Pizzas with attitude - packed with vegies

Last night we had takeaway pizza with my parents.  I had to post this photo because I was so amazed at all the vegetables on the pizza.  No wonder the place is called Pizzas with Attitude.  My mum found an online menu of poor quality, which made it hard to choose.  I had the Veg Supreme.  It had tomato, cheese, beans, carrot, onion, capsicum, mushroom, broccoli, cauliflower.  Even more amazing, was that the crust only had a small soggy corner.  Soggy crusts often go hand in hand with overloaded pizzas.

I also ordered the margherita (tomato and cheese) pizza for Sylvia.  It has a very generous covering of cheese but I liked it.  She didn't.  E was less enthused about his pizza (because my parents were as keen as him on such a spicy pizza) but he went for a carnivorous one that I didn't taste.  I did notice some differing views on the pizzas online.

Based on my Veg Supreme pizza, I would be willing to return for another pizza.  E wants the Americana next time.  He brought home a menu so we could have a laugh over all the weird pizzas - Butcher's Delight, Wogarama, Nacho and Hot Doggy to name a few.  They also sell nachos, dips, pasta, salads and wedges and have stores in other locations in Geelong.

TPS Pizzas with Attitude

2 Walls St
(off McKillop Street opposite the Elephant and Castle pub)

East Geelong VIC 3220

(03) 5223 1519
Prices range from $7 for the smallest to $19 for the largest pizza

CC Cheesy pumpkin sausages

The theme for the Cookbook Challenge (a few weeks back because I am behind) was Childhood.  I thought about what to make.  Food for children?  Food from my childhood?  Food that my toddler, Sylvia, loves?  Food from a children's cookbook?  In the end I chose Cheesy Pumpkin Sausages from Veggie Food for Kids that I thought ticked all the boxes.  I loved them.  Sylvia, however, did not agree and refused to eat them.  Kids!  Sigh!

I made them after Sylvia had scoffed two vegetarian sausages (from the supermarket) at a family barbecue.  It delighted me to see her enjoying her sausages with tomato sauce on them, wrapped in a square of bread.  That is how I loved to eat them as a child.  I have written about my memories of sausages before so I wont go into great detail here.

However I will tell you, yet again, that I also loved pumpkin and cheese as a child.  Still do.  Sylvia loves cheese but doesn't understand the glories of pumpkin.  Not yet.  I thought she might love some cheesy sausages.  She enjoyed helping.  As soon as I start cooking, she is always on a chair beside me in the kitchen.

I loved these sausages.  They were crisp on the outside and the right texture on the inside.  I used more butter and oil than I usually would.  Maybe they could be baked, but I suspect I would prefer these fried.  The sausages were even better after I botched a sausage recipe from Rose Eliot's Vegetarian Supercook a few months back.

I had worried that Sylvia might not like the nuts but she refused the sausages on the grounds of pumpkin.  I didn't think the pumpkin was that prominent.  I even wondered if she just knew it was there because she helped make it.  Not that there is any reasoning with kids.  E and I loved them.  I ate the leftovers cold for lunch with some leftover vegan queso dip.  If only every lunch could be that good!

The last childhood related part of this post, is that I used the plate which is exactly the same design as the ones we had in my childhood.  Bought for nostalgia value!  And a post about childhood is not possible without a picture of Dolly.  We had the sausages with corn, asparagus, and potato scones made with leftover mashed potato.  Sylvia loved everything except the sausages.

I will finish with a photo of Sylvia's new shoes.  It is all change lately.  Sylvia is rejecting the cot and nappies.  She has a new doona, new sunglasses and new sandals for summer.  I found these sandals in a shop but they didn't have her size.  Through the miracle of modern technology, the saleswoman was able to show me the shops where they were in stock in the right size.  One shop was near my parents and they were able to buy them for me.  Below is the photo I took in the shop to email my parents (I am not mobile savvy enough to send by phone!)  Aren't they pretty!

