Wild Morsels: Delicious Plant-Based Discoveries

By Angela Stafford

This is not only a book for Vegans, it is a book for anyone interested in eating more plant foods without compromising on taste. 

Experience the health benefits of introducing more plant-based meals into your diet. Without animal products, you can still create scrumptious, satisfying and hearty meals.  You can ba

• Language: English
• Publisher: Guiding Change Press
• Release date: May 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9780987503558

Angela Stafford

Angela Stafford has a Diploma of Health Sciences in Kinesiology. She is a blogger, public speaker, educator and author of hand-illustrated, wholefood cookbooks. During her practice as a kinesiologist, Angela found that the problems many people faced physically and emotionally were a result of poor food choices and an inability to establish healthy habits. With this in mind, she chose to focus on inspiring positive change through food and education. Wild Morsels was first self-published in 2005 and then published under the name Wild Vegan by New Holland publishers in 2011. The revised edition has been updated with healthier ingredients, nutrition information and new recipes. With the raising of her own family, Angela also realised the importance of educating children about their bodies, food choices and cooking. The result was Fairytale Food Safari, A Wholefood Family Cookbook, self-published in 2013. As an artist, Angela creates all artwork in her books (pencil drawings, watercolour illustrations and photography). Angela's philosophy around food is to listen to the body, move away from processed foods and to embrace a whole food diet. Getting back to real food (fresh ingredients and tastes). She helps people to develop healthy habits one step at a time and to simultaneously be gentle with themselves in order to pave a realistic path to good health. She also teaches the importance of creativity in the kitchen, to make cooking fun!

Book preview

Acknowledgements

Testimonials

We’ve happily turned Vegan, well almost! We’re loving it, especially my two children, one and two years old. Our favourite is the Moroccan Vegies and Couscous (or substitute pasta if the kids prefer). Fantastic for CAMPING. Angela your personal comments on each recipe are warming and valued. Thanks, we look forward to the second book.

Gabby Hickey, NSW

I have always found vegan biscuit and cake baking a little tricky with out eggs, but the American Style Choc Chip Cookies were described as awesome by my 20 year old and the best you’ve ever made. The Blueberry Cake (made with frozen raspberries) was also described as awesome and equally enjoyed by my non-vegan husband....Terrific book. I so enjoy cooking from it.

Josette Spall, SA

Made a delicious meal with the Creamy Vegetable Soup for starter, yummy Banana Cake for desert and the highlight of the meal was the Lemon and Thyme Roast! Great book. Recipes are tasty!

Lisa Gaines, NSW

I received this cookbook as a birthday present and love it. It has some amazing illustrations and scrumptious recipes. My favourite is the Burritos, I made them when we had visitors for dinner and they were a big hit. Indian Dahl is another favourite.

Teisha Tye, VIC

Every week we try a new dish, and every week we are impressed! Even my meat-loving two-year-old happily eats the Indian dahl, and he asks every week for Date Loaf again. It’s great to have healthy, tasty dinner options on the many days we don’t want to eat meat. We especially love the Roasted Capsicum Pesto dip. Yum yum! A book like this is not only great for when vegetarians or vegans come to dinner, but also for people who are allergic or intolerant to foods like dairy and egg.

Natalie Grainger, NSW

I just had a dinner party with the Riviera Burgers, Wild Rice Salad and Lasagne. People were coming for seconds! I sent the link to a few of my guests. Thank you for your wonderful book, I showed my guests that a vegan meal is delicious and healthy and easy! I hope you publish a ‘sequel’- I will certainly buy it!

P.S. SA

My husband had to change his diet and this book was a like a Godsend. The recipes are great. Simple and very tasty. The whole family love them.

Brenda Pyett, NSW

I am really enjoying Wild Vegan. Have liked or loved nearly every recipe I’ve tried.

Alicia Griffin

Media Attention

Weekend Australian Magazine - June 2005

St George and Sutherland Shire Leader - June 2005

New Vegetarian and Natural Health Magazine - Spring 2005

Vegan Voice - Sept/Nov 2005

Regional Bites - Sept 2005

Melbourne Age - Oct 2010

Sydney Morning Herald - Oct 2010

About the Author

One night in October 1974, at a Sydney hospital, the excited crowd was gathering around a highly screened baby display window into the newborns’ nursery. They were all ready to get a glimpse of their special baby. I was there, in my new role of uncle, to sight my new niece, Angela.

At precisely 8 o’clock the heavy curtain started to open, showing the unsuspecting occupants of the nursery. The crowd now surged forward in a frenzy, voices rising several octaves and decibels, as they eagerly searched through the shrivelled-faced screaming rows for their baby. Me too, and there she was, Angela, with a wooden spoon in her tiny hand.

As Angela grew she developed a strong interest in the production and consumption of food. Like me, this fascination increased and was incorporated into her identity in her early 20s. Whilst I continued producing dishes on a Wagnerian scale (with at least 10 freshly ground spices) and desserts of flavoured, congealed cholesterol, Angela was defecting to the health food camp. Tasty and ridiculously healthy treats emerged from her imagination and kitchen.

