Tropical Dragonfruit and Mango Smoothie.

Dragonfruit (also known as pitaya) is majorly Insta-famous. It's everywhere. Everyone is in love, now including me.

A few weeks back I visited my local fresh food markets. There are a few fruit and vegetable shops there that sell all the normal stuff, as well as some more difficult to source/weird items. Because I live in Canberra in southern Australia, tropical fruits like dragonfruit definitely fall into the second category. But, despite not necessarily being the easiest to source, I think they're well worth the hunt, especially the pink ones because the colour they have is completely amazing! (see photos for evidence if you don't believe me!)

Anyway. This post is about food, so the taste of dragonfruit is obviously fairly important. Keeping in mind that I am yet to sample 100% fresh, locally grown and eaten dragonfruit (which will almost certainly be better than what I can source out of area and season), I find dragonfruit has quite a mild flavour, which makes them perfect for using in things with other bold flavours, like smoothie's for example. I decided to keep the tropical theme in this smoothie, so I paired my dragonfruit with mango, coconut, passionfruit, orange and a sneaky kiwi fruit.

It may well be heading into winter in Australia right now (May 2017), but this smoothie definitely transported me to a warm beach in the sun somewhere tropical, which in the absence of copious amounts of money and time, will have to suffice right now!

Ingredients;
1 pink dragonfruit
2 cups frozen diced mango (approx. 1 fruit)
1 passionfruit
1/2 cup fresh, pure orange juice
1 cup coconut milk/water (either works)
1 kiwi fruit
Handful frozen raspberries

*N.B. you can just make all this into the one smoothie, though for purely aesthetic reasons I like to make mine in 2 parts and pour separately, so then it's ombre and #fancy

1. Put the frozen mango, flesh from the passionfruit, orange juice and coconut milk/water into a blender. Blend on high for a minute or so, until totally smooth and chunk-free. If making an ombre smoothie, pour 3/4 of the mix out now into some glasses, keeping some mixture in the blender. Add in the flesh of the dragonfruit, the frozen raspberries and the flesh of the kiwifruit along with 1/4 cup water and blend again on high speed for a minute or so. Pour into glasses and serve!

Spaghetti Bolognese.

Spaghetti bolognese, or 'spag bowl' as we call it in lazy-person, slang Australian, is a dinnertime classic. A staple really, and a meal that you will highly, highly likely find making a regular appearance on dining room tables across Australia and indeed, much of the developed world.

I've always loved spaghetti bolognese, especially so because I grew up in a lovely little town in the middle of nowhere in regional Australia where, rather surprisingly, we had something like 60% of the town population claim direct Italian heritage. The place was affectionately known as 'Little Italy' and most delightfully, all those Italians brought with them their fabulous cuisine. Because the heritage to Italy was so immediate amongst so much of the town, this little city had an oversupply of Italian restaurants, but not just any old restaurants, rather ones that had a nonna in the kitchen either cooking herself or supervising, and they used genuine, passed-down through the generations, family recipes. The food, as a result, was totally off the charts AMAZING, which meant that when I ate out with my parents and inevitably ordered 'spaghetti bolognese', I didn't just get any old pasta and sauce, oh no - I got the mother of all spaghetti bolognese's that was legitimately too delicious for this world.

As a result, I have exceptionally high standards when it comes to pasta and spaghetti bolognese. Pasta is usually one the easiest dishes to vegan-ise, but generally speaking, despite some people's best intentions, just because it's vegan, doesn't mean it was remotely satisfying. Something restaurants and lazy-chefs alike are guilty for is giving the vegan some plain old tomato pasta. Now, I'm not one to hate on a good quality tomato pasta sauce, but sometimes it's nice to have some substance to the meal, something 'meaty' as such (though sans meat obviously). Enter lentils, i.e. the great secret ingredient. Lentils are truly fantastic because they don't carry a strong taste, weird texture or anything else bizarre, and instead add a level of substance to a pasta sauce that cannot be found in a regular old plain tomato one. They're also loaded with protein, and in the interests of #VeganGainz, we're all about that protein!

