Quintuple spiced lentil eggplant curry

I had a bit of trouble naming this dish. I didn't think of it as a curry, but couldn't come up with a better descriptor - and technically, curry is probably right. I then dithered between five spiced and quintuple spiced. I am not thrilled with either, but quintuple won out to avoid Chinese five spice confusion (my five spices are not those five spices!). In all, it is probably easier to eat this meal than to label it. Fortunately, it tastes so good that I don't think it matters too much what it's called.

The five spices featured are turmeric, cumin, ginger, tarragon and cardamom. It was an impromptu mix, but one I can now recommend. The flavours were warm and varied and slightly sweet, and a perfect match for the vegetables. 

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Genesis in the Hills - delightful vegetarian food

Last Sunday, my sister and I took our mother to lunch at Genesis in the Hills, a vegetarian restaurant located 50 minutes east of Perth. It is just down the road from the botanical gardens where Mr Bite and I were married, and I actually looked into the restaurant as a possible wedding food venue. As we decided to have catering within the gardens instead, Sunday was the first time I ate at the restaurant. I wish I hadn't waited so long!

Genesis in the Hills - tucked into trees with indoor and outdoor seating

The menu is fully vegetarian and most of the dishes are vegan or can be made vegan. It is the sort of restaurant that would appeal to non-vegetarian eaters too, as the dishes are varied and the ingredients 'normal'. The focus is on fresh, real food, prepared well. They have quinoa and kale, but they also have eggs and cheese.

Quinoa open burger

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Chickpea pancakes with a lentil-vegetable filling

I'm sure I'm not the only one to live with a person who does't love legumes. Mr Bite will tolerate them, most of the time at least, but they are definitely seen as something that I like and he does not.

Burritos and quesadillas are one way that I can dish up legumes (usually black beans in those examples) and be met with delight, rather than mild despair. I am pleased to say that this dish is another.

Chickpea pancakes with a lentil-vegetable filling

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Jamie Oliver inspired watermelon and noodle salad

Those of you who watch, or own the book of, Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals may be familiar with this salad. Combining salad vegetables with watermelon, rice noodles and an Asian-style dressing, it is pretty much perfect for Australian summer weather. Jamie paired it with a sticky kicking chicken dish, but I can attest that it also works beautifully with tofu, or just topped with some chopped nuts. It would make a wonderful contribution to a barbecue or picnic.

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(Beetroot) spaghetti with cumin-spiced tomato split pea sauce

It is with some regret that I skip over Vegan MoFo this year. Unfortunately, September is a busy enough month for me without adding in extra blogging. I will focus on trying to keep up with others' posts instead, and hope to join in again next year.

Whilst I am skipping Vegan Mofo, I am pleased to have an opportunity to participate in 'pasta please'. Johanna has just announced that she is hosting pasta please for September, with a focus on long pasta. This times rather brilliantly with today's post.

This noodle dish makes use of another pack of beetroot pasta, as previously featured with a spinach and white bean sauce. Instead of green, this dish packs an assortment of colours. It also packs an assortment of flavours!

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Celebrations and food

Can you believe that it's been a year since my sister's cupcake-filled 21st birthday? No, me neither.

Somehow, though, it is.

This year, my sister's birthday fell the day before her last university exam. Not her last exam for this semester, or even last exam for this year, but the very last exam for her degree. She is officially (or unofficially, I suppose, seeing as exams need to be marked) finished with university - at least for the time being. We celebrated her birthday a day late, and it felt like an occasion for lots of celebration.

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Angel hair spaghetti with roast peppers, basil, and tofu bacon

After more than two years of blogging, this is the first spaghetti recipe to grace my pages. Prior to this, my pasta efforts have been limited to one (very dated, very early!) ginger noodle recipe, one chocolate pasta recipe, and one Thai and rice noodle salad recipe. There has also been a zucchini noodle dish, but that's not really the same.

