Watermelon Granita

It's 40 degrees (104 Fahrenheit). 40. degrees. It's at that point where you feel as if your insides has stuck together like gum and basic human functions like breathing and eating take too much energy. 30 degrees is great for creamy nicecream and icy smoothies and refreshing salads, but at 40 I rarely get hungry and if I do I have to peel myself off the couch and there is no way in this fresh hell that I am turning on an oven.

Watermelon is the perfect summer fruit; it's refreshing, hydrating, and digests quickly so it doesn't leave you feeling heavy. Also, digesting high calorie and denser foods requires more energy from the body, which produces heat. It's really a minuscule difference but I'm willing to try anything.

After my birthday where three people brought watermelon because they don't know what else vegans eat, I was in abundance of this juicy fruit and didn't want it to go to waste so I froze it thinking about some sort of healthy slushie (I don't know if you have these where you're from; they're also called slush puppies or like the frozen cokes from Maccas) idea for later. The first time I made it it was literally just frozen watermelon blended and it was the best meal I had eaten in a while.

RECIPE

There really isn't a recipe to this. Just blend:

• frozen watermelon cubes

• coconut water (make sure no sugar is added if not using fresh)

• fresh mint or basil

• a squeeze of lime juice (if you're not sensitive to this food combining)

• frozen berries if you so desire (I really like strawberries with this)

• chia seeds (again, optional because again, this isn't really a recipe)

And that's really it. The ratio of watermelon : coconut water determines if this is sorbet, granita, or a slushie. Play around and see what suits you best.

Good luck for coping with the summer heat (if you're in the Southern Hemisphere). Global warming is real. Peace out.

vegan butter chickpeas

ah, butter chicken - a white person's favourite curry. it was always ordered when my family went to our local favourite indian restaurant along with coconut rice and naan bread. after going vegan, i tried a read-to-serve butter chicken sauce that was surprisingly healthy {i mean i had it with like 3 cups white rice but that's neither here nor there} but it lacked that wholesomeness "from home" cooked food. after being inspired by a recipe by 'it doesn't taste like chicken' and my extensive research {looking up a recipe on taste.com} i wrote out my own recipe. initially i was going for cauliflower instead of chickpeas but a) i didn't have any cauliflower at home and b) i wanted it to be a bit heartier to give the feeling of take-away without the sodium and saturated fat.

the trick with a great butter chicken/chickpea/cauliflower is letting it simmer for a few hours so the flavours marry together while simultaneously having their own unique addition to the dish. you have to trust the process. yes, that spice might taste awful on its own but paired with 7 others it is actually essential in balancing and improving the flavour. another piece of wisdom is don't wear a light denim dress as you will spill this on it and turmeric stains like nothing else. if you have a slow cooker, feel free to use it so you can go about your day, knowing dinner is already sorted as of 9 am. this is a very sauce-heavy dish {as it should be} but feel free to add more chickpeas.

please appreciate the spice jars

if you try to {or know you should} keep FODMAPs low, there are a few easy substitutions so you can enjoy this without any symptoms. firstly, use spring onion and chives instead of onion and garlic - you probably know that one already. if you rinse your chickpeas really well, it removes most of the GOS but if you're not convinced, feel free to swap them out with firm tofu, squeeze out the excess moisture, and add it in the last 15 minutes {so it's marinated and absorbs the flavour but doesn't get mushy}.

adding cornstarch to coconut milk adds creaminess without the fat. fat isn't bad for you, but i personally prefer a moderate amount but if you want to use full-fat cream, go for it. i'm not going to tell you what to do. just be nice.

feel free to serve this with brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, wholemeal naan bread, spread it on a collard wrap or eat it as is. hope you enjoy!

---

Vegan Butter Chickenpeas

time: 2+ hours (mostly inactive)

servings: 3 bowls (depending on appetite)

serving size: 1 1/3 cups

cuisine: indian, dinner & lunch

---

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut milk (carton type, not canned. If carton is not available, use 1 cup light coconut milk and dilute with 1 cup water)

• 1 tbsp corn starch

• 1 onion or 2 spring onions, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp garam masala

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger or 2 tsp freshly grated ginger

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric

• pinch pepper

• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped (you can roast the skins or save them for homemade vegetable stock)

• 400g tin chopped tomatoes, low sodium

• 1 cup vegetable stock, low sodium (can use stock powder)

• 1 tsp cashew butter or powdered peanut butter (try to get one without added sugar)

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tin | 240g chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed

• 3 tbsp coconut yoghurt, unsweetened

• parsley, to garnish ('cause we're fancy)

---

Method

1. whisk together the coconut milk and cornstarch then set aside.

