Upcoming vegan happenings in Sydney

My goodness but I've neglected this blog, haven't I?

Many things have happened since I last posted in here, the most vegan-centric of which being that I became a shareholder in naked espresso, Sydney's premiere vegan breakfast cafe, so have been very busy with managing the cafe as well as working full time.

Some fun stuff is happening in my personal life too, but that's neither here nor there :)

So the combination of the above has equalled lax blogging.

However!

I am here to spruik some great vegan happenings in Sydney:

1. Sydney Vegan Bake Off, February 14, 2pm to 4.30pm

The inaugural Sydney Vegan Bake Off will be held at naked espresso on Sunday February 14, in conjunction with my publisher, aduki (www.aduki.net.au).

Doors open at 2pm for submissions, judges are Lisa Dempster, Helen Falzon (the 5 year old daughter of Charles, the owner of naked espresso) & (rock god) Steve Kilbey. I hope I do not faint from the OMGSteveKilbey!!ness of the day ;)

More details, including a poster (should you wish to poster up your neighbourhood) and a submission form, can be found at the aduki website. Hope to see you there!!

2. Introduction to Vegan Cuisine, March 27, 10am to 4pm

I'll be running a vegan cooking class via the Sydney Community College on Saturday March 27 from 10am to 4pm. Ingredients organic where possible, cost for the day (including ingredients) is $139. For more details and to enrol, go here.

I'm settling on the menu for the day - everything that my students will cook - & this is what it looks like at the moment:

Bruschetta
Classic
Garlic scented lightly toasted bread (sourdough or gluten free) topped with fresh tomato, basil & garlic in olive oil & balsamic vinegar
Avocado & Marinated Mushroom
Garlic scented lightly toasted bread (sourdough or gluten free) topped with lemony mashed avocado & herb marinated mushrooms.

Pesto Pasta Salad
Classic basil pesto – basil, pinenuts, olive oil & garlic - tossed with pasta, fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers & white beans.

Pesto Quinoa Salad
Spinach, rocket & walnut pesto tossed with nature’s greatest protein source, quinoa, as well as chickpeas & green stuffed olives.

Quiche
Classic spinach & rocket quiche, where eggs and cream are replaced with heart healthy silken tofu & roasted garlic, all encased in a savoury shortcrust pastry.

Caramelised Onion Tart
A deeply savoury white bean, roasted garlic & nutritional yeast filling is topped with sweet & flavourful caramelised onions, in a gluten free savoury shortcrust pastry.

Portobello Burgers with Caramelised Onion & Tempeh Bacon
A burger with the lot: marinated Portobello mushrooms, seared & baked, in a burger with the classic trimmings (beetroot, tomato, iceberg lettuce) & topped with tempeh bacon & caramelised onion jam.

Rice Paper Rolls
Fresh & easy, rice noodle discs filled with bean vermicelli, shiitake mushrooms, spicy eggplant & tofu, spring onions, carrots, mint, coriander & sprouts, served with a garlic-chilli-soy dipping sauce.

Risotto
An Italian classic with a twist, Arborio rice cooked in a tomato stock, spiked with mushrooms & served with a salad of fresh tomatoes & basil, dressed in balsamic vinegar.

Lasagne
Hearty & comforting, layers of a deep & rich tempeh sauce, a thick béchamel sauce & lasagne sheets make a delicious traditional lasagne, served with roasted garlic & herb bread & a green salad.

Tiramisu
Double baked vanilla cake fingers are soaked in liquer spiked espresso, layered with a vegan take on vanilla mascarpone & dusted in rich dark cocoa.

Choc Cherry Squares
Cocoa-rich cake squares studded with sour cherries & chunks of dark chocolate & topped with a decadent soy cream cheese & chocolate icing.

Vanilla Soy Milk & Vanilla Ice Cream
I will demonstrate making vanilla soy milk with 3 ingredients – soybeans, vanilla pod & water – in a soy milk maker. This vanilla soy milk will be sweetened with maple syrup & made into vanilla ice cream with an icecream maker. This is simply a demonstration of how easy it is to make a healthy vegan icecream from 4 ingredients, with some patience & great kitchen equipment!!