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.

Mum/Lyn's Quick Cinnamon Scrolls

This has been a very long week, and sadly last Monday we celebrated the life of Matt's mum, Lyn.

In honour of her, I thought it would be good to share a recipe she made often, and which Matt & I probably made a little too often! Lyn had many allergies during her life which means she ate mostly vegan for much of her life. This recipe is probably one of those accidentally vegan recipes that appeared during the war (if anyone recognises and knows where it's from, please let me know so I can add an attribution).

Because they're not yeasted, you can get these scrolls together in about half an hour, making them great for a quick winter afternoon treat, or a last-minute "was that today??" snack for a family gathering (guilty!).

Ingredients
Dough:
2 cup of self-raising flour (if you don't have self-raising flour, use 2 cups plain flour and 3 teaspoons baking powder and increase the pinch of salt to 1 teaspoon)
pinch of salt
90g non-dairy butter
2/3 cup non-dairy milk

Filling:
60g non-dairy butter
2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water

Method
Preheat over to 210°C
1. Sift flour and salt in a bowl. Rub butter into flour with fingertips.
2. Make well in centre and add most of the milk. Mix lightly with flat backed knife: add more liquid if necessary.
3. Knead dough briefly on lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll out to 25 x 40cm rectangle approx.
4. Make icing: beat butter, sugar and cinnamon until light and fluffy. Spread to corners of dough.
5. Roll up dough from long side. Using a sharp knife slice dough into 3cm pieces.
6. Cook for 12 minutes. Drizzle with icing.

Eat them while they're hot (as if you'll be able to resist!), or microwave for about 30 seconds to reheat.

And, most importantly, remember to share them with those you love.

We both love and miss you, Lyn/Mum.

Quick & Easy Vegan (Yeasted) Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon Rolls. Cinnamon buns. I won't quibble over specifics - if there's bready goodness with a sweet, creamy, gooey, cinnamony filling - I will be there in a flash. With or without the glaze that makes them totally over the top.

Photo from James' attempt!

I grew up with a single, working Mum who didn't have a lot of spare time. But every now and then, I'd wake up to gorgeous scents floating through the house, jump up excitedly, and run to the kitchen to find that she'd made us cinnamon rolls. 

Now, my Mum was a busy, single working mother, so she didn't have time to mess around with yeast and kneading, so the cinnamon rolls she made were unyeasted - basically, a rolled and filled almost-shortcrust pastry. And they were darn delicious. My mum is actually extremely, horribly allergic to dairy and eggs, so I grew up with cinnamon rolls that were unintentionally vegan, which made returning to them as an adult even easier - they didn't even require any tweaking of the recipe. I still make them sometimes.

Me at approximately 4, baking with my Grandma. Look at my crazy eyes - I loved it.

As I've gotten older, I've also found an equally passionate love of cinnamon buns - which, are obviously more bakery style - and are yeasted, with a silky, tender, puffy, slightly chewy tender dough in place of that creamy almost-shortcrust I grew up with, but are otherwise pretty much the same. The yeasted nature gives them an almost un-explainable umami richness.

I have a Kitchenaid stand-mixer, so pretty much the only thing that stops me making either buns or scrolls is a) the unavoidable rolling-out of the dough and the sprinklings of flour that I know are going to get everywhere and b) the time component.

I'm now learning just to relax, put down a Silpat (silicone baking mat), and spread that flour everywhere, knowing that it won't be hard to clean up afterwards. If I just start, I'll overcome the mental hurdle of hatred of mess. Watching the way Nigella Lawson gleefully gets her hands right into every step of the cooking process has also helped me too. It just takes a quick wipe down and a hand-wash for her to revert to looking pristine. Maybe I could too... Now if only I had her lighting team, and luscious, luscious hair...

A screenshot I took from Nigella's 2005 talk show on dieting, as she announced she was giving the entire audience free Krispy Kreme donuts, because "you mustn't deprive yourself". You've gotta love her.

Getting over this hasn't helped fix the time component for yeasted buns. I'm pretty bad at delaying gratification - so making something and waiting four hours to eat them is akin to slow, painful torture for me. And then, this morning, the Universe smiled down on me, and I saw that my friend Kittee had made quick cinnamon buns, based on the recipe that Somer McCowan of Vedged Out had posted on Instagram. They're yeasted, but only require 10 minutes rising time, thanks to a special ingredient she (and I) had on hand after making Bryanna's palm-oil-free vegan butter, called Liquid Lecithin, an emulsifier and humectant which I've discovered has properties that greatly improve yeasted doughs, and require little or no rising time.

