I’m a new kid to Melbourne, I will be visiting them! Thanks for the tip! :D
Cupcakes are my absolute weakness.
I just died and went to heaven.
Stopped in for a coffee at the Little Cupcakes store on Degraves St. in Melbourne. As a gluten free-er I always find it hard to find deliciousness amongst the everyday. BUT this flourless chocolate mud cake with Belgian Chocolate icing was way too irresistible to say no to… Plus it tasted so good alongside my soy latte.
GO here.
*not vegan, unfortunately but that only means my vegan cupcake hunt continues!
Xx
Z
Vegetarian ‘Sunburnt’ tomato, basil and pumpkin fettuccine.
Apologies again this one was too delicious to take a final picture of, we gobbled it down!
Please note this recipe is not vegan due to the egg fettuccine and the cheese in the pesto used; but could easily be changed.
You will need:
A packet of fresh egg fettuccine
About 8 semi dried tomatoes
An onion
1/4 of a butternut pumpkin
A drizzle of olive oil
As much fresh basil as you can get your hands on
A clove of garlic
A jar of tomato pesto (I used leggos)
How to make:
1. Chop pumpkin into little bits, remove skin, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in oven at about 180-200.
2. Dice onion, and garlic and fry on the stovetop in a saucepan.
3. Add tomatoes, fresh basil and a little water, turn the heat down to simmer.
4. Boil water for pasta and turn pumpkin over.
5. Add pasta to boiling water an cook according to packet (normally about 5-10 mins)
6. Add a little pesto to the sauce, keep stirring and once pumpkin is cooked add that too.
7. Drain pasta, add to a mining bowl with about half the jar of pesto (to coat the pasta).
8. Serve onto plate, sauce on top and garnish with a semi dried tomato and a basil leaf.
Bellissimo!
This is a good Italian dish, red white and green included; my Nonna would be proud.
This made enough for about 4 people. We’ve been eating the left overs for lunch!
Xxx
Z
Vegetarian ‘Sunburnt’ tomato, basil and pumpkin fettuccine.
Apologies again this one was too delicious to take a final picture of, we gobbled it down!
Please note this recipe is not vegan due to the egg fettuccine and the cheese in the pesto used; but could easily be changed.
You will need:
A packet of fresh egg fettuccine
About 8 semi dried tomatoes
An onion
1/4 of a butternut pumpkin
A drizzle of olive oil
As much fresh basil as you can get your hands on
A clove of garlic
A jar of tomato pesto (I used leggos)
How to make:
1. Chop pumpkin into little bits, remove skin, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake in oven at about 180-200.
2. Dice onion, and garlic and fry on the stovetop in a saucepan.
3. Add tomatoes, fresh basil and a little water, turn the heat down to simmer.
4. Boil water for pasta and turn pumpkin over.
5. Add pasta to boiling water an cook according to packet (normally about 5-10 mins)
6. Add a little pesto to the sauce, keep stirring and once pumpkin is cooked add that too.
7. Drain pasta, add to a mining bowl with about half the jar of pesto (to coat the pasta).
8. Serve onto plate, sauce on top and garnish with a semi dried tomato and a basil leaf.
Bellissimo!
This is a good Italian dish, red white and green included; my Nonna would be proud.
This made enough for about 4 people. We’ve been eating the left overs for lunch!
Xxx
Z
I hardly EVER follow a recipe word for word… in fact I am incredibly lazy when it comes to cooking! I cut corners, guesstimate most things and just use whatever clean pots and pans I can find lying around in my crazy household!
If this isn’t you - CONGRATULATIONS… you probably have far more skill and patience than me.
The following is a list of a few vege essentials that I have in my kitchen in order to make quick and easy meals (like the haloumi salad pictured above!) with least amount of effort required!
- LEGUMES, a vegetarians’ meat substitute.
This is a big one… I always have a few cans of lentils, chick peas and red kidney beans to add some protein and bulk to meals! Easy way I figure out what bean goes with what; lentils are a beef substitute and chick peas - chicken. Red kidney beans? not really sure! but they are usually great in salads and mexican vege dishes!
- FRESH FRUIT AND VEGE!
I am lucky enough to have a cute little independant fruit and vege shop down the road to me which is 168401701741 X better than coles and woolies! It really does make a difference going to your local markets or finding an indepentant store more likely to care about the quality and freshness of their food than the big food giants! Stock up and remember that lots of different colours are good! i.e all your greens, carrots, fresh tomato, capsicum, onions, corn, pumpkin, mushrooms (my fav!)
