30 Minute Ragù alla Bolognese

I adore lasagna. Creamy, meaty, savoury, delicious sauces held in sheets of silky pasta... is there anything better? I rarely eat it, though, cause "real" ragù alla Bolognese takes 2 to 3 hours to make, and while the Homecooker means I don't have to stand around and stir it myself, that's a long time to wait! Is it worth it? Yes. Can I be bothered 90% of the time? Heck no.

Anyway, the other day after a tough day at work, all I wanted was lasagna, but after spending all day in the kitchen, I didn't want to spend all night either. A conversation a few months ago with Matt on how he was tweaking Bryanna Clark Grogan's amazing ragù recipe to make it a bit quicker had given me a few ideas, so I thought I'd give it my own shot.

After a couple more attempts, I think I finally cracked it. While this doesn't have the depth or complexity of the traditional ragù (which I'll still be making for special occasions), the speed at which it can be made more than makes up for that, and means you can have lasagna assembled and ready to go in the oven in about 45 minutes (if you make the béchamel in between stirs of the ragù, you can probably get it in the oven in more like 35, and have your lasagna (all from scratch!) in just over an hour!).

A few notes before we start:

• Watch the salt! You'll be adding a lot of salty ingredients into the sauce from the beginning, so refrain from seasoning the sauce until the very end.
• This makes more than enough for a mini lasagna (I used an 8" baking dish), so you can have lasagna for dinner and used the leftover ragù for lunch or dinner the following night. If you're making lasagna for a crowd, I would double the recipe.
• To make wheat/gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, and double-check the ingredients in the TVP (some brands contain gluten).
• In order to speed up the process, you'll be cooking this on a much higher heat than you generally would, so don't leave it alone!

30 Minute Ragù alla Bolognese
Based on Bryanna Clark Grogan's Ragù alla Bolognese from Nonna's Italian Feast

1. To a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon each olive oil and vegan butter and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.
2. Roughly dice 1 carrot, 1 red onion, 1 brown onion, 6 cloves garlic, and 2 stalks of celery and add this to the pan. Increase heat to medium-high and saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened.
3. Add 2 cups TVP mince, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 chicken-style broth cube (or 1 tablespoon chicken-style broth powder), and 400g tomato paste. Stir together, then allow to sit for a minute or two before stirring again. Continue until mix has nearly dried out and is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Deglaze pan with 1/2 cup dry red wine (you can use a dry white in a pinch) and reduce heat to medium. Stir until the wine has evaporated, then add 1/2-1 cup stock (homemade or store-bought), just enough to thin out of the ragù into an appropriately wet sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup soy milk (or other neutral-flavoured milk; don't use rice milk as it will add too much sweetness) and cook for a minute or two until it's combined. If sauce it too thin, reduce the sauce, stirring constantly, until it is the thickness you like. Season with salt and pepper; your sauce is done!

Either place on top of freshly cooked pasta and eat straight away, or use to assemble lasagna. If you're making lasagna, you can use Bryanna's delicious béchamel.

Enjoy!

Incidentally, if you don't own Nonna's Italian Kitchen, RUN DON'T WALK and get yourself a copy. It is a book that I go back to again and again for both recipes and inspiration.

Veg Eats in West End

Up until embarrassingly recently, I bemoaned the lack of veg options in West End. It's so hip and alternative and dirty; it should be OVERRUN with vegetarians and food for them!

I spent so much time bemoaning this that I somehow failed to notice how often I was eating there. No longer must vegans be relegated to coping with The Forest (I don't care what anyone tells you; just no) or scrounging options from the outwardly-vegan-friendly-seeming-but-oh-wait-it's-not 3 Monkeys! Go forth, my veg friends, for there is food to be eaten!

I will attempt to keep this post updated as we go more places and existing places add new items. If you have a favourite place that isn't on this list, let us know in the comments so we can check it out!

Note on public transport and parking: All of these places are within a short walk of bus stops serviced by high frequency 199 bus, which can be caught from the city of the Cultural Centre. Most parking on main streets in West End are metered or are short parking, but if you look on side streets, you can sometimes find unmetered parking (for example, Thomas St is metered where it comes off Vulture Street, but is unmetered from about halfway down).

Zagyoza
Shop 1/60 Vulture Street (The West Quarter), West End
07 3844 6696 | www.zagyoza.com | facebook.com/zagyoza
Mon: 11am - 8pm | Tues-Thurs: 11am - 6pm | Fri: 11am - 8pm | Sat: 8am - 8pm
Parking around the back between the shops and the West Quarter Apartments, otherwise there is parking in nearby streets. Right across the road from a bus stop.
Wheelchair accessible from street and parking (there's a ramp next to The Cupcake Parlour, though it is quite narrow and the seating for the Cupcake Parlour is sometimes in the way). All tables are quite high, though the counter is not.
Vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous options available; no gluten free gyoza dumplings though some lunch specials may be gluten free.

Originally, Zagyoza was a stall at a few markets around Brisbane, but a few months ago they finally secured a permanent location in the West Quarter on Vulture Street.

The best part about Zagyoza are their daily lunch specials: $10 gets you either a salad and 4 gyoza, or a hot meal and 3 gyoza. They announce their specials on their facebook page every day around 11am, or you can just turn up and be surprised! I've had some truly fantastic meals here, and it's always something different. Sometimes they won't have a vegetarian or vegan special, so it's good to check the facebook page, but sometimes they'll be able to change the omni special to make it vegan or vegetarian, so it doesn't hurt to ask.