What triggered this sudden welcoming of pasta? To be truthful, I don't even know. The idea of the dish just wafted to me. I followed the line of thought, and so it was made.

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The incredible delights of som tam

You all told me. You sung the praises of the green papaya salad that is som tam, with its lime and chilli and sweetness and spice. You told me it was a classic dish, and that I needed to try it.

And you were all right. Very, very right.

I don't know how authentic my version of this salad is (probably not very), but it was enough to win me over. In fact, it was enough to make me swoon. My mouth danced. My soul danced. My memories of this salad are still, right now, dancing.

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Rum and raisin vegan cupcakes and roast peppers with currants and pine nuts: Easter Sunday

As a child, Easter was a big event. Not as big as Christmas, but similar to a birthday. There was anticipation, excitement, and a sense of importance attached to the day.

The Easters of my childhood usually followed a similar structure. There was an Easter egg hunt in the morning, to find small eggs left by the Easter bunny. There was a bigger egg or chocolate rabbit from my parents. We would see my Australian grandparents for lunch, and that meeting would generate more chocolate. The lunch itself was appropriately eventful too: a hot lunch, perhaps a roast, which was not common in my family. After lunch we might go for a walk, or visit a park. In later years we sometimes had picnics.

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Roasted pumpkin and cauliflower with molasses, hemp seeds and quinoa

This is a recipe for busy weeks, where time dictates that cooking must be practical but you want it to be fun as well.

It is a recipe for autumn days, where turning your oven on is a novelty after months of avoiding anything that might increase the temperature of your summer-heated house.

It is a recipe for evenings when you want a dinner that will cook itself, giving you time to tap-tap-tap at the computer, or talk to your partner, or perhaps just fold some washing.

It is a recipe for warmth, nutrition, flavour.

It is a recipe for weekends where work is required, and every minute seems to be accounted for.

It is a recipe for sharing, or for keeping to yourself.

It is a recipe for life, whatever it throws up.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Roasted pumpkin and cauliflower with molasses, hemp seeds and quinoa

Easy, delicious, and can stand alone or pair with a protein-based side

Vegan

Serves 2-3

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 butternut pumpkin

1 head of cauliflower

1 tbsp blackstrap molasses (or other molasses, or maple syrup)

1 tbsp water

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp hemp seeds

1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked

Nuts or seeds, extra, to serve (optional)

Method

Preheat your oven to high (200'C) and cut the pumpkin and cauliflower into chunks. Place in a large oven-proof dish.

Combine the molasses, water, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast and hemp seeds in a jar of bowl, and whisk to combine. Pour over the vegetables. Roast in the oven for at least one hour, checking after 30 minutes.

About 15 minutes before the vegetables are ready, rinse your quinoa and then combine with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce to simmering, cover, and allow to cook for 10 - 15 minutes until fluffy.

Combine the vegetables and quinoa, and sprinkle with nuts or seeds if desired.

Submitted to Ricki's Wellness Weekend March 28th to April 1st 2013.

What are you eating (or doing) this weekend?

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Aussie Farmers Direct - some positive experiences

I mentioned Aussie Farmers Direct in my March In My Kitchen post, and some of you expressed interest in how I was finding it. The answer, in brief, is good. The answer in more extended form is below!

My investigation of Aussie Farmers Direct stemmed from a comment Johanna left when I mentioned crashing my bike, a direct result of trying to cycle home from our local fruit and vegetable markets with too much in my basket. I knew of Aussie Farmers Direct before then, in part because my parents used them for a while and in part as a result of other friends and Lisa at Bake Bike Blog talking about their experiences. For some reason I never looked into them for myself and, as a result, I hadn't realised how much choice there is in what you can order from them.

The company started in 2005 as a way of helping Australian Farmers deliver their food directly to customers. They use the analogy of the traditional milkman, and deliveries are made by local franchises on set days using vans and cooler boxes (for cold produce) or recyclable cardboard boxes (for fruit and vegetables). They pride themselves on distributing 100% Australian owned, grown and produced food, in a way that is sustainable for growers and buyers, is seasonal, and is convenient to customers. You can read more about them on their website.

