a shimmering golden spiced soymilk, and a vitasoy giveaway *closed*

This post is sponsored by Vitasoy.

A shimmering golden spiced soymilk.

I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a sucker for organic food. So when I was asked if I would be interested in writing about Vitasoy's organic range, it was hard to say no. There are quite a few things to like about these products: they are made from organic whole soybeans which have not been genetically modified, and they are locally grown - sourced from a selection of five Australian farmers.

As those of us who occasionally dabble in vegan and vegetarian recipes know, soymilk is a pretty versatile product. You can drink it straight, mix it, blend it, cook it, just as you would with regular dairy milk. It's also nutritious, protein-rich, and contains all the essential amino acids.

Inspired by the properties of soymilk, I decided to create a wholesome, soothing, nutritious beverage. A spiced, golden, hot soymilk beverage.

I've been big on turmeric lately, and I often pair it with black pepper, as they are known to have a synergistic effect - the piperine compound in black pepper boosts the absorption of the curcumin compound in turmeric. So that's pretty awesome. Those two things go into this spiced tea. I also threw a bunch of other spices in, because the more the merrier. You know you want it: the sweetness of cinnamon and nutmeg, the seductiveness of cardamom and ginger. Plus, I added a slick touch of coconut oil, as well. The result was kind of a shimmering golden spiced soymilk.

If you don't have all the spices listed, do feel free to come up with your own combination!

a shimmering golden spiced soymilk
(serves 1)

1 cup Vitasoy soymilk
1/2 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup, coconut nectar etc. for vegan substitutes)
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ginger

Gently warm soymilk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring or swirling it every now and then.
Put the honey, coconut oil and spices in a mug. Stir well so that the spices are combined with the honey and coconut oil.
Pour the warmed soymilk into the mug, stirring as you go, until everything is blended.
Sprinkle with some extra nutmeg or cinnamon.

Hot tip: Mix this spiced soymilk with black tea (ratio/amounts according to personal preference) to create a delicious chai!

Note: Soymilk does form a film when it's heated, but you can just stir it away. You might also want to stir as you drink, as the spices do tend to sink to the bottom. They will still be infused into the milk, but the flavour will be stronger if you get bits of spices suspended in the liquid.

Spiced milk with Vitasoy.

For your chance to win a Vitasoy prize hamper, please leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite soymilk recipe.

The $150 prize pack includes:

3 x 1 litre Vitasoy milk cartons
4 x Vitasoy recipe cards
1 x ‘Healthy Every Day’ cookbook by Pete Evans
1 x T2 coffee mug
1 x KeepCup
1 x 250g Global Cafe Direct organic coffee
1 x $65 Coles gift card

Please observe these terms and conditions. Giveaway will end 5pm AEST Tuesday 13 May 2014.

Brought to you by Vitasoy and Nuffnang.

Results are IN! Congratulations Lily, you are the winner of the giveaway! Thank you, everyone, for participating. x

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raw zucchini noodles, aglio e olio style (and a giveaway *winners announced*)

Zucchini noodles, aglio e olio style.

When Kitchenware Superstore offered to let me pick a product from their online shop to try, I couldn't resist. Ever since I saw a friend of mine using a vegetable spiralizer to faciliate her raw food diet, I have wanted one of my own. Naturally, it didn't take me long to settle on the cute green Swiss-designed, German-made Betty Bossi Veggie Twister (and I didn't notice it at the time, but they also have a pink version!).

Practice makes perfect! I started off with uncertainty, but soon after this I was churning out raw zucchini noodles easily!

When one gets a vegetable spiralizer, one makes zucchini noodles. Yes, it's a cliche, but for good reason, because, quite frankly, zucchini noodles are awesome. Plus, I already had a zucchini noodle recipe in mind. I have always loved spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, so this is the almost raw, vegan, gluten-free version of that.

It turned out fantastically. There is a lovely kick from the garlic, accentuated by the touch of chilli. The olive oil coats every strand of the zucchini noodles, and the use of lemon and parsley cuts through to provide a tangy, herbaceous sparkle. Simon and I are already looking forward to using my new toy again soon for our future meals!

Zucchini noodles with lemon-garlic-chilli-oil and parsley, inspired by spaghetti aglio e olio.

zucchini noodles with lemon-garlic-chilli-oil and parsley (inspired by spaghetti aglio e olio)
(makes 1 serve for a light main, or 2 serves as a side)

2 small zucchinis (approx. 225g / 1/2lb total, or 15cm / 6" long each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 small red chilli, finely sliced; or 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

You may peel the zucchini or leave the skin intact, depending on your preferences. Cut off the tip and end. Use a vegetable spiralizer to make spaghetti-like noodles out of the zucchini. If you don't have a vegetable spiralizer, a julienne peeler will also work. Otherwise, you can try to shave the zucchini into long strips with a regular peeler, which may create more of a fettucine effect.

