It was a last minute decision to come up here, a combination of getting things sorted out around home and coordinating the frequent flyer points. Luckily all fell into place and we were able to pull it off. So after a rushed booking of flights, airport parking, accommodation and car hire, we found ourselves on a direct flight to Cairns at 6 am on Tuesday the 25th of November.
The reason for this trip was, of course birds! We have never been 'up north' at this time of year before and were keen to add a few of the https://cdn.zenfolio.com/zf/img/null.gif migrants to our Australia list. The main target, the stunning Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher had arrived a week or so prior, so we were confident on that one. Another target, the Spotted Whistling-duck had also been reported, so possibly another (although we had chased up on leads regarding this bird before, never having any luck). The Black-winged Monarch was almost a given at the McIver River crossing north of Cooktown, so maybe three? Number four possibility, the Pale-vented Bush-hen has always eluded us in the dry season, so we were hoping for some rain and for him to go out frolicking in it (in front of us of course). So with high hopes of adding four to our total of 718, we excitedly set off.
The flight and collection of our rental buzz box (a Holden Barina) all went surprisingly well and we were on our way out of the airport and towards Julatten just after 8.30. First stop was near the turn off to Port Douglas where we has seen Little Curlew before. Not so this time, but a lone Barn Swallow certainly made up for it. Some shopping at Mossman saw us stock up on self catering foods for the first few days. We arrived at
Buff-breasted Paradise KingfisherBuff-breasted Paradise Kingfisher (Tanysiptera sylvia) taken 25/11/2014 at Kingfisher Park Birdwatcher Lodge, Julatten, QueenslandCanon EOS 7D Mark II, f/4.5 @300 mm, 1/200, ISO 3200,No Flash Kingfisher park in the early afternoon, but after a 4am start and hour time difference, it had already been a long day. The prospect of a new bird though was far too eluding in order to be able to relax, so we were soon scouring the grounds of Kingfisher park for the much desired Paradise Kingfisher. An hour or so later, we were becoming a little despondent. This was supposed to be a cert after all! Finally a flash in front of us, and there it was. What a magnificent bird and totally worth the trip up, even if this was as good as it got. Over the next couple of days we were treated to better and better views of this delightful bird and Alby managed some brilliant photos. The Kingfisher Park stay was wonderful. We stayed this time in one of the rooms which was somewhat more luxurious than our previous stays in the campground. The birding was great, we had really close and lingering looks at Red-necked Crake, a bird we have only seen at a distance once before. The Papuan Frogmouth was sitting on a nest which was special and all the other spectacular northern birds behaved for us very well. The mention of a Bush-hen in the property next door got us all excited and saw us rising before dawn to try and find him skulking around. We did not manage to find one, however, despite our best efforts. Of great enjoyment was the relaxing on the verandah in the afternoon after a morning of birding quietly watching the numerous Emerald Doves, Pale Yellow Robins and Metallic Starlings which confidently went about their business in front of us.
After three delightful days of relatively cool weather up in the hills, it was time to head further north to Cooktown. Cooktown is an easy three hour drive through very dry cattle country. The roads were lovely and quiet, unlike in the dry season where there are thousands of people 'doing the Cape'. Just before we got to Cooktown, there is a swamp area where Spotted-whistling Duck had been reported a few weeks earlier. We weren't too confident, as the latest word was that they had moved on and were no longer present. At the bird hide, we met a local couple who
Spotted Whistling DuckSpotted Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna guttata) taken 03/12/2014 at Cooktown, QueenslandCanon EOS 7D Mark II, f/4.5 @300 mm, 1/1250, ISO 2000,No Flash had binoculars and a telescope, so I immediately asked if they has seen any of our target ducks. They excitedly replied, that yes, they had seen them only an hour or so earlier. So with renewed vigor, we scoured every duck present. Nothing. Finally after a couple of hours sweltering in the heat and sun, we caught a long distant look of the elusive duck through our telescope. At last! It was not however a very good look and soon after, the lone duck headed back out of sight. Feeling sort of pleased, but also mildly cheated, we headed into Cooktown to check into our cottage. It turned out that in the five days we spent at Cooktown, we went looking for the ducks around 6-7 times and had two really good sightings. Phew! Great to finally catch up with these spotty ducks.
In order to get to the Black-winged Monarch location, McIver River, we had to hire a 4wd as our buzz box had very specific instructions about not going north of Cooktown. Therefore we found ourselves in the somewhat ridiculous situation of having two hire cars on the one day. We were fortunate that the place we were staying was also the hire car setup which made things very easy. So very early on the Saturday morning, we headed north in search of tick number three for the trip.
This proved to be one of those very rare birding moments where less than five minutes after arrival, I heard Alby cry "I've got one!". Brilliant,
such any easy tick (if you forget about the fact that we had flown to Cairns, driven 350km to Cooktown, swapped hire cars and driven a further 80km north on dirt road, yeah, really easy). We stayed all morning and continued to observe these attractive birds along with some other spectacular species.Having satisfied our count for Cooktown, we were able to relax a little and spend some quality time on our verandah and in the lovely pool on the grounds observing the brilliantly coloured Wompoo Fruit-doves coming in to drink.
After five days in Cooktown, we headed back south to the Atherton Tablelands. This is a favorite area of ours and in particular the Lake Eacham area. We normally stay in the small caravan park, but this time chose Chambers Wildlife Lodge as it was recommended for birdos. It was certainly a great place with Victoria's Riflebird and Green Catbird being regular visitors to our balcony (with a few bananas as bribery!). The grounds were also superb, set in around 20 acres of rainforest with a perimeter walking track. The night life was a highlight too, we easily spotted Striped Possums, Sugar Gliders and Long-nosed Bandicoots.
The goal here was the so far elusive Bush-hen, our final target for the trip. Things were not looking good though as no rain had been forthcoming. We slacked off a little, knowing our chances were very slim and instead spent time at some of the fabulous birding sites that this area has to offer. The highlight was a spectacular male Golden Bowerbird who generously allowed us to get up close and personal.