What I hadn't realised until recently is that there are several ways of ordering from Aussie Farmers Direct. They do fruit and vegetable boxes, which are their best value produce options, but there are several varieties to choose from: a family pack of fruit and vegetables, containing 8-10kg produce ($39); a couples pack of fruit and vegetables, containing 6-8kg produce ($26); a couples pack of vegetables only ($26); a family pack of fruit only ($39); a couples pack of fruit only ($26); and organic versions of the mixed fruit and vegetable boxes ($59 family / $39 couples).

You can have a standing weekly order, but you can also have deliveries fortnightly or monthly, and it is easy to cancel or suspend if you are going to be away. It's all done online, which makes things easy too.

I like choosing fruit and still wanted to do some of our produce buying, so decided to use the couples vegetable only box as my standard order. I did try a mixed fruit and vegetable box the first time, to see what it provided, but my most recent orders have been vegetables only. I have a delivery per fortnight at this stage, so have had just three deliveries to date.

The deliveries thus far have included the following:

- Order 1, a mixed fruit and vegetable couples pack ($26, with a $10 discount for being a new customer)

• 6 brushed potatoes
• 1 brown onion
• 2 carrots
• 1 zucchini
• 1 broccoli
• 1 pak choy bunch
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 gourmet lettuce
• 2 Pink Lady apples
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 3 plums
• 2 bananas
• 3 nectarines

- Order 2, a vegetables only couples box ($26)

• 2kg bag of Royal Blue potatoes
• 1kg bag of carrots
• 3 corn ears
• 3 brown onions
• 1 zucchini
• 1 broccoli
• 1 red capsicum
• 1 bok choy bunch
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 gourmet lettuce

- Order 3, a vegetables only couples box ($26)

• 6 brushed potatoes
• 2 brown onions
• 2 carrots
• 1 zucchini
• 1 broccoli
• 1 green capsicum
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 iceberg lettuce
• 1 cucumber
• 1 cauliflower
• 1 butternut pumpkin

You can also make up a produce box to order only what you want, by selecting individual fruit and vegetable items in a similar manner to ordering online from a supermarket chain. If you do that, the cost is higher than getting a mixed pack, and probably higher than supermarket costs. Aussie Farmers Direct also does bakery items (bread and similar products), meat, dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese) and a few prepared meal options (salads, pasta dishes, meat dishes). We don't have any need for those, but my parents had a dairy order going alongside their produce order for a while, and found it worked for them.

One of the main advantages for me so far is the variety in the vegetables we receive and thus use. I can't remember the last time I had corn on the cob, and I had forgotten how incredible it is simply boiled and eaten plain. I rarely buy pumpkin despite liking it. I can easily get through three tomatoes in a fortnight if they are delivered to me, but I might only use one if I was buying them myself. I have also found the produce to be fresh and uniformly high in quality. There were a couple of light brown patches on the cauliflower we received last week, but that is quite literally the only blemish we've had to date.

So delicious.

If you don't like lots of vegetables, and/or you buy produce to match a meal plan for the week, then the Aussie Farmers Direct system may have fewer benefits for you. However, the only vegetable both of us actively dislike is cucumber, and I find it easier to plan meals around what we receive than the other way around. For me, being provided with a box of vegetables and then working out how to use them works well.

There are some other disadvantages of the system, but not too many. The main is that we sometimes need more of something than we're provided, or I want a vegetable that isn't provided. I've got around this by having the delivery come fortnightly, which allows me to top-up and/or supplement around it. We get through 1kg of carrots each week, for example, so the 2 carrots in our latest box aren't going to go the distance.

Cost-wise, I do think the boxes work out cheaper, item for item, than buying the same things at regular prices in the supermarket. However, they are a bit more expensive than buying things from local markets or purchasing things on special at the supermarket. I'd estimate the cost difference for those examples at about $5, which may seem fair for having things arrive on your doorstep. Again, having a fortnightly delivery balances that out for us.

