Winter has arrived. Those frosty crisp mornings are evident from the mist on the car windows and the shuddering whilst you wait for the car to heat up.

You can be guaranteed that the sniffles are out and about in the office and people around you are getting sick. The first thing we want to do is go for the big heavy hearty meals. Whilst I love these I think it is so important to not forget that your green leafy veggies are so important during the cold season. They are full of nutrients and minerals required to fight off the winter sniffles.

Greens are the perfect match for the vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and minerals your body requires. Now is the time to ensure your greens consumption is topped up. Make a point to include them in your menu this season. Think green smoothies big green leafy salads with warm roasted veggies add lots of greens to your stir fries.

I love this salad at the best of times but in winter it’s just so yummy. Warm lightly steamed veggies and chickpeas make it all come together for a satisfying meal

What you need

Baby spinach
Lebanese cucumber chopped
Green beans
Sugar snap peas, snow peas or peas
1 large avocado
Broccoli
Toasted sesame seeds
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper

What you do

Lay spinach, cucumber,avocado and chickpeas in a bowl. Lightly steam broccoli, peas and green beans for a few mins don’t over cook you still want them crisp and bright green. Add to bowl and add oil balsamic and lemon juice to your taste season with salt and pepper. Top with toasted seeds and serve.

Enjoy

With Compassion

Brett

In just a few short weeks it will be 2 years since I made the swap to a compassionate, vegan, plant based lifestyle, and I have to say it really has been the most profound decision i have ever made in my life!

I can Remember the day and date so vividly in my mind after seeing what I saw there was no turning back. My lifestyle reflects my truth and my values, a decision not made for me at all but a decision made purely to save the lives and bring awareness to animal welfare and cruelty. In saying this I have actually been rewarded with so much in return.

Everyone’s transition into a vegan lifestyle is different, mine I have to say has been quite simple. I was not vegan one day then i was vegan the next. I have found creating new recipes really exciting, mind you I have made many mistakes and a few dishes have gone into the bin, But with those failures I have also created some amazing dishes and had great successes.

I have always loved cooking and can remember from such a young age being in the kitchen making pancakes to surprise mum in bed. I still cook up a storm when at my parents and love sharing these same familiar foods bus with compassionate changes. And yes pancakes still feature heavily in our lives.

I have never read so much in my life! blog after blog, Food site glorious food site after another I have even read a few books. I have read up and been told what foods should be avoided and what to ramp up in my diet. Once you become Vegan its almost a natural progression to transition to more whole foods and even the raw food movement. Im smack in the middle of a raw food cleanse as much as I do feel raw food is important for the diet a 100% raw diet is not for me as I just adore cooking to much and means so much to me. For me it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Variety is the key and can even include the naughty treats but its important to balance it all out.

For a while i was almost becoming obsessed with being the perfect, most healthy, optimum and pure vegan there can be, I have now come to the conclusion that life needs to be lived, food is the centre of our existence, It’s a social experience and brings people together, this should be celebrated! Being vegan is not about being perfect at all its about living life without cruelty and Living on a plant based diet is full of Abundance and it just keeps getting better everyday. My focus is still on being the best i can be and feasting on healthy, gorgeous nutritious food that will fuel my body with what it needs

Sure there are every possible sprout, lentil, superfood and greens that will benefit your life. But also there are incredible places to eat cheesecake, cupcakes, burgers even croissants. These obviously should not be the main meal in our diet but we all deserve pleasures in life and I certainly will be one to partake in eating them, but I will follow up with a big green salad or even a juice or smoothie. I will even throw the odd fasting day in there just to keep it all balanced. You literally can have your cake and eat it just find the balance.

It is so amazing how many vegan cafe’s have popped up and how many shops selling vegan lines of products have burst into fruition. Heck we even have a vegan butcher opening in a neighbouring suburb selling all kinds of gorgeousness. Who would have thought?

Speaking of cake. Even my gorgeous mum made a vegan choc fudge cake for me this weekend Amazing!

