Easy, everything, summer salad

This weekend is another long weekend in England (we get two in May) and, again, we are blessed with amazing weather. Indeed, it is more summery than spring-like but with the bonus of the vivid greens and bright flowers that spring provides.

Sissinghurst Castle Gardens (National Trust)

After losing most of our last long weekend to illness, we are soaking up outdoor time this time around. A repeat visit to Sissinghurst Castle Garden provided perfect picnic weather, and Mini Bite has taken to moving pebbles and stones around our garden and any other setting that offers the opportunity. She's getting good and messy in the sunshine.

Perfect picnicking

With the summery weather, salads are an appealing choice. Today's recipe offers a bit of everything and is more an idea than a recipe. I added new season tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, local Kent strawberries, celery, walnuts, tofu and chickpeas to a bed of spinach and finished things off with a scattering of alfalfa sprouts and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette (for the observant amongst you, the photos were taken pre-vinaigrette).

Summer and spring in a bowl!

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Loving this week - Spring 2018

After a snowy start to spring, the UK has now leapt into warm weather. The sun has been shining, we have had maximums around 24'C, and the atmosphere is not even spring-like - it is decidedly summery.

Long time readers may recall that one reason we left Australia is that Mr Bite and I don't like hot weather. We burn easily, we aren't inclined towards lying on beaches, and we dislike the long hot Australian summers. Now we're in England, though, both of us are more kindly disposed towards sunshine. I am relishing the current warmth and the opportunity to go outside without coats and scarves. (Nonetheless, I will add that this is probably enough warmth for me. Mid-20's is perfect.)

I have soaked up the sunshine this week at home in Kent, around work in London, and on a work day trip to Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. Here are some photo highlights of England in its sunny glory. Mini Bite features a few times and you can see her clothing requirements decrease as the temperatures have increased!

Mini Bite exploring the Tonbridge riverside (still in a jacket but no longer a winter coat)

Our apple tree is starting to blossom

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Banana, pear and yoghurt ice lollies

Sticking with the summer theme, this week I made ice lollies for the first time since I was a child. I use the term 'ice lollies' in an effort to fit in with local (British) nomenclature, but in Australia I knew these treats as icey poles. I think Americans call them popsicles. Whatever term you use, they are a summer classic and lots of fun to make and eat.

As my pictures show, I need a bit of practice with my ice lolly making; I didn't fill the moulds high enough and was left with a gap at the bottom of the stick. Fortunately the lollies held together anyway and next time I will know better.

Predictably, these were a huge hit with Mini Bite too, even though the adult-sized moulds were  bit big for her little hands and little mouth. I have since bought some baby-sized moulds so you can expect more flavours to appear as I test out different combinations on her and for me. In the meantime, I can heartily recommend this banana, pear and yoghurt mix as a creamy, ice cream-like concoction that is as simple to make as it is tasty to eat.

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Zucchini noodles with a creamy turmeric dressing

My last post welcomed summery weather. This post would moan about it, if it wasn't for my prickly awareness that at least I have a house to be hot within. Non-UK readers may not be aware of the London fire that hit Grenfell Tower block last week, killing an estimated 79 people and injuring many more. Hot weather isn't anything to complain about when placed in that context.

There is no avoiding, though, that it is hot in England this week. Weather records have been broken and it isn't even summer yet. Regular readers will know how much I dislike the heat (one of the key reasons for my move from Australia to England) and so dishes that keep me cool are high on my priority list right now. Ice cream is good. So are cold meals.

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Overnight apple oats and a peanut butter green smoothie, for summer

It might not be the official start of summer here yet (although we are only a week off) but summer is very much in the air. The days are super long (it is light at 10pm!), the sun is shining, and the temperatures are tipping 25'C (hot for England!).

With this summery vibe, I have moved into hot weather territory for breakfast and snacking. In other words, I have re-introduced overnight oats and smoothies to my kitchen. Today's post shares the first of each for this summer season, and I hope you can draw some summer inspiration from them whatever your own weather is doing.

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Fruity summer coleslaws: Apple peanut butter slaw and sweet + spicy pineapple slaw

There is a big coleslaw divide in our household. I can't stand the traditional sort - it is up there with macaroni cheese as one of my most disliked dishes - whereas Mr Bite loves it. Unfortunately for him, my dislike of mayonnaise-y coleslaw means he rarely gets it at home, and if he does, it has to be store bought. More fortunately, he is quite tolerant of coleslaw variations like the Asian style slaw I've posted before (with a dressing of ginger, lime, soy and chilli instead of mayonnaise).

