Saturday, 18 May 2013

Elegant Minerals

Got these mineral eye shadow samples from Elegant Minerals which can be used dry or wet so work well for eye shadow, eyeliner or face paint.


Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Rainbow Juice

My favourite juice forever has been just orange, apple and carrot and if that's all you have then it's an amazing juice. I've recently added some things to it to make a bit more special :)



Rainbow Juice

Ingredients

6 carrots
2 applcs (any colour)
2 oranges
2 handfuls of spinach (I use as much as will fit down the juicing shoot)
1 beetroot
2 inch chunk of ginger


Method

Juice and enjoy :)

Monday, 13 May 2013

Magenta Juice

We've been juicing a lot lately and I've taken to just winging it. This one was so nice and healthy :)



Magenta Juice
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup strawberries
1 romaine lettuce heart
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup kale leaves
1 beetroot
2 oranges
4 large carrots


Method

Chop ingredients and juice!

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Kiss My Face

Just discovered Kiss My Face which has a great range of vegan care for body, bath, face, sun, teeth, and kids. Was very excited to receive my package in the mail :)





Seasoned Vegan Skewers with Teriyaki Broccoli Helmets

My husband made these delicious vegan skewers for a cookout we went to. Obviously you can just use whatever vegetables you like. I also think coating the tofu in Teriyaki sauce first would taste great.
We got 24 skewers out of this amount, my husband ate three, I had one and none were left :)



Marinated Vegan Skewers with Teriyaki Broccoli Helmets

Ingredients

1x 14oz/400g block extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch squares
1/2 pineapple, cut into 1 inch squares
2 tomatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks
12 mini peppers/capsicums (preference of colour) cut in half and seeded
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 onion sliced into quarters
12 mushrooms, halved
2 x long yellow squash, sliced thickly into rounds them halved
Teriyaki sauce
Poultry Magic by Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends (you could use Moroccan seasoning as a substitute)
Wooden skewers (wet them and then leave them in a tall glass of water to prevent burning)

For marinade coating;
1 stick vegan butter (we used Earth Balance)
1 Tbls garlic, crushed
2 Tbls chopped dates
1 tsp agave


Method

Make Teriyaki sauce, this can stay on a low simmer for a while to thicken.
On a low heat melt butter in a small pan.
Once melted add other marinade ingredients.
Coat tofu in Teriyaki sauce.


Once you have both your sauces start a production line fitting one of each vegetable onto the skewers, finishing with a piece of broccoli on the spike.
Once finished brush both sides of the skewer with the marinade then sprinkle some of the seasoning over the top.
Brush the broccoli head with Teriyaki sauce.
BBQ skewers and enjoy!




Sophie's Kitchen Vegan Seafood

I was so excited to discover Sophie's Kitchen Vegan Seafood, especially cause most of it gluten free as well!

The product list is amazing too including crabs cakes, breaded scallops, fish fillets, calamari, shrimp, jumbo shrimp, fishless sticks, coconut shrimp & smoked salmon (vegan smoked salmon??? Heck yes!)!

I'm keen to try them all, unfortunately my local supplier only had the crab cakes and scallops  The crab cakes were delicious, the scallops were nice but probably better in a dish than alone. I baked them both, they might taste different if you shallow fry them.



Roast Potato Salad

I think this potato salad tastes better warm because once roast potato gets cold it kind of has that old fries flavour.



Roast Potato Salad

Ingredients

10 potatoes of your choice, peeled and chopped into chunks
1/4 cup McCormicks Bacon Bits
1 cup Follow Your Heart Veganaise
2 Tbls Follow Your Heart Horseradish Sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp white vinegar
olive oil
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt (more if as desired)


Method

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and prepare a baking dish (you might need two) by covering the base with olive oil, around 3 Tbls.
Add chopped potato and sprinkle the crushed garlic on top.
Drizzle potatoes with some more olive oil and bake for 40-60 mins or until potato is cooked and browned, occasionally flipping.
In a small bowl place the bacon bits and add 2 tsp boiling water to soften them.
In a bowl mix the bacon bits with the remaining ingredients.
Once the potatoes are cooked add them to the bowl with the sauce and mix well.
Transfer to serving bowl or tray.