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe
This time last year: Butterfly birthday cake
This time two years ago: Tart ‘n’ Round Café: creative liberation
This time three years ago: A cool week of casseroles

Cheesy Pumpkin Sausages
From Veggie Food for Kids by Sara Lewis
makes 8 sausages (serves about 4)

2-3 tbsp canola oil
50g raw hazelnuts (I used cashews), finely chopped
25g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
150g peeled and trimmed pumpkin, coarsely grated
150g cheddar cheese, grated
75g fresh breadcrumbs (I grated wholemeal bread)
100g dried breadcrumbs
2 eggs, separated
seasoning as required

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a large frypan and gently fry nuts - they are done when they are golden brown and/or you can smell roasted nuts.  Set aside.

Heat butter in the same frypan.  Fry onion until lightly browned over medium to low heat.  Add pumpkin and cook until tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile mix fried nuts with cheese, fresh breadcrumbs and egg yolks in a medium to large mixing bowl.  When onion and pumpkin are cooked, add to the mixture and stir well.  Season as required.  (I didn't season as I think that cheese and breadcrumbs add enough seasoning.)

Now that you have your "sausage meat" you need to set yourself up to make it into sausages.  You will need a shallow bowl of the dried breadcrumbs, a shallow bowl of egg whites (lightly whisk these with a fork as much as you can be bothered) and the bowl of sausage mixture.  First divide up the sausage mixture into 8 portions and roll each into a little fat sausage.  You may need to keep your hands damp so they don't stick to your hands.  Dip each sausage in egg white and toss in the breadcrumbs so they are well coated.  I had enough egg white and breadcrumbs to dip half the sausages twice and I think dipping once was just as good.

Heat the remainder of the oil in a frypan (I didn't really measure but was more generous than usual with the oil) and place the sausages in the pan.  Fry over medium heat, turning regularly until well browned and crispy.  Drain on kitchen paper towel and serve hot.

On the stereo:
Tijuana Moods: Charlie Mingus

Purple peanuts - modern Japanese

We finally made it to hip new city Japanese cafe with the fantastic name of Purple Peanuts.  I got off the tram, looked at the corner of Collins and Spencer Streets, couldn't find it, walked a big Docklands block with the stroller, finally looked it up at an internet cafe and found it was where I had looked at first.  It was hard to wield a stroller and read the butchers paper menu in the fast moving queue.  I would have liked more time to consider my order but instead I just went for a burger and a rice ball.  I liked the burger and loved the rice ball.

The gammodoki tofu vegie burger was written up as one of the Top 5 Vegetarian Burgers in Melbourne by The Age newspaper.  I had high expectations.  The actual burger patty was excellent - tofu, beans, carrot, onion, oats, egg, sake, sesame and ginger.  Nice, unusual, different!  It just got a little lost in the huge Turkish bread slab and among the mayo and lettuce leaves.  I would prefer half the bread, lettuce and may with the patty.  But it was not too shabby, nevertheless.

The onigiri ball on the other hand was amazing.  It would definitely make my list of Top 5 Rice Balls in Melbourne.  It was so crispy on the outside and full of subtle but interesting seasoning on the inside plus a generous amount of carrot, seaweed and other fillings.  I bought it for Sylvia but she wasn't interested so I ate it.  She had bikkies and a banana instead!

As my experience might have been affected by my circumstances, I thought it might be useful to share some choice words on the place from others:

• "Purple Peanuts does an excellent line in fresh, healthy and cheap food - a pretty impressive combination." - Where's the Beef?
• "This cafe is super cute with stacks of succulents and bright colours." - Easy as Vegan Pie
• "cheerful yet charged vibe" - The Age newspaper

Despite it being in the business end of Collins Street, it also very handy for the Southern Cross station with the wonderful wavy roof, which takes me home by public transport!  I'd love to return and try out the vegie buckwheat noodle salad and vegie curries, preferably without toddler and stroller. 

Purple Peanuts
620 Collins Street (near the corner of Spencer St)
Melbourne CBD
03 9529 3988

PPN hurry up pumpkin alfredo with pea and lentil salad

Friday night is a night that I am low on energy.  I don't want too much cooking.  I just want to eat.  Fast!  So I finally made Vegan Yum Yum's Hurry Up Alfredo last Friday.  I felt a failure when it tasted too strong with a thin sauce that wouldn't hug the pasta.  Fortunately I believe pumpkin will fix any meal.  I mashed some pumpkin, stirred it in and dinner was fantastic.

