THE "Recipe for Love": Maple-Flaxseed Cornbread

Following the success of my cornbread at the American-themed vegan dinner party I held last night, I thought a share of this recipe was in order. This recipe has been slightly adapted from the original (as no recipe is my life is beyond reinterpretation and experimentation), but this adaptation seems to be a hit! I made a version of this cornbread for my now-husband when I first met him, and it sparked the first of our many food-related conversations and recipe exchanges. 
I was too busy eating and talking to take a photo!! Apologies.

MAPLE-FLAXSEED CORNBREAD

Preheat yo' oven to 190-200.  

1 C Flour
1 C Polenta
1tsp Salt
3 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

2/3 C Sugary Stuff (Made up of whatever combo of dry sugar & Maple Syrup that you wish- I usually do 1/4 C maple and the rest dry raw sugar)
1 "egg" (made up of 1tbsp ground linseed and 3tbsp of hot water, stirred and cooled until it becomes egg texture)
3/4 C Soy/Oat Milk
1/3 C Veg/Canola/Other mild-flavoured Oil 

Mix all the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Then mix the Sugars + wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ones to the dry ones until just combined.

Pour into a spray-oiled or baking paper-lined 8x8 or 9x9 (I don't know what this is in metric) dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick in the centre comes out clean and the edges are goldeny brown.

Alternatives include: adding 3/4 C - 1 C corn kernels, or finely diced different coloured capsicum or jalapenos. You can also add paprika, smoked paprika, or some sort of chilli powder to give it a bit of a different taste.

Mmm Leafy Green Kale

Last winter was the first time that I tried to grow my own kale. I have long grown Silverbeet/Swiss Chard but hadn't thought much of kale since I am exposed to it so rarely- I can't recall one time that I've seen it in the supermarket or green grocer since moving to Australia four years ago! After hearing how amazingly healthy it is and having high hopes that it may be as easy to grow as silverbeet, I bought some seeds at our local gardening store.
The seedlings came up great and produced a fair few leaves before it got too warm outside and the plants went to seed. The way I dealt with this short but sweet harvesting period was to make a couple rounds of Kale Chips through a preparation method I had read about in a Vegetarian Times newsletter. Oh. my. lord. They were amazing and addictive, and I couldn't believe I was eating a food that has been touted as a "superfood" and "the most nutrient dense food that exists"! I CANNOT wait until its cool enough to grow some more- it will be a staple in my garden next winter.
In the mean time, I saw this article on "17 Ways to Use Kale" and thought I should share it because it helps make this somewhat unknown leafy green a bit more familiar. And if you do manage to find yourself some kale, A) Let me know where I can get it too!!! and B) Try some of these preparation methods!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/17-ways-to-use-kale-slideshow.html

Little Saigon Market - Footscray

Recently I've been doing a bit more food shopping in Footscray, in particular at Little Saigon Market. This market is smaller than the regular Footscray Market that's across from the train station, but no less intimidating. When you enter Little Saigon, you are magically transported to Vietnam. Everywhere you look, there's fruits and vegetables and herbs that you have never seen before. Hawkers are screaming repetitive calls in Vietnamese and persistently offering samples of their mangoes and avocados and peaches for you to try. The aisles of the shops are beyond narrow, yet 3 people are trying to get by you as you smash up against the products you haven't seen since your last trip to Asia. People shove you around and step in front of you on line, and you need to fight to keep your place. There's 20 brands of tofu in every shop, in styles you've never even heard of. And the prices make it allllll worth it. I once bought an avocado there for 25c, and it was one of the best tasting avocados I had ever eaten!! On my last trip to Little Saigon, I bought several avocados at $4.99/kg. Now when I see signs advertising $2.99 for ONE avocado, or salad mix for $17.99 in Coles, (usually around $6.99 at Saigon) I just laugh smugly and pity the fools who pay those prices.
I'm also really excited about trying all these different things that are completely foreign to me, once I figure out what they are and how to use them! Can anyone identify these two to start with?

La Cena en Los Amates

     While T & I are vegan most of the time, evvverry once in a while we break our veganism for particular exceptions that we deem very worth while. For us it's been part of how transitioning to a diet free of animal products has been a bit more doable. Different things work for different people, and allowing ourselves these occasional "cheats" has made the whole thing seem a bit less extreme and easier to keep up with during the other 99% of our lives.
     I bring this up because our most recent cheat was at Los Amates, a Mexican restaurant in Fitzroy. Los Amates is probably my favourite Mexi place in Melbourne- to me it seems the most authentic, both food and decor wise. Almost every other attempt at Mexican food I've tried in Australia (with the exception of another favourite, Trippy Taco) has been something with beans covered in tasty cheese and jalapenos, and seems to be based on some weird Australian speculation of what Mexican food might be like. Los Amates, on the other hand, makes their own authentic salsas (including Molé sauce!), uses ingredients like nopales (cactus) and black beans in dishes, and overall is usually on par with the food quality and taste that I've experienced in Mexico and the US. Also there is a Latin American grocery across the street that sells lots of authentic, imported ingredients for your home experimentation!