I thought I'd take a punt and give them a try, and they worked out gorgeously. You may still get covered in flour, but at least you won't have to wait. I can't find the recipe on her website, so thought I'd share it here. It's quick, little fuss, and very satisfying. Thanks very much to Somer for pulling this together.

Somer McCowan's Quick & Easy Cinammon Buns, re-written (so blame me, not her!):

1. Preheat your oven to 180 C / 350 F and grease a square or circular baking dish (I used a glass Pyrex pie dish and canola spray).

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the beating paddle, add:

1 cup warm water (not too hot, or you'll kill the yeast)
1 tablespoon instant yeast (I used Lowan brand)
1 tablespoon liquid lecithin (eyeball this, because it's near impossible to get it off either utensils, OR your hands - trust me, it's a very unpleasant feeling to have this all over your hands (James/Bryanna's note: spray the tablespoon with oil before measuring the lecithin and it will slide right off the spoon!))
2.5 cups + 2 tablespoons plain flour
1 teaspoon sea salt

3. Knead for 8-10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. My dough was pretty touchable, and not sticky.

4. Flour your work area and your rolling pin, and roll the dough out into an 8 x 14 inch rectangle (my silicon mat has inches marked, which is fantastic).

5. Mix together:

1/4 cup softened butter (I'm not going to get into naming wars. Use whatever you use as butter - whether nuttelex, earth balance, or dairy butter - just don't write to me proselytising and raving about how unhealthy butter/margarine is, because I truly don't care. Add salt as needed, if what you're using is unsalted. Salt makes things delicious).
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

6. Spread butter mixture all over the dough, right to the edges (I used a pastry brush)

7. Grasp both edges of the longest length side (bottom of the rectangle), and gently roll it forward, taking care to keep the filling even, until you end up with a cylinder which is spiralled inside. 

8. Cut cylinder into one inch rolls, turn them sideways (spiral visible from above), and place in your greased baking dish. Continue cutting and arranging until complete. I had to squish some of mine up, but that's okay, their will to rise is strong, and they will be fine.

9. Set the dish, packed with yummy buns full of potential in a warm (but not hot) place, to rise for 10 minutes, or until almost doubled (which I admit I forgot to do, I was so eager - and they turned out fine, with no "yeasty" taste).

10. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden.

They're good as they are, or you can make an icing sugar/butter/milk glaze to drizzle over them if you're feeling really Nigellicious and want your hands dripping with sugar and fat.

Unfortunately, I was pretty slap-dash and devoured half of them like a ravenous beast, so I don't have a photo of the outcome, sorry (not sorry). So here's a photo of my darling Devon Rex cat Sylvia, when she was a baby kitten and I had just brought her home. Today, she's a ferocious beast, but she's still gorgeous.

She's not shy. Work it, girl!

I'm also interesting in hearing about your experiences with liquid lecithin - I've read you can use it to make super fast-rising pizza dough as well. Let me know what you think.
And in the words of Nigella Lawson - "I don't believe in deprivation. Enjoy yourself".

Matt 

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!

On (Terrible) Pizza/Pizza Snobbery and "Authenticity"

I don't know about you, but bad pizza makes me really, really sad. Pizza is one of my absolute most favourite meals, hands down. Naturally, my trip to Italy last year was one of my favourite experiences of my lifetime, and this was in no small part due to the availability of incredibly tasty, excellent-in-every-way pizza every step of the way down most streets.

When it comes to pizza (or most things really), I'm no food snob. I can appreciate a gorgeous, hand-made and stretched, delicious puffy-crackly base topped with an array of high quality, simple ingredients in a minimalist fashion and then wood-fired at a blistering high heat. But, I can also appreciate a doughy, greasy, trailer-trashy pizza topped with a boatload of non-authentic ingredients such as smoky soy curls, pineapple, vege sausages, and finished with a swirl of satay, BBQ or creamy sauce. A lot. I just recognise them as two completely different foods that I want when I'm in two completely different moods. You're looking at a guy who sometimes wants nothing more than a vegan dagwood dog (corn dog).

That being said, I have to admit I don't understand the appeal of the "authentic" pizzas available here in Australia. I find that their "minimalist" aesthetic in striving for this authenticity far too often ends up actually achieving "stingy" and one-dimensional. Call it "authentic", "artful", or whatever, but when you're paying up to $25 or so for a fairly small pizza with just a couple of things on it, I'm really not impressed. I know that pizza ovens and dough rising takes time and money, but it all feels way too much to me like you're simply trying too hard. And it certainly reminds me nothing of the amazing pizzas I ate in Italy. Ultimately, food is about enjoyment for me. Not fitting into a box and applauding replication.

