Vegan ingredients resource list

I've written a little vegan ingredients resource list to coincide with my vegan ebook, Australian classics veganised. I'll be adding to it when I write my next book. 

For convenience I use the terms cheese, butter and egg. There are loads of different terminology but I find a lot of it rather clumsy and annoying to edit although I appreciate some people prefer words without animal product connotations.. 

Custard powder

Custard powder is not dried, powdered custard. It is made up of thickeners, colours and flavours and resembles traditional custard when combined with sugar and non-dairy milk. It should not be confused with 'just add water' instant custard which contains eggs and milk. 

Dairy free butter

Dairy free butter is readily available in most supermarkets. It should not be confused with margarine which has whey and casein. A true dairy free butter is made from plant oils such as canola, olive and coconut oil. Nuttlex is readily available in Australia and Alsan S in Europe. 

Dairy free cheese

Dairy free cheese have undergone amazing growth and innovation in the last ten years. You can choose from tofu, nut and coconut oil based cheeses. It's worth reading the labels though because at least one tofu cheese in Australia contains rennet (an enzyme produced in the stomach of mammals).  You can also of course, make your own. Violife is probably the most popular cheese of late that is widely available in Australia and Europe. 

Dairy free chocolate

 Dairy free chocolate can be bought in some supermarkets and all health food shops. Dark chocolate is generally dairy free but check the ingredients list. 

Dairy free milk

Dairy free milk is easily available in most supermarkets and includes rice, soy, oat and nut milks. I use oat milk mostly in cooking because I like it, but any of these are fine. 

Egg replacer

 Egg replacer is made from a variety of raising ingredient like potato flour and corn flour. It can be used as an alternative to eggs in pancakes, cake, biscuits, burgers etc. Powdered egg replacers cannot be used to create egg recipes such as scrambles or omelets. (Tofu and also Chickpea flour work well though, stay tuned for a future recipe!). 

I've bought Australian company Organ's egg replacer in Australia, England and Europe. 

Golden Syrup

Golden syrup is a thick, amber-coloured form of inverted sugar syrup, made in the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid. It is used in a variety of baking recipes and desserts. It has an appearance similar to honey, and is often used as a substitute by people who do not eat corn syrup. Some people make their own but I've never tried it. It's easily found in Australia and the UK and in some international shops in Europe. Agave and maple syrups work well as substitutes but treacle should be avoided due to it's overpowering taste. 

                                   

Jackfruit

The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, SriLanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Phillipines. Jackfruit is also found across Africa and throughout Brazil. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh.

You can buy jackfruit in large Asian supermarkets. It most commonly comes tinned and is available in the tinned fruit section.Make sure you buy the one that comes in brine water than syrup as the syrup is really sweet. The sweet one (not suitable for savoury dishes) looks like this:

This is the one you want:

 It has a stringy texture that when cooked and shredded resembled shredded meat. Thus the fruit is a great option as an alternative to meat in vegan dishes. You could use it in tacos, pies, pasta, casseroles...many options! I like to use it to make jackfruit bournignon. You can also of course use it in desserts once sweetened with other fruit or sugars.

                            

Macadamia nuts and oil

Macadamia nuts and oil come from a species of tree indigenous to Australia and native to North eastern New South Wales and central and South eastern Queensland. They are available in most supermarkets and delicatessens everywhere. 

Soy granules/TVP

Soy granules (also known as textured soy protein and textured vegetable protein) are a dried soy product which can be soaked in stock or water and when cooked resemble minced meat. They are pretty bland so lend themselves well to herbs, spice and sauces. 

Stock cubes/stock powder

there are lots of stock products which are animal and msg free but resemble the spicing of meat dishes. These can be used in soups, sauces and all kinds of dishes. Massel is probably the most well known brand and is available in all Australian supermarkets. 

