Ok, so it is Easter and if you do the whole giving of egg thing but have no idea what to give a vegan friend well we have a couple of options for you!

Tropical Source Chocolates

The nice people at Trialia Food Sales have sent me some Tropical Source Chocolates to try out & I thought that these would also make excellent alternative Easter gifts!

100% Dairy Free Chocolate that contains Fair Trade Cocoa, is completely Dairy/Lactose free, Gluten free, certified Kosher and has no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.

The range is : Rice Crisp, Toasted Almond, Raspberry, Mint Crunch, Hazelnut and Rich Dark. They also have Dark Choc Chips too!

Well these were all tried and tested by my chocoholic workmate Lydie and they all got the thumbs up. Hands down though, we both agreed that the Raspberry was the overall fave! This was scrumptious – it gave me a weird flashback to Red Freddos (without the artificial taste or rush…just that dreamy comforty feeling) from long ago….

My second fave was the Mint Crunch & Lydie’s was the Almond one.

Tropical Source can be found at selected Health Food Stores and Coles in the health food aisle (they only have selected flavours). But for a full list of stockists, contact : info@trialafoods.com.au

I went on to use the choc chips in the following recipe & they kept their shape & texture throughout the whole baking process and I was most impressed with them.

Constant Craving Chocolates – Once again these guys come to the rescue!! All of their products are vegan, lactose, gluten and cholesterol free & they are serving up yummy Easter Eggs for the holiday!!!

They offer Traditional Eggs that hold a Constant Craving Chocolate within the shell, flavours are : Coffee, Jaffa Delight, Apricot Dream, Scorched Almond & Coconut Rough.

Also due to popular demand they will be making their ‘EggXRated’ Easter eggs. These are for ADULTS ONLY as they contain alcohol. The egg features a crisp chocolate shell with a lickably luscious truffle lining. Real alcohol gives these eggs a truly decadent taste sensation. They are available in Cointreau, Brandy or Coffee Liqueur and presented in gold wrap & ribbon & look fantastic!!!

If eggs are not your thing then don’t go passed their range of truffles (which I am scoffing as I write this) – The range includes : Honeycomb, Coconut, Toffee, Apricot, Coffee, Almond, Jaffa & Chocolate. (mmmmmm Toffee good!)

I shared a few with friends & the gals at work & when I asked what they thought they all smiled & had that glazed ‘I love this chocolate’ look on their faces, so thanks to Marty, Fi, Lydie & Kate for this hehehehehehe.

Eggs can be ordered through the Cruelty Free Shop or contact Tracey at Constant Craving Chocolates on: constantcraving@lizzy.com.au

You will not be disappointed – these are honestly vegan choc delights that will make you smile!!!!!!!!!!! Full of chocolatey goodness!!!

Choc Chip & Banana Cookies.

You’ll Need :
250gms Nuttelex;
2 cups of soft brown sugar;
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence;
½ cup soy milk;
2 ½ cups of plain flour;
4teaspoons of egg like;
1 cup rice flour;
300gms dark choc chips (or really as many as you see fit or can handle)

Method : Preheat the oven to 180oC and line a baking tray with baking paper. Cream the nuttelex and sugar in a large bowl with electric beaters & add in the vanilla essence, egg like and soy milk. Sift in the flours and mix, then add the choc chips.

Drop a level tablespoon of the mix onto the baking tray, leaving about 4cm between each cookie and lightly press with a fork. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and then cool on a wire rack & enjoy!!!!!!

Since its inception, Constant Craving Chocolates has been using the finest quality ingredients to produce delicious and tantalising chocolates which are completely free of animal products. The lactose, cholesterol, gluten and saturated fats found in most dairy chocolate are not present. This allows almost everyone to indulge in the "food of the gods", whether they are lactose-intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, need to follow a gluten-free or low-cholesterol diet, or simply crave the taste sensation of top quality chocolate and Trialia Foods have been marketing and distributing specialised food brands in Australia for over 40 years. They are located in Noble Park They are also a distributor for Tofutti and many Kosher Brands, well worth having a look at their website www.trialiafoods.com.au

All in all these chocolates were winners, especially the Raspberry Tropical Source & the Coffee or Toffee Constant Craving Truffles, so get yourselves out and buy a few of these they are all to be eaten with a smile!!!!

Thanks so much to both of these companies for sending us such yummy goodies to try but for also having them available on the market – well done guys!!!!!

