S&M

S&M is a true favourite in the Tarian Pantry household. After a day out visiting the Yarra Valley winery's, we made it home for a bottle of wine, a DVD and ofcourse Sausages and Mash!

The star of this meal was the onion gravy. Rich in colour and rich in taste this gravy rivals any packet version and although took a little time, it was worth it in the end.

This gravy only has 4 ingredients - 1 tbsp nuttalex, 1 large onion, sliced, 300ml vegetable stock and 1 tsp salt (plus you may need some flour and water to thicken up the gravy towards the end).

Method

In a small saucepan, melt the nuttalex and add the onion. Cook over a medium heat , stiring constantly until the onions are well browned, but not burnt - about 15 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and then transfer the mixture to a jug. Then strain the 'gravy' in a sieve over the saucepan and work through the onions - this is where the flavour and colour comes from.

Return the saucepan to the stove, add the salt and simmer the gravy on a low heat for 5 minutes. Add flour and water if the gravy needs to be thickened up. Season according to taste.

Serve of course with your favourite sausages and don't forget the mash.

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Our greasy kebab

Till the season to be jolly and the season to indulge in a few more celebratory drinks followed by a greasy kebab at the local kebab shop, right? Wrong. We are all up for a few indulges, we have all worked hard this year so deserve to kick up our heels but we don't necessarily need to 'indulge the bulge' over the festive season.

After a few drinks over the weekend, we treated ourselves to a home made falafel roll and we can honestly say, there was nothing greasy about this meal. Made with a wholemeal chapati, we spread the base with homemade hummus, olive tapenade and then topped it with rocket, quinoa tabbouleh and rocket. Delish.

This meal was made in under 10 minutes - quick, easy and healthy, who could ask for more?

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Traditional Christmas - Well kind of

The Tarian team likes to think of us as anything but traditional but come the Christmas lunch, this is where a smidgen of tradition steps in. We believe in a hot lunch with all the trimmings, OK so they may be vegan trimmings but never the less, it’s our take on the ‘traditional’ Christmas meal.

Like every year, there are two meals cooked on Christmas day – one for the omnivores and the other for the vegans, vegetarians and lactose intolerant. Although like previous years, the omnivores end up eating most of our meal purely because it tastes so dam good and this year, won’t be any exception.

We are hard at work putting together our shopping list and even pre preparing some meals. By shopping & cooking ahead, this limits the stress come the big day and we can have more time to relax and soak up the festive atmosphere (not to mention the Adelaide Ashton Hills Salmon Brut).

Our meal planner is looking something like this:

Nibbles with drinks

• Hummus with black olive crostini
• Porcini mushroom balls

Starter (can’t decide which soup yet, so might end up doing both)

• Broccoli soup with sourdough croutons
• Tomato soup with basil and torn bread

Main course

• Asparagus Tart
• Quinoa salad with mango and cranberries
• Cabbage, pea and mint salad
• Creamy baked potatoes
• Brussels Sprouts with lemon and almonds

Dessert

• Christmas ice cream pudding with a chocolate fudge sauce
• White Chocolate & berry rocky road

Prior to Christmas day, up to three days before, we will be making our hummus, crostini, soups, ice cream pudding and rocky road. A small amount of preparation will be done for the tart and salads with the assembly of the salads, tart and baked potatoes being done on the morning of Christmas day.

The Tarian Pantry team promotes a meat free Christmas. Even though meat & animal products may be missing from your plate, we can’t promise that you won’t be undoing your belt a notch after you finish your last mouthful!

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Aubergine Bake

Aubergines or Eggplants as they are better known, are now in season. Known as the meat for vegetarians, aubergines are very versatile not to mention extremely tasty.

This take on the well known mozzarella version will have everyone's taste buds watering and ofcourse have everyone going back for seconds.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large aubergine, cut into .5cm rounds

250ml basic tomato sauce

2 tbsp tofutti cream cheese

Basil leaves, torn

Method

In a large fry pan, heat the oil and fry the aubergine rounds on both sides until well browned. Set aside.

