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	<title>The Messy Vegetarian Cook &#187; Vegan MoFo</title>
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		<title>Pumpkin and Halloween MoFo Roundup</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/30/pumpkin-and-halloween-mofo-roundup/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/30/pumpkin-and-halloween-mofo-roundup/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:57:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipe Roundups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=849</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In yesterday&#8217;s post I chose the path of rant, bellowing the pumpkin travesties of the world, ending with a recipe<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/30/pumpkin-and-halloween-mofo-roundup/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In yesterday&#8217;s post I chose the path of rant, bellowing the pumpkin travesties of the world, ending with a recipe for my pumpkin and okara ravioli. Today, with this week&#8217;s round-up, I choose to embrace the talent of others in their own pumpkin based kitchen endeavours.</p>
<h2>Soup&#8217;s On (and a salad too)</h2>
<p>Who doesn&#8217;t love a winter warmer on a cool day, even if it&#8217;s technically autumn (“autumn warmer” just doesn&#8217;t have the same ring, sorry)? Soup is a year-round favourite of mine, a meal in itself which encourages any amateur cook to improvise with what&#8217;s currently in season. And in case you didn&#8217;t know, pumpkins are all the rage right now.</p>
<p>Speaking of warmth, a bit of chili is always welcome in that department and <a href="http://www.eatrundoyoga.com/blog">Eat.Run.Do Yoga</a> combines that with our beloved pumpkin in this recipe for <a rel="”nofollow”" href="”http://www.eatrundoyoga.com/blog/vegan-thai-pumpkin-soup/”"> Thai pumpkin soup</a>. Pumpkin milk and pumpkin and/or squash are complementary, so I can only imagine this being a delicious fall treat! And shallots are in season, to boot!</p>
<p>Add an extra &#8216;l&#8217; to chili and we&#8217;re left with a recipe offered by <a href="http://makemethod.vox.com">Method</a>, where Ashley&#8217;s provided an easy guideline for <a href="http://makemethod.vox.com/library/post/pumpkin-chili.html">pumpkin chilli</a>. So now I face a dilemma: do I make chilli with pumpkin or this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/3030628582/">Rustic Tomato Pumpkin Bisque</a> first? I&#8217;m a real sucker for a good tomato soup&#8230; but then again chilli&#8217;s an old school favourite. Life is hard.</p>
<p>If soup isn&#8217;t your cup of tea (people have insisted on calling stranger things &#8216;tea&#8217;) but you still crave smooth and liquidy goodness, then try this <a href="http://www.eatrundoyoga.com/blog/vegan-pumpkin-pie-smoothie/">pumpkin pie smoothie</a> on for size. I say that literally because I often chose, being the fashion expert that I am, to share that which is going into my mouth with any clothing I might be wearing at the time.</p>
<p>Oh, pssst, you should always eat salad with soup. Why? Because then you have an excuse to try this scrumptious <a href="http://happyveganface.blogspot.com/2009/10/easy-awesome-autumn-salad.html">autumn salad</a> which uses pumpkin seeds and butternut squash. If you don&#8217;t have any butternut squash on hand, sub with pumpkin and you&#8217;ll be all set to go!</p>
<h2>Spooktacular Sugar Coma</h2>
<p>These <a href="http://www.thegluttonousvegan.com/2009/10/pumpkiningeradamia-cupcakes-with-cream.html">Pumpkiningeradamia cupcakes</a> are not only fun to pronounce (or try to pronounce); they sound good too! At any rate, how could anything involving candied ginger be bad? I&#8217;m also quite drawn to this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/4006898472/">tofu ricotta pumpkin cheesecake</a>, a veganised version of a ricotta based dish. I love the idea of using light miso in a dessert! Q: why didn&#8217;t I think of that? A: because someone&#8217;s who&#8217;s a little more clever beat you to the punch. BOOYAH.</p>
<p>Janet, a 40-year vegetarian turned long term vegan, provides a recipe for delicious looking <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/2986260454/">pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls</a>. Cinnamon and pumpkin marry so well, and who doesn&#8217;t love the gooey sweetness that&#8217;s a cinnamon bun?</p>
<h2>Halloween Treats</h2>
<p><div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/3978182105/in/photostream/"><img class=" " title="Zombie Eyeball Crispies" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3428/3978182085_c4a0b7749d.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="329" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Zombie Eyeball Crispies (photo by Janet Hudson)</p></div></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/3978182105/in/set-72157607069197275/">Zombie Eyeball Crispies. </a>I haven&#8217;t had a rice krispy styled treat in many, many years, but as soon as I get my hands on some vegan marshmallows I&#8217;m going to have a go!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.manifestvegan.com/2009/10/rolled-sugar-cookie-eyeballs/">Rolled Sugar Cookie Eyeballs</a>. Allyson, of <a href="http://www.manifestvegan.com/">Manifest Vegan</a>, never ceases to impress with her high contrast photographs. The thing is, I suspect everything&#8217;s just as good as the photos imply, these totally cute cookies included.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.theurbanhousewife.com/?p=11">Homemade Candy Corn</a>: an old favourite, only veganised!</p>
<p><a href="http://vegintraing.blogspot.com/2009/10/vegan-mofo-day-27-iron-chef-pumpkin-and.html">Pumpkin Pie Infused Vodka</a>. The verdict is still out on this one, but what a concept! I&#8217;m excited to hear about how the end result tastes.</p>
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		<title>Pumpkin and Okara Ravioli</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/29/pumpkin-and-okara-ravioli/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/29/pumpkin-and-okara-ravioli/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:34:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[okara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pasta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=839</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m an autumn moper. There, I said it. This is the time of year where I have to face the<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/29/pumpkin-and-okara-ravioli/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img title="Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/4053604744_372bd0fbc2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;m an autumn moper. There, I said it. This is the time of year where I have to face the fact that it&#8217;s getting too dark too quickly. It&#8217;s the time of year where I have to come to terms with the fact that my feet will be frozen for the next six or seven months. But then I suddenly look up and face a mindboggling array of various squash and pumpkin -esque shapes, and remind myself that there are some positives about this time of year, too.</p>
<p>Pumpkin, or &#8220;punkin&#8221; as my mother so adorably calls it, is a delicious vegetable which is overshadowed by pre-processing and all too often goes to waste. As an American I only ever knew pumpkin to be one of two things: something edible out of a can or something carved for Halloween. How tragic is that? My recollection of pumpkin was either from a factory or a vision of perfectly good food gone to waste (!!!), so I&#8217;ve been making an effort over the past couple of years to, you know, actually cook with the real live vegetable. Since it&#8217;s food and all.</p>
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
<p>If you&#8217;ve never cooked with pumpkin before, this is it. Seriously, <em>this is it</em>. It&#8217;s one of the most delicious things I&#8217;ve had in a long while, and I&#8217;m so happy there were enough left to freeze for one or two more meals.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t listen to anyone who tried to tell you that making your own pumpkin purée is difficult or &#8220;not worth it.&#8221; Dude, really, all you do is cut the thing into a few wedges and stick it in the oven. You don&#8217;t even need to purée it properly for this recipe (a light mashing will do). Anyone who tells you this process is hard is either a canned pumpkin lobbyist or a terrorist, clearly.</p>
<p>I suspect not many people make their own soymilk and tofu, and I&#8217;ve never really seen it marketed widely in food retail, so I know okara seems an inconvenient ingredient. If you can&#8217;t get ahold of it, don&#8217;t worry. I use okara because it&#8217;s coming out my ears and because I like the slightly grainy texture (reminiscent of store-bought ricotta), but you should be able to use a crumbled extra firm tofu with no problem.</p>
<p>I used a small amount of vegan mozzarella cheese in this recipe, but if you don&#8217;t have that on hand then feel free to use a basic cheddar substitute or simply omit the ingredient altogether. The ravioli will survive and you&#8217;ll still enjoy your dinner.</p>
<p>The sauce, if you could call it that, I used was a simple <strong>hazelnut and garlic mix in vegan butter and extra virgin olive oil</strong>. You could also try lightly <strong>frying some whole sage leaves in garlic and oil/non-dairy butter</strong> also. I would advise against a sauce which is too heavy with flavour because the flavour of the ravioli is so good on its own. Try not to top it with anything too overpowering.</p>
<div id="recipe-container">
<h2 class="recipe-title">Vegan Pumpkin and Okara Ravioli</h2>
<div id="servings">Makes 50-55 Raviolis</div>
<ul id="navlist">
<li><span id="ingredients">Ingredients</span>
<ul id="subnavlist">
<li>3 cups (375g) pasta flour</li>
<li>1 tsp salt</li>
<li>3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>Up to 1 cup (240ml) of water</li>
<li>350g (approx 1.5 cups) pumpkin puree (steamed or roasted)</li>
<li>100g (1 cup) okara</li>
<li>10g (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast</li>
<li>35-40g (1/4 cup) vegan mozzarella</li>
<li>2-3 tbsp freshly chopped sage</li>
<li>2-3 cloves minced garlic</li>
<li>2 tbsp lemon juice (approx half of a lemon)</li>
<li>1 tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li>1/2 tsp tahini</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id="instructions">
