Pasta 2 Ways

Tonight's meal was Spaghetti served with two different sauces. Again it was an easy meal. I had three opened pasta sauce jars in the fridge so I used them along with turkey mince, olives and a zucchini to whip up a filling, carb loaded dinner.

 
For the first pasta I simply used Leggo's Stir Through Sauce of Ricotta & Spinach with Pecorino Cheese.
It was very thick and hard to mix through but nice and tasty, not the healthiest sauce though.

For the other sauce I fried mince then added some Raguletto Basil and Red Wine sauce and zucchini. Just before serving I mixed through some chopped olives and Sacla Italia Capsicum and Eggplant Stir Through pasta sauce. This was also very tasty. The Raguletto sauce on its own was very sweet but mixed with the meat and other ingredients it was great.

oops, sorry it's a little blurry.

I don't often eat pasta but I definitely enjoyed tonight's meal, so much so that I ate just a little too much!

Vegetarian Mexican

I had every intention of making Mexican Cups (my name for them) or Huevos Rancheros (the magazine's name) but when it came time for dinner I was felling pretty hungry, the kind of hungry that a snack sized dish was not going to satisfy so I stuck with a fail-safe, regular meal and made bean fajitas.

I used a long list of ingredients but the meal was simple and easy to prepare. The ingredients included:

• Multi-grain tortillas 
• Refried bean mix with chilli
• 4 bean mix 
• Mexican spices
• Corn
• Chopped and friend onion
• Capsicum
• Tomatoes
• Avocado
• Brown rice with a little seasoning 
• Salsa sauce

 
It was a nutritious dinner and lunch the following day. Nothing exciting or adventurous but the fajitas made my taste buds happy and filled my tummy.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-fry

I had intended to make a Thai style chicken stir-fry some time this fortnight but I was feeling pretty lazy so I took the easy option and made a simple, convenience meal using only 5 ingredients; diced chicken breast, 1 onion, a packet of frozen vegies, a jar of Kan Tong Plum Sweet & Sour Sauce and Maggi noodles. EASY! This is definitely not an imaginative meal but it hit the spot just nicely!

Tomato Tart

I finally made the tomato tart I was looking forward to and it was received well by my family.
I wanted to make a bigger tart than original one in recipes + and I couldn't be bothered making my own pastry so this is  my recipe:

• 1 1/2 sheets puff pastry
• 250g tub ricotta cheese
• 250g tub flavoured cottage cheese
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tbs capsicum & eggplant stir through pasta sauce (pesto would be better)
• 6 button mushrooms
• handful of spinach
• range of tomatoes (I used cherry, roma and some of my grandma's tomatoes)

1. Preheat oven to 160 and place tart pan in there to warm up. 
2. When pan is warmed up, lay in the pastry and return to oven for approx 10mins. (I did this because I usually find the base of puff pastry just goes soggy, rather than crisping up. Cooking it a little in the pre-warmed pan seemed to work.)
3. Saut'e mushrooms and wilt spinach.
4. In a bowl whisk ricotta, cottage cheese and eggs. Add parmesan and pesto.
5. Chop tomatoes.
   Remove tart base from oven and line bottom with mushrooms and spinach.
6. Pour egg and cheese mixture into base and arrange tomatoes on top.
7. Place in the oven and bake until set. (I wasn't really paying attention to the cooking time but I think it was between 30 and 45 minutes.)

If I were to make this again I would definitely add more kick to the egg mixture, it was rather bland. Perhaps some chilli and Worcestershire sauce, maybe some basil and a good quality pesto would have made this more exciting. That being said, I do like strong flavours but my family prefers more subtle tastes and they enjoyed this.

It didn't look too pretty once it was served up but straight out of the oven I thought it looked appealing, quite rustic.

