Fancy baked beans

- x1 tbsp olive oil

- x1 red onion, diced 

- x3 garlic cloves, peeled, sliced

- x1 jar sun-dried tomato, oil drained, diced

- x1 tomato paste sachet

- x1 can Butter beans, drained, rinsed

- x1/2 can coconut milk, to taste

- Noosh, to taste

- Handful of baby spinach 

- lemon juice 

- salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Vegan mushroom risotto (pressure cooker)

Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, Chopped
- 4 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 4 & 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter
- 1/2 cup noosh
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley
- Vegan parmasan cheese


Steps
- Fry the onions, garlic, salt and pepper in the olive oil on a medium heat.

- Add the mushrooms and fry until soft and browned.

- Add the rice, coat in the oils and butter, and fry for a little bit.

- Then add the stock and nutritional yeast.

- Pressure cook for 14 minutes.

- Once the pressure cooking has stopped, melt the cheese through.

Serve with parsley as garnish.

Rum & raisin damper (breadmaker)

** This recipe is designed for the breadmaker **

2 tablespoons Oil

290ml Water

100ml plant-based milk

600g/ 4 cups Bread four

1 teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon brown Sugar

6 teaspoons Baking Powder

1-1/2 cup raisins 

3 tablespoons rum 

Damper

3 1/2 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
2 tablespoon sugar, to taste
40 gram butter
1/2 cup milk, approximately
1 1/4 cup water (approximately)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease an oven tray.

2. In a large bowl, sift flour, salt and sugar; rub in butter. Stir in milk and enough water to mix to a sticky dough.

3. On a floured surface, knead dough until just smooth. Place dough on oven tray; press into a 16cm round.

4. Cut a cross into top of dough, about 1cm (½-inch) deep. Brush dough with a little extra milk; sprinkle with a little extra flour. Bake about 45 minutes. Turn damper, top-side up, onto wire rack to cool.

How to bake while camping

5. Place a trivet in the base of a camp oven, if you have one; alternatively, the damper can be cooked directly on the base – you may need to elevate the oven further. Place the camp oven, elevated about 5cm, over hot coals to heat.

6. Place flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in the butter; stir in milk and enough of the water to form a sticky dough. Knead dough on a floured surface until just smooth. Press into a 16cm round.

7. Cut a cross into top of dough, about 1cm deep. Sprinkle with a little extra flour. Place damper on trivet in camp oven.

8. Place lid on camp oven. Place hot coals on oven lid; most of the heat should be on the lid so the base doesn’t burn.

9.Bake damper for 20 minutes, rotating oven occasionally. Elevate further or reduce the coals underneath if the damper is browning too quickly on the base. Replace the coals on the lid with hot coals. Bake for a further 15 minutes or until damper is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Check damper after 10 minutes, as many stoves aren’t evenly anchored to the floor. One side might cook more quickly; you may need to turn the tin around half-way through.

Rum and raisin damper

Adapted from Woman's Weekly 

Ingredients

1 cup (150g) raisins

1/4 cup (60ml) dark rum

2 cup (300g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (110g) caster (superfine) sugar

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup unsweetened soy milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (Buttermilk alternative)

60 gram (2 ounces) Dairyfree butter 

Method

1. Combine raisins and rum in a small bowl.

2. Combine flour and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add raisin mixture, oil and enough buttermilk to mix to a soft sticky dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.

3. Press dough into a 15cm (6-inch) circle, place in a large greased camp oven. Cut a cross in the top of the dough about 1cm (½-inch) deep. Brush top with a little extra buttermilk; dust with a little extra flour.

4. Cook damper, covered, about 35 minutes or until damper sounds hollow when tapped.

5.  Serve damper warm with butter.

If you don’t fancy baking in a camp oven, bake at 200degC for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and damper sounds hollow when tapped lightly with fingers.

Ginger Bug

 A ginger bug is a wild-fermented starter culture—made from ginger, sugar, and water—used to create natural, probiotic, and fizzy sodas. It takes roughly 5–7 days to activate by daily feeding, after which it can ferment fruit juices or herbal teas into natural soda within 2–3 days of bottling. 

How to Start a Ginger Bug (Starter Culture)

Initial Mix: Combine 1 tbsp chopped/grated organic ginger (unpeeled), 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 cup water (chlorine-free) in a glass jar.

Daily Feedings: Every 24 hours, add 1 tbsp chopped ginger and 1 tbsp sugar, stirring well.

Active Stage: Within 3–7 days, the mixture will become bubbly and have a yeasty, ginger smell.

Maintenance: Once active, it can be kept in the fridge and fed once a week. 

How to Make Fermented Soda

Prepare Liquid: Mix 1/4 cup strained ginger bug with 3–4 cups of juice, sweetened tea, or herb infusion in a sealed container.

Ferment (Primary): Let it sit at room temperature for 1–3 days until it reaches the desired flavor and bubbly, active appearance.

Bottle and Carbonate (Secondary): Strain into flip-top bottles, adding more sugar if necessary to create carbonation. Let it sit on the counter for 1–7 days.

Refrigerate: Once fizzy, move to the refrigerator to slow down fermentation. Consume within 4 weeks. 

Best Practices

Safety: Use a plastic bottle to test for pressure to avoid exploding glass bottles.

Ingredients: Use organic ginger, as non-organic may be treated to prevent fermentation.

Tips: If the bug is slow, it may need more heat. If the mixture smells off or moldy, discard it. 

For detailed, step-by-step instructions on creating a ginger bug, including troubleshooting, you can refer to resources like this blog by simply living well and this guide Cultured Guru's blog

Green Pea Soup

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 15g chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill plus more for serving
- 700g frozen peas, slightly thawed
- 403 ml light coconut milk
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth use only 2 cups for a thicker soup
- salt and black pepper to taste