Ingredients;
6 large tomatoes
400gm canned diced tomatoes (I use a no salt added brand)
425gm canned lentils
2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp (approx.) mixed dried herbs
1 large brown onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed (or tsp minced garlic)
1 tsp minced red chilli (optional)
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 zucchini, finely diced

250gm gluten free spaghetti

1. Preheat an oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan forced.) Roughly dice the 6 tomatoes and spread them out on a baking tray. Drizzle approx. 2 tbsp olive oil over the top, along with 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs and some cracked black pepper. Roast for approx. 40 minutes.
2. Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Finely dice the onion and add to the saucepan along with 2 tbsp olive oil and the garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned. If using chilli, add that in at this stage.
3. Add in the diced tomatoes, diced carrot, diced zucchini and tomato paste. Mix through and turn the heat down to low.
4. Take the canned lentils and drain them. Rinse them well with cold water. Add to the saucepan.
5. When the tomatoes have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and add them into the saucepan, along with the remainder of your dried herbs and some extra cracked black pepper.
6. Add in 1 cup water and mix through. Allow to cook for 30 minutes on low heat.
7. Cook the spaghetti as per packet instructions. When cooked, drain and return to the now empty saucepan you cooked it in. Scoop in approx. 1/2 the bolognese sauce and mix through. Serve garnished with either some fresh basil or rocket (arugula).
8. Keep the remainder of the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge (will keep for several days), or place it in the freezer to be defrosted and used later!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.

There are not enough words in the English language for me to adequately express how gleefully happy I am that I have finally perfected a gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe. I. AM. THRILLED. These past few months, creating this particular recipe has been my pet-project and I've struggled so much to get it right, but FINALLY, yes finally I HAVE SUCCEEDED. You cannot begin to fathom the staggering quantity of cookies that I have eaten in my efforts to bring this gluten free cookie perfection to you, but it was not a futile effort, for we now have resounding success! I'm also not going to complain about all that cookie consuming because I like to think I'm daring enough to put my body on the line for the greater good (cookie recipe creation obviously constitutes 'greater good'), so endlessly making and consuming cookies was a challenge I was happy to accept. 

You might wonder why I've been fixated on this particular recipe. Well. STORY TIME. 

Without giving you too much information and thereby grossing you out, the past few months I've had some less than pleasant digestive issues. Because of that, I've decided that there is no harm in trying to eliminate a few things to see if I can find the issue, and after elimination, if the issue persists then I can just go back to eating unrestricted vegan again because obviously the eliminated food wasn't a problem. Anyway. Thus far, no success on working out what is causing the problem, BUT, gluten is the big thing I've yet to try eliminating. It's not exactly an easy undertaking to cut gluten out, and flour is definitely one of the biggest issues in going gluten free. Flour is also, coincidently, a core ingredient of cookies. Obviously I simply cannot live without cookies, so I was left with the dilemma of needing to make an adequately delicious gluten free cookie before I could actually try eating gluten free. 

I'm currently day 7 into being gluten free and so far so good. I'll keep you all updated as to whether or not the much hyped gluten free diet actually does anything beneficial for my digestive system, and if not, then rest assured, I'll return to being a gluten-consuming, cookie-loving person. But, in the meantime, let's rejoice that I, and also you, can remain a cookie-loving and consuming person, albeit gluten free!

Ingredients;

100gm vegan butter/dairy free margarine (I use Nuttelex)

1/2 cup unrefined sugar (I used raw sugar, coconut sugar also works, though will give the cookies a darker colour)

1 flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water)

1/2 cup quick oats (or regular rolled oats, blended briefly so they're all chopped up)

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup almond meal/almond and flax meal (either works)

1/4 cup maple syrup

100gm dark chocolate, roughly chopped

100gm vegan white chocolate (optional, though if omitting, I'd recommend adding some extra dark chocolate)

1. Preheat your oven to 150 degrees (fan forced) and line a baking tray with some baking paper/parchment.

2. Place the vegan butter/margarine and the unrefined sugar in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream them together (i.e. mix them till they go light and fluffy!). When fully combined, add in the maple syrup and your flax egg. Mix everything together.

3. Add the quick oats, coconut flour and almond meal to the mixture. Use your hands to mix everything through into a dough. It should combine into a nice consistency that is not crumbly, but if it won't hold together, add a (very) small amount of melted coconut oil. Add your roughly chopped chocolate into the dough and mix through well using your hands.

4. Take a small handful of dough (approx. 1 tbsp) and roll it into a ball. Place it on the lined baking tray and press down lightly so the dough forms a cookie-sized shape (these cookies won't spread very much, so make them into the size/shape you want them to be when cooked). Repeat until you have used all the dough.

5. Place in the oven to bake for approx. 15/20 minutes, or until they just begin to turn golden brown. When cooked, remove and allow to cool. Enjoy!!

Roast Vegetable and Quinoa Salad.