Left: Cold soba noodles with grilled tofu topped with house made BBQ sauce (which I could drink)
Right: Bean sprout and rice noodle salad with capsicum salsa and hot eggplant relish

As well as their permanent shop, they also regularly attend the Mitchelton Markets and the Powerhouse Markets; times they attend these are listed on their website. If you can't wait for them to be open, they also sell frozen take-home packs of gyoza which you can cook up at home (these are also sold at some delis, so find out from them if they're available closer to you). Last but not least, they also do catering trays in case you're having a party, or really want to see if you can eat 100 gyoza in one sitting.

Wrapture

71 Russell St, West End
07 3844 4444 | www.cafewrapture.com.au | facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Wrapture/152375321486467
Mon - Sat: 7am - 3pm | Closed Sunday
Onstreet parking nearby, none on premises. 2 minute walk from Boundary St bus stop.
Shop accessed directly off the street. Interior is quite narrow and tables are pushed quite close together. Meals are ordered and paid for at a counter. A mix of vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous items; some vegetarian items can be made vegan by omitting certain ingredients. Unsure about availability of GF options. Inside, undercover and outside seating.

Matt went here a few months ago, and since then I have returned several times. The menu is small, but manages to pack a lot in (like a wrap! Oh, they're so meta...). The wraps themselves are the most delicious, puffy homemade panbread, and the fillings manage to strike a balance between tasting both wholesome and delicious. Wraps range between $9 and $12, so it makes a good quick lunch on the go (though I have often experienced quite a wait even at quiet times, so if you're in a rush, it's probably worth calling up). The Zen Wrap and Satay Tofu wrap are my favourites.

Unfortunately, there is no information on their website except their location.

El Torito
146 Boundary St, West End
07 3844 5977 | www.eltoritorestaurant.com.au | facebook.com/TORITOrestaurant
Lunch Wed-Fri: 12pm - 2pm
Dinner Tues - Sun: 5:45pm - Late | Kitchen closes at 9pm | Closed Mondays
Onstreet parking nearby, none on premises. Bus stop is right outside.
Shop accessed directly off the street. Toilets (individual cubicles) are accessible through a narrow doorway and up a bumpy path. There is table service but meals are paid for at a high counter.
Menu entirely omnivorous and vegetarian. Several items can be made vegan by omitting certain toppings. All items are gluten free UNLESS marked on the menu with an *.


Embarrassingly, the first time I tried this, I was desperate for a burrito after... quite a big night. As I'm sure you can imagine, I went on about how good it was, but I didn't return for a number of weeks, at which point we wisely went before drinking.
 
I cannot even express how delicious the enchiladas at El Torito are. The bean filling is perfectly cooked, soft and flavoursome, topped in an absolutely delicious tomato sauce. Just remember to ask for it without dairy!

There are a number of other items on their menu that look as though they could easily be made vegan, but I cannot go past the enchiladas. They have quite a range of alcoholic drinks available, and among the cheapest cocktails I've seen in a long time.

Burrito for lunch! $9.95

For lunch, they have a range of lunch specials (many of which are shared with their dinner menu; oddly, they don't appear to have a vegetarian burrito option for dinner, only lunch), all of which are $9.95, listed on their website. They have also recently started opening for lunch on weekends.

Otherwise, I cannot recommend highly enough heading there with some friends to share a jug of sangria and some excellent food.

Lock N Load Bistro
142 Boundary St, West End
07 3844 0142 | www.locknloadbistro.com.au | facebook.com/LocknLoadBistro
Weekdays: 11am - Late | Weekends: 8am - Late
Onstreet parking nearby, none on premises. Bus stop is right outside.
Entrance bar and lower dining area are wheelchair accessible (there is a wheelchair lift next to the stairs to the lower dining area). Upper dining area only accessible by stairs. Toilets are in lower dining area. The entrance bar is often crowded at night which may impede accessibility. There is often live music or a DJ, so the bar is quite loud, and sections of the interior aren't very brightly lit.
Menu is largely vegetarian (marked with (v)) and omnivorous, with many gluten free options clearly marked with (gf). Limited vegan options, also marked on menu (with (vv)). Their menu clearly states "NO SUBSTITUTIONS" (this includes sauces: if you ask for the chips without the aioli, they will come with aioli).

Initially, we only went to Lock N Load for their Beer Towers (which we're still suspicious of: is the 3L mark before or after the ice stick is added? And will you really care by the end?), but I was meeting a friend in West End for lunch a few months ago and, having always wanted to try their food, I suggested we meet there.

They only have the one vegan lunch and dinner option (it is also gluten free): sweet potato falafels with a warm quinoa salad, tomatoes, pine nut dressing and mint oil. I was pleasantly surprised as how good it was. They also have one vegan side, a warm cauliflower salad, which I haven't tried. I was sadly disappointed by both their regular "thick cut" fries and their sweet potato fries.

If you're going there for a drink in the evening, we found out from the kitchen that the tofu & shiitake spring rolls are vegan, though it isn't marked on their menu (according to them, this is because they use the same deep fryer for everything that they cook, and vegans probably make more fuss about that than vegetarians. Fair enough).

You can view their menus on their website. If you're feeding a large group of people, you can use their lunch order form to order larger amounts of food, and they also host group events.