Kale! It hardly existed 2 years ago and I remember the very first time I actually found it. I nearly squealed in the shop. Mind you the first time I tasted it I hated it. Glad to update that it is now a staple in our home as is is just a fantastic food to include in your diet in an array of ways! Soup, salad, smoothies and of course kale chips (Yum) I even add it to my dogs food.

I have met so many amazing, creative and inspiring people! People from all over the country and the world in fact and Some that have become great friends. I will admit I have also met a few crazies along the way but hey life offers all sorts right?

I am the happiest I have even been, I am at a much more healthy and natural weight now at 33 years old then what I was at 16 (and i tried every fad and at times unhealthy diets) and it has been so easy to achieve and it’s all through food and eating it. I feel energetic, I feel connected with myself, I have immense clarity more than I ever have. I am finally so comfortable in my skin, it’s like wearing a warm blanket everyday

I created this blog to inspire people, to show others how yummy food can be without any animal based ingredients and void of any cruelty and I hope that I intend to do this.

With Compassion

Brett xx

I love my juices and smoothies and mix them up. One of my favourites is green juice it really is so pure and make you feel alive. You can almost feel it working its mediocre and spreading the nutrients all through your body.

There are so many green juice recipes out the and tho one is one that I love to make.

I highly recommend cold pressed juice but if you don’t have one just Get juicing and drink up xx

What you need

2 Green apples
2 Leaves of kale removed from stem
2 Ribs of celery
1 Lebanese cucumber
4 -5 leaves of cos lettuce
1/4 lemon (skin on )

What you do

I use a cold pressed juicer so i Chop all ingredients inc leaves For better processing.

Start with your green leafy first them add harder fruits and veggies. Serve over ice and enjoy the green goodness.

With Compassion

Brett xx

After a gorgeous long walk this morning with the puppies I felt like a big breakfast. I decided to try making hack browns so off I went. These were so yummy and crispy not to mention easy.

What you need

3 small potatoes grated.
(I used my Spirooli then chopped into smaller pieces)
1 Tbs ground flaxseed
4 Tbs SR flour
6 Tbs Soy milk
Salt & Pepper to taste

What you do

Mix up all ingredients except potato until thick. Add potato and set aside

Heat a pan with oil until hot. Add tablespoons to hot oil and cook until golden and crispy. Flip and cook until golden. Remove onto paper towel to drain and sprinkle with salt. YUM

Serve with Baked Beans

We love baked beans in our house. They are pretty simple and quick not to mention nutritious to set you up for a great day ahead.

What you need

1 tin Canallini Beans rinsed and drained *
1 Tin Kidney Beans *
1 red onion sliced thin
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 x Tins chopped tomato
1 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Red wine vinegar
Good handful of chopped Parsley

*I often mix it up and use chickpeas and black beans also

What you do
heat some oil in a pan, add onion & Gaelic and sauté until soft. Add beans, tomatoes and a bit of water and simmer until thick. Add sugar and vinegar and stir. Season with salt and pepper

Serve as is or along side some Hash Browns Avocado and mushrooms for a big breakkie mmmmm

I have always been a huge fan of corn fritters and would always have them for breakfast at a local cafe we used to go to almost every weekend.

However since going vegan I stopped going as they are just to tempting. But last weekend I thought enough was enough and I needed to make some myself.

My very good friend Nikki (blaney ) from Bed & Broccoli gave me a recipe that was a big winner!! I did alter slightly with a few additions

These are perfect. Crisp on the outside and just enough batter mixture to bind everything together but not to much. full of corn and YUMMY stuff topped with cashew sour cream and Tomato chutney.

Bring on the corn fritters this Easter long weekend I say

What you need

3 Fresh Corn cobs cooked and kernels removed
1/4 red capsicum chopped very fine
1 spring onion chopped very fine
1 cup almond or soy milk
6 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Oil to fry

Optional 1/2 Tsp smoked paprika

What you do

Mix milk, flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder and salt and whisk until thick. Add remaining ingredients stir and set aside.

