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Miscellaneous

How to get the best out of your waffles when making one at home with a mini waffle maker

by Sports Benches

I had the chance to make a couple of waffles this week that is straight out of the pancake mix alongside some maple syrup or dairy-free whipping cream if you like. I had a couple different type of waffles off the mini iron waffle maker and although some aren’t perfect but you would need to add up to one cup of pancake mix flour as well as one up of water or rice milk or a mix of both alongside some sugar/monk fruit sugar, a bit of salt, a bit of baking powder and one egg replacer from Orgran.

That way, you will have an even batter on both the dry and wet ingredient sides that is going to turn out well once it’s good to go throughout the cooking process. Again, it’s best to say that less is more including when you pour it onto the iron press with a bit of cooking oil spray beforehand (or will turn out sticky) and your waffles can turn out great with a bit of crisp on the oustide. Also, don’t overload it like putting too much wet ingredients over the dry ones that would look runny at worst unless you add some more pancake mix/flour as if a disaster is waiting to happen & your waffles will 100% collapse at cooking time.

Yes, I haven’t tried the waffles with the waffle mix in it that might be a bit more crispy as it will take a while to find the right product that is both egg and dairy free. Although the ones I tried with the pancake mix isn’t bad as just add some sugar/monkfruit sugar alongside some baking powder and it will be fine. There is still a long way to go for me to perfect these waffles that will hopefully emulate like the restaurant-quality version (we don’t have a lot of Waffle Houses in Australia unlike the USA) but still, gotta say less is more when you make these waffles when you really need them & sure you’ll love it on top of these maple syrup, fruit and dairy-free whipping cream toppings for your perfect breakfast meal to kickstart the day.

And the Prenetti’s Mini Waffle maker product I brought off is a local Harris Scarfe store at around $15-20 dollars at the time as not sure if they still sell these but you should be able to buy one where they got most of the stock online.

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Miscellaneous

Woolworths Classic Cumberland Pork Sausages Review

by Sports Benches

Here’s another delicious pork sausages that is straight out of the meat section at Woolworths having tasted the Classic Cumberland pack many weeks ago. It comes in a pack of six where you got a mix of pork alongside some seasoning and spices such as salt, pepper, mace, sage, parsley and nutmeg as well as rice flour & potato starch. All you can do is either cook it into the pan alongside a few drizzles of oil on medium to high heat for a few minutes by flipping the other side at halfway; you can also do it on the air fryer at 190 degrees celcius for 8-10 minutes with the same process at halfway as above.

All in all, it tastes really good which is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, roast meals with vegetables and salads. The cost is currently $8 when I lasted tried out for like $6 that was special for a short time but still the reviews are still mostly positive that might be a bit expensive but keep an out for these sausages the next time that’s on special or you may as well can buy it on special occasions like Christmas. Although the normal 8 pack pork sausages is the one you should look to buy right now if it’s regularly at $6.50 where you can buy more and save more too, which doesn’t have many spices as per above too.

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Miscellaneous

How to bread Chicken with breadcrumbs that is both egg and dairy free

by Admin

Image by Sharon Ang from Pixabay

Truly, breading chicken with breadcrumbs is an art in itself that opens up the door to so many more possibilities than one could imagine for diets. It opens the door to veganism, being allergic to eggs, dairy, or just wanting an improved way of breading for health reasons. In this guide, we are going to learn some of the diverse ways and techniques in which one can bread their chicken to be crispy and tasty, all while remaining totally plant-based and allergy-friendly.

Break Down the Ingredients:

Before we go into the recipes, let’s know the ingredients we’ll be using : 

● Chicken Alternatives: Choose plant-based chicken alternatives like seitan, tofu, or tempeh for a completely vegan recipe.

● Breadcrumbs: Just check the ingredient list of the store-bought or homemade variety to ensure they are egg and dairy-free.

● Binders: Eggs are substituted with a number of alternatives such as aquafaba (brine from chickpeas), flaxseed meal, or cornstarch mixed with water.

● Spices: Play around with the spices you could add, such as garlic powder,  powdered chives,  ground bell peppers, dried oregano, nutritional yeast. 

● Cooking Oil: Use high heat oil, like canola, vegetable, or peanut, for frying or baking.

Aquafaba Magic

Breading: Canned chickpeas make a great egg replacer and work really well in breading. Here’s how: 

● Drain a can of chickpeas and collect the aquafaba in a bowl.

● Soak the meat substitute in aquafaba, ensuring they are well coated.

● Pop the chicken into the bowl with seasoned breadcrumbs and toss.

● Repeat the previous steps to obtain the right thickness of.

● Deep fry or bake the coated chicken until golden brown.

Flax Power

Flaxseeds are very nutritious and serve as a good binder in breading recipes. To use flax as an egg replacer in breading mixtures: 

● Mix together ground flaxseed meal and water in the ratio of 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal to 3 tablespoons of water for each egg being replaced.