Here is how it looked when I added the original sauce (Can you even see a sauce?  Did I do something wrong?):

Here is how it looked after stirring in the pumpkin (you can't go wrong with pumpkin!):

Scrumdidliumptious.  The pumpkin added the right amount of sweetness to combat the strong seasoning.  It also added enough extra vegetables to make it a satisfying meal.  E loved it but Sylvia turned up her nose.  I think it was more popular than my recent cauliflower alfredo.  Great with asparagus.

We had leftovers too.  The following night I chopped up some tomatoes and made a Warm Pea and Lentil Salad.  It is a great store cupboard salad, full of flavours and texture, that can be whipped up quickly.  The leftover salad sat in the fridge for two days and was great with sausages last night.

I am sending the pasta sauce to HoneyB of The Live and Loves of Grumpy's HoneyBunch for Presto Pasta Nights #240, a great pasta event coordinated by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe
This time last year: Tofu Scramble
This time two years ago: PPN Sausages Pasta, Garden and Global Warming
This time three years ago: NCR Pumpkin and Tofu Laksa
This time four years ago: Fantastic Falafels

Hurry up pumpkin alfredo
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum
serves 3-4

3 cups of any small pasta shapes
1 cup soymilk (I used dairy)*
1/3 cup raw unsalted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)*
2 tbsp vegan margarine
1 tbs tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp seeded mustard
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 shake cayenne pepper
1 pinch nutmeg
2-4 cloves of garlic (optional - can't remember if I used it)
black pepper, to taste
400g pumpkin*

Put pasta on to cook according to the instructions on the packet (simmer about 10 minutes).  Blend cashews with remaining ingredients, except pumpkin.  It took me a few minutes until I felt it was smooth enough.  I did this in my blender attachment for my hand held blender which is small and there was just a little leaking because it was so full.  Peel, trim and cook pumpkin (I did mine in chunks in a tub in the microwave).  Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to saucepan.  Tip in the sauce from the blender.  Puree pumpkin in blender and stir in to saucepan.  (Or if you have a larger blender you can blend sauce and pumpkin together.  Check seasoning.  Serve warm with green vegetables or salad.

*Update March 2012 - made this again and only added 1 tbsp tamari and 1/2 cup soy milk and it made a lovely alfredo sauce without the pumpkin - but it needed the extra 1 tbsp of tamari once I added the pumpkin - though I think I still could have used a bit less milk.

Warm pea and lentil salad
Adapted from Nigel Slater's recipe in Delicious Magazine
serves 4 on the side

400g brown lentils, drained (0r cook 200g dried brown lentils)
200g peas (I used frozen)
1 spring onion
juice of 1 lemon
handful of mint leaves from the garden, shredded
pinch salt
lots black pepper
slurp of olive oil (about 1 tbsp)

Lightly steam peas in microwave.  Drain and rinse lentils.  I rinsed mine in boiling water so the salad would be warm.  Mix peas and lentils with all ingredients in a medium salad bowl.  Serve warm.

On the Stereo:
Angels in the Architecture: Various Artists

WHB Spinach pancakes - a little less ordinary

The traffic was busy. I had left Sylvia crying, got in the car and headed out to a nearby shopping centre with a Direct Factory Outlet. I turned the radio to a golden oldies station. I felt like a suburban cliche. Then I remembered that I had made gluten free spinach pancakes. The sort that would not look out of place in a Dr Suess book. I felt a little less ordinary.

The first time I saw these pancakes on Spabettie, my heart did a little flip flop of excitment. Such a glorious green. I remembered them when I didn't know what to do with all the spinach in the fridge. I also had plenty of eggs so I decided to try her original version rather than her vegan version with chia seeds. I stuck with her gluten free vibe, using a mix of flours inspired by Ricki that I first tried in these burgers.

Spabettie didn't include any seasoning in her recipe but my pancakes tasted a bit grassy without. With a modicom of seasoning they were wonderful. I tried them plain, with cheese and with hummus. By far the best combination was with hummus, tomato, salt and pepper.

Everyone loved them. I made them while E and Sylvia were out the back. Sylvia came in to help in her inimitable way - pressing the buttons on the food processor and eating the raw flours. I was pleased that she ate the green pancakes enthusiastically. She then asked for some pink pancakes for Dolly!  When I told E that they were GF he was surprised. 

