Vegan Christmas Nut Roast and Salad

I know.  I know.  It is not Christmas!  But I am holding a Neb at Nut Roast II event.  I am holding the event to encourage others to make nut roasts because I love them.  But I am also holding it as an excuse to try out nut roasts.  On the weekend, I finally got around to experimenting with a favourite nut roast.  I make this nut roast every Christmas, hence the title of this post, but have wondered about making it vegan for some time.

The idea came from Cindy of Where's the Beef?  I am not a huge fan of faux meat like Cindy, but I will unreservedly claim that she has the best ever Vegetarian Sausage Rolls.   She is also a whizz at converting at making her recipes vegan and gluten free.  So it was no surprise to see Cindy veganise her sausage rolls.  What surprised me was how simple she made it.  Her Vegan Sausage Rolls merely have silken tofu instead of eggs and cottage cheese.  Since my Christmas nut roast uses cottage cheese and eggs, I thought I could give it the same treatment.

My Christmas Nut Roast goes by the name of Cheese and Walnut Nutloaf.  It is a deliberately simple recipe that will not compete with the wonderful festive side dishes.  It has so little in the way of seasoning, that I was concerned that maybe the eggs and cottage cheese gave some of the flavour.  I added a little nutritional yeast flakes but I am not sure that it was needed.  The tofu worked well.  If there was any room for improvement in this version, it was quite soft and I wondered if I should have used a little less tofu.

I often love roast veg with a nut roast but on the weekend I had also decided I wanted to make the Energising Protein Power Salad that I saw Ange make on Oh She Glows recently.  It was a serendipitous choice.  In fact, the green and red of the vegetables would make a great festive accompaniment.

It's the first time I have ever used buckwheat groats in a salad and I am in love.  They were so soft and full of flavour but didn't dry out the way that rice does.  It was such a good salad that I went back for a third helping.  Admittedly the two extra helpings were quite small but the salad was so moreish.  It was packed with interesting flavours and textures.  Crunchy, soft, sharp, sweet.

I made a few changes from Ange's (which was adapted from a quinoa salad on Have Cake Will Travel).  I didn't have wheat berries so I used rice.  I used less lemon juice, more cider vinegar and still had to add a little maple syrup because it needed a little sweetening.  The biggest change I made came from not reading the recipe.  I have a bad habit of reading ingredients lists more than I read methods.  So I turned my nose up at the onion because I didn't have one and I hate raw onion in salads, except spring onion.  Later I read that it was to be fried and most of the salad was cooked on the frypan.  Oops! 

Lastly I had some beetroot and orange chutney on the nut roast.  It was a wonderful meal.  Perfect for Christmas.  Great at any time of year.  You still have until 5 May to send me a nut roast.  For more information about the event read the announcement and the rules.

I also want to send the nut roast to a couple of events.  This fortnight the Cookbook Challenge theme is  Celebration.  I had thought of a few ideas but struggled to find time for any and am now behind.  You can see what others have made on the Cookbook Challenge community page.

I am also interested in Claire of Chez Cayenne's event called House Favourites: Vegan.  The event encourages bloggers to post vegan recipes we have made at least three times, the premise being to encourage posting old favourites.  I have had this blog long enough to have posted many of my favourite recipes, though not all.  So I wanted to take this opportunity to send this vegan nut roast Claire's way.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Butterscotch Bounty from Ricki
This time two years ago: Tupperware, Arran and Tomato Soup
This time three years ago: Posh chocolate orange biscuits

Vegan 'Cheese' and Walnut Nutloaf
adapted from Sarah Brown’s Vegetarian Cookery
Serves 4

• 200-250g silken tofu (I used 250g but might use a bit less next time)
• 50g (2 oz) walnuts, ground
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 cup (125g or 4 oz) dry breadcrumbs (I used 4 slices of wholemeal chia bread)
• 8 black peppercorns, crushed
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Spoon into prepared loaf tin (I use 13 x 22cm loaf tin and line bottom with paper except if using silicone pan.) Smooth the top down with the back of a spoon. Bake in moderate oven for approximately 50-60 or more minutes until golden brown and springy to touch. Serve slices hot or cold.