<li><span id="method">Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>To make your pumpkin puree, get the oven going at 200 C (400 F). Slice a small to medium sized pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in half again. Halve the halfs again if your pumpkin is, like, 8 feet wide. Stick on a tray and roast for half an hour or so, or until the flesh is soft. Remove and allow to cool before peeling the skin away from the flesh with a spoon (it will come away very easily).</li>
<li>To prepare your pasta dough mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix in the flour until there are no large chunks of flour-oil mass left. Add the water slowly, mixing with the flour until you achieve a smooth dough. You&#8217;re better off with a drier dough than a floppy lump of of moisture, so take it easy with the water flow. You can use either a dough mixer or your hands, whichever you prefer. Ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed and set the dough aside in a covered bowl for at least 15 minutes, or while you prepare the ravioli stuffing.</li>
<li>Throw all the other ingredients in a bowl with the pumpkin and mash it up. Tricky, I know.</li>
<li>If you&#8217;re using a pasta maker, follow the instructions as per its instruction manual (yes, I sometimes read them). If you haven&#8217;t yet invested in a pasta maker, what&#8217;s wrong with you? Sike. Get out the rolling pin and get busy. Break the dough into 4 or 5 chunks and roll each out to approx 1-2mm in thickness. To do this, you&#8217;ll have to keep a bowl of flour on hand to continually dust both your surface and the sheet of pasta with which you&#8217;re currently working.</li>
<li>To make the actual ravioli, place a line of about 1/2 tbsp filling about an inch from the edge along one rectangular sheet of dough, leaving 1.5-2 inches between each. Brush around the edges with water and fold the other half over the top. Press and seal around the edges. Using a pastry cutter, cut around the edges to make individual raviolis.</li>
<li>Collect any remaining dough, roll out and follow the steps again. Repeat until no dough is left.</li>
<li>Cook the pasta for just a few minutes in boiling water. Don&#8217;t overcook!</li>
<li>If this is a pain in your arse, stuff some shells instead. Or go buy a pasta maker, or one of those clever ravioli gadgets or something.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><div class='flickr-mini-gallery ' lang="_s&" rel="user_id=90044828@N00&tags=pumpkin-and-okara-ravioli&min_upload_date=&max_upload_date=&min_taken_date=&max_taken_date=&license=&sort=&bbox=&accuracy=&safe_search=&content_type=&machine_tags=&group_id=&lat=&lon=&radius_units=&per_page=30&extras=" longdesc='photosearch'></div></p>
<div id="_mcePaste" style="overflow: hidden; position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px;">&lt;img title=&#8221;Vegan Pumpkin Ravioli&#8221; src=&#8221;http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2729/4053604744_372bd0fbc2.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;" width=&#8221;500&#8243; height=&#8221;333&#8243; /&gt;</p>
<p>I&#8217;m an autumn moper. There, I said it. This is the time of year where I have to face the fact that it&#8217;s getting too dark too quickly. It&#8217;s the time of year where I have to come to terms with the fact that my feet will be frozen for the next six or seven months. But then I suddenly look up and face a mindboggling array of various squash and pumpkin -esque shapes, and remind myself that there are some positives about this time of year, too.</p>
<p>Pumpkin, or &#8220;punkin&#8221; as my mother so adorably calls it, is a delicious vegetable which is overshadowed by pre-processing and all too often goes to waste. As an American I only ever knew pumpkin to be one of two things: something edible out of a can or something carved for Halloween. How tragic is that? My recollection of pumpkin was either from a factory or a vision of perfectly good food gone to waste (!!!), so I&#8217;ve been making an effort over the past couple of years to, you know, actually cook with the real live vegetable. Since it&#8217;s food and all.<br />
&lt;h2&gt;Recipe Notes&lt;/h2&gt;<br />
If you&#8217;ve never cooked with pumpkin before, this is it. Seriously, &lt;em&gt;this is it&lt;/em&gt;. It&#8217;s one of the most delicious things I&#8217;ve had in a long while, and I&#8217;m so happy there were enough left to freeze for one or two more meals.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t listen to anyone who tried to tell you that making your own pumpkin purée is difficult or &#8220;not worth it.&#8221; Dude, really, all you do is cut the thing into a few wedges and stick it in the oven. You don&#8217;t even need to purée it properly for this recipe (a light mashing will do). Anyone who tells you this process is hard is either a canned pumpkin lobbyist or a terrorist, clearly.</p>
<p>I suspect not many people make their own soymilk and tofu, and I&#8217;ve never really seen it marketed widely in food retail, so I know okara seems an inconvenient ingredient. If you can&#8217;t get ahold of it, don&#8217;t worry. I use okara because it&#8217;s coming out my ears and because I like the slightly grainy texture (reminiscent of store-bought ricotta), but you should be able to use an extra firm tofu with no problem.</p>
<p>I used a small amount of vegan mozzarella cheese in this recipe, but if you don&#8217;t have that on hand then feel free to use a basic cheddar substitute or simply omit the ingredient altogether. The ravioli will survive and you&#8217;ll still enjoy your dinner.</p>
<p>The sauce, if you could call it that, I used was a simple hazelnut and garlic mix in vegan butter and extra virgin olive oil. You could also try lightly frying some whole sage leaves in garlic and oil/butter also. I would advise against a sauce which is too heavy with flavour because the flavour of the ravioli is so good on its own. Try not to top it with anything too overpowering.</p>
<p>&lt;div id=&#8221;recipe-container&#8221;&gt;<br />
&lt;h2 class=&#8221;recipe-title&#8221;&gt;Vegan Pumpkin and Okara Ravioli&lt;/h2&gt;<br />
&lt;div id=&#8221;servings&#8221;&gt;Makes 50-55 Raviolis&lt;/div&gt;</p>
<p>&lt;ul id=&#8221;navlist&#8221;&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span id=&#8221;ingredients&#8221;&gt;Ingredients&lt;/span&gt;<br />
&lt;ul id=&#8221;subnavlist&#8221;&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;3 cups (375g) pasta flour&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;1 tsp salt&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;Up to 1 cup (240ml) of water&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;350g (approx 1.5 cups) pumpkin puree (steamed or roasted)&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;100g (1 cup) okara&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;10g (1/4 cup) nutritional yeast&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;35-40g (1/4 cup) vegan mozzarella&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;2-3 tbsp freshly chopped sage&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;2-3 cloves minced garlic&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;2 tbsp lemon juice (approx half of a lemon)&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;1 tbsp tomato paste&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;1/2 tsp tahini&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;1/2 tsp salt&lt;/li&gt;</p>
<p>&lt;/ul&gt;<br />
&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;/ul&gt;<br />
&lt;ul id=&#8221;instructions&#8221;&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span id=&#8221;method&#8221;&gt;Directions/Method&lt;/span&gt;<br />
&lt;ol&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;To make your pumpkin puree, get the oven going at 200 C (400 F). Slice a small to medium sized pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in half again. Halve the halfs again if your pumpkin is, like, 8 feet wide. Stick on a tray and roast for half an hour or so, or until the flesh is soft. Remove and allow to cool before peeling the skin away from the flesh with a spoon (it will come away very easily).&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;To prepare your pasta dough mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix in the flour until there are no large chunks of flour-oil mass left. Add the water slowly, mixing with the flour until you achieve a smooth dough. You&#8217;re better off with a drier dough than a floppy lump of of moisture, so take it easy with the water flow. You can use either a dough mixer or your hands, whichever you prefer. Ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed and set the dough aside in a covered bowl for at least 15 minutes, or while you prepare the ravioli stuffing.&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;Throw all the other ingredients in a bowl with the pumpkin and mash it up. Tricky, I know.&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;If you&#8217;re using a pasta maker, follow the instructions as per its instruction manual (yes, I sometimes read them). If you haven&#8217;t yet invested in a pasta maker, what&#8217;s wrong with you? Sike. Get out the rolling pin and get busy. Break the dough into 4 or 5 chunks and roll each out to approx 1-2mm in thickness. To do this, you&#8217;ll have to keep a bowl of flour on hand to continually dust both your surface and the sheet of pasta with which you&#8217;re currently working.&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;To make the actual ravioli, place a line of about 1/2 tbsp filling about an inch from the edge along one rectangular sheet of dough, leaving 1.5-2 inches between each. Brush around the edges with water and fold the other half over the top. Press and seal around the edges. Using a pastry cutter, cut around the edges to make individual raviolis.&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;Collect any remaining dough, roll out and follow the steps again. Repeat until no dough is left.&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;Cook the pasta for just a few minutes in boiling water. Don&#8217;t overcook!&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;li&gt;If this is a pain in your arse, stuff some shells instead. Or go buy a pasta maker, or one of those clever ravioli gadgets or something.&lt;/li&gt;</p>
<p>&lt;/ol&gt;<br />
&lt;/li&gt;<br />
&lt;/ul&gt;<br />
&lt;/div&gt;</p>