And if you happen to be in West End on a Saturday morning, there are the West End Markets, which has it's own post dedicated to it! A little further off the beaten track, and more a destination than a quick lunch/dinner stop, is Mondo Organics, where we tried their vegan tasting menu (remember to book in advance!).

Let us know if you've tried any of these places, or if there's a favourite place of yours in West End that we need to visit and add!

Baking & Frying Tofu, Part 2 of: "Treat Me Right", The Tofu Story (with recipe!)

Welcome to Part 2 of our exploration of tofu and what to do with it. Hopefully you're been following along (come on guys, there's only one other part to read), but in case you haven't, the PREVIOUS episode concerned why people say they don't like tofu, the types of tofu and my tofu buying recommendations. If you haven't read it, you may want to give it a quick glance-over (or even a slow, considered read, followed by thoughtful comments and thanks) before starting here. Otherwise, if you've already read it or, like me, HATE reading instruction manuals, dive on in!

Without a doubt, one of the easiest things to do with tofu is to just season and bake it. Isn't that the easiest way to prepare anything?

Though you can technically bake any tofu, baking tofu is essentially "quick marinating" it: rather than leaving it in the fridge overnight or for a few days, you chuck it in the oven and all the molecules get all excited and jump around and... yeah, I'm not a scientist. Anyway, as such, it is best to use firm (or harder) tofu for baking tofu, as anything softer than that won't soak up (and hold) the marinade.

Rather than attempting my own recipe, I am deferring to Dreena Burton, whose Cumin Lime Tofu (from her third book, "eat, drink and be vegan" (which is actually my Mum's all-time favourite cookbook ever)) is one of my favourite dishes.

I will admit that I was very skeptical when I first read Dreena's recipe for this: "won't it taste like tofu? Won't it be soggy?"

Oh me of little faith.

It's essentially a matter of making the marinade in the baking dish, mixing it up, coating the tofu (which doesn't even have to be pressed!), and baking it. If you're still not quite accustomed to tofu (though the rather bold marinade does disguise it somewhat), use a good quality tofu to ensure that there's as little taste as possible (and what taste there is is delicious!). This is also a good one for making a large batch of and then storing the leftovers in the fridge for lunch or throwing in a stirfry or salad the next day.

The slices; covered in marinade; after the first 15 minutes; and DONE!

Cumin-Lime Tofu

This is another very simple tofu dish that yields bold, baked-in flavors. The lime juice, cumin, and touch of cayenne are in every bite, and the addition of pumpkin seeds adds just the right amount of crunch.

Makes 4 servings, about 24 squares.

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 -2 tbsp agave syrup
1 1/2 tbsp tamari
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg (12 oz/350g) firm or extra firm tofu, cut in half lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick squares, and patted to remove excess moisture 

2-3 tbsp raw or pre-roasted pumpkin seeds (or pistachios, lightly chopped)

Preheat oven to 375 F/190 C. In an 8 x 12 baking dish, combine all ingredients except tofu and pumpkin seeds stir to mix well. Add tofu and turn to coat each side.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, turn tofu slices, sprinkle on pumpkin seeds and return to oven to bake for another 13-15 minutes, until tofu has soaked up most of the marinade. Serve warm, pouring any remaining marinade/spices over tofu.


I made this the other night and had it in a wrap with sauteed broccoli, homemade salsa, and a tart cashew & pepita cream. It was super delicious. Otherwise, you can just have it on sandwiches, with a side of veggies for dinner, chopped up and fried up with other veggies for breakfast, etc etc. If you don't eat it all in one go, wait until it's cooled then put it in a container and store in the fridge for a day or two. It becomes a little tough in the fridge, but it's still super tasty.

Fried Tofu
The other very simple way of preparing tofu is to simply fry it. You also don't need to press it for this because the heat of the pan will dry out the tofu. If you have fresh tofu, it will often crisp up by itself, but I love to coat the slices in cornstarch (just put the slices in a bowl, add cornstarch, and toss to coat), which gives them a lovely, crispy coating.

The sliced tofu (use a larger bowl, srsly); with cornstarch; beginning to fry, and fried!

Simply cut the tofu up (I'd recommend quite thin slices, around half a centimetre), give it a bit of a dab to dry it slightly, heat up a little oil (enough to lightly grease the bottom of the pan, or add about 1mm if you've coated it with cornstarch, so the thin edges are cooked) in a frying pan, and then add in the slices. Fry until browned on one side and then flip. This is great to do before adding the tofu to curries or satays, because it holds its shape and adds something chewy and crispy to the mix. Or, just coat with teriyaki sauce and enjoy!

The Urban Vegan also has instructions for dry-frying tofu, which is completely oil- and added-fat-free (but does require pressing), which you can find here. I will discuss pressing in the next part of this series.

And the journey continues! But not for another week or so. See you then.

I'll tag all of these posts "thetofustory", so if you want to see all of them together, just click on that label.

Vegan Tasting Menu and Mondo Organics, West End

I'm very suspicious of fine dining. Yes, we've had some amazing experiences, but just as often we have been met with disappointment. Thankfully, over the last couple of years, we have seen not only a broader number of restaurants show greater willingness to provide veg options in their restaurants, but also a number of restaurants and cafes (especially the latter) adding veg options to their standard menu (hurrah for not having to phone ahead!)

