Pizza – is there an occasion that isn’t perfect for pizza?

The holder of all truth and knowledge on the net, Wikipedia, states that pizza ‘has existed since time immemorial’.  Can’t be too bad then huh.  I think those in days gone by would quite fancy the pizza’s below in fact… particularly the ‘fresh fig, parmesan, rocket and prosciutto’.

Ingredients – Pizza Dough

800g strong white bread flour
200g semolina flour or strong white bread flour
1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
2 x 7g sachets of dried year
1 tablespoon caster sugar
650ml lukewarm water

1. Combine flours and salt on a clean surface and make a well in the centre.
2. Add year and sugar to tepid water, mix with a fork and leave for a few minutes before pouring into the well.
3. Using a fork and circular movement, slowly bring in the flour from the inner edge of the well and mix into the water.
4. When the dough comes together and too hard to mix with your fork, flour your hands and begin to pat into a ball.  Knead the dough by rolling it backwards and forwards.  Repeat this for approximately 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springy.
5. Flour the dough, cover it with cling film and let it rest for 15 minutes at room temperature.
6. Divide the dough into as many balls as you want to make pizzas.
7. Preheat the oven to 250c.
8. Apply toppings.
9. Cook until crisp and golden

Ingredients – Salami and goats cheese

Shaved salami
Torn pieces of goats cheese
Sliced mushrooms
Torn basil

Ingredients – Potato and rosemary

Tomato sauce
Potato that has ideally been sliced into paper thin pieces with a mandolin
Finely chopped fresh rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Ingredients – Fresh fig, parmesan, prosciutto and rocket

Fresh fig, cut into strips
Shaved prosciutto
Handful rocket
Shaved fresh parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Balsamic glaze or just balsamic vinegar

Something to warm the cockles of ye heart… and it doesn’t come from a box loaded with sodium, preservatives and additives.

Ingredients – Stew

1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup of peas
1 cup of stock (chicken flavour or vegetable)
1 tablespoon of curry power
Any other vegetable that tickles your fancy.

If you want to make a meat version, usually chicken or beef is used in a Japanese curry.

Ingredients – Curry sauce (roux)

4 tablespoons of butter or margarine
1/4 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
Cup of boiling water
2 tablespoons curry powder

Method – Stew

1. Saute onion until golden (approximately 30 minutes)
2. Add garlic and ginger and fry gently for 2 – 3 minutes
3. Add cup of stock, curry powder, potatoes and carrots.  Bring to the boil and then simmer.
4. About 5 minutes before the potatoes and carrots are tender, add in the zucchini and carrot.

Method – Curry sauce (roux)

1. Melt the butter or margarine.
2. Add flour and curry powder over a low heat and whisk until it comes together in a crumbly mixture.
3.Add tomato sauce and worcestershire sauce.
4. The roux should be quite crumbly at this stage.  The roux should be added to the stew when it is a minute or two away from being ready to serve.  Before adding the roux, whisk in approximately 1 – 2 cups of boiling water (adding the water slowly).  The roux will become lovely and thick and saucy.

Method – Curry

1. Add the sauce to the curry and allow it to blend for a couple of minutes.
2. Serve with rice.

I love a dumpling.

Thankfully the Mom Dumpling House has opened up down the road in Victoria Park.

Its directly opposite the big bean shaped roundabout on Albany Highway in the building that was the former home of the commercial kitchenware shop.

They have transformed this small space into a homely restaurant.  The Vegan tells me it looks just like a traditional restaurant in China.

We went on a Sunday evening for a light meal and it was packed.  Thankfully only a 10 minute wait and then it was dumpling time.

Before started on the dumpling feast, we ordered the House Special Cold-Mix Salad ($17).

Amazing.  A mix of julienned carrot, cucumber, bean curd and black fungi topped with thick glass noodles and a tangy (tahini based?) dressing.  A beautiful and refreshing salad.

Next it was steamed vegetarian dumplings ($10).  There is only one vegetarian/vegan option on the dumpling menu and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

12 dumplings filled with mushroomy goodness.

For those wanting the meat dumpling, there is a range including ‘pickled cabbage and pork steamed dumpling ($10)’, ‘lamb steam dumpling ($11)’ and ‘pan-fried pork steamed dumpling ($10)’.

This relatively small northern Chinese menu caters surprisingly well for vegans.  When we go back we’ll be trying the  ’sautéed potato and capsicum ($16)’, ‘dry tofu with hot pepper ($15)’ and the ‘dough drop and vegetable soup ($12).

For adventurous carnivores there is the ‘hot and spicy pork ear ($11)’, ‘hot and spicy OX tripe ($13)’ and ‘pork hock with diced cucumber ($12)’.

I really liked it here.  Really relaxed environment and the staff were friendly and attentive.

I couldn’t see the toilets but I presume they were upstairs towards the back of the restaurant.  Best to double check if wheelchair friendly is required.

687 Albany Hwy 

East Victoria Park, WA 6101

A beautiful and decadent way to start any day.

An added bonus is that all of these recipes can be made the night before and reheated in the morning, if a truly lazy morning is required.