Grease an ovenproof dish with olive oil and spread a small round of tomato sauce. Layer two aubergine rounds on top of the sauce. Spread a tsp of tofutti cream cheese and a spoonful of tomato sauce on the aubergine rounds. Repeat.

Complete the top layer with tomato sauce and bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Serve.

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The perfect brew.

I know coffee making is an art, both in roasting and presentation - I've seen the delicate patterns that don the top of a latte or cappuccino! However lets not forget there is an art of making the perfect cup of tea too.

I am not talking about the art of dunking a Bushells tea bag in a mug of hot water, adding milk and then masking the taste with too many sugars. Im talking about, quality tea leaves that have delectable flavours such as green earl grey with a mix of bergamot and rose petals - ah this is what tea breaks are all about.

Whilst shopping at the Queen Victoria Markets today the Tarian Pantry team stumbled across a lovely tea merchant - you will find no sweet artificial flavours of vanilla or strawberry here - these are the cream of the crop, the tea crop!

Follow the steps below and you will be well on your way to making the perfect cup or pot of tea.

Step 1 - Warm the cup or pot with boiled water, rinse then add the loose leaf tea in a bag or an infuser

Step 2 - Pour nearly boiled water straight into the cup/pot

Step 3 - Infuse for 3-5 minutes. As a general rule, the smaller the leaf the shorter the brewing time

Step 4 - Sway the bag or agitate the leaves in the infuser a few times, this ensures a more balanced release of flavour

Step 5 - Remove bag or infuser prior to serving

Note: Only black teas (with the exception of Earl Grey) should be served with milk.

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Sunday - Spinach Pie

We heart Sunday's - our most favourite day of the week. We love comforting foods, foods that make a statement so this spinach pie is ideal what ever the weather as it can be served hot or cold.

Ingredients

1kg Silverbeet

2 tbsp olive oil

4 spring onions, sliced

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 cup mix herbs: dill, parsley, chives

1/2 tsp nutmeg

375g hard tofu, minced

Handful, white rice

10 sheets, filo pastry

2 tbsp vegan margarine, melted

Method

Remove steams from silverbeet and coarsely chop the leaves. Place the leaves in a steamer over boiling water, cover and steam for 3 minutes or until wilted. Drain well and cool.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frypan over a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside.

Squeeze any excess water from the spinach. In a blender, add the spinach, onions and process until a course paste is formed. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; add the mixed herbs, nutmeg, tofu, rice and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush a 20xm x30cm ovenproof dish with a little of the melted margarine. Lay filo pastry flat on a work surface. Cover with a damp clean tea towel to stop the pastry drying out.

Brush one half of a pastry sheet with the melted margarine and then fold in half. Place over the base of the dish. Repeat 2 more times, brushing with margarine between each layer.

Spread half the mixture evenly over the pastry. Top with 3 more pastry sheets. Spread with the remaining spinach mixture and then top with 3 more pastry sheets. Tuck any overlapping pastry down on the side of the dish and brush the top pastry sheet with the remaining margarine.

Score the top with a sharp knife and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake in a pre heated oven for 45 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden.

Serve hot or cold.

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Saturday - Quinoa and tomato soup

Meals are often all over the place on a weekend, breakfast becomes brunch and lunch becomes afternoon tea so by the time dinner comes around, you are hungry but not starving.

A soup is an ideal meal for that time when you want something to eat but don't really know what you feel like because you have been grazing all day. Its the meal when you are not really eating a meal.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 leek, finely sliced

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 x 400g whole canned tomatoes

1.5L vegetable stock

60g purple kale, chopped

125g Quinoa (white)

Handful parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper

Method

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the leeks and chilli and saute over a medium heat for 3 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the quinoa and kale and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the quinoa resembles 'curls'.

Stir through the parsley and season to taste.

Serve.

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Friday - Pizza

In the Tarian Pantry house hold, Friday night is always pizza or burger night. We thought we would share with you our basic pizza dough recipe & suggested toppings. We believe this pizza tastes better than any pizza shop pizza.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 x 8g sachet dry yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Warm water

Method

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and slowly add the water. Mix to a soft dough.