To keep my raw zucchini noodles fresh, I like to briefly drench them in a bowl of lightly salted water, then drain in a colander before setting aside for later use.

Warm up the olive oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and let it cook gently for about 1 minute, then add chilli and continue cooking for another 1 minute, or until the garlic turns lightly golden on the edges. Remove from heat immediately and add lemon zest and juice.

Toss the zucchini noodles together with the lemon-garlic-chilli oil, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. I suggest that you let it rest for 10 minutes or so, to allow the flavours to develop further, then toss again. Serve and slurp!

If you like, add some raw or toasted nuts in the end, to make this a more filling, protein-rich meal. I think pine nuts or walnuts in particular would be great, but I imagine almonds, hazelnuts or pecans would also suit well. If you're not a nut person, I reckon some soft tofu could be really nice, too.

If you want to attempt a completely raw meal out of this, consider crushing fresh chilli and garlic into the olive oil to infuse it, so that you don't have to cook it. You'll probably need less garlic, since the raw stuff is stronger and sharper.

Delicious, so delicious.

Now we get to the giveaway part!

Together with Kitchenware Superstore, I am giving away 3 x $20 online gift vouchers which winners can use towards any purchase at the Kitchenware Superstore online shop.

This giveaway is open to all readers, but please note that if you reside outside of Australia, shipping costs may be quite prohibitively expensive, so double check that to see if it's still worth it for you.

For a chance to win one of the vouchers, please leave a comment telling me what dishes you would make featuring zucchini noodles. I will select 3 winners based on how likely I am to create the dish you describe.

Please ensure that there is some way I can reach you (e-mail address, twitter account, blog URL etc) if you win. The deadline, or last day for entry, is the 5th of November, 2013 - I'll be going by the time stamp on this blog, which is based in Melbourne, Australia. I'll announce the winner on the 6th of November, 2013 by updating this blog post, or you can also keep an eye out on Twitter or Facebook for an announcement. I will then contact the winner to organise the shipping of the prize.

*Winners announced!*

Congratulations to: Economies of Kale, Cate, and Winston! Your ideas are right up my alley and I am keen to give them a go. I will e-mail the voucher to you as soon as I receive them from Kitchenware Superstore.

To everyone else, I really enjoyed your responses too, and thank you for participating. I may have another giveaway coming up in the next few months, so stay tuned! :)


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giveaway! shiraz & pinot gris, from taylors wines*winner announced*

Come one, come all, wine-sipping Australians!

I'm happy to be offering a little giveaway today, thanks to Taylors Wines. One lucky reader will win two bottles of wine - the juicy, multi-award winning Taylors Estate Shiraz 2010 and a fresh, elegant Taylors Estate Pinot Gris 2011.


There is a lot to feel good about when drinking a glass of wine produced by the Taylor family. These guys are clearly dedicated to their wine - three generations so far and still going strong. Their philosophy of "bringing great wines to life" is based on the imperative of "respect the fruit" - the fruit being, of course, those luscious grapes grown in the beautiful Clare Valley of South Australia. Just as importantly, they are committed to environmentally-friendly and socially-responsible sustainability practices.

So if you'd like to win a couple bottles of wine from Taylors, one red, one white, both sure to bring a lovely warm glow to your day, then here's your chance!

Giveaway details:

This giveaway is open to those with an Australian address only. Winner must be of legal drinking age and provide proof of age upon request.

For a chance to win, please leave a comment telling me what dish you would cook, or order, to go with a bottle of shiraz or pinot gris - or, alternatively, what dish you would create with those wines. I'm looking forward to some scrumptious ideas!

Please ensure that there is some way I can reach you (e-mail address, twitter account, blog URL etc) if you win. The deadline is the 31st of March, 2013 - I'll be going by the time stamp on this blog, which is based in Melbourne, Australia. I'll announce the winner on the 2nd of April by updating this blog post, or you can also keep an eye out on Twitter or Facebook for an announcement.

I will then contact the winner to organise the shipping of the prize.

Thank you Taylors Wines for making this happen!

- - - - - - - - - - - -

*Winner announced!*

Big thanks to all those who left a comment! And the winner is...

msihua!

Thank you for your creative entry, I'll be contacting you to arrange the delivery of your prize. :)


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my aspirations.... & my giveaway winner!

A few weeks ago, I hosted my first giveaway. The prize was a book called Will Write For Food by Dianne Jacob. I asked those of you interested to submit your entry in the form of a comment answering this question: As an aspiring food writer, what are your goals and what are you doing to reach them?