Chicken Risotto

I told a fib.....I said in my previous Chicken & Bacon Risotto post that I wouldn't be trying McCormick Recipe Base for risotto again, well, I did. I cooked it again because T really enjoyed it (surprisingly) for his lunch last time and I was feeling lazy.
Learning from my previous mistake, I cooked the chicken less before adding it to the rice cooker. I also added broad beans and stirred through some baby spinach leaves at the end. I didn't add bacon this time and overall it was much more of a success.

Nicoise Risoni Salad (Awesome)

Last Friday night I shared great company but an average meal at Mecca Bah which left me wanting more. Tonight I ate nicoise risoni salad while at home alone, I was left wanting more for a totally different reason!
It was SO tasty and SUPER easy, I truly savoured every mouthful.
I was inspired by a recipe in recipes + magazine which, of course I changed to suit myself. Here is a recipe of what I made, change the quantities to suit your taste buds.

Risoni
Green beans (I used frozen)
Kalamata olives
Roma tomato
Small can of tuna
Parmesan cheese (I had no fetta)
2 eggs
pepper
a splash of Yumm Original dressing

Cook the risoni and beans. Soft boil eggs. Once done mix pasta with beans, tuna, tomato, olives and parmesan. Sprinkle on pepper, splash on dressing and serve with eggs broken on top. Enjoy!

Before the egg was added.

After the egg.

I'm on to a winner here!!

Lamb Chops & Mushroom Sauce with Salad

Dinner last night was something a little different. Whenever I buy lamb, I tend to get lean, high quality stuff but this time I went for a cheaper option; chops. I served the lamb with a tasty mushroom sauce which was made using mushrooms sauteed in butter, salt & pepper, evaporated milk, vegetable stock powder and cornflour.

It was a very nice, healthy mushroom sauce.

The salad was simple but a nice change from tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce. I used pumpkin, beetroot, spinach and toasted walnuts. Before serving it up I drizzled the salad with balsamic vinegar.

I enjoyed the meal a lot but but T wasn't a fan of the chops. The mushroom sauce was definitely a winner though.

Pesto Pasta

I love making fresh pesto, it's so easy, super tasty and it beats a jarred version every time! I made T spiral pasta with pesto for his lunch tomorrow.
For the pesto I used a bunch of basil, a mix of toasted pine nuts and almonds, parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil. I would've added a squeeze of lemon juice but I had none.
After the pasta was cooked I mixed the pesto with some evaporated milk. I then stirred the pasta through the sauce and sprinkled on some whole toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese.

Nice.

Devonshire Tea at Kalista Tea Rooms

Kalista Tea Rooms

Address: 103 Monbulk Rd, Kallista
Phone: (03) 9755 2659

Kalist Tea Rooms have been a favourite haunt of ours for a long time. The tea rooms have changed management a number of times in the last few years and we noticed yet another 'Under New Management' sign today when pulling up. There is always the fear that with a change of management will come a change in quality and experience.

T had been hanging out for scones, jam and cream (~$7.50) as he loves this as a treat. Unfortunately the new management has brought with it smaller servings of jam and cream. Devonshire tea is supposed to be indulgent and if you feel like you're scrimping on condiments, what's the point?

Once the scones were 'prepared' T also realised there wasn't enough jam or cream so he asked for some more.

To enjoy with his scones T ordered a latte and I enjoyed a cappuccino.

Zucchini & Leek Soup

The original recipe is from recipes + magazine. The magazine didn't specify all measurements so nor have I. Here is what I used:

1 zucchini
1 leek (the original recipe used 2 leeks)
minced garlic
chicken stock
~180ml evaporated milk (the original recipe used cream)
parmesan cheese
pepper
butter

Cook chopped zucchini and leek in butter until tender. Add garlic and stock, cover and simmer for about 15mins. Cool slightly then blend until smooth. Add evaporated milk, cheese and pepper. Heat and serve.

The soup had a subtle but pleasant flavour.