Maybe it's the prosciutto, but this pizza from another of Brisbane's best, just doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. That's not a meal. And for $23!!!!!!!

A photo I found on Facebook from another of Brisbane's "Best Pizza places". I'm sorry, but.. yuck. Just yuck.

All this being said, I recognise that it's hard enough to get good "regular" pizza here in Brisbane, let alone vegetarian pizza. People just don't have a clue. You have to source incredible tasting vegetables, and treat them with care and attention. So, I keep trying to find good pizza (for now, Colle Rosso is my favourite - and incidentally, it is run by a real Italian family. Read our review here).

Yesterday, upon seeing many recommendations rising up from both the ferals of urbanspoon AND professional food writers, I visited a place that many had described as "Brisbane's Best Pizza" and is well known for its beer selection. I've never wanted this blog to be negative, so I'm not going to name and shame, but boy, it was so bad. 

The first pizza ordered by our table was a margherita, without the dairy. Now, a good margherita doesn't usually have a lot of cheese on it anyway, so we thought that it wouldn't impact too negatively. This is what we were served, much to my amazement and heart-sinking disappointment:

The pizza that broke my heart. I wanted it to be extra big for you to see.

SO. BAD. The crust: Papery, cardboard-y, crackly, insignificant. It didn't even seem adequately cooked. But there wasn't really enough to bite into to get a good taste.
The sauce: I don't even remember. 
The tomatoes: Could they look any more like the cheapest, limpest, blandest, supermarket tomatoes if they tried? I don't think so. Completely flavourless as well.
The basil: On at least half of the pizza, right? So carefully placed. Not.
The green liquid: That was fruity olive oil. Certainly not the kind I'd put on pizza.
The presentation: Speaks for itself. This pizza was assembled and baked by someone who is either incompetent, or has absolutely no pride in their work. Look at the chunk-drops of basil and the drool-trails of olive oil.

The other pizza we were served was along the same lines. A little better looking due to the fact there were more toppings, but so bland. So. Incredibly. Bland. Crap vegetables treated with no care or respect, chucked on a half-assed base and poorly baked. And then bizarrely topped with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and rocket. WHAT IS THE OBSESSION WITH TOPPING PIZZA WITH PEPPERY SALAD GREENS? It doesn't add to the authenticity. I don't remember the rocket in Italy being anywhere near as bitter as ours.

The bright side was that the "gnarly fries" and "onion rings" we got on the side were really good, despite oddly, both just being served with aioli. James ended up asking for tomato sauce, and a bottle was brought out from the kitchen and plonked on the table in front of him, no ramekins or sauce-pots or anything.

I'm sure they are probably from a mass-produced freezer bag.

To top it all off, I got to the end of my $10 tap IPA to realise that there was a big old bottle top floating in the bottom of my beer. How could someone not realise this as they were pouring? Whose bottle top was it? How did it get in there? I could have choked on it! To the credit of the waitress, she was very kind and apologetic and offered to replace the beer, and when I said it wasn't necessary just wanted them to know, she offered me a loyalty card with some free coffees on it. By that stage, I just wanted to get out, and had no desire to go back, so we thanked her and left.

The bottle top in bottom of my tap beer. Glad I drank slowly and didn't chug and choke.

I don't mean to rave, but how could a restaurant/bar known for its pizza serve this to someone? I must stress, they weren't particularly busy, and there were only two of us, so it's not like they were rushed off their feet. Were they just having a bad day? Do the ferals of urbanspoon and bloggers really just have no taste? If one person says something is good, does everyone else follow like Sheeple?

With very few exceptions (one? two), is good, authentic pizza outside of Italy even possible? Or are we better just hedging our bets and making something that tastes good to us at home?

Perfect Roast Potatoes and Decadent Casserole

In an effort to save money, I've made an effort to go to Woolworths close to a nearby university as it always has vegetables "reduced to clear" (apparently students don't eat vegetables?). Anyway, it's working out really well for me; mushrooms, corn, greens, tomatoes... I haven't paid full price for a vegetable in weeks.

As luck would have it, the other week one of the clearance vegetables was baby red potatoes. With no idea of what I'd do with them, I bought them, and arrived at home determined to roast them. But, as crazy as it sounds, I'd never really roasted a potato (pretty much every other vegetable, but never potatoes). After a cursory look at a few websites, I decided to just throw myself into it and see how it turned out (they were ridiculous cheap, after all!)

The result was (not to sound full of myself but) the most delicious roast potatoes I've ever eaten. Looking at the recipe below, I'm sure you're thinking "Yeah, well with THAT much fat, how could it not be delicious". And you know what; it is. Ridiculously delicious. It's also obscenely easy.