<p><div class='flickr-mini-gallery ' lang="_s&" rel="user_id=90044828@N00&tags=pumpkin-and-okara-ravioli&min_upload_date=&max_upload_date=&min_taken_date=&max_taken_date=&license=&sort=&bbox=&accuracy=&safe_search=&content_type=&machine_tags=&group_id=&lat=&lon=&radius_units=&per_page=30&extras=" longdesc='photosearch'></div></p></div>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Kippy&#8217;s Not-So-Secret Vegan Chili Recipe</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/26/kippys-not-so-secret-vegan-chili-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/26/kippys-not-so-secret-vegan-chili-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:55:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bell pepper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tomato]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=821</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Chili is just one of those foods which is, you know, well it&#8217;s just one of those foods. It&#8217;s always<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/26/kippys-not-so-secret-vegan-chili-recipe/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img title="Vegan Chili" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/4046567372_f07469cf49.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>Chili is just one of those foods which is, you know, well  it&#8217;s just one of those foods. It&#8217;s always there, in the back of my mind, waiting for the weather to change or for leftovers to need using. It&#8217;s a meal I don&#8217;t exactly crave, yet it needs to be had on a somewhat regular basis during the cooler months. Everyone has their own recipe and no one (save my mother in law) is opposed to a steaming bowl of chili. It&#8217;s delicious fresh and only gets better over time.</p>
<p>So it&#8217;s my turn to share my own version, my own secret ingredients to make the perfect chili to soothe you on those cold winter nights.</p>
<p>It helps that it&#8217;s also ridiculously easy to make.</p>
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
<p>Regarding my use of espresso and chocolate, note that the measurements are vague.  You could add up to a tablespoon of espresso and up to the same of cocoa, though I would advise not getting too liberal. Also know that when I say espresso I mean a finely ground dark roast coffee, so anything from a Turkish to espresso grind will be appropriate.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re using fresh tomatoes, something I rarely use in chili because tomatoes aren&#8217;t in season during the months in which I enjoy this dish, you could might get away with omitting the sugar.</p>
<p>Chili is a dish which, no matter who&#8217;s cooking it, how many times they&#8217;ve made it, and how confident a cook they are, should be tasted constantly throughout the cooking process. This opinion stems from more than an excuse to snack before dinner hits the table; a good chili holds a bold and robust flavour and a pinch of chili or a dash more salt can make or break a good turn out. That&#8217;s what I think anyway. Experiment until you find your own perfect spice blend!</p>
<div id="recipe-container">
<h2 class="recipe-title">Kippy&#8217;s Not-So-Secret Vegan Chili</h2>
<div id="servings">Serves two hungry people</div>
<ul id="navlist">
<li><span id="ingredients">Ingredients</span>
<ul id="subnavlist">
<li>1 tbsp oil</li>
<li>1/2 cup dried butter beans</li>
<li>1/2 cup dried kidney beans</li>
<li>1 onion, diced</li>
<li>2 bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces</li>
<li>4 cloves garlic, crushed</li>
<li>1/2 tbsp ground espresso</li>
<li>1/2 tbsp cocoa powder</li>
<li>2 tbsp chili powder</li>
<li>1 tsp dried oregano</li>
<li>1/2 tsp cumin</li>
<li>1/2 tsp ground coriander</li>
<li>1 tbsp red wine vinegar</li>
<li>400g tinned tomato</li>
<li>1 cup veggie stock</li>
<li>1 tbsp tomato paste</li>
<li>1 tsp sugar</li>
<li>1/2 cup vegan mince</li>
<li>1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar</li>
<li>Salt, to taste</li>
<li>Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id="instructions">
<li><span id="method">Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>First cook your beans, which you&#8217;ll have soaked overnight. My preference is a pressure cooker because it&#8217;s quick and easy, so I combine both varieties of bean and cook under pressure for 25 minutes. You will need a lot longer if boiling.</li>
<li>In a small bowl make the spice mix by combining the espresso, cocoa, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and coriander.</li>
<li>Heat the oil to a medium heat in a heavy bottom saucepan or skillet with high sides. Add both the onion and the diced peppers to the oil and fry for around 10 minutes (until soft and slightly browned) before adding the garlic and spice mix.</li>
<li>Cook for one or two minutes minutes and then add the red wine vinegar. Scrape the bottom and around the edges of the pan to get any bits which have stuck or burnt on (the bits which add flavour) and then throw in the tinned tomato, stock, and tomato paste. Stir to incorporate all ingredients.</li>
<li>Turn the heat down to low and toss in the vegan mince, beans, sugar, and salt (the amount will depend on the salt content of your stock and also personal preference). Cover and leave to simmer for at least an hour.</li>
<li>About 15 minutes before serving, remove the lid and stir in a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar.</li>
<li>Serve either on its own, with rice, and/or with a dollop of vegan yoghurt or sour cream on top.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
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		<title>German Black and White Cookies</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/23/german-black-and-white-cookies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/23/german-black-and-white-cookies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:30:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Baked Goods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[German]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sugar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=808</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The last time I visited my family in the U.S. my mother passed along an old German baking manual and<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/23/german-black-and-white-cookies/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone" title="German Black and White Cookies " src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2564/4035079574_01d1f9cdab.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>The last time I visited my family in the U.S. my mother passed along an old German baking manual and I recently got around to taking a look at its inspiring if somewhat dated recipes. A German book printed in the early 1970s at a guess, there&#8217;s no such thing as a vegan recipe in its contents. It&#8217;s a good thing veganising <em>most</em> (imagine me sighing in memory of macarons) cookies is pretty straightforward!</p>
<p>When I bake cookies, I have all sorts of good intentions. I tell myself things like &#8220;just have 2 or 3 a day and they will last&#8221; or &#8220;maybe if you only make a dozen you&#8217;ll be more likely to savour them so they last until the weekend.&#8221; Sometimes I even tell myself I should save some for my hard-working husband.</p>
<p>I generally eat all the cookies by myself, quickly. Paul, if he&#8217;s lucky, might manage to scavenge a couple.</p>
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
<p>Raise your hand if you&#8217;ve already thought, &#8220;but wait a minutes! Those aren&#8217;t black and white cookies!&#8221; What you might traditionally think of as black and white cookies are coated with split black and white fondant frosting, apparently quite a favourite in New York. These cookies, however, resemble a shortbread with a mild cocoa rum twist.</p>
<p>I use a couple of teaspoons of rum in the recipe. Its impact on the overall flavour isn&#8217;t huge, but it does add a mellow extra something. If you don&#8217;t have any though, I don&#8217;t think the world will end if you leave it out.</p>
<p>Get creative with the dough! You&#8217;ve got two different colours on your hands, so twist and twirl it to your heart&#8217;s content and make some cool designs! The easiest is to make two small balls of dough and press together. Other options include mixing the dough together a bit so you get a swirled effect. You can also roll the dough into thin snakes for spiral effects.</p>
<p>German cookies tend to use far less sugar than American and British counterparts. This of course means they are less sweet, but it doesn&#8217;t mean they&#8217;re less good! Besides, it means it&#8217;s more acceptable that I eat virtually the entire batch by myself.</p>
<p>Right?</p>
<div id="recipe-container">
<h2 class="recipe-title">Vintage German Black and White Cookies</h2>
<ul id="navlist">
<li><span id="ingredients">Ingredients</span>
<ul id="subnavlist">
<li>250g (2 cups) flour</li>
<li>1 tbsp arrowroot</li>
<li>1 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>150g (3/4 cup) sugar</li>
<li>125g vegan margarine</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>2 tsp rum (optional)</li>
<li>2 tbsp soy milk</li>
<li>2 tbsp cocoa powder</li>
<li>1 tbsp sugar</li>
<li>1 tbsp soy milk</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id="instructions">
<li><span id="method">Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>Preheat the over to 180 degrees Celcius (350 Fahrenheit) and lightly grease two cookie sheets.</li>
<li>In a small bowl sift together the flour, arrowroot, and baking powder.</li>
<li>In a larger bowl, combine the margarine and sugar. Whisk (I use an electric beater) until creamy before adding the vanilla, rum, and 2 tbsp of soy milk.</li>
<li>Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until all ingredients are incorportaed into a semi-firm dough. Split this dough in half and add the cocoa and the extra tablespoons of sugar and soy milk to one half. Mix until all of the cocoa is combined into the dough.</li>
<li>If you want to make spiral swirls, roll a small piece of each colour dough into a thin snake (you may need some extra flour on your surface). Pinch the ends of the two snakes together and roll into a spiral, stopping when the cookie is an inch and a half (or thereabouts) wide. Cut the rest of the dough away and smooth the edges against the spiral. Place the cookies on the tray about two inches apart.</li>
<li>Bake for 15 minutes before removing and cooling on a rack.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><div class='flickr-mini-gallery ' lang="_s&" rel="user_id=90044828@N00&tags=german-black-and-white-cookies&min_upload_date=&max_upload_date=&min_taken_date=&max_taken_date=&license=&sort=&bbox=&accuracy=&safe_search=&content_type=&machine_tags=&group_id=&lat=&lon=&radius_units=&per_page=30&extras=" longdesc='photosearch'></div></p>