I served it with a toasted piece of Helgas Pumpkin Five Seed bread. It is no reflection on the soup but I have to say, the pumpkin seeds in the toast were my favourite part of the meal.

Groceries & Meals for the Next Fortnight

Another fortnight, another mammoth shopping trip. I wrote a very detailed shopping list this time to insure I didn't forget any particular ingredient that could make or break a dish.
Look at the length of the receipt!

I cooked almost all of the meals I'd planned for last fortnight and no food was wasted. Here is the meal plan for this week. Some of these will be for lunches, others for dinner and a few will be served together:

• S&B Golden Curry
• BBQ- sausages and corn
• Thai chicken stirfry & coconut rice
• Lamb with mushroom sauce
• Chicken Jumbo burgers
• Risotto
• Risoni Salad
• Pumpkin & beetroot salad
• Pasta with homemade pesto
• Tomato tart
• Mexican cups  
• Zucchini & Leek soup

I'm most looking forward to making the tart, the recipe for which I will adapt from March's recipes + magazine. The Mexican cups (Huevos Rancheros), Risoni Salad and Zucchini & Leek soup are also featured in the same magazine. Here are what they look like in the magazine photos:

Tomato Tart

Huevos Rancheros

Risoni Salad

BBQ- Sausages & Corn

Sunday night's dinner was a very simple BBQ. T cooked the Leonards rainbow sausages and corn while I prepared a salad of pumpkin, lentils, spring onion and fetta with a small amount of tomato and spinach thrown in. I dressed it with a little honey and salt. The salad was a little bland but as usual, T did a super job on the barbie.

Biryani, Beans Aloo & Raita

Biryani is always a winner and oh so easy to make using the jar mix. I also made beans aloo (beans and potato) and raita. Unfortunately the beans aloo didn't go to plan. I cooked the potatoes in curry sauce at too high a temperature and wasn't watching carefully so it burnt onto the bottom of the pan. I salvaged what I could then added some heated beans. It was still nice but I was quite disappointed in myself.

 

The raita was a real winner. I mixed together some finely diced cucumber, natural yogurt, coriander and lemon pepper. It was a nice cooling balance to the spicy biryani.

Stuffed Chicken Breast, Ratatouille and Cous-Cous

One of my friends was telling me recently about how she had enjoyed a delicious meal of stuffed chicken breast that she'd made at home. I was inspired to make my own version for dinner the other night.
I used two chicken breasts and cut them almost in half before filling them with a tasty stuffing. The stuffing consisted of mushrooms, spinach, garlic and pine nuts which I'd sauteed. I then mixed this with some cottage and parmesan cheese and Classic Roast Gormet Garden herbs.
While the chicken was in the oven I made a modified ratatouille. It wasn't a true ratatouille because I just used zucchini, tomato, red onion, a splash of pasta sauce, hot chilli sauce and some chives.
I also served up cous-cous which was straight from a packet and mixed with water.

It was a really nice meal and something different for a change. The only flaws were the colours were not very vibrant and the chicken was a tiny bit dry, but then again, that is to be expected because I am very unskilled when it comes to cooking meat well.
Here is a close up of the chicken stuffing. Yummy!

Muffins using Pear and Apple Puree Take ll

I realised after eating my way through last week's batch of muffins that the Apple and Pear Puree Muffins recipe is pretty damn tasty. It just seems that the muffins are nicer when there not warm and straight out of the oven. I had plenty of puree remaining so I cooked up a second batch using more sultanas and walnuts.

 
I made 12 this time and might send T to work with some to share.

Mmmm, yum!

I froze the remaining puree so I can make these tasty treats some time again soon.

Chicken Pie, Chips & Coleslaw

T's dinner last night was a Coles chicken and vegetable pie, chips and 'sweetslaw' (fresh pre-packaged coleslaw).

It wasn't a very attractive meal. I really hate seeing a plate full of this bland 'fried food' colour but I was in a rush to make it and he loves his pie and chips, so it was a good meal.

