Category Archives: Recipes

What do you do when your vegan 6 year old asks for a “real” birthday cake? This recipe creates a deliciously, moist birthday cake which defies even the most non-vegan members of the party to say they are eating anything other than “birthday cake.”

Here’s how to do it:

#1 – Get the ingredients together. You will need:

2 ½ cups flour (sifted)
2 ½ cups sugar
1/3 cup pure 100% natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups water
½ ounce baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

#2 – Preheat oven to 350F.

#3 – In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda.

#4 – Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and water. Mix all ingredients together well. You can also use an electric mixer for a minute or two.

#5 – Pour into a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch pan and bake in the preheated oven 45 minutes to one hour – or until you insert a knife or toothpick into the cake and it comes out clean. Tip: When checking if the cake is ready open the oven door very slowly to avoid the cake “plopping” and loosing height.

#6 – Turn to wire rack until fully cooled and enjoyed.

Serve and enjoy as is or if you prefer make a luscious icing using soya butter and cocoa power. Place 1 cup of softened soya butter and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer for a few minutes until light and fluffy and spread on cooled cake. Enjoy!

Popsicles are an all-time favorite summer treat for kids of all ages. For health-conscious moms they’re also a great way to get kids to eat (or slurp!) their five a day. And although popsicles usually tend to be fruit flavored you can actually make some fantastic tasting veggie varieties.

Here’s how:

Carrot, sweet potato and apple popsicles

#1 – Place the sweet potato (with skin on) in a pot of boiling water and boil for 15 to 20 minutes (or until tender).

#2 – Remove sweet potato from water and run under cold water to cool. Remove the skin and place sweet potato in bowl. Set aside.

#3 – Peel the carrot and apple and chop into little pieces. Boil for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and add carrot and apple pieces to sweet potato. Reserve the liquid from carrot and apple boil.

#4 – Place all the ingredients plus half a cup of reserved liquid into food processor and whiz until smooth. If the mixture is not sweet enough then add a tablespoon of honey to sweeten to taste.

#5 – Pour the liquid veggie and fruit into popsicle moulds and freeze. Enjoy!

Other great veggie popsicle combinations:

Carrot, squash and coconut

Carrot, sweet potato and orange

Carrot, zucchini and coconut

Mushroom risotto is delicious and earthy tasting. It’s the ideal meal for a cool autumn day or a breezy summer day – really it doesn’t matter when you eat it, this dish is sure to be loved by anyone who loves rustic textures and earthy tasting food.

Here’s how to make it:

#1 – Coat the rice – Add a generous dashing of olive oil to a large non-stick soup pot. Then add the measured risotto rice. About one ¼ cup of uncooked risotto per person is the usual. Over medium heat constantly turn the rice until completely coated with the olive oil (it will look slightly glossy). Remove the pot from heat and set aside.

#2 – Add the mushrooms – Cut a variety of mushrooms roughly. You can use Shiitake, Oyster, Portabello, Porcini or just about any type that you like will do. Adding a few dried mushrooms will intensify the flavors in the dish.

Now add these to the oiled rice and stir along with the rice over medium heat for a few minutes.

#3 – Add the stock – Make a vegetable stock by using organic vegetable stock or make your own by simply boiling a variety of vegetables for several hours. You will need approximately one cup of stock per ¼ cup of uncooked risotto.

Once you have the measured amount of stock ready add to the pot containing the risotto and mushrooms and turn the head to low.

#4 – Constantly stir – The trick to a good risotto is to constantly stir it. You’ll need to set aside 20 to 30 minutes to make this dish and remember to stir every few minutes. Keep the rice moving and keep stirring for a creamy light risotto.

#5 – Add more stock – Have a reserve of stock ready as the risotto will absorb it very quickly. Add a ladle full of stock each time the risotto seems to be drying up – keep it moist at all times while cooking.

#6 – Season and garnish – Once the risotto is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (it should be moist and creamy), remove from the heat and set aside. Season your mushroom risotto to taste using salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and shavings of parmesan cheese.

This is a truly irresistible dish that stands well simply on its own. Serve with a chilled white wine and for variation replace the parsley with basil. You can also serve with oven roasted cherry tomatoes.