Vegemite

Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives. It is wonderful on toast or when added to casseroles and curries to create a rich umami flavour. It should not be confused with Marmite and Promite that are vastly inferior products. It is readily available in all Australian supermarkets, Tescos in London and expat shops around the world. If you are an expat overseas it is worth noting that it cannot be carried onto planes, customs will confiscate it as a liquid! 

Food for thought

January is always a bit of a nothing month in some respects. But I must confess to loving the cooler weather, it makes it better for sleeping, that's for sure! I have Timehop on my phone and I look back at the hot weather with dread this time in previous years.

Sadly our sweet Mr Pablo was put to sleep last Friday. He had been unwell for some time with old age and was starting to suffer. We went to a wonderful vet clinic here who assessed him and concluded that the end was near. He wasn't eating or drinking so we made the decision together to put him to sleep. He had a wonderful 18 years, four is which he shared with us. We both miss him terribly. I keep expecting to see his little face peeking around the corner of the apartment or hear his meow. When we get settled somewhere permanently, we'll certainly get another kitty but not for a while yet.

I released my first ebook this week, Australian Classics Veganised. It's a small recipe book of 11 recipes. I initially planned to do a blog post consolidating a series of Australian vegan friendly recipes from different bloggers but I did not get many entries. So I decided to put that project on hold and work on my first recipe book. Keeping busy is a good way to work through grief. Writing recipes is more work than it looks, I know this from teaching recipes! Hopefully people will buy a few copies, I'd love to spend the money on some new glasses. I'm also donating 50 cents from each copy to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, Australia. I'm also doing a little guide to ingredients included in in the book on the blog here. It was originally intended for the book but the formatting of the publishing program posted each ingredient on a separate page, annoying.

You might have seen Leipzig in the news regard the Lediga and Anti-Lediga protests? Its interesting to observe as an expat. We went along to the first big protest against Lediga Monday last week with over 30,000 Leipzigers. Those numbers are amazing considering that Leipzig only has 550,000 people. The Lediga people (including many from outside Leipzig that are bused in) pledge to protest each week. There has been bomb threats and assault upon police and journalists. I actually wonder what their final aim is?

Thing that interest me this week:

The science behind your sriracha obsession, Sarah Jacoby, Refiney 29. Yes I love the stuff.

This is such a cute idea for a party.

How to cook the perfect Vegetarian Haggis, Felicity Cloake, The Guardian. I had Haggis for the first time last year when i went to a Burns day party.

We need to remember Anita Cobby, Clementine Ford, Daily Life. I read a book about her life and death in high school and it's haunted me ever since.

I've read a couple of new Chick lit books this week (as... ahem... research). I was especially disappointed with Sophie Kinsella's latest, Shopaholic to the Stars. Painfully littered with American stereotypes (in the worst way), it lacked the wit and humour of some of her other works. Saving Grace was interesting in that the story was superficially compelling but really had so many red herrings that were never developed and a 'baddie' that never got their comeuppance. Of course, my mood over the last week has not been all that cheerful with Mr Pablo's death so it possible I would find any books inadequate.

I've been watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix and Season Two of Broadchurch.

Lots of bits and pieces to be getting on with, write again soon...

Vegan lamingtons

                      

I've always loved Lamingtons, so I decided to have a go at a vegan version. For those unfamiliar with this particular Australian delicacy, it is basically baked sponge cake which is dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut. To go all out, the sponge cake can be sandwiched with cream and jam before icing. I can't for the life of me remember where I got the original sponge recipe which inspired my version as it had been sitting as a word document for three years in my drop box. Alot of vegan cake baking includes bicarbonate soda or baking soda in the dry ingredients but I avoid it as a rule as I've tasted quite a few vegan cakes with a nasty bicarb after taste. It's also been my experience with the use of vinegar. If you want to make your life easier, the sponge can be made beforehand and stored in the freezer until ready to use.