● Leave for a few minutes until the mixture achieves gel-like consistency.

● Dip the chicken alternative into the flaxseed mix and coat well.

● Bread the chicken in seasoned crumbs.

● Fry, or bake to a delicate brown.

Cornflour Coating:

Cornstarch is another perfect egg substitute in that it adds to the crispy crust. Here is how to use it in your breadingprocedure. 

● Mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry.

● Dredge the chicken sub through the cornstarch slurry, dredging it.

● Move the chicken to the bowl with the breadcrumbs and coat thoroughly.

● Cook again if extra crispy is desired.

● Deep fry or oven-bake until the outside breading is golden brown and the chicken substitute is cooked.

Image by b13923790 from Pixabay

Type of Baking

For the healthier alternative to frying, bake your breaded chicken. Here’s how you do it. 

● Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

● Bread the chicken substitute with aquafaba, flaxseed, or cornstarch.

● Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet.

● Spritz or paint it with some cooking oil to help get it to brown.

● Bake for 25-30 minutes and turn the pieces halfway through to ensure a uniformly crispy breading and full internal cooking.

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Miscellaneous

Chan’s Yum Cha Vegetable Gyoza Dumplings Review

by Sports Benches

Earlier this week, I took the chance to try out these ready-made dumplings from Woolworths thanks to Chan’s Yum Cha with the vegetable flavour pack that is both meat free and plant based too. They have 12 pieces in it with some good range of vegetables (only 1-2 greens even though it says a delicious selection of Asian greens) like cabbage, chives, shiitake mushroom & carrot that is covered with a gyoza style of pastry including white pepper to add a bit of spice alongside some salt.

There’s three ways you can do with these dumplings – you can either steam it with boiling water, just throw them in boiling water or pan fry it by adding oil first and then cover it with water. All three options have the same cooking time of 7-8 minutes and wow!! these are oh so good once they come out before it’s all ready to eat. For me personally, it looks really great both ways when I pan fried these dumplings with a mix of healthy veggies on the inside and some crisp on the outside. Gotta say they tasted really good as said when you want to balance the texture and the ingredients of this product, which makes sense for Tasman Foods International to give Chen’s Yum Cha a go on the main supermarket shelves where we always stop by for our groceries everyday. I’d like to try making one though someday off my own with just a little tweaks to my pick of veggies!

The price by the way is $6.95 at Woolworths as you can also try out his other dumplings in Japanese Pork Gyoza as well as vegetable spring roll and he also has some pies too but in Asian-style with the vegetable curry puffs that is originated from Malaysia – all other three products are also same price too. See it for yourself when you can grab one out from the freezer shelves before get things ready (steam, boil or pan fry) that only takes a few minutes at home from Chan’s Yum Cha range.

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Miscellaneous

Woolworths Quick Cook Cut Potatoes Garlic and Rosemary Review

by Sports Benches

I thought I would give some ready-made potatoes from Woolworths to simply have it cooked onto the air fryer or an oven if you have one before it’s all good to eat. To get the best out of these frozen baked potatoes, make sure you cook in the air fryer at 195 degrees Celsius for a total of 20 minutes with flipping halfway through. Although it’s best that you don’t overfill them as this might not cook evenly once it’s done regardless of the cooking time & then you have to do it again a bit longer.

That way, it’s best to have some filled into the oven/baking tray unless you have a medium to large oven/air fryer appliance and these potatoes will look golden brown both ways so it tastes delicious. If you’re unable to upgrade your small oven/air fryer, don’t fret as putting them into small batches will still taste great as long as you follow the cooking process at the back.

With that being said, if you really need it for the lunch time or dinner rush on a typical busy day like this then this one is for you. Make sure you have these prepared though if you are going to be out and about way from home. I’d also pair it up with some nice meat as well as roasted vegetables and gravy too if that makes this one look so good in both ways (presentation & taste). This package also comes in Parmesan cheese and Herb and Garlic as these all cost $5 at your local Woolworths store.

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Miscellaneous

Sun Rice Wholegrain Brown Rice Sea Salt Chips Review

by Sports Benches

Here’s a healthy snack that I tasted some weeks ago with the Sun Rice corn-like chips from Woolworths. Yes, it’s a bit like Doritos and CCs as not only it’s great but comes out so healthier than these two combined. Yes, the packaging size of this chips is a bit closer to the two other corn chips but a bit surprised the amount of corn chips Sun Rice has put in was a bit smaller of what Doritos and CC has to offer at the same price of around $5. So that is something Sun Rice might consider when producing the next batch of corn chips, but overall it’s not bad when they added the healthy element well alongside a good taste of making their own corn chips. If Sea Salt (my favourite one) wasn’t enough to satisfy your snack cravings, you can also get one something cheesy in Farmhouse Cheddar as well as another that is so spicy (Smokehouse BBQ and Paprika).