- SOY MILK
So good, really is so good? It’s tasty, healthy (has plenty of calcium in it!) and adds to another dairy product that is SO so easy for you to cut out! I am not much of a milk drinker anyways - so I really just use it for tea, coffee and occasionally cereal. But it’s also great for cooking!
- HALOUMI / TOFU / QUORN
My greatest love in life at the moment; haloumi… Oh so salty and yummy when lightly fried to get that golden colour! A great substitute for chicken in a salad or burger, or even as a little hot breakfast treat (mmmm). Tofu - I usually buy the firm marinated kind (sweet chilli) great for stir fries and salads to add some protein and a bit of ‘meatiness’ to the meal! Quorn products - These aren’t vegan friendly as most of them have egg ingredients… but so delish and easy if you like the texture and taste of meat. I often use them as a bit of a back up if my family decides to have a roast or something a little more ‘meat and 3 vege’… just fry or pop in the oven and boom - vegetarian meat and 3 vege meal! My favourites are the sausages (taste a little like pork sausage), the ‘southern fried chicken’ (great texture and taste!) and my boyfriends favourite is the ‘beef’ style burgers (a bit like a bad quality meat patty - I don’t really like them, but does the job for him!)
As Zo mentioned in an earlier post, there are many different stages we are all at with regards to what we choose to eat. I have meat eating, pescatarian, vegetarian AND vegan friends. Some how we all manage to get along around the dinner table, despite all the awkwardness that can come from having so many different moral and ethical views under one roof. I think the key to success here is accepting that people take time to change… and that you don’t have to be a fully fledged vegan to be making a difference in the world.
Veganism is I’m sure the ultimate goal for a lot of pescatarians and vegetarians out there… but take your time! YOU are actively choosing to make a change in your life that has a domino effect on your health, the welfare of animals and the environment!
I myself have been vegetarian for just over one year now (yay!), and have developed different views and ways of dealing with the all of the confronting information available about the horrific practice of factory farming. It can be very overwhelming, and I remember I felt like I just wanted to run around spreading the word to every Thom,Dick and Harry. Unfortunately… no body likes a pushy vegetarian - so don’t do that!
It’s up to you to make judgement on all of the information out there and decide what YOU are comfortable choosing to eat.
I like to think of myself as a fairly typical vegetarian;
- avoids meat and sneaky meat products i.e. rennet and gelatine
- eats free range/RSPCA approved eggs (occasionally)
- drinks a mix of soy milk and regular milk (depending on what is in the fridge)
- Tries not to eat too much cheese, but has a soft spot for haloumi (ughh!)
My biggest hesitation to make the transition into veganism is cheese (tasty, tasty cheese)…
For anyone else out there that is struggling with the idea of life without cheese… Let me know what you think of this -> www.barambahorganics.com.au
The thing I love about this brand is that they raise all calves born from the mumma dairy cows!
‘At Barambah Organics all the calves that are born on our property stay within our care. Our calves are not considered by us to be waste products.
At the age of 6 months we take the females to another one of our properties which is 20kms from the dairy farm. There they have 1,300 acres to roam, and we take the males to our 1,000 acre property at Murgon. No Barambah calves are sent to the abbatoir.’
Let me know what you think - want to hear your opinions and stories!
E
xx
Vegan thai chilli pumpkin soup!
If you thought pumpkin soup was the best type of winter warmer think again, Thai chilli pumpkin soup is!
Who doesn’t like turning on the heater, donning the ugg boots and filling their belly fully of warm deliciousness in the wintertime.
You will need:
-half a butternut pumpkin
-2 carrots
- 1 small golden sweet potato
- 2 cups of vegetable stock (or water)
-half a tin of canned tomatoes ( or about three fresh and ripe Roma tomatoes)
- a few sticks of lemon grass
-1 hot red chilli (or as much as you can handle
-1 tin of light coconut cream
-a dash of olive oil (or whatever one floats your boat)
To make soup of deliciousness:
1. Chop and peel all vegetables
2. Boil pumpkin, carrot and sweet potato in the cups of vegetable stock and remove from pot once soft (I drained the stock into a measuring jug and kept the veggies separate)
3. Chop up lemongrass and chilli and fry with a little olive oil until your kitchen smells delicious.
4. Add stock and the boiled veggies to the lemongrass and chilli and simmer for about ten minutes.
5. Blend in a big pot with a stick mixer (or in a blender) this was the point where I painted our new kitchen walls orange.
6. Add half the tin of coconut cream to the mix and blend until super smooth.
7. Let simmer on low to thicken and add as much or as little coconut cream to garnish.
I had a great plan to take some pretty pictures of this but it was so good that boyfriend and I ate it before I had the chance! So I’ve provided a picture of a pumpkin I found on google to get the imagination racing.