Before, we spent $25-$30 per week on fruit and vegetables at the markets, as well as $5-$7 on produce at the supermarket (mostly potatoes and onions, which add too much weight when cycling). In all, our fruit and vegetables came in around $30 - $35 per week.

Now, I seem to be spending about $20 - $25 per week on fruit and the few extra vegetables we need. With the average cost of $13 per week from Aussie Farmers Direct ($26 per fortnight), that takes the total to $33 - $38 per week. That is close enough to our previous costs to seem worthwhile to me.

As a final note, the couples vegetable box we're receiving fortnightly really does last two weeks when topped up with extra bits and pieces. This is the case both for quantity and quality, as vegetables are still fine two weeks later (perhaps as a result of coming fairly directly from farms, rather than going into the supermarket system).

Do you use Aussie Farmers Direct or a similar system? Any positive / negative experiences?

In case it's not automatically clear, this post was written without the knowledge or input of Aussie Farmers Direct and we purchased all of the items we've tried. 

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The new Australian Dietary Guidelines

Have you seen them?

(Did you know what the old ones said?)

Released a week ago, the new Australian Dietary Guidelines replace those published in 2003, which in turn built on recommendations that had been around since 1998. Details of how the guidelines were developed are summarised on the Australian government's Eat for Health website, which also includes downloadable copies of the guidelines (in full and summarised form) themselves.

The new 2013 guidelines in plate form.
Source: http://eatforhealth.gov.au.

There are five main recommendations in the new guidelines, of which three relate to food choices (the others are to promote breastfeeding, and to store and prepare food hygienically and safely). These three are:

1. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs:

• Children and adolescents should eat sufficient nutritious foods to grow and develop normally. They should be physically active every day and their growth should be checked regularly.
• Older people should eat nutritious foods and keep physically active to help maintain muscle strength and a healthy weight.

2. Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the following five groups each day, and drink plenty of water:

• Plenty of vegetables, including different types and colours, and legumes/beans.
• Fruit.
• Grain (cereal) foods, mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal fibre varieties, such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, couscous, oats, quinoa and barley.
• Lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans.
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or their alternatives, mostly reduced fat (reduced fat milks are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years).

3. Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol:

• Limit intake of foods high in saturated fat (e.g., biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, processed meats, commercial burgers, pizza, fried foods, potato chips, crisps).
• Replace high fat foods which contain predominantly saturated fats (e.g., butter, cream, cooking margarine, coconut and palm oil) with foods which contain predominantly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (e.g., oils, spreads, nut butters/pastes and avocado).
• Low fat diets are not suitable for children under the age of 2 years.
• Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added salt; read labels to choose lower sodium options among similar foods; and do not add salt to foods in cooking or at the table.
• Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added sugars such as confectionery  sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks.
• If you choose to drink alcohol, limit intake. For women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is the safest option.

Complementing these broad guidelines are lots of specifics, including examples of how to achieve them, calculators and quizzes to determine where you fall in different areas, and recommended serving sizes and serve per day quotas.

As with the 2003 guidelines, it is recommended that adults eat at least 5 serves of vegetables, 2 serves of fruit, around 6 serves of grains, 1-3 serves protein equivalents, and 2 1/2 serves of dairy equivalents. 'Discretionary choices', or 'sometimes foods', are suggested at a range of 0-3 serves per day.

The old 2003 guidelines in plate form.
Source: National Health & Medical Research Council.

So what are the changes from 2003 to 2013? Here are the main ones I have found.

The serving size of grain ('carbohydrate') products has been halved. Thus, whilst the recommended number of serves remains approximately the same (currently 6), the 2013 guide halves the recommended intake overall. One serve is now defined as 1 piece of bread instead of 2 pieces; 1/2 cup of rice instead of 1 cup; 1/2 cup porridge instead of 1 cup; and 2/3 cup flaked breakfast cereal instead of 1 cup. There is also a much greater emphasis on whole grains.

