LAST UPDATED: 17 November 2017
When our very first cookbook — Taste for Life — rocketed onto the bestselling charts in its first week of release, the record sales proved that Aussies are hungry for plant based food!
And it's not all kale and wheatgrass shots ;)
Instead, imagine sinking your teeth into a sage and onion rissole, or a crunchy potato rosti with avocado. How does beer-battered tofish sound? Or a nourishing soup? A zesty risotto? Perhaps a golden, flaky pie is more your thing — or a fresh and fragrant red curry stir-fry?
You'll find them all in Taste for Life, our celebration of good health and good food! And we're floored by how many people are celebrating right along with us:
My cookbook arrived this week and today I made the double-potato, mushroom and lentil pot pies. OMG they're freakin' amazing! Best pie I've tasted in my life.Lauren B.
Special mention must also go to the cauliflower buffalo 'wings', spicy tacos, creamy stroganoff and cheesy eggplant bake, that have captured hearts (and stomachs). But don't just take our word for it —
Today I took the opportunity to try two more recipes from the new cookbook. Both were a BIG hit! My only one single complaint about the cauliflower wings recipe is that it doesn't insist on making triple! We could have eaten them all night :DNatasha C.
I absolutely love Taste for Life, I have made the goulash and the stroganoff, both very delicious and the blueberry and macadamia cheesecake which was scrummy. I am about to order more copies for presents.Judy R.
My final verdict on Taste for Life's Caramel Slice is two thumbs up. The biscuit base is the perfect degree of crumbly and cuts through the rich sweetness of the gooey, decadent caramel.Bianca F.
While some people are choosing to eat more plant based foods like these for their health or environmental concerns, others are doing it for the animals, but — whatever the reason — we reckon there's one thing we can all agree on:
Pancakes, pie, and potato salad.
Okay, that's three things — but how are you meant to choose between so much deliciousness? ;)
You can find all these recipes (and more) in Taste for Life — let us know what you make first!
A plant based feast
Bought your book and just enjoyed the tacos on page 99. Honestly so delicious. My husband (sceptical) was blown away and has just finished the bowl! Now to try it on the kids when they next visit :)Wendy C.
You too can gather your friends and family and put on a lavish spread with creamy Caesar salad with herb-roasted chickpeas, protein-packed walnut and mushroom tacos with cashew sour cream and zesty guacamole, and a luscious (and healthy!) blueberry cheesecake.
You may find it hard to believe that meals that taste so good can actually be good for you as well. But that's the incredible power of plants! So tie on your apron, pour a drink, and let's get started —
CAESAR SALAD WITH HERB-ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Crunchy and fresh with a flavour-packed creamy dressing, this salad will make you excited about eating your greens! The secret ingredient in the dressing is aquafaba — a fancy name for the liquid from a tin of chickpeas that works as an egg-white replacer and can be used to make ice-cream, meringues, mayonnaise and even chocolate mousse. Here, this versatile ingredient is whipped to add a mayonnaise-like creaminess to the Caesar dressing.
Caesar salad recipe »
Serves 4
1 cos lettuce
1 bunch kale, stems removed
1 small Lebanese cucumber
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
Herb-roasted chickpeas
400 g tin chickpeas, liquid reserved
1½ tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder or granules
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper,
or to taste
Caesar dressing
½ cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked
for at least 10 minutes in boiling
water, or overnight in cold water
1 ½ tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons tamari or soy sauce (gluten-free, if needed)
1—2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons capers, drained
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 teaspoons cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons mild-flavoured olive
oil or canola oil
Preheat the oven to 175°C conventional, or 155°C fan-forced.
To prepare the chickpeas, drain the tin of chickpeas, reserving the liquid for the salad dressing. Toss the chickpeas in a mixing bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, dried herbs and spices. Pour into a large glass baking dish and roast for 25—35 minutes, or until the chickpeas are crunchy, stirring every 7—8 minutes so they colour evenly. Remove from the oven
and leave to cool.
Near serving time, place all the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, in a blender. Add cup water and blend on high until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the blender. Blend for about 1 minute, until all the ingredients are incorporated and the dressing is smooth and creamy. Taste test and add more salt and pepper as desired.
Wash all the vegetables and dry them thoroughly. (Salad dressing won't stick to wet vegies and will pool at the bottom of your bowl instead of coating them evenly.) Chop the lettuce and kale into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Slice the cucumber into rounds, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add to the salad bowl.
Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad and gently toss until all the vegetables are well coated. Top with the roasted chickpeas and watch this delicious salad disappear.
SPICY LENTIL AND WALNUT TACOS
This healthy variation on the traditional mince taco boasts an incredible texture thanks to the surprising binding quality of ground walnuts. Great as a fresh summer treat and packed full of vegie goodness, it's a surprisingly low-fuss and high-protein win! For a lighter lunch option, use cos lettuce leaves instead of taco shells.