Friday, 10 May 2013

Jeannie - Vegan Jello

I really only needed strawberry jello/jelly for a recipe I was making and I found Jeannie Health Foods on Amazon. For $16 (incl postage) I got 14 packets of vegan jello including the flavours strawberry, apple, white grape, orange, peach and blueberry. I actually only paid for 12 so they sent me two extra for free :). They also have other flavours for all your dessert needs including tropical fruits, mixed fruits and delightful rose.



Peach Jelly :)


Creo Care

Thanks Vegan Beauty Review for introducing me to Creo Care, all-natural vegan hair & skin care.
Was very excited to receive my package this morning - can't wait to have veganlicious hair!





Thursday, 9 May 2013

10 Day Juice Fast

My husband and I detoxed over the past ten days with a juice fast from Joe Cross's website Reboot with Joe. If you haven't seen his documentary "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" it's a must see, very inspirational and shows clearly the power of juicing. It's on Netflix...go watch it now!!
It's great for detoxing, weight loss and giving your system a chance to clear up ailments.

On Day 3 now which isn't so bad. Still want solid food but no where near as cranky as we were the first two days. I feel like we're getting over that hurdle now :)

You can choose from different plans depending on how long you want to go for and it's not all juicing, a lot of the plans incorporate soups, salads and smoothies so you can go at your own pace.

Here are some of the recipes we used (juices and smoothies serve 2, soups serve 3-4)....


Reboot Daily Guide
Wake up: Drink 2 glasses of hot water
(we suggest adding lemon and/or ginger)
Breakfast : Orange or Red
Mid-Morning: Drink 16 oz. unflavored coconut water
Lunch: Green
Afternoon snack: Green or Red
Dinner: Green
Dessert: Purple or Orange
Bedtime: Drink herbal tea
(with pure stevia for sweetness if desired)
Throughout the day: Drink lots of water


Island Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 mango, peeled, chopped, and pit
removed (or about 1 c. frozen mango
and skip the ice)
2 banana, peeled
1 avocado, peeled and pit removed
(you can save the other 1/2 for your
salad this afternoon)
2 handful spinach
1 c. (4 oz; 125 ml) Coconut water


Shamrock Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 banana
1 cucumber
12 romaine leaves
1 avocado
2 cups coconut water
Ice cubes, optional


Great Green Fruit Blend Smoothie
Ingredients:
4 c.beet greens, red swiss chard,
kale, spinach or a combination, roughly
chopped and packed
2 banana
2 red apple, cored
1pear, cored
20 strawberries, green tops cut off
2 c. coconut water


Carrot Apple Ginger Juice
Ingredients:
6 carrots
4 apples
Piece of gingerroot, 2 in./5 cm.



Carrot Apple Lemon Juice
Ingredients:
4 apples
4 carrots
2 lemons, peeled


Celery Pear Cucumber Green Juice
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers
6 celery stalks
2 small to medium pears
6 handfuls kale


Green Lemonade Juice
Ingredients:
6-8 kale leaves (Australian Tuscan
Cabbage)
3 handfuls spinach
1 green apple
1 cucumber
2 celery stalks
1 lemon


Joe’s Mean Green Juice
Ingredients:
6 kale leaves (Australian Tuscan Kale)
2 cucumbers
2 celery stalks
1 green apple
1/2 lemon
Small piece of gingerroot, 1in./2.5cm.




Morning Green Glory Juice
Ingredients:
8-10 large kale leaves (Australian
Tuscan Cabbage)
2 large handfuls spinach
6 romaine leaves
2 cucumbers
6 celery stalks
2 green apples
2 lemons, peeled


Sporty Spice
Ingredients:
4 beets
2 carrots
6 stalks celery
1 lemon (peeled)
2 oranges (peeled)
2 handfuls basil leaves




Sunrise Juice
Ingredients:
8 carrots
4 oranges
2 beets


Un-Beet-able
Ingredients:
2 apples
2 beets
6 carrots
2”/5 cm. piece ginger
3 handfuls leafy greens (kale, spinach,
Swiss chard etc.)