Heat a a frypan over medium high heat and add some oil and heat. Drop heaped tbs of mixture into hot oil and cook until golden flip and cook until cooked through. Drain. On paper towel and serve with cashew sour cream and tomato chutney.

Cashew Sour cream

1 Cup raw cashews soaked for 2-3 hours
1 tbs Apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/4 cup water

Soak cashews as above and drain water. Add cashew with remaining ingredients into blender and blend until very smooth. I do use a vita mix

Adjust with more juice or vinegar to your taste. Store and use within 3 days

Enjoy

With Compassion

Brett

Hot cross buns, hot cross buns. One a penny, two a penny. HOT CROSS BUNS!!!

I love love love these babies always have. And whilst I was going to buy some today I thought I would try my hand at making some instead. I decided to do chocolate as my partner hates dried fruit. Personally I prefer fruit ones.

I did use white spelt flour as it was all I had on hand. The dough it’s self was firm and didn’t need to much needing. And I would imagine white flour would result in a softer dough.

I did have the oven a tad to high but still they were fluffy inside just a tad more dense from the spelt.

Yum yum yum. These were so yum and I loved I cooked them myself instead of buying.

Find the recipe here thanks to veggieful

Try them out for yourself. I think I’ll do a white flour with fruit tomorrow. Mmmmm

Tip: I warmed the milk for 20 secs in the microwave
With Compassion

Brett

xx

I caught up with some friends last week and over lunch and one of us got talking about how she was making vegan mayo, afterwards it got me thinking about different things then I remember a tuna salad spread that I used to make whilst I did not have any mayo I decided to use hummus

Voila a very close representation here that was sensational for an afternoon snack. Well meal maybe as I had three pieces.

This old also make a great dip with crackers.

Next time I will try out some mayo

What you need

1 can chickpeas rinsed well
Handful of Spring onions or red onion chopped very fine
1 stick celery chopped very fine
Handful of walnuts chopped
2 tbs Hummus or mayo
1/4 Tsp curry powder
Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper

What you do

Place chickpeas into bowl and mash but not to much you still want it a bit chunky, add all remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust to your liking. Serve on toasted sourdough with sliced avocado

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I just wanted to share one of our favourite juices. Packed full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It’s a real pick me up you can feel the goodness flow through your body.

I use a cold pressed juicer for maximum nutrition

What you need

2 Carrots
2 Green Apples
1 Medium Beetroot

What you do

Juice and serve. Or pour into a sealed container and refrigerate

Note: central frugal juice needs to e consumed ASAP

Enjoy

With Compassion

Brett

I had the pleasure last night of hosting a raw cooking demo with the wonderful, divine, sexy Carin from Galas Kitchen what I love about meeting others in the vegan community is how much you learn from Them Carin is very inspiring and I love the simplicity and taste sensations she always creates.

I never thought I would but I am starting to have a real interest in raw foods. Below is the recipe that Carin shared with us all last night that was well received. I decided to whip these up tonight and yum yum yummy. Fresh, simple and sexy. I can imagine having people over, a large wooden board with all the ingredients in the middle of the table and everyone wrapping and munching.

What you need

Savoury cashew cheese:
1 cup cashew nuts soaked in water overnight
¼-1/2 cup ricemilk depends on the desired consistency
Salt to taste
1 tsp paprika
Freshly cracked pepper
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Optional: a pinch of cayenne pepper

Fillings

1 Head of Cos Lettuce
1 carrot cut into thin strips
1 purple carrot cut into thin strips
1 cucumber cut into thin strips
1 ripe avocado sliced
Alfalfa sprouts
Roasted pumpkin seeds

What you do

To make the cheese. Add all ingredients in a blender. I use a vita mix to combine until smooth add more milk to thin to desired consistency.

Remove leaves from lettuce wash and slice in half to remove bottom half and hard stem

Layer with filling ingredients top with a dollop or two of cashew cheese and a sprinkling of roasted pumpkin seeds. Roll up and eat.

Enjoy

With Compassion
Brett