One evening the heavens opened, dumping around 50ml of rain. Our hopes climbed and the next morning whilst still dark and damp, we went out hunting Bush-hen. Not surprisingly we had no luck, but had a few heart stopping moments when a sneaky Buff-banded Rail skulked in and out of the dense grasses in front of us. So, the Bush-hen wins again. Still, it doesn't hurt to have a reason to keep returning to this wonderful area.
We were fortunate to pick up one unexpected and high quality (ha ha) tick. For years we have been too pure to tick the Helmeted Guinea Fowl, believing that the locations we had seen them in could well render them at least semi domesticated. So we were rather pleased and surprised to see a mob (?) of around 20 or so of these comical chooks wandering around Lake Tinaroo among the pine plantation. Yay, finally we felt we could officially tick them. This turned out to be our forth and final tick for the trip.
On our final day, we headed down to Cairns and managed to pick up a lovely Rufous owl and some great waders to add to our trip list. We enjoyed a yummy celebratory lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant and finally succumbed to the heat and humidity and turned the air conditioning on for a couple of hours. The apartment in Cairns was the only place we stayed which didn't have a balcony and we sorely missed it. Being cooped up inside with no breeze was rather stifling, hence the desire for some cooled air.
So the statistics for the trip are as follows:
4 new birds taking our Australia Life List to 722
176 birds for the trip
Around 1,600 images captured (now for the culling).
It was a great trip, both bird wise and relaxation wise. It was unlike any other trip in Australia that we have ever done, due to the change of accommodation. We really enjoyed staying in some lively cottages, but also missed the familiarity of our own tent and 4wd. The weather was surprisingly ok, not nearly as hot and steamy as we had expected. We felt it was in fact a particularly good time of year to visit the area with so few other tourists around, giving it a more realistic local feel.
So now we are back home and Alby has some serious work to do on his photos.
I guess now is a good time to wish everyone all the very best for the festive season and a happy and healthy 2015. Look forward to catching up with many of you soon.]]>
The camping area is pleasant and for $2.50 each per night we were treated to shower, flush loos (byo paper) and rubbish bins. We had been assured that the Grasswren was fairly simple to find. That in itself should have made us wary, but we headed out on he first morning ever optimistic. Four days and numerous Spinifex injuries later, we admitted defeat. We found absolutely no evidence of the Grasswrens the whole time. We did have lovely looks at Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, a pleasing second prize. Having dipped at Opalton, we stopped off at Lark quarry, another potential spot for these crazy birds. This time we were in luck and within half an hour heard and then briefly saw a small party of what will hopefully, one day soon become the Rusty Grasswren.
Courageously, he managed to persevere and our next stop took us to Boodjamulla NP, firstly Miyumba bush camp for two days, then Lawn Hill gorge campground for six. This is the first stop where you feel you are truly 'up north'. River crossings become common and are lined by beautiful levistonia palms. The birds become exotic, Buff-sided Robin, Barking owl, Purple-crowned Fairy-wren and numerous finches. So we had made it! Miyumba was beautiful and peaceful, but Lawn Hill gorge rather the opposite. Unfortunately the time we were there was school holidays and so packed full of families. Most of you are probably aware of our extremely low tolerance of screaming children. Not to worry, we still enjoyed the numerous walks and even braved a dip at the falls.
Limmen NP was next on the agenda. This area sports the amazing Southern Lost city sandstone formations which rival the Bungle Bungles, as well as the peaceful Butterfly springs and some other lovely camp areas. It is becoming a popular area, especially with fishermen, but we were still fortunate enough to find a few quiet spots.
We then turned left to head back south. We meandered our way through the magnificent Barkly grasslands areas enjoying numerous Flock Bronzewing, Pratincole and the highlight, Yellow Chat. Two days at Mt Isa chasing the local Grasswrens left us feeling very depressed at the total destruction of their habitat by fire and mining. More dirt tracks on our way to Birdsville gave us not only total seclusion, but also plentiful Gibberbirds and Inland Dotteral as well as a small flock of Orange Chats. We loved our time through this area and felt pleased at our decision to head this way. We are currently enjoying two days at Birdsville sitting at the side of the lagoon and lapping up what we expect may be the last mild days of the trip.We returned from a very successful (birding wise) and relaxing two weeks on Norfolk Island at the start of March. Two days later we were leading a BirdLife camp at Clarkesdale! Rather hectic. Having never been leaders before, we found this challenging and extremely tiring. We did enjoy the experience though (enough to do it again?!?) despite the fact that the birds were rather light on. We then spent time at our still new home, luxuriating in all the creature comforts, after years of living in a thirteen foot caravan.
So, come May the first, we were ready to head north again. The starting point was Balranald, for the Echuca Birdlife three day outings. These events are always well worth while and the area around Balranald, especially Yanga NP particularly pleasant. We set off a couple of days prior to the outings beginning, with the view to birding and relaxing around the Willows camp at Yanga. Upon arrival, to our dismay, the campground was closed due to recent and expected further rain. Now what? We tried all the National Park camps, only to find the whole area closed. With very few other options for a long term stay, we headed to the caravan park. Not our idea of a brilliant way to fill in a couple of days prior to the main group arriving. It is a great park (if you can bear the highway noise), but after two days of close to freezing temperatures and torrential rain, we were getting close to spitting the dummy and heading home. Luckily P&J arrived and saved us from that fate.
The outi
Striated PardaloteStriated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus) race "substriatus". Taken 04/05/2014 Balranald, New South Wales
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/5 @500 mm, 1/3200, ISO 250, No Flash
ngs proved very enjoyable, despite the fact that we could not gain access to the National Park. We have certainly seen more of the Balranald area than we ever would have expected. The next stage of the trip, saw us driving some long distances. The cold weather is tedious, living in a tent, so gunning it north, is a good way to speed up some warmer weather. Our first night was spent at a disused quarry north east of Cobar. A beautiful spot with some lovely dry country birds and mercifully, after being right on the highway at Balranald, on a very (2 cars in 18 hours) quiet back road.
