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I have just finished facilitating the third day of the raw cuisine module of the vegan chef training. This also is a stand alone module so once people have finished the foundation course they are welcome to come and attend the raw cuisine course too and what a treat you will be in for. We have made sensational food over the last three days with another day to go. One of the extension recipes is so good and it definitely has been a while between drinks (or should I say between raw treats), that’s for sure. I wasn’t able to teach this module last year so I haven’t made this treat for 19 months and I can’t believe I had forgotten how deadly (that means ‘awesome’ in the NT where I grew up) it really is. It’s so good that I feel the world needs to have access to the recipe.

Some years ago I wrote a blog on an interview I did with a friend and dance facilitator of mine. It was a beautiful interview with many words of wisdom. On Sunday my friend left her body as she had spent the year unwell. I know she would have been listening to her body the whole time. I got a message from her beloved that she very much enjoyed cooking food from my recipes this last year and that makes me so happy to know that. I want to share again with you the interview I put into the blog many years ago and also the soup recipe I developed. I had this breakfast soup this morning in honour of beautiful Navanita and I reflected and reminisced on all she gave me and so many of us all over the world. Forever in our hearts.

Happy Easter everyone. I hope you have a lovely rest if you have time off over this mini break. Some people have let me know that they will be starting the online course this weekend. Couldn’t think of a better way to spend a long weekend than immersing yourself in really good cooking. If you would like to join in the fun, the online course is self paced so you could choose just a few recipes to try this weekend including the fruit in the clouds dessert which is full of so many different pleasurable tastes. I have a discount code for you to use if you feel to purchase the course FOREVERYONE1.

Here I am back singing the praises of millet. Do you have it in your pantry. If not go out and buy a cup or two. I made this delicious salad on Sunday for a gathering I was to attend, which then got cancelled due to the rain so I was left with lots and lots of this salad which was fine by me as I didn’t mind eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The more I learn at university in my nutrition degree the more I see the evidence of how healthy a plant based diet really is. I have always known it instinctively but now it is wonderful to see the science to back it up. Having said this though it is important like with any food style you wish to follow that you ensure you are including all essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals in your cooking.

Another three day vegan foundation cooking course started today. Stoked to be with another group of people who are eager to learn how to cook nutritious and delicious food. Can’t wait to share the photos of what they create. The last course was only two weeks ago and there were some wonderful signature dishes created. One of which I will share with you today. I love the simplicity of this recipe. I love that this recipe makes use of miso which contains B vitamins, which are essential for energy production, brain function and cell metabolism. Miso also is a good source of folate (B9), which is necessary for red and white blood cell production in the bone marrow, converts carbs into energy and produces DNA and RNA. Vitamin A for eye health, vitamin k for bone health and blood clotting and vitamin E which is a great source of antioxidants. Sage is a great source of calcium

Taro is a new vegetable for me. I have seen it and heard people say how good it is but it wasn’t until Jimi who attended one of the courses I have run this year gifted me some that I got to cook with it.

I am writing to you on the eve of another Vegan Foundation Course starting. So blessed that this is the third course I have managed to run this year. Last year I got up to three then no more so fingers and toes crossed the next ones will run too. As I start to prepare 48 hours before the course (yep it takes me that long to get everything organised – they say for a teacher it takes one hour preparation for every hour taught, for a cooking facilitator it takes two hours set up for every hour taught.) I get more and more excited with each hour.

Isn’t it time for a sweet treat? I certainly think so, it feels like a very long time since I have shared a sweet treat recipe with you. This one was definitely worth waiting for. It was created on the last vegan foundation cooking school. You can make these orange, cranberry coconut crunch chocolates in a big batch and have them in a ready supply in your freezer. You will never want to run out of these. If you have a heart mold that is fabulous, otherwise any mold will do or you can just put in a baking paper lined tray and break pieces chocolate off.

It’s hard to believe that it will be five years this August that the first chefs graduated from the vegan chef training here in the Byron Shire. There were seven people graduate that year, all who have gone on to do wonderful things. Ebony was the youngest that graduated and she went on to become head chef of a café in Wollongong. Ebony attended the course as it was her dream to open her own café one day in her hometown of Dwellingup in Western Australia. In the middle of the Covid Lockdown she did just that. She set up a food stall in the garden of the Art Gallery in Dwellingup.