Soy tofu rice paper rolls

So… I love asian food. A lot. Along with Italian, it's probably one of my favourite cuisine styles. So fragrant and light and fresh and simple… AND EASY.

And I haven't made my own rice paper rolls or sushi in a longgggggggg time so I figured why not today? And I did (as you can see) and they were a success… and I am back in love with rice paper rolls.

Super easy, super good and super nourishing.

Ingredients (will make enough for leftovers for the next day too!… if they last):

- One block of tofu, pressed for about 1-2 hours before use
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- Coconut oil, for frying
- Vegetables of choice: I used red capsicum, carrot, cucumber (all julienned)  and lettuce (shredded)
- Fresh mint
- 1/2 an avocado, sliced
- 1 packet of rice paper rolls

Optional (but for me not optional): Vegan sweet chilli sauce, or anything else you want to dip it in!

Okay so about 1 hour before I wanted to start making lunch I put the tofu on a cutting board, with a heavy plate on top, and allowed it to sit like that until I was ready for it.
In the meantime, you can chop your vegetables, mint and lettuce up and put it all on a plate ready to go.
When you are ready to cook the tofu, chop it into small slices. Add tofu to a pre-heated (with coconut oil) pan and allow to fry on one side (it will go slightly brown and crisp) and then turn. Add soy sauce at this point, and allow the other side to be fried, and then turn off heat. Place fried tofu on a plate and allow to cool.

Then, put your kettle on to boil. In a big deep bowl, place boiled water and then one by one, dip the rice paper rolls one at a time in until they begin to go soft, then place on a tea towel/ cutting board flat (don't let them curl up!) until you are done with all the rice paper sheets.

I recommend sitting down now! Place all your ingredients of choice in each wrapping and then wrap each one up like a little present of deliciousness! I tended to roll each one about half way, flip down the top and bottom ends, and then continue to wrap up tight.

I served mine with sweet chilli sauce, and my Watermelon Coconut Berry Mint frappe (recipe is in my index) ;) and it was pure bliss. With the smell of my banana bread baking… It was magic I tell you.

Watermelon Coconut Berry Mint Frappe

So this drink right here was DELICIOUS. And I am not even a huge fan of coconut water but I think that is now changing peeps! Eeep exciting! 

So as part of my goodness me box I was given one Natural Rawc coconut water carton, and not being one to guzzle it down plain I was going "hmm what will I do with it?" so I decided to make it into a fruit drink to have with my lunch :) 

Ingredients: 

-1 carton of Natural Rawc coconut water 

- About 2-3 cups of watermelon, diced 

-3 handfuls of frozen mixed berries 

Optional topping: a few bits of mint and a lovely straw 

Method: blend all in a blender until smooth/ combined, and drink ASAP with a cute straw from a beautiful jar (like so) and it goes great along side my tofu rice paper rolls p.s. (recipe for those is also in my index) ;) 

Sadhana Kitchen Raw Degustation 7-Course Dinner

Last night, one of my closest friends, Maddie, and I were blessed enough to go to the Sadhana Kitchen 7 course raw vegan degustation. And boy, did we feast. And boy, was it good. We both had been there to eat during the day (and we absolutely love it there, we can't get over how amazing the food was) so it was awesome to go there at night for dinner… and many courses at that!

So it was all very lovely, to begin with. A light setting I was used to was transformed into an (dare I say it) romantic (but I would prefer to describe as) serene and blissful candle lit restaurant, with one long communal table for everyone to sit at for the adventure. It was actually really great, because we could have a giggle to the people on either side of us as to how much we were loving the food. (And we did)

A picture of the menu (mostly for me to remember haha) and the first course: and I loved this, and I'm not even a huge coconut water drinker (yet… anyway). So this was a coconut water probiotonic with strawberry and mango. I could have had like at least 20 more of these… so delicious and refreshing. Alas, I needed to save room for what was to come! 

Second course: walnut, almond, cashew and sesame cluster with an orange tahini drizzle. Needless to say, yum. We both just wanted to pick this up and eat it with our hands (alas we did not… manners girls). It was hard to cut into, but once you got into it it was absolutely divine. Fruity, yet savoury. And the tahini was a winner… as tahini always is. 