Plush Pizza is located at 85 Burwood Road, Hawthorn and is a purely Gourmet Vegetarian & Vegan Pizza place – the very first of its kind in Melbourne that I am aware of!!!! & it is fantastic, it really is!

There are so many choices it is very hard to decide and there is only so much pizza that I can personally eat in one go…..so my boy & I ordered 2 different kinds this trip plus a little garlic bread.

We tried the ‘Potato Swoon’ – Mozzarella, Roast Potato, Red Onion, Rosemary, a drizzle of Olive Oil & Vintage Cheddar, garnished with Sour Cream & fresh Chives. (& all vegan- remember to ask for vegan cheese). This one was divine – almost like a thick potato bread, tasty, not too oily and very, very flavorsome with the delicate hint of Rosemary. A big winner with us both.

The second pizza was the ‘Tropical’ – Mozzarella, a swirl of homemade Pesto, Red Onion, Fried Tofu, Pineapple & Vintage Cheddar, garnished with Cracked Pepper. (& again all with the vegan goodness- just ask) This was my fave of the two, it was tasty, had a ‘bite’ to it thanks to that Vintage Cheddar/Pineapple mix, the Fried Tofu giving it almost a smoky taste. Simply the best pizza I have eaten for ages!!!!!

The garlic bread was lovely too, mind you I was so full from the pizzas it didn’t really get a fair go……but it was just ‘garlicy’ enough with enough moisture inside & the right amount of crispness on the outside!!!!!

Prices are $9 for a small, $13 for a medium & $18 for large pizzas.

& these guys even offer gluten free options at an extra cost. There are 16 types of pizzas to choose from and only 1 of these is not vegan friendly. All the rest can be made vegan with their vegan cheese substitutes, so just ask for these. These range from ‘Satay Sublime’, ‘Three Cheese Delight’, ‘Aztec’ & ‘Margherita’ for examples.

They also offer a Vegan Lasagna, side orders of Pesto, Garlic & Vegemite Pizzas & Garlic or Herb Bread.

They also offer a range of vegan desserts but were out of these the night we went in, which was probably good for my hips!!! But do ask about them.

These guys even offer delivery to Abbotsford, Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, Kew & Richmond with a $3 fee but free delivery for orders over $40.

Opening Hours are :

Monday – Closed
Tues – Thurs & Sunday – 5pm - 10pm
Fri & Sat – 5pm - 11pm

By far these really are the best pizzas I have eaten in such a long time & each visit down to Melbourne we are going to try & pop in to work our way through their menu!!!!

If you have any questions or wish to order some yummy pizzas, phone Plush Pizza on 9819 1188 or check out their website at www.plushpizza.com.au

& enjoy…….after you have tried these you will never be able to got back to the ‘vegetarian’ choice at your local pizza place!

Allergy Block can be found at 220 Elgin Street, Carlton, just off of Lygon Street. They sell over 600 food products that are a select range of organic, free of gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, colourings and preservatives. Also a HUGE range of organic health and hygiene products together with hypo-allergenic bedding. You can call into the shop or order online at www.allergyblock.com.au – they deliver Australia wide!!!!

About Allergy Block

Tania & Simon’s son, Matthew was diagnosed with severe eczema. After many sleepless months and wondering why their son was totally covered in raw itchy skin. At 6 months of age they discovered he had allergy to eggs; Matthew was consuming egg via breast milk. He was eventually skin tested and was diagnosed with allergies to egg, dairy, soy, wheat and nuts.

So they have spent many long days searching for manufacturers who specialise in products suitable for Matthew's food allergies. While there are several manufacturers that cater for food intolerances, it is very difficult to locate a wide range of these products in a single store. They developed a whole new range of searching and sourcing skills in this particular area and we think they have done an awesome job.

In a fit of madness they decided to gather the best and most complete range of products suitable for the most common allergies and food intolerances for the most common allergies - from basic foods to bedding - and make them available Australia wide.

They are a small family company and their intention is to provide the best possible service for people with sensitivities - be it an allergy or an intolerance.

And you really do need to check out their website to appreciate the enormity of the ranges of products they cover and also the valuable information that can be utilized there. Simon and the great staff there gave us a few samples of their wares to test run to give us a small example of some of the stock they have available.

Orgran Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

Dextrose from maize, tapioca flour, maltodextrin from maize, cocoa powder, ,maize starch, locust bean gum, vegetable gum: methylcellulose, emulsifier: monoglycerides from vegetable, carbomethycellulose, cellulose fibre, vegetable gum: guar gum, xanthan, natural vanilla flavour, carrageenan, salt, citric acid.