The guidelines are friendlier towards vegetarian and vegan diets. In 2003, example statements on vegetarianism included:

"Plant foods are important, protective foods. This, however, does not mean that plant foods alone will make your diet a healthy one."

"Not eating meat removes the major source of  iron and zinc from daily meals."

"Dairy foods are the best source of calcium, which overcomes another of the nutritional shortcomings of a vegan diet."

(Reference: p. 13 of the 2003 Australian Dietary Guidelines found here.)

In 2013, we have the following:

"Alternatives to animal foods include nuts, seeds, legumes, beans and tofu. For all Australians, these foods increase dietary variety and can provide a valuable, affordable source of protein and other nutrients found in meats. These foods are also particularly impotant for those who follow vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns."

"Australians following a vegetarian diet can still meet nutrient requirements if energy needs are met and the appropriate number and variety of serves from the Five Food Groups are eaten throughout the day. For those eating a vegan diet, supplementation of B12 is recommended."

(Reference: p. 21 of the 2003 Australian Dietary Guidelines found here.)

In the brief summary of the guidelines, there is also the suggestion "Include some meat-free meals each week - include eggs, legumes such as beans and tofu, and nuts and seeds" (p. 21). Men are also told that they are probably eating too much red meat.

The guidelines are now less fat avoidant, focusing on avoiding saturated fats but promoting a moderate intake of unsaturated fats.

There is a mention of sustainable food choices for the environment, although this topic is not explored in any great detail and would easily be overlooked (and doesn't make the summary version of the guidelines, only the full document). 

There is also mention of the environmental factors (including socioeconomic circumstance) that can impact food choices and availability.

The strength given to recommendations for increased vegetable intake, fruit intake, and wholegrain intake is greater. Specifically, the new guidelines focus in more detail on the evidence linking these foods to lower rates of cancer and heart disease.

Source: Page 14 of the summary 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines booklet found here.

In all, I quite like the new guidelines. They still allow up to 3 'discretionary' food choices per day, which equates to 75g chocolate. They accept that I may choose not to eat meat or eggs or dairy products. They have lower carbohydrate recommendations, but also suggest that we match our dietary intake to our personal requirements. Given that I exercise regularly and on some days intensely, my carbohydrate requirements will be higher on some days.

There are still things I don't like, or which I would prefer to be worded differently, but I am not an expert on public health nutrition and I respect the effort that has gone into these guidelines. The challenge now, I suspect, is on helping Australia adopt them.

If you are Australian, are you familiar with the new guidelines? What do you think of them?

If you aren't Australian, how do they compare to the guidelines where you live?

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Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals: Three we have tried thus far

In addition to our new Leon cookbook, I have been enjoying trialing recipes from Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals selection. This is the first of his cookbooks I've owned, and I have been approaching the recipes with a healthy dose of realism on the time frame (i.e., I allow 30 minutes to his 15!). So far, the book is proving its worth and the 30 minute allowance is proving realistic.

The first recipe I tried was Koh Samui Salad, or chilli tofu and Thai noodles.

The recipe called for prawns and fish sauce, which I substituted for extra tofu and soy sauce. I also made a few other minor tweaks to the ingredient list, but did retain radishes and fennel - neither of which I have cooked with before. 

It turns out that I don't much like radishes on their own (bitter!), but do enjoy them mixed with other ingredients. It also turns out that I love fennel. Seriously, how did I not know about this vegetable?

My only criticism of this recipe is that it doesn't state whether the dish should be served hot or cold. The fact that it is called a salad, and the nature of the ingredients, suggested cold. The fact that rice noodles were soaked in boiling water suggested hot. As I also stir fried tofu, which was then hot, I decided to heat everything through. This was a mistake, as the dish didn't seem quite right warm, and it was only when eating the leftovers cold  that I fell in love with it. Still, I know now. 

Mr Bite also found this a little spicy, but that could be tweaked to taste by reducing the chilli quota.