Another big drive the next day found us at Lake Yarrie, just out of Narrabri. We had a small celebration here, as we had been without our thermals for over 24 hours. Things were looking distinctly warmer! Lake Yarrie was a lovely spot, unplanned by us, but just happened to be at the right place for a nights stop. It is like a caravan park on one side, with some powered sites and facilities block. Much to our delight, across the far side of the lake are some peaceful, private camp sites with a pit loo. Just what we were after. We enjoyed a magnificent sunset over the lake and were a little disappointed we didn't have another day spare to stay longer. We are usually more flexible, but with bookings at both the Gold Coast and Binna Burra, we were on a rather strict timeline. One to bookmark for another time perhaps?
Interestingly, we managed to drive almost the entire way from Balranald to Narrabri on dirt back roads. This made for a very interesting and far more relaxing trip than taking the highways. Not having to worry about road conditions and dust inside, is certainly one of the benefits of not towing.
Next stop, Inverell, where Alby's son Heath is now living with his partner Sharon and their young son Wilson. We spent a couple of enjoyable days seeing them again, as well as catching up with the chores such as washing clothes and selves.
The following three days were particularly pleasant. We found a little known NP out of Kyogle called Toonumbar.
Noisy PittaNoisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor) race "versicolor". Taken 14/05/2014 at Toonumbar National Park, New South Wales
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/3.2 @300 mm, 1/400, ISO 800, Flash
It is a rainforest area and our first real stop of the trip. We had a lovely private camp site nestled right in the rainforest. Our campground birds were Logrunners and Noisy Pitta! Wow. We also saw other great birds such as Paradise Riflebird, Regent Bowerbird and Green Catbird all within 500m of our camp site. Unfortunately, although we heard Sooty Owl calling, we were unable to track one down, so dipped on a new tick. We had an amazing time, thoroughly enjoying the birding and lovely walks the area had to offer.
A relatively short drive took us to our current location, Mermaid Beach. After the quiet of Toonumbar, we were initially well out of our depth. We did have one day off visiting with the Southport Pelagic where we endured rough seas for great sightings of three species of
Wilson's Storm PetrelWilson's Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) taken 17/05/2014 on the Southport Pelagic out of Southport, Queensland
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/5 @300 mm, 1/1250, ISO 320, No Flash
Storm Petrels. Having been here nearly a week now, we have adjusted and look forward to our early morning exercise sessions along the beach. I am still trying to understand the massive attraction of the area though, as to me there are far nicer places in Australia. But hey, great so many people love it here as it keeps them away from our favorite places!
Next stop a luxury week at Binna Burra, then further onwards and upwards.
]]>Whilst sitting in our shed, waiting impatiently for our house to be completed back on our 10th wedding anniversary on November 1, in our frustration we boldly decided to book a couple of trips. The first, which we are currently enjoying, finds us luxuriating on Norfolk Island. The second, in quite a different vein, will see us at this time next year in Sri Lanka (no points for guessing who chose which trip!).
So here we are on Norfolk Island, a place we would not have chosen to visit except for the 5 birds we expected we would be able to fairly easily add to our Australian life list. As a side issue it is a lovely, relaxing place to be. We decided to stay for two weeks to give us plenty of time to locate the required birds as well as having a good look around and quality relaxation time. There are two flights weekly from Sydney to Norfolk, so we first had to get to Sydney. To avoid the stresses of minimal time between arriving at Sydney's domestic terminal and having to change to the international one, we opted to spend a night at the Ibis budget near the airport. This proved a good idea, alleviating any potential hassles. We arrived on Norfolk around midday and were greeted by our hire car and someone to drive us to our accommodation. There is only one roundabout and no traffic lights, so navigation proved rather easy. Our units (we are here with P&J) are lovely. The are only the two on the block, they are spotlessly clean, boast magnificent ocean views and are in a convenient location. We could not have wanted for more.
Now, where am I again???
Taking the time to smell the flowers
Meeting the locals
Our first afternoon found us in the supermarket scouring for vegan products with mixed success. Prices are steep, as expected. After the obligatory shopping was done, we headed to Palm Glen, part of the Norfolk national park. Almost immediately we were able to tick off Slender-billed White-eye (713), and heard a Gerygone calling. We tracked that down, an endemic Norfolk bird, for tick number 714. Being a little tired after a 4.30 am start, we called it a day and headed back 'home'. The ocean views from our verandah with White Terns, Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Sooty Terns and Black Noddies soaring overhead, proved an excellent setting for happy hour.
Slender-billed White-eyeSlender-billed White-eye (Zosterops tenuirostris) taken 20/02/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/2.8 @300 mm, 1/800, ISO 800, No Flash
Norfolk GerygoneNorfolk Gerygone (Gerygone modesta) taken 17/02/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/8 @300 mm, 1/320, ISO 4000, No Flash
Red-tailed TropicbirdRed-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) taken 22/02/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/5.6 @600 mm, 1/800, ISO 200, No Flash
Our morning exercise proved very different than usual. There are hills everywhere! The humidity and the terrain saw us panting through our usual hour long pre breakfast walk (we did soon get used to it thankfully). More birding the second day saw us pick up California Quail (715). These are exceptionally cute individuals with a headdress to put anyone from the Charleston dance era to shame. They turned out to be quite common, but we were rather excited on our first sighting. We also managed to track down Pacific Robin (716) and the critically endangered Norfolk Parikeet (717). So after only 24 hours, with 13 days spare, we had ticked all the expected species!! Now that the pressure was off, we were ably to fully explore and enjoy the national park, the botanic gardens, some brilliant cliff top lookouts and even a small amount of local history.
California QuailCalifornia Quail (Callipepla californica) taken 02/03/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/3.2 @300 mm, 1/640, ISO 2500, No Flash
Norfolk RobinNorfolk Robin (Petroica multicolor) race "multicolor". Taken 22/02/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/5.6 @600 mm, 1/300, ISO 800, Flash
Norfolk ParakeetNorfolk Parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii) taken 01/03/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/2.8 @300 mm, 1/400, ISO 400, Flash
The seabird watching was brilliant, with a couple of favorites making an appearance, the White-winged Petrel and Grey Ternlet. As with most islands we have experienced, there are few land birds, both numbers and species. Within a day or so, you have pretty much seen all you are going to and can readily identify any bird without binos, as there are so few to choose between. We did manage one unexpected tick, the Morepoke (718). One evening (yes, we had to stay up after dark!), we went to an area other bird trip reports had recommended for this species. We were not overly confident as we do not do owls well and all the reports had said they had heard, but were unable to find the bird. Just on dark, we heard at least three individuals calling from different directions. A good start. Soon one came very close and armed with the trusty spotlight, we were, much to our great surprise, able to track it down. A memorable birding moment.
MoreporkMorepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) race "undulata". Taken 21/02/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/2.8 @300 mm, 1/300, ISO 800, Flash
Sacred KingfisherSacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) race "norfolkiensis". Taken 22/02/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/5.6 @600 mm, 1/1000, ISO 2500
Pacific Golden PloverPacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) taken 18/02/2014 on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, f/6.3 @300 mm, 1/250, ISO 250, No Flash
Phillip Island (Norfolk Island)Phillip Island looking from Kingston on Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean.
Canon EOS 7D, f/13 @ 190 mm,1/250, ISO 320, No Flash
Panorama of 3 images stitched together
Enough about birding for most I expect, so on to some stuff about Norfolk. The locals are very welcoming; the spirits are duty free and therefore about $13/litre; the fuel is very expensive $2.64/litre; cows rule; Norfolk pines are prolific and very beautiful; most people visit here for the history; the weather is very mild; the saying about tourists being newly wed or nearly dead seems very apt; it rains daily.....multiple times; Kingfishers are called Nuffka's (whoops, back to birds!); the school hold its swimming sports day in the sea; there is no pier, so getting goods ashore is a complicated matter involving cranes, small boats, tug boats, forklifts and lots of people; the locally grown fruit and vegetables are great; most goods come from NZ. These are just some of my musings and observations of the island. As for the independence from Australia and tax free status, whilst still wanting all the handouts.....well that is another story.
Longboat with Phillip Island in the Background
Penal colony ruins at Kingston
Penal colony ruins at Kingston
Next stop, home for 24 hours or so, then to Clarkesdale for the Birdlife Camp, home again for a couple of months before heading north for winter.
]]>I realize I have been incredibly slack when I see that the last newsletter was dated May!!
So, here we are again. The not quite Gypsy Twitchers!
Things have been rather busy and not, (a little unfortunately) due to wild adventurous travels. Upon returning from our magnificent tour of Vietnam (91 new life birds...wow), we thought long and hard and decided we really should get around to building a house. Or should I say, I pressed hard to do so and Alby finally agreed, very reluctantly and not without considerable kicking and screaming.
So that is how we have come to spend a winter in Victoria. (may it never happen again!) Our first since 2005. The current status of the house is that it is being delivered in 4 pieces on a truck, two parts tomorrow and two more on Friday. A crane will then lift all the pieces onto the stumps and hey presto, there is our house! Not quite so easy, but nearly. There will still be around three weeks work connecting services and the like before we are able to move in, but the end is in sight. Surprisingly, except for the initial, excruciating process of obtaining a planning permit, the whole building experience has been relatively stress free. (dare I speak so soon?). Until move in day, we are enjoying a relatively basic, but comfortable life of sleeping in the tent and living in the shed, complete with full power.
Two points there, sleeping in the tent because we have sold Trakky. Dear old Trakky, what a life we had with him! But really it was time to move on, his joints were creaking a little too much and we want to head further off the beaten track than even Trakky would be up for. So we bit the bullet and advertised him for sale (Alby..."wouldn't it be a good idea to get the house all set up before we advertise?"....Me..."oh no, I'm sure it won't sell that quickly!"). Three days later he was happily trailing behind his new owners with a whole new lifetime of adventures waiting!
The second point is that we have a full 5kw solar system installed in and on the shed. This consists of 20 panels and 24 batteries (weighing 80kg each). An incredibly smart and easy system to use, which delivers all our power needs. So we have set up a mini home in the shed, running a microwave, kettle and toaster as well as powering up all our gadgets. All so very luxurious really.
In between all the house commitments, we were lucky enough to be able to squeeze in a three week trip to Bowra. This was a great way to escape the cold of a southern winter as well as slip in some good quality birding. Bowra as always was great, but sadly seemed badly overrun with goats, the worst we have ever seen it. It was also extremely dry and consequently bird numbers and species were down. We did have a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing time with stops at Cocoparra, Gundabooka and Round Hill on the way up and back.
We recently also managed the momentous 20 minute trek to bird camp at Newstead. A very pleasant few days spent with our birdo friends, even though Alby missed most of it, having to be around home for tradesmen.
It has been an interesting time, being basically in one place for such a long time and yes, we do have itchy feet. So the question on all your minds is, will this new home keep us from our travels?...not likely. We are certainly looking forward to enjoying some of the finer things a permanent home has to offer, but the lure of the outback and the thrill of all those exotic birds waiting overseas is certainly still calling us. We have a 4-5 month trip planned out for next winter (a big adventure for Terry the tent), heading up through Finke to Alice the out west through Jupiter well, then through the Kimberly and on to Kakadu for another crack at the White-throated Grasswren, down the Savannah Way and home through western Queensland. Can't wait. Depending how everything pans out with the house and finishing touches, we may be able to squeeze a trip to Asia in for March as well.
It was with some sadness, but absolutely no regret, that we ended an era of full time travel. We are, however looking forward to starting a new phase, spending some very comfortable time at our wonderful block (we currently have 14 orchids flowering!) as well as continuing to travel extensively in both Australia and overseas.
Stay posted....
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Having been full time vegan travellers now for the past 5 years, I feel I have finally achieved the perfect pantry and balanced diet. This has been a learning process and continues to evolve as we go. We choose to live the vegan lifestyle mainly for environmental and cruelty reasons, but also feels it enables us to be the fittest and healthiest we can possibly be.