It's early days yet, though, and fine dining in Brisbane is still finding its way with veg food: we have never been told "No, we don't serve vegans" (as if we're some sort of disease-ridden sub-citizens), but sometimes... we wish they had. We have actually spent a little too much money trying to get vegan options on menus and to get chefs to experiment with them, and I really hope that comes back to us one day in the form of a massive benevolent wombat who bestows psychic gifts upon us and grants us a Free 1 Million Year Frolicking Pass in his Giant Acreage In The Sky (vegans: you owe us).

But until then...

After the fantastic Good Food Guide 2013 launch (ok, the next evening, after the alcohol had worn off), I was reading through the guide and noticed a "top 5 veg eats" section, and decided it would be good to put this to the test. We'd already been to three of the restaurants (though we'll certainly go back and reassess them), so we decided to start with one we'd never been to: Mondo Organics in West End. I sent an email asking if they'd be able to do a vegan tasting menu (they have an omni tasting menu as part of their regular menu), and was told that, if I could give a few days notice on my booking, we most certainly could.

We picked a Sunday, and decided to have a leisurely lunch (Matt was, after Sarah's birthday drinks, thankfully hungover, and as such was happy to be propped in a corner and just enjoy the various dishes as they came to our table).

Mondo Organics comes across as a yuppified wooden shack at the quiet end of West End: worn wooden slats cross over windows meet earth-toned, rendered walls; natural light shines through the gaps, illuminating your meal; all the while, a gentle stone fountain bubbles in the corner. Far from the hustle and bustle of Boundary Street, the only sounds are the occasional rumble of a bus, and the raucous laughter of fellow diners (which only appears about an hour into lunch, as the wine bottles slowly empty...).

We arrived a little later than we'd planned and found the restaurant empty: we were calmly directed to our table and waited for the meal to begin. I always associate dining with rush: "Quick, our booking is for 12 and it's already 11:50!"; quickly making your way through a restaurant to your table and hurriedly placing your order; fighting for the attention of the waitstaff with that much louder table opposite. Not at Mondo. It's difficult to tell whether it was the day or the fact that we were alone in the restaurant until our second course arrived, but I felt absolutely serene.

The waiter serving us was a little shy to begin with, but halfway into our second course offered us each a glass of Muscato (which she said always helped her when she had a hangover, with which Matt was suffering (though gladly sitting!)) and was extremely polite and helpful. With each course, she described the dish without hesitation, and answered any questions we had (we didn't have many).

Vegan tasting menu at Mondo Organics (courses in chronological order, L-R, from top left)

Our menu began with a caponata of eggplant, pine nuts, and capsicum, served on bread toasted in olive oil. Wonderful simple flavours, elegantly presented. The second course was a salad of heirloom tomatoes, frisse and fennel. The fennel was lovely, as were the tomatoes, but ultimately it was a salad, and was very quickly forgotten.

The third course, and without a doubt the favourite of us both, was confit endive, cauliflower and mushroom. I ate all the cauliflower first (one of my least favourite vegetables, though not unpleasant in this dish), and then took my first bite of one of the mushrooms: gorgeous, buttery, just a little bit sweet. I was in love, until it was surpassed by the endive: crisp on the edges, delicate at the centre, and perfectly seasoned. I think we both stopped after our first bite and look at each other in awe, savouring the delicate taste as it lingered on our palettes. And then, of course, I ate the rest all too quickly and, sadly, it was gone (though I cast a furtive look around and quickly scraped the bowl with my finger to get every last drop of the juices!)

The fourth course was Jerusalem artichokes, sauteed potato, zucchini and kale with a salsa verde. This was one of the few times where I was disappointed that I'd saved so much potato til last: though beautifully crisp on the outside, the centre was bland and quite dry beside the very flavourful dish. The Jerusalem artichoke, on the other hand, was stunning, and I wish there had been more! The kale was also perfectly cooked, and made me realise that as well as being delicious, the dish was also nourishing (hey, we think about these things!).

Finally, and all too soon, we moved onto the dessert courses. The first was a coconut pudding with fresh strawberries, dehydrated strawberries and rhubarb. I have only had rhubarb one other time (also in a dessert, albeit pureed), and unfortunately this dish brought home why it is such an unpopular vegetable. I dutifully finished mine (Matt was defeated by his) so I could enjoy the rest of the dish. The coconut pudding was lovely and soft, and slightly sweet, pairing beautifully with the strawberries.

The second dessert course consisted of caramelised bananas with poached quince, a quince jelly (made from the poaching water), and an caramel-almond powder. I found the almond powder a tad bitter, but the lingering taste was wonderfully caramel-y, and worked well with the other elements. The quince jelly was (oddly) my favourite element, though the banana was also moreish.

All in all, despite our disappointment with some elements, our lunch at Mondo was among my favourite meals that I've had in a long time. The calm environment, the slow (but not labouring) progression through the courses; I believe I could've happily sat there and continued the meal for another hour or two. And when we received our bill, we were pleasantly surprised to see we had been charged according to the meal we had received: rather than the $80 for the omni tasting menu (which had 8 courses), we were charged for our 6 course meal ($60 each). Again, I cannot tell you the number of times when we have received a (let's be honest) inferior meal but been charged the price for the omnivore meal. Finally, all the staff who served us were helpful and friendly.

We have heard some mixed reports from other veg people about their experiences with Mondo, but, for us, it was an absolutely wonderful experience, certainly deserving of its recognition in the Good Food Guide. I will happily return in future.