Cucumber rolls with julienned seasonal vegetables, enoki mushrooms and kumara chips with spicy chilli chutney: This one may have been one of my favourites for the savouries… reasons: kumara chips (huge tick), the sauce was amazing (!!!) and the vegies were delicious. But I am terrible with favourites because… 

Holy mackeral… Beet ravioli with onion cashew cheeze and basil walnut pesto… oh my golly goodness. So… the cashew cheeze though. Amazing. Tasted like good french onion cream cheese… Like holy wow. And I love pesto, so needless to say this one won my heart. However…

Holy moly macaroni! I mean… parmigiana (hehe). Eggplant pastrami parmigiana with baby spinach, sundried tomato marinara and herbed cashew cheeze. I am a huge eggplant lover. And I am Italian. So basically, this was like a piece of my childhood but way more superior. And tastier, dare I say it. The sauce was a standout. The cheeze was amazing. The cool decoration even had a cheezy taste to it. Mmmmhmmm it was really really yum. We actually used our fingers to get everything off the plate (there go our manners). Now, onto desserts… 

Maddie and I definitely needed this after so many savoury flavours. Plus, this wasn't just an in between step, because this was great. Watermelon and papaya carpaccio with pecan and date crumble and vanilla lime dressing. The dressing was there in a hint, but it was fabulous and not over done. The crumble  was really delicate in flavour too, which allowed the true standouts of the fruit to come forth. Didn't dissapoint. Even with the following course… 

Last but no least… the real desserts! Guys, I got the most amazing raw cheezecake. It was Neopolitan… and it really was. It tasted like the ice cream cake from my birthday party memories. Except better. BETTER. So creamy, so ice cream cake like, the sauce with it was amazing (when is cacao not amazing let's be real) and the berry fudge on the side was fabulous as well. And Maddie got the Mango Float, and it was really yum too. Combined with the (surprisingly wow combo of) caramel sauce, I couldn't really pick a winner (well, maybe my cake was the winner… Sorry Maddie) 

All in all, I recommend anyone that can go to Sadhana Kitchen for the degustation to. Especially if you know little about raw vegan cuisine. I think it's a good eye opener. And it also suits experienced raw veganists, who want to experience their favourite cuisine style at night time without having to make it (I can't say cook because let's be honest nobody is cooking anything when you're raw vegan) yourself. :) 

Maz is lovely, and her kitchen staff are all creative geniuses. All in all, amazing night. I 10/10 recommend it to you. And if you can't go to the degustation, please just get yourself to Sadhana for breakfast lunch or somewhere in between. It is one of my favourite places to be! 

Sadhana Kitchen is at 147 Enmore Road, Enmore NSW 2024. 

Ph: 02 9516 1334 

E: hello@sadhanakitchen.com 

They are open 7 days a week 

9am-3:30pm dine in, 3:30-4:00pm takeaway only 

Friday nights at 7pm is the raw degustation dinner 

They also do lunch deliveries to your workplace… see their website for details! 

Introducing… Me!

Hi there! Welcome to my crib.

My name is Chelsea, and I'm a 19 year old dancer from Australia, who loves her food because it allows me to thrive and to be my best self. You are what you eat, you only get out what you put in… I feel like that those kinds of sayings succinctly explain how I feel.

I'm a gluten-free vegan who loves to eat nutritious, delicious and energy providing food that not only looks great but tastes great. I like to eat in abundance and variety, as much as I possibly can. I certainly don't let my coeliac disease or my ethical vegan choice hold me back nutritionally.

Food isn't my life, after all, the saying does go "Eat to live, do not live to eat". But I believe that if you want to live the most fulfilled life, you need to fuel the vessel you're living in. Being a dancer, I have to eat well in order to perform at my best.

I don't believe in diets, I don't believe in any way of eating that you couldn't do for the rest of your life. So that means no juice fasts, no lemon juice detoxes, no cutting out food groups. It means eating what you want, when you want and as much as you want. It means listening to your body. It means trusting your body. Honour it. Nurture it. Love it.