Perfect Roast Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Halve or quarter 1kg baby red or other roasting potatoes into approximately 2-3cm cubes. Place them into a large casserole dish; they should completely cover the bottom in a single layer and have very little to no space between them.

In a microwave safe bowl (or, if you don't have a microwave, a small saucepan) add 1/2 cup non-dairy buttery spread (I used Nuttelex Olive), 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves crushed garlic, and 5-6 sprigs of roughly chopped fresh rosemary or oregano (or a mix). Microwave this for 30 seconds until the spread has melted; microwave slightly longer if needed (if in a saucepan, warm the mix over a medium heat until the spread has melted, removing the saucepan from the heat at the first sign of bubbles). Add a few splashes (about 1-2tsp) roasted sesame oil and mix again.

Pour this mix over the potatoes; use a spoon to distribute the mix evenly (make sure the garlic cloves and herbs are spread out in the mix). Give a few cracks of black pepper and a good sprinkling of salt over the top.

 

Once the oven is preheated, place the casserole in the oven and roast for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir the mix again (give another crack of pepper and salt if desired), and then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes until cool enough to eat straight from the dish.

With some leftover of these potatoes, I started experimenting with using the leftover potatoes (and fat) in some fry-ups, but ended up returning to the trusted casserole for my final experiment. I had some leftover bread from a visit to Flour & Chocolate, so decided to use that up as well, along with some other vegetables from my clearance haul. The result is an extremely delicious, and very rich, casserole. Though it may seem small, this is certainly not the sort of dish that you need to go back for seconds of! I simply ate it from the bowl, but it could be nice served on some freshly toasted bread as a sort-of bruschetta/crostoni, or with some simply grilled vegetables (asparagus, charred greens, green beans, etc) as a side as a simply and casual yet impressive main.

Potato, Bread and Chickpea Casserole
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Halve of quarter 500g baby red or other roasting potato into approximately 2-3cm cubes. Place them in a large casserole dish. Cut up a stale bread roll approximately the size of a shoe (I used a ciabatta roll, approximately 20x5x3cm) and one mushroom into 1-2cm cubes and also add them to the dish. Quarter a handful of small (cherry, grape or similar) tomatoes (I used a "tomato medley", which included a mix of red, yellow, and streaked green tomatoes; the mix of colours looks great and the subtly different tastes add wonderful layer to the flavour, though any small tomatoes will do!) and add them to the dish. Finally, add 1.5 cups / 1 can / 420g cooked chickpeas and 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced (roughly break up the slices into individual strands/layers).

In a microwave safe bowl (or, if you don't have a microwave, a small saucepan) add 1/2 cup non-dairy buttery spread (I used Nuttelex Olive), 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 cloves crushed garlic, and 5-6 sprigs of roughly chopped fresh rosemary or oregano (or a mix). Microwave this for 30 seconds until the spread has melted; microwave slightly longer if needed (if in a saucepan, warm the mix over a medium heat until the spread has melted, removing the saucepan from the heat at the first sign of bubbles).
Add a few splashes (about 1-2tsp) roasted sesame oil and mix again.

Pour this mix over the casserole mix; use a spoon to distribute the mix evenly (make sure the garlic cloves and herbs are spread out in the mix). Give a couple of splashes of red wine, few cracks of black pepper and a good sprinkling of salt over the top. Once the oven is preheated, place the casserole in the oven and roast for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter one or two handfuls of greens over the top (I used baby kale, which is quite large, but for baby spinach or other small greens, you may want to use a little more).

Stir greens into the mix until well-coated, give another few cracks of pepper and a sprinkle of salt, and then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes until cool enough to eat.

I have a few posts floating around that I'm just waiting for the inspiration to finish, so hopefully I'll see you again sooner rather than later!

2013: Year Wrap Up

It has been, to say the least, a crazy year. Matt quit his job to join me working at The Green Edge, and now we run the kitchen (oh gosh how did this happen); Delicious, Regardless continues to go strong; and suddenly it's 2014! After the Beyoncé fiasco (lol who would release an album that close to the end of the year OH WAIT), I thought it would be best to wait until 2013 was well and truly done before doing my End Of Year list and, some two weeks later, I've finally got around to it.

So: what awesome things happened in 2013?

Food
Artisan Soy Food Makers Appeared Out Of Nowhere
Seemingly out of nowhere, and within a matter of months, I became aware of local miso makers Sasakani Kobo and local tempeh makers Totally Tempeh and I had to wonder WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN ALL MY LIFE. None of that pasty pastured "miso" from the supermarket, nor that beige, vaguely sinister tempeh product; this was the real deal.