Ingredients

Sponge:

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup nut milk
• ⅓ cup of soda water
• ¼ cup vegetable oil (non hydrogenated)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbs of arrowroot cornflour
• 1 tbs of vanilla essence 

Chocolate icing:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1 cup boiling water
• Dessicated coconut

Instructions

Sponge:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 celcius
2. Whisk the lemon and milk together and leave aside for 5 minutes to curdle.
3. Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cornflour,)
4. Add the oil, milk and vanilla essence to the wet mixture
5. Once there are no lumps, add the soda water and stir well
6. Put the mixture into one large rectangular cake tin 
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean
8. Cool on a rack under completely cool (too warm and the cake will sink in the lamington chocolate)

Icing:

Combine all ingredients and stir well until sugar is dissolved. If you like a thicker icing, use less water. 

To assemble:

1. Place icing next to a shallow dish or plate of dessicated coconut.
2. Working quickly, dip cake quickly in the icing then roll gently in coconut. 

Apologies for the quality of the photo, it's extremely dark and a storm is brewing! 

Everyday Australian products you'll miss in Deutschland.

Don't get me wrong, I love living in Deutschland. It's been six months now, 6 wonderful months but also six months of strangeness and challenges that extend beyond the obvious language barrier. Inspired by Oh God my wife is German, I've been thinking about things in Australia I really miss and what I would miss if I left Deutschland. 

I miss: 

Decent pillows.

I'm talking pillows that are firm not floppy. Spongy rather than feathery. Where your head sinks on the pillow, not in the pillow. German pillows are traditionally the square 'European' Pillow variety. I had some in Australia from Target,  but they were firm not floppy! In case you're thinking, oh you're just stingy, surely you can pay a bit more for a decent one? Well we've looked, you can get higher quality pillows at a higher price, but they are still floppy dammit! You spent a lot of time asleep so a decent pillow is so very important. 

Top sheets.

Top sheet picture 

It's just a bit of fabric, but I really miss having a top sheet. I know duvets, doonas and comforters are all the range but it's great for when it's too hot for a doona or a bit cold without. I like layers on my bed and this is a layer. 

Queen size beds. 

German bed picture 

Here, we sleep together in a double bed. Most people who own queen size beds have two single beds pushed together with two single doonas on top. Nope. Not the same as a real queen size bed. To get even close to the size of a queen size bed that I am used to, I would need to buy a king size bed. You can see the bed size comparisions on this chart. I can see the merits of the single doonas though. No one hogs the doona then. 

Dumplings.

Dumplings pictures from here

I've been seriously craving Asian dumplings since I left Melbourne. I really miss ShanDon Mama and  of course Camy Shanghai Dumpling House! There's a couple of places where I can buy frozen ones here in Leipzig and of course I make my own dumplings and pierogies but it's not the same as a huge bamboo basket of steaming dumplings served with chilli oil, soy sauce and vinegar and a plate of garlic Chinese broccoli! (Eat them fast while the rest are coming and drink your weight in Jasmine tea).  South east asian food here generally is sold from a restaurant which sells a mishmash of Chinese,Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and pizza, most of which contains pork. There's one Vietnamese place we really like but it doesn't do dumplings, probably a good thing. 

Plentiful medical supplies without prescription.

I am a huge fan of pharmaceuticals, they have kept me alive many times. I get migraines and I like to have a plentiful supply of codeine, asprin and muscle relaxants which enable me to treat a migraine straight away and thus prevent a three day headache. I used to buy such treatments at the supermarket and chemist (over the counter) in Australia. In Deutschland you can't even buy paracetamol at the supermarket. And i am constantly confused by all the homeopathic treatments, considering they are derided in much of the developed world as little more than placebos without scientific merit. 

Cheap nuts, dried fruit and spices

So expensive here, besides the spice lady i buy my spices from at the outdoor market. I really don't know why. Apparently this is the case for much of Europe. 

Blocks of Cheddar cheese

Cheese here is generally quite mild. I like a nice big block of vintage tasty. Not so easy to find. 