Green Detox Soup
This recipe makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp./30 ml. olive oil
1 leek
2 cloves garlic
1 small head of broccoli
6 kale leaves
1-2 zucchini
2 celery stalks
1 quart/1 liter of vegetable stock**
handful of parsley
sea salt and pepper

Directions:
1.) Wash and chop all veggies.
2.) Lightly heat the oil on low heat. Add leeks
and garlic and slowly cook.
3.) Add the vegetable stock and vegetables
(zucchini, kale, broccoli, celery), and slowly
bring to a boil and cook until the zucchini is
soft.
4.) The less you cook the vegetables the better.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
5.) Use a stick/immersion blender, or transfer to
a blender, and process the soup. Blend to
desired consistency, from smooth to chunky.
Add the parsley and serve.




Raw Carrot Ginger Soup
This recipe makes 2 servings.
Ingredients:
3 c./750 ml carrot juice (this may
require about 20 carrots)
1 ripe avocado
2 Tbsp./30 ml. honey
1 Tbsp./30 g. minced fresh ginger
Pinch ground cayenne pepper or
more to taste
1/4 tsp./1.25 g. sea salt or more to taste
1/2 c./118 ml. raw fresh coconut meat
(optional)
2 Tbsp./30 ml. cold pressed avocado or
olive oil (for garnish)
2 Tbsp./30 g. chopped fresh cilantro
(optional, for garnish)
Directions:
1.) Puree the carrot juice, avocado, optional
coconut meat, honey, ginger, cayenne
pepper, and salt in your blender until
completely smooth.
2.) Taste and adjust the seasonings if
necessary. Garnish the soup with a
drizzle of oil and the chopped cilantro.




Squash & Apple Soup
This recipe makes 4 servings. You will use 3 servings total on this menu plan, so freeze one
portion for after your Reboot, or save as an extra snack if needed.
Ingredients:
1 acorn or butternut squash (Australia:
baby pumpkin)
2 apples – peeled and sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots washed, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp./15 ml. olive oil
Ground black pepper to taste
2 quarts/ 2 L. organic vegetable broth
(or make your own)
Directions:
1.) Roast squash (cut in half, remove seeds)
place flesh side down in baking dish with
1-2 c.s water.
2.) Cook at 450°F/230°C degrees for 40-50
minutes until flesh is bright orange and soft.
3.) Sauté onion and carrot in olive oil for 5
minutes, until onion is clear.
4.) Add broth and apple; simmer 10 minutes
until apple is soft.
5.) Add squash (remove from skin).
6.) Puree in blender or use hand blender.
7.) Add pepper to taste.
Directions:
Add all ingredients in blender and blend
until smooth.




Green Vegetable Soup
This recipe makes 3 servings.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts,
thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 head broccoli, trimmed to small florets
2 medium zucchini, cut into half-moons
1 head spinach, roughly chopped
4 leaves basil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp./2.5 g. fresh ground pepper
6 c./1.4 L water
3 Tbsp./45 g. fresh basil, chopped
Directions:
1.) In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the
olive oil over medium high heat.
2.) Add the leeks and garlic and sauté for
3 minutes.
3.) Add the broccoli, zucchini, spinach, basil,
salt and pepper.
4.) Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
5.) Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the
heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
6.) Remove from the heat and stir in the
chopped basil.



Sweet Potato and Bok Choy Soup
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp./45 ml. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 leeks, white part only, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch/.5
cm. thick rounds
2 celery stalks, diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly
chopped
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs parsley
1 tsp./5 grams salt
4 c./1 liter water
1 large bok choy or 3 baby bok choy,
cleaned and torn in pieces
1/2 tsp./2.5 g. fresh ground pepper
Directions:
1.) Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2.) Add the onion, leeks, garlic and red pep
per flakes and sauté until the vegetables
soften, about 3 minutes.
3.) Add the carrots, celery, sweet potato, thyme,
parsley and salt and sauté 3 minutes.
4.) Add the water and increase the heat to high.
5.) Bring the mixture to a boil, then return to a
simmer and cook until the vegetables soften
about 30 minutes.
6.) Stir in the bok choy and cook for another
5 minutes.
7.) Stir in the pepper and any additional salt
if necessary.
8.) Remove the thyme and parsley sprigs and
serve.