2. add a splash of vegetable stock to a large pot over medium-high heat.

3. add onion, garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, adding water if need be.

4. add onion and tomatoes and remaining stock. reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 15 minutes covered. get yourself a coffee, take out the bins, dance around the kitchen because of the coffee - oh, look it's done!

5. pour in the coconut milk, nut butter, and bay leaf and simmer on medium for 30 minutes then on low for 1 hour or more (up to 4 hours on stove) covered until sauce has reduced and your whole kitchen smells amazing. the carrots should be very soft

6. remove the bay leaf but don't throw it out and with an immersion or high-speed blender, blend the sauce until smooth. add the yoghurt and taste. add more spice and yoghurt depending on preferred taste and texture.

7. add the chickpeas and bay leaf and simmer on medium for 15 minutes and chickpeas are soft and have absorbed the flavour.

8. you can keep the pot on the stove on very low until dinner to keep it warm. remember to remove the bay leaf before serving. garnish with parsley or coriander and more yoghurt if you so desire. enjoy!

how to make vegan protein fluff

protein fluff is a favourite among fitness buffs. while nicecream is divine, it can be quite heavy and not have the ideal macros for some people. protein fluff is usually made from frozen fruit, milk (animal or plant) and whey protein. the casein in the whey is what makes it fluffy and light. however, casein is a protein that is actually addictive which is why people struggle so much going vegan - ever wonder why you just can't seem to give up cheese? i discovered a vegan recipe by anarchist kitchen, which used xanthan gum - a corn-based, gluten-free thickener. i've been testing it (aka am obsessed with it and have been eating it every day for the last week) intending to try different flavour combinations and see what different proteins do. thus far i've tried 3 flavours and 2 different proteins. i'm a creature of habit.

however, i do think i've got a pretty good idea of what makes good vegan protein fluff. a few things to note: if you aren't using an unsweetened protein (it's just cheaper if you get an unbranded protein from a bulk food store, like, $40 per kilo cheaper) omit the sweetener and experiment with the xanthan as some protein powders have thickeners in them already. just be sure to use a good quality protein that doesn't have added sugar or fillers and is within your budget. if you aren't using a flavoured/sweetened protein, use a natural sweetener such as stevia (my perferance) , ethytriol, xylitol, monkfruit or coconut sugar.

now, what flavour? like nicecream, protein fluff is very versatile and takes on flavour well. some ideas are:

• creamsicle: use orange juice and coconut milk, frozen bananas and top with coconut chips

• chocolate mint: add 3 tbsp cacao powder and peppermint extract or peppermint stevia drops

• salted caramel: add 2 tsp mesquite or lucama and a pinch of salt or use this protein

• blueberry pie: use frozen blueberries and add a pinch of cinnamon

• peaches & cream: use cashew milk, frozen peaches, and add some vegan yoghurt

• mocha: swap some almond milk for brewed coffee and add 2-3 tbsp cacao powder

or keep it as is - it's delicious.

a quick note on nutrition. macro wise, the biggest variant is the fruit, though even if using more caloric-dense fruits like banana and mango, it will still be low in calories. i prefer low-sugar fruits like berries, though you could even sub some with frozen zucchini. the whole thing (which is filling AF) will be between 250-350 calories, and that's more like 3-4 cups of volume. try getting a fortified plant milk with minimal ingredients, and again the type of protein powder will affect the nutritional value. hemp protein is incredibly nutritious (perfect omega 3:6 ratio for humans) but more expensive, so i tend to stick with rice and pea or a blend. adding cacao or berry powder will add more micronutrients and antioxidants. this won't really take on leafy greens but try it with some green powder if you want. whatever you decide to do, i hope you enjoy your bowl of cloud. cheers.