All posts filed under: Dairyfree

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups

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I don’t know about you, but when I hear ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Peanut Butter’ in the same sentence, I get REALLY REALLY EXCITED! I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, but unfortunately they are full of sugar and also not good for the waistline, and because I love to eat a variety of chocolate during the week, I wanted to find a balance between the two.  Below is my recipe for Vegan Peanut Butter Cups – they are super simple and easy to make, and only require 4 ingredients! Can also guarantee that your friends and family will love them! Makes 24 mini cups. INGREDIENTS For the Peanut Butter Cups: 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Revive Peanut Butter) 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (I like Blue Coconut) 1 tablespoon maple syrup For the Chocolate Topping: 1 cup of coconut oil, melted 3 tablespoons maple syrup 2 x 100g blocks of 70% Lindt chocolate (it is in fact vegan – yay!), roughly chopped and melted METHOD 1. Pop 24 mini muffin cases on trays.  2. Combine the coconut oil, maple syrup and dark chocolate …

Little Bird Unbakery

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Attention Little Bird Organics and The Unbakery lovers, the HYPE is real… Little Bird Unbakery is now open for dinner! At last year’s Taste of Auckland, the festival’s first dedicated vegan restaurant, Little Bird Organics, announced they were trialling out four dishes which could potentially go on the menu of their new dinner offering at their Ponsonby Unbakery! Think Smoked Watermelon Sashimi, Hemp Tacos with BBQ Cauliflower and Kimchee Slider with Gochujang Black Bean Patty. Yum! Fast forward to two weeks ago, Little Bird Unbakery opened for dinners, and I can see it becoming a very popular place! It is somewhere where you can enjoy a wholesome plant-based delicious meal… and feel great afterwards.  The idea of their new dinner offering is to showcase seasonal organic bites, meals and desserts (all dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan), paired with an all-natural wine list, organic cocktails and craft beer. The menu will change and grow over the coming weeks, depending on the seasonal produce available and feedback from the public. Little Bird Unbakery have only just obtained their liquor license this …

Choc-Almond Slice with Cocavo

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Baking is one of my favourite hobbies. Cookies, brownies and slices are my favourite things to bake. So, when I was sent the whole range of Cocavo products recently (and having never used their products in baking or cooking before), I was super excited to create a recipe using Cocavo’s products.  For those of you that are not familiar with Cocavo, they are a New Zealand owned and run company which produces a unique blend of extra virgin coconut and avocado oils, bringing the healthiest cooking oil to the market. Their products are made from all natural premium ingredients and are dairy and gluten free, and suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Cocavo has five delicious flavours, including: Cocavo Original (used in a variety of sweet and savoury dishes) Cocavo Light (the light flavour does not have the aroma or taste of coconut, which makes it the perfect cooking oil for everyday use) Cocavo with Chili and Lime (use for seafood or stir-fry dishes) Cocavo with Cilantro, Lime and Ginger (will bring out the flavours in Thai or …

Ditching the Dairy: Coffee Options in Auckland CBD

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Having recently started switching up my coffee order to include drinking dairy-free milk, and also having no idea which cafes in Auckland CBD were offering dairy-free milk options (and specifically which ones), I have decided to create this post, so that when you feel like dairy-free milk in your coffee, you will know where to go! For each cafe, I have also added my recommended treat/breakfast dish too, because food is life! Note: I have researched about 20 places all up, mainly visiting these places to check out their prices and if dairy-free milk is on offer. If a place is not included, it is either because their coffee with dairy-free milk is way too expensive or the coffee tasted like burnt toast.  Stolen Summer Stolen Summer is at the top of my list because it is my most recent coffee discovery and currently my favourite place to get a great coffee. The cafe is small, but cute, and fairly new to High Street. The owners are friendly, the cafe fit out will look good …

Peanut Butter Acai Bowl

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I recently purchased Hippie Lane: The Cookbook by Taline Gabriel. It is filled with deliciously ‘luxe’ wholefood recipes, split into four sections – Rise + Shine, Lunch Vibes, Dinner Dates and Sweet Fix. I have been an avid follower of Taline Gabriel on Instagram for a while now. Her food inspires me daily and thus, have put this into perspective for 2018. I have never been one for New Year’s Resolutions, but I thought this year, I will finally jump on the bandwagon. Mine is to follow and maintain a healthy lifestyle by focusing on wholefoods (like fruits and vegetables, wholegrains, healthy proteins and fats), cutting down on refined sugar and processed foods, exercising daily and keeping up my water intake.  I have a mega sweet tooth, so it will be a challenge, but one I am willing to give my 100%. I will still be posting about eats in Auckland, new products and adventures on here and on my Instagram and Facebook pages, plus will have the occasional treat now and then (my weaknesses are ice cream, …