Today is Mother's Day in Australia (May 14, 2017) so this post is lovingly inspired by and dedicated to my much beloved mother, Judith. I almost certainly would not be where or who I am right now if not for my mother. In actual fact, if not for her, this blog and platform would likely not exist for without mum's presence in my life, I think it's fairly safe to say I would not have developed an interest or a passion for health or nutrition. Since day one, my mum has willingly submit to taste testing all manner of whacky and occasionally tasty creations, some of which she's loved and others less so, but it is through her continued support that The Orange Kitchen came into being and for that I think we all ought to be thankful!

In honour of my mum, this past week I created this salad. It's been a concept I've been slowly working on for months, continually trying various combinations until I got it right. Good things do however, come to those who are patient and alas, here we are with a tasty, wholesome, nutritious and warming (perfect for the southern hemisphere winter!) salad. I'd call it the 'Judith Salad' because I feel like it fairly perfectly embodies my mum, but that wouldn't be the most informative recipe title to see on a webpage, so instead I'll settle for 'Roast Veg and Quinoa Salad'. It's packed full of colourful and tasty roasted vegetables, served over a bed of fluffy quinoa and topped off with a rich balsamic and tahini dressing and is, almost certainly, my new winter favourite!

Ingredients;
(makes 1 large salad)

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 medium sweet potato
1 large beetroot
Approx. 2 cups diced pumpkin
1 large zucchini
1 large carrot
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mixed herbs
4 cloves garlic/3 tsp minced garlic

The Dressing
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 lemon, juiced
Cracked black pepper (to taste)

+ pine nuts and black pepper (to serve)

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Dice up all your vegetables into reasonably small and manageable pieces. For the round veggies (carrot, zucchini, sweet potato), I like to slice them into round discs, purely for aesthetic reasons rather than taste.
3. Take a large baking dish (I use a ceramic, oven safe one) and put all your chopped veggies in. Add in the olive oil, mixed herbs and garlic and then mix everything through well. Place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes, then mix through again. Place back in the oven and roast for a further 30-40 minutes (approx.) until all the vegetables are soft and cooked through.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, cook the quinoa as per packet instructions. Drain any excess water and place on a large plate to serve.
5. When the veggies are cooked, scoop them out and over the top of the quinoa.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the balsamic, tahini, lemon juice and pepper for the dressing. Pour over the top of the vegetables/quinoa and serve garnished with some pine nuts and some extra black pepper. Enjoy!!

Top 10 European Destinations. 

I've had the delightful pleasure of living in Europe twice now; once in London, UK for an entire year in 2013, and for the second time in Berlin, Germany for 6 months in 2016/2017. For me, Europe feels a lot like a magnet, constantly pulling me back for more. Whenever my bank account permits, I am more than happy to indulge that pull, and find myself back on that side of the world adventuring. Each time I've been to Europe I've made a point to travel as widely and as often as permits, and thus far have seen 32 different European countries. Whilst I've genuinely loved every country I've been, there are some definite favourites. Here are my top 10;

1. Poland.
I've never quite fell in love for a place like I've fallen for Poland. It is, without any doubt in my mind, the most surprisingly brilliant country I've ever visited in Europe and somewhere that I will always head back to whenever I find myself on that side of the world. In 2015 I took a solo trip to Wroclaw, Krakow and Warsaw and in 2016 I headed back to visit Poznan and Szczecin over in the East. All are cities I would strongly recommend you visit. Much to my delight, I've found quite an unexpected diversity of vegan food in Poland, as well as an abundance of castles, cute buildings and a truly fascinating and colourful history. Poland is the first place I recommend people should visit when in Europe and you really should visit sooner rather than later!

Backstreets of Poznan, western Poland. Delightfully colourful and quaint!

2. Montenegro.
Most people probably haven't even heard of Montenegro which is truly their loss because this small country is, in my opinion, the hidden gem of the Mediterranean. Formerly a territory of Serbia until 2006, Montenegro is now independent and man does it pack a punch when it comes to beautiful scenery, amazing weather and all round good times. Kotor is the best place to base yourself from, though a trip to Porto Montenegro in Tivat and over to Budva is well worth your time. I visited in late September, which was an ideal time to be there I could enjoy beautifully warm summer weather without the hordes of tourists, who mostly return home in August. Make sure you hike to the top of the fortress in Kotor - the views are outstanding!

Sunset from the top of the fortress in Kotor; a rather short but strenuous hike, though you get rewarded with this view, so who's going to complain?!