As for the trip to the shopping centre, I turned the radio over to the yoof station Triple J, though I am well out of its demographic.  It didn't stop me buying neutral sheets (ugh - why don't they make fun sheets for grown-ups?).  However, Triple J was playing far more interesting music, even if I didn't know most of it.  It made me think that shopping centres often try and please everyone and end up being bland.  If you go out on a limb with a challenge, it will be hit and miss.  Though you don't always succeed, when you do it is brilliant.  Just like these spinach pancakes.
 

I am sending these spinach pancakes to Anh of A Food Lover's Journey for Weekend Herb Blogging #309, the event coordinated by Haalo and founded by Kalyn.

More savoury pancake ideas on Green Gourmet Giraffe
Blinis with sour cream and beetroot chutney
Cheese and chive pancakes
Corn pancakes and salsa
Pancakes filled with potato and lentils 
Pudla (chickpea pancakes) with green peas (gf, v)

Spinach Pancakes
Adapted from Spabettie
Makes about 14 smallish pancakes

• 3 good handfuls of spinach - about 3 packed cups (most of 150g packet of baby spinach)
• 3 eggs (or 3 tbsp chia seeds soaked in 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp water)
• 3/4 cup flour (I used 6 tbsp millet, 4 tbsp quinoa, 2 tbsp arrowroot - 1 tbsp = 15ml)
• 1-2 pinches of salt, or to taste

Place the spinach and eggs in food processor and process until a smooth green mixture - this took me quite some minutes so be patient.  Add flour and a pinch or two of salt.  Process until smooth.  Drop dessertspoonfuls of batter into a warmed and buttered frypan over medium heat. Cook for 1-3 minutes (I can't actually remember how long).  Mine didn't bubble up like regular pancakes when they were ready but when flipped they were slightly browned on the other side.  Flip and cook on the other side until lightly browned.

On the stereo:
Beautiful Girls: Rob Clarkson

Vegan banana cake with maple syrup

I caught a whiff of over-ripe banana while eating dinner.  Time to make banana cake.  I had plans for a fancy cake but no energy.  Instead I creamed the (vegan) butter and sugar.  Then I put Sylvia to bed (which is taking some time this week), watched excellent Australia drama (The Slap) and then finished off the cake.  By the end of the evening I had eaten a piece covered in Nutella.

It was a vegan banana cake recipe in my notebook from my student days.  I don't think I have ever made it before.  It appealed for its simplicity.  Then I complicated it.  Only a little.  I halved the sugar and made it brown sugar, used maple syrup instead of water, left out the vanilla and added some walnuts.  It tasted quite caramelly.  Soft, slightly stodgy, and quite sweet, and quietly satisfying.

We have been enjoying it today for snacks though it is facing harsh competition i the way of nectarines, which have just come into season.  Bananas are finally coming down in price again after Cyclone Yasi.  So we may start to take them for granted again, but it means that banana cake will once more be commonplace in Melbourne homes.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe
This time last year: NCR: Quinoa Soup and Archeology
This time two years ago: NCR Carrot, Chestnut and Lentil Soup
This time three years ago: Indulgently frugal fudge slice
This time four years ago: Swinging Pancakes

Vegan banana cake
source unrecorded

65g vegan margarine
1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
1 cup mashed banana (I used 2 large ones)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 cups plain flour (I used 1 cup wholemeal, 1/2 cup white)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 cup walnuts, crushed with the back of a fork

Cream margarine and sugar (I did this by hand).  Beat in banana, maple syrup and oil.  Gently stir in flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and walnuts.  Spoon into greased and lined loaf tin (or 20cm round cake tin).  Bake at 190 C (or 370 F) for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly.  Cool on a wire rack.

On the Stereo:
Music for Sound Healing: Stephen Halpern

Vegan nutella fudge for eat.drink.picnic

Bloggers picnics!  Expect the unexpected!  I procrastinated about making soy condensed milk and nutella fudge until the night before.  Unexpectedly it worked.  The problem was at the picnic where half the fudge fell into a bowl of caesar salad.  Yet I refused to throw it out.  Cindy validated my stubbornness.  She said it tasted excellent even with a dab of mayo.  Now that is some fudge!