Peanut butter slaw

Whilst he likes some of my coleslaw variations, the two in this post were more to my tastes than his. This may be attributable to the inclusion of fruit in both; I am always happy to have fruit in my savoury dishes whilst he's not such a fan. So, if you share my preference for fruit in your salads, and for light coleslaw alternatives, I recommend these salads to you!

Sweet + spicy pineapple slaw

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Summertime eating: Chocolate peanut butter soft serve, Thai-style spiralised noodles, and picnicking in the park

This is an odds-and-ends post, but all of the odds and ends deserve recognition. They are loosely linked by the theme of summer and strongly linked by a theme of deliciousness!

First up: Chocolate peanut butter soft serve. Chocolate and peanut butter go well together, and chocolate and banana go well together, and peanut butter and banana go well together. Ergo, chocolate peanut butter frozen banana soft serve is pretty amazing.

I made this with the PB Fit peanut butter powder I found last month, and added the chocolate component through dark chocolate chips and Choc Shot sugar-free chocolate syrup. I include a recipe at the end of this post, but if you throw frozen banana, peanut butter and chocolate together you can't really go wrong.

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Mediterranean pasta salad with tofu

We have had a few cold dinners this week, on account of some hot summer days and overly warm summer nights. The nice thing about England is that, generally, the hot weather doesn't last for weeks on end like it does in Australia. The flip side is that air conditioning isn't common here, so when it is hot, you are hot.

For those of you in the northern hemisphere, this Mediterranean pasta salad is perfect for summer nights, barbecues or picnics. It's easy to make ahead and then serve cold. For those of you in the southern hemisphere, I imagine it could work as a warm pasta dish too.

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Mint and paprika butter bean salad

I would struggle to nominate a single favourite legume, but butter beans would definitely make a top 5 list. They're a large, cream-coloured variant of the lima bean and I love their soft, fluffy texture. This salad allows their texture and flavour to shine whilst throwing in some other classic summer ingredients: corn, tomatoes and mint.

I made this salad during the week, as part of a meal to welcome my parents. They have been in the UK (from Australia) for a couple of weeks now but arrived at our place mid-week. It's been great to show them our new home and the local area, and of course to catch up on family and Australian news.

When I made the salad I served it with various other meal components, including boiled baby potatoes. These pictures show the leftover beans and potatoes in a single dish and as they paired very well together I would readily recommend the mix. Otherwise, the bean salad could be added to a wrap, served with greens or paired with a grain base of choice.

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Giant couscous salad with chickpeas, sweet corn, paprika and tomatoes

Have you tried giant couscous? I picked a pack up last weekend after searching fruitlessly for regular couscous in the supermarket. I still don't know where they were hiding the regular sort, but I am glad I was prompted to give this variety a go. It is utterly delicious and (I think) far nicer than regular couscous!

I used the couscous for a simple salad to take to a shared work lunch. In the end, most of our team forgot about the lunch, so it was cancelled and I was left with a large container of this to eat solo. I've spread it over the week and haven't minded at all. In fact, I liked it so much that I plan to make it again for the rescheduled work lunch.

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Mango, strawberry and sweet potato salad with a 'honey' mustard dressing

Dear readers, this will be a week of short and sweet posts. Our shipment has arrived and our flat is a disaster zone! We are really excited to be reunited with our belongings, but until we get the boxes unpacked and items stowed away, it is an obstacle course getting from room to room. Making dinner last night involved a narrow path from fridge to stove, and shuffling of boxes to get to the sink. It is tricky. I am also unsure why we (I) shipped so much. Living without much for  4 months has changed my views on 'essential'. I could have abandoned a lot more in Perth.

Mango, strawberry and sweet potato salad with a 'honey' mustard dressing

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Pineapple-cherry-watermelon green smoothie - milk and banana free

I found the thought of going from winter-appropriate roast vegetables to a summer-appropriate icey smoothie amusing, so...here we are.

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Tropical watermelon crush

Did you know that Monday was Australia's hottest day on record, since weather recording began? Across the country as a whole, the maximum average temperature was 40.3'C (104.6'F).

The weather records don't end there, either. Six of the hottest 20 days on record have occurred since the start of 2013. It is only the ninth day of the year. Perth is averaging its hottest summer yet.

This recipe is for days like Monday.

It is for days when you think the temperature forecast can't possibly come true, but then it does.

It is for days when you return from work so hot and sticky that you need a shower straight away, immediately, because the air conditioning system at your workplace couldn't cope with humid 40'C conditions.

It is for days when fires blaze across multiple states, destroying land and homes and even lives, with terrible ferocity.