I was touched by the thoughtful and heartfelt responses I got in return. There is beauty in our collective desires but also in our diversity as food lovers and writers. And because you have enriched me with your hopes and dreams, I, too, am inspired to share with all of you my answer to the same question.

However, to be honest, I'm not the kind of person who has very well-defined goals. I've always drifted through life... a life peppered with passing obsessions that eventually move along to give way to the next new flirtation. I look upon the people who know what they want - really know what they want, with an all-consuming passion and drive - and I often catch myself envying them.

Before I knew it, the years flew by, and it seemed I had very little to show for it. I began to feel trapped by my job, yet I didn't know what else I could do. I wanted more. I wanted a creative outlet. I wanted direction; I wanted purpose. I wanted to commit myself to changing the status quo.

So I started this food blog... the indolent cook.

I've been blogging about food for over a year now, and I'm enjoying it. Will this turn out to be just another one of my temporary infatuations? Will it bring me lasting contentment? Who knows. But I've always loved food, and I've always loved writing. I'm happy to see where this takes me.

So I continue to blog. I continue to read, watch, smell, taste and learn. I keep an eye out for opportunities and I seize them. Sometimes, the opportunities come to me. I'm still working full-time at my current job, but I've also started to do some freelancing. A few articles here, a few recipes there. Slowly but surely, things are coming together. I don't know what the future brings, but I am optimistic.

But enough about me. Now, on to more pressing matters... the announcement of the giveaway winner: Ashley! Congratulations Ashley, I'll be contacting you to arrange the delivery of your own copy of Will Write For Food. Hurrah!

For those of you who missed out, you can buy this book for very reasonable prices on Fishpond, The Book Depository or Amazon. You may also pop by Dianne's blog to keep yourself up-to-date with her latest articles.

I wish every one of you the best... keep cooking, eating and writing!

Love, leafy.

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giveaway! will write for food, dianne jacob

Hello, dear readers. I'm hosting my first blog giveaway! Even if you're not excited, I sure am!

This book giveaway came about in a rather accidental fashion. I purchased a copy of Will Write For Food by Dianne Jacob from online bookstore Fishpond awhile ago and after several weeks waiting for it to arrive, both the Fishpond customer service staff and I were convinced it was lost in the mail, so we organised for a replacement copy.

It turned out that the first order was just severely held up, so I ended up receiving TWO copies of Will Write For Food. Rather than sending the extra copy back to Fishpond, I asked them for permission to give it away on my blog instead, and they gave me their blessings. So here we are.

Will Write For Food, a book on food writing authored by Dianne Jacob.

Alright, I know there are many of you out there who love food... and writing about food. You will probably want to have a copy of this book... so let me tell you more about it.

If you have a strong interest in food writing, you may already be familiar with Dianne Jacob's blog. I discovered it earlier this year and have been a regular reader since. I find it to be constantly challenging, interesting and helpful, factors that spurred me on to my eventual purchase of Will Write For Food.

The chapters in the book cover blogging, freelancing, restaurant reviewing, cookbook and recipe writing, fiction and non-fiction writing, and getting published. I am only about halfway through at the moment, so I can't give a complete review of it, but I'll tell you this: Dianne gives me the realisation that my writing can be so much better, and tells me what I can do to achieve my potential. The examples in the book are illuminating, the advice insightful and the writing exercises practical.

For more in-depth and technical information on a particular food writing niche, you'll want supplementary resources (and Dianne provides helpful lists of reference books for this purpose, too), but this is a great overview and starting point. I'm glad I bought the book, and even though I'm yet to finish reading it, I can already see myself returning to it again and again to improve and revitalise my food writing.

A snapshot of the chapters inside Will Write For Food.

Now we get to the fun part... your chance to win your own copy of Will Write For Food! This giveaway is open to anyone who loves writing about food, regardless of where you are in the world, so to be in the running, just leave a comment telling me about your food writing aspirations. What are your goals and what are you doing (other than entering this giveaway!) to reach them? I'm sure there will be some really great answers, so I'll pick a handful of favourites and draw a winner out of those shortlisted.

Please ensure that there is some way I can reach you (e-mail address, twitter account, blog URL etc) if you win. The deadline is the 26th of October - I'll be going by the time stamp on this blog, which is based in Melbourne, Australia - and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

P.S. Besides Fishpond, you can also purchase this book at The Book Depository and Amazon.

P.P.S. For those who are not aware, I now have a Twitter account, and even more recently, a Facebook page! It's not compulsory for entering the giveaway, but if you would like to follow me on either, or both avenues, that would make me quite a happy girl.

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