When I had decided to try out soy condensed milk, that was a challenge.  I wasn't sure how I would go.  A simple recipe was needed to test it.  Many years ago I made an amazing fudge with condensed milk, chocolate and maybe some butter.  This fudge was surpassed earlier this year when I made nutella fudge.  I decided that a jar of hazelnut butter from the Vic Market would turn this chocolate fudge into a gluten free vegan fudge.  Easy.

It was not quite as smooth as my previous version but equally delicious.  After I made the fudge, I looked at the ingredients in nutella.  I was shocked to discover that not only is the first (and hence biggest) ingredient sugar but that hazelnuts make up only 13% of the ingredients.  I could have possibly made some vegan nutella to use if I had had time, or added extra vegan butter and sugar.  However, as I didn't, the sugar in the fudge was far less sweet than in my other nutella fudge.  I liked the slightly bitter edge and slight crunch in this creamy rich fudge. 

My other contribution was this vegan queso dip (see below photo) that I am very fond of.  The only changes I made were to use rice flakes rather than oat flakes and to add an extra tablespoon of white miso.  It seemed lovely until I arrived at the Edinburgh Gardens for the eat.drink.picnic and dropped the tub of dip in a plastic bag.  The lid fell off and about half the dip spilt.  Such a terrible waste.  I cleaned up the rest that remained so that we were able to enjoy some of it.  I also took some vegie sticks and rice crackers.

Eat.Drink.Picnic was organised by AOF of Confessions of a Food Nazi as an alternative to the Eat.Drink.Blog Conference in Sydney this weekend. No fancy presentations here.  Just some food bloggers in the park.  Rugs thrown on the grass.  A fine spread of good food.  Thirty degrees celcius of sunshine.  Perfect in the shade.  Even a lack of cups and bowls or some fudge in a bowl of salad couldn't spoil the good feelings.

Blogger potlucks are a chance to taste amazing food - some that I have already read about and others that I look forward to being posted.  We started with AOF's Cauliflower Hummus, K's Red Pepper and Basil Dip, Michael's Caesar Salad with amazing GF bread croutons and Cindy's Asparagus with Walnut Dressing. Kenny arrived with Courgette Fritters (check out his lovely photos) and Carla brought along her Lentil Walnut Pate with Tofu Sour Cream and Risotto Balls.  But by the time Ed's beetroot, walnut and feta salad came along, I was onto sweet food. 

Not only were we lacking in cups for AOF's lemon drink (though Sylvia drank some out of a bowl because she was desperate), but there were hardly any bowls for Kristy's Balsamic Strawberry Ice Cream.  It tasted excellent anyway.  As did Lisa's Chocolate Brownies with gingernuts and Cindy's Apple Peanut Butter Crumble Slice.  I always leave these picnics realising I have missed tasting something and in this case it was AOF's Watermelon Date and Pistachio Salad.

Finally, Claire brought along seafood that didn't interest me, but the music on her little stereo sparked some conversation about 1980s New Zealand music.  Ironically this got me to dig out my Straightjacket Fits CD to listen to while we ate leftover dip, crackers and crudites that evening.  It took me full circle to remember living in a student household where my housemates talked about an AOF who had moved out shortly before me.  If you had told me that I would be sharing a picnic with her many years later I wouldn't have believed it.  But I am glad I did.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe
This time last year: Rice paper rolls and brown rice salad
This time two years ago: The Wall, Rose Petals and Biscuits
This time three years ago: GYO Spiced yoghurt rice with nectarines and mint
This time four years ago: Novelty Cakes from the Archives

Vegan Nutella Fudge
adapted from this recipe
makes about 40 small squares

I batch of soy condensed milk
250g (1 jar) hazelnut butter
200g of 70% dark chocolate
50g margarine

Gently melt and mix all ingredients in a saucepan on the stovetop.  I found it quite a stodgy mixture.  Spread into a lined 20cm square tin.  Cool to room temperature and chill in the fridge.  Cut into small squares.  Store in the fridge for at least a week.

On the stereo:
Melt: Straightjacket Fits