"Do You Even Lift Bro?" Protein Balls Recipe

A coworker of mine was telling me about the protein balls she makes for her fitness-buff boyfriend and based on what she told me, I made my own up. I find these highly addictive! This recipe makes 15 and I ate them all in 3 days, probably not what you're supposed to do. But now, if anyone asks me "Do you even lift?" I can be all like, "Not really but I eat a lot of protein balls", and I'm pretty sure that gives me fitness cred, doesn't it?

Makes 15 balls

1 overripe banana, mashed

2 tbsp chia seeds

6 tbsp rolled oats

4 tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp golden syrup

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

2. Shape into balls and arrange on a baking paper lined tray. Put the tray into the freezer overnight. When protein balls have frozen solid, they can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the freezer for several weeks, if they last that long.

Happy eating! :)

Apple and coconut muffin recipe

Because yesterday just really felt like a muffin baking day.

Makes: 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup coconut oil
100ml water
1 cup desiccated coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease your muffin tin - I used coconut oil for this. In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon, and sugar.

2. Add apple sauce, coconut oil, and water, and mix until well combined. Stir in desiccated coconut until even distributed.

3. Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 20-15 minutes, until the centre is springy. Cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Happy eating! :)

'I Need to Eat More Vegetables' Curry Recipe

You'd think that being vegan it would be easy to eat fruit and vegetables everyday. Well, it is, but sometimes nutrition does fall by the wayside and you realise with a shock that you have only eaten vegetables twice in the past week and you start checking your gums for signs of scurvy. Never fear, this curry will replenish your poor neglected body! Also, you don't have to wait until you're in the early stages of scurvy to make this, you could just, you know, make it because it's delicious.

Serves 4

2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, cut into 2cm chunks
A large handful of green beans, cut in half
400g tin kidney beans
3/4 cup peas
400g tin chopped tomatoes
500ml water
1tsp salt
2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil, then add coriander, cumin, turmeric, and ginger and fry for 30 seconds. Next add onion and fry for 3-5 minutes, until softened.

2. Add potato, carrot, and green beans, and fry for 5-10 minutes (I usually do it until the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pot).

3. Add kidney beans and peas, and stir to coat. Next add tomatoes, water, and salt. Bring to the boil.

5. Add spinach and stir to combine well. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then cover and simmer for a further 30 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Happy eating! :)

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

This recipe is one of my favourites and is slightly adapted from the one in Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's cookbook, The Joy of Vegan Baking. If you don't already have a copy, you should feel ashamed and quickly walk down to the bookshop and get one (or, more likely, click around to find the best price online). This book is fabulous, and so are these cookies.

1 3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 tsp bi-carb soda
3/4 tsp salt
Egg replacer made up to the equivalent of 1 egg (I use Ogran brand)
2 tbsp water
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup Nuttelex
3 tbsp soy milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup crushed peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and line baking trays with baking paper. Trust me on the baking paper.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour, bi-carb, and salt.

3. Next, in a large bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, soy milk, and vanilla extract using an electric hand mixer. Beat until well blended.

4. Add the egg replacer to the peanut butter mixture and beat until just combined. Next, add the flour mixture and peanuts and mix until just blended.

5. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls 5cm apart on the baking trays, and flatten slightly with a fork.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Leave to cool on tray for 3-5 minutes before removing to let cool on a wire rack.

Happy eating! :)

Vegan chicken noodle soup recipe

The other day a colleague brought a chicken noodle soup in for lunch. It looked really yummy and I was like you know what? I can veganize that! So away I went to invent this recipe. It's quick, easy, very very yummy, and doesn't involve any dead animals.

Serves: 4-6

2 carrots, diced into small pieces
2 sticks celery, diced into small pieces
2 onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
250g vermicelli pasta, broken into 1/3 lengths (or use angel hair pasta if you can find it, I couldn't get any!)
3L vegan chicken stock (I am a fan of Massel powdered stock)
A big handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp Nuttelex

1. Melt the Nuttelex in a large saucepan, then add the carrot, celery, and onion and fry for 5 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes. Then add stock and bring to the boil.

3. Add the pasta and stir. Boil soup for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.

4. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve.

Happy eating! :)

Samhain (and the Woolton pie recipe)

As some of you may know, and others may have picked up, I am Pagan. For me, this means observing the movement of our amazing planet as it travels through space, the seasons which result from this, and the feelings we inherently associate with these seasons. I've always celebrated the Pagan festivals by having a special dinner that reflects the moment in time we are celebrating.

