The Greening of Gavin

Archives for March 2013

Curds and Whey

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Today’s post is over at the Little Green Cheese and is about Curds.

Readers have been wondering why curds are cut at different sizes for different types of cheese, so I documented the facts in a post called “Cut Curd Size“.

Then, one of my Canadian cheese making friends asked what the term Flocculation meant, so I wrote another post titled “Flocculation Method For A Better Curd“.

That’s enough curd to make Miss Muffet jump from her tuffet!

An Introduction to Sustainable Living

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If anyone is interested in hearing me talk about how it all started, and what we have achieved so far, then join me tomorrow night here in Melton West.

Kim and I would love to meet you if you live close by.  The more the merrier!

Details below.

An Introduction to Sustainable Living 

Ever wondered how to start living a more sustainable lifestyle? Come along and hear Gavin Webber (award winning writer), talk about his journey over the last 6 years, and how he transformed his suburban home, gardens, and family into an energy efficient, money saving, food providing, and thriving household.

Sponsored by Melton Sustainable Living Group Inc.
Venue: Arnolds Creek Community Centre, 19 Claret Ash Blvd Melton West VIC 3337
Date: Wednesday 20 March 2013

From 7.00pm – 9.00pm

Cost: $5.00 Entry – Tea / Coffee Provided

See you all there!

Veggie Roast

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Hands up if you love a good roast dinner?  Keep your hands up if you think that a roast is still possible without meat?  I saw a few hands go down then.  
So what if I told you that it was extremely possible to make a roast dinner without any meat!  It is true, look at the picture below.  Yorkshire puddings, home-grown roast potatoes, steamed carrots, cabbage, and broccoli, and a meatloaf.  Or is it?
Kim substitutes the meat with a Veggie Loaf, and it tastes delicious.  So delicious in fact that she regularly gets requests from the kids to make it.  
Now being the nice lady she is, she offered to share the recipe with you all, so here it is.

Kim’s Veggie Loaf


Serves 6 adults, with seconds!

Ingredients

1 x 400gm can of Lentils, drained
1 x 400gm can of 5 Bean mix, drained
1 x 400gm can of Cannoli beans, drained
1 cup of cooked white rice
2 carrots, grated
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup zucchini, grates
1 large onions, chopped finely
2 cups re-hydrated soy meat, or Quorn mince
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup stuffing mix
1 cup grated cheddar, half for the topping
2 Tbsp Parmesan, grated
1 Tbsp Italian herb mix
1/4 cup BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup Tomato Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Method

  • Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
  • Press into a greased loaf 1 kg (2.2 lbs) loaf tin.  Here is usually enough mixture for smaller loaf pan.
  • Cook at in the oven at 180 C (360 F) for 1 hour 15 minutes, until golden brown on top and firm to touch.
  • Turn out onto a chopping board to slice into 2 inch slabs.  It will not be firm like meat, so be gentle with the slices.

We have not had a meat based roast since we started to reduce our meat intake, back in December 2011.  I am not missing roast meat very much at all.

Who else has a similar veggie dish that they can’t get enough of?  I would love to hear about it.