Muesli Bars Recipe

Here is the recipe for a snack I make every week; nutritious and delicious! I wrap the bars in foil and take them to work for a mid morning snack. 
 
Muesli Bars 

• 2 1/2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup sultanas 
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup nuts of your choice (I usually use almonds & walnuts)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 100ml light olive oil
• 1 egg
• 50ml honey

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line baking tray/pan with baking paper.
2. Combine oats, sultanas, pepitas, sunflower seeds, nuts and spices in a bowl. Whisk oil, eggs and honey together in a jug. Stir into dry mixture.
3. Transfer to prepared tray/pan. Press mixture firmly into pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan for a few minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cut into pieces. Enjoy!

*I usually make these bars without exact measurements and adapt the amounts according to what i have in the pantry. Add ingredients to suit your taste too, try coconut, dried apple or apricots.
**You can absolutely use less oil and an additional egg to bind the ingredients.
***If the mixture is too crumbly, you could add 1/4 cup flour to help it stick together better.

Brunch at Cafe Blah Blah, Mordialloc

Cafe Blah Blah
Address: 576 Main St , Mordialloc
Phone: 9580 4576

We ventured out for brunch this morning, battling the heat (with a forecast maximum of 40 degrees, it was going to be warm!) and headed to Mordialloc. A few weeks ago when we were brunching at Main Street, we read a review in the newspaper mentioning Cafe Blah Blah, which just happened to be directly over the road. So this morning we thought we would head there for our meal.
T studied the menu enthusiastically but he was split between Baked Three Eggs with tomato, tasty cheese, crispy bacon & soldiers or Spanish One Pan Omelette with diced potato, chorizo, tomato sauce, onions, roasted capsicum & tasty cheese, served with bread (both $16.50). He settled on the later. When his food came to the table he was impressed and dug straight in. He enjoyed it very much. I had a small taste, but it seemed a little too rich for me, then again, I am used to simple home cooked eggs with minimal butter.

I ordered Baked Bircher Muesli with coconut & almond crumble, apple & pear with low fat yoghurt ($12.50). I wasn't particularly impressed. I don't know what I was expecting but this wasn't really it. I think the bircher lacked flavour, maybe some more cinnamon or chunkier pieces of almond would have enhanced it. It wasn't really moist enough for my liking either. Oh well.

Cafe Blah Blah's smoothies were specifically mentioned in the newspaper's '5 of the Best' review so we decided to try a Tropical smoothie with mango, banana and berries ($6.50). T enjoyed it, I thought it just tasted like a regular smoothie, nothing exciting.

I realise my review doesn't sound very positive today, but by no means is this a bad place to eat. The staff were friendly, service was prompt enough and the quality of food was good, I guess it just wasn't to my taste.

Subway for Lunch

Subway is always great for a quick, cheap and healthy meal. Sometimes I get a wrap, sometimes a 6 inch multigrain. My main filling choices are tuna, chicken pieces or, in today's case, a vegie patty. I always have the same salads too, 'everything except onion and jalapeno.' Honey mustard is my dressing of choice but today I also tried some sweet onion, not again though, it was dripping out the bottom of the sub.

It's not very pretty but it hit the spot!

New Frying Pan

Unfortunately my much used non-stick frying pan recently became unstuck. The upside of this is I now have a brand new frying pan!
The post Christmas sales were on at the big department stores which meant the timing was perfect for buying a heavily discounted, good quality pan. While I didn't end up buying from a department store, I did get 50% off the original price. I'm a sucker for a bargain!
I did a bit of research online but I had some criteria that I didn't want to compromise on. I wanted the pan to:

• Be reasonably deep
• Be 30cm wide
• Be of a reasonable weight, some frying pans are super heavy
• Have a warranty

I found all these elements in the pan I purchased, a Circulon Steel Elite 30cm Deep Skillet.

In addition to the things I wanted, I got the bonus of a lid (for my old frying pan I used a mismatched lid from my biggest saucepan) and the new pan is capable of going into the oven.

