Aussie Day Barbeque! Carrot Sausages :)

Hi there friends!

In case you hadn't realised, or in fact, live in another country, yesterday- the 26th of January- marked the founding of the colony of New South Wales in 1788... in other words; AUSTRALIA DAY!

 And if there is one guaranteed tradition on Australia day... it is the great Aussie barbie! (Barbecue, for all you out of the Aussie slang loop ;)

Ok, I'll stop bombarding you with random pics of strangers celebrating Aus day and instead get onto the topic of this post.

BARBECUES!

See, as a vegetarian, I have found some really great veggie sausages over my years, whether they be made with soy, beans, mushrooms, rice, lentils- whatever the case may be I've had some good ones. However, there comes a time when a girl simply craves something as close to nature as possible. And no, I'm not talking about meat. Because when one does not eat meat, one substitutes in something else...

Yep, you guessed it- veggies!

But what would be the right shape and texture and general appealing-ness of a regular sausage??

Yes, my friends, I made carrot sausages... and they were delicious!

I first came across this genius idea from Clean Eating Veggie Girl's blog where she made carrot hotdogs by steaming some carrots, rubbing them in a marinade and then pan frying them.

So I decided to act upon that idea and transform it into my own carrot 'hot dog'.

Carrot Sausages

Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut on both ends to form the most sausage like shape
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a tray with baking paper
2.Heat some water in a deep fry pan until simmering
3. Place the carrots into the simmering water and boil for around 15 minutes until slightly tender
4. Meanwhile stir together the oil, garlic, onion flakes, paprika, vinegar until combined
5. Remove cots from water, pat dry with a tea towel and place on tray
6. Rub with oil mixture and place in the oven for 40 minutes or until golden and tender:

7. Leave to cool slightly and then transfer to plate/ bun and enjoy!!

This is what my Australia Day barbecue dinner turned out to look like:

Carrot sausages on a spelt bun with lettuce and salsa with some spinach, grilled eggplant and charred corn on the side- so tasty!

I also cannot describe the amazing aromas from these 'sausages' as they cooked and if I closed my eyes and bit into this hot dog I would have a hard time accepting them to be merely cooked carrots!

Next time you want a barbecue but not the heaviness of meat? Try one of these bad boys! Still full on flavour with all the goodness of a regular ol' carrot!!

Your turn:
Are you a fan of barbecues?
Favourite veg to barbecue with?
Ever tried carrot sausages?

That's it from me today folks, I hope you all have a brilliant day, take risks, show love and SMILE! Bye for now!! :D

Back!.. and reflections on food!

Hidy ho friendly faces!!!I'm baaaackk!

So, as assumed- sailing camp was awesome- I sailed, spent time in the sun, met a bunch of new people, created some life-long friends and in general simply had fun!

And food? (I suppose because this is a food blog, we should chat about this subject... and it's also a subject I utterly love to chat about!) The food was goooood! Whenever I go on Summer camps/ holidays/ travel places, I let go of any normalcy/ routines I've gotten myself crammed into and simply go with the flow. Of course I eat vegetarian but it's things like enjoying a big ol' sandwich with white bread and cheese, or lasagna with cream sauce, cheese, pasta or packaged ravioli and cream sauce/ packaged veggie patties and soy sausages etc.

Now, my body does indeedy function best on loads of veg, minimal dairy, not much white stuff (bread, pasta, rice etc.) but my body functions a heck of a lot better without stress and anxiety from worrying about what I'm eating!

I think it's great to force yourself out of your normal routine and just enjoy the company of others and the tastes of different foods you wouldn't normally eat because if you look at the big picture, it's just a short amount of time in your life that doesn't need to be spent stressing over eating different foods.

Not going to lie though, when I got home this was the first meal I had. And it was perfect:

A big bowl of veg!

Steamed pumpkin, potato, broccoli, brussels, mixed four beans and peas!

And then this was breakfast:

Finishing my week away with the brekky I ate (drank) on the morning I left! My super creamy dreamy green smoothie! (There was also some frozen zucchini thrown in there)

Sooo delicious!!

There was no possible way I could've gained weight on this camp (not that I was concerned about that though!) as we were always outside sailing, carrying boats, running around playing games and in all honesty I was craving all the foods we had- white baguette sandwiches, creamy lasagnas, big bowls of milky oats and I came home exactly the same! In fact I was probably more toned than when I left!

In conclusion- best week of my life, delicious foods, stress free times, happy days!

Good to be back!

What about you?
Do you/ did you love going on Summer camps?
Do you let go of your food rules when you travel, or try and pack/ plan all your meals?
Have you ever sailed before? It's quite fun!