Energising buckwheat salad
adapted from Oh She Glows
serves 4-6

• 1 cup uncooked buckwheat groats (or grain like quinoa)
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 400g tin of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 large red capsicum, finely chopped
• 100g green beans, chopped
• 1 large stalk of celery, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries (I used 1/2 cup but a few more would be good)

Dressing:

• 75ml fresh lemon juice
• 50ml apple cider vinegar (optional)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• few shakes of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Cook rice and buckwheat in separate saucepans using your normal method, the instructions on the packet or as I did.  I cooked the rice in boiling water for 30 minutes and drained it.  I rinsed the buckwheat and cooked it in 2 cups of water until all the water was absorbed.

Chop vegetables.  Cook the green beans for 3 minutes in boiling water and then refresh in cold water.  Mix vegetables in a large bowl with beans and cooked grains.

Mix all the ingredients either by shaking in a jar or lightly whisking in a large jug.  Pour into the bowl of grains etc.  Serve at room temperature or lightly warmed.  Lasted for a few days in my fridge.

On the stereo:
(Where the power is):  Magazine

PPN Carrot Pesto Pasta Bake

Maybe it is because Sylvia slept almost 12 hours without a break last night for the first time in about a month.  Yesterday I had lots of things to complain about.  Today life seems full of good things.  It is autumn and I love wrapping ourselves in warm clothes and dark nights.  Having the table in the middle of the kitchen makes our time there so much more fun.  Sylvia is always a joy but this weekend has amused us with giggling fits, searched for the moon in the dusk sky, and she is saying "yes" a lot.

It seems odd that "yes" should sneak into her vocabulary so late in the peace.  Why would you need to say things like "ukelele" and "dragon" and "Christmas tree" before "yes"?  After hearing "no" so often I love to hear "yes" and the firm little nod that often goes with it.  Maybe she had to wait until life was a bit easier, before she could say "yes".

 

I made this Carrot Pesto Pasta Bake last week and it fed us well.  I hadn't been grocery shopping so I had to make do with what was in the house.  There were too many carrots.  I couldn't think what to do with them.  I went to my bookmarks and found the recipe on Veggie Num Num.  By the time I had made the changes, it looked quite different.  I used different nuts and burnt them ever so slightly, despite warnings from Trudy.  I added smoked cheese which dominated but took depth of flavour from the pesto.

E says it was one of my strangest dishes.  The finely chopped carrot wasn't quite cooked in the final pasta bake.  The nuts could have been ground more finely if I had put them in the food processor before the other pesto ingredients.  The garlic was so strong in the unbaked pesto that I was glad I had halved Trudy's recipe and didn't have leftovers to use for dip.  This is not a complaint.  Merely the facts.

We both loved this pasta bake.  Pasta can be too heavy for me.  I am always on the look out for interesting dishes that manage to serve pasta with lots of vegetables.  This was one of them.  It was unlike other pasta dishes I have made.  Full of nutty texture and smoky sharp flavours.  Full of vegetables.  Soft and pleasing, without being creamy.  I even loved the crunchy bits of pasta on top.

I used the vegetables in the fridge but any would do.  The cheese wasn't absolutely necessary but if you don't have smoked cheese I would recommend adding some smoked paprika.  Then again, I am quite smitten with smoky flavours these days.  It's all a matter of taste.

I am sending this to Sweet Artichoke for Presto Pasta Nights #209, the inspiring blog event run by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Sappho Bookstore Cafe - for the literati who lunch...
This time two years ago: Wholemeal Chocolate Cake
This time three years ago: A Long-winded Nut Roast Post

Carrot Pesto Pasta Bake with Smoked Cheese
adapted from Veggie Num Num
serves 4-6

Carrot Pesto:

• 300g grated carrot (approx 4 medium carrots)
• 55g almonds, toasted
• 25g pine nuts, toasted
• 1 dessertspoon of tahini
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• juice of ½ medium
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes 
• dash of chilli powder
• handful of parsley

For the Pasta Bake:

• 225g dried pasta - I used vegeroni
• 400g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
• 70g smoked cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
• 2 mushrooms, finely chopped

To make the carrot pesto: lightly toast the nuts and grind in the food processor.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until you have a paste - I had to scrape down the sides a few times to get it to a paste.