I would miss

German bakeries.

They are plentiful, smell amazing, cheap and have the most delectable cakes and pastries. The bread is great also. 

Cheap booze.

So cheap compared to Australia! I'd also add the liberal drinking culture where if you want to drink a bottle of wine in public that you've bought with you from Netto, no problem. 

Quark

Quark is a bit like cream cheese and is often sweetened and can be bought in big tubs or in pastries. So good. 

1.5 litre bottles of mineral water

Good idea.

Central heating

Yes it is warmer most of the time in Australia for longer periods and higher temperatures but the houses are poorly insulated. I've met hardy souls from London who have been reduced to tears from working at home in the Melbourne winter. Being able to sit inside in winter without two jumpers, two pairs of socks, a beanie and fingerless gloves is bliss. 

Great public transport

It's more expensive than Melbourne (which is a surprise considering almost everything is half the cost of Melbourne prices) but it is reliable, plentiful and goes late. I can't afford to use it that often but i like that it's there. 

Safe places to bike ride (not a product but a sentiment I guess)

When I learnt to ride a bike again as an adult back in Melbourne, I was advised, "ride like that car drivers are trying to kill you". Helmets are compulsory in Australia. Fear and the hills (and I'm lazy) meant that I didn't ride a bike very often. Here I ride a bike most days, usually in a bike lane, without a helmet. 

In some respects, I can't wait to go back to Melbourne to see if things change but i would be sad to leave here. 

Easy vegan gluten free Christmas pudding

This pudding recipe is inspired by a recipe which was passed down from Nana Brown, my Step dad's mum. I made it gluten free, and vegan by using coconut oil instead of suet. You can substitute the dried fruit for your favourite and include glace cherries and citrus peel if you like them). It ideally should be made several months in advance to allow the flavours to develop but even a week is great. It needs to sit somewhere warm and dry, secured tied to ensure there is no mould. Wrap the pudding in a metre of unbleached calico which has been boiled in hot water before use. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups brandy
• 250 grams brown sugar
• 250 grams coconut oil
• Equivalent of 3 eggs using No Egg egg replacer (follow instructions on the box)
• 250 grams gluten free flour
• 60 grams walnuts/almonds/nuts of choice
• 1 kg mixed fruit (I used sultanas, currants, apple, peach, prunes and apricots) 
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs or crushed gluten free cornflakes 
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon mixed spices
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup/treacle
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 flat teaspoon carb soda in 1 tablespoon of hot water

Method

1. Soak fruit overnight in brandy. 
2. Melt coconut oil. Add  to large bowl with sugar, and egg replacer and stir well. 
3. Add mixed fruit, nuts, breadcrumbs and salt . 
4. Stir in golden syrup/treacle and orange zest and orange pieces.
5. Sift flour and spices and stir into mixture. 
6. Add bicarb soda mixed in 1 tablespoon of hot water last.
7. Use 1 metre of calico and lightly flour the inside of it where the pudding will sit. 
8. Place a piece of greased buttered paper to make the base. 

To cook:

1. Tie with string, leaving a small amount of room to swell. 
2. Boil in large boiler on a plate for 4 hours (top up with boiling water as needed). After this the pudding cloth (with pudding inside) should be allowed to dry completely.
3. Hang pudding in a warm dry place for up to 3 months. If you do not have any hooks, it can be hung off a broom handle. 
4. Christmas Day, Boil for 1 to 2 hours to re-heat until pudding is piping hot. 
5. Serve hot  with warm custard

(When boiling, bring the water to the boil before inserting pudding/s. Rest them on a plate in the hot water)

Serves 12 or makes 12-15 small puddings

What about the lit Brandy, how much? and how long does it burn?