We travel in a basic 13 ½ foot Trakmaster caravan which has a 4 burner gas stove and gas oven or a tent with a single gas burner. I do all my cooking with these facilities and do not use a BBQ, slow cooker, Cob or any other cooking type unit. We are very environmentally conscious and therefore do not light a camp fire due to the habitat destruction it causes. We do not have a microwave as we are rarely connected to power. I do carry a “stick mixer” and a very small food processor which we run with an inverter.
We travel to many remote areas of this amazing country and always start out with a 4 week supply of basic food. We supplement this with fresh fruit and vegetables and bread where we can (often the only available bread at roadhouses is frozen white. We tend to give this a wide birth and hang out for the next multi-grain or wholemeal loaf). When travelling remotely, we also have a food tub set aside purely for emergency situations. We do not touch this food until safely back in “the real world”.
Our breakfasts consist of a muesli and cereal mix with soy milk (which I buy in powdered form for storage and cost reasons) and toast (Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri), baked beans on toast (Wed, Sat) and our favourite “toast day” on Sunday.
Lunches are mountain bread wraps (they keep for months and take up virtually no space) filled with refried beans, chilli, tofu and fresh salad ingredients where available. When we are unable to find fresh stuff, we use long life tofu, canned cucumber and beetroot. We always have fruit too, preferable fresh (fresh being really just a manner of speaking when purchasing in the outback).
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BASIC PANTRY. We travel to many remote areas of this amazing country and always start out with a 4 week supply of basic food. |
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This allows all my basic Vegan camp recipes to be made for a 4 week period as well as having some other back-up type ingredients for alternative cooking.
Other stuff you cannot eat, but will definitely need!! |
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EMERGENCY PANTRY (Should last 2 weeks and is ONLY for use if you are REALLY stuck and have run out of food) |
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This will provide for only a VERY basic menu, however if you really are stuck, it would seem fantastic. We also carry a satellite phone, a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) as well as a large amount of get out of trouble gear and spare parts.
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Fast, healthy, guilt free (all with camp options where no fresh stuff is available). We enjoy our food hot, and add chilli and or curry to nearly everything. If you do not share our firey tastes, quantities can be reduced or even removed. All these are made with ingredients from my Basic Pantry and provide 4 weeks of evening meals for 2 people. All these meals freeze well, so where the serving size is for 4, I set aside and freeze half the quantity for next weeks rotation. |
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Channa Masala-Spicy chick pea, bean and tomato curry (Serves 4)
Add chick peas, green beans, chopped tomatoes and spices. Set aside half the curry for another meal. This recipe freezes well. Heat and serve over jasmine or basmati rice.
Creamy Spinach Pasta (serves 4)
Add a little water to chopped onion and garlic, then ‘sauté’ until just cooked (I do not use any oils as I feel they are wasted calories. 1 tablespoon of any oil contains 160 calories and is equivalent to 2 slices of bread, nearly 1 cup of cooked rice or 1 ½ glasses of wine. I know what I would prefer to use my save for!!). Set aside. Puree together the tofu and canned spinach with ‘stick mixer’ until smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice, coked onion mix, stock, pepper and nutmeg to the spinach and tofu. Set aside half the sauce for another meal. This recipe freezes well. Heat and serve over soy or wholemeal pasta and sprinkle crushed walnuts.
Curried Vegetables on rice (serves 4)
Add a little water to chopped onion and ‘sauté’ until just cooked. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons flour. Slowly pour in the soy milk, stirring continuously over a very low heat. Continue to stir (or use a whisk to prevent the mixture glugging) until the mixture heats and boils. Remove from heat and add both can of veggies, lemon zest and juice, veggie stock, curry powder, paprika and nutmeg. Set aside half of the curry for another meal. This recipe freezes well. Reheat and serve over jasmine or basmati rice.
Tomato, Olive and Caper Pasta Sauce (serves 2)
Add a little water to chopped onion and garlic, then ‘sauté’ until just cooked. Add the can of chopped tomatoes, olives, capers, chilli and herbs. Heat and serve over soy or wholemeal pasta.
Dahl (serves 4-6)
Soak brown lentils in hot water for a couple of hours (does not matter if you don’t do this, they will just take a little longer to cook). Drain and add water to cover, spices, onion and garlic. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add red lentils and continue to simmer for a further 20 minutes or so, until red lentils have broken down to form the ‘gravy’ and the brown lentils are tender. You may need to add more water at any stage, but only enough to keep the mix from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan as you do not want the mix too sloppy. Set aside half the dahl for another meal. This recipe freezes well. Reheat and serve with jasmine or basmati rice. This is my basic dahl recipe. Depending on taste and availability, you can add any chopped vegetables of your choosing and cook them up with the lentils. I particularly like broccoli and pumpkin. If there are no fresh veggies available a can of mixed vegetables is good or canned spinach and coconut milk make a good change too.
Lentil and corn chowder (serves 4)
Cover lentils with water, add onion, garlic and spices (not the herbs yet!). Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10-20 minutes until the lentils have fully broken down to form a type of paste. Allow to cool a little and puree until smooth with a ‘stick mixer’. Add the corn kernels, creamed corn and herbs and enough water or soy milk to form the desired consistency. Set aside half the soup for another meal. This recipe freezes well. Reheat and serve. Alby particularly likes this recipe served at a thick consistency, rather than as a soup, poured over noodles. A fresh crusty bread is also good if you can get it!!
Chilli hommus (serves 2)
Add together chick peas, garlic, lemon zest and juice, tahini and sweet chilli sauce. Blend together with ‘stick mixer’ until smooth. Refrigerate and serve with rice crackers, olives and any fresh dipping veggies available (or your favourite nibblies) |
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- 1x 227g plain Tofutti (cream cheese substitute)
- 1x 500g jar sundried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
Drain oil from sundried tomatoes, then place in a strainer and pour boiling water over until all the oil is gone. Place the drained sundries tomatoes and capers in a food processor and whizz until the pieces are very small. Add Tofutti, mixed herbs and about 2 tablespoons of water and whizz to mix. More water may be needed to bring the dip to the right consistency. Refrigerate and serve with rice crackers, olives and any fresh dipping veggies (or your favourite nibblies).