 3. Greece.
Greece is a must see destination for anyone travelling in Europe/the world. It's quite cheap compared to many other European countries, making it perfect for the money-conscious traveller and on the flip side, there are some ridiculously luxurious experiences and accommodations available too. The best time to go is almost certainly in the Summer which means you'll be contending with quite a few tourists in the main hotspots of Mykonos and Santorini but the other, lesser known Greek Islands have a lot to offer as well. I'd highly recommend Paros or a beach house on the mainland where the crowds are smaller and the beaches and lifestyle are still brilliant!

The cliff tops of Santorini, as pictured in the hazy midday sunshine. Also, that super yacht down there had a mini boat drive up to it and park in a literal baby boat garage underneath and man if that isn't the definition of too much cash money, I dunno what is!

4. Ireland. 
Whilst the weather in Ireland isn't always great, it's still a truly stunning country. The Irish people are some of the most fun in the whole of Europe so you're bound to have a ball even if it is raining! I've visited twice now, once in May 2013 and again in November 2016 and both times I have been suitably impressed with the country. I particularly loved the Connemara region along the Western coastline bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Kylemore Abbey was a particular highlight along with the stunning greenery absolutely everywhere you go! Oh, and don't make the mistake I did during my first visit and inadvertently skip having at least one day to explore Dublin; as a capital, it's surprisingly diverse and quaint!

Kylemore Abbey, located in Ireland's wild Connemara region.

5. Germany.
I have a particular fondness for Germany having learnt German since 2008 and having called the German capital, Berlin, home for 6 months over the winter 2016/2017. I highly recommend getting to know some German people, particularly those from the Bavarian countryside as they're among the most hospitable, generous and kind people I've ever met. Southern Germany is a particular favourite of mine along with the region around Münster in the North-West as well as the capital, Berlin. It's well worth going off the beaten track to some smaller towns and cities, with my top recommendations being Cologne, Hamburg, Lübeck, Landshut, Potsdam and Heidelberg.

A golden sunset over the city of Cologne, which is coincidently home of the Lindt Chocolate Museum which is absolutely not why I was there...

 6. Denmark.

Denmark had been on my travel bucket-list ever since Mary Donaldson, your average Australian met and married the Crown Prince of Denmark. See, I had to visit a country where such a modern-day fairytale was able to take place and also to stand outside Mary's palace and hope she might see me and adopt me as her own. Fun story, I swear that Mary did actually see me that day because I was in the square outside her palace when the changing of the guards was happening and someone peaked out the curtains and obviously it must have been her. Anyway. There's lots to do in Denmark other than royal watch, though that is an activity I recommend nonetheless. In Copenhagen, the charming Danish capital, I suggest hiring a bike, getting totally and hopelessly lost and simply enjoying the pace of the city. Also, don't be deterred by cold Scandinavian winters - the snow simply makes everything all the more charming, though I do suggest packing your (thickest) jacket!

Copenhagen's Nyhavn, a colourful waterway filled with pubs, cafes and also quite a few tattoo parlours! Also, that is real ice floating in that water and yeah, it was cold!

7. Austria.

Being what many consider the smaller version of Germany's southern region and often overshadowed by Switzerland's scenery, Austria is sometimes forgotten. However this little country stands out as a highlight of my time in Europe. I visited 3 separate times over the year in 2013, as well as again in 2016 and 2017, and each time seemed better than the last. Year round Austria is beautiful so I'd recommend a visit regardless of the season. Salzburg, the Tirol region and Vienna were particular highlights.

View from the top of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, featuring one of the most fabulous rooftops I've ever seen!

8. Switzerland.
I actually went to Switzerland twice in 2013 - it was just too amazing to stay away! I visited Lauterbrunnen in the Southern Alps and Zurich over in the east of the country as well. Switzerland is hands down the most stunning country I've ever been to including both the scenery and the people! It was so beautifully quaint, probably the cleanest country I've ever been and so Instagramable it's not even funny.

Launterbrunnen in the Swiss Alps; one of the most picturesque places on this planet!

9. Bosnia & Herzegovina.
I've wanted to visit B&H since 2011 after first learning about their complex and violent struggle for independence in the early 1990's. I finally made it there in September 2016 and, as I thought might be the case, totally fell in love. Despite a shockingly bloody recent history, B&H has well and truly overcome the horrors of the past and is today a completely safe, stable and incredibly fascinating tourist destination. Mostar and Sarajevo (the capital) are the two most popular cities to visit and are an easy 2/3 hour bus trip/car ride apart from each other. Whilst in Mostar, I strongly recommend doing an organised day trip to the region around the city, which is filled with ancient Ottoman cities and stunning waterfalls. In Sarajevo, make the time to visit the tunnel under the airport that was used to sustain the city during the 1992-1996 Siege.