Once dough is formed, add the oil and knead the dough on a floured surface until soft and elastic, around 10 minutes.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap. Leave in a warm spot (on top of the pre heated oven is ideal) for 30-40 minutes. The dough should double in size.

When it has risen, use your fist to punch the dough down to remove any air bubbles. Gently knead on a lightly floured surface for 1 minute.

Roll the dough out to desired size and add toppings.

Note: This recipe makes 1 thick base or 2 thin bases.

Suggested toppings

Basic tomato sauce

Onion

Brown mushrooms

Olives

Pineapple (fresh not canned)

Vegi deli sausages

Basil

Chilli

Tofutti cream cheese

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Thursday - Mexican nachos & rice

Thursday's almost feel like a Friday and as the shops are open late on a Thursday, you need to coordinate shopping & dinner at the same time. You certainly don't want either taking up too much of your evening so this quick and easy meal is perfect for those nights when you don't have much time.

Ingredients

1 pkt corn chips

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 red capsicum, diced

1 chilli, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

437g can refried black eyed beans

120g can whole tomatoes

1 corn cob, boiled

Toppings

Guacamole

Cos lettuce, shredded

2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced

Tofutti sour cream

Jalapenos

Method

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion, capsicum, chilli and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes. Stir through the paprika and cayenne pepper.

Add the refried beans and tomatoes and stir until well combined. Cut the corn kernels off the cob and add to the bean mixture. If the mix is a little runny, add 1 tbsp flour to 3 tbsp water and mix well. Add this to the bean mixture. Simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Assemble on a plate the corn chip and top with the bean mixture. Then add the shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and top with jalapenos.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 capsicum, diced

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3 saffron threads

2 cups white rice, uncooked and rinsed

4 cups vegetable stock

3 tomatoes, deseeded and diced

Method

Heat in a fry pan, the oil. Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the capsicum and onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add the spices and mix well.

Add the rice and pour in the vegetable stock. Stir well, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has absorbed and rice is cooked.

Remove from heat and place rice on a greased baking tray. Bake in a pre heated 180 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and transfer to a dish. Place the tomatoes on top, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve.

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Wednesday - Dhal

Wednesday, also known as 'hump' day! We are on top of the mound and from here, its all down hill! Keeping with the Asian flavours, this dhal has a lovely aniseed aroma and is best served with Quinoa for lightness (rice we feel is too heavy and will have you bursting at the seams).

Ingredients

1/4 cup oil

1 brown onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

3 bay leaves

3 cloves

2 tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp coriander, ground

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tomatoes, deseeded and diced

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

1 cup red lentils

3 cup water (or vegetable stock)

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and cook until browned - do not burn.

Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, cumin, coriander, tumeric, mustard seeds and chilli flakes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the lentils and add water. Simmer on a medium to low heat for 20 - 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. Add more water, if needed to thin.

Before serving, remove the clove, cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

Serve with Quinoa, the perfect alternative to rice.

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Tuesday - Vietnamese Summer salad

Tuesdays meals are about exploring the world with flavours from afar. This delicious dish will have your taste buds dancing for joy and your tummies wanting more.

The tangy fresh flavours of the lime and mint and the liquorice flavours of the basil are an ideal mix in this summer salad.

Ingredients

1 pkt (1o0g) vermicelli noodles, soaked

1 large bok choy, steams cut on bias and leaves shredded

1/4 red cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1/2 small cucumber, cut into matchsticks

Handful beansprouts

Handful leaves: basil, mint, flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 red chilli, thinly sliced

8 puffed tofu, quartered

1 part vietnamese dressing (see below)

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp tamari

Pinch salt

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 inch ginger, minced

2 spring onions, sliced thinly

Method

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a screw top jar and shake until well combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the noodles, bok choy, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, beansprouts, herbs, chilli and tofu. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, enough to coat.

Serve chilled.

