Plantbased Pantry

07/05/2021

I love a good cooking fail and I've had plenty in my time. Here's an especially great one from yesterday involving the weirdest of vegan ingredients, aquafaba.

I have never used aquafaba before because I find the idea repulsive. Why use chickpea juice to make desserts when you have coconut cream and flax eggs, WHY? But the pics in the Bosh recipe book are so pretty and I got sucked in and thought I too could be a vegan pastry chef. It turns out I cannot.

The first picture is what I was trying to make. Spoiler alert: I did not make that.
In the second picture, things seemed to be going ok - I beat my brine into stiff meringue-like peaks like the recipe said. I only just managed to remember what I was working with as my finger was on my way to my mouth for a taste. Thank f #$k.
Picture number 3 is all the evidence we need to confirm that baking with chickpea juice is unnatural and offends the cooking gods. The undissolved sugar and melted chocolate sank to the bottom of the bowl and did not mix into the briney 'meringue'. The air deflated in 5 seconds flat to create a watery, chickpea-scented ocean. The best part? It still tasted like chickpeas!

In conclusion, that is the first and last time I ever go against the natural order of COMMON SENSE and create desserts out of legume juice, but at least I got a good story out of it 🤣🤣

15/02/2021

What's a throwback Thursday when it's on Monday - ?? Well, if it gives me an opportunity to share my mac & cheese sauce recipe with you, then it's a thing! The sauce is vegan, healthy and nut-free. Nutritional yeast is available at most health food shops - I get mine at Dischem, although I am hoping to stock it in my own shop soon. You don't have to use vegan cheese; I know many people aren't fans, but I think it's worth making an exception in this case.

🥘Ultimate vegan cheese sauce🥘
1 small head cauliflower or 1/2 large one
2 large carrots, peeled
2 cups plant milk
250ml veg stock
Paprika
Turmeric
Salt
Dried herbs of choice
2 tsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp mock vegan parmesan / grated vegan cheese (can omit, but don’t!)
2 tsp onion powder

Chuck everything into a pressure cooker and blast it for half an hour, or you could boil it all up in a pot and simmer for half an hour or until the sauce is thick and full of flavour.

09/02/2021

10 MINUTE RECIPE 🍜 HEALTHY VEGAN FRIED RICE
Fried rice from your local Chinese is comfort food at its best, but it feels a bit unhealthy for a weeknight dinner. Also, how do you make fried rice without eggs?! Read on my healthy veganised version, quick to make and deliciously nutritious.

Ingredients:
🍜 Omelette strips 🍜
* 1 cup chickpea flour
* 1/2 cup tapioca flour
* 1 cup water
* Olive oil for frying

🍜 Fried rice 🍜
* 2 cups of cooked brown rice
* 2 spring onions, finely sliced

* 2 tsp crushed garlic
* 1/2 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
* 1/2 head broccoli, roughly chopped
* 1 bunch pak choy, roughly chopped
* 1 tbsp soya sauce
* Coconut & olive oil for frying
* 1 tbsp sesame seeds
* 1 tsp chilli flakes
* Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 🍜
1. For the omelette, whisk the ingredients together and let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. Pour mixture into a large non-stick frying pan greased with olive oil. Fry as you would an egg omelette, flipping once the bottom starts to brown. Once it is done, allow to cool for a bit before slicing into small strips.

2. While the omelette is cooking, heat the coconut oil in another pan. Add the spring onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and sauté until just cooked ie still firm to touch. Season as desired.

3. Stir in the soya sauce and add the pal choy. Once the pak choy starts to wilt, add the cooked brown rice and egg strips and stir until heated through. Season with salt & pepper.

Top with sesame seeds and chilli flakes to serve!

08/02/2021

If you're looking for a way to increase your omega-3 intake on a plantbased diet, look no further than these little guys. Chia seeds contain gram for gram more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon. Soak them in water for for 5 mins and add them to your smoothies, it's that easy. 😁 Our chia seeds are a steal at R35/200g or R65/500g.

05/02/2021

Yesterday's guess the secret ingredient game was so enlightening! You guys are inspirational and quite mad, but not as mad as this cake. If you haven't seen it yet, the secret ingredient is cauliflower. I know - who does that, people are sick. And yet....why is it so damn delicious? If you ever need proof that we can exist on a diet of veggies alone, here you go 🤣 As promised, here is the recipe.

https://plantbasedpantry.co.za/blogs/recipes-1/healthy-fudgy-chocolate-cake

04/02/2021

Guys, this is the best chocolate cake I have ever made! Look past the inexpert frosting (baking is not my strength) and into its fudgy depths and let's play a game in exchange for the recipe 🤗 There is a healthy twist to this cake involving a secret ingredient. What is it? Guess below and I'll post the recipe tomorrow. Hint: let your mind go to crazy places 😜

02/02/2021

So you guys love pies as much as I do, which is great because it means we can stay friends 😂 As requested, here is the recipe for yesterday's Mushroom & Walnut Wellington. Send me pics if you make it!

When you start your day writing a blog post about pies, you know it's going to be a good day. I am something of a pie connoisseur.

01/02/2021

Birthdays are feast days! These gorgeous babies are mushroom wellingtons courtesy of my talented sister. 100% plantbased and 200% delicious! I will ask her to share the recipe for anyone who wants. 🤗🍄🍄🍄

14/01/2021

Cape town vegans, if you haven't yet tried the vegan 'chicken' fillets from On The Green Side , please stop what you're doing and go and buy them right away! They are absolutely heavenly. I still remember what chicken fillets tastes like and trust me, these are better. Plant curious peeps, I encourage you to give them a go! Use them in a curry like I did here, or make a fresh wrap with avo...I've even made enchiladas with them. They list their stockists on their page. You can thank me later 😉🥰

11/01/2021

I wished someone happy new year the other day and they said no, it's not happy new year. It's just new year. Well, current state of the world be damned - for me it is happy new year! I'm looking forward to more stability in my job situation and facing my challenges with a smile on my face. If last year taught me anything, it's that regardless of how impossible it seems, I can do it. So if I've already learnt that, this year can only be better. I hope you are all staring down 2021 with fire in your eyes, a warrior's heart, and daggers drawn if they don't lift the bloody booze ban soon... 🤣🥂

27/11/2020

I'm still quite new to cooking with tempeh, but after making these fried 'chicken' strips I can see myself going pro! The tempeh made this simple salad next level. Double dip in soya milk, cornflake crumbs & Southern Fried Extra Crispy Coating for maximum crisp. I could have eaten three 🤤🤤

25/11/2020

From a tiny seed of an idea, to a distant dream, to a working website featuring nine products and counting...I'm taking a moment today to be proud of how far we've come. 🤗 Please get in touch if there are specific products you'd like to see as we're working on expanding our range.
https://plantbasedpantry.co.za/collections/frontpage