by Victoria Lucas, founder of girls’ swimwear label, Willow Swim
With Australia Day just around the corner, I am planning on taking my girls, Willow and Olive, for a swim at the beach followed by a picnic in the park for lunch. And no picnic is complete without a basket full of goodies.
As it’s a day of celebrating, we’ll be making some of our favourite Aussie treats, however, we’ll be putting a healthy spin on the traditional recipes.
Think lamingtons as bliss balls, Vegemite scrolls that can be made with vegan pastry, vegan sausage rolls and more.
Scroll down for five picnic-perfect recipes to celebrate Australia Day on January 26.
1 // Lamington bliss balls
Plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, dairy free
Ingredients:
1 cup almond meal
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup cashew butter
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1-2 tbsps coconut oil melted
Coating
1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Method:
Add all ingredients to a whizz until combined (adjust ingredients as needed to form a dough-like consistency).
Roll mixture into 2cm balls.
Melt chocolate for coating.
Dip balls into melted chocolate and then coat with desiccated coconut
Set in fridge for 1-2 hours
2 // Vegemite wheels
Ingredients:
2 sheets of puff pastry (vegan pastry available)
2 tbsps Vegemite
1/2 cup grated cheese (vegan cheese available)
2 tbsps coconut oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Lay the pastry sheets on a flat surface. Cut each sheet in half so that you have four rectangular sheets of pastry.
With the back of a spoon, spread the Vegemite evenly over the entire surface of all sheets of pastry.
Evenly sprinkle the grated cheese over all sheets of pastry leaving 1cm from the edge.
Roll the pastry creating a snail like shape leaving the edge where you did not put cheese to be the last of the roll. This folded edge needs to be on the bottom.
Cut 1cm slices and place on a baking try lined with baking paper.
Brush coconut oil over the top of each roll.
Cook in an oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
3 // Sausage rolls
Vegan, plant-based, vegetarian, lactose free
Ingredients:
4 sheets of puff pastry
Coconut oil
Meatloaf
2 tbsps coconut oil
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups boiled sweet potatoes
3 cups mushrooms chopped and sautéed in 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups nuts of choice
1/2 cup seeds of choice
1 tbsp thyme (fresh or dry)
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tin lentils
3 tbsps tomato paste
2 tbsps passata
1/2 cup almond meal or breadcrumbs
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch of salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
To make the filling, blend all meatloaf ingredients in a whizz until combined.
Lay the pastry sheets on a flat surface. Cut each sheet in half so that you have four rectangle sheets of pastry.
Scoop out meatloaf laying a snake like shape along the edge of the pastry sheet. Make sure your snake is 2cm wide and 2cm high. Complete this step for each pastry sheet.
Roll the pastry sheet making sure the end fold is on the bottom once rolled.
Brush with coconut oil and cut into 3cm pieces.
Bake in an oven for 20-25mins or until golden brown
4 // Tomato wheels
Ingredients:
2 sheets of puff pastry (vegan pastry available)
4 tbsps passata
1/2 cup grated cheese (vegan cheese available)
2 tbsps coconut oil
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Lay the pastry sheets on a flat surface. Cut each sheet in half so that you have four rectangle sheets of pastry.
With the back of a spoon spread the passata evenly over the entire surface of all sheets of pastry.
Evenly sprinkle the grated cheese over all sheets of pastry leaving 1cm from the edge.
Roll the pastry creating a snail like shape leaving the edge where you did not put cheese to be the last of the roll. This folded edge needs to be on the bottom.
Cut 1cm slices and place on a baking try lined with baking paper.
Brush coconut oil over the top of each roll
Cook in an oven for 15mins or until golden.
5 // Fruit sticks
Ingredients:
12 skewers
12 Strawberries
24 raspberries
24 blueberries
Method:
Soak skewers in water overnight.
Wash fruit and cut off the green leaves from the strawberries.
Push each layer of fruit onto the skewers creating a fun pattern.
1 // Lamington bliss balls
4 // Tomato wheels
4 // Tomato wheels