To make the pasta bake: first cook the pasta according to the packet (usually approximately 10 minutes).  Add the pumpkin to the pasta about halfway through so it is mostly cooked when your pasta is done.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and tip into a large mixing bowl or back into the saucepan you cooked it in.  Mix in pesto and remaining ingredients.  Tip into a lightly greased casserole dish.  Bake at 200 C (or 180 C fan forced) for about 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown on top.  Ours kept for 3-4 days and was great for dinner and lunch.

On the stereo:
Shamal: Gong

Memes are due. Thanks are due.

I've been tagged. I've been awarded. I've been a winner. Thanks are due. Memes are due. I've been blogging long enough that I feel I have shared so much in these pages. I thought of writing 7 randoms facts about the drive home last night but decided I really have more to say than that. I also have taken the opportunity to include a few random recent photos.

A while back I was tagged for a 10 questions meme by Katie at Apples and Spice.  Katie has always been a baker extraordinaire, but recently she has been diagnosed a celiac and it is fascinating to see the wonderful GF recipes she is now creating.  I will not pass on this meme to anyone specifically but please pick up the baton if you are interested in it.

Q. Why did you create the blog?
A. I wanted to share and organise my recipes.  Read more here.

Q. What kind of blogs do you follow?
A. Mostly food blogs and a few photo blogs.  I started off reading vegetarian blogs with recipes and still look for these but I have found that if the writing strikes a chord with me, then I am happy with any sort of content.  See my blogroll for an incomplete list of blogs I follow.  I find it hard to keep updates so check out the list at the bottom of the post too.

Q. Favourite makeup brand?
A. Huh?  Last time I bought eye liner I found it had been about 15 years since I last bought any.  I don't remember the brand.

Q. Favourite clothing brand?
A. I have bought so few new clothes lately that I don't have a favourite brand.  Instead I will tell you one of my favourite clothing stores: Retro Star Vintage Clothing on Swanston Street.  It is such a fun place to visit, but it is harder to get to with a pram because it is up a flight of stairs.

Q. Your indispensable makeup product?
A. If all the make up in the world disappeared tomorrow, I really couldn't care less!

Q. Your favourite colour?
A. When I was young my older sister loved pink and I loved purple.  Then as a student I discovered green was the colour of hope so I dyed my hair green.  And of course purple and green are the colours of feminism.  Check out my posts on Purple and Green. 

Q. Your perfume?
A. Elizabeth Arden Green Tea.  I love the scent of green tea but don't use copious amounts.  In fact I just noticed an unopened bottle of this perfume in my bathroom cupboard this morning.

Q. Your favourite film?
A. So many good films.  I had to look to my profile page to where I have written a list of favourite films.  Today I think I might say that my favourite might just be Wonderland (directed by Michael Winterbottom).  The scenery, the music, the characters, the bittersweet plot are all sublime.  London, Pulp, Michael Nyman, Gina McKee, John Simm, kitchen sink drama.  What more could you want!

Q. What country would you like to visit and why?
A. There are many countries I would love to visit (see here) but if I had the choice of any country, I would go to Scotland with E and Sylvia so we could visit E's family.  Why?  Everyone need family.  Phone, mail and internet are great but not the same as sitting down together to share a meal or a moment.  E would love to spend time with his family and I would love Sylvia to know them more.

Make up the last question - I gave this task to Sylvia:
Q. "Are 'ou ok, mummy?"
A. Yes

A couple of months back, I was pleased to be sent the Stylish Blogger Award by both Cakelaw of Laws of the Kitchen and Rivkia of Healthy Eating for Ordinary People.  Cakelaw has such a prodigious output of wonderful baked goods that I am beginning to wish I worked alongside her as she is very generous with sharing baking at work.  Rivki has many great simple recipes if you are after easy tasty ways to enjoy vegetables, and I love reading her cookbook reviews.