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Miscellaneous

Muscle Nation Custard Plant Protein Bar Choc Berry 50g Review

by Sports Benches

I’ve just thought it would be a great time to try out a plant-based or dairy-free version of the Cherry Ripe chocolate bar & fortunately, that wish has been realised today thanks to Muscle Nation after I bought one today at my local Coles store.

I might be a bit irked when the coconut flakes may have fallen everywhere but I understand that’s part of the presentation of the final piece. However, I do love how they made the a mix of the gooey cherry jam and the custard filling all on the inside together that makes this dairy-free/plant-based “cherry ripe” chocolate bar so great. I would have it most days of the week during my morning snack, even though it may be a bit pricey compared to the usual cherry ripe chocolate bar. 

Plus, it’s a protein bar even though it’s dairy-free and plant based, which is good for people like me and for those who are on a diet or need to use it to support their training/exercise program. So for kids, you can’t eat it until you’re 15 since it’s not your typical regular snack & for women who are currently pregnant, please consult your physician/doctor before trying this out. But again, I’ll see if there’s any way I can make a dairy free cherry ripe bar that is good to eat at home as a regular snack next time. For now, it’s on special only for a limited time at $3.60 & you can buy it at your local Coles store.

And finally, thanks to Muscle Nation for showcasing a dairy-free/plant-based/vegan “cherry ripe” chocolate. I do wish though that you can make a dairy-free/plant-based/vegan birthday cake bar too.

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Miscellaneous

Off The Eaten Path Vegetable Chips Pea & Pinto Bean Sticks Sea Salt Review

by Sports Benches

Here’s another snack you should try on the go that is healthy thanks to the pea and pinto bean sticks range from Off The Eaten Path. It has a couple of natural peas and beans flavours inside such as green for peas, pinto beans for pink/red & white beans along with some spinach & beetroot powder. Another good thing about this that the price is $3 right now at your local Woolworths store. I’ve tried the sea salt flavour which is really good when they got a great aisle full of healthy snack chops and even plant-based chocolate bars as well. It’s also available in cheese & sweet and sour, so go try one right now today!!

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Miscellaneous

McDonald’s Limited Edition Adult Happy Meal aka Kerwin Frost Box Review

by Sports Benches

Yesterday, I had the chance to have my hands on the McDonald’s Adult Happy Meal aka the Kerwin Frost Box who is an Entertainer as we know it. Unlike the regular Happy Meal for kids, you can only either have the medium or large size options for about $14-15 compared to like $6 with the usual kids meal. The good news though that you can have the Big Mac or a few pieces of McChicken Nuggets as well as French Fries and also the drink & sauce of your choice as the one I got here is a cup of Sparkling Iced Water & tomato ketchup. I wished I would go with the Big Mac then I don’t eat beef including dairy cheese as can only eat meats like chicken, ham, turkey & pork. But unfortunately there’s still no McChicken wrap, grape tomatoes, apple slices or even Yoghurt which would’ve been complimentary friendly to the adult one. The ones I also liked about the Adult Happy Meal is you will always take home a free mini toy like the kids one. Although I would have liked to choose the Brick mascot toy if I had the chance, but happy to take home the Kerwin Frost toy instead.  All in all it tastes great as always having seen the Adult Happy Meal finally made it way here this week, having first released it in the US two years ago. If you want to have a try & think it’s worth the $15 to relive these memories, then go for it as otherwise it will only last for short time while you can before it will be all gone. So go have your own Adult Happy Meal moment today at a McDonald’s near you.

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Miscellaneous

D’orsogna Deli Fresh Roast Chicken Free Range 100g $3 Woolworths special Review

by Sports Benches

Well, last week’s special review with the Don Is Good sliced ham, turkey and salami range when it was like $3.20 at the time has now gone back up to $6. So hope you enjoyed it while it lasted which tasted so good and can use it a bit longer for any topping you like want at anytime, especially when life is so busy to go through each passing day. If you missed out on this, don’t fret as got another sliced ham pack you can take advantage of right now at just $3 for the next few days as selected by Woolworths thanks to D’Orsgona, whose HQ for producing meat is over in the heart of Western Australia since 1949.

Now the number of slices in there might be halved compared to Don’s packaged sliced hams but they still taste well the same & you can even close and re-open the pack by itself for later or the next day too unlike most other sliced ham products. As said, there’s a few you can choose from for your perfect lunchtime meal such as Mild Salami, Double Smoked Ham, Free Range Chicken, Champagne Leg Ham, Lightly Smoked Leg Ham, Spicy Chorizo Salami, Sweet Honey Leg Ham & Lightly Smoked Turkey. There’s also a few recipes that can inspire you too that featured a few of their products whether if it’s pasta, sandwiches/wraps, salads or party snacks on the Woolworths website, so make sure you get one now at your local store.

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