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Monday - Lentil and tomato pasta sauce

Monday's are always hard, no matter which way you look at it. So its good to know, when the working day is over, you have a comforting and fulfilling meal to look forward too. This is the meal that will give you the energy you need for the week ahead.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 brown onion, sliced

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

400g canned whole tomatoes

3 roma tomatoes, deseed and chopped

300g brown lentils, cooked

30g baby spinach, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 tbsp tofutti cream cheese

Method

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over a medium heat and saute the onions until transparent - about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further 1 minute.

Add salt and pepper, the canned and fresh tomatoes, lentils and cook until the tomatoes have broken down, around 15 minutes.

Stir through the spinach, parsley and cream cheese and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.

In the meantime, cook your favourite pasta according to packet instructions.

Serve the pasta with a generous serving of the pasta sauce. The perfect accompaniment to this dish is roasted garlic bread.

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Sweet colours of Aubergine

Aubergine or Eggplant as its otherwise known is an extremely versatile 'fruit'. The eggplant is part of the nightshade family and is closely related to the tomato and potato.

Eggplants contains small soft seeds which are edible but are a little bitter in taste. Once cooked, the seeds become tender (& less bitter) and you end up with a soft consistency. Eggplant absorbs oil and sauces quickly, making it extremely rich in flavour.

As the eggplant acts like a sponge, this Eggplant & chick pea curry is soft and subtle in texture. Mixed with roasted cherry tomatoes, this curry sweet and tangy in flavour.

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp sumac

2 tsp cumin ground

2 tsp coriander ground

1 tsp Herbies Brazil spice mix

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 onion, diced

1 garlic, chopped

1 medium aubergine, diced

20 cherry tomatoes, roasted

1/2 cauliflower, diced

270ml coconut milk

1/2 cup vegetable stock

400g can chickpeas

Method

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and fry the spices for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir through the aubergine and cherry tomatoes and mix well. Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes before adding the chickpeas.

Cook on a low simmer for a further 10 minutes.

Serve with brown rice and tofutti sour cream.

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To fry or not to fry?

We say fry. Without the use of a deep fryer, this golden delicious tofu has donned our dinner plates many a evenings. Served with a sweet chilli sauce, this is one of Tarian's favourite simple yet delightful meals.

This meal has 3 ingredients....1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 block tofu, cubed.

Method - Cut the tofu into blocks and pat out as much moisture as possible (paper towels are ideal for this). Heat the oils in a fry pan and then add the tofu. Stir fry until all sides are golden.

Serve with a sweet chilli sauce.

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Zucchini and Beetroot Sandwich

There is nothing like a good sandwich to satisfy and make you feel nothing but contentment during the middle of the day.

Our favourite these days is Zucchini and Beetroot sandwiched between soy and linseed bread.

Ingredients for this creation:

1 zucchini, cut length ways & roasted

2 tsp Beetroot and Almond Dip (Pilpel)

Handful Rocket

2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise

2 slices soy and linseed bread

This is a great take on the over ordered and over eaten roasted vegetable sandwiches!

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Ugly Duckling....

Home style roasted capsicum has to be the 'ugly duckling' of the food world. When its charred and burnt who would ever think that by removing the skin it could be (& taste) so beautifully delicious!

Take a large capsicum and cook under a grill until well charred on all sides. Remove from grill and place in a plastic bag to sweat - this makes it easier to remove the skin. Once cooled, remove skin and marinate in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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Making the traditional not so traditional!

The Tarian Pantry team spent the last few days 'carb loading' in preparation for the half marathon in which was held in Sydney on Sunday.

With training and a healthy balanced diet, we ensured we gave our bodies the energy it needed to see us through to the end of the race and complete the 21.1km course in our personal best times!

Our meal the night before the race was a not so traditional Spaghetti Bolognese. The ingredients for the bolognese sauce were:

TVP (textured vegetable protein)

Puy Lentils

Onions

Chilli Flakes

Purple Kale

Roasted tomatoes

Tomato sauce

Served with Kamut Spaghetti, for that extra protein kick!

Ensuring you feed your body with the right fuel will have you running marathons in no time!!!

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Comfort Food

We may well be a few weeks into Spring already but Tarian Pantry is still finding comfort in some winter style foods.