The second recipe I made was falafel wraps with grilled vegetables and salsa.

The only catch is that I didn't make the salsa, thinking commercial sauce would suffice instead. It didn't, and we found the falafel to be a bit lacking in flavour. They were okay when eaten in a wrap, but I couldn't get too enthusiastic about them.

Things improved again with the third meal, which was "happy cow" veggie burgers. This time I made the recommended accompaniment of coleslaw with yoghurt and mustard instead of mayonnaise.

I didn't like the coleslaw, consistent with my general dislike of the substance. Mr Bite also found the coleslaw to be less sweet than usual (no doubt due to the yoghurt/mustard mix instead of mayonnaise), and in future I would skip this part of the dish. We did, however, both enjoy the burger patties.

The patties were also delicious cold, which was good for using up the leftovers for lunch the next day.

I haven't reported the recipes for these dishes because I didn't modify them greatly, but for some free samples of Jamie Oliver's recipes you can see his website at http://www.jamieoliver.com. Other meals from his 15 Minute Meal cookbook have also been featured by Lisa at Bake Bike Blog.

Have you made any of Jamie's 15 minute meals? Or do you have any of his other cookbooks?

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Linda McCartney vegetarian sausages and an outdoor film

Two or so years ago, I encountered Linda McCartney's vegetarian sausages when at a barbecue with Mr Bite's family. Vegetarian sausages have always seemed a bit fake to me, although I do eat them on occasion. However, the Linda McCartney brand tasted entirely different to any variety I'd had before. I left the barbecue determined to track them down at the one Perth supermarket that supposedly stocked them.

Two years later, I still haven't visited that supermarket. However, I did recently discover them at another supermarket I visit on occasion. There were other varieties of the Linda McCartney range too, and on looking online, there are many other products that I would like to try if they appeared locally.

The ingredient list for these sausages isn't particularly inspiring, and it's difficult to know where the flavour comes from. Perhaps the lack of soy makes a difference, but whatever the reason, these do taste wonderful. They don't taste like meat, and they don't taste like fake vegetarian meat, and really the main thing I can say about them is that they taste good.

We had them last night when we needed an early dinner and I wanted something that wouldn't use the oven (too hot). They paired nicely with green salad and cold potatoes and lived up to my memories of two years earlier. I definitely prefer them to the other varieties of vegetable sausages I've tried.

Our early dinner was needed because last night also included an excursion to an outdoor film screening, run as part of the Perth International Arts Festival. The summer film festival has been running for years, so it is a bit embarrassing that I hadn't been to one of the screenings previously.

There are two locations showing films, one quite centrally located and one in the northern Perth suburbs. We went for the central option, which is enclosed within trees and located not far from the Perth river. We had hoped that the combination of trees and river might bring some cool temperatures, but alas, it was still 29'C when the movie finished at 10pm.

Temperature aside, I loved the setting and found the cloth, beach-style seats more comfortable than traditional movie theatre chairs.

The movie itself, Safety Not Guaranteed, was enjoyed by both of us and managed to blend drama, comedy, science fiction and romance in a way that worked surprisingly well (and no doubt increased the possible audience by covering so many categories!).

It might have been hot, but it was a lovely summer night all the same.

Have you tried anything from the Linda McCartney range?
Or seen many non-mainstream films?

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Product reviews: Moccona vanilla coffee, Ouma muesli rusks, Woolworths curried pumpkin & corn balls, and Sanitarium unsweetened almond milk

I am pleased to say that, as of yesterday, I have finished work for 2012. One of the advantages of my workplace is that we don't get Western Australian public holidays off during the year (which doesn't always feel like an advantage...) but then get those days off in lieu between Christmas and New Year. Generally we get a bonus day or two as well, to allow everything to shut down for at least 10 days over the Christmas period. Although Christmas Eve isn't usually included in this holiday stretch, it has been made a holiday this year because it falls on a Monday. I think this is brilliant.

