc Chip Muffins

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and to celebrate I baked some vegan, gluten-free muffins.

Although, calling it baking might be a bit of an exaggeration because these muffins are so easy!

Ingredients:

-Glutagon Choc Chip Mix (Found at Dis-chem)

-240ml Soy Milk (You can use rice milk or almond milk too)

-60g vegan margarine (I use Cardin but find other alternatives here )
-Icing (I used Nicoletta Glitter Writing Icing but later saw that the red/pink contains cochineal derived from an insect so only buy the purple, white or blue)

Method:

Mix the first 3 ingredients together, spoon into a 6 tray muffin pan and bake for 21-23 minutes at 180'C

I told you it's too easy to be called baking!

Now the fun begins... decorate!

Wine List

Arendsig Hand-Crafted Wines                                               

Audacia Wines        
Beau Joubert WinesBlack ForestBon Cap OrganicsCranefields
Creation (White wines only)
Brampton Wines
Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc
D'Aria Winery
Diemersdal Estate
Elberti
Evolution
Fairview Wines
Goats Do Roam Rose
Kaapzicht
Kleine Draken
Kumala Organic
Laibach
Leopard's Leap Wines

Boschkloof Wines

Lord's

Lothian Vineyards

Louis Wine

Long Mountain

M'hudi Wines

Marianne Wine Estate

Matzikama Organic Cellar

Merwida

Mt Vernon

Mullineux Family Wines

Neil Joubert

Neil Ellis

Opstal Wine Estate

Third Millenium Chenin Blanc Chardonnay

Seven Sisters

Spice Route Wines

Spookfontein

Stellar Winery

Tall Horse

The Green House and Bon Cap

Waverly Organics

Additional information available on http://www.vegansa.com/foodstuffs-wine.php

Where do you get your protein?!?

As a vegan, one of the most common questions I get is "Where do you get your protein?"

Well when last did you ask an elephant where they get their protein from?

PLANTS!

 picture from: http://desktopwallpaperswide.com

People tend to think that the only source of protein is found in meat and dairy... 

This couldn't be further from the truth!

 Protein is found in leafy greens, nuts, legumes and seeds.

We do not need animal protein to function as healthy and happy humans.

This being said, protein deficiency is common in both meat-eaters and vegans.

So in order to make sure you are eating enough protein you can do this simple calculation:

body weight x 0.8 = g of protein needed on a daily basis

eg: 60kg x 0.8 = 48g

The average woman needs about 46 grams and the average man 56 grams.

Pregnant woman need up to 71grams a day.

So here are a few examples of how to get your protein in as a vegan.
(Please note that the following are brand and product specific and are just meant to be used as ideas to proof the point that protein can be obtained from plants)

250g soy milk  - 8g

50g nuts - 9g

1 cup of chickpeas - 15g

1 Fry's original burger - 13g

= 45 grams

See, easy!

* Zanzibar Lentil Dip / Spread *

Blend in a food processor:

2 diced onions

2 tsp chopped garlic

2 tins brown lentils

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp fresh ginger

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Stir in roughly chopped fresh coriander.

Enjoy as a dip with crackers or as a spread on potatoes, seed rolls or any fresh bread with slices of avocado pear.

******