With the new year, both are continuing to go strong. Totally Tempeh now offers conventional (non-organic, non-GMO) and organic tempeh, with plans to introduce a marinated tempeh. Sasakani Kobo are taking a short break, but will be restarting their Miso Making Classes from March; and if you just can't wait, you can also book in an individual class with Mayumi!

We also learned (behind everyone else in SEQ, apparently!) about Healthy Pulse, incredible, fresh tofu made on the Gold Coast. Their tofus are available at Genki Mart, and are served at Saké.

Read about our experience at Sasakani Kobo's Miso Club, and about our first time trying Totally Tempeh.

Brisbane's Raw Revolution
Despite the very sad end of Raw & Peace's Northey Street Markets stall (I still dream of that caramel cream cake! (and that they'll give up on Bali and RETURN TO ME)), Brisbane's appetite for raw food continues to grow. Orawgi opened up in Wooloongabba in the middle of the year, follow a couple of months later by 48 Degrees in Windsor (opened by none other than my own sister!). We have both been extremely impressed with the food at both of these places, and look forward to seeing what they come up with this year!

Veganism Is Nearly Popular!
It seems that Brisbane's vegans are finally dining out, and restaurants have responded in a pretty incredible way. Urbane started their Vegan Dinners, to much acclaim from veg and omnivores alike (and our sources tell us that Urbane has some very exciting things planned for 2014!), restaurants of all shapes and sizes are feature vegan items / menus or are happy to accommodate people (we had a great meal at Bacchus, who, rather than simply veganising their vegetarian degustation, came up with an entirely new (and quite wonderful) menu; Cabiria surprised and delighted me with their menu (crepes!); Mondo Organics also fed us a wonderful meal, which inspired the Vegan and Vegetarian Society of Queensland to go there for one of their monthly dinner!).

Our meal at Mondo Organics

With the announcement that the people behind Gerard's Bistro are launching a charcuterie-focused bar featuring vegan meats, I'm sure the trend will only continue in 2014.

Read about our first dinner at Urbane, our lunch at Mondo Organics, and my experience at Cabiria. We will eventually get around to writing up the review of Bacchus and posting it!

But The Winner Is... (we're all winners!)
Without a doubt my favourite place to eat in 2013 was Colle Rosso. Their pizza was an absolute revelation when I first tried it, and every time I eat it (the amount of times which I cannot even count), I am reminded that there is still good in this world and gosh it tastes amazing. I was very pleased to join them for the opening of their new location, L'angolo Bistrò at Hamilton, which continues their excellent standard in a more relaxed setting. I'm already looking forward to returning many times in 2014.

Read my slightly over-the-top but completely true love letter to Colle Rosso.

Cookbooks
Unfortunately, I was less able to support my cookbook addiction last year, but thankfully we were lucky enough to test some amazing cookbooks. My two picks from last year are undoubtedly Fran Costigan's "Vegan Chocolate" (make the chocolate truffle; seriously. You will never look back because you will be so huge from eating them all because they're so delicious) and Julie Hasson's "Vegan Pizza". We were cooking pizza pretty much every night for about a month and we didn't get sick of it because IT WAS ALL SO DELICIOUS. Dreena Burton also followed up the fantastic "Let Them Eat Vegan" with her "Plant Powered 15" eBook; only 15 recipes but GOSH what recipes! Despite how natural and wholesome they are, I could pretty much live on the Sticky Almond Blondies. And oh my gosh, Macnificent; if you're obsessed with her Mac Oh Geez, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Honourable mentions go to Brian L Patton/The Sexy Vegan's "Happy Hour At Home" (because he makes the sort of food I want to eat all the time forever) and Tamasin Noyes' "Grills Gone Vegan" (because I haven't had a chance to make anything from it apart from THE GREATEST Buffalo sauce I've ever eaten).

Music
2013 was a great year for songs, not so much a great year for albums, but it did serve up some surprises. Beyoncé dropped her new eponymous album completely out of the blue just as everyone had pretty much written off anything else happening in 2013; Boards of Canada released their first album in 8 years; Lorde appeared apparently out of nowhere and jumped straight to the top of the charts and Best Of 2013 lists; Miley Cyrus finally committed Hannah Montana to death by twerking and actually made a pretty decent pop album out of it... and somewhere in the middle of this, I actually did listen to more than pop music. Maybe we should talk about that.

2013's Bests
M.I.A. - "Y.A.L.A."
I couldn't pick between this and "MATANGI", but I think I could put this on repeat and listen to it forever. Recovering from the rather mixed bag of /\/\/\Y/\ (MAYA), and one album delay after another, M.I.A. put out an album that, while perhaps not as consistently good as her two first albums, contains some of the best tracks of 2013. Let's hope she doesn't threaten to quit music again, because she may just be more important to pop music than we thought.

