Despite what certain ads would have us believe....it IS possible to enjoy all of your favourite foods - burgers, lamingtons a cheese platter and a pav' - on Australia Day. Even better still - you can do it without harming animals! So if 'throwing a lamb on the barbie' is not your idea of fun, you've come to the right place.
1. Aussie Vegan Burger
What you'll need:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 400g can brown lentils
- 1 teaspoon miso paste or vegemite
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste or tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- ½ cup grated carrot
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- 1 ‘flaxseed egg’ (i.e. 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2.5 tablespoons water)
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 2 cups cooked brown short-grain rice
- ½ cup dry breadcrumbs, extra
- Oil for frying
Method:
Place all ingredients, except the extra breadcrumbs and oil, in a large bowl. Mix well. Shape the mixture into burgers. Roll burgers in the extra breadcrumbs and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook half the burgers over medium heat, for 5 minutes each side, until golden and crisp.
Repeat with the second batch of burgers, using the remaining oil.
Serve in bread rolls with your favourite salad or coleslaw.
(Sanitarium’s Lentil Burger recipe adapted and ‘veganised’ by Animal Liberation Qld)
2. All the vegan cheese - it'll knock your socks off!
3. Lamingtons
Try this vegan version of a traditional favourite. Recipe here.
4. Vegan pavlova
Photo & recipe: Amanda Maguire
Wow your friends with this pavlova - it's a work of art! Recipe here.
5. Super simple Australia Day vegan ice-cream sundae
Photo: onegreenplanet.org
Vanilla ice-cream
• 1 x 270 mL full fat, chilled coconut milk (don’t be tempted to use low fat )
• 1 cup of preferred non-dairy milk (e.g. soy or rice milk)
• 1 cup sugar (less if you don’t have a very sweet tooth)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients until well-mixed. Churn in an icecream maker until consistency is like a soft serve. Eat immediately or place in freezer until firmer.
Fruit
Slice or dice one or more summer stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines and apricots and/or mango, the other summer favourite.
Alternatively, use ‘pavlova’ fruits such as kiwi fruit, strawberries, bananas and passionfruit.
Cherries or raspberries as decoration on top (optional)
Strawberry Sauce
Puree one cup of strawberries in a blender. Add preferred sweetener to taste (optional). If too thick, add one tablespoon of water at a time until desired consistency
If strawberries are unavailable, use maple syrup as an alternative topping or your preferred vegan commercial ice-cream topping.
Assemble
Layer scoops of ice-cream with layers of fruit. Drizzle topping over ice-cream. Add sprinkling of crushed nuts and top with cherries or raspberries (optional)