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		<title>Caramelised Onion Hummus</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/21/caramelised-onion-hummus/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/21/caramelised-onion-hummus/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Snacks and Sides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chickpeas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[garlic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[onion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=792</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like most other veggie lovers in this dear world, I am capable of consuming hummus at a rate to surpass<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/21/caramelised-onion-hummus/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2508/4032368838_f09597ab4e.jpg" alt="Caramelised Onion Hummus" /></p>
<p>Like most other veggie lovers in this dear world, I am capable of consuming hummus at a rate to surpass even your granny&#8217;s incessant tirades about kids today.</p>
<p>Okay, I know, I know. As if the four billion alternative preparations out there aren&#8217;t enough, this is just what the world needs: another hummus recipe. Variation upon variation of this chickpea paste exists, but this one contains delicious caramelised onion as an added ingredient. Make this by the truckload and share it with everyone you know; even the aforementioned grandma will be impressed.</p>
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
<p>The reason onions caramelise is because they contain some sugar. Perhaps this is a common sense fact, but for most people sugar isn&#8217;t what comes to mind when they think of an onion. Try to use onion with a fairly high sugar content, like sweet onions or vidalia, but the standard yellow variety works too. If you&#8217;re using a really strong onion, feel free to add a bit of sugar a few minutes into the cooking process in order to aid in caramelisation.</p>
<p><img title="Vegan Hummus with Caramelized Onions" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3490/4032367092_f37d7ec4a6.jpg" alt="" width="333" height="500" /></p>
<p>I always use dried chickpeas and soak them overnight, but that&#8217;s not to say you can&#8217;t cheat and use a can of &#8216;em. But if you&#8217;ve never followed the soaking method I suggest you try it because, in my opinion anyway, it produces a superior taste. It really doesn&#8217;t take much extra time (especially if you have a pressure cooker), and it&#8217;s also a lot cheaper than buying tins! If you&#8217;re using chickpeas from a can then you may not need to add any extra salt to the recipe (depending on whether the beans are in brine), so just be mindful of what&#8217;s in the tin.</p>
<div id="recipe-container">
<h2 class="recipe-title">Caramelised Onion Hummus</h2>
<div id="servings">Makes a boatload</div>
<ul id="navlist">
<li><span id="ingredients">Ingredients</span>
<ul id="subnavlist">
<li>2 medium sized onions, thinly sliced</li>
<li>3-4 tbsp olive oil</li>
<p>				<span>Hummus</span></p>
<li>450g (15oz) cooked chickpeas</li>
<li>2 tbsp tahini</li>
<li>6 tbsp lemon juice (about two lemons&#8217; worth)</li>
<li>3-4 cloves garlic</li>
<li>1/3 cup (75 ml) cup extra virgin olive oil</li>
<li>1/3 tsp salt (or to taste)</li>
<li>Extra liquid for consistency</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id="instructions">
<li><span id="method">Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>Heat the olive oil for the caramelised onions in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the onions. Toss to coat in oil. Stir fairly frequently, for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are evenly browned and lightly caramelised.</li>
<li>In a blender, combine all of the ingredients, including the caramelised onions. If you need extra liquid (I personally like a very smooth hummus) then you can add water, more oil, and/or cooking liquid from the chickpeas until you achieve your desired consistency.</li>
<li>Serve with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil on top, and throw on a pinch of paprika for awesome points.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>More Vegan Shirts</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/19/more-vegan-shirts/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/19/more-vegan-shirts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:43:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Products and Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=786</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Call it a cop out that I&#8217;m featuring more shirts instead of new recipes for this MoFo post. Go ahead.<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/19/more-vegan-shirts/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Call it a cop out that I&#8217;m featuring more shirts instead of new recipes for this MoFo post. Go ahead. Do it. I&#8217;m going to. That doesn&#8217;t change the fact that I&#8217;m still going to feature more vegan t-shirts rather than post a recipe.</p>
<p>So there.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s all fair and good to check the air miles on your organic roma tomatoes, but the animal industry is probably the worst food-related offender of the environment and the standards we all claim to want upheld. If you&#8217;re veggie for the environment, these shirts are for you!</p>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/love_the_planet_go_veg_tshirt-235436262064862812?gl=Veganista&amp;lifestyle=classic&amp;rf=238493591367682090"><img style="border:0;" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/love_the_planet_go_veg_tshirt-p235436262064862812fwru8_325.jpg" alt="Love the Planet Go Veg shirt" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/love_the_planet_go_veg_tshirt-235436262064862812?gl=Veganista&amp;lifestyle=classic&amp;rf=238493591367682090">Love the Planet Go Veg Shirts</a></div>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/love_the_planet_go_vegan_tshirt-235337181220639559?gl=Veganista&amp;lifestyle=classic&amp;rf=238493591367682090"><img style="border:0;" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/love_the_planet_go_vegan_tshirt-p2353371812206395592ds3y_325.jpg" alt="Love the Planet Go Vegan shirt" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/love_the_planet_go_vegan_tshirt-235337181220639559?gl=Veganista&amp;lifestyle=classic&amp;rf=238493591367682090">Love the Planet Go Vegan T-Shirt</a><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/veganista*"></a></div>
<p></p>
<div style="text-align: left; line-height: 150%;">I&#8217;m not as bold in my personal statements as I was ten years ago. Sure, ask me and I&#8217;ll tell you my dietary standards and personal beliefs, but I&#8217;m more prone to issue a statement which I see as an invitation to think rather than a harsh judgement. Healthy and kind is such a slogan, one to perhaps invite questions without coming across as angry and unapproachable. I&#8217;d rather invite all populations than preach to the converted, if that makes sense!</div>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/healthy_and_kind_tshirt-235862088312609295?gl=Veganista&amp;lifestyle=fashion&amp;rf=238493591367682090"><img style="border:0;" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/healthy_and_kind_tshirt-p235862088312609295295pl_325.jpg" alt="Healthy and Kind shirt" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/healthy_and_kind_tshirt-235862088312609295?gl=Veganista&amp;lifestyle=fashion&amp;rf=238493591367682090">Healthy and Kind T-Shirt</a></div>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Weekly Vegan Recipe Roundup</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/16/weekly-vegan-recipe-roundup/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/16/weekly-vegan-recipe-roundup/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:20:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipe Roundups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=768</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[From ice cream to creamy stuffed pasta, tofu to fantastic fusion foods, there have been some mighty fine entries these<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/16/weekly-vegan-recipe-roundup/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>From ice cream to creamy stuffed pasta, tofu to fantastic fusion foods, there have been some mighty fine entries these last weeks in the wonderful world of veganism! Below are some of my favourite recent finds.</p>
<p>Please keep in mind I haven&#8217;t personally tried all of these recipes, but they&#8217;re on my immediate to-do list (meaning ingredients will be purchase on my next shopping trip).</p>
<h2>Singled Out</h2>
<p>Ah.Mah.Gahd! Are these cupcakes fer realz?! These <a href="http://gonnagowalkthedogs.vox.com/library/post/cupcakes-are-the-latest-cure--all-since-chicken-soup.html">cardamom chocolate cupcakes with chocolate dipped pear</a> have totally caught my eye, and I would like them to insert themselves into my belly right this instant. Seriously, lady, you&#8217;re my hero. These are gorgeous and they look like an explosion of delicious. If you are ever in South East England, I beg of you to come bake cupcakes for me.</p>
<p><div class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 385px"><a href="http://gonnagowalkthedogs.vox.com/library/post/cupcakes-are-the-latest-cure--all-since-chicken-soup.html"><img title="Maple Glazed Cranberry Walnut Cookie Bars" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/3999199294_06cd585bfb.jpg" alt="Cardamom Chocolate Cupcake with Dipped Pear" width="375" height="500" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Cardamom Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Dipped Pear (photo by Janet Hudson)</p></div></p>
<h2>Vegan Pasta Roundup</h2>
<p>Who doesn&#8217;t love pasta? The whole world&#8217;s a fan, or so far as I can tell anyway, and there&#8217;s just no need to use dairy when there are hip and hot dishes like these.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://jenmccleary.com/2009/10/vegan-mofo-manicotti/">Vegan Manicotti</a>: not too tricky but very impressive. I&#8217;ve been craving this since I first saw it, and I can&#8217;t wait to get some of that vegan goodness in me tum!</li>
<li><a href="http://epicurvegan.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/comfort-food-broccoli-miso-sauce/">Broccoli Miso Pasta Sauce</a>: perfect if you&#8217;re craving some greens with your carbohydrates.</li>
<li><a href="http://newvegantable.com/2009/10/daiya-mac-n-cheese">Daiya Macaroni Cheese</a>: one of many delicious looking vegan macaroni cheese variations on a theme available on the ol&#8217; interwebs (gah, I am <em>dying</em> to try Daiya cheese. Just <em>dying</em>).</li>
</ul>
<h2>Snacks and Sweets</h2>
<ul>
