My new recipe ebook: Australian Classics Veganised

Guess what? I have made a Recipe ebook! It features 11 classic Australian recipes that have been revamped to be vegan and cruelty free. From Kingston biscuits to fish and chips to lamingtons, there's something for everyone. It's only $3.00 per copy (less than the price of a cup of coffee in Melbourne) and fifty cents from each purchase goes to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

I had a great time writing and testing the recipes and I would love for you to buy a copy of the ebook and enjoy cooking the recipes! 

Strawberry fields forever: strawberry and rosewater jam & strawberry cordial

We've found that strawberries are well and truly in abundance in Germany at the moment. They are locally grown (unlike a lot of other fresh produce) and insanely cheap. On Saturday we took a ten minute bike ride to a big market held at a local Sports stadium. It's a combination of clothing and produce ala Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne with some of the most revolting sweat shop produced, bedazzled garments that you'll ever see. But we didn't go for the clothes thankfully! It's been a very hot summer here and I assume crops have peaked early, accounting for the cheap prices. Like two huge cauliflower for 1€ ($1.40AUD) or 6 punnets of strawberries for 1€. Yep we were rather excited and stupidly bought 6 punnets. It was stupid because like most apartments, our fridge is small and the freezer maybe as big as two shoe boxes. 

I knew I had to do something with them fast, especially as fruit flies are a problem everywhere and fly spray non-existent. So I decided to make strawberry cordial and strawberry and rosewater jam. I haven't found our local Middle Eastern grocer yet to buy rosewater but luckily I bought a little over with me. I water bathed both recipes ( a preserving method which enables them to be kept out of the refrigerator) but you can certainly skip this step and just pop them in the fridge. Of course, opened jars should always be stored in the freezer. 

Strawberry cordial

Ingredients
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1.5 cups strawberries 
• juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
1. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes.
2. Add the Strawberries and lemon juice then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir well, mashing the fruit as it simmers.
3. Put the mixture through a strainer and allow to cool.
4. Bottle and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 
5. To serve, add to a glass and top with sparking or still water and ice.

(yes that was a Vegemite jar in the photo. I will have to order some from the online shop in Germany or UK. We've found Marmite in our local asian supermarket but Vegemite is sadly absent. Vegemite is actually cheaper in the UK than Australia)

Berry and Rosewater jam
Ingredients
• 1.5kg strawberries 
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1.3kg of sugar
• 1/4 cup of rosewater

Instructions
1. Combine berries, juice and sugar in a pot.
2. Slowly bring to the boil – remembering to stir as
you go. The sugar needs to be dissolves prior to the jam boiling.
3. Boil for 15-20minutes or until the hot jam reaches
setting point.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the
rosewater.
5. Skim off any frothy scum (or add 1 teaspoon
butter) and allow to cool for a while before bottling. 
6. Pour into warm sterilized jars, seal, label and water bath or store in the fridge.

Catching up...

I've been a terribly neglectful blogger.

 The surgery knocked me around a bit.  I ended up with an infection in my right leg and a trip to emergency, all of which has not been fun. I had all the stitches out this week at last although I'm on another round of antibiotics and still have to wear a dressing on my leg so no baths for me sadly. My left leg is good although I think I'll end up heading the posterior compartment released at some stage. The scarring will be minimal due to the keyhole surgery, the actual cuts go from knee to ankle.

I've been struggling terribly with a spot of plantar fascitis (the condition is a bitch to treat effectively) but besides that my leg pain is gone. It's very strange, my body keeps tensing waiting for the pain and being able to walk differently takes a lot of getting used to!

                                  
One happy leg

We've just under a month before we leave for Leipzig. We're frantically clearing out the house, selling  and donating bits and pieces. It's quite a large job, especially once you start selling off furniture and end up living out of boxes and using the laundromat. But it's all part of the adventure!

 Getting rid of my succulents, I really enjoyed finding the little teapots and teacups

I did my last preserving class in Australia. It was a great day and there was quite a haul (apologies for a somewhat blurry phone pic):

Besides that I've just been busy organising our last few Green Renters events and workshops and making door snakes. I was hopeful of taking a finished hexagon quilt to Germany but it will have to be completed there. 

Here's one of the vegan Portuguese custard tarts I made this week.I'll be serving them as part of morning tea at our vegan masterclass this weekend.

Figs marvellous figs...

                                         

Figs are well loved in our home. Before I met my husband he was deliberating between moving to Italy or Australia. He spent time teaching and touring in Italy which included a momentous trip climbing a mountain. During the climb he came upon a fig tree. No fig has ever (or no doubt will ever) match the glory of this mythical fig!

But I was gifted a big box of figs recently that were a bit too ripe to eat uncooked so I decided to make some jam and chutney. I don't really follow recipes unless I'm writing one to teach a preserving class but I had a go at writing one for these figs. It goes without saying that you should use sterilised jars and lids and water bath the preserves or store in the fridge (if you want more info on this, come along to one of our classes ;))

Spiced fig and red wine jam

                                     

Ingredients

• 1 kilo ripe figs
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 Cinnamon Stick/1 tspn cinnamon
• 5 Cloves
• 8 Cardamom Pods
• 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Instructions

1. Wash and chop the plums into quarters or eighths if they are very large. 
2. Place in a large pan with1/3 cup water.  
3. Add sugar, lemon juice & spices, heat the mixture to dissolve the sugar.
4. Add the red wine.
5. Simmer for 10 minutes. The figs will start to break up as they cook. 
6. After 10 minutes, bring the mixture to the boil. 
7. Boil for 10 minutes and then test to see if the jam has reached setting point.
8. Fish out the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, then transfer the jam to the sterilised jars.

Burnt fig chutney

Ingredients

                                         

• 4 garlic cloves, diced finely
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 kilo figs
• 2 cups balsamic vinegar 
• 1 cup water 
• 1.5  cups sugar (or two cups if you prefer a sweeter chutney)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, finely diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Metbod

1. Cook garlic in olive oil until lightly browned
2. Put all of the other ingredients in a large pan and mix all together well. 
3. Set over medium heat and simmer for 2.5 hours or until the chutney has thickened and is sticky. If chutney sticks, you can add a bit more water. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Spoon into sterilised jars

                                             

Garden produce and saag aloo

We've been enjoying a range of produce from our garden. Greens grow very well in both the front and back garden, herbs are plentiful, our potatoes and carrots have gone wonderfully and we'll have a glut of pumpkins in a while. Basil was a dismal failure and our tomatoes and chillies are taking quite a while to come on due to our patchy Melbourne weather. We try and use seasonal produce in our cooking as much as we can and this recipe celebrates our lovely rainbow chard and other greens

Ingredients

• 6 medium potatoes, cut into quarters
• Mixed root vegetables (I used heirloom carrots and sweet potato), diced
• 2 big handfuls spinach, silverbeet, rainbow chard
• 1 cup broccoli, sliced
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• a good squeeze of lemon juice
• 4 tbsp yoghurt (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Parboil the potatoes, carrots and sweet potato until tender.

2. Wilt the spinach by adding it to a colander and pouring a kettleful of boiling water over it.  Whizz in a food processor with 1 cup water until smooth.

3. In a large fry pan, heat the oil and add the spices. Let them cook for a minute then add the add spring onion, garlic and chilli. 

4. Add the potatoes, sweet potato and carrots to the pan and coat in the spices.

5. Add the greens and broccoli, then add the spinach and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add the yoghurt and lemon juice, then season.