Fajitas

Tonight's meal was from our favourite Old Al Paso Fajita kit. I've lost count how many times I've made Fajitas this way, they never fail to please.

Today I used refried beans as the main filling, it was time for a vegetarian meal. I also fried some onions, tomato and capsicum with a little coriander.

 
That went into the wrap along with avocado, cheese, lettuce and some salsa.

Tasty, fresh and healthy and enough left for lunch!

Chicken Stir-fry & Fried Rice

We had quite a lot of rice and vegetables left over from the previous night's Chinese meal so I decided to make a chicken stir-fry.
It was a very quick and easy meal to cook. For the stir-fry I just fried chicken strips, some garlic and ginger then added the vegies and some chilli sauce.
The fried rice was equally easy. I fried the rice with some garlic then added peas, corn, chopped capsicum and spring onion. Next I fried and mixed through an egg and splashed in some soy sauce.

Take-away from Golden Star, Bendigo

Golden Star

Address: 382 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo

Phone:  (03) 5443 4814

I'd been wanting to have some Chinese while in Bendigo so we stopped by Golden Star restaurant for a late take-away dinner. The waitress who took our order was lovely; bubbly and incredibly friendly. I do, however, have to fault her on one thing, her recommendation that I order Mixed Vegetables ($12.80) over Eggplant Braised in Brown Sauce ($13.80). Oh, how I should have chosen the eggplant....

The smell of Chinese wofting through the car as we travelled back to the motel was very tempting.

T ordered Chilli Chicken ($12.80) which was very nice. The chicken was good quality, it came with plenty of vegies and just the right amount of chilli.

The Mixed Vegetables was really bland. The variety of vegetables was good and they were cooked well but seriously lacked flavour. They were so plain that I resorted to pouring over some of the chilli chicken's spare sauce. I didn't eat much.

The small Steamed Rice ($3) was cooked perfectly, though that's not tricky to do.
Unfortunately, my craving for Chinese wasn't exactly satisfied.

Dinner at Shamrock, Bendigo

Shamrock

Address: Corner Pall Mall & Williamson Street, Bendigo
Phone: (03) 5443 0333

We were in Bendigo for the weekend and decided to visit the pub for dinner. We sat at a table next to the window and slowly perused the enticing menu. For starters T ordered Warm Turkish Bread ($8) with 3 'homemade' dips. The bread was delivered to the table warm and wrapped in paper, it was very impressive. The dips (spring onion, hummus & tzatziki) were nothing mind blowing but this entree was a very nice start to the meal.

I thought I'd lash out and go for the Ocean Trout ($27.90) served on an asparagus risotto with seared scallops and fennel remoulade. Unfortunately it seams our meal was sitting around for a while before being brought out to us because when the dish arrived the scallops were lukewarm and completely flavourless. The skin of the trout was no longer crispy and there was very little colour on the plate. On the upside, the fennel was interesting and the risotto wasn't too bad but overall, I was very unimpressed and felt rather ripped off.

T had Lamb Risotto ($17.50) cooked with rosemary and Gold Fields fetta cheese, finished with garlic yoghurt. I don't recall ever seeing lamb risotto before but it sounded interesting and looked rather tasty. There were a few whole garlic cubes which wasn't really appetizing and the serving was quite small but T enjoyed it.

The service was pretty good and the hotel was neat and well presented but overall, we had expected more from the Shamrock. Pub meals seem to be a bit hit and miss and this one was no exception; great starter, ok risotto and disappointing fish.
Perhaps next time we're in Bendigo we'll dine here again and hope for a better meal but I don't imagine we will be up that way anytime soon.

Muffins using Pear and Apple Puree

I decided I'd bake muffins to use some of the puree I prepared earlier today.