Last week was a bit frantic as I rushed to finish everything I wanted to before Friday, but having ticked of most of my To Do list (the remainders can be done over the break with minimal effort), I am feeling like a child on summer holidays. My plans for the break involve lots of reading, sorting wedding and honeymoon photos into albums (we have the photos and the albums, but they are not yet in unison), 'big task' cleaning (windows, blinds, scrubbing grout), a few days out of Perth with Mr Bite and his family, and some time with friends. I think the 10 days will fill themselves up with no trouble.

I am looking forward to getting to these...

Despite my holiday mood, I am veering off Christmas for today's post. Product reviews feel slightly out of place at this point in the year, but they are starting to build up. What is more, all of today's products are ones that I have enjoyed trying. I am hoping they might appeal to some of you too.

Moccona vanilla infused coffee

To start at the simple end, there isn't a lot I need to say about Moccona's new flavoured coffee range, other than that it is good. In addition to vanilla, there are hazelnut and caramel flavours which I intend to try in due course. I have been enjoying the vanilla variety as a slightly sweeter alternative to regular coffee,  and I like it very much.

And that is all I have to say on that.

Ouma muesli beskuits (muesli biscuit rusks)

One of our local Woolworths supermarkets has recently added a South African food section to their store. I was interested to see the new range of foods in general, and intrigued by these rusk biscuits in particular. 

The rusks have a simple, vegan-friendly ingredient list, including wheat flour, muesli, sugar, vegetable fat, and baking powder. They are quite dense and one rusk is equivalent to two plain biscuits in nutritional value, but I found them extremely enjoyable with a cup of tea.

They are definitely a product for dunking in your tea (or any hot drink), and if you are someone who likes to dunk, I think you may well enjoy these. Since buying this first box, I have finished it, bought a second, and finished that too! I am definitely a biscuit dunker, and I definitely like these.

Woolworth's Macro vegetarian curried pumpkin and corn balls

One of the major frustrations in my life at the moment is the trend for Australia's two main supermarkets, Coles and Woolworths, to drop independent brands in order to stock their own in-house range. Thus, I feel hypocritical even reviewing these new vegetarian balls from Woolworths. I should really have boycotted them in protest, but instead negotiated with myself to buy them as well as the other (non-Woolworths) brands I usually buy.

Conscience aside, I liked these balls. I liked their taste, I liked their texture, and I liked that they could be microwaved and ready to eat in one minute.

Their ingredient list includes chickpeas (at 62%), pumpkin (29%), corn (9%), and various spices including paprika, cumin, garlic, parsley, and curry powder. They were reminiscent of falafel, and just spicy enough to provide a flavour kick without being so spicy you need to worry about serving them to children, husbands, or guests with unknown taste buds. Nutritionally they are comparable to many veggie burgers: five small balls provide 150 calories, 6.4g fat and 3.9g protein. I would like more protein, but that is something that characterises many vegetarian products.

There are a number of other products in Woolworths new vegetarian range, so I may get to some of them in due course too (conscience permitting). For now, I have enjoyed these balls plain, in rolls / English muffins, and with salad.

Sanitarium unsweetened almond milk

Australia is starting to have quite a collection of almond milk options. I have been enjoying unsweetened almond milk from Almond Breeze since it appeared in April this year. When Sanitarium released an unsweetened option of their own, I thought I should give it a try.

Nutritionally, this is almost identical to the Almond Breeze variety. Both are supplemented with calcium (Almond Breeze provides slightly more) and both have negligible protein. However, I liked the taste of this far less than the Almond Breeze equivalent. I am not sure why, given how similar the ingredient lists are, but it tasted chalkier and generally less appealing. 

I have added the nutritional information for this to my spreadsheet comparing different non-dairy milks. For now, I will be sticking with Almond Breeze, but am still grateful to Sanitarium for broadening their milk options. It's a nice trend in the market.

So there we have it - four new (to me) products. Have you tried any? Would you like to?

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