Shortly before we split up, Jeff and I observed Samhain, which is the festival from which Halloween was created. Samhain marks the halfway point between the Autumn Equinox (Mabon) and the Winter Solstice (Yule. Ah, I see you making the historical connections to another popular festival celebrated around the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere...). Samhain is the final festival of the Pagan calendar and represents death and dying in the circle of life, before the spark of life is reignited at Yule when the days begin to lengthen once more and the sun begins to return. It seems fitting then that this would be the last festival that Jeff and I would spend together. This is also a very fitting time for me to be grieving for this loss and spending my time healing, consolidating, and refocusing for a new beginning in the coming months, because that's what this time of year symbolizes.

However, Samhain, with its background of death, is not a time of sorrow. It is a time of acceptance, of love, and of appreciation for what you have, and what you will have. I like to make something for dinner on that night that reflects that feeling you get around this time of year, that you just want to curl up in the warmth with a hearty meal and those you love, and hibernate through the Winter. This year I made something I've been wanting to make for years, Woolton Pie.

Woolton Pie has its roots in WWII England when rations meant that there wasn't a whole lot to eat besides a few vegetables and a bit of flour. I found my recipe many years ago and cut it out of a magazine, the name of which I have long since forgotten, and have been saving it for a festival such as Samhain. It was a bit more effort than I like to take when making dinner, so I think it'll stay as a 'special occassions' meal only, though I must say the pasty was very yummy!


Woolton Pie

Serves 4

For the filling

450g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
900g carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg
Chopped parsley
Nuttelex
Vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste

For the pastry

50g Nuttelex
22g plain wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

2. Fry the potatoes and carrot separately in Nuttelex until soft. Set aside.

3. Fry the spring onions, celery, and leek in Nuttelex until soft.

4. Mix all the cooked vegetables together with the dried thyme, and salt, pepper, nutmeg, and chopped parsley to taste. Fill a pie dish with this mixture, bury the bay leaf in the middle, and moisten with a little vegetable stock or water. Set aside to cool.

5. To make the pastry crust, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Rub in the Nuttelex, then add enough water to make a rolling consistency, although one that is slightly softer than when making pastry with white flour. Roll out and use to cover the pie.

6. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Happy eating! :)

How to heal a broken heart

Bob Graham wrote an excellent picture book called How to Heal a Broken Wing, the book follows a pigeon with a broken wing and the boy who helps it. There's a very vegan message of empathy, respect, and kindness towards all creatures and I highly recommend you check it out.

As you would have noticed, I have been absent from blogging for quite some time. The reason for this is that after 6 years together, Jeff and I split up. As I'm sure you can appreciate, this has been devastating and heart-wrenching for me, so I hit the pause button on my life and went to curl up by myself for a bit. I'm just starting to emerge back out into the world now, but the sadness and the grief is still there, and I'm still completely heartbroken.

Bob Graham writes that a broken wing can sometimes heal with rest, and time, and a little hope. But how does one heal a broken heart? Not with Breakup Pudding from PETA's Vegan College Cookbook, that's for sure! In my happily coupled-up days, I'd always wanted to make this recipe but never got around to it. Then when I found myself alone and facing suffocation under an ever-increasing mountain of snotty tissues, I thought yes, now's the time.

This pudding is not for the faint hearted. It contains 10 tablespoons of sugar and though it professes to feed 4, I dispute that claim. This is 10 tablespoons of sugar for 1 person. Along with the entire sugar stocks of Australia, the pudding also requires a whopping 8 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 pack of silken tofu, 2.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Then you simply blend it all until smooth and chill. The end result comes out like this (please excuse the poor quality of the photo, I was not in a good state of mind):

Is it possible to feel worse after your life partner has just abandoned you, you know you're going to be alone forever, and you find yourself curled up on the lounge watching 500 Days of Summer while wearing a jumper that says 'I Like Cats' and crying into your breakup pudding? Well, no, but it is possible to feel very very sick on top of that. Was it eating my own weight in sugar? No, I don't believe so, though that did cause my heart to race at an extraordinary speed. Was it eating a pudding made for 4 people in one sitting? No, that's not really out of the ordinary for me. No, it was the absurd amount of cocoa, I'm talking so much cocoa that it burns the back of your throat as you're eating it. The problem is, the ratio of cocoa to water was, well, non-existent. This meant that the cocoa created a sort of thick gel in my stomach and couldn't continue down into my small intestine which resulted in terrible nausea and a great amount of vomiting. On the plus side, the relief that one experiences post-vomit was probably the emotional highlight of my day.

So if you're ever heartbroken, I suggest that you ignore PETA's advice and do not eat their breakup pudding, even though sugary, chocolaty gloop is exactly what you feel you need. I think Bob Graham is probably on the right track, the only things that really heal a broken heart are rest, time, and a little hope.