     Anyway, I digress. We met our friends C & J who were visiting from Brisbane here for the first sitting at 6:30pm. Upon arrival we were told that we needed to be finished by 8pm, which was a bit of a surprise as they had said 8:30pm over the phone. Understanding that most restaurants do hold two sittings and knowing that they fit our booking in at the last minute, we said we'd try our best (secretly knowing there wasn't much of a chance of dinner happening that quickly). We ordered a jug of sangria to sip on while we caught up with C & J, took in the brightly decorated surrounds, and decided what we wanted for dinner. Luckily, a few minutes after bringing our drinks, the host told us to no longer worry about the time limit, which was good news and definitely made the experience more enjoyable! 
     One glass of sangria in and T & I still couldn't figure out what to order, so we ended up splitting the indecisive person's dream, the vegetarian combination  platter for two ($36). It was incredible! On the plate was a great array of little bits of their best stuff including sopes, quesadillas, molletes, empanadas, and bean taquitos. I got my fill of my favourites (those nopales and black beans I mentioned before!) and was perfectly full by the end of the meal. We washed dinner down with yet another jug of sangria and left very happy campers. I love this place and can't wait to go back- I think next time we'll see what they can make vegan. 

LOS AMATES (click for website & menu)

Address: 34 Johnston St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 

Ph: 03 9417 0441

PROS: great fresh authentic Mexican food, morish sangria, fun atmosphere, wait & kitchen staff that actually speaks Spanish, oh and that amazing MOLÉ sauce!! Also they sell their salsas in jars if you can't get enough while you're there.

CONS: Mexican beers that are overpriced as compared to some other restaurants, Occasional long wait for food (although not on this occasion), slight confusion over the sitting time lengths

Summer is Arriving!

One of my more shy sunflowers, on it's way to being fully revealed!

Christmas

Breakfast BBQ

Christmas was thankfully very low-key this year and began with T & I having a breakfast BBQ with eggs from T's workmate's yard, tomatoes, hash browns, vegie bbq steaks, and mimosas! We spent some time watching the crazy hail storm, I baked some hot soft pretzels, and then of course it was necessary to cook up some vegan cheese dips for said pretzels out of Cheezly and vegan cream cheese! We spent the rest of the day hanging out with our animals and watching movies. Santa was good to me this year and I got some nice things. I'm particularly excited to try some recipes from my two new cookbooks - American Vegan Kitchen and Vegan Diner!

I hope everyone has enjoyable holidays that are as stress free as possible!!

Fresh hot pretzels with salt, jalapenos,
roasted garlic, and different herbs

Jenny's had too much Christmas Cheer

Another Awesome Dinner at the East Brunswick Club

One of my favourite places to have a meal out at is the East Brunswick Club. The EBC just looks like any Melbourne pub that serves great beer and pub meals-but there's a twist. The twist is that there is an all vegan/vegetarian menu that allows us cruelty-free eaters to take part in the full Aussie pub experience- parmas, burgers, even fish and chips (and their chips are really moreish)! Almost every time I go there I order some version of the parma, which is a slab of amazing wheat gluten fake chicken covered in crispy golden breadcrumbs, vegan cheese, and whatever toppings said variation includes! The Americana Parma that is pictured to the right is topped with vegan ham and American-style mustard. All parmas come with a side of chips and salad to round out your meal.

Vegan Americana Parma

Vegan Fish & Chips

T's Vegan BBQ Burger & Chips

Vegan Choc Peanut Butter Cheesecake

The quality at the EBC is always consistently high- the only thing I've noticed is that the wait can be a bit long when they are busy, so it's best to get there early. The EBC also features $12 Jugs, Parmas, Burgers & Pastas on Mondays (vegan & regular) and $12 Parmas on Tuesdays during trivia. And by the end of your meal, if you haven't filled up on a parma, burger, or other yummy vegan pub fare, there's even an exclusively vegan dessert menu! This time I shared a slice of decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake with T. It was to die for!!

THE EAST BRUNSWICK CLUB (Click for website & menu)
Address: 280 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Phone: (03) 9388 9794 ‎

PROS: Great food selection, $12 Buck Mondays, Trivia Tuesdays, Good beer, High quality vegan food, Amazing cheesecake, etc.

CONS: Sometimes quite slow when busy, Hipsters frequent this place.