A Personal Post

I spent the weekend back home with my family in Brisbane (long weekend that wasn't even that long), and I realised that I am so much happier and feel so much more carefree and joyful when I'm just in my family home. Without even doing anything but sit in my pyjamas and chat to my parents or my Sister or hug my dog (like in this photo), I'm the happiest I think I'll ever be.

I took my family for granted, I think, before I moved. And now I wish I was with them every day. As much as I love dancing and what this year so far has brought me, the dream would be even more amazing if it involved my family being closer. Alas, they are not. But at least it makes me so grateful for any time I get to spend with them.

So if you can, hug your Mum and your Dad and your siblings and never let your pet(s) go. Never forget to tell them how much you love and appreciate them. I know I won't.

Love to all <3

Fundies, Paddington QLD

I went to Fundies for lunch with my darling friend Anna (annabanana-1 on tumblr) and we of course had breakfast for lunch because is that no the best option ever?

Guys, this has to be one of the best savoury breakfast meals I've ever had. No joke. 

I actually went with no toaster bags (coeliac problems) so I was worried I couldn't eat bread because of the toasting process. However they kindly managed to wrap it in baking paper so that it didn't get cross contaminated… so I could still order this delight. 

Scrambled tofu on Sol Breads Pumpkin and Rice loaf (aka my favourite bread), which came with roast tomato and spinach but I added avocado and mushrooms too as well (hehe can never have too many sides). We also had the Refresh Juice (Organic Orange, Apple, Pineapple and Mint juice- freshly squeezed). Although I am not a huge tofu eater, I loved this. I wish I could re-create it this well… I wish I knew their secrets. The tofu was just plain yum, not too spicy or tomato-y but it covered up the flavour of the tofu… just tasted like delicious noms. The sides were all cooked to perfection, not too oily but still with nice flavour. A decent serving of avo (which is rare sometimes) and I got two slices of bread… happy chappy right here. 

Plus we checked out the actual food store part after and my oh my were we spoilt for choice. We both bought some raw food bars and some chocolate and were off on our way, full arms and full bellies and full of laughter because we had such a gosh darn good time.

I recommend Fundies to anyone who lives in Brisbane, looking for a nice friendly cafe with good vibes and delicious food AND somewhere to buy some food for later after. Can't put a price on that practicality can you? ;) 

Cashew nut stir fry

I love stir fry. Stir fry is one of those meals, like pasta, that you can make for one person quite easily. And it’s so versatile… you can put so many things in it, or have so many different carbohydrate sources with it (noodles, quinoa, rice… the choices are many).

One of my favourites is just a very simple and easy cashew nut stir fry. If you’re allergic to nuts, it might not be such a good option for you. But nuts, for vegans, are a good source of protein and mono-unsaturated fats, and a lot of vitamins and minerals too. Combined with lots of fresh vegetables, a good kick of chilli and ginger and garlic and a good serve of wholegrain carbohydrates, you have yourself a winner meal that makes great leftovers too!

Ingredients:

A couple of handfuls of cashew nuts (I used raw unsalted)

Whatever vegetables you would like to use: I like zucchini, broccoli, onion, capsicum (red, yellow, green), carrot, mushrooms, green beans, pumpkin, cabbage, brocollini, spinach… go crazy

Anywhere up to ¼ cup of soy sauce (depending on how much you’re making)

1-2 tbsp of ginger paste

1-2 tbsp of garlic paste

1 tbsp of chili paste

Oil, for cooking (coconut or vegetable oil is good)

Brown rice/ white rice/ quinoa/ rice noodles/ soba noodles, as much as you want!

Method:

Get your carbs cooking! So put the rice onto boil, or however you cook your noodles, just get them on their way.