<li><a title="Vegan Ice Cream" href="http://receptenmonique.blogspot.com/2009/08/lavender-chocolate-chip-ice-cream.html">Lavender Chocolate Chip Ice Cream</a>: not new, but seriously yumtastic. I&#8217;m secretly (as secret as public blog posts go) happy my husband doesn&#8217;t like lavender because it means the whole tub (what&#8217;s left of it) in the freezer is mine.</li>
<li><a title="Permanent Link to Peach-Strawberry Dessert Soup with Vanilla Tapioca Sauce" rel="bookmark" href="http://www.wokwildside.com/?p=159">Peach-Strawberry Dessert Soup with Vanilla Tapioca Sauce</a>: does this not look like heaven? My husband also hates tapioca, so I&#8217;m sensing another selfish dessert endeavour.</li>
<li><a title="Maple Glazed Cranberry Walnut Cookie Bars" href="http://www.manifestvegan.com/2009/10/maple-glazed-cranberry-walnut-cookie-bars/">Maple Glazed Cranberry Walnut Cookie Bars</a>: if the stunning picture is anything to go by then these cookies, once made, aren&#8217;t going to last long around here!</li>
</ul>
<h2>Soy Delights!</h2>
<ul>
<li><a title="Chickpea Tofu" href="http://greenadventures.tv/?p=197">Besan Tofu</a>: while not in fact bean curd (and not in fact a new post, but recently <a href="http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=105811">brought up again</a> on the<a href="http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/"> ppk forums</a>), who&#8217;d have thought of making a mock tofu out of chickpea flour?</li>
<li><a title="Crispy Tofu with Citrus Soy" href="http://steamykitchen.com/141-crispy-tofu-with-citrus-soy.html">Crispy Tofu with Citrus Soy</a>: also not a new recipe, but new to me, this delicious looking fried tofu can be veganised by omitting the egg (try corn flour and water instead).</li>
<li><a href="http://outoutdamnthought.blogspot.com/2009/10/vegan-okonomiyaki.html">Vegan Okonomiyaki</a>: this sounds so good it almost makes me want to cry.  These are savoury Japanese pancakes generally made with egg, but Ian&#8217;s managed to veganise the concept. I&#8217;m totally going to combine this with my current obsession with saurkraut.</li>
</ul>
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		<title>Time for Japanese Yubamaki</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/14/time-for-japanese-yubamaki/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/14/time-for-japanese-yubamaki/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:58:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Snacks and Sides]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[East Asian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[yuba]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=753</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Inspired by a cute little Japanese snackhouse in Brighton called Pompoko, the idea for these easy veggie treats are completely<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/14/time-for-japanese-yubamaki/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone" title="Vegan Yubamaki" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2440/3944301516_163e52857d.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>Inspired by a cute little Japanese snackhouse in Brighton called Pompoko, the idea for these easy veggie treats are completely down to a menu suggestion by <a href="http://veganinbrighton.blogspot.com">Vegan in Brighton</a>.</p>
<p>Maki doesn&#8217;t refer to a dish&#8217;s content but rather to the method of rolling, hence yubamaki is a yuba roll. Wait, but what&#8217;s a yuba!? While you may believe it sounds disctinctly like a Star Wars character, be relieved to know it&#8217;s nothing more than soya milk skin. Similar to the skin you find on top of boiled milk, yuba is the soya equivalent; it&#8217;s delicately removed from the top of hot soya milk and enjoyed in a variety of different dishes.</p>
<p>So yuba maki. Think spring rolls, only made with soy milk skin.</p>
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
<p>As an experiment, I used two different types of bean curd skin: fresh and dried. Both were delicious, but my suggestion is not to use the frozen variety unless you plan on serving these straight away. Both varieties are best if served immediately after coming out of the the oil, but those using the fresh skin re-heat better in the oven later (they tend remain very crisp without burning). Just for reference, the image at the beginning of the post uses the fresh and the image below uses the frozen variety.</p>
<p>This is less of a recipe than a suggestion. Only you know your favourite vegetables, so go crazy with your favourites. My choice was simple, and I recommend retaining that simplicity, with spring onions, carrots, and ginger as the base flavour. I also added some miso paste for more depth.</p>
<div id="recipe-container">
<h2 class="recipe-title">Vegan Japanese Yuba Maki</h2>
<div id="servings"></div>
<ul id="navlist">
<li><span id="ingredients">Ingredients</span>
<ul id="subnavlist">
<li>Several sheets of yuba</li>
<li>A small clump of cooked noodles (rice, soba, something thin)</li>
<li>1 julienned carrot</li>
<li>Spring onion, cut lengthways into 2 inch strips</li>
<li>Miso paste (light and dark)</li>
<li>Pickled ginger, slivered</li>
<li>Peanut oil to deep fry</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id="instructions">
<li><span id="method">Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>First prepare all of your filling ingredients. Julienne your vegetables and make sure your noodles are cooked. Keep the ingredients together on a plate or cutting board so you can easily put the rolls together.</li>
<li>Heat the oil to a medium-hot temperature. A wok with a tempura rack is an ideal vessel. Don&#8217;t heat the oil so hot as to let it smoke. If it begins to smoke, turn it down a notch.</li>
<li>You can make the rolls in multiple ways, either with triangular, circular, square, or rectangular sheets of yuba. Google up <a href="http://www.google.com/#hl=en&amp;source=hp&amp;q=how+to+roll+a+spring+roll&amp;btnG=Google+Search&amp;aq=f&amp;aqi=&amp;oq=how+to+roll+a+spring+roll&amp;fp=59681ffd38a8e39f">how to roll a spring roll</a> for methods (yes, I&#8217;m lazy, and there are so many tutorials already).</li>
<li>Spead a small amount of miso on the roll before adding a small handful (enough to cover just the palm of your hand) of vegetables, and roll &#8216;em up.</li>
<li>Using one (or a few- they stick) strands of noodle, carefully wrap around the maki. This doesn&#8217;t have to be perfect, and if you can&#8217;t knot it then that&#8217;s okay too. Once you plop them in the oil, everything will bind.</li>
<li>Deep fry for 2-3 minutes, or until just brown and crispy. Drain on a tempura rack or on paper towels and serve hot with soy sauce or your favourite Japanese style condiment.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><div class='flickr-mini-gallery ' lang="_s&" rel="user_id=90044828@N00&tags=time-for-japanese-yubamaki&min_upload_date=&max_upload_date=&min_taken_date=&max_taken_date=&license=&sort=&bbox=&accuracy=&safe_search=&content_type=&machine_tags=&group_id=&lat=&lon=&radius_units=&per_page=30&extras=" longdesc='photosearch'></div></p>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>Vegan Pizza Ideas</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/13/vegan-pizza-ideas/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/13/vegan-pizza-ideas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:25:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas and Suggestions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=742</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Variations: Vegan Pizzas are nothing to frown upon A lot of people tend to frown upon the concept of a<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/13/vegan-pizza-ideas/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone" title="Vegan Mushroom Onion and Courgette Pizza" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3943519953_d12cb3524f.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<h2>Variations: Vegan Pizzas are nothing to frown upon</h2>
<p>A lot of people tend to frown upon the concept of a pizza without real cheese, but remember <strong>the most important part of a pizza is never the topping</strong>. If you have a <strong>good crust and a good sauce</strong>, you can only move forward.</p>
<p>For a quality pizza make sure you&#8217;re using some <a href="http://www.strianeseconserve.com/site.asp?pagina=san-marzano-dop">seriously high quality tomatoes</a>. In fact, a marinara pizza with nothing more than a superb tomato base with some garlic and olive oil is a good place for any pizza fan to start.</p>
<p>Once you realise how amazing a pizza can be with so little on top, you&#8217;ll understand why it&#8217;s perfectly possible to have a delicious vegan pizza. Cheese is only one of 12,733,028 possible pizza toppings, so really it&#8217;s a bit limiting to insist on the same thing over and over. Try something new!</p>
<p><img class="alignnone" title="Vegan Courgette and Onion Pizza" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2602/3912249824_ee1e6c3086.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>The trick to any pizza, beyond the sauce, is to <strong>choose simple toppings</strong>. Avoid the heaps and heaps of veggies and instead opt for just two or 3. Try things you&#8217;d never consider on pizza. <strong>Courgette/zucchini</strong>, for instance, is a fantastic pizza topping. How about thinly sliced <strong>aubergine/eggplant with a few drops of liquid smoke</strong>? <strong>Corn and pepper</strong>? Why not? You could also try thinking way outside the box and try a <a title="mashed potato and sausage pizza" href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2008/09/02/an-alternative-pizza-vegan/">mashed potato and sausage pizza</a>.</p>
<p>I like to add vegan cheeses to pizzas, but again that&#8217;s not always necessary. If you&#8217;ve got that base right, the possibilities are endless, and suddenly the cheese (whether dairy or vegan) becomes a possibility rather than a necessity.</p>
<p>What are your favourite vegan pizza toppings?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Vegan White Pizza With a Beer Crust</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/12/vegan-white-pizza-with-a-beer-crust/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/12/vegan-white-pizza-with-a-beer-crust/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:24:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[garlic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[herbs and spices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan Cheese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=733</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Who doesn&#8217;t love pizza? Since adopting a more vegan-friendly lifestyle, I&#8217;ve been experimenting a lot with pizzas. Fairly straightforward and<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/12/vegan-white-pizza-with-a-beer-crust/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone" title="Vegan White Pizza" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/4004128017_8f5bcdbf8e.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>Who doesn&#8217;t love pizza? Since adopting a more vegan-friendly lifestyle, I&#8217;ve been experimenting a lot with pizzas. Fairly straightforward and 100% delicious, the standard tomato based pie is where we all start, but a childhood memory suddenly struck as I prepared to make yet another round of dough.</p>