Mondo Organics' regular tasting menu is not vegetarian, so if you are vegetarian or vegan, make sure you let them know when you book (give about 3-5 days notice so they can plan your menu). Their full menu contains a number of vegetarian options, and most dishes are gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free, or can be made gluten-, wheat- or dairy-free (vegan items or items that can be made vegan are not marked, so best to ask what will be available when booking). As well as being open for lunch and dinner, they are open for breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8.30 - 11.30am.



Mondo Organics, 166 Hardgrave Road, West End
3844 1132, www.mondo-organics.com.au
Dinner: 6pm-Late (Wed-Saturday); Lunch: 12pm-3pm (Fri-Sun); Breakfast: 8.30-11.30am (Sat & Sun)

1 down, 4 to go! We'll continue to FORCE ourselves to visit these other restaurants for your reading pleasure and culinary edification, so please keep an eye on here, or look at our tag gfg2013top5veg to see all of the posts (and check out the tag on twitter, and we'll endeavour to use it).

New Year, New Eats

Happy New Year everyone! I know I already said that in my last post, but I thought it was best to cover that in case.... I don't know. Anyway.

As I'm sure you've heard (probably from us) time and time again, Brisbane isn't exactly known for it's huge range of veg eating options, but the last few months have seen a vegetable explosion of new places to eat. I thought it would be good to highlight some of the ones we're aware of here: we haven't visited all of them (some are still closed, some are too recent and we haven't had time/are lazy), but hopefully you can let us know if you've been or know someone who has, etc, and we'll add more details when we visit them/as information becomes available.

Botanica
9/1 Enoggera Terrace, Red Hill | www.botanicarealfood.com.au | 3367 3334 | facebook | @botanicafood
Open: 10a-7.30p (M-F), 9a-5.30p (S-S)
(UPDATE DEC 2014 Their new hours: Tue-Fri 9a-6p; Sat/Sun 9a-5p)

Salad lovers: get thee to Red Hill! Opened just three days ago, Botanica has a focus on "real foods".
Positioned just on the corner of Musgrave Rd and Enoggera Tce, it's a prime location, and the shop, small though it is, is beautifully laid out, with simple, clean decor.

We had expected a vegetarian cafe of sorts and, though everything is vegetarian (and most is vegan), it really is just a salad take-away, though this is not a bad thing. Salad is one of those things we never eat for two reasons: firstly, it's usually horribly bland; and secondly, cutting up all those bits to make a tasty salad at home is a pain. I'm sure many share our pain. Rather than rushing around at the last minute trying to make some "WOW" salad to take to a picnic/BBQ/lunch/dinner, and without resorting to some Coles premix salad, simply walk in, pick the salad/s you want, and be on your merry way.

Aside from the salads, they also have some baked goods (we tried the brownies), a muesli made in-house (dry, to take home), a "super-greens" pesto, house aioli, and the de rigueur drinks fridge (from a quick glance, some bottled water and the Parker's Organic Juices).

We got a large box, which was about 30x15cm and was able to fit 5 salads, which came in at $20: a delicious potato salad, a green bean and sweet potato salad, a sort-of chickpea tabbouleh, a beetroot salad, and a carrot salad (former three all delicious, the final two could have done with some more variation in ingredients/flavour/texture). The brownie was $4. According to the chef, the menu will change seasonally, and will remain entirely vegetarian (he hopes). When we went, only one salad was not vegan; I imagine the situation will remain the same as their menu changes.

The menu on their website lists many things that weren't available when we went (it does note that it is a "sample"): presumably different items will be available depending on the day (we were quite excited to try the Brownie with salted coconut caramel, which unfortunately wasn't there when we were). It will be interesting to see how the menu and experience evolves as Botanica continues to grow.

Natascha Mirosch also recently reviewed Botanica for The Queensland Good Food Guide.

Peace Pies
140 Sutton St, Redcliffe | www.peacepies.com.au | facebook
Open: 10a-5p (W-F), 9a-5p (Sat), 9a-3p (Sun), Closed: M-Tues
Opened in December last year, this shop is run by Tracey, who for several years ran the Loving Hut Express stall at Lawnton and Redcliffe Markets. Her "Peace Pies" were available at Loving Hut and The Green Edge for a number of months before the shop itself, and her desserts were available previous available (or may indeed still be available) at Vegerama in the city. The Peace Pies website also lists a number of other stockists around south-east Queensland.

Though the ultimate plan is to convert Peace Pies into a vegan grocery store and cafe, at the time we went there were very few items on the shelves. Pies are $6 each (oddly more expensive than they sell for either frozen at Loving Hut or hot at The Green Edge), or $14 with a side salad (though attractive, unfortunately unseasoned) and curly fries (yes, the Aldi ones, but I'd kill for the seasoning that was on them!). Pie nostalgics can also have their pie with a serving of mushy peas for $1.20. The pies in general aren't my favourite, but I did not mind the Thai pie I had when we went. There are also a range of drinks, including juices, smoothies, milkshakes, coffee, and tea. The menu notes that take-home meals (presumably frozen) are available, though we did not see these when there.

It seems that Peace Pies is still changing a lot as it grows (it was very busy when we went), so prices and menu offerings may have changed since we went (just after Christmas; please let us know if you've been recently!). Their grocery options will also most likely expand in the coming months, though no doubt they are having trouble coping with demand in the cafe!

Peace Pies were recently featured in Quest Newspapers' Redcliffe & Bayside Herald.