The way the award works is that the recipient (me in this case) posts about the award, links back to those sending the award, writes 7 random things, passes the award on to other bloggers, and lets them know. It is a nice way to create some blogger community. So here goes:

7 random facts:

1. I love swimming but I can't dive.  When young, my local swimming pool was unheated and closed every winter.  I once mastered the art of diving as a child and then forgot it one winter.

2. When I was a kid, the magic of Snuffleupagus on Sesame Street was that he was real to kids but not to adults.  It is a sign of the times that these days he is as real to all the adults as the kids.

3. I was once bitten by a possum in my backyard many years ago.  I was hanging out the washing and the bold little creature sauntered out, took a casual nip at my toe and then sauntered back.  I got a housemate to bang saucepans to keep him away while I hung out the rest of the washing.

4. The most amazing tattoo I ever saw was while doing a conceptual life drawing course.  It was a huge bird that was drawn to follow the curves of the life model's chest.

5. One place I would love to see is the Rock of Cashel in Ireland.  I was on my way there once but got hospitalised in Cork with an allergic reaction to an insect bite.  Maybe another day!

6. I have become very adept at passing a sippy cup to and from Sylvia in the backseat as I drive.  Honestly I keep my eyes on the road.  It is harder to comfort her when she cries in the car but I found the promise of pizza for dinner did wonders last night.

7. I get motion-sick.  I am usually ok in cars and buses if I don't read, and ok on planes if I have pills.  In fact I once spent my time in transit at a Japanese airport walking around the terminal with an interpreter to help me find air sickness tablets.

Now here is my list of seven bloggers to whom I wish to pass this Stylish Blogger award.  As with previous awards, I will not include those I have already awarded, so that I can include some new faces here:

1.The Amazing Adventures of Diet Girl -great diet blog by Aussie girl Shauna, who lives in Scotland, lost a shedload of weight and wrote a book about it.  Frank, honest and insightful.  Shauna also has the best quick links to posts that I must read.  Though I still need to read her book, so you can see I am a bit behind.

2. cityhippiefarmgirl - A Sydneysider writing about living life in the slow lane in the big smoke.  Gorgeous photos, great lifestyle reflections, yummy recipes - I must try that Armenian nutmeg cake - and so much wonderful bread.

3. The Kitchen Maid - Lucy's lovely photos and writing are a pleasure to read.  I was comforted to see a photo of Lucy's kitchen and feel I am not the only one surrounded by chaos.  I also love her Sweet Sweet Friday recipes.

4. Months of Edible Celebration - If you want to know about celebrations of any food, Louise probably has a post on it.  From Applesauce to Zucchini Bread, she can give information on when and how it is celebrated.  Her posts often have great little anecdotes, snippets from historic cookbooks and the occasional recipe.

5. Oh She Glows - This is the blog for anyone needs to be convinced that vegan food can be delicious and nutritious.  Ange produces amazing inspiring recipes that are packed with energy and taste.  She has also recently started a series of Vegan Recipe Link Love that features lots of great recipes on other blogs.

6. Sweet Artichoke - Vanessa's blog has lots of inspiring recipes and delectable photos.  I always admire her innovative cupcakes and cookies but am particularly in awe of her recent artichoke and hazelnut sandwich cookies.

7. Veganise This - I love reading how Mel takes a well-known recipe and makes it vegan.  Take for example her tofu ricotta and spinach filled agnolotti which sounds far better than a dairy version to me.  She also writes up useful notes reflecting on the meal.  A great learning experience and lots of delicious recipes I must try.

Lastly a couple of thanks.  I was in the Treadmill Reviews list of healthy eating blogs.  I was also lucky enough to win a cookbook in the Pasta Presto Nights 4th Birthday Bash.  The momentum behind the event, Ruth of Once Upon a Feast, kindly sent me a copy of Pasta: 40 Recipes for Fine Dining at Home By Elaine Elliot, published by Formac Lorimer Publishing. I am looking forward to cooking some of the delicious recipes in it.