I hope you all have a fantastic day and rest of your week, do something you love, be with those you love and make time for the important things in life! Bye for now friends!! :D

Bon Voyage... away on camp :)

Hi there friendly friends and happy Saturday to you all!!
As I mentioned a few spots ago I'm going camping all of this week so won't be very present on the blog world front, however I'll be back before you know it with ALL. THE. FOOD. For you guys when I get back!
In the meantime, here is a picture of my breakfast because I know you are all interested in what I have for breakfast ;).

 Blueberry cheesecake oats topped with crunchy PB (also spread on bottom of bowl for awesome surprise!)

 I mean, I'm sure there are mixed opinions on camp food, but generally I'm fairly pleased (vegetarian is done well... mainly coz there's just tons of veggies) so hopefully this week is no different!

 But this is my last 'Steph style' meal for a week, so I enjoyed it :)

Frozen blueberries, rolled oats, chia seeds, sliced banana, almond milk, water,0 greek yoghurt added in after cookin.

I hope you have an awesome week too! See you next week!! :D

WIAW #87 A busy, busy day!

Hello there friends! I hope veryone has been having a smashing week and I also hope you're ready to dive face first into a post FILLED with pics of food.

In particular- What I Ate Wednesday (and this time it is actually a day of eats from Wednesday!)

So, as always thanks to peas and Crayons for bringing this link-up to fruition and the other bloggers who give up their blog to host the link-up each and every week!

Now, enough talk, onto the FOOOD!

Breakfast: 7:45am
Wednesday started off with a lovely 30+ minute run (I don't generally time my runs) followed by a hangry Steph ready for brekky!!

 Enter super creamy dreamy green smoothie made with frozen banana, frozen mango, kale, greek yoghurt, frozen zucchini and water in the Vitamix :)

 With some lemon coconut truffles! NOM!

 Perfect post-run fuel to power me through the morning- and I needed it!

 Lunch: 12:20pm
After my run and  delicious breakfast I needed to head up to the shops to buy a costume for my school's swimming carnival (I'm in yellow house and am therefore going as a minion. So pumped!) and some items I needed to pick up for a sailing camp I'm going on in a few days (that's my little warning for my absence from Sunday through to Sunday!) Anywho, this girl went in on a mission and left with several bags and the feeling of accomplishment. Followed by the feeling of the hungry monster...

 Insert lunch= very, very happy Steph indeedy!

 This big guy was a warmed wholemeal wrap spread with hommus and topped with a Mexican flavoured bean mix (mixed four beans, lentils, eggplant, capsicum, mushrooms, tomato, onions and taco seasoning, sauteed with water until veggies cooked through, spinach and corn added at end) topped with perfectly ripe avocado and wrapped up into a heart warming delight!

 Filling, nutritious and oh so tasty!

 Perfect fuel to power me through the next part of my day- which I also needed!

Afternoon snack: 4:30pm
I had work at the Bakery from 1-7:30 and got to enjoy a little fruit break at around 4:30-ish:

Tupperware container of chopped fuji apple and red grapes :)

Dinner: 8:00pm
Closing is quite a workout (throwing stuff out, cleaning wires, heaving wires onto racks, sweeping, dust-panning, mopping floors, inputting wastage, sanitising all the benches... phew! I sure am wiped out after a close! Even though I don't feel particular hungry after closing- too tired!!- I know I need something to eat to replenish my depleted stores:

Enter quick, easy and delicious dinner! I roasted up some veg whilst making lunch and enjoyed the yumminess of cold roasted pumpkin, potato, sweet potato, parsnip and beetroot with some raw almond and walnuts on the side and a mug of ice cold soy milk. :) Happy days. And I could completely zone out and not have to think about anything whilst making and eating this dinner :)

Aaaand that's what I ate/ did on Wednesday! (Seeing as I basically crashed after that!)

What about you?
What are your go-to foods/ meals to power you through a busy/ energy consuming day?
Favourite cold-roasted vegetable?
If you were to dress up as something yellow, what would you be?

I hope you all have a lovely rest of your day, smile lots, be kind and as always; eat something delicious- I know I sure will!! Bye for now friendly friends! :D

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Quinoa Cheesey Bake!

Hello there friendly friends!

I thought I might mix it up a little this Wednesday and post an utterly delicious recipe instead of a full day of eats and I promise you will not be disappointed!

Behold: The Broccoli, Cauliflower and Qunioa Cheesey Bake:

Stacked full of veggies, plenty of protein and fibre from the wholegrain quinoa and cannelini beans, calcium from the cheese (whatever type you choose to use; vegan or otherwise) essential B vitamins from nutritonal yeast, and all the yummy flavours that onion, garlic and mustard bring to the table!

If you're a fan of the traditional cauliflower cheese or other cheesey bakes, I highly recommend giving this one a go as not only does it taste super decadent, you can feel good about eating it too knowing that you're fueling your body with all the best ingredients!

