Penny's Gran’s Salmon Cakes and Jam Drops Veganised
This week’s blog comes with quite a story. I hope you love stories. I love stories, my grandmother always told us stories and I would relish in every word.
Its book review week and I am reviewing a very special book this week that unfortunately isn’t for sale. It’s a family cookbook of my best friend from school’s grandmother. Penny Curtis and I have been friends since we were eleven. We both grew up in the Northern Territory. We loved our grandmothers and talked of them fondly. They both lived elsewhere mine in New York state and Penny’s in Herberton, Queensland.
When I was fourteen my gran, who we all called Mama came to stay with us for three months. It was an exciting time. Penny and I spent a lot of our free time with Mama during those three months. When my parents announced that in the June school holidays we were all going to Cairns for a holiday we were doubly excited as Penny’s family were going to Herberton at the same time.
It was in the days before mobile phones so we planned before hand which day my family would drive up to spend with Penny and her Gran. I was excited to meet Penny’s gran who I had heard a lot about and Mama was also excited, as we knew Penny’s Gran Marj Weiland was a great baker, as was Mama.
On the day we went to Herberton in our rental car we packed up a lush lunchtime picnic with several tea flasks in hand sitting on laps (in those days flasks were notorious for leaking). We stopped for an early morning picnic in a picturesque place and then made our way to Herberton for an early afternoon tea. We were keen to get there early so we could spend as much of the afternoon with Penny and her gran as possible.
As we were driving post lunch a road train passed us and threw up a huge stone that flung itself into our windscreen. The windscreen shattered and glass went everywhere. Mama was sitting in the front seat and the glass lay all over her lap. We were all in shock but miraculously no one was hurt, not even a tiny cut. It was decided that we would need to head straight back to Cairns as we were all nervous about driving without a windscreen. We then realised that Penny, her mum and gran would be waiting for us and we had no way of letting them know so my dad suggested we continue on the way to tell them what had happened and we wouldn’t stay.
However once we got there Penny said ‘oh you have to stay even for a little bit as Gran was so looking forwarded to it.’ So we all hopped out of the car and went and met Marj. What a delightful afternoon we had. We ate so many delicious biscuits and cakes and I remember fondly Mama and Penny’s gran talking about recipes.
Over the years that I visited Mama in the states after that visit, whenever we talked about Penny Mama would talk about how much she enjoyed meeting Penny’s gran. When Penny told me only a few months ago that she had put together her Gran’s Recipe Book I was so excited. Penny’s mum sent me a copy and it is like a trip down memory lane seeing the photo of Marj, her house and her kitchen. The recipes of course are not vegan but the tips that go with many of the recipes are priceless. As I read through the book avidly I took note of all the recipes I could veganise and it is in this blog post that I will share two of those conversions.
It is such a fabulous project Penny has completed putting her Gran’s recipes together in a book. It makes me wish that I had some of Mama’s recipes, I do remember she had a little recipe box but don’t know where it went. All is not lost though as my mum remembers many of my mum’s recipes and I will try to veganise some of them.
If you have a favourite recipes of your gran’s that you would like to veganise get in touch as I’m happy to give it a whirl. Also would love to read the story that goes along with it as, just maybe, Penny and I might start an Our Gran’s recipe collection. Who knows.
Both of these recipes that I share with you in this blog are so delicious. The ‘not salmon cakes’ I made two Sunday’s in a row and scoffed my share down within minutes and had to ask Makrand to hide his share as I had no self control over such delicious morsels.
Thanks Penny, Carol (Penny’s Mum ) and Especially Marj for these inspiring recipes. Keeping the recipes alive through the generations and sharing with the world.
Not Salmon Cakes
These work well if you cook the potato and rice the day before making.
Ingredients
1 tin of jackfruit or 2 cups sprouted mung beans
2 large potatoes peeled and boiled
1½ cups cooked rice (I used basmati but you can use any rice)
2 tbsp chia seeds soaked in ½ cup water
3 nori roll papers
4 tbsp capers
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp chopped onion
2 cloves cooked garlic (optional)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon (at least 3 tbsp of juice)
Organic oil for frying
2 to 3 cups rice crumbs
Method
- Pull the flaky bits off the core of the jackfruit and place in a mixing bowl. If using mung beans then fry these up in a splash of oil.
- Place the core of the jackfruit or the mung beans in a food processor with the nori roll and process until the nori is nice and fine. Add the capers and process until broken up. Add this to the bowl with the flaky bits of jackfruit.
- Mash the cooked potato and add this, the rice, the salt and pepper, chia seeds mixture, onion and garlic mixture and lemon juice to the bowl and mix through well.
- Shape into patties and roll in the rice crumbs.
- Heat up some oil in a frying pan and fry each pattie until brown, 3 to 4 minutes each side.
# If you make this recipe please share on facebook or instagram to #veetsvegancookingschool
Jam Drops
You can make these gluten free by using a gluten free flour mix and 1 tsp xanthum gum, you can also use coconut sugar if you don’t want to use raw sugar.
Ingredients
1¾ cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
125g vegan butter
1 tsp of vanilla
¼ cup apple sauce
1 cup raw sugar
2 tbsp jam of your choice
Method
- Beat the sugar with the butter and then add the apple sauce and vanilla.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix to a stiff dough.
- Roll into 36g balls then place on a baking paper lined tray and dip the end of a wooden spoon into some flour then press a hole in each biscuit.
- Fill the hole with the jam.
- Bake in a 160°C oven for 10 to 20 minutes or until brown.
# If you make this recipe please share on facebook or instagram to #veetsvegancookingschool
Adapting Recipes to Make them Vegan and Gluten Free
A big part of the three day vegan foundation course is adapting recipes to make them vegan and gluten free. It is simple when you know how. It’s almost like mathematics, once you know the formula you just apply it. Similar to mathematics, you can read all about it but until you immerse yourself in it, it doesn’t sink in. After attending the three day vegan foundation cooking course there will be no stopping you. You will know exactly how to create amazingly delicious vegan food and adapt some of your favourite recipes also if you wish.
There are presently 2 places left in the September course and also places left in the October and November courses. Can’t wait to work with you in the kitchen.
Read More About the 3 Day Vegan Foundation Course