Happy (not) eating...and here's to hope.

Warming Winter stew recipe

There's just something about cold rainy nights that makes me want to eat warm, nutritious comfort food! Slow cooking food is the best because it makes the house smell all yummy and cozy. This is a favourite stew of ours, a hearty meal to warm your soul.

We used liquid smoke in this, which we bought during our Everything Vegan shopping spree. It really is a fantastic product, if you haven't tried it you should!

Serves: 6-8

4 large potatoes (or 6 smallish ones)

3 large carrots

2 parsnips

2 swedes/turnips

2 large brown onions

1 cup pearl barley

2.5L beef stock (Massel brand is vegan)

1 tsp liquid smoke

1. Peel the potatoes, parsnips, and swedes/turnips and chop into 1cm cubes. Peel the carrots and chop the smaller half into coins, and the thicker half into semi-circular pieces. Dice the onions.

2. Put all ingredients into a large saucepan, cover, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring twice.

Happy eating! :)

Pink milk smoothie

If you've ever seen Charlie and Lola or read the books, you'll know that pink milk is very very special. Unlike normal pink milk though, this yummy smoothie is also very healthy.

Serves 1

1 banana

handful of fresh raspberries

1-2 handfuls of strawberries

4 tbsp coconut yoghurt (I use Coyo brand)

Amber agave syrup (to taste)

250ml soy milk

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Take in that pink milk deliciousness.

Happy drinking :)

What I'm drinking: green juices

So recently I blogged about cooking quinoa and dried beans for the first time. It was a shockingly un-vegan admission, that I had never cooked either of these foods before (I'm sure the gasps reverberated across the world as the news spread from vegan forum to vegan forum). Well hold onto your chairs because I'm about to drop another bombshell; I had also never made a green juice or cooked with kale before!

Now don't get me wrong, I'd eaten (and drank) these things before but I'd never actually made them myself. More due to our very very small student wages than anything else. Recently though, a lot of work has flowed my way and consequently the death-grip on our food budget has relaxed slightly. This means that we are now able to buy a whole load of different fruits at once, and at the same time, our local Woolworths has recently begun to stock kale. Yay!

So finally I was able to experiment with green juices. I didn't play around with the 'green things' (just stuck to the kale for the initial flavour experiments), but hopefully in future I can explore that as well. I did vary the types of fruit and fruit juices I put in though (note to self: don't use strawberries as the redness mixing with the green-ness makes for an unappetising brown-ness), and this one is my favourite so far:

1 banana

Large handful of blueberries

Large handful of kale

Juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon

A bit of water

Another thing I experimented with was adding 3-4 tablespoons of cocoa powder to this particular juice (and leaving out the lemon juice). It was really yummy and would be great to try if you have little ones with an aversion to green juices!

I think that this would also be great with a bit of ginger added. Your could even make a ginger tea by boiling some grated ginger in water, straining the ginger out, putting the tea in the fridge, and then using that instead of water. I might have to try that myself actually!

I've been having these juices for breakfast and following them up with baked beans on an English muffin. I feel that my energy levels have really improved and so has my mood, ah the wonders of fresh produce!

Happy drinking! :)

Mexibowls - a dinner of firsts!

Last night I decided to try a delicious-looking recipe for a 'mexibowl' which I found here on Vegan Eats and Treats (the second one).

As shocking as it may sound for me to admit this, this was the first time I had ever cooked quinoa (apart from an instant packet one once) and it was the first time I ever cooked using dried beans. Yes, I know! How have I got to this stage in my life and never done either of those things? The answer is because I was scared. I was scared that it would be too hard, it would take too long, and I might mess it up.

To cook the quinoa, I found some great instructions at The Kitchn and followed them religiously! I cooked it in Massal Chicken Stock (which is vegan, obviously), and it was the best quinoa I've ever had! I could have eaten a whole bowl of it just by itself.

I was planning on just using a tin of black beans, as suggested in the recipe, but I couldn't find them anywhere, tinned or otherwise! After having a look online, it seems that tinned black beans are near impossible to get in Australia, and dried ones are hard to find as well. After looking around a couple of supermarkets, I instead settled for dried adjuki beans (also known as azuki beans). Having never cooked with dried beans before, I thought it would be a really drawn out experience, but after researching how best to cook them, everything fell into place.

After soaking the beans for 2 hours (and going away and reading), I boiled them for an hour (and read some more), then just cooked the rest of dinner as if I were using tinned beans. It was so much easier than I had imagined. I mean, yes it does take more time, but when I'm home anyway, it doesn't inconvenience me at all.