Ok that was fun.  I hope you enjoy checking out some new blogs and I will be back soon with more recipes.

Cheesey bikkies: what not to do

They say that pride comes before a fall.  I was following a recipe that had been posted by no less than three bloggers (Cindy, Anna and Frances).  They had found it difficult to roll out the pastry whereas it was a breeze for me to make a little log and slice it up.  Only after I put them in the oven did I discover that I had put 100g of flour rather than 1 cup (120g) of flour.  Oops!


I then compounded my mistake by forgetting to put on the fan force function on the oven for part of the baking.  I was tired, having not slept well the previous night.  Maybe not a good evening to be grappling with new recipes and new toys.  The desire to play with the oven was there.  I was peckish.  I just felt too lazy to even follow a recipe properly.  I couldn't be bothered chopping herbs, finding anything closely resembling sour cream in the fridge, or even waiting for the dough to rest in the fridge.  In retrospect, I should be amazed that I produced anything edible.

Cindy had said her biscuits were much better out of the oven than when they cooled.  I had high expectations.  Mine were the opposite.  I put this down to the fact that they were swimming in butter, which is very hard to pick up when hot.  When cold the biscuits were actually rather good, in an intense kind of way.  I told E they were little bundles of cholesterol, being mostly butter and cheese.  Nevertheless we both took a few to work to snack on and found them most tasty.

Apparently the original recipe makes twice the biscuits I got.  Maybe this is because Anna rolled small balls and pressed them with a fork.  My mixture was too soft for such maneuvering.  Perhaps I will try Anna's recipe again some time with the herbs.  I am sure herbs would lighten the taste, but I do love some smoky bikkies. They were surprisingly moreish.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: SOS KC: Beets, Greens and Chickpea Curry
This time two years ago: A Nutroast Tribute
This time three years ago: Tartan Day Stew

Smoky & Cheese Biscuits
Adapted from Cocktails and Finger Food by Murdoch Books via Morsels and Musing
Makes 25 or more
 
100g plain white flour
100g chilled butter, chopped
60g smoked cheese
60g parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp mustard
shake of chilli powder

Preheat oven to 180 C (or 160 C fan forced). Line two baking trays with baking paper or silicone mats.

Use fingertips to rub butter into flour in a large bowl until mixture is the texture of breadcrumbs (I still had a few small lumps of butter because it was quite a wet mix). Add remaining ingredients and mix in with a spoon or your hands until it forms a ball.

Roll the dough into a long log, using floured hands and a floured surface.Wrap in clingwrap and refridgerate 10-15 minutes if you want. I couldn't be bothered waiting.  Cut into thin discs using a sharp knife. Arrange on prepared trays and bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Ours kept for about 4-5 days but I think they would keep longer.

On the Stereo:
Permanent: Joy Division 1995

Strawberry muffins, new oven and an allergy

 Last week should have been better as things settle down in my life but the challenges continue to rise up in my path. I was so tired last week, I barely made a dint on the clean up needed after the kitchen renovation. Sylvia is not sleeping well, our heater was not working and we discovered that Sylvia has an allergy to peanuts. Well at least I didn't have to sit in a cold carpark for a few hours waving cars in (that was the week before when we had a work event).  And I made some lovely muffins.

I bought some strawberries at the market which on closer inspection weren't great.  I remembered Cakelaw's recipe for Strawberry Yoghurt Muffins and miraculously had the leftover dairy in need of rescue, albeit not the no-fat strawberry yoghurt as specified by the recipe.  I also had the remains of a bag of choc chips that I used instead of dried cranberries.  Throw in a bit of LSA that has been in the fridge a while, and these made lovely moist grainy muffins that weren't too sweet.

My one uncertainty was as to how much to bake them.  I am still easing into the new oven.  My old oven always took far longer than the specified temperature and cooked unevenly.  I think this one cooks fairly evenly and seems to cook as the recipe intends.  But I am not yet familiar enough to make blithe assumptions.  These muffins looked ok after 20 minutes but I decided to bake the second lot just that bit longer.