You only use a small amount of Brandy, generally about 1 tablespoon, (the flame is small and blue in colour, not easily seen in a brightly lit Kitchen) the flame goes out on it’s own within about 30 seconds. Make sure you warm the Brandy. Heat the empty spoon, not too hot, you only want the Brandy warm about blood temperature, then measure the Brandy onto the spoon, then, straight onto the pudding, and light! It’s always more impressive with the lights turned down.

Veganz opens in Leipzig (picture heavy post)

This morning Chris and I went along to the grand opening of Veganz  here in Leipzig. Veganz: Wir Leben lieben  is a vegan chain store supermarket with other stores in other parts of Germany, Vienna and Prague. We've previously visiting the stores in Berlin and Prague. 

Leipzig is not short of vegan options in regard to grocery shopping: there's bit and pieces at supermarkets, several 'Biomarkts' and various health food shops. I've also bought a lot of bits and pieces at Asian and Middle Eastern grocers. But it's a real luxury to be able to buy everything in one place! I love cooking and I love vegan cooking most of all and it's great to go somewhere and be able to enjoy everything. 

I think people were wondering for a long time if the store would ever open as it was sitting like this for at least a year. 

But now it is open and the celebrations were in full swing. We were delighted to be welcomed with delicious tastings of chocolate chip biscuits, chickpea salads, drinks and spreads and lovely, friendly staff.  The store was packed with a camera crew setting up to shoot. The front of the store is a cafe with a real coffee (hurrah!) including cold drip, a range of teas and cold drinks. There's also a bounty of cakes,  desserts and savoury dishes.

We enjoyed some delicious savoury pastries. The one on the left reminded me of a vegan spring roll and the one on the right was more like baked vegan sausage mix. Both were absolutely delicious. 

We also shared a tasty roll filled with cooked pumpkin, pear, roquet and a spread. Really delicious. 

Behind the cafe is an extensive supermarket with fresh fruit and vegetables, an antipasto bar, make your own orange juice dispense, cupboard goods and an extension fridge and frozen section. There's also a few cookbooks, t shirts, bags and other vegan paraphernalia.

 We were delighted to see the Tofurky section in the fridge and freezer. I make my own Tofurky quite regularly and even teach others to make it in my cooking classes. But it's nice to have the option of buying able to buy it readily off the shelf!

                           
Interesting to see all the tofu based products as in the past we've thought seitan was more commonly used in Europe where tofu and tempeh are more common in Australia.

Great to see Orgran, a vegan Australian owned company!

Keen to give the faux fish a try. 

Loads of alternatives to Nutella! Chocolate spread is very popular in Europe

So many cheeses!

Soy chunks look interesting, good variation of TVP.

                            
I was intrigued by these gluten free croissants

Lots of variations on mayo, dressings and bratwurst. Pleased to see hummus, we used to eat loads of dips in Australia but they are not as common here. 

Love the Green Christmas postcards!

                                         

German Christmas biscuits!

 Is it expensive? Well yes, in that imported foods are always more expensive than local foods. Some of the imported goods are more expensive than when imported to Australia, despite the relative difference in distance. But let's put things in perspective. It is almost always more expensive to buy products like vegan cheeses, tofu, juices, biscuits etc than make your own. This is a reality everywhere, regardless of where you live. A vegan diet is very affordable if one lives off homemade soup, pastas, curries etc. But the prices add up if organic, out of season or manufactured ingredients are included. I genuinely enjoy making my own vegan products from scratch and teaching others to make their own also. I would like to continue this work if I can get enough interest in Leipig. I think there is plenty of need for both homemade and ready made food stuffs, I have a list of goods I can't wait to try!

So what did I buy? To be honest I was a bit overwhelmed by choice (wonderful) so I just picked up some kamut crackers ( I eat far to much wheat bread these days) and Lupinen Filets. Lupinen is a pea like legume based product and is absolutely delicious. I tried it for the first time at the Vegan Summer Day here in Leipzig and have bought it a few times since.

I'll be definitely returning to the store, can't wait to do some more shopping for the next Apartment Supper Club dinner party!