Ok, this one was a winner with a chocolate lover & even a non chocolate lover, it was smooth & creamy in consistency without being mooshy and tasted great. So very easy to make, you simply put it in a bowl – add water & whisk! Looked great in a parfait glass with some choc chip bit & strawberries!

Orgran Lemon & Poppyseed Biscotti

Ingredients

Maize starch, water, raw sugar, palm vegetable oil, rice flour, coconut desiccated, brown rice syrup, pea flour, emulsifier: monoglycerides from vegetable, natural lemon flavour, poppyseeds (0.5%), sodium bicarbonate, salt, natural colour: beta carotene.

*Does contain Poppyseed.

I do like the range of Biscotti Orgran have come out with, my fave being the choc chip one, but this one is tasty and almost refreshing with it’s slight tang, great with a cup of tea in the arvo!

Green and Blacks Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

Organic raw cane sugar, organic cocoa powder(28.6%), organic dark chocolate (16.3% organic cocoa mass, organic raw cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, emulsifier Soya Lecithin, organic vanilla).

Well, I really was not a fan of this one and neither were the kids. We came home & made ourselves some before bed and to be honest none of us finished it. We found it too much of a jaffa flavour almost but I have a few friends that think this is the best chocolate drink…..individual tastes!

Tartex Pate Herb

Ingredients

Yeast, water, plam kernel fat* (non hydrogenated), potato starch*, leek* (2.1%), sunflower oil*, sea salt, herbs* (1%), tomato puree*, yeast extract.

* Certified organically grown.

This one is a huge winner with our family, especially the eldest. I think she actually consumed most of this tin herself….ok, so we helped a little…. Tasty, can be had on crackers or even toast & even added to sandwiches or rolls with salad, fantastic snacks or lunches!

Orgran Chocolate Muffin Mix

Ingredients

Raw sugar, maize starch, pea flour, rice flour, cocoa powder (5%), coconut desiccated, cinnamon, GFG, sodium bicarbonate, glucono dela lactone, vegetable gums (guar gum, carboxymethycellulose), emulsifier: monoglycerides from vegetable, vegetable gum: methycellulose, salt.

This one was a big winner, very easy to make also, in fact with supervision of course, the kids made these ones pretty much themselves that’s how easy it was! & very tasty…perhaps over killed with the extreme pink icing they decided was needed…but nevertheless very, very tasty!

So get online & check them out : www.allergyblock.com.au

Chocolate Beetroot Cake
2 ½ cups self raising flour;
1 ½ cups oil;
1 cup castor sugar;
4 teaspoons egglike;
450gm can of beetroot - mashed & drained;
1 cup cocoa;
1 pinch of salt &
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method : Mix all and bake at 160C for 30 min.

Chocolate Chip Rice Bubble Cookies.
You’ll need : 125gms Nuttelex margarine,
½ cup castor sugar,
1 cup self raising flour,
2 teaspoons of egg like,
½ cup dark chocolate chips &
2 cups rice bubbles.

Method : Beat the castor sugar and margarine until smooth then add the egg like and flour and mix well. Finally add the choc chips and mix in.

Scoop up a teaspoon full of mixture and roll into a ball then roll in the rice bubbles and place on a baking tray, flattening with a fork slightly.

Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes only. If they don’t quite look done, don’t panic they will firm up a little whilst cooling.

Apple & Raspberry & Chocolate Crumble.
For the Base you’ll need : 1 cup of plain flour;
½ cup of self raising flour;
¼ cup corn flour;
¼ cup custard powder;
1 tablespoon of castor sugar;
100gms Nuttelex margarine (melted);
1 teaspoon of egg-like &
¼ cup of water.

Method : Mix all the ingredients together and roll into a ball, knead for a few minutes then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Then grease your baking dish and press the mixture evenly into it.

For the Filling you’ll need : 1 tin of apples & 1 tin of raspberries. ( You can stew your own fruit but I find that the tinned fruit can be just as good and a lot more convenient.) & 1 cup of dark chocolate chips.

Method : Simply pour into the base.

For the Top you’ll need : ¾ cup of self raising flour;
½ teaspoon of cinnamon;
80gms of Nuttelex margarine &
½ cup of brown sugar.

Method : Sift the flour and cinnamon in a bowl and rub in the margarine, add the sugar and mix together. Once mixed spoon over the top of the pie and put in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes. You can even enjoy this with the mock cream or some yummy tofu ice-cream.