I also bought a loaf of multigrain organic sourdough to dip!
Xxx
Z
Sorry for the lack of posts this week I’ve moved to freezing but amazing Melbourne. Have been cooking some delicious soups and pastas in this cold weather, I’ll share when I get more organised.
Other than that I’ve been exploring the city, taking note of some awesome vegan and vegetarian restaurants and shops and missing my blogging partner heaps!
Here is a little photo of us from my going away party!
Xxx ZoI’d like to start by saying I love the name of your blog. Tougher than titanium. Congratulations on overcoming your disorder.
I’m just going to answer this briefly as my next blog post will be dedicated to you!
Congratulations on initializing a cruelty free lifestyle.
Your parents are just worried about your wellbeing and it is very important to understand where they are coming from. The type of vegetarian and vegan diets that we follow at Ele and Zo are about proper nourishment of our bodies.
The best thing you can do at present is research a little bit more about the types of nutrients your body needs and how you can incorporate that into a healthy eating plan. Explaining to your parents why you want to become a vegetarian and showing them that you are aware of the importance of correct nourishment might help them to trust you a little more with your diet.
I will post an extended answer for you shortly, as I myself have struggled with an eating disorder and I think this is such an important question.
Until then, stay strong and smile. You are beautiful and a hell of a lot tougher than titanium.
Xxx
Z
Hello!
This is a little awkward; maybe there is a little misunderstanding. We are pro-life as in: every inhabitant of this earth has the right to a peaceful life. I personally agree with abortion as I am a feminist and believe that no one has the right to decide how and what happens to a woman’s body.
I am 20 years old and mid study. If my boyfriend and I were to fall pregnant at present, or if I were the victim of a horrible rape I would be the first to abort my child. Not indicating that I would do so without sadness but I would rather bring a child into the world knowing that it would have two fully financially and emotionally supportive parents.
I’m sure Ele would agree.
Sorry about the miscommunication, maybe we should change our little blurb!
xx
Z
Hey nnero0,
Read our most recent post. We’re all about teaching and not preaching.
Have a wonderful day.
xx
Z
As two new kids on the blogging block, Ele and I have noticed some interesting things about the tumblr vegetarian/vegan community.
Firstly, we are all in this together, all doing it for mostly the same reason: the wellbeing of animals, our bodies or the earth. So why do we have to fight between the different stages. Shouldn’t we be banding together to fight this as one? Isn’t synergy more productive?
It really makes us sad when we see vegan to vegetarian / vegetarian to pescatarian hate. Remember when you first decided to cut meat out? It was really hard. Everyone is making an effort and while it may not be the best effort in your eyes, it certainly is the best effort in theirs.
At Ele and Zo it is our mission to: TEACH not PREACH.
No one likes being TOLD what to do. The way humans learn is through being taught the correct way to do something followed by trial and error.
So let’s all get a little hippy…spread our vegan / vegetarian / pescatarian ideas and facts humbly, teach kindness and compassion and band together to make this world a better place for everyone.
Xx
Z
As our good friend at bronvoyage.tumblr.com says… ^^^
E
xx
(Source: elafant)
Meat and the environment.
As you know both of us at Ele and Zo eat and live cruelty free. However when I first chose to become a vegetarian it wasn’t because of the horrid injustice a meat based diet causes animals (I would learn all about that later). I initially became a vegetarian as I was concerned about the huge environmental impact of eating meat.
There is a ton of scientific research to back this up but one only has to simply use common sense to see that the way in which meat is produced, packaged and transported calls for major environmental concern.
I did a presentation on this subject at university and while researching I found out some really astonishing facts. A few dissertations I reviewed indicated that a change in a Western (meat based) diet would be the most effective strategy to combat climate change. This is because a diet that is high in meat requires more energy in production, more land and more water resources compared to a vegetarian diet.
If you are asked; fuels from meat transport alone accounted for 6 BILLION tonnes of CO2 emissions in Australia in 2009 (and this figure wasn’t even inclusive of emissions from waste, the production of leather and feathers, refrigeration costs, cooking and packaging of meat!)
If you’re interested in reading a little further into this there is a plethora of scientific and opinion papers on this subject, I’ve attached a few links at the bottom of this post).
So no matter what reason you are a vegetarian or vegan for THANK YOU for increasing not only the rights of animals, but the sustainability of our planet Earth for future generations.
Xxx
Z
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a0701e/a0701e00.pdf
http://www.ajcn.org/content/78/3/660S.full.pdf
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/40452334_Ethical_management_of_food_systems_plant_based_diet_as_a_holistic_approach
http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Industrial_Agriculture/PCIFAP_FINAL.pdf