Woodkid - "Run Boy Run"
Who knew that the director of Lana Del Rey's "Blue Jeans" and "Born To Die" would make an album next? Even more, who suspected it would actually be really good? I probably played this album non-stop for about a month, but it was this song that got me into it, and it's this song that I will continue to return to: smiling and crying, it's what I do best.

Tricky - False Idols
One wouldn't be wrong for imagining Tricky's career as a series of diminishing returns, but at some point in the mid-00s, he seemed to turn things around and, since 2008's Knowle West Boy things have been looking up for the Tricky Kid. False Idols signifies an artist finally happy to stop fighting the "trip hop" label he has been trying to escape since his first album. The result is his best album since 1998's Angels With Dirty Faces. Pick tracks: "Valentine", "Tribal Drums", "Does It", "Passion Of The Christ".

Moderat - "Last Time"
Is it unfortunately that the best track on Moderat's (long delayed, but well worth the wait) second album was relegated to a deluxe edition bonus track. Thankfully, it is getting a well-deserved single release. Unfortunately, they won't be coming to Australia on their upcoming tour. Boo.

Lorde - "Tennis Court" / "400 Lux"
As much as I enjoyed "Royals" when it first came out, I would've been very happy if Pure Heroine had simply been these two tracks on repeat. Perhaps she should stop Single White Female-ing Lana Del Rey, perhaps she still has a lot of growth in music to go, but these two tracks show she is well on her way. Here's to an even better sophomore release.

Kanye West - Yeezus
I really hate to echo every other Best Of 2013 list, and I also really wish Kanye West were less good at what he does because, to be honest, he seems like a bit of a prick BUT UNFORTUNATELY he's really good at it, and seems to only be getting better at it. Thankfully free of the obscenely long featured artists lists that (in my opinion) plagued My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Yeezus is minimal and streamlined, from the (lack of) artwork to the precise production on all 10 tracks. Despite covering a range of genres and themes, it all feels like one cohesive work (though I wouldn't be sad if "Bound 2" were taken off...), and "New Slaves" is pretty much the reason rap exists, and it's good to be reminded of that. Pick tracks: "Black Skinhead", "I Am A God", "New Slaves", "Blood On The Leaves".

HK119 - "Snowblind"
I was ridiculously excited for HK119's new album, and discovering Christoffer Berg (the producer of Fever Ray) produced it pretty much put me over the edge. While the album is enjoyable as a whole, "Snowblind", the first single off the album, is certainly the standout.

Janelle Monáe - "Givin Em What They Love"
As much as I wasn't enamoured with the the rest of The Electric Lady, this track kills it, in every way possible. Monáe's soulful voice over Prince's (I'm sorry but there's no other word) undeniably funky guitar... You don't know what you should do, but you know it would be right.

Agnes Obel - Aventine
I loved "Riverside" from Obel's debut Philharmonics, but the rest of the album never clicked with me, so it took me a while to listen to her second album. When I finally did, I could not stop listening. From the first track, you are drawn into a world of beautiful pathos, Obel's haunting voice just out of your reaching, pulling you in further and further... In a year of mostly disappointing albums, the planets aligned perfectly for Obel. Don't let the sparse arrangements and delicate piano fool you: this is an album that quietly demands your full attention, and when it lets you go, you will be back for more. Pick Tracks: "Fuel To Fire", "Smoke & Mirrors"

Adalita - All Day Venus
Someone give her a damn ARIA already. For everything. Adalita (along with Nick Cave) may be Australia's last hope for rock music, and this album certainly cements that. Forgoing the softer sound (but not the sentimentality) of her debut solo album, All Day Venus finally gets Adalita back to rock, where she belongs. It took me a few months to get into this album, but once I was in, I couldn't stop listening. She's performing at Laneway on January 31, so if you're going, make sure you see her. Pick Tracks: "Annihilate Baby", "All Day Venus", "He Wrote", "Heavy Cut". (sample is available here)

Honourable Mentions
A$AP Rocky - "Long Live A$AP". I don't want to say he's the Kanye of trap, because Kanye is the Kanye of everything but... he's the Kanye of trap.

Annie - "Invisible". Steering clear of the bubblegum pop of the rest of the A&R EP, this dark track gives me hope for Annie's much delayed third album.

Beyoncé - "Haunted". I don't think Beyoncé has ever had a great album, but she's had some great songs, and this is one of them. (Preview here)

Britney Spears - "Perfume". Among the best pop songs of 2013, it's a relief to hear Britney sing without that sex kitten purr that so often mars her songs.