Like other relatives, I was asked to ‘test’ many of these recipes for this book, more of a sneaky way of recruiting converts! I must confess many of these recipes are now part of my cooking repertoire.

So as the curtain opens on this book of tasty vegan treats, and the feeding frenzy begins, there are more and more converts, to tasty, healthy recipes, surging towards the dinner table, including Angela’s son, whose first words included tofu and lentils.

Let’s eat!

Angela’s Uncle Bob.

You put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I’ll buy you a new car.

Harvey Diamond

This is the second edition of Wild Morsels. The first was released in 2005 and was self-published. In 2010 New Holland Publishers released the same book under the name Wild Vegan. It did not contain the illustrations as the previous version did.

After obtaining the rights back to my work and after many requests from retailers and readers, I am releasing a newer, updated version of Wild Morsels. It includes the illustrations and a healthier slant in line with current research and ingredients.

Please also note that at the time of writing this book the standard cup and tablespoon size for Australia was hazy. I found both 15ml and 20ml tablespoons in our shops as well as 240ml and 250ml cups. I have switched to the Australian standard measurements in this edition:- 20ml tablespoon and 250ml cup.

Thank you to all those who have supported me and my work since 2005. Your feedback and encouragement is much appreciated. Have fun exploring this new edition of Wild Morsels. Cooking and eating, is in many ways a journey that can take you in many directions. May yours be a healthy and happy one xx.

Welcome to the

Wild Kitchen

The purpose of this book is to open up the possibilities of cooking without animal products. With overwhelming evidence now available it is clear that the majority of the Earth’s environmental problems can be attributed to animal agriculture. For more information on this watch Cowspiracy, a documentary created in 2014.

It is also clear that millions of animals suffer because of the practices used in producing meat, dairy and eggs for our growing population. With that in mind, it is important for all of us to at least limit our consumption of animal products. If everyone were to reduce their intake by going vegan just one or two days per week, the positive environmental outcome would be huge.

It is easy to prepare a variety of natural whole foods minus the animal products. These meals are delicious and very healthy-not only for the body, but also for the environment and the conscience.

The recipes that follow contain no animal products at all-that includes meat, dairy, eggs and honey. For this reason, it is a pure vegan cookbook and all recipes suit both vegan and vegetarian diets. They also suit those with dairy and egg intolerances or allergies.

It is not necessary to take a completely vegan approach either. For example, the recipes will work just as well with dairy products. Non-dairy milks, cheeses and yoghurt may be replaced with their dairy equivalents. The aim of this book is not to target a select group of people but rather to help everyone take a step towards a healthier lifestyle by starting in the kitchen. It may also serve as a creative guide to developing meals that suit your personal tastes and preferences. By using the creative ideas included with many of the recipes, you are sure to develop confidence during the cooking process.

Defining Differences

Not everyone is familiar with the nature of a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. There is a lot of confusion about what foods are included in these diets. As a result, having a vegan or vegetarian to dinner can, for some people, be an anxious experience. There is plenty of vegetarian and vegan information available and I have included a suggested reading list at the back of this book for those who wish to learn more. For the moment however, let me just say that by taking a step in this direction you will gain not only huge health benefits, but you will also be addressing environmental and humanitarian concerns that face us today. Issues such as the effect the meat and dairy industries have on the environment, and what the animals raised for food go through during their short, often horrific lives. You will also combat the destructive effect that an excess consumption of animal products has on the body and the environment.

Vegetarians

A vegetarian does not eat any part of an animal. This includes red and white flesh, meaning chicken and fish are both off the menu. However vegetarians do eat dairy, eggs and honey, as although they are animal products, the animal is not killed to obtain them. This is not to say all vegetarians choose this diet for humanitarian reasons. Some do it for health benefits or because they do not like the taste of meat. However the bottom line is the same - there is no consumption of animal flesh.

The word ‘vegetarian’ has only a passing connection with vegetables - it actually derives from the Latin word ‘vegetus’ meaning ‘liveley’"!

Australian Vegetarian Society Website

Vegans

A true vegan lifestyle is one that does not include the use or consumption of any animal products. On a dietary level, meat, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatine and some processed sugars are excluded from the diet as they all contain, or are animal products. A vegan lifestyle also excludes the use of leather, and animal skins.

Setting up a vegan lifestyle is getting easier. As the world becomes more aware of both vegan and vegetarian concerns, more products are becoming available. Replacing meat is not difficult as there are a variety of beans, seeds, nuts and pulses, all of which provide high levels of protein and nutrients. For those who still like the taste of meat, there are meat substitutes, which are made of soy and vegetable proteins. Be aware that many are just junk food. They are high in salt, hydrogenated oils, sugar and often gluten which can be hard on the digestive system. So please, check the ingredients. It is becoming easier to replace other non-vegan ingredients too. The section on alternative ingredients includes milk, eggs, honey, sugar and meat.

Even replacing leather and furs is easy now. Most fashion stores stock clothes that look and feel like fur, but are actually made of synthetic materials. Leather is not the only material being used to make shoes, belts and wallets either. Contact your closest vegan society to find out the exact locations of animal friendly retailers.

Adjusting to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle can range from