I still am in transition when it comes to reading recipes.  I realise this means that I will now have a mix of recipes on this blog when it comes to the oven.  Some made in a dodgy old oven and others in a brand spanking new oven.  I have gone into my Kitchen Notes page on the weekend and updated the notes on my oven.  Other than that, I can only apologise to anyone who must adjust to my changed oven timing.

Most of the muffins are now in the freezer but below was the sight that greeted Sylvia when she got up on Saturday morning. Not bad, eh! We had muffins for breakfast. I had been hoping I might have been able to make her some baked goods with peanut butter but that is not going to happen any time soon.

Last week Sylvia did a peanut challenge at the Royal Children's Hospital.  She started allergy tests after her allergic reaction early last year.  We never identified what she reacted to back then but it set off a series of queries.  She did a cow's milk challenge last year and was fine.

The peanut butter challenge did not run so smoothly.  Fortunately her reaction wasn't life threatening but it was not pleasant to watch her in distress after a quarter of a teaspoon of peanut butter.  I have delayed introducing her to peanuts and was glad she tried them at the hospital, now that I know the reaction wasn't good.

There haven't been many recipes on the blog with peanuts in them since early last year and there wont be many more.  I love peanut butter and still have some around for when I fancy a peanut butter sandwich, usually when Sylvia is not around, but we need to educate her not to have peanuts.  Yet another new challenge to face.  I am planning to try some other nut butters on toast with Sylvia as she doesn't seem to be allergic to any other nuts so far (touchwood for luck).

Meanwhile, it amused me to photograph a muffin with some of the detritus that I found in our old fruit bowl when cleaning up after our kitchen renovation.  Don't ask!  All I can tell you is that this is not my current mobile phone in the picture.  My phone has been lost for a week or two but I dislike using it so much that I am not too bothered.  They are handy every now and again so hopefully I might find it.  I meant to take a pretty picture of the muffins with strawberries but got waylaid.  A bit like this post.

A new week ahead and I am looking forward to some strawberry muffins in my work lunches.  Highly recommend you try them too.  Like Cakelaw I am not keen on strawberries in baking but these ones work wonderfully in the muffins to keep them moist and fruity.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: WHB Easter nut roast and reflections
This time two years ago: Carrot Miso Soup
This time three years ago: Pumpkin Apple and Sage Risotto

Strawberry yoghurt muffins
adapted from Cakelaw
makes 18 muffins

• 250g fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups wholemeal plain flour
• 1/2 cup LSA (or more wholemeal plain flour)
• 1/2 cup white plain flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark choc chips
  
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• 1/4 cup canola or other neutral oil
• 1 1/4 cups vanilla yoghurt
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche (I topped mine up a little with milk because I didn't quite have enough)

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius (or 170 C fan forced). Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper muffin cases.

Combine the flours, cinnamon, brown sugar and choc chips together in a bowl.  Stir in the egg, oil, yoghurt and strawberries. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases.

Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out cleanly. Allow the muffins to rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.  (NB they will be very fragile when hot so letting them rest will make them easier to handle.)

On the stereo:
Scott Walker: The Collection

WHB: Plum and Cinnamon Oat Slice

Can you believe that this week I got down to one recipe in my blogging backlog! It rarely happens but is probably due to the kitchen renovations. We lived on a pot of plain old curry (like this one) for most of last week. Then over the last three days I have baked cheese biscuits, strawberry muffins and plum oat slice.

Expect to see the biscuits and muffins soon but today I am going to tell you about the plum and oat slice because it is my favourite of the three. While I am a firm believer in delayed gratification, I want to send it to Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging #277, the event coordinated by Haalo and founded by Kalyn.

I bought the plums earlier in the week and found Delia Smith's recipe for Plum and Cinnamon Oat Slices. Then an old housemate Nicki G emailed to say our old house was on the market (for a cool $1.5 million) so she was throwing a lunch in memory of our household. Will, another former housemate, also came along. I decided to postpone baking the slice because I knew they would also enjoy it.