<p>My best friend from my youth, Lynn, had a mother by whom I always felt incredibly spoiled when it came to food. She didn&#8217;t seem to have qualms about prices for meals and would take me to places I otherwise wouldn&#8217;t have thought to visit. One such meal was at a local bar/restaurant close to my US home, and that was when I was introduced to the concept of a white pizza. I just had to try to veganise it.</p>
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
<p>I got the idea of a beer based pizza crust from <a href="http://cuteanddelicious.com/2009/09/14/beer-crust-pizza/">Cute and Delicious</a>, only I used a modified version of a Linda Majzlik recipe instead. The beer adds quite a unique flavour to the dough and I&#8217;d highly recommend giving it a try, but feel free to use your own favourite pizza crust.</p>
<p>You&#8217;ll notice a slightly rotund crust in the above imagine. That&#8217;s because I had a go at a mushroom and cheddar Scheese stuffed crust. This is of course optional, but it&#8217;s fun to play around with!</p>
<p>This pizza may be vegan, but it&#8217;s seriously rich. I could barely finish 3 slices, and the same goes for my husband. I had to wait at least 7 minutes before eating the entire rest of the pizza.</p>
<div id="recipe-container">
<h2 class="recipe-title">Vegan White Pizza with a Beer Crust</h2>
<div id="servings">Makes one 12 inch pizza</div>
<ul class="navlist">
<li><span class="ingredients">Beer Dough Ingredients</span>
<ul class="subnavlist">
<li>225g strong white bread flour</li>
<li>10g fresh yeast or 1 tsp easy-blend yeast</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tbsp olive oil</li>
<li>125ml veg-friendly beer (room temperature, not cold)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="navlist">
<li><span class="ingredients">Olive Oil and Herb Base Ingredients</span>
<ul class="subnavlist">
<li>3-4 cloves crushed and diced garlic</li>
<li>1/4 cup lightly packed basil leaves, finely chopped</li>
<li>1 tsp dried oregano</li>
<li>3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="navlist">
<li><span class="ingredients">Creamy Pizza Topping Ingredients</span>
<ul class="subnavlist">
<li>1/4 cup ground cashew and almond</li>
<li>1/4 cup soya milk</li>
<li>1/4 cup nutritional yeast</li>
<li>1 tbsp lemon juice</li>
<li>1 clove garlic</li>
<li>1 tbsp light miso</li>
<li>1 tsp tahini</li>
<li>1 tsp umeboshi vinegar</li>
<li>1/4 tsp hot mustard powder</li>
<li>3/4 tsp corn flour</li>
<li>More vegan cheese to top (optional)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id="instructions">
<li><span id="method">Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>For the dough, mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and gradually add the beer until you have a soft dough. Turn out onto a solid surface and knead for 5-10 minutes. Ensure the bowl is scraped clean before coating with a bit of olive oil and returning the dough to rest inside. Cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise for about 1 hour.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to hot. Really hot. I turn mine all the way up to 250 C. If using a stone, place in the oven to heat (same applies for cast iron). I always put pizza trays in to preheat also.</li>
<li>In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the olive oil and herb base and set aside.</li>
<li>For the creamy cheese topping, simply mix all of the topping ingredients together. Use a blender, a pestle and mortar, or a good old fashioned spoon and bowl if you&#8217;d like. Your method of mixture will determine the texture of the sauce (so if you want a really smooth texture, blend it).</li>
<li>Once the dough has risen to a point just below doubled, knead it once more and roll out on a lightly floured surface to approx 12-14 inches (depending on whether you want a crust). Transfer to your pre-heated pizza baking implement and form crusts by rolling edges inward.</li>
<li>If using a cheap pizza tray, I suggest baking the crust for 1-2 minutes first in order to avoid a soggy bottom.</li>
<li>Spread the oil and herb base over the entire pizza before pouring the creamy sauce on top. If desired, top the pizza with some additional vegan cheese.</li>
<li>Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until crusts start to brown.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Chana Dal Okara Cutlets</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/11/chana-dal-cutlets/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/11/chana-dal-cutlets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Mains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flour]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[okara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vital wheat gluten]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=721</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I once battled meal worms and moths in my kitchen for well over a year. In the end I threw<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/11/chana-dal-cutlets/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone" title="Chana Dal Cutlets" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/3936532601_7c9926e875.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333" /></p>
<p>I once battled meal worms and moths in my kitchen for well over a year. In the end I threw away many grocery bags full of food, much as I hated to do so. My cupboards, from that point on, became storage receptacles for storage receptacles. Tupperware-style containers were the solution, and any remaining foods with eggs were contained in air tight plastic, making it easy for me to eliminate any further pests without them contaminating more food stuffs.</p>
<p>The point I&#8217;m getting at is I have a lot of plastic tubs. A whole lot. So many, in fact, that there&#8217;s just not room. This means that when a certain grain is running low, I try to use it up in order to make space for another which is waiting for its new sealed home. I discovered the chana dal in the way back of the stack, and decided it was time to make space for some Israeli couscous, so this recipe was hence born. So <a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/02/its-a-celebration-mofo/">as promised</a>, here&#8217;s a recipe for chana dal cutlets!</p>
<h2>Recipe Notes</h2>
<p>Burgers versus cutlets? I intended this recipe to be for cutlets, but as an experiment I tried burgers as well. My preference is still for the latter, but that&#8217;s just me. The cutlets are good served with a nice rice dish, like a veggie biryani or pilau.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t use hot broth and don&#8217;t over knead the dough. Both of these things will change the texture of the dough, specifically interacting with the gluten to create a more stringy and chewy texture. Of course if you want it to be chewier then knead for longer, but the hot water will make the dough tough from the start.</p>
<p><!--The okara I use is from soy milk made with my Soy Quick soy milk maker (you'll note a few whole soy beans visible in the pictures- that's okay though); it's fairly wet so if you buy a dried version then you may need to add some extra soy milk for additional moisture in the mix. If you don't have access to okara, alternatives may be blended tofu or another type of mashed bean. I haven't experimented with other options though, so don't take my word for it! --></p>
<p>By the way, a pressure cooker is great for dals!</p>
<div id="recipe-container">
<h2 class="recipe-title">Chana Dal Cutlets</h2>
<div id="servings">Makes 6 burgers or 10-12 cutlets</div>
<ul id="navlist">
<li><span id="ingredients">Ingredients</span>
<ul id="subnavlist">
<li>1/2 cups chana dal, soaked overnight in water (about 1.5 C or 120g cooked)</li>
<li>2 cups (475 ml) vegetable broth (luke warm)</li>
<li>2/3 cup (60g) <a title="how to dry okara" href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2010/02/08/how-to-dry-okara/">dried okara</a></li>
<li>1 cup vital wheat gluten</li>
<li>1/4 cup chickpea (gram) flour</li>
<li>1 tsp ground coriander</li>
<li>1 tsp ground cumin</li>
<li>1 tsp chili powder</li>
<li>1/4 tsp turmeric</li>
<li>1/8 tsp asafoetida</li>
<li>salt, to taste</li>
<li>Plenty of oil to fry</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<ul id="instructions">
<li><span id="method">Directions/Method</span>
<ol>
<li>Mix all ingredients together but the oil, which serves only the purpose of frying these suckers up. Don&#8217;t over knead the dough, aiming to mix and knead only to incorporate ingredients evenly.</li>
<li>Depending on whether you want to make burgers or cutlets (my preference), divide the dough accordingly. You&#8217;ll want to make about 6 balls of dough for burgers and 10-12 for cutlets. Some bits of the dough may fall apart, but don&#8217;t worry too much about losing the odd dal.</li>
<li>For burgers, roll the mixture into a ball and flatten slightly into a burgery shape. For cutlets, flatten to about 1/4-1/3 inch in thickness.</li>
<li>Heat a skillet to a medium-high heat and add plenty of oil. Cook each cutlet for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until slightly browned. Burgers may take a few minutes longer, so use common sense.</li>
<li>Serve hot or cold with your favourite basmati rice dish or, if made into burgers, on a bun with mango chutney.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p><div class='flickr-mini-gallery ' lang="_s&" rel="user_id=90044828@N00&tags=chana-dal-cutlets&min_upload_date=&max_upload_date=&min_taken_date=&max_taken_date=&license=&sort=&bbox=&accuracy=&safe_search=&content_type=&machine_tags=&group_id=&lat=&lon=&radius_units=&per_page=30&extras=" longdesc='photosearch'></div></p>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>A Little Bit About Me, Myself, and I</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/10/a-veganmofo-survey/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/10/a-veganmofo-survey/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:15:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=712</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let me start by saying I don&#8217;t normally fill surveys in. Now let me be a hypocrite and do one<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/10/a-veganmofo-survey/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Let me start by saying I don&#8217;t normally fill surveys in. Now let me be a hypocrite and do one anyway. Actually, the reason I&#8217;m doing this is because the title of the blog from which it originated is so darned cute that I just couldn&#8217;t resist participating. Thanks to <a href="http://foodsnobberyhobbery.blogspot.com/2007/11/veganmofo-survey.html">Food Snobbery is my Hobbery</a> for the questions!</p>