(UPDATE DEC 2014 Peace Pies has since closed)

VegeRama
Shop 30, Post Office Square, Brisbane CBD | www.vegerama.com.au | 3220 6000 | facebook
Open: 8.30a-6p (M-F), 9a-5p (Sat), Closed: Sun

The original VegeRama, in the Queen Street Mall Food Court, was for a while one of the only places offering explicitly vegan food (along with many vegetarian options) anywhere in the CBD area. Their new store, next to the Coffee Club on Adelaide Street (under Post Office Square) is exclusively vegan (though there has been some mention of the original store now becoming entirely vegetarian, we are still yet to confirm whether anything has changed).

Unfortunately VegeRama was closed over the Christmas/New Year period, and does not open again January 7 (today!), so we are yet to try it, but it certainly provides a boon of new options for CBD-working/living/visiting veg*ns (and omnivores so inclined!), and is probably the most conveniently located vegetarian restaurant in the great Brisbane area, barely a 5 minute walk from Central Station, and perhaps 7 from King George Square (our friend at Queensland Rail is ridiculously happy to have a convenient lunch so close to work). We will report back ourselves when we try it ourselves (and please let us know of your thoughts if you've been).

The Banana Lounge
170 Boundary St, West End | facebook
Open: 7a-3p (M-F), 8a-3p (Sat), Closed: Sun
Another to open just three days ago, The Banana Lounge was opened (just up the road from The Forest) by the previous owner of The Green Edge. Unfortunately, details are a bit scarce: we know for a fact that there are pies (Ykillamoocow No Bull Pies and Pumpkin & Barely Rolls are the likely culprits), cakes, and drinks (coffee/smoothies, etc). They also have some meals on the menu: pancakes, scrambled tofu, and plates for breakfast and lunch, made by the chef previously from Loving Hut Mt Gravatt. Alas, that is all we know! The rumour mill suggests that this will eventually be a full cafe/bar (evidenced by the newly built bar outside). Details of opening hours are also sketchy, though we'll update this as we know more and when we try it (and let us know if you have).

UPDATE DEC 2014 The Banana Lounge has since closed.

Final Bites:
there is word of a new Indian vegetarian restaurant around Mt Gravatt (opposite Garden City); our sources say it's called Top In Town: apparently it was an omnivore restaurant that has become pure vegetarian (keeping the same name), though the website still lists many meat dishes (perhaps they just haven't updated the website?). We'll have to give it a look, and if it turns out it isn't, we'll just head on down to Su Life instead!

And finally, outside of Brisbane, you may have heard of some changes in Maleny's raw food scene. Though there was word late last year that Kind Living Cafe was moving or perhaps closing, it has since changed hands and will continue to be open in Maleny (25 Maple Street, Maleny). The previous owner, Lucy, is now working on The Raw Food Institute of Australia, which we wait with much anticipation to hear more about, and may also be working on opening a Kind Living Cafe in Brisbane.

Raw & Peace also recently announced that they are closing their doors of their cafe in Maleny, though hopefully this is only temporary while Ames (the owner/chef) regroups. In the mean time, you can get your fix of their amazing treats at the Northey Street Markets on Sunday mornings (raw pizzas and burgers to die for. Live for. Just eat it).



If you know of any other new veg places that have opened around Brisbane/South East Queensland, and/or have tried any of those above, please let us know below. We'll add more details to this post as they become available.

Eating Veg at The West End Markets

Whether you're a local, or just visiting Brisbane, you're no doubt presented with a great dilemma come the weekend: to go to the markets or to not go? And if to go, then to which one(s)?

We're a little spoiled for choice in Brisbane, but, for us, the choice is almost always The West End markets. Partly because we're creatures of habit, but also because of the delicious food. Considering markets are usually a juxtaposition of cholestafest with "farm-fresh!" fruit and veg, there are a surprising number of options for eating vegan (and no, that doesn't mean buying a bag of (albeit delicious) apples).

The markets are on Saturday mornings from 7 (perhaps even earlier? do such times exist?) until around midday (but I've been informed that they run as late as 3pm, when people start running out of things to sell).

Is it a park? A protest? No, it's the West End Markets!

If you hate markets, worry not! We usually walk around the outside then break through the stands, rush into the crowd, grab our food, then run back to safety. But if it's your first time, get your brave pants on and battle the crowd, because everyone else has to. Kind of.

Just one important note: almost everyone is cash-only. Even though there's an ATM there, it only had a dial-up connection, only gives 20s, and there's always a huge line (but it's always there if you're desperate!), so come prepared with cash (there are ATMs all along Boundary Street if you forget until you're nearly at the markets).

So get on your gumboots (don't ask me why...), grab your ridiculously broad-brimmed hat, whack on your zinc, and come with us on a tour of the West End markets!

Y Killamoocow

This is always our first stop in the markets. If you're a patron of The Green Edge, you'll already know of their No Bull Pies and Pumpkin and Barley Rolls ($4.50 each).

While these are certainly delicious, you're coming here for one thing: a dagwood dog. Also known as a pluto pup (maybe only just to me), (or a hotdog-on-a-stick, if you're a New Zealander - HOW DESCRIPTIVE - The Dilettante). This is a batter-coated hot dog, deep-fried then dipped in tomato sauce. As such, it's pretty much The Dilettante's dream food (and only $4). But be aware that they only start dagwood dogs from around 10am, so if you're an early bird (unlike us) start elsewhere and work your way back.

umm...