Need more convincing? Of course you don't, you were sold on 'cheesey bake'!

Healthier Broccoli, Cauliflower and Quinoa Cheesey Bake

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons diced onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon wholegrain mustard seeds

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 cup chopped broccoli

3/4 cup cooked quinoa (cook as to packet directions)

1/2 cup canned cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (or beans of choice- red kidney, butter beans, garbanzo, chickpeas etc.)

2 tablespoons canned lentils, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast mixed with 1/2 cup water

Handful of spinach

Sprinkling of cheese (either traditional grated cheese, light grated cheese, vegan cheese, lactose free cheese etc.)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Place the onion and garlic in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat and saute for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the mustard seeds and about 1/3 cup water to de-glaze the pan before adding in the broccoli and cauliflower:

2. Cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the veggies are tender (continually adding water to prevent sticking and creating steam- trying to keep it fairly dry throughout though; we don't want a soup!)

3. Add the spinach and cook for a further minute before adding in the beans, lentils and quinoa:

4. Transfer mix to a deep baking tray/ tin, stir through nutritional yeast mixture, a little of the grated cheese and then top with remaining cheese:

 5. Place in the oven and bake for a furhter 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top:

6. Leave to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to bowl and enjoy!

Warm, gooey, flavourful and delicious- this is comfort food at it's finest!

Your turn:

Are you a fan of Cauliflower cheese? I hated it as a kid and now I love it!? Typical!

Cauliflower or broccoli? Or both? Cauliflower used to be on my list of veggies I don't like but in recent times I've learned to love the overlooked veg :)

Favourite type of grated cheese?

I hope you all have a splendid Wednesday, do something you enjoy doing, try and spend time with those you love- show them how special they are to you, and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS (probably this tray bake :) ) Bye for now friendly friends!! :D

 

Recently- The Food Front- Rawesome!!

Okidokie, I have definitely noticed I go through phases like there's no tomorrow!

So you know how I was loving on eating my smoothie bowls separated for a while there..
 

 Well apparently now my body wants a proper smoothie bowl... but with raw granola (ie. not oven baked) so:

 I whipped up a delightful smoothie of 1 frozen banana, a large handful of frozen honeydew chunks, a handful of frozen zucchini chunks, a handful of spinach, a handful of kale, 3 big spoons of greek yoghurt and some water to get it all moving!!

And topped it all off with a mix of uncooked cashew butter granola and uncooked peanut butter granola. Steps as follows:
Place a tablespoon of each nut butter into two separate small bowls, place a tablespoon of almond milk in each, microwave for around 20 seconds, add to one of two bowls, each with 1/3 cup oats, sprinkle chia seeds, small handful of no-added-sugar wholegrain cheerios (or other cereal/ crunchy thing you like) and stir to combine!

 Then simply top your smoothie (which has been chilling in the freezer whilst making the granola) with the soft, fudgey raw granola and ENJOY!

 P.S. Adding honeydew to smoothies is a good idea!!

 Very good indeed!

 But when you don't have time to whip up such an extravagant brekky?
Say, you are scheduled in to start work at 6:00am, so are up at 5:00am but still need a little first breakfast to keep you sane?

1 frozen banana:

 + greek yoghurt:

 = Quick easy and delicious!!

And then when break time rolls round- second breakfast!!!

 Yep, I made my raw freezer frudge brownie again (I really don't like cooking things do I?)

To make this delicious bad bowl, simply place 3/4 cup oats, sprinkle chia seeds, 1 scoop of choc protein powder, 1 teaspoon raw cacao powder, dash of cinnamon, 2 dates, 1 heaped tablespoon peanut butter (or any nut butter) 1/3 cup almond milk (add more if required) to a food processor and process to combine (until thick and sticky)- transfer into a small container lined with baking paper, cover and freeze for a few hours or overnight!

 He may not look like the prettiest brownie, but boy, this guy tastes so gooood! Think of the fudgiest, richest, chocolatiest brownie you've ever tasted and I reckon this guy would give it a run for it's money. And it's good for you too! Bonus!!

Brownies for breakfast? Yes, please!

 The take-away from today's post? Steph's current new phase is raw foods. Or that healthy foods can-and do- taste amazing!

You can take your pick ;)

What about you?
What's your favourite frozen fruit to add to smoothies?
Ever tried uncooked granola? Are you a fan?
Ever had brownies for breakfast? The healthy or... less healthy kind?

I hope you all have a fabulous Monday in whatever it is you are doing (I'm heading out to breakfast!!) be brave, take risks and smillleee :) Bye for now friendly freinds!! :D

P.S> Don't forget to eat something delicious!! Thought I had forgotten didn't you? ;P