<h2>Vegan MoFo Survey</h2>
<ol>
<li>Favorite non-dairy milk?</li>
<p>Bonsoy, hands down. It&#8217;s the best soy milk for coffee and most similar to milk if steamed for milky espresso beverages. For cooking I use homemade soy milk.</p>
<li>What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?</li>
<p>From Vegan MoFo? So far I&#8217;m looking at loads (I just got home from a holiday to India, so I&#8217;m behind), but these <a href="http://airyway.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-tzukimi.html">Tsukimi</a> are looking pretty awesome. I love sticky rice sweets. This <a href="http://newvegantable.com/2009/10/vegan-toffee/">vegan toffee</a> is going to have to happen at some point, too. As that special time of the month is approaching and I&#8217;ll enter into a few days of consuming things like pizza for breakfast, this <a href="http://cuteanddelicious.com/2009/09/14/beer-crust-pizza/">beer crust pizza</a> is definitely on the to-do list.</p>
<li>Topping of choice for popcorn?</li>
<p>I&#8217;m not a big popcorn eater, but it&#8217;s got to be sickly and sweet if I do&#8230; toffee I suppose.</p>
<li>Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?</li>
<p>What do you mean? Everything I do comes out perfect!</p>
<p>I suppose my most recent failure would have been a complete experiment in stuff in a ramekin baked with more stuff. Its end flavour was like salty cake. To be fair it was a bit of a science experiment in how baking soda and powder worked.</p>
<li>Favorite pickled item?</li>
<p>I&#8217;m a big fan of quality dill pickles, but also love most other pickled things!</p>
<li>How do you organize your recipes?</li>
<p>Organise? People organise things? My method is to pretend I know what I&#8217;m doing and smile lots in the hopes that whatever I&#8217;ve dished up will be received as tolerable based on my faux confidence.</p>
<li>Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?</li>
<p>Whatever can be recycled goes down that road, but otherwise it&#8217;s the rubbish bin I&#8217;m afraid. Flats aren&#8217;t incredibly great places for compost bins.</p>
<li>If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods&#8230;what would they be (don&#8217;t worry about how you&#8217;ll cook them)?</li>
<p>This question is going to ruin my life. Seriously, three foods? How about three crates of foods? Okay, maybe aubergine, spinach, and bread (I&#8217;m ignoring the fact there are lots of ingredients in there). Wait, I need tofu too. I&#8217;m going to go ahead and steal space from MoFoers who don&#8217;t fill out this survey. Coffee, chickpeas, and vodka to drown out the sorrow we will all feel upon hearing me bitch all day about not having my entire spice cabinet.</p>
<li>Fondest food memory from your childhood?</li>
<p>I liked when, as a toddler, my mother would go outside to garden and I could climb up on the cabinets and eat all the Flinstones vitamins while watching out the window out of the corner of my eye to be sure she wouldn&#8217;t see. Then there was the time my sister babysat me while my parents went out for their anniversary. Hungry, I asked for something to eat, and the meal presented was Triscuits with wet cat food (and a small side of the dried variety). While I wouldn&#8217;t call it fond in the sense that I enjoy cat food, it&#8217;s a memory that still makes me laugh in a sick way.</p>
<li>Favorite vegan ice cream?</li>
<p>For brands, Purely Decadent chocolate peanut butter (when I&#8217;m in the US) and Booja Booja in the UK. I think I make a pretty decent ice cream myself though.</p>
<li>Most loved kitchen appliance?</li>
<p><a href="http://www.rancilio.com/rancilio/prod_model.jsp?id_model=46&amp;id_language=3&amp;id_category=26">Rancilio Rocky and Silvia</a>. It&#8217;s not possible to pick just one because an espresso machine is useless without a grinder.</p>
<li>Spice/herb you would die without?</li>
<p>I go through phases with things like this, but I&#8217;m a huge fan of basil; Sage and rosemary in the winter months.</p>
<li>Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?</li>
<p>You expect my lazy arse to get up and check?</p>
<li>Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?</li>
<p>Damson, blackcurrent.</p>
<li>Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?</li>
<p>This question assumes I have friends.</p>
<p>Honestly though, I don&#8217;t have people over for meals very often. But in general, I think cakes are a great introduction to the awesomeness that is veganism.</p>
<li>Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?</li>
<p>What a choice! The answer totally depends on what&#8217;s being cooked, but if we&#8217;re talking about what I could eat plain and unaided by any additional flavours then it&#8217;d be tofu hands down.</p>
<li>Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?</li>
<p>In an ideal world, I&#8217;d have all my big meals at lunch time. My best time of day in terms of ability to think is the morning, so preparing for lunch means I&#8217;m working on recipes during my most focused time of day. Unfortunately there&#8217;s this thing called work which I must make myself also do.</p>
<li>What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?</li>
<p>A <a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2008/10/01/why-it-pays-to-have-a-dad-with-skills/">tofu press</a> and some cat food (not to be combined in any way). Also a pressure cooker.</p>
<li>Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.</li>
<p>Chili, yuba, ice cream maker</p>
<li>What&#8217;s on your grocery list?</li>
<p>I just went shopping today. On the list were some fruit and veg, flours, fresh yeast, tempeh, vegan cheeses, and lots of goodies for Vegan MoFo recipe ideas. Still on the list: a magical flying carpet.</p>
<li>Favorite grocery store?</li>
<p>Impossible to answer. I love different places for different reasons, but I love <a href="http://www.riverford.co.uk">Riverford&#8217;s</a> veg boxes. I also love little organic food shops like Seasons in Forest Row and <a href="http://infinityfoods.co.uk/">Infinity </a>in Brighton. I&#8217;m also a fan of the <a href="http://www.co-operative.coop/">Co-operative</a>.</p>
<li>Name a recipe you&#8217;d love to veganize, but haven&#8217;t yet.</li>
<p>French Macarons (that&#8217;s macaron, not the familiar coconut macaroon). I don&#8217;t even know how one would go about this as the eggs are so necessary and the texture, even using eggs, is dependent on so many factors. They are probably one of the most difficult recipes to get right even with the eggs! Two seconds too long or short in the oven and that&#8217;s it.</p>
<li>Food blog you read the most (besides Isa&#8217;s because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?</li>
<p>I&#8217;m bad about reading food blogs.  I mainly skim my RSS feeds and select based on catchy titles. Some which tend to grab my attention more than others are <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com">Fat Free Vegan Kitchen</a>, <a href="http://kathrynelliott.com.au/blog">Limes and Lycopene</a>, and photo roundup sites like <a href="http://www.tastespotting.com/">Tastespotting</a>.</p>
<li>Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?</li>
<p>Montezuma&#8217;s chocolate is very good, and I love me some Newman-Os.</p>
<li>Most extravagant food item purchased lately?</li>
<p>Saffron, perhaps. It&#8217;s one of the 3 most expensive spices in the world (vanilla and cardamom being the other two).</p>
<li>Why is it so hard to come up with questions and things to say?</li>
<p>Probably because I&#8217;m still recovering from being awake for 40+ hours before arriving back home from India yesterday.</ol>
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		<title>Vegan Fleur Recipe Cards</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/07/vegan-fleur-recipe-cards/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/07/vegan-fleur-recipe-cards/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:20:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipe Cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=700</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cuuuuuutttteeee, right? These vegan recipe cards feature a series of flowers in the corner, with each blossom represented by letters<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/07/vegan-fleur-recipe-cards/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-705" title="Vegan Fleur Recipe Card" src="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Vegan-Fleur-Recipe-Card.jpg" alt="Vegan Fleur Recipe Card" width="530" height="354" /></p>
<p>Cuuuuuutttteeee, right? These vegan recipe cards feature a series of flowers in the corner, with each blossom represented by letters which spell &#8220;vegan.&#8221; Made especially for Vegan MoFo (vegan month of food), these cards are perfect for vegan kitchens (and for vegan recipes to include with those yummy cupcakes you bring to the office to make Mondays a little less hateable)!</p>
<p>The cards are available in pdf format below, in 3 different colour schemes. You can either type on the cards in your pdf reader or print and handwrite recipes (in which case be sure to delete the text already there). The text size in the pdf looks huge, but will adjust itself accordingly depending on how much you slap on the card.</p>
<h2>Download Vegan Fleur 4&#215;6 Recipe Cards</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=3" title="Downloaded 812 times"><img class="download" src="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/img/download.gif" alt="Vegan Fleur 4x6 Recipe Cards" /></a></p>
<h2>Download Vegan Fleur 3&#215;5 Recipe Cards</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=4" title="Downloaded 406 times"><img class="download" src="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/img/download.gif" alt="Vegan Fleur 3x5 Recipe Cards" /></a></p>