They're generally made on demand, so you may have to wait for a little while; in the mean time, grab a samosa, No Bull Pie ($3.50), or Pumpkin and Barley rolls ($3; make sure you get it with sweet chilli sauce!), or duck across to get some Sugar Cane Juice. But remember to save some room; there's still plenty to go!

Who says vegetarians aren't friendly?!

Sugar Cane Juice

The Dilettante thinks this tastes like grass; I think it's absolutely brilliant. You can get plain sugarcane juice for $4, get it with lime juice for $4.50, or with lime juice and ginger for $5 (only $1 more for 200x deliciousness? Yes please). Perfect way to wash down all the fried food, freshly squeezed (extracted? it sure looks painful) before your eyes. Once it's ready, walk back across and grab your dagwood dog, then escape take a moment to have a sit down in the park before the journey continues.

"Brisbane's Best Falafel" at eat-a-pocket

I am by no means a falafel connoisseur (though I've sure had some awful ones in my time), but I do not doubt this stand's rather bold proclamation. If you're not sure if you'll be able to fit much more in, just grab a box of falafel (6: $5.50; 12: $10.00), but if your stomach just can't be satisfied (or if you skipped the dagwood dog!), stretch for the falafel pocket ($10.50): a pita pocket filled with hummus, falafels, salads, tabouli, pickles, tomato salsa, tahini sauce and (optional) chilli.

The falafel pocket: get in mah belly.

It's a bit of a wait (mainly because everyone else eats there), but it's worth it.

If falafel just aren't your style, they also offer a hummus pocket ($9.50) and a selection of plates (breakfast, hummus, mezze, baba ganoush).

Hungarian Style "Tócsni" (Potato Pancake)

Don't be scared off by the funny hats; these pancakes are a cross between hash browns and savoury pancakes, and have the best of both worlds. They offer a number of garnishes (when we first went, they only had the veg option: they've now added animal products, but they shouldn't add cheese unless you ask for it!). $9.

Empanada

Only one or two stalls along, this empanada stand offers (shock-horror!) veg empanadas! They're pretty delicious (and surprisingly, consider they contain cauliflower and sultanas), but they're no longer hot by the time we get them, so get in early!

As you enjoy your empanada/Hungarian pancake/paella, enjoy the... mellow sounds of (arguably?) folk music wafting over the hustle and bustle of people. If you've never gone to the markets before, persevere (and try not to punch anyone), but if you've seen it all before, dart back to the crepe stand and take the shortcut past the club house to come to our next stop...

Black Star Coffee "Soy Deluxe"

Though it's easy to be put off by the copious facial hair/thick-rimmed glasses/... ok, all the hipsters, don't let this distract you from the coffee: after eating and eating or, well, anytime, Black Star Soy Deluxe Cold-Pressed Coffee is absolutely wonderful: smooth, creamy, and just a little sweet, it's the perfect way to end (or at least take a break from) your eating frenzy. $5. Sometimes, they also sell a delicious stuffed (often with spinach and potato) Afghani bread called "Bolani", which The Dilettante thinks is delicious.

From here, it's all pretty standard market fare, but you can go either way:

1. Head back to just before the Fish Tent of Death (what horrors lie within I dare not tell...), where a large stand overflows with delicious red and green apples, tomatoes, and capsicum, a small stand has various herbs for sale, among with plenty of other specialty stores. There is also a new place that does vegetarian paella ($6).

Mmmm, paella...

Otherwise;

2. Continue on to finish the loop of the markets. The left-hand side is mostly knick-knack type stalls, whereas the right is a mix of fruit and veg stores and some very odd book stands. In this direction also lies the stand for Chi Tea, where you'll find some fantastic teas and some ridiculously cool (and amazingly well priced) tea wares (pots and tea sets, etc).

As usual, markets are an ever-changing landscape, so there's almost always a new place here or a place that has disappeared there, but the places listed above have been there pretty much every week for the last six months (if not longer), so they should be there when you visit.

If you know of any stalls serving awesome veg food, either at the West End Markets, or any other markets that you go to, let us know! (We'll do our best to update this post with prices/info)

Kale & Chickpea Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing

I buy kale compulsively: whenever we go to any sort of fruit market, I catch even a glimpse of those curly emerald leaves and I'm on them like nobody's business.

I wish I could say it's because I love the taste, but unfortunately... well, before too long, those gorgeous emerald leaves are looking a little yellow and I either panic and make kale chips or just give in to the inevitable and chuck them out.

So, yes, unfortunately I buy kale because it's ridiculously good for you, not because I like the taste. Weirdly, I always seem to forget that with a little bit more work, it's tasty and good for you. So, today, I opened up the fridge, saw a bit of kale left over from... well, it can't have been that long ago (...) and decided to make myself a salad.

This is a bit of a fusion between the chickpea and avocado salad I take to uni and a massage kale salad. And it's ridiculously easy AND good for you!