Kravice Waterfalls, just outside Mostar. The water was (very) refreshing and to get to the other side we had to strip off and swim across with our stuff balanced on top of our heads, but to spend an afternoon lounging about next to such natural beauty was amazing!

10. United Kingdom.
The UK couldn't not make the top 10. I called London my home for a year and the city will always hold a piece of my heart. The UK is an absolutely fabulous country from Scotland in the North, Wales in the West and England in the South-East. The UK is by no means last on this list, it's in a league of its own! You'd be a fool to not visit the UK at least once in your life. Edinburgh, Cardiff and London, the three capitals, all offer something different as does the beautiful British countryside. I'd book a flight sooner rather than later if I were you!

Cambridge, UK; home of very smart people, a world renowned university and some truly gorgeous young men punting down the river. What more could a girl want?! 

Roasted Strawberry and Apple Crumble.

Apple crumble is, quite simply, a dessert staple. It's a dessert I've always loved, which is arguably not strange, because I essentially love most desserts, but nevertheless, apple crumble really is a classic favourite. I am however, all about jazzing things up, so I've revolutionised the humble apple crumble with some oven roasted strawberries. You've probably not ever thought to oven roast your strawberries, but you should try it out sometime soon (i.e. now) because strawberries cooked this way are DELICIOUS.

This would be the perfect dish to take to a dinner party to adequately impress all your friends and create the perception that you can actually cook, even if you can't, because hey - this is one very very easy dish to make. Rather brilliantly, this crumble would also make for an excellent breakfast because despite considering it foremost a dessert, it is in actual fact made almost solely from fruit and oats, which are both very healthy and wholesome foods that are excellent to begin your day with.

Ingredients;
The Strawberries
2 cups strawberries, roughly chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Line a baking tray with some parchment/baking paper. Spread the strawberries out and then sprinkle them with the coconut sugar and lemon juice. Mix the strawberries, lemon juice and coconut sugar through together and then put in the oven to roast for approx. 20 minutes, turning/mixing them halfway through.
3. Remove from the oven when cooked and allow to cool.

The Apple
4 apples (I use Pink Lady)
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cardamom
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 lemon, juiced

1. Peel, core and dice the apples.
2. Place a large saucepan over low heat. Add in the apple, spices, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Place a lid on and allow to cook for approx. 30/40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. When the apple is completely soft, remove from the heat.

The Crumble
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flour (I use spelt flour)
1 tbsp coconut sugar
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup

1. Combine all the crumble ingredients in a bowl, mixing until they are all well combined.

To assemble, preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Take an oven safe dish (i.e. a pie dish) and scoop some of the apple mixture in. Add in some of the roasted strawberries, then more apple until you have used all of both the fruit mixtures. Mix together (I prefer not to do this too well, as to keep pockets of strawberry and apple, but that's up to you!). Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the top and place in the oven for approx. 10-15 minutes until the crumble is golden brown and the fruit is fully warmed. Serve with some fresh strawberries, some vegan icecream, coyo, or simply eat alone! Enjoy!

Creamy Coconut Overnight Oats.

Since first deciding to 'health-ify' my life over three years ago (wow time flies!), I've harboured a less-than-secret addiction to overnight oats. They've been one of my favourite breakfasts since 2014 and one of, if not the, easiest, quickest, tastiest breakfasts in the world.

Overnight oats are exceptionally flexible. As long as you have some oats and some milk, you can make some creamy deliciousness. I've spent years experimenting with topping I like and will probably spend many more years ahead continuing to do so. But, one of my favourite combinations I routinely return to is some oats with coconut yoghurt (coyo) and berries of some kind. This particular recipe takes all those things, adds some tropical goodness with some fresh passionfruit and some extra sweetness courtesy of some pear. All in all, one of my favourite kitchen creations (not to mention also one of the easiest!!).

Ingredients;
1 cup oats (I like to use quick oats, but regular rolled oats also work)
1 cup plant milk (I like to use unsweetened almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste/powder (optional)

1. In a bowl, mix the above three ingredients. Place in the fridge overnight.

Toppings
Homemade coyo
Finely sliced fresh pear
Fresh passionfruit
Stewed raspberries
Raspberries and chia seeds
Rice malt syrup/maple syrup

The following morning, remove your oats from the fridge. Spoon out approx. 1tbsp coyo and mix through the oats. Top with some extra coyo, finely sliced pear, stewed raspberries and garnish with some extra raspberries, chia seeds and a drizzle of rice malt syrup/maple syrup! Enjoy!!