After a cooking bonanza yesterday in preparation for the week ahead, a few ingredients created tonight's Pumpkin and lima bean pie. Served with a tomato, onion mushroom gravy and steamed Brussels sprouts, the miniature pies rated highly on the comfort food-o-meter!

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All it takes is a few ingredients....

Here at Tarian Pantry, we rarely let our cupboards go bare and our fridge go empty however at this time, both cupboards and fridge are experiencing what we are calling ‘a Spring detox’.

With few ingredients to choose from, it was either dial for takeaway or make the best of the situation. We know that even with few ingredients to choose from, you can always create something delicious.

The ingredients that we had on hand were:

• Arborio rice
• Homemade tomato sauce
• Kalamata olives
• Dill & Parsley (fresh from the garden)
• Rocket
• Caramelised balsamic vinegar

These ingredients made an ideal risotto topped with rocket licked with caramelised balsamic vinegar. This meal took less than 3 minutes to prepare and around 20 minutes to cook, now that’s my kind of fast food!

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Spring into....

Spring! Not only is it time to spring clean our houses but its time to spring clean ourselves.

Try cutting back on caffeinated beverages, alcohol, sugar, animal fats, processed foods and increase your intake of nutrient dense organic fruit & vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts. By doing so, you will be treating your body to the foods that will assist you with an all year round detox.

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Vegetable Box of goodness

When stocking up your Tarian Panty with fruit & vegetables each week, remember to bring an eco shopping bag or ask for a vegetable box for your purchases instead of using and contributing to the production of plastic bags.

The most inexpensive way to do your produce shopping each week is purchasing from your local growers markets. A box of goodness such as what's pictured will set you back around $45...not bad considering this is feeding two people, its all organic and it easily provides goodness for 7 meals and 7 lunches.

And if there are any vegetables left overs at the end of the week, my kitchen tip: you can always make a soup!

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Imperfect is perfect

After adopting an organic lifestyle over 5 years ago, it soon became apparent that the produce I was purchasing did not look like that found in conventional supermarkets, featured on TV or pictured in magazines.

It wasn't to say that the organic produce I was buying was sub standard, it just meant I was buying produce that fell naturally off trees when ripe and that the produce was grown without the use of pesticides and insecticides. What I noted I was and still eating, was and is nature.

Nature gives us the gift of food, warts and all. I would much prefer to find dirt on my mushrooms, a worm in my lettuce and dark marks on my oranges than buy something that looks like its been airbrushed!

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What exactly is a healthy diet?

In short, a healthy diet is one that:

Satisfies our physical & mental needs for energy and nutrients

Provides our body with a wide variety of natural nutrients

Minimises our exposure to potentially hazardous substances

Includes food that is produced & grown using environmentally friendly and sustainable methods

We say no to nasties and yes to real eating...after all, this is the way nature intended us to eat.

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A posy of spinach...

Some girls get flowers, me, well give me a posy of spinach any day!

This home grown, organic spinach is a sight to behold. Picked from the veggie patch today, this spinach almost has to be seen to believe its actually real. With little input from Tarian Pantry's green thumb, this spinach has looked after itself to produce dark green leaves bursting with nutrition and flavour.

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Never too young....

We here at Tarian Pantry whole heartily promote growing your own vegetables or buying from your local produce market. You should be mindful about how far your produce has travelled, how old it is and its country of origin.

Buying Australian, buying local and buying organic will ensure you are supporting our farmers and consuming the freshest produce, with the highest nutritional value.

Tarian's resident gardener recently told me that a child had said that 'he couldn't believe you could do that' meaning...he couldn't believe you could eat vegetables from the garden.

A child shouldn't be surprised about where food comes from. We need to ensure we educate our kids from the ground up, not the supermarket up! From small things big things grow, so start planning and planting out your vege-tarian garden now.

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San Choy Bow

Sunday dinner's are not all about a roast, gravy, potatoes and steamed vegetables. Tarian Pantry's Sunday dinner went against the grain - we created our vegan version of the San Choy Bow.

Here is an image of what we created and devoured this evening!