Kale & Chickpea Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing
What You Need
Ingredients
Medium to large bunch of kale
Good quality olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Dash of lemon / lime juice
2 large or 4 small avocados
Harissa, or your favourite hot spice mix
1 small capsicum
Can of chickpeas

Utensils
2 bowls (one for serving the salad, one for mixing up the avocado)
Fork
Knife & chopping board

Now That You're Ready
1. Strip the kale from the stem: the easiest way to do this is to hold the stem with your left hand, wrap the thumb and index finger of your right hand around the stem where the leaves start, and pull down. Cut into strips (place on the chopping board, bunch up, and cut across every centimetre or so) and place in the serving bowl.
2. Drizzle enough olive oil in the bowl that the kale will be coated (around 1-3 tablespoons, depending on how much you're using). Add salt (I did around 6 twists of the salt grinder: using a grinder is good because the more coarse grains of salt will really help with the next step),a twist or two of pepper, and the lemon/lime juice (a little more if you'd like the flavour to come through a bit more).
3. Get your hands in there and start massaging it! Rub the oil, juice, salt, and pepper into the kale leaves and almost knead them together. This will make the leaves softer (and thus easier to chew) and will also help get rid of some of the kale "taste". Continue for about 2 or 3 minutes (or longer or shorter depending on how you like your kale), then set aside.
4. In the other bowl, add the avocado flesh and mash with the fork. Add a pinch of salt (again, add a little more to taste if you'd prefer) and about half a teaspoon of the spice. Mix until combined, then add a little more salt and/or spice until you're happy with it. Set aside.

Is it basil and tomato???! No, it's kale and capsicum! Oh, I bet you're excited now.

5. Drain the chickpeas (I'd also recommend rinsing them briefly to get rid of the can taste). Dice the capsicum (as big or as small as you want it!). Add them both to the kale and mix through.
6. And finally, add the avocado dressing into the bowl with the kale and mix through. You're done!

If you recycle dishes like we do (ha), wash out and dry the bowl that previously contained the avocado, and serve up the salad in that. Or just use a clean bowl like normal people. Or just eat it out of the serving bowl like I do. Garnish with a sprinkle of salt flakes and a twist of pepper.

Enjoy!

The Academic: Lunch for the Time-Starved and Inexperienced

Lunch

EAT ME.

Everyone tells us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but when I wake up, eating is generally the last thing I want to do. And, when I do eat first thing in the morning, I just end up feeling sick. So I usually put off lunch for an hour, or just don't eat it.

As such, the responsibility for the day's energy falls on lunch.

I am sure I'm not alone among you when I say that food makes me feel sluggish. And that's fine at night, but when I'm trying to think during the day, all I can think about is the food in my stomach.

BUT, later on, it becomes important. Sure, if I don't eat, I feel like I'm working, but I get distracted and tired and end up getting a headache. When I eat lunch, I may feel bloated for a little while, but I can concentrate for all three hours of a lecture, and I take notes, and I actually LEARN.

As I've said, I'm not the most culinarily skilled person, but even if you are, you usually don't want to spend a heap of time making lunch on a weekday.

Here are two of the things I love making. You can eat them pretty much any time in the day (sometimes I have them closer to breakfast, sometimes closer to lunch). You'll have the energy to concentrate, and you'll be satisfied enough that you won't want to eat EVERY SINGLE THING IN THE UNIVERSE AT DINNER.

Not that I ever have that problem...

What You'll Need

I could seriously eat this every day, and sometimes I do. If you're feeling particularly peckish and/or don't care about the extra carbs, you can make this into a sandwich or wrap.

I usually have:

• Two pieces of Soyco Malaysian Peanut Satay Tofu (but you can use any flavour you want, really)
• An avocado
• A handful of cherry/grape tomatoes (The Perino brand are much nicer than the generic Coles/Woolworths brand); or just a few slices of regular tomato
• hummus
• baby spinach leaves
• left-over roast veggies

Maybe you don't want to buy prepackaged tofu, or maybe you're just terrified of tofu, but you will not regret this. The tofu is pre-pressed and already marinated, so you can use it straight away. And, more importantly, it gives you PROTEIN (note from Matt: and in some cases, tofu also gives you a good hit of calcium!), so your body and brain have energy to work during the day.

What You'll Do
Grill the tofu for a few minutes (until it's slightly brown, but still has some liquid on it), then turn it over and do the same on the other side. If you leave it in a little longer, it will dry out a little, but will still be fine. If you leave it in too long, though, it will turn into rubber and taste awful.

At the same time, you can grill the tomatoes as well; cut them in half and put a few grinds of salt and pepper over them.

If you're having bread, you may also want to grill the bread for a little while as well, so that it ends up nice and crisp. Putting some oil/margarine on each side will help with this, but do so at your own risk! (it ends up becoming very decadent). Have two pieces of bread ready (one for each piece of tofu).

While everything is under the grill, cut the avocado in half. You'll only use half (unless you're super hungry), so wrap up the other half and put it in the fridge. Either slice up the avocado, or put it in a bowl and mash it up.

When everything is ready to go, just put it all on a plate, and eat it! (seriously, who's eating it? the Queen?)

If you want to be a little more fancy, just stack the ingredients as you see fit on top of the bread and make an open or close sandwich. So many options!

The Other Sandwich

This is great if you've had roast veggies the night before. My favourite is sweet potato, but regular potatoes, pumpkin, or all three will work just fine.

First slather some avocado on the bread. If you want, put avocado on one slice, and hummus on the other. Then lay down the ingredient in any order that sits right with you. I generally go:

• roast veggies
• baby spinach leaves
• cherry/grape tomatoes

This is probably my all-time favourite sandwich, so I have it sparingly (helped by the fact that we don't have roast veggies all that often!)

So there you have them; two delicious sandwiches that are easy to make, will fill you up, and are absolutely delicious!