mushrooms

This fabulous recipe comes out of the last three day Vegan Foundation Cooking Course. Grace and Nells made and adapted this recipe from Celia Brooks Brown’s Vegetarian World Recipes cookbook. If you are an Okonomiyaki fan you are going to love this vegan version and if you have never had Okonomiyaki then this recipe is a must try. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Huge apologies everyone for my very overdue newsletter and recipe. I was not well for a week then went straight into the Vegan Chef Training that has been fantastic but all consuming.

Loving what I do for a living has always been a priority for me. Observing the difference I make through the work I do makes me wake up each day with joy and energy. When my work hasn’t felt this way in the past I have shifted focus and taken my energy elsewhere.

Ok what is the story with eggplants. Many are declaring they can’t eat eggplants these days as they are nightshades. People with autoimmune disease or arthritis are being advised that the alkaloids in nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, tamarillos, capsicums, potatoes) may be harmful. However at this stage there is no research to indicate this. Some people cut them out and have a noticeable difference and others don’t. For those people who don’t have autoimmune diseases, eggplants and other nightshades boast a whole range of essential nutrients and wonderful health benefits.

Another week, another blog. This one is a goodie and one to keep for just in case you ever feel unwell. Every fourth blog will be dedicated to a subscriber’s request and actually I have a blog schedule happening that I am really enjoying right now.

The mighty mushroom is a definite must add food to any diet and especially into a vegan diet as mushrooms really are packed with a whole lot of goodness. Mushrooms contain a rich source of essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids that help reduce serum cholesterol. Mushrooms also boast a whole load of antioxidants which can protect the body from cardiovascular disease, they are low in sodium and contain the B vitamins, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folate which are all necessary in energy production, supporting metabolism and lowering LDL cholesterol. In addition mushrooms are a great source of fibre and tocopherols (vitamin E), which helps with skin, heart and eye health and lowers the risk of cancer. Lectins found in mushrooms are also known to have anti tumor activities.

The Vegan Chef Training is approaching it’s last two weeks. What a wondrous course it has been. On the last day of module 5 we had 3 fabulous facilitators attend. Lilli and Sue who came and taught Kambucha, Jamu, fire tonic and shrubs (a healthier version of cordial). In the morning Kiriko taught tofu and miso. The tofu was the nicest tofu I have ever tasted. There is no shop bought tofu that comes anywhere close to this deliciousness. While making tofu is quite a production I really would like to always make my own.

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.

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.

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.

Another Christmas recipe everyone. I know so many people who just love Christmas and have a great time hanging out with loved ones and then I know equally as many people who actually have not such a great time at Christmas. This recipe is for all of you, to take to gatherings or to have at home on your own, really treating yourself to super delicious food whether you celebrate Christmas or not.

What an exciting week I have had. It was my birthday last week and I had a fabulous lunchtime gathering of women friends. We even had a dance, which was an extra special treat, and the big news from last week was... I launched my first ever on line cooking course: Cooking at Home with Veet

I am bursting with excitement as we have an exact date for the launch of the online course Cooking at Home with Veet. It is the 24th of November so only fourteen more sleeps. The course will be announced to the people signed up to the Upcoming Courses newsletter.

I imagine this week’s recipes will be the last of the soup recipes for this year as where I live we are slipping nicely into spring. It looks like I have saved the best soup for last.

How are you? Did you miss me? I took a two week break from writing blogs to try and catch up and have plenty of recipes for you in the upcoming weeks. Hope you didn’t miss the recipes too much. This week I am showcasing Bok Choy as the seasonal vegetable for the month. Right now where I live Bok Choy is in season and the bunches are beautiful. While the protein content of Bok Choy is actually very low it does contain a wonderful amount of other nutrients making it a super healthy vegetable to add to your diet.

This week is book review week in my scheduled blogs and I have decided to review my own Cook Book Veet’s Cuisine Delicious Vegan Recipes. Yes I love my own cookbook, cooking many of the recipes on the retreats that I catered on over the last ten years. The recipes are simple, all gluten free, all vegan and all delicious. There are over 150 recipes including how to make cashew cheese and sour cream. Also Indian feast recipes, four types of lasagnes, a Balinese feast, many other main dishes, soups, salads, dressings, desserts, drinks, vegetable dishes and a dedicated grain section. As well as a pantry list and a protein guide.

I’m being brave posting a recipe with Brussels in it as I know that not everyone loves them as much as I do. Don’t be put off though if you are not a Brussels lover as you can use another green veg of your choice or just leave them out all together. This sauce is a beauty. So rich and meaty (in the non animal meaty way).