Charli XCX - "Grins". A moment of pure ecstasy in an otherwise uneven album.

Sleigh Bells - "Bitter Rivals". What I've missed from Sleigh Bells; it's a shame about the rest of the album.


And finally, I am ashamed to admit that I only just found out about this, but quite possibly the greatest thing from 2013 is "Cinderoncé", Cinderella told using Beyoncé songs.

And with that, I wish you all a very Happy (and extremely belated) New Year! Thank you for your support; all the best for 2014!

- James

Colle Rosso Ristorante Italiano, Red Hill

Pizza is a food that I've always wanted to like but never really connected with. I love making it at home, but for that one or two times that you made THAT AWESOME PIZZA, the rest are just kind of... good. Pizzas in restaurants are often either completely flavourless once you remove the cheese, regardless of how much else is left on the pizza (it's a great test of the quality of their ingredients: cheese masks a multitude of sins), and don't even get me started on takeaway (though Matt is still trying to convince me that Eagle Boys make a great vegetarian pizza!).

The only other place that I really enjoy pizza is at Vinnies in Newmarket (get the vegetarian pizza and the pepperoni pizza without pepperoni and cheese but with mushrooms and caramelised onion (honestly, delicious)), and I thought that would be the end of it. Then, about 6 months ago, we were taken to the recently opened Colle Rosso in Red Hill by Natascha.

Matt ordered the margarita pizza and I sighed: hurrah for tomato and basil. I imagined I would be hungrily scrounging for something to eat later that night. When the pizzas were ready, I was not disappointed in my disappointment: a great disk of tan pizza base and red sauce, with a few basil leaves on top. Oh well, the show must go on. I sighed again (I sigh a lot because my life is so bitterly disappointing), and took a bite of a piece.

WOW.

I think I nearly choked in shock. HOW CAN IT BE SO DELICIOUS.

Between the two of us, the pizza disappeared very quickly (perhaps a little too quickly), and it was all I could do to not run back and order another one or five.

Since that evening, we have returned many times, always for takeaway pizza. But, though I had raved to my family about it, they'd never been there, so I decided that that should be rectified, and decided to go there for my birthday.

My favourite: parmigiana (senza formaggio)

Mum and my sister are wheat-free, and both were very pleased to discover they had a gluten free pizza base. Mum and I both got pizza (I got the eggplant parmigiana) and we all shared a bottle of the house white. Of course, my pizza was absolutely stunning (and nice to have it warm and on a plate rather than takeaway, as I'd always had before!) but I had nothing on Mum. She looked like all her Christmases had come at once and instead of having to rush around and cook she was just able to get massages and lie by the pool reading.

Any wheat- or gluten-free person will tell you that buying pizza out is not much of an option: there's either no gluten-free base, or it's like cracker. Not the case at Colle Rosso! Despite not being a big eater, Mum polished off 3/4 of the pizza before finally my sister managed to grab a piece and try it for herself. Both agreed it was the best gluten free base they'd ever tasted (and didn't taste gluten free). Unfortunately, the gluten-free base contains egg so isn't appropriate for gleegans or egg-allergic gluten-free-ers.

We then moved onto dessert. Unfortunately, the only vegan dessert option is sorbet, but there are a number of gluten-free options. I asked if anything else was dairy- and egg-free, but it seems that the "egg-free" part was missed and I ended up with zabaione gelato. Thankfully, it was accompanied by a a sparkler and a delightful rendition of Happy Birthday by the staff.

I ended the evening with the best espresso martini I have had in Brisbane (and I have had a lot of them).

Needless to say, my family returned just a couple of weeks later (and I'm sure will again very soon).

Colle Rosso has quite an extensive menu, covering pizza, pasta, antipasti and quite a range of desserts. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian items (or items that can be made gluten- or dairy-free) are marked on the menu. Some pasta (linguini and gnocchi) and all pizza (except calzone) are available gluten-free (though I believe all pasta, gluten-free or not, contains egg): gluten-free pizza is an extra $4, gluten-free pasta (where available) is an extra $3. If you are getting pizza, don't be afraid to ask for it without the cheese: as much as you may not believe me, the pizza base and sauce are delicious enough to eat by themselves and only need minimal accompaniment. Their take-away menu includes all of their pizzas, a few of their pasta dishes, three salads, and a kids menu.

Their drinks menu includes a good wine list, about half of which are available by the glass, a solid cocktail list (all I've tried have been excellent), a number of spirits, as well as variety of non-alcoholic drinks (including tea and coffee).

As always, staff were extremely friendly and helpful. I imagine it would get quite noisy on busy nights, but it's been quiet when we've been there.