The recipes for the crepes came from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Vegan Brunch.

Crepes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Oat milk (or your favourite dairy or nondairy milk)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectur
1 cup of plain flour
1 tablespoon cornflour (or tapioca flour or arrowroot)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray or oil

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend for about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the blender, until everything is smooth. The batter will be very thin.

2. Refrigerate batter for about an hour.

3. Preheat a crepe pan, or large non-stick frypan over medium heat. The pan is ready when a few drops of water flicked on to it sizzle.

4. Lightly spray the pan with oil.

5. Ladle about 1/4 to a 1/3 cup of batter in the centre of the pan. Use measuring cups so that you get consistency.

6. Lift the pan off the burner and tilt in a circular motion so that the batter spreads in a thin layer across the bottom.

7. Cook until the top of the crepe is dry, the centre is bubbling and the edges are lightly browned and crinkly and are pulling away from the sides of the pan. This step is important if you don’t want to tear your crepe. Patience here is key.

8. Gently run a spatula under the crepe to loosen, then carefully flip and cook on the other side for 30 seconds.

9. Slide the crepe onto a dinner plate. Repeat.

Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients

Cup of frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons caster sugar

Method

Place raspberries and caster sugar into a small saucepan and gently heat until it becomes saucy!

Chocolate sauce

Ingredients

50 grams 85% dark chocolate (or more if you want more!)

Oat milk (or whatever milk takes your fancy)

Method

Melt chocolate slowly in a small saucepan and add small amounts of milk until you hit saucey consistency.

For a breakfast that is a little bit different to the traditional western breakfast and is also relatively healthy, I love a fried egg with brown rice topped with chilli, spring onion, soy sauce, white pepper, peanuts and coriander.

This is my Sunday morning post-gym workout staple.

Simple and delicious.

I’m passionate about living in a way that has the least impact possible on the environment.

90% of the food that I eat is organic, I recycle, compost my organic waste and use household cleaners that are non-toxic.

I still have a long way to go and would one day love to stop using my car and public transport daily, and instead ride a bike or walk.  I’d also like to grow more of my own vegetables and learn how to save seeds.

Something that always makes me shudder at the shops is when you see someone filling their trolley with an assortment of chemical-based cleaners.  I’m not sure how these people live but I know for sure that I don’t need ‘hospital grade’ cleaners for my house!  The negative impact chemicals have on both our bodies and the environment are long-term and significant.

A staple that is always in my cupboard is distilled white vinegar. Its cheap, averaging out at $1.60 for a 2 litre bottle and its non-toxic.

Number 1 function is as a household cleaner.  I have a recycled spray bottle that I fill with about 80% vinegar and 20% water, and perhaps a couple of drops of tea tree oil or lavender.  Vinegar can also be mixed with bicarbonate soda to clear blocked drains.

Every 6 – 8 weeks, I will pull out some bleach or disinfectant to give the house a ‘hospital-grade’ clean but otherwise vinegar works just fine for me.

The health benefits of ingesting vinegar are also numerous.  Studies have shown that vinegar may lower cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides in blood, improve circulation. Vinegar also has been used to fight infections, used as antibacterial, speeds wounds healing, and soothes sunburns.

I’d highly recommend popping a couple of bottles of vinegar in your trolley next time you’re at the shops.  The environment and your health will thank you for it.

Chips that are vegan, free of additives and preservatives, plus you can control the level of sodium.

Ok, so they’re still not entirely healthy but they’re definitely better than their packaged friends.

Serves:  Depends how peckish you are really.  Gave us two dessert bowls full.

Ingredients

• Approximately 1.5 litres of oil
• 3 potatoes, washed
• 1 large sweet potato, washed
• 2 beetroots, washed and stalks removed
• Sea salt

I made this for the sweetest sweet tooth I know. My Mum.

This recipe is taken directly from Wine and Food, by the amazing Western Australian chef and restauranteur, Kate Lamont.

Ingredients

4 egg whites

150g caster sugar

100g Turkish delight, cut into small pieces

2 tsp hot water

2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp cornflour

Method

In a large mixing bowl whisk egg whites until stiff.

Add three-quarters of the sugar, the cornflour, vinegar and hot water, and continue to whisk until glossy and thick.

Add remaining sugar slowly.

Fold in Turkish delight pieces and scoop into six greased 8cm metal rings or make large quenelle shapes.

Bake in a 150c oven for 10 minutes, then turn to 130c and bake for a further 50 minutes.

Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Serves six.

Berry chocolatey vegan goodness. Yes.

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
2 cups caster sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups (approx 375grams) vegan chocolate (there’s more vegan chocolate out there than you’d expect – just check the back of the packet)
Mixed berries (Optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line a  tin with oil and baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
3. Gradually mix in the soy milk, oil and vanilla until a smooth batter is formed.
4. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler
5. Fold in  the chocolate before pouring evenly into the tin.
6. I added  some mixed berries at the end – this optional.  but advisable.
7. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer or small knife comes out cleanly
8. Allow to cool before removing from the tin and cutting evenly into small squares.