Olive Tapenade
- 1x 500g jar kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 teaspoons dried garlic granules
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
- Fresh cracked pepper
Drain olives and place these and the capers in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice, garlic, herbs and cracked pepper. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to allow the garlic granules to soften. Serve with warm Turkish bread and any fresh dipping veggies along with your favourite nibblies.
Spicy Satay Dip
- Approximately 200-250g crunchy peanut butter
- ½ cup sweet chilli sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
Mix all ingredients together and serve with crackers or Turkish bread and all your other dipping favourites.
]]>- 1 cup brown rice
- 400g can chick peas
- 1/3 cup pepitas
- 1/3 cup currants
- 3 celery stalks, sliced thinly
- ½ bunch parsley, chopped finely
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons tahini
Cook and drain rice. Add all ingredients, stirring the tahini through thoroughly.
Bean Salad:
- 1x 400g can three or four bean mix
- 1x 400g can soy beans (or 1 cup of precooked soybeans from the freezer)
- 1 salad onion, halved and very finely sliced
- Handful of fresh green beans, chopped into 3cm lengths
- 1 small green pepper, finely sliced into 3cm lengths
- 2 tablespoons mixed dried herbs
- 2 teaspoons dried mustard powder
- ¼ cup vinegar
Microwave green beans until just cooked but still slightly crunchy. Drain and add canned beans along with the onion and green pepper. Sprinkle the herbs and mustard powder over, drizzle the vinegar and mix well. This recipe is better made the day before as it allows the dressing soaks into the ingredients.
Pasta Salad
- 1 large zucchini
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 eggplant
- 300g pumpkin
- 1 red onion
- 500g packet large veggie spiral pasta
- Jar Leggos Tomato, chilli and olive stir through sauce
- ½ tub Tofutti
Cut zucchini, eggplant, capsicum and red onion into bit sized chunks. Grill, BBQ or oven bake the vegetables until cooked but still firm. Cook pasta and allow it and the vegetables to cool. Stir through all the vegetables along with the Tofutti and sauce.
]]>- 320g (or similar) block of hard Tofu, crumbed in food processor
- 1x400g can corn kernels
- 2 medium mushrooms, chopped finely
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
- 1 green pepper, chopped finely
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- Crushed garlic to taste
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped chilli (or more!!)
- ½ teaspoon veggie stock powder
Add a little water to chopped onion and garlic, then ‘sauté’ until just cooked. Add chopped tomatoes, pepper and mushrooms along with chilli and stock. Cook all ingredients until just tender. Add corn and crumbed tofu. Reheat and serve on toast. This recipe also freezes well.
Homemade ‘Baked Beans’ (serves 4-6)
- 1 cup dried soy beans, soaked overnight (or 1x 400g can soy beans)
- 2x400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 large onion, chopped finely
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ teaspoon veggie stock powder
- 1 tablespoon each of mixed herbs, parsley and chives
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped chilli (or more)
Cook soy beans until tender (they do take a long time, maybe an hour or more). Meanwhile, add a little water to the chopped onion along with stock, herbs and chilli, then ‘sauté’ until just cooked. Drain soy beans and add to the onion mix, along with the cans of tomatoes and capers. Reheat and serve on toast. This recipe freezes well. Tip: When I used to have a home and freezer, I cooked up large quantities of soy beans at a time and froze them in 1 cup portions. This way you always have soy beans at the ready.
Homemade natural muesli
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup each of rolled triticale and barley
- Your choice of mixed dried fruit (I buy a packet of breakfast mix from the supermarket which has a good mix of fruit and some nuts I think)
- 1/4 cup each of soy grits, linseeds, sesame and sunflower seeds
Mix all together. For a lighter breakfast, mix half this muesli with an equal quantity of commercial cereal (eg. Sanitarium mixed grain cereal)
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Pasties:
- 1kg frozen mixed veggies (chopped small)
- Or your choice of fresh veggies eg:
- Onion, potato, carrot, pumpkin, swede, turnip, parsnip, beans or peas, broccoli, corn
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 packet filo pastry
If using fresh veggies, finely chop or whizz in food processor. Microwave either frozen or fresh veggies until tender. Add stock and curry powder and allow to cool. Fold in half long ways, 2 pieces of filo. Brush edges with soy milk or water. Spoon a good sized spoonful of the vegetable mix onto the edge of the filo and fold over and over into a triangle. Bake in moderate oven for about ½ hour or until golden. Some brown lentils are a good additive too. These pasties freeze well after having been cooked.
Spinach Pie:
- ½ packet filo pastry
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1x 400g can spinach
- 1x320g packet firm tofu
- 4 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Juice and rind of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons seeded mustard
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
- Ground black pepper to taste
Chop tofu into large cubes and finely chop in food processor. Blend spinach with stick mixer until smooth. Saute chopped onion in water until tender. Mix all ingredients together. Grease a baking tray (approx. 20cm x 20cm or similar size) with margarine or oil, then layer filo, 2 sheets at a time, brushing with water or soy milk in between, until you have around 6-8 sheets. Spoon spinach mixture into the pastry and repeat filo layers (6-8 sheets) on top. Bake in a moderate oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the filo is golden brown.
Hint: Tofu can be replaced with 2 large mashed potatoes or 1 ½ cups of cooked brown rice. All are good and quite different, although I prefer the tofu. Freezes well.
Spinach rolls:
- 1 bunch fresh silver beet or spinach or 1x440g can spinach
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 200g vegan margarine (or water if you prefer not to spend so many calories)
- 180g plain wholemeal flour
- 1 ½ cups soy milk
- Pinch each of cayenne pepper and nutmeg
- 1 packet filo pastry
Microwave fresh spinach, puree and set aside. Make a roux with the margarine (or water), flour and milk. Stir ubtil the mix thickens and boils, add cayenne, nutmeg and pureed spinach (or can). Allow to cool.
Fold 2 pieces of filo in half lengthwise, brushing with soy milk or water to help stick. Place a large spoonful of the spinach mix across wise, leaving about 2cm at each end. Fold ends over and wrap.
Bake in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. Serve with a homemade tomato sauce.
