May 15th, 22nd, 29th.
Genesis 1:29 – And God said “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat”.
With a chilly winter just around the corner, the Schofields Church held another fruitful series of cooking classes during the month of May 2017.
This event involved careful planning, lots of beautiful ingredients, banging pots and pans, the brash sounds of cooking utensils, and the natural aromatic smell of fresh vegetables and seasonings. Because of the above listed, it was a very successful event!
We had an average of 60 people who attended each class, which was very exciting for us, especially for our lovely head-chefs led by non-other than, Lidia Voncina and Rosetta Ilic.
May 15th – On this night, our first speaker, Br Paul Chapman, presented a health talk on how to overcome obesity, weight awareness, body mass index (BMI) and exercise.
In the beginning of his presentation, Paul spoke about a seven-minute workout. A research study states that a moderate thirty-minute low intensity walk is equivalent to a seven-minute high intensity workout! How amazing is that?!
Click on the link below to view Br Paul’s segment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-sb-lGKFcA – Our apologies that due to technical difficulties, there is no sound for the first two minutes.
May 22nd – Our speaker for this night was the lovely Sr Dot, who presented a segment on the importance of “Dental Care”.
The presentation portrayed how vital it is to take care of your teeth, mouth and gums to prevent tooth decay, bad breath, cavities, gum diseases and so forth. To avert all this, we must keep our teeth and gums as healthy as possible. To do this requires good nutrition, regular brushing and flossing. Tongue cleaning by using a tongue cleaner or soft-bristle toothbrush is also important for people whose tongues are coated or deeply grooved.
Dorothy also talks about how important it is to avoid foods and drinks that contain a lot of sugar, as they help plaque grow. We should also avoid using any tobacco products, as these can cause gum disease and oral cancer and, of course, can lead to other health issues.
May 29th – Our final speaker of this series, Br Domenic Polistina, spoke about the importance of Vitamin B12 and Vegetarianism.
As mentioned in the YouTube video (see link below), Br Joe Voncina introduced the last presentation of this series by stating how important a healthy lifestyle is. Combine this with the very first segment by Br Paul Chapman, physical activity and a balanced diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight to reduce risks of diseases (heart disease and cancer) and have better overall health. Healthy living promotes a happy, healthy, long life!
Click on the link below to watch the full version of Br Domenic’s presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3dNCykJhEQ
The dishes that were demonstrated during May 2017 were:
| Ø Lettuce Soup | Ø Potato Paprikash | Ø Root Vegetables and Chickpea Stew |
| Ø Croutons | Ø Roasted Brussels Sprouts | Ø Cashew and Chives Vegan Cheese |
| Ø Vegan Meatballs | Ø Vegetable Patties | Ø Smoked Cashew Vegan Cheese |
| Ø Tomato Sauce | Ø Gluten-free Lemon Tart | Ø Banana Crumble Cake |
| Ø Vegan Sour Cream | ||
| Ø Cardamom Wheat |
Here are a few recipes as listed above for your review. The rest of the recipes are found on our YouTube channel. Enjoy!
Vegan Meatballs
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 shallots, chopped finely;
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped finely;
- 2 tablespoons olive oil;
- 1 large eggplant, cut finely;
- 1 tin chickpeas (400g);
- 3 tablespoons walnuts, crushed;
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked;
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano;
- 3 tablespoons continental parsley, chopped finely;
- Salt to taste;
- *3 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea brine);
- 3 tablespoons rice flour (regular flour if not GF);
- Olive oil spray.
METHOD:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized pan. Add chopped shallots and garlic, and stir-fry them until soft.
- Dice the eggplant into very small bits. I use an alligator chopper and then add it to above mixture and stir-fry until cooked but not mushy.
- Open tin of chickpeas, separate and reserve liquid. In a food processor, chop chickpeas very finely.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpeas, eggplant mixture, walnuts, quinoa, oregano, parsley and salt to taste.
- Using your hands, combine all the ingredients thoroughly. Now add aquafaba and rice flour, and mix again. You may need to increase the amount of aquafaba and rice flour a little bit.
- Before you are ready to make your meat balls, heat up your oven to 180˚C. Spray and line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper, and lightly spray the paper.
- Using your hands, shape small amounts of mixture into balls; use a round ice cream scoop to help shape them all the same size.
- Spray each meatball with olive oil. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
NOTES:
* Aquafaba is chickpea brine obtained from a tin of chickpeas, or you can make your own. When making your own, soak chickpeas in lots of water overnight, rinse and put in a large pot with lots of water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 1 hour (until beans are soft). Remove cooked chickpeas with a slotted spoon, and what’s left in your pot is called aquafaba. This liquid should resemble egg whites; if not, reduce it by simmering on a low heat (without a lid) until it reaches the desired consistency. Cool aquafaba down before using. Can be easily frozen for future use.
Gluten-free Lemon Tart
INGREDIENTS
Pastry:
- 2½ cups raw cashews or almond meal
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 5 tablespoons water
- oil spray
Filling:
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅔ cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup raw cashews * (see note below)
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 lemon zest, optional
METHOD
Pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly coat 25cms quiche tin with oil spray.
In a food processor, combine rice flour, cashews and salt. Process until the cashews are finely ground. Add the maple syrup and water a little at a time until well combined (forms a ball). - Press the pastry evenly into the prepared tin, prick pastry with a fork.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until slightly brown. Take it out while hot. - Place on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, it’s ready for the filling.
Filling:
- Combine the lemon juice, pineapple juice, cashews, and maple syrup and salt in a blender. Blend until perfectly smooth. Place mixture in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the 3 tablespoons of water and mix.
- Lower the heat of the lemon mixture, add the cornstarch mix to it while stirring constantly, and cook on medium heat until slightly thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, still stirring. Add the optional lemon zest, and pour into prepared pastry case.
NOTE * (if your blender isn’t very efficient, soak the cashews in plenty of water for 6 hours (or overnight) in the fridge, draining and rinsing before use).
Root Vegetables and Chickpea Stew
INGREDIENTS:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, largely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 heaped tablespoon Massel chicken-style stock powder
- 1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Pinch saffron threads (optional)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (optional)
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and largely diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and largely diced
- 3 medium parsnips, peeled and largely diced
- 1 litre Massel chicken-style or vegetable-style liquid stock
- ½ butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and largely diced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and largely diced
- 1 swede or turnip or both, peeled and largely diced
- 1 stick celery, sliced
- 2 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
METHOD:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat until translucent.
- Add the ginger, coriander, cumin, cayenne, saffron, and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except asparagus) and cook on high until it boils; stir and then turn it down and simmer for 1½ – 2 hours, until vegetables are very well cooked.
- Add the asparagus and gently mix. Cook for a further 5 minutes; try for seasoning, adding more if required.
Cashew and Chives Vegan Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
Blend:
- 1 cup cashews
- ½ cup savoury yeast
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ onion
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup hot water
Simmer:
- 1 tablespoon agar agar powder
- ¾ cup cold water
Mix:
Chopped chives
METHOD:
- Place all blending ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- In a pan place the cold water and the agar agar. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly making sure no lumps of agar agar form at the bottom.
- When agar agar is ready, pour cashew mixture from blender and stir very quickly until well combined.
- Add the chopped chives and mix.
- Line mould with baking paper, pour cheesy mixture into the mould, and then chill for 2 hours.
Keep chilled. Serve with crackers of choice or with salad.
~ Reported by Jenny Foaese