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Sweet as Agave

Agave (pronounced ah-GAH-vay) is best recognized as the plant from which tequila is made however we at Tarian Pantry best know Agave as an ingredient in food.

The taste of agave nectar is comparable to honey and maple syrup. There are two types of agave: a light and a dark. The lighter syrups undergo less heating and a more thorough filtration to produce a more mildly flavored product and the darker syrups are filtered less, and the solids left in the syrup make for a stronger nectar.

Agave is an ideal substitute to cane sugar and is used here to marinate these Portobello mushrooms. Mixed 3 tbsp agave syrup with with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 crushed garlic garlic, fresh chilies and thyme and oven roasted for 1 hour. The taste and texture is sweet but subtle, tender and truly delightful.

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Roasting tomatoes - Now that's special

As posted on an recent update, making the most of 'quick sale' items from your organic grocer or convenience store can certainly work in your favour. Tomatoes during this time of year can be expensive, around $11.00 per kilo so if you see a quick sale bag half the price, snap them up and start roasting!

Roasted tomatoes are the perfect ingredient to have on hand in the fridge. They can be used in pasta sauces, lasagne's, curries even stir fries. The most time consuming part of roasting tomatoes is waiting for them to cook but while your waiting you can catch up on Tarian's blog or start planning your new vegetable garden - see who said cooking takes up too much time.

Tarian's guide to roasting tomatoes:

Cut tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the tomatoes. Place in a pre heated oven, 180 degrees for 1 hour.

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Pizza - Hold the cheese

Half the appeal of a pizza is the melted cheese that oozes the moment you pick up a piece however can all that cheese be good for your health? Cooking a pizza minus cheese can be just as satisfying, you just need the right toppings!

The secret ingredient here in the Toffuti cream cheese. Available from all good Organic & Health food stores this is a welcome addition to any vegan pizza.

Tarian Pantry's vegan pizza consists of:

Homemade pizza dough

Tarian Pantry's Basic Tomato sauce

1 onion, sliced thinly

4 brown mushrooms, sliced

12 olives

1/2 pineapple, cut into pieces

2 sausages, sliced thinly

4 basil leaves, torn

1 red chilli, sliced thinly

2 tbsp tofutti cream cheese

Method

Roll out the pizza dough and place on a pizza tray. Spread the tomato sauce on the base and add the toppings: onion, mushrooms, olives, sausages, pineapple, basil, chilli then place evenly the tofutti cream cheese.

Bake in a moderate oven, 180 degrees for 20 minutes until cooked.

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Not all sausages are made of meat.

I am the first to say, there are some bad vegan/vegetarian sausages on the market. After tasting a few of the brands available in our conventional supermarkets, I believe these products are what gives vegetarian food a bad name!

Whilst living in London, I discovered the Redwood vegi deli Lincolnshire vegan sausage and much to the delight of my taste buds, they are readily available in Australia, hoo-rah!

These sausage can be eaten straight from the packet or heated up and added to a pasta meal, just like I have done in the recipe below.

Ingredients:

1 brown onion, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

1 garlic glove, crushed

1 broccoli floret, steamed

8 spinach leaves, washed and chopped

10 kalamata olives, pitted and halved

3 tbsp olive oil

3 Lincolnshire sausages, sliced

1/2 chilli flakes

salt & pepper

1 packet pasta, Kamut spagetti used in this dish

3L water

Method

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan according to packet instructions. In a large fry pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add the onions and garlic and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add sausages and chilli flakes and fry for 5 minutes until the sausages have browned. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and return the pasta to the saucepan and add the ingredients in the fry pan. Stir through remaining olive oil and serve immediately. If you don't follow a vegan diet, add parmesan cheese now.

Bon Appétit!

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Vegetable burger & homemade chips

Friday night is always burger or pizza night and if we are having burgers, you always have chips. The chips are not from a packet plucked from the freezer, they are from real potatoes!

A home-made burger meal is guilt free, quick, easy to assemble and the perfect TV dinner. You can always make the burger using ingredients such as tofu, oats & peanut butter or you can purchase already made burgers from organic stores. For this burger we used Bounty Burgers (www.bountyburgers.com.au).