VEGETABLE DISHES:
Stuffed Peppers (Spinach and Tofu):
- 2 large red peppers suitable for stuffing
- 200g firm tofu
- 400g can spinach (or frozen or fresh)
- 1 medium onion
- 1 bunch fresh mint
- 1 bunch fresh coriander
- 1 tablespoon curry paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
Halve lengthwise and seed red peppers. Microwave or sauté in water the onion. Chop the tofu into 1-2cm squares. Puree the spinach and add the whole leaves of the coriander and mint. Stir through the cooked onion, curry paste and turmeric and lastly add the tofu cubes. Spoon the mixture generously into the peppers and bake on a low-moderate for about 45 minutes or until peppers are slightly soft.
Stuffed Peppers (Creamy potato and Pinenut):
- 2 large red, yellow or green peppers (your choice) suitable for stuffing
- 2 large potatoes, diced into 1-2 cm cubes and cooked
- ½ 227g tub of plain Tofutti
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
- Cracked pepper to taste
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped finely
- ½ cup pinenuts
Halve lengthwise and seed the peppers. Cook potato cubes in the microwave until just tender. Mix the Tofutti with a little water to thin it out a bit. Add this tofutti and water mix together with veggie stock, parsley, cracked pepper and pinenuts to the potatoes. Gently mix through. Spoon the mixture generously into the peppers and bake on a low-moderate oven for about 45 minutes or until peppers are slightly soft.
Zucchini and Lemon Pizza:
- 1 quantity homemade pizza dough or bought pizza base
- 1 large zucchini, sliced thinly
- 1 large red onion, sliced thinly
- 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- ½ a 227g packet Tofutti
Mix together Tofutti, garlic, lemon zest and black pepper. Spread this mixture generously over pizza base. Evenly arrange the onion, then zucchini on top. Bake in moderate-hot oven for around ½ an hour or until base golden.
LEGUME DISHES:
Veg Chilli
- ½ cup cracked wheat
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed (or 2 teaspoons dried garlic)
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 800g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
- 400g can red kidney beans, drained
- 400g can chick peas, drained
- 400g can corn kernels, drained
Soak the cracked wheat with 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Saute the garlic and onion in water until soft. Add beans, chick peas, tomatoes, corn as well as all the spices and stock. Mix together well and heat to serve hot on toast, rice or cous cous. Freezes well.
Lentil and walnut loaf
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
- ¾ cup brown lentils, soaked overnight or for a few hours
- 100g crushed walnuts
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
- Ground black pepper to taste
Saute the onion and garlic in water until soft. Add the celery, lentils and stock, along with around 1 ½ cups of water. Cover and simmer until tender (you need to watch and add extra water if necessary. Keep the mixture as dry as possible without allowing it to stick to the saucepan). Stir in walnuts, breadcrumbs (more or less may be needed, just enough to make a reasonably solid mix), parsley and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper and spoon the mixture in. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 45-50 minutes. Leave in tray to cool (it will break apart if you try to turn it out hot). Cut into serving sizes, reheat in oven or microwave to serve. Serve with your choice of steamed veggies and a tomato sauce.
Lentil and Vegetable Curry:
- 1kg packet frozen chunky vegetables or mixed fresh equivalent
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 1x 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup dries red lentils
- 1 tablespoon hot curry paste
- 1x 400g can light coconut milk
Cover red lentils and chopped onion with water and simmer until the mix becomes paste like. Additional water may need to be added, so keep your eye on it whilst simmering. Add frozen vegetables, tomatoes, tomato paste and curry paste. Add ½ cup water and return to simmer until vegetables are tender. Add coconut milk and reheat. Serve over basmati rice.
BURGERS/PATTIES:
Turkey Burgers: (named when we had run out of nearly all food in Turkey Creek, WA.....no turkeys suffered!!)
- 1 x 400g can 3 or 4 bean mix
- 1 x 400g can mixed vegetables
- 1 large tablespoon crunchy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 2 teaspoons each of dried onion and garlic (of course fresh can be used)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (dried or fresh)
- Some sort of binding agent, eg. Breadcrumbs, soy milk powder, cous cous, oatmeal
Blend together with stick mixer beans, peanut butter, chilli and parsley. Add sufficient binding agent to allow the burgers to be formed. Make patties or balls, whichever desired and place on a baking tray. Bake in a moderate oven for around 50 minutes or until crusty on the outside. Freeze well. Serve with salad or steamed veggies.
Pams Patties (thanks Mum):
- 1 onion, diced
- 350g pumpkin
- 5 medium silver beet leaves
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- ¾ cup cooked brown rice
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup oat bran
- ½ cup wheatgerm
- 2 tablespoons soy flour
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock
- Paprika and pepper to taste
Steam or microwave vegetables. Puree all together and combine with other ingredients. Mix well. Form into burger shapes and bake in a moderate-hot oven for ½ hour. Serve with salad, baked or steamed veggies or as a burger in a bun with salad and special sauce!
Soy Bean Burgers:
- 1 ½ cups cooked soy beans
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon crushed ginger
- 1 onion
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Breadcrumbs to mix
Whizz together soy beans and onion. Place into a large bowl and add garlic, ginger and rice. Mix together, then add enough breadcrumbs to form a solid burger mix. Bake in a moderate-hot oven for ½ hour. Serve with salad, baked or steamed veggies or as a burger in a bun with salad and special sauce!
Red Lentil Burgers:
- 1 ½ cups cooked red lentils
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 zucchini, grated
- Pepper to taste
- Breadcrumbs to mix
Combine all ingredients except the breadcrumbs and mix well. Add enough breadcrumbs to form a solid burger mix. Bake in a moderate-hot oven for ½ hour. Serve with salad, baked or steamed veggies or as a burger in a bun with salad and special sauce!