Then, cut up your vegies into whatever crazy or simple shapes you like! Batons, circles, crinkle cut, triangles… be my guest. And then grease a nice pan with some oil and, when it is heated, add your vegies and keep tossing them until cooked through. Add your cashew nuts and the ginger/ garlic/ chilli/ soy sauce and stir until combined, then turn off the heat. Add the spinach (if you’re using it), and pop a lid on so that it can wilt. Meanwhile, drain your rice/ noodles and give them a rinse.

And then serve everything up on a plate/bowl and enjoy! With or without chopsticks, if you’re game go that extra mile. 

Acai "nana ice cream" recipe

I am an acai addict… I love everything acai. So refreshing and fruity, I have a problem I think… can’t stop won’t stop. Acai bowls are becoming more and more popular too, so naturally after eating so many of them out and about at cafes I decided to make something acai-ish of my own. And behold! Not-quite-an-acai bowl-not -quite -an acai -nana -ice cream -thing.  But what was it? Delicious, that’s what it was.

Ingredients:

I used 5-6 frozen bananas cut into chunks but you can use as many or as few as you would like, depending on what consistency you want (feel free to add other frozen fruits too)

1 Amazonia Acai frozen pack

Almond milk?

Method:

Place frozen bananas and the acai sachet (after you have run it under hot water for a while and cut it open) into a blender and blend until smooth. Simple, right?

Toppings for this one were Loving Earth caramelized buckinis, Jts Coconut Essence coconut chips, goji berries and some fresh banana.

But top it with as much or as little as you would like! And enjoy the refreshing bowl of goodness before you. 

Sadhana Kitchen

Last weekend I went to Sadhana Kitchen with my darling friend Madeleine for a late Breakfast. We both went in quite open minded about the whole thing because we both had never been there for a meal. Oh my golly goodness were we in the for one of the best meals of our lives thus far. 

We both had the banana crepes (sprouted flaxseed and banana crepes, served with fresh banana and berries and topped with caramel and chocolate fudge), and I had the Smooth Criminal superfood smoothie (cacao powder, chia seeds, strawberry and banana) and the raw carrot cake. Mads had with her crepes an almond mylk chai latte and the raw caramel slice. 

Okay so the crepe was so delicious. It was like your usual crepe with a twist. Obviously the texture was different to what a cooked crepe would taste, but it was just as delicious. The fudge was amazing, and the berries added a touch of tartness whilst being sweet still. My smoothie was absolutely divine… almost like a cherry ripe in flavour, not overpoweringly rich but still a tasty addition to my meal. And oh so filling. And the cake… the winner for me here. I am huge carrot cake fan… but this was something else. I will be back for this cake, like a million zillion times. It was so moist and smooth and decadent but not too sweet, with a nice strong but not over the top carrot-y flavour… I think it's the best carrot cake I've ever had. 

I had a taste of Mad's caramel slice and it was absolutely delicious! (But not as good as my carrot cake in my opinion, hehe). 

Overall, we had an amazing experience at Sadhana Kitchen. We had great service in a cute little environment with amazing amazing food… our girl's date was absolutely flawless. 

If you're ever in Sydney, please go check them out at 147 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW. Or you can visit their website: http://www.sadhanakitchen.com/

Cinnamon "Nana Ice Cream"

A very simple flavour (but in actual fact I like to justify it as versatile) because it means you can really go to town with the toppings!

You can add as many bananas as you would like… I generally eat a lot because I love a good hearty breakfast :)

My recipe:

6-8 frozen bananas, chopped into small-ish chunks
About 1/5 of a cup of Almond Breeze Almond Milk
As much cinnamon as you like (the more the merrier I say)

Put the pre-frozen chunks of banana, almond milk and cinnamon into a blender and blend until smooth, adding more almond milk if required. When blended through, put all the delicious nana ice cream into a bowl… and add your toppings. I topped mine with Mayvers Coconut PB, goji berries, cacao nibs, Jts Coconut essence coconut flakes and Loving Earth caramel buckinis… so delicious. But you know live your life, top it with what you want.

BUT TIP: if you top it with peanut butter like me, put it back in the freezer for a bit and wait til the peanut butter goes cold.. and it turns into the most delicious ice magic style topping you will ever have in your life.

Now go ahead and consume that baby before it melts!