After years of avoiding cooking with these two very popular foods, I now don't know what I was so afraid of! Dinner was delicious and I will definitely be cooking quinoa again, and using dried beans!

PS - another first: the recipe suggests using lime juice in the guacamole, I've never done this before so I tried it and it was yummy.

Happy eating! :)

Frogs' eggs (AKA sago pudding)

When I was little, this dessert was one of my favourites. Frogs eggs! With a name like that, how could anyone not be intrigued? The look and the texture really was just what I imagined frogs' eggs to be and it absolutely delighted me. However, it was a rare treat as my mother always said that it was too much work to make. Recently though, I remembered frogs' eggs and discovered that it is actually quite easy to make! Hmm... my mother has a lot to answer for... Go on, leap in and give frogs' eggs a try! I also dare you to find a child who won't eat it, or at least try it (and sometimes that's a victory in itself!)

Here is my veganized recipe for frogs' eggs, known to most people as sago pudding. Sago are small, white starchy balls that can be purchased from the supermarket or a health food store. They're also known as tapioca pearls and turn clear when cooked.

Serves: 2 large serves or 4 smaller serves

1 cup sago
3 cups water
1 cup coconut milk
4 tbsp castor sugar

1. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the sago, stir well, and reduce heat to low. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

2. Add the coconut milk and sugar, stir well, and heat back to a simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until sago balls are completely clear.

I like to eat this dessert hot, but it will actually become a solid jelly-ish substance if chilled in the fridge. This makes it great for moulding and means that it can be made ahead of time and presented in a really impressive way. When cold, it's nice with fruit or any number of syrups and is perfect for a summery dessert.

Happy eating! :)

Warm banana and chocolate dessert recipe

Ok, I know that this looks really gross but hear me out... it's not.

Now anyone who reads this blog will know that I'm a big fan of chocolate and comfort foods, so of course chocolate comfort foods are the highest tier of deliciousness in my book. This recipe is one that I dreamed up recently and it is a new favourite to eat snuggled on the lounge with a blanket and a movie. I like to think that this dessert is also a healthy dessert... it does have bananas in it after all... that makes it healthy, right?

Serves 1

1 large banana
Vegan choc-chips (I use Sweet William)

1. Cut banana in half length-ways and arrange in a bowl like a banana split.

2. Sprinkle with choc-chips and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

3. Stir and enjoy.

Happy eating! :)

Chocolate cheesecake recipe

Greetings one and all! I have not posted for quite a while as I have been working on a research project. However, I now find myself with a couple of hours free and so I thought I'd make up for my absence by posting an amazing chocolate cheesecake recipe slightly adapted from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's fabulous and never-fail cookbook - The Joy of Vegan Baking.

Makes one 23cm cheesecake

For the filling
Egg replacer made up to the equivalent of 4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 cup vegan 'milk' chocolate chips (I use Sweet William brand)
690g soy cream cheese (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the base
1 cup crushed vegan cookies (I use Ogran Outback Animals Chocolate Biscuits which I get from Coles/Woolworths and use a food processor to crumble them)
1/4 cup Nuttelex, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and lightly oil a springform cake tin.

2. In a bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and melted Nuttelex until will blended. Firmly press mixture into the bottom of the cake tin. Set aside.

3. Using a food processor, whip the egg replacer and the water together until it's thick and creamy. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and egg replacer mixture until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Melt the chocolate chips either in the microwave or using a bain-marie. Add melted chocolate and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture and blend thoroughly.

6. Pour mixture into the springform tin with prepared crust and bake for 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Transfer to a serving plate, cover with cling-wrap, and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, though preferably overnight.

7. Eat, and eat, and eat that absolutely delicious cake!

Happy eating! :)

Chocolate Breakfast Milk Recipe

Now in my opinion, anything that starts with 'Chocolate Breakfast' is already a winner. Sometimes I find that I don't have time to make AND eat breakfast though, or sometimes I'm just not that hungry. That's why I love smoothies, because even when you're in a rush or not feeling very hungry, you still need to eat something for breakfast. Lately my life has been a bit hectic and I've come up with this breakfast milk recipe, it's quick, easy, and surprisingly filling.

300ml soy milk
1 1/2 tbsp rolled oats
1 tbsp cocoa powder

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and pulse for a couple of minutes until smooth and combined. Drink immediately.

Variation: try adding half a banana and/or a scoop of chia seeds for a thicker more smoothie-like drink.

Happy drinking! :)

Lentil stew recipe

I like a nice stew on a wintry evening. This one is hearty, warming, nutritious, and has been a favourite of mine since I was a child.