PASTA and NOODLE DISHES:
Cannelloni
- 270g cannelloni tubes
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 60g tomato paste
- 800g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons each or fresh or dried oregano and basil
- Ground black pepper to taste
Filling:
- ½ a 400g can spinach
- 500g silken tofu
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
- ½ cup pinenuts
Saute the onion and garlic in the soy sauce until softened. Add tomatoe, tomato paste, herbs and pepper and mix well together. Meanwhile, puree the tofu, spinach and stock together with stick mixer. Spoon the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Place ½ the tomato mix in an oven tray (approx. 30cm x 20cm), then arrange the filled cannelloni. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over and sprinkle with the pinenuts. Bake for 40 minutes or until bubbling.
Zucchini and lemon pasta:
- 375g bow tie pasta
- Brown onion, sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 medium zucchinis, grated
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 1/3 cup chopped chives
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- 50g chopped walnuts
Cook pasta and meanwhile, saute onion and garlic, add zucchini and cook until just tender. Add lemon zest and juice, pepper and chives. Stir cooked pasta through this zucchini mix and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.
Tomato and veggie pasta:
- 1 onions, diced
- 1 1/2 carrots, grated
- 2 medium zucchinis, grated
- 400g can diced tomatoes
- ½ large green pepper, diced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- Splash of red wine
- 2 teaspoons each of dried thyme, basil and parsley
- Pepper to taste
Place onions and juice from tomatoes in a saucepan and sauté (may need some extra water). Add carrots and herbs along with a splash of red wine and cook for 10-15 minutes until carrots are starting to cook. Add green pepper, zucchini, tomatoes and tomato paste, cook until all veggies are tender. Serve over wholemeal spirals or Soyoroni.
Pumpkin Pasta:
- 1.5 kg pumpkin
- 1 leek
- 2 sticks celery
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock
- Pepper and nutmeg and optional curry paste to taste
- 2 tablespoons Tofutti (optional)
Cook chopped leek, pumpkin and thinly chopped celery with the stock, nutmeg and pepper with a small amount of water. Simmer until tender, then puree and add Tofutti. Serve over gnocchi.
Quick and Easy Satay Noodles
- 500g packet frozen asian veggies
- Hokkien noodles for 2
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter
- ½ cup sweet chilli sauce
Combine soy sauce, peanut butter and sweet chilli. Cook vegies then add sauce and noodles. Reheat.
RICE DISHES:
Stuffed Peppers (Rice and Tomato)
- 2-3 large green pepper suitable for stuffing
- 1 cup brown rice
- ½ can Sanitarium Nutmeat, crumbed
- 4 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon veggie stock powder
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Halve lengthwise and seed the green peppers. Cook and drain the rice. Just break the skin of the tomatoes by lightly run a knife around the edges to form four sections (do not cut into the tomato). Place tomatoes in a bowl and immerse in boiling water. Leave for a minute or two or until the skin is beginning to lift. Peel the skin off and discard. Finely chop the tomatoes. Add rice, Nutmeat, parsley, stock and cracked pepper. Spoon the mixture generously into the peppers and sprinkle with breadcrumbs if required for a crunchy finish. Bake on a low-moderate oven for about 45 minutes or until peppers are slightly soft.
Indian Tofu and Rice Casserole:
- 400g firm tofu
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 2 tablespoons wholemeal flour
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 packey chicken noodle soup mix (most brands have no chicken in them), cooked with 1 1/2 cups water
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Parsley to taste
- Pinch of paprika
Cook rice and soup mix, Make a roux with flour and milk and cooked soup mix. Crumble tofu and mix all ingredients together. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs to give a crusty topping if required.
Baked Veggie Rice:
- 2-3 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup cooked soy beans
- Generous pinch of each of the following: turmeric, cardamom, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, cayenne pepper, garam masala, coriander, cumin
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- 1/3 cup currants
Par cook vegetables (ie still very crunchy). Mix together cooked rice, all vegetables, spices, almonds and currants. Bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes or until almonds and rice have a crunchy look.
Chilli Tofu with Cashews:
- 8 cloves of garlic
- 1 large brown onion
- 2 large red peppers
- 2-4 red chilli’s, depending on your heat tolerance
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons kecup manis
- 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
- 750g firm tofu
- Bunch of fresh coriander
- Whole cashews for serving
- Extra commercial sweet chilli sauce
- Jasmine rice for serving
Roughly chop onions, garlic, chillis and red peppers. Blend in a food processor until paste like. Add sauces and tamarind and cook until soft. Add cubed tofu (and extra commercial sweet chilli sauce if desired) and mix. Serve over jasmine rice, sprinkled with the coriander and cashews.
]]>- 375g vegan margarine
- 375g brown sugar
- Rind of 1 lemon
- Rind of 1 orange
- Equivalent of 6 egg (egg replacer)
- 2 tablespoons treacle
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 500g currants
- 500g sultanas
- 250g almonds
- 250g mixed peel
- 250g glace cherries
- 2 tablespoons rum or brandy
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 375g plain white flour
Cream butter and sugar. Add lemon and orange rind and treacle. Beat well. Gradually beat in egg replacer. Add fruit, nuts, brandy or rum and spices. Mix well. Add flour and stir until fully mixed. Place in a lined, 23cm round tin. Bake at 170 degrees for an hour, then, 130 degrees for 3-3 ½ hours covered with brown paper.
Lois’ Anzacs (thanks to my late motherin-law "Lois Wright" - My Anzacs are just not quite as good though! :
- 2 cups of either quick or full oats
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- 1 cup plain flour
- ½ cup raw sugar
- ½ cup vegan margarine
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
- ½ teaspoon powdered ginger to taste (optional)
Mix together oats, coconut, sugar, flour and ginger. Melt margarine and golden syrup together and add to the oats mix. Mix well. Dissolve the bicarb soda in hot water and mix in. Drop spoonfuls on a greased oven tray and press flat with a fork. Bake in a moderate oven, 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool on the tray.
Self-saucing Chocolate Pudding:
Pudding:
- 1 cup SR flour
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
- ½ cup soy milk
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
Sauce:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 2 ½ cups boiling water
Mix all pudding ingredients together and stir until smooth. Place this mixture into an oven proof pudding dish. Pour boiling water over brown sugar and cocoa and stir until all dissolved. Pour sauce over the pudding mix and bake in a moderate oven for 45 minutes or until the pudding is cooked through (test with a skewer).
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