I went in search of a muffin recipe using apple puree and yoghurt, I couldn't find the perfect one so I adapted. Here is my recipe:

1 cup wholemeal SR flour
3/4 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
<1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oats
handful of sultanas
handful of walnuts
1 1/4 cup natural yoghurt (+ a few drops of vanilla essence)
1/2 cup pear & apple puree
2 eggs
100ml light olive oil
***consider adding cinnamon for a little extra flavour

Preheat oven to 180°C and spray muffin tins with olive oil.
Sift flours and baking powder. Add sugar, oats, sultanas and walnuts. Stir together.
In a seperate bowl mix yoghurt, eggs, oil and puree.
Add wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir to combine.
Transfer mixture to muffin tins and bake in oven for about 25mins.

11 muffins minus the one I ate

I made 11 muffins, some of which were heat shaped, though you can't really tell once the muffins have risen.
They were nice but not very flavoursome. A stronger flavoured yoghurt, extra walnuts, sultanas and some cinnamon would've made these fabulous. Next time.

Pear and Apple Puree

Two weeks ago my Grandma gave me about 16 brown pears. Every year I look forward to this time of  year when my favourite fresh treat is ready to be picked from her trees. I love to eat the pears before they are totally ripe; crunchy and delicious!
As usual though, I couldn't eat them all before they ripen so I had 4 pears that I needed to do something with. I also had 2 over-ripe apples so I decided to stew them all.

I quartered each piece of fruit, cut out the core and roughly chopped them then popped them in the saucepan. I didn't remove the skin because Grandma said she doesn't and I was happy not to go to the extra effort. Into the saucepan I also added about 1tbs of water, 6 cloves, some cinnamon bark, 2 cardamon pods and a sprinkling of sugar. My last attempt at stewing apples was ruined by my over enthusiastic adding of water to the saucepan so I was careful this time.

After the fruit had stewed for quite a while, I let it cool a little, removed the cinnamon & cloves (I forgot to take out the cardamon pods) then pureed it with the bar mix.

I love the extra texture and look of the skin in the puree.
Now all I need to do is decide what to do with the puree. Muffins perhaps or fruit crumble? Hmm...

Chicken Burger

For tonight's burger buns I used fresh Bakers Delight rolls; country grain and wholemeal with sesame seeds. Inside each bun was avocado, Leonards Chicken Jumbo, a cheese slice, fried egg, beetroot, carrot, lettuce and of course, tomato sauce.

T didn't eat both burgers tonight, though he often does eat this much!

Fazio's for Dinner

Fazio's

Address:  462 Hampton Street, Hampton
Phone: (03) 9598 9396

T's favourite indulgence is a thin crusted pepperoni pizza and he has found a new favourite place to get it. He enjoyed a take-away pizza from Fazio's about two months back and was eager to return for a dine in meal.
Of course, he ordered a Reggio Pizza- tomato, mozzarella, hot salami, black olives ($16 for small). He enjoyed every single mouthful. He even suggested this should be the restaurant we return to for all celebrations and special occasions in the future.

I didn't really want pizza or pasta so I ordered Warm portobello mushrooms with goats cheese, rocket and pine nut salad ($15 entree size).  When I ordered it the waitress advised me it was quite small and would not fill me if I was hungry. I wasn't particularly hungry so it was perfect; perfect in size, perfect in presentation and absolutely perfect in flavour. Perfect!

The photo is pretty unimpressive, the complete opposite of the DELICIOUS dish!

Our dining experience was enjoyable however there were a few small things that could have made it better.
While the waiting staff were all lovely when dealing directly with paying customers, I did see two instances when one staff member was dealing with children that I think could have been handled better.
The back area of the restaurant, heading to the toilets left a lot to be desired. It's was like a spare draw or a spare bedroom- its ok to be untidy but that mess shouldn't be seen by visitors/customers.

On the other hand, seeing clearly into the kitchen is a nice touch, so is having the pizza oven visible from the street, very enticing!

We will absolutely be back, the food could not be faulted though I do hope the back of house would be tidied up a bit next time.