Recommended burger ingredients:

• Wholemeal sourdough roll
• Tomato relish
• Grated beetroot
• Grated carrot
• Broccoli sprouts
• Alfala sprouts
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Sliced tomato
• Mayonnaise
• Fresh salad leaves such as cos lettuce, rocket

The only hardship about this burger is getting your mouth around it!

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Time Poor Pasta

Cooking a healthy, nutritious and tasty meal can easily be done in under 30 minutes and this includes all the preparation!

Tonight on the Tarian Pantry's menu was a roasted tomato, onion, spinach, kale and olive kamut pasta. Sometimes its the simple meals that taste the best and this pasta was no exception.

Ingredients

Kamut Pasta (Penne or Spiral), 1 packet

4L water

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 onion, sliced

1/2 bunch kale & spinach, chopped

20 olives, pitted

Cherry tomatoes, 1 punnet roasted

Method

Cook the pasta in boiling water according to packet instructions.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic and onion for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the kale, spinach, olives and tomatoes and mix throughly.

Once the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta and return to the saucepan; stir through the tomato mixture and serve.

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Food Ideas - Cauliflower

There are more uses for cauliflower than just cooking it with cheese (vegan cheese of course)! Cauliflower really is such a versatile vegetable and plays a staring role come the cooler months.

My favourite meal involving cauliflower is making a puree and using it as a pasta sauce, the perfect accompaniment to spaghetti. This rich creamy sauce mixed with chilli and spinach will have even the fussiest of vegetable eaters asking for more!

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Winter Salads

I know its cooler outside and our tastes buds are craving more warming foods such as potatoes, bread and soups however this salad is ideal for those evenings when you are craving something fulfilling and are time poor.

Ingredients

Half red cabbage, chopped (or cos lettuce, as used in image)

1 red onion, sliced

1 carrot, grated

200g chickpeas

2 tbsp tahini, hulled

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Method

In a bowl, mix the cabbage, onion, carrot and chickpeas. Set aside. In a container, mix the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning and mix until well combined. Dress the salad with the dressing (best mixed with your hands) and top with sprouts and dukka. Serve as a meal on its own or a side to a vegan sausage roll.

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Vegan Sausage Rolls

This meal was prepared in under 10 minutes and on the table within 30. Ok so I cheated a little and used pre made puff pastry but every good cooks needs to cut corners every now and then!

Ingredients (makes 1 sausage roll)

2 vegan sausages (Vegi-Deli), cut in half

1 sheet vegan puff pastry (Borgs)

Method

Defrost the puff pastry sheet. Place the sausage halves 2 x 2 horizontally on the pastry sheet a quarter way in. Fold the edge of the puff pastry over to cover the sausages and then roll to form a 'sausage roll'. Cut 2mm off the edge of the pastry and squeeze together the edges. Sear the top of the sausage roll with a knife and place on a non stick baking tray.

Place in a pre heated moderate oven (190 degrees) for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with a basic tomato sauce and serve with your favourite salad! Dinner is served.

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Essentials for the fridge

At times we can become a little lazy in the kitchen but we must limit these moments as this can result in poor eating. Having a few pre prepared food items in your fridge will help you create tasty and nutritious meal in minutes not hours.

Roasted tomatoes

Add to pasta, tofu, green beans and lentils giving your dish a lovely sweetness and caramelised flavour.

Tomato sauce

Use as a sauce for your pasta or gnocchi, a base for your pizza or even a tomato concentrate in an indian curry.

Grated carrot & beetroot

Add to sandwiches, burgers, muffins, salads and the list goes on.

After a weekend market shop, I spend half an hour on a Sunday afternoon roasting the tomatoes, cooking the tomato sauce and grating a few carrots & beetroots. This half an hour saves me hours in the week and ensures good healthy eating for the working week ahead.

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Vegetable Garden

There is nothing more satisfying than growing your own vegetables. On a recent trip to Adelaide, I had the pleasure of eating from my parents vegetable garden which they have had up and running for the past 6 months.