Serves: 4-6

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, diced
4 carrots, sliced
4 sticks celery, diced
2 zucchini, sliced
1 punnet mushrooms, quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
400g tin diced tomatoes
120g tin tomato paste
6-7 cups water
1 1/2 cups brown lentils
2-3 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and zucchini and saute for 10 minutes.

2. Add remaining ingredients to the pot, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour. Check the stew halfway through cooking, stir, and add more water if necessary.

Happy eating! :)

Perfect pancakes recipe

One of life's great joys is making a batch of pancakes for breakfast on the weekend, I mean, when else is it socially acceptable to have a dessert for breakfast? This is my favourite pancake recipe, veganised from Eat Well, Stay Strong: a nunga cookbook for healthy living. It works every time and has very little sugar - though you wouldn't know it! I like them topped with strawberry jam, cinnamon and sugar, lemon and sugar or, of course, the classic maple syrup.

Makes: 2 large or 4 smaller pancakes

1 cup self raising flour (sometimes I use half white self raising and half wholemeal self raising and then tell myself that they are healthy pancakes)
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup soy milk
Egg replacer made up to the equivalent of 2 eggs (I use Orgran brand)
Vegetable oil
Nuttelex

1. In a bowl mix together the four and sugar.

2. Make a well in the centre, and then add milk and egg replacer. Whisk until batter is smooth.

3. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add a small knob of Nuttelex. When the fat is hot, spoon batter into the frying pan (I find it best to use a soup ladle).

4. Cook until bubbles form on the top (a pancake ready to flip looks a lot like a crumpet) and then flip and cook the on other side.

Happy eating! :)

Creamy vegetable pasta recipe

This creamy vegetable pasta has become a new favourite in our house. The only downside is it uses 3 saucepans, however, on the plus side it's delicious and flexible - you can use whatever vegetables you have handy.

Serves 4

Enough cooked pasta for 4 people - spirals or penne works well

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 capsicum, finely sliced

1 zucchini, finely sliced

1/2 broccoli, cut into small florets

125g tin corn

1 cup water

1 tbsp Nuttelex

375ml soy milk

1 1/2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

1-2 tsp chili flakes (depending on your preference)

Salt to taste

1. While boiling the water for the pasta, heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and fry onion, garlic, capsicum, zucchini, and broccoli for 5 minutes.

2. Add water, stir and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring twice, until the onion is soft and the water is gone. Remove from heat and keep covered.

3. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt Nuttelex, then add cornflour and mix until a paste is formed.

4. While stirring, add the soy milk and stir until flour paste is combined. Then add nutritional yeast, chili flakes, and salt.

5. Increase heat, stirring continually, until sauce begins to boil. At this point, it should thicken considerably. Remove from heat.

6. Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Pour sauce over vegetables and mix until thoroughly coated. Pour vegetable and sauce mixture over pasta and mix until combined. Serve.

Happy eating! :)

Chocolate, prune and bran muffins recipe

Having trouble getting little ones to eat food that's good for them? Or maybe it's your own mouth you're wanting to trick. Either way, these chocolate muffins are yummy AND good for you! Perfect for lunch or a snack.

Makes 12

1 1/2 cups self raising flour
1 1/2 cups wheat bran (not flakes or pellets, just regular bran)
1 tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
1 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups water
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp soy milk
1 cup prunes

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and grease a 12 hole muffin tray with a little vegetable oil.

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, bran, cocoa, bi-carb, and sugar until thoroughly combined.

3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add the vegetable oil, vinegar, soy milk, and 1 1/2 cups of the water. Mix until just combined.

4. In a food processor, process the prunes and the remaining 1/2 cup of water until smooth. Add to the bowl and fold in.

5. Spoon mixture into muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, but with a few crumbs still clinging to it.

6. Leave to cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on an airing rack.

Happy eating! :)

Overnight oats recipe

I love making overnight oats for breakfast because they are so satisfying and yet require so little effort. Just mix it all together before you go to bed, and the work is all done while you sleep, excellent. This recipe is a veganised version of one in Beverly LeBlanc's excellent cookbook, The Student Vegetarian Cookbook.

Serves 1

30-40g rolled oats
Soy milk
Salt

1. Measure the oats out into a bowl. Add a pinch of salt, then at least enough milk to cover the oats (experiment over a few days to find out what kind of texture you prefer).

2. Mix thoroughly, cover, and leave in the fridge overnight.

3. Remove from fridge, and stir in whatever toppings you want. I have used a variety of fresh and dried fruit, agave syrup, and my favourite additives: brown sugar and cinnamon, as shown below.

Happy eating! :)