No matter where you are in Brisbane, Colle Rosso is well worth the trek (and if you live inner-West/-North, you have NO EXCUSE, especially since it's open every night). Truly exceptional and authentic (in very sense of the word) food.

Colle Rosso Ristorante Italiano
191 Musgrave Road, Red Hill
3369 7417 | www.collerosso.com.au

Mon-Thurs, Sat-Sun: 5pm - 10pm
Friday: 12pm - 10pm

Colle Rosso has plenty of inside seating, and though we made a reservation, there were plenty of free tables (we went on a Monday night, so if you're looking to try it, go then, when it's quiet!). There is only limited parking out the front, but if you turn down Storie Street (right beside Colle Rosso) there is parking out the back (entry either by walking back up Storie St or up the stairs). Bathrooms are downstairs so are not wheelchair accessible.

Colle Rosso has been reviewed on Brisbane Devoured and Eat, Drink + Be Kerry, and has been reviewed a number of times on Yelp and Urbanspoon. It is also featured in the Queensland Good Food Guide 2013 and on the Good Food website.

Open Day at Red Bay Brewery: DIY Microbrew with Professional Supervision & Equipment

A couple of Saturdays ago, I attended Red Bay Brewery's Open Day. We were invited by Scott and Mayumi (of Sasakani Kobo), but unfortunately they were unable to go and Matt was being lazy, so I went with my friend Rachael.

 
We got the train to Cleveland and walked down to the brewery, about 5 minutes from the station. Positioned in a commercial estate, the Brewery is a large warehouse: one half is full of storage tanks, the other half was full of people milling around, already trying the beers. We paid our $5 entry fee, received our glasses, and went off to try some ourselves.

While they had about 8 beers and two ciders to try on the day, only the ciders were vegan, so while Rachael imbibed the beers, I alternated between the Pear Cider (quite tart, and not to my tastes, but I imagine it could grow on me) and the Thai Ginger Beer (wonderfully punchy ginger, with a nice kick of chilli at the end). I was impressed to note that every tap was sponsored by another local business (the owners of which I'm sure were among those gathered there!).

The crowd at the open day (from: http://www.redbaybrewery.com.au/open-day-may-2013/)

To be honest, I hadn't really investigated the brewery before I went, but over the course of the next few hours I noticed that this wasn't just a local microbrewery: it's a DIY brewery, where you can make your own beers, using commercial equipment in a commercial environment with the assistance of a professional. No messing around with finding the right yeast and hops and the right recipe (OK, I know I'm not one to talk about "Home fermentation is dangerous", but I haven't had anything explode! Yet...): you simply pick one of the 230 different beers in their catalogue, make a booking, get the batch started (under Jeffrey's supervision), leave it in their capable hands for 2-3 weeks, and then come back for your very own "homebrew" (but without bottles exploding in your basement/shed).

If you're not sure that you're quite ready to do your own homebrew just yet, they always have the Four Men Lite, Hands Ice Lite, My Mexican or Lager, Skinny Goat or Pale Ale, the English Bitter, the Golden Ale Gluten-Free Beer, and the ciders and Ginger Beer available "off the rack". Otherwise, several of their beers are available at The Burrow (stocks their Golden Ale and Ginger Beer), JamJar (stocks their Zed Brew), Brew (CBD) & Little Brew (Paddington) (unfortunately I was not able to contact them to check which they stock), and Gyoza Bar ANN (stocks the Green Tea Beer and Golden Ale).*

While their ciders (including ginger beer) are all vegan, any of their beers can be made vegan upon request, and can also be made wheat-free. All of their ciders are also gluten-free, and for those looking for a gluten-free beer, they also have their Gluten-Free Golden Ale (I have yet to try it, but apparently ain't beer but tastes like it). Best of all, all of their beers are made without chemicals or preservatives (which means you'll need to clear out that spare fridge to store your beer, as it must be refridgerated).

They also sell and rent a variety of beer-related paraphernalia, including kegs, fridge door taps, and gas cylinders.

I will certainly be most excited to attend the next Red Bay Brewery Open Day (keep an eye on twitter and I'll be sure to share the info here when I know about the next), and in the meantime I look forward to brewing up a batch of my own beer (which will certainly be worthy of its own post!)

Red Bay Brewery
7/77 Shore St West, Cleveland QLD 4163 
3488 2739 www.redbaybrewery.com.au 

Thankfully, Red Bay Brewery is only about a 5 minute walk from the Cleveland train station, so you needn't fear driving there and sampling too many to drive back home (it is a bit of a ride, though (I think it took about an hour from Roma Street), so take a book!). If you're driving, there's parking in the complex.

*Is is possible that selections will change in future: this is accurate at time of publication.