5 Reasons Why I Love GIAPO

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  GIAPO. The best ice cream in New Zealand. Here are five reasons why I love GIAPO (and why you should try their ice cream!): 1. Owner Gianpaolo (Giapo) Grazioli. Giapo is the creative mastermind behind all the wondrous ice cream creations. He is very passionate about his ice cream and is the most enthusiastic person I know! You will often find him at the store, talking to customers and/or taking orders. Not many hospitality owners do this around Auckland, so I think this is pretty awesome. Also a special mention to Giapo’s wife, Annarosa, who is lovely, kind and always a joy to see at the Giapo store. 2. The ice cream flavours and the different options to ‘hold’ your ice cream. The menu at Giapo is extensive, with many flavours to choose from. All of the ice creams are gluten free, with four being vegan – definitely something for everyone! Their ice cream is different to that of the normal ones you would get at a dairy or supermarket – Giapo’s are like works of art. …

Harraways Spiced Unbaked Oats and Seed Slice + WIN

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Harraways are celebrating their 150th birthday! The iconic New Zealand brand has been providing us with delicious oats since 1867, with the company still operating from its original site in Green Island, near Dunedin – WOW! As part of their milestone birthday, Harraways have released two Celebration packs: Chia, Coconut & Cranberry Celebration, and Birthday Berry Bonanza. These celebration packs come with free collectables – ‘Harry’ Scottish Terrier magnets and colour changing spoons. I love Harraways oats because they are so versatile and can be used in many ways. I have porridge for breakfast, which is simple, yet filling, I use their oats in smoothies, in desserts (I love making feijoa crumble at this time of year) and my favourite, in baking. While I usually use oats for making Anzac biscuits, cookies or pancakes, I was intrigued to try making a slice this time round! Check out the recipe for Harraways Spiced Unbaked Oats and Seed Slice below: Spiced Unbaked Oats & Seeds Slice Makes 20 bars INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup Coconut Oil 1/4 cup Liquid Honey 1/3 teaspoon Idodised Salt 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1/2 teaspoon …

Major Sprout

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If you are looking for the perfect inner city breakfast spot, then Major Sprout may just be the best choice. It ticks all the boxes – delicious food, great coffee and efficient service. Major Sprout is owned by David Lee, who also runs the popular eateries Dear Jervois in Herne Bay and Little King in Milford. I admit, Major Sprout opened in November 2015… so I am a bit late to the party. But it was definitely worth the wait, especially for their famous and Insta-worthy buttermilk pancakes. We visited Major Sprout last weekend for breakfast. The cafe is tucked down Graham Street, just up the road from Victoria Park. Inside, the fit out is modern, light and airy, with greenery in every corner and plenty of seating options. We arrived quite early (8.30am) so there was no need to make a reservation, but any later, I would definitely recommend booking a table. To start, I enjoyed a Mocha (using Flight Coffee), which was the perfect temperature, creamy and gone in a flash. My sister also loved their Turmeric Latte. If …

Melie’s Kitchen Fudgy Rocky Road Cookies

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I have never met a cookie I didn’t like. There are so many delicious ones. Chocolate chip, Nutella, oreo marshmallow, peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia, snickers, salted caramel, chocolate cookie sandwich, fortune cookies and s’mores to name quite a few. And now, I have a new favourite cookie… a Fudgy Rocky Road Cookie! Thanks to Amelia Ferrier of Melie’s Kitchen, an 18 year old Aucklander who makes beautiful cakes (you can order them from her website here). Last year, she held a demonstration and cookbook launch at Collected, where we watched her decorate one of her amazing cakes and there were samplings afterwards. Of course, I couldn’t leave without buying her cookbook, entitled ‘Melie’s Kitchen‘ which is filled with recipes for her wonderful cake creations, cookies, slices and pastries. I love all the recipes in her cookbook, in particular the Fudgy Rocky Road Cookies. The mix of dark chocolate, almonds and marshmallows sounded delicious. Melie says in her book that you will love these cookies because of their fudgy and chewy texture, and the marshmallows toast beautifully on top, while the almonds give …

The Caker aka Jordan Rondel

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  [Jordan Rondel aka The Caker + her sister, Anouk]  I have a very fond memory of when I first tried one of Jordan Rondel’s cakes. It was early 2013, and the High Street Market was on at Freyburg Square. As soon as the clock struck 1pm, I rushed down to the square, determined to try only one thing: cake. Ever since devouring a slice of Jordan’s Dark Chocolate, Pear + Pistachio cake that day, I have been following her journey ever since. The same year, Jordan released her first cookbook titled ’50 New and Unusual Recipes’ and yes, her creations are interesting, but they work. What I love about Jordan’s cakes (and other delights) is that you won’t find anything similar in Auckland. They are also not your usual carrot cake, banana cake or simple chocolate cake. For example, in her book you will find recipes such as a ‘Rhubarb + Black Doris Plum cake’, ‘Vegan Triple Coconut + Raspberry cake’, ‘Sweet + Salty Potato Chip Cookies’ and ‘Raw Hazelnut + Chai Brownies’. Her aim is to use organic ingredients and some of her cakes are vegan, dairy and gluten …