This morning Sylvia and I made the slice at the kitchen table. We ate quite a few slices of plum while we prepared it. I chopped plums and she transferred it between her bowls. Sylvia had to make a few trips to Little Dolly in the little cot to give her some slices of plum. (She must be the best fed dolly in Melbourne.)

There was some drama when it came to pressing mixture into the bottom of the tin. Sylvia loved pressing her chubby little hands into the squidgy mixture but then decided to dig it up. That was when E took her away in tears. I had found the recipe via C's blog and was aware that I needed to keep back as much of the mixture for the topping. Nevertheless, I still had a few bits of plum poking through the topping.

I took the slice out of the oven and drove to Nicki's place with E holding hot slice on his knee. Nicki had prepared a wonderful feast. Chilled beetroot soup, spinach flan and a coleslaw salad. It was amusing as we ate lunch to watch Poppy and Sylvia in their high chairs eyeing each other off. As soon as Poppy got cheese sandwiches or blueberries, Sylvia wanted some - though she wasn't that interested in Poppy's pickle or dried figs.

I get a bit nervous when sharing a cake or slice that I haven't had a chance to taste. This one smelled so good as it came out of the oven and tasted every bit as delicious. It was still a little warm, hence a little soft, but sliced up fine. This slice was dense and crumbly, with lots of oaty texture and the jammy plum filling. Wonderful warm with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Everyone loved it, except Poppy who preferred her pickle! This is definitely a slice I will make again.

We meant to leave earlier but it was so relaxing to sit outside in the garden. Sylvia running under the fig tree, Poppy collecting gum nuts, Will browsing through Nicki's latest magnum opus (a graphic novel of Hamlet), and the rest of us nursing hot drinks and chewing the fat. A perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in autumn!

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Apocalyptic Dreams, Hot Cross Buns and Banana Nutella Cake
This time two years ago: Pooh Bear Honey Slice
This time three years ago: Seduced by Strawberries and a Pudding

Plum and Cinnamon Oat Slice
From Delia Online
makes about 15 slices

• 450g (1 lb) fresh plums
• 1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 225g (8 oz) butter
• 110g (4 oz) brown sugar
• 150g (5 oz) rolled oats
• 275g (10 oz) plain wholemeal flour
• 1 level teaspoon salt (I didn't use)

Pre-heat the oven to 200 C (400 F) or 180 C (350 F) if you are using a fan forced oven. Grease and line a slice tin (mine is 28 x 18 cm - Delia's is a little smaller).

Cut eat plum in half and remove stone. If your plums aren't quite ripe - like some of mine - and the stone is not coming away easily, cut the half with the stone into quarters. Discard stones and thinly slice plums. Toss with cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Place butter and sugar together in a medium to large saucepan and place over low heat until butter melted OR place butter and sugar in medium to large heatproof bowl and heat in microwave until butter is melted. Stir in flour, oats and salt (if using). Delia says this is so stiff you are best advised to mix with your hands but I didn't find it hard to stir it with a spoon.

Spread about a third of the oat mixture along the bottom of the prepared tin. Use your hands to press and spread the mixture. Evenly scatter the plums over the mixture. Now evenly dot the remaining mixture along the top and use your hands to spread mixture to cover the plums. This is harder than doing the bottom layer, which is why you save as much as possible to spread on the top layer. If a few bits of plums peep through that is fine.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. (I did 40 minutes and it was a nice golden brown.) Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife to mark into 15 squares. Serve warm with ice cream or let cool in the tin.

On the Stereo:
Just enough education to perform: Stereophonics

Nut roast renovation: raw and rescued

My timing for my Neb at Nut Roast event is not great. When I decided upon the event, I hadn't peered into my crystal ball to foresee a kitchen renovation, a lack of energy, and a dodgy raw nut roast. There are still five weeks to go to make amends with my brand new kitchen. But first I will tell you about my brush with raw nut roast and how an oven was needed for a spot of recipe renovation.

Lacking a functioning oven, I decided the raw food movement probably started with kitchen renovations and I had better jump on board. I consulted a few recipes for raw nut roast. I decided I was comfortable enough with nut roasts to create my own, forgetting that I am quite new to the idea of raw recipes. I further compounded my problems by deciding to use cauliflower that needed using up, rather than using a vegetable suggested by one of the recipes. It was not a success.