It is for days when the Prime Minister tells you to expect more heat waves in coming years, due to the ongoing effects of global warming. Frankly, I would have preferred some practical promises for alternative energy solutions, rather than foreboding dismal times ahead, but that is a different topic.

This is also a recipe for summer days that bring welcome relief, when you open every window and door in your house in the novelty of fresh, non-scorching air.

And it is even a recipe for those of you who are not in Australia, and who perhaps are in the middle of winter. If you eat it in front of a heater and shut your eyes - the tropical flavours may transport you here in spirit if not in temperature.

Tropical watermelon crush

Easy, refreshing, and almost entirely fruit-based

Serves 2, but could quite easily be eaten by 1

Vegan and low fat; food processor required

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 cup frozen watermelon pieces (if your watermelon has seeds, you will need to remove them pre-freezing or eat around the seeds at the end)

1/2 cup frozen raspberries (or other berries)

1/2 cup pineapple pieces, fresh or frozen

1/2 tsp coconut essence (optional, but recommended)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

Method

Combine the fruit and coconut essence in a food processor or high speed blender and process until well combined and icey.

With the food processor running, add the milk gradually.

Serve.

I enjoyed this even more than the lemon, lime and bitters Frosty Fruits, and they are pretty good!

I am submitting this to Ricki's Wellness Weekend 10th to 14th January 2013.

If you're in Australia, how have you been keeping cool? 

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Christmas food ideas 2012: Brown rice mango sushi

It is possible that this food idea will be better suited to those of you in southern hemisphere climates than northern hemisphere ones. Sushi for Christmas is a bit of an outlandish idea in its own right. If it is snowing outside, adding fresh mango to the mix may seem bizarre as well as impractical.

If you are somewhere cold, this may be one occasion when tinned mango could stand in. Otherwise, a pumpkin and tahini filling was a serious alternate contender for this, and I am pretty sure pumpkin will be easy to come by if it's winter where you are. (If anyone does try pumpkin and tahini, please let me know how it goes!)

In the form I made it, this easy dish has mango, carrot and tofu as the sushi fillings. I used brown rice instead of sushi rice and the result was a meal (or snack) I could happily eat every day. It's not traditional Christmas fare, but mango and Christmas go together in an Australian kind of way, and this would be perfect for any pre-Christmas events when finger food is required.

I actually used pre-flavoured tofu for this. I rarely buy those packets (on account of the cost), but when they're on sale I tend to stock up. This was a Thai flavoured block, which paired perfectly with the mango. If you were using plain tofu, a simple marinade of soy sauce, fresh grated ginger and chilli would work well. That had been my plan prior to finding the flavoured tofu, and I would stir-fry the tofu ahead of time so it can be cooled before the sushi rolling stage.

Really, though, you can modify this dish to suit whatever you have to hand. It is more of a concept than a recipe. You may want to use cucumber instead of carrot (I don't like cucumber), put avocado in (I don't like that either), or even skip the tofu altogether. Sushi is flexible like that.

Brown rice mango sushi

Easy, festive, and perfect for summer (or for dreaming of summer)
Makes about 20 sushi pieces
Vegan

Print recipe

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

2 tbsp mirin or rice vinegar

3 sheets nori

1 large mango, cut into thin slices (you can use tinned if necessary)

1 large carrot, cut into thin slices

200g marinated and cooked tofu, cut into thin slices

Method
Ahead of time, cook the brown rice in the 2 cups of water using the absorption method (cover, bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer for 15-20 minutes). Allow the rice to cool. Stir the mirin through the rice and refrigerate until needed.

Take one sheet of nori and spoon cooled rice into a strip, approximately 2 inches in from one end. Top the rice with sliced mango, carrot, and tofu. Roll in from the near end and use water to seal the other end after rolling.

Repeat for the other sheets of nori.

Allow the sushi to chill in the refrigerator before slicing with a sharp knife.

I am not sure if this will feature on our Christmas day, but it will definitely be appearing again either before Christmas, or as a staple of my summer lunches.

I am submitting this to Healthy Vegan Friday #21, hosted by Gabby, Shelby and Carrie.

Other 2012 Christmas food ideas: Chocolate, almond and goji berry truffle balls, and bejewelled couscous salad.
My 2011 Christmas food posts can be found here. 

How do you feel about non-traditional Christmas foods at Christmas time?

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Welcome to summer: A collection of smoothies

The 1st December marked the official start of summer here in Australia. (We do our season changes at the start of the month, in contrast to the northern hemisphere.) With temperatures soaring in the Eastern states last week, and set to rise sharply in Western Australia this week, it does feel like summer is here and here to stay.