Spicy lentil and walnut tacos recipe »
Serves 4
500 g button mushrooms
½ cup walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1—2 sachets taco seasoning
400 g tin lentils, rinsed and drained
8 taco shells
1 cup Guacamole (recipe below)
1 cup Cashew sour cream (recipe below)
3 cups finely shredded iceberg lettuce
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 cup finely sliced red capsicum
1 cup grated dairy-free cheese
½ cup chopped coriander, for garnishing
Finely chop the mushrooms into tiny cubes, and use a food processor to grind the walnuts into a coarse powder. Set aside.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Fry the onion, garlic and chilli flakes for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and aromatic. Add the chopped mushrooms and fry for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Stir in the taco seasoning and ½ cup water and simmer for 30 seconds.
Stir the lentils into the mushroom mixture, along with the ground walnuts. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
Meanwhile, heat the taco shells according to the packet instructions.
Place all the taco toppings in separate bowls, including the hot lentil and walnut filling, and the hot taco shells. Serve straight away, inviting diners to fill their own tacos however they choose.
GUACAMOLE
The zing in this classic guacamole comes straight from a jar of jalapeño chillies. Adding a little of the jalapeño pickling juice gives this guacamole a rich, authentic Mexican flavour, but you can use lime or lemon juice instead if you prefer. You can also add a finely chopped tomato and/or some finely chopped fresh coriander at the end.
Guacamole recipe »
2 large ripe avocados
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon jalapeño pickling juice (from a jar of jalapeño chillies)
4 large red onion, very finely chopped
Pickled jalapeño chillies, finely chopped, to garnish (optional)
1 tomato, cut into small dice
A few sprigs of fresh coriander, chopped
Cut the avocados in half, remove the stones and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients, except the chopped jalapeños, and mash together, leaving some bits of avocado chunky if you like some texture in your guacamole.
Alternatively, scoop the avocado into a food processor and add the olive oil, garlic, salt and jalapeño pickling juice. Pulse if you like your guacamole chunky, or blend if you like it smooth, adding the onion towards the end and pulsing just enough to mix it in.
Garnish with the jalapeño chillies, if desired. Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes and coriander, if using, then serve immediately.
CASHEW SOUR CREAM
Silkily cool, rich and refreshing with a citrus tang, this cashew sour cream is perfect for dolloping on burritos, tacos, nachos, veggie chili or goulash. Try mixing it with some chopped spring onion and fresh herbs (chives or dill are great) and serving with baked potatoes.
Sour cream recipe »
2 cups raw cashews
juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1—2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional, but recommended)
Soak the cashews in water overnight. If you're short on time, place the cashews in a heatproof bowl, pour in enough boiling water to just cover them, then leave to soak for 1 hour, or a bit longer if you can — the end result won't be as silky smooth, but will still be creamier than using unsoaked cashews.
Drain the cashews and place in a blender. Add 3/4- to 1 cup water and the remaining ingredients, then blitz until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Check the seasoning, before scraping into a bowl, covering and chilling until required. The sour cream should keep for at least 5 days in the fridge in an air-tight container.
RAW BLUEBERRY AND MACADAMIA CHEESECAKE
No oven? No worries! This decadent dessert is a deceptively easy win for those who
aren’t usually gifted in the baking department. Vibrantly hued blueberries create
two distinctive colour layers, for a knockout presentation and flavour.
Raw blueberry and macadamia cheesecake recipe »
Makes about 10 slices
2 cups raw macadamias
1/2 cup maple syrup
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
fresh blueberries or raspberries, to garnish (optional)
Nutty coconut base
1 & 1/2 cups raw walnuts or almonds
5 dates, pitted
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Soak the macadamias in water for at least 2 hours, or
preferably overnight.
Grease a 20 cm spring-form cake tin with coconut oil.
Put all the coconut base ingredients in a food processor and grind together until the mixture resembles a sticky crumble. Press the mixture firmly into the cake tin and set aside.
Drain the macadamia nuts and place in a high-speed blender
with the maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut oil and vanilla. Blend to a thick, creamy consistency, then pour half the macadamia mixture into the cake tin.
Add the blueberries to the remaining mixture in the blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is a vibrant purple colour and the blueberries have dissolved. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, smoothing and levelling the top with a spatula.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Decorate with extra blueberries or raspberries, if desired. Cut into slices to serve.
This cheesecake will keep for a few days in the fridge.
TIP: Most berries work well in the cheesecake filling. Try strawberries or raspberries for a more subtle pink colour.
Hungry for more?
Well, we've got good news! Because you can find 110+ delicious plant-based recipes and meal ideas in our cookbook, Taste for Life — order your own copy today and get ready to cook up a storm:
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