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		<title>1980s Rocker-Punk Styled Vegan Tees</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/05/1980s-rocker-punk-styled-vegan-tees/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/05/1980s-rocker-punk-styled-vegan-tees/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:39:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Products and Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=689</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some of you know I make and design t-shirts for part of my internet-based income, so in celebration of Vegan<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/05/1980s-rocker-punk-styled-vegan-tees/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some of you know I make and design t-shirts for part of my internet-based income, so in celebration of Vegan MoFo I decided I&#8217;d work on some pro-vegan tee shirts. Below are samples from the first batch (all designs are available on a selection of shirts, buttons, mugs, and other accessories).</p>
<p>Do you have an idea for an awesome vegan shirt or sticker slogan? Leave a comment and let me know!</p>
<h2>The Vegan Shirts</h2>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vegan_rocker_brown_and_red_tshirt-235136335722627165?gl=Veganista&#038;lifestyle=classic&#038;rf=238493591367682090"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vegan_rocker_brown_and_red_tshirt-p235136335722627165faijs_325.jpg" alt="Vegan Rocker Brown and Red shirt" style="border:0;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vegan_rocker_brown_and_red_tshirt-235136335722627165?gl=Veganista&#038;lifestyle=classic&#038;rf=238493591367682090">Vegan Rocker Brown and Red</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/veganista*">Veganista</a><br /> <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/custom/tshirts?rf=238493591367682090">Design custom tee shirts</a> at Zazzle</div>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rocker_pink_vegan_tshirt-235449859758993385?gl=Veganista&#038;lifestyle=classic&#038;rf=238493591367682090"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/rocker_pink_vegan_tshirt-p2354498597589933852n0jr_325.jpg" alt="Rocker Pink Vegan shirt" style="border:0;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rocker_pink_vegan_tshirt-235449859758993385?gl=Veganista&#038;lifestyle=classic&#038;rf=238493591367682090">Rocker Pink Vegan</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/veganista*">Veganista</a><br />Make <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/custom/tshirts?rf=238493591367682090">customized tee shirts</a> at Zazzle</div>
<h2>Buttons, Keychains, and More!</h2>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/red_and_blue_1980s_rocker_vegan_button-145812397682364958?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/red_and_blue_1980s_rocker_vegan_button-p1458123976823649587on5_325.jpg" alt="Red and Blue 1980s Rocker Vegan button" style="border:0;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/red_and_blue_1980s_rocker_vegan_button-145812397682364958?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090">Red and Blue 1980s Rocker Vegan</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/veganista*">Veganista</a><br />Design <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/custom/buttons?rf=238493591367682090">custom buttons</a> on zazzle</div>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pink_and_green_vegan_keychain-146955896680686265?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/pink_and_green_vegan_keychain-p1469558966806862658phu_325.jpg" alt="Pink and Green Vegan keychain" style="border:0;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/pink_and_green_vegan_keychain-146955896680686265?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090">Pink and Green Vegan</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/veganista*">Veganista</a><br />See other <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vegan+keychains?rf=238493591367682090">Vegan Keychains</a> </div>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rocker_blue_vegan_bag-149419799937201678?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/rocker_blue_vegan_bag-p1494197999372016782ih9q_325.jpg" alt="Rocker Blue Vegan bag" style="border:0;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/rocker_blue_vegan_bag-149419799937201678?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090">Rocker Blue Vegan</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/veganista*">Veganista</a><br />Browse more <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vegan+bags?rf=238493591367682090">Vegan Bags</a> </div>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vegan_rocker_blue_mug-168682768426353248?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090"><img src="http://rlv.zcache.com/vegan_rocker_blue_mug-p1686827684263532482gq87_325.jpg" alt="Vegan Rocker Blue mug" style="border:0;" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vegan_rocker_blue_mug-168682768426353248?gl=Veganista&#038;rf=238493591367682090">Vegan Rocker Blue</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/veganista*">Veganista</a><br />Browse more <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/vegan+mugs?rf=238493591367682090">Vegan Mugs</a> </div>
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		<title>It&#8217;s a Celebration, MoFo!</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/02/its-a-celebration-mofo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/02/its-a-celebration-mofo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=683</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Time is something which goes beyond birthdays, something more precious than a single day&#8217;s worth of shenaningans. Year after year<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/02/its-a-celebration-mofo/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Time is something which goes beyond birthdays, something more precious than a single day&#8217;s worth of shenaningans. Year after year has passed and with each passing birthday I do nothing but move forward a single digit. I haven&#8217;t celebrated a birthday in several years, but this year I put my foot down. This year I decided I would make the effort, mainly because I wanted to distract myself from the fact I&#8217;m moving into the next decade of my life, and set myself a birthday goal. It was simple: be somewhere else for my 30th.</p>
<p>So here I am, 30, sharing a birthday with one of history&#8217;s most famous political leaders in his home country. Well, not <em>literally</em>, because Ghandi&#8217;s dead, but India&#8217;s still a pretty cool place.</p>
<p>Some Vegan Mofo 2009 posts have been scheduled ahead of time, but most recipes will come further into the second half of the month. Stay tuned for some goodies though! Here&#8217;s a preview of recipes to come this month:</p>
<h2>Channa Dhal Okara Cutlets</h2>
<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/3936532601_7c9926e875.jpg" alt="Vegan Channa Dhal Cutlets" /></p>
<h2>Yubamaki (bean curd skin rolls)</h2>
<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2440/3944301516_163e52857d.jpg" alt="vegan yubamaki" /></p>
<h2>Vegan Pizza Ideas</h2>
<p><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3943519953_d12cb3524f.jpg" alt="Vegan Pizza" /><br />
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2602/3912249824_ee1e6c3086.jpg" alt="Vegan Pizza" /></p>
<h2>Stay tuned</h2>
<p>Be sure to check back for these and other new recipes to celebrate the vegan month of food. India is a dream for food inspiration, so I&#8217;ll be cooking up a storm when I&#8217;m back in my own kitchen!</p>
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		<title>Vegan MoFo III</title>
		<link>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/01/vegan-mofo-iii/</link>
		<comments>http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/01/vegan-mofo-iii/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vegan MoFo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/?p=669</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m going to take this opportunity to clue my readers, browsers, and any interested parties into  a secret. Okay, well<a href="http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/2009/10/01/vegan-mofo-iii/"><p class="read_more">Read more...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m going to take this opportunity to clue my readers, browsers, and any interested parties into  a secret. Okay, well it&#8217;s not a secret. In fact it&#8217;s pretty obvious, but it&#8217;s one of those things I just haven&#8217;t felt compelled to share until now. Astute readers will have noticed there has been a significant reduction of recipes on this site which use dairy. Aha, so there you have it: I&#8217;m moving on to a vegan diet.</p>
<h2>What&#8217;s the point? Your point?</h2>
<p>Over time I began to realise all the reasons I preached to myself and to inquisitive others about my vegetarian diet were in fact reasons for being vegan. I don&#8217;t believe in animal cruelty, I&#8217;m a big supporter of human rights, and I support environmental awareness and reductions of factors contributing to global warming. These are issues which negatively correspond to our industry of animals for food.</p>
<p>I won&#8217;t lie and pretend I&#8217;m going to be little miss vegan princess (or little miss anything which involves princesses, come to think of it). I know I won&#8217;t be as strict as many others and I know I&#8217;m not going to waste food. Should I ingest milk or eggs I won&#8217;t heave like if I found out I&#8217;d accidentally eaten meat, and I&#8217;m going to try my hardest not to be as controlling and judgemental of others.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s hard not to be controlling. Also hard not to be judgemental.</p>
<h2>Vegan Month of Food</h2>
<p><img title="Vegan MoFo" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/3930562108_f07c8dec17.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="118" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;m taking the opportunity to announce my not-so-dirty secret because October is the vegan month of food, or <a title="Vegan Mofo" href="http://theppk.com/blog/2009/09/18/its-veganmofo-the-vegan-month-of-food/">VeganMoFo</a> for short, and I&#8217;ve decided to participate.</p>
<p>The idea of Vegan MoFo is to blog as much as possible about vegan food for the month of October. That means posts around here will be more frequent and varied; a mix of recipes, ideas, pictures, and thoughts. I&#8217;d also like to invite anyone to ask questions or make suggestions for what you&#8217;d like to see on the site. Is there a particular recipe out there which you&#8217;d like to see veganised? Do you have a suggestion for a recipe I&#8217;ve already posted? Are you battling an insufferable case of kittens on the mind? </p>
<p>Drop me a note!</p>
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