Having a partner who loves a hot meal, even in the middle of an Australian summer, doesn't help any forays into raw recipes. E was not at all keen. I liked the idea but my nut roast had a bitter edge to it. I suspect it was the cauliflower. I may not have used enough seasoning - many of the recipes seemed to have a truckload of seasoning. I tried it in a sandwich, on crackers and in a raw wrap. Yes, it was more like pate than nut roast. Even I was not keen on it.

After so little time in the kitchen, I needed a roast dinner once the new oven was installed. This called for nut roast. I had lots of ideas but a tub of raw nut roast that wasn't going to be eaten. I did what any frugal cook would do. I added some eggs and breadcrumbs. I baked my raw nut roast and served it with gravy, roast veg and Brussels sprouts.

I've made roast dinners so often that it seemed a good easy choice. Yet this one wasn't quite right. The great successes were a tray of roast potatoes and the mushroom whisky gravy. The gravy recipe is below because it covered up a multitude of sins. I was also pleased that Sylvia enjoyed the roasted purple carrot and the Brussels sprouts, as well as the potatoes.

The baked nut roast still tasted strongly of cauliflower but was quite edible under a blanket of gravy. The vegetables that looked so beautiful raw didn't cook so well. I suspect it might be because midway through I discovered a little hand had been playing with the oven switches and the fan forced function was turned off. Even the Brussels sprouts hadn't cooked quite enough and I had to put them back in the pot to cook a little more. Despite all my problems, it was lovely to sit down to a home cooked meal in our new kitchen.

On reflection, it seems I need a little time to adjust to a new oven and to raw recipes - though not at the same time. I found it useful to have a look at Gena's Choosing Raw blog that I have been enjoying reading recently. She describes raw food as not heated above 118 degrees (I assume this is Fahrenheit). Interestingly, she baked her raw nut roast in a very very low oven. Maybe I will attempt the raw nut roast again but for now I am happy to stick with Sylvia's favourite fruit balls that were great little bundles of raw nutrients during the renovations.

While not my finest hour in nut roasts, I am submitting this one to my Neb at Nut Roast event. Part of the idea behind the event is to reflect on nut roasts, and so I encourage you to share your ideas and thoughts, even if it is not your favourite recipe. The event is open until 5 May.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: Eating by colours – orange burgers
This time two years ago: Marvellous Mars Bar Slice
This time three years ago: Dahl, Panch Phoran and Candlelight

Cauliflower and sun-dried tomato nut roast (work in progress)
serves 4-6

• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup ground linseeds (flax)
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil
• shake of chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 2 cups cauliflower, roughly chopped
  
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup GF crispy corn crumbs (or more breadcrumbs)

Finely grind almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds in the blender. Add linseeds, sun-dried tomatoes, cumin, chilli, cauliflower, garlic, tamari, and maple syrup and blend until finely chopped and incorporated. Adjust seasoning. (This is where I stopped with it as a raw nut roast and ate some of it.)

Remove to a mixing bowl and stir in eggs and crumbs. Spoon into a loaf tin (I use silicone but if using a tin, it should be well greased and lined).

Bake for about 30-40 minutes in a 200 C oven until golden brown. Eat warm with gravy and roast vegetables. We had the leftovers chopped in a curry.

Mushroom Whisky Gravy
serves about 4

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 handfuls mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• glug of good whisky
• 2 dessertspoons of plain wholemeal flour
• 1-2 tsp promite (or other yeast extract)
• 1 1/2 cups water
  

Heat oil in a heavy based non stick frying pan and add onion. Fry stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Add mushrooms and garlic. Fry a further 15 minutes or so until well cooked. Deglaze with whisky and stir in flour (or should it have been the opposite way around?). I then added water and stirred in promite. Stir well until the flour lumps have dissolved and then mixture boils and thickens. Serve hot. If you let it cool, you may need to add a bit more water when it reheats to thin it down a little.

On the Stereo:
Little Bird: Kasey Chambers