Given my dislike of temperatures above 30'C, I am repeating a mantra of "only two more summers until we move to England".

I am also reminding myself of how much I like summer fruit, the joy of frozen fruit ice cream on a hot summer afternoon, and the luxurious slide of a chilled smoothie down one's parched, hot throat.

I am definitely not thinking about the joy of being wrapped up inside with a book and a hot drink while rain patters on the window. Not thinking about that at all.

For my fellow Australians, here are six smoothie ideas to help kick off your summer. For those of you in wintery countries, you can enjoy these too - I actually made all of these over winter / spring myself. Just rug up warm, drink them near a heat source, and have a hot drink on stand-by for afterwards.

The smoothies are listed in a rough order that takes you from 'basic stand by' to 'could pass as dessert'. I have listed the milk I used for each one but you can substitute in any milk you like. If making these in a blender, just combine the ingredients and process. If using a food processor, leave the liquid out until the other ingredients are processed, and then add the liquid in gradually, so that it doesn't splash out the sides. I don't have a high-power blender so tend to use my food processor; even with that, my spinach is sometimes less processed than I might like!

All ingredient sets serve one, and err towards a small serve. Double ingredients if you like your smoothies served larger.

Banana-free green smoothie with strawberries

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

~10 medium strawberries, stems removed and frozen (~1/2 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

Banana-free green smoothie with strawberries

Green smoothie with a hint of orange and vanilla
(I made this after juicing two oranges for Mr Bite and being left with orange pulp)

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1 large banana, frozen

~2 tbsp orange pulp, or fresh orange or orange juice

Few drops vanilla essence

~1 tbsp hemp seeds or chia seeds (optional)

Green smoothie with a hint of orange and vanilla

Raspberry mint smoothie with hemp seed milk

3/4 cup hemp seed milk (or milk of choice; the hemp seed variety gives a slight nuttiness)

3/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

2 fresh mint leaves (roughly chopped if your blender isn't as efficient as it could be)

Raspberry mint smoothie with hemp seed milk

Caffeinated banana pineapple smoothie

1 cup soy milk

1 medium banana, frozen,

1/2 cup (drained) tinned pineapple

1 tsp instant coffee powder

Caffeinated banana pineapple smoothie

Strawberry ice cream smoothie 

(this really did taste like strawberry ice cream!)

3/4 - 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 medium banana, frozen

4 medium strawberries, stems removed

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tsp vanilla essence

Strawberry ice cream smoothie

Strawberry mint smoothie with coconut

3/4 - 1 cup soy milk

1 medium banana, frozen

4 medium strawberries, stems removed

2 fresh mint leaves (roughly chopped if your blender isn't as efficient as it could be)

1 tbsp oats

1 tbsp dessicated coconut

You may notice that none of these are very 'green', in the sense that leafy vegetables don't feature highly. My lack of a high-power blender makes spinach the only vegetable I can smoothie-fy, but I do have a very green drink to share later in the week (I thought it deserved a post all of its own!).

Tell me - what is your favourite smoothie at the moment?

For another collection of smoothie recipes, see Theresa's post from last summer at The Tropical Vegan.

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Why I like December

I am not a big fan of Summer. Generally by the time Autumn rolls around I am convinced I live in the wrong country and am ready to move to the Northern hemisphere.

Despite this, though, I very much like December. Let me tell you why...

Christmas is coming. 

There are decorations to put up, surprises to plan, presents to buy, and shopping to legitimately do. 

There are more opportunities for baking and cooking. 

Work tends to wind down. People seem friendlier.

It is light when I get up (which is 5.40am on weekdays), and when we eat dinner. 

The temperatures are not yet (usually, and please this year too) too hot. 

The warmer weather is conducive to family barbecues and there are generally more family catch ups to be had.

It is the month in which summer fruit arrives with a vengeance.

[Incidentally, this photo was taken last weekend. I have eaten all but 1 of the apricots, all of the plums, most of the peaches and nectarines, and both mangoes. I may turn into a piece of fruit.]

It is the month in which my birthday falls.

It is the last month of the year, and there is a metaphorical 'tidying up' that happens in my head. 

It also means that we are nearly at a new year, which allows for a certain freshness and even excitement.

I have 12 days off from the 23rd December, thanks to my workplace's few-public-holidays-but-time-off-in-lieu-at-Christmas arrangement.

I have Christmas themed recipes to try and share, and can finally legitimately do so.

The first will involve cranberries...

What does December mean to you?

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