On the menu from their Tarian Garden was a Bok Choy and Choy Sum stir fry. We simply picked the Asian greens, sauteed in tamari, ginger & garlic and served with brown rice. A simple yet extremely tasty meal.

Other meal suggestions for Asian greens are add them to a pumpkin laska or dice and serve in a Vietnamese salad with grated carrot, cucumber, tomato & puff tofu.

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Caramalised Onion Jam

There is no need to buy a jar of caramalised onions again...this recipe is so easy.

Ingredients

1 brown onion, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp caramalised balsamic vinegar

Method

In a small saucepan, heat the oil and add the onions & balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer for 25-30 mins or until the onions are sticky in consistency.

Makes enough jam for 2 home made burgers. Of course you can always increase the measures to make more!

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Artichoke & Green Olive Pasta Salad

Discovering new products keeps innovative recipes & tastes evolving in your kitchen. Over the weekend on my gastronomic travels I discovered, Pukara Estate Artichoke & Green Olive Tapenade.

We had friends coming to dinner and time was of a premium so with a few moments thought, this recipe was created. The preparation and cooking of the meal took no more than 25 minutes.

Ingredients

1 x 500g Kamut Spiral Pasta

170g jar, Pukara Estate Artichoke & Green Olive Tapenade

3 tbsp Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 head Broccoli florets, steamed

1 bunch Purple Kale, sliced roughly

1 onion, sliced finely

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 red chilli, diced

Pepper to taste

Method

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside.

Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a saucepan on a medium head and fry the onions, garlic and chilli for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are transparent. Then add the purple kale and broccoli florets and cook on a low heat until the kale has wilted.

Add the cooked pasta and mix through the Pukara Estate Artichoke & Green Olive Tapenade. Turn off the heat and add the remainder of the olive oil and season with pepper.

Serve warm garnished with rocket. Serves 6.

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New Discovery - Kamut

There is always something to learn about food, a new product, a new brand and most importantly, a new (or old) food that gets brought to your attention. Today I discovered Kamut pasta.

Kamut is an ancient grain, and a close relative to durum wheat. Kamut is considered nutritionally superior to many other forms of wheat with protein content 40% higher than traditional wheat. Kamut is high in vitamins and carbohydrates therefore produces greater energy than traditional wheat - ideal for that carb load needed when training for a marathon like myself!

Kamut has a sweet nutty flavour. Kamut pasta takes around 7 minutes to cook and makes the perfect meal when served with Tarian’s basic tomato sauce recipe with added swiss brown mushrooms, spinach, red peppers and onions.

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Fried Rice

Coming in a close second to soup, one of the simplest meals to cook is fried rice. Basically you can throw all sorts of vegetables into the rice to create your own unique version. Here's mine to share with you.

Ingredients

2 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp black bean sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, pinch of raw sugar, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tsp minced ginger, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, ½ red chilli, finely chopped, 6 pieces puff tofu, sliced, 12 green beans, chopped .5cm thick, 2 corn cobs, corn sliced off cob, ½ cup carrot, grated, 2 spring onions, finely diced, 2 cups Jasmin Rice (cooked)

Method

In a small bowl, combine the tamari, black bean sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and sugar.

Heat oil in a large wok and stir-fry ginger, garlic and chilli. Add the green beans, spring onions, corn, tofu and carrot and cook for 3 mintues. Add the rice and sauce mixture and combine.

Stir-fry until hot and serve.

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Hot Tomato

Being mid week, I take a good look at my fridge and see what has and hasn't been eaten. I am mindful that Saturday is only two days away and once again, I will be heading down to the Eveleigh markets to do my produce shopping.

Last weekend, we picked up some lovely vine tomatoes and bell peppers so tonight, I am going to roast and serve them with risotto cakes for dinner.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, lay the tomatoes and bell peppers on a non stick pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp sea salt. Roast for 40 minutes checking from time to time. The tomatoes and peppers should be slightly dehydrated and look well roasted.

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Roasted tomatoes are equally delicious stirred through al dente pasta served with chopped basil.