The down side is, Circulon is not a brand I researched and since buying the pan i have read a number of negative reviews about the brand's non-stick items. I decided not to return the pan though, I will follow guidelines for cooking with such a surface; wash carefully, don't use high heats for long periods, don't use dishwasher etc and I will trust that the lifetime guarantee is sincere.

Food Artwork by Sue Tilley

While the Royal Auto is not the first magazine that comes to mind when thinking about food, it is an interesting source of information.
The latest edition features cover design by Sue Tilley, a artist who uses vegetables & fruit rather than paint and a scalpel instead of a brush.
I read her article, Art Good Enough to Eat, and checked out her website http://www.susantilley.com/home.html.

This tram is made from zucchini and squash. Also in this picture is lettuce, radish, mushrooms, fennel, whiting fillets and oysters, amongst other things.

 

This little guy's muscles are made from chickpeas, his eyes are almonds and bluberries. His hair looks like eggplant and his outfit is created from watermelon.

Check out Sue Tilley's website to see heaps of impressive art pieces, like that below.

Home Cooking

Since I started writing this blog, I've been photographing some of the more tasty looking meals I've made. I cook at home most nights but for convenience sake, I don't always cook from scratch. I did, however, make the following from scratch and thought they were pretty tasty.

For lunch I enjoyed this tasty sandwich. Fresh wholegrain bread with avocado, tomato, pickled eggs (made by my Mum. Yum!) and lettuce with salt, pepper and mayonaise.

This dinner was my first attempt at making Chilli Con Carne (with chicken mince instead of beef). I served it with corn, flavoured rice, avocado and yoghurt (a poor substitute for sour cream but it was all I had). I read a few Chilli Con Carne recipes and used what I learnt to make my own. I used canned tomato, kidney beans, tomato paste, mince and a combination of spices. For Mexican flavoured rice I fried some spices, cut up some capsicum and stirred them through.

T needed to eat some carbs and I was inspired by a TV cooking show, so I decided to serve spaghetti. I made some fresh pesto, cut up some mushrooms and smoked chicken and created a sauce using evaporated milk. Simple but tasty and spaghetti is always fun to eat!

Lunch at Red Stag, Eurobin (near Bright)

Red Stag

Address: 324 Hughes Lane, Eurobin 

Phone: 03  57562365

We spent last weekend in Bright and while there, a number of people suggested we visit the Red Stag Deer and Emu Farm. While there, we were able to feed, pat and observe deer, emus, goats and ostriches. We had a great time bottle feeding some of the young animals!

After we'd had our fun it was time for lunch so we headed to the restaurant. The menu had lots of tasty options but, of course, many of them were based around venison, which neither of us wanted to eat after interacting with the cute deer before hand.

We originally ordered Bruschetta topped with Pear, Blue Cheese and Fennel Salad ($15) but were told soon after placing our order that it wasn't available that day. Not to worry, it turns out our mains were filling enough without needing an entree.

T opted for something vegetarian and thoroughly enjoyed his Gnocchi with Pesto ($23).

I ordered Salmon Fillet on mash with salad and Ginger Soy Glaze ($26), it was AMAZING!  When the meal came out the presentation was very nice (the photo definitely doesn't do it justice) and the smell of the glaze was very tempting. I cannot fault this meal, every mouthful was an absolute pleasure. The salmon skin was slightly crispy and perfectly cooked, the mashed potato was tasty, the glaze was divine and the salad was dressed perfectly. Mmmmmm! This truly was the best meal I have had in a very long time!

Unfortunately I dug into my meal before taking a photo! Too tasty to resist!

The waiting staff were all friendly. We ordered an Iced Tea which our waiter forgot to bring out to us before T reminded him. To make up for the oversight, we weren't even charged for the drink!

Our delicious lunch was made even more pleasurable by the view from the restaurant's deck.

I highly recommend The Red Stag Restaurant to anyone visiting the Alpine Region. I thoroughly look forward to returning next time we are in the area.

Brekky Bars

I’m a big fan of healthy baking (recipes that are low in fat & sugar and full of natural goodness) and my very favourite cooking website is www.taste.com.au .

Today I searched for a recipe that required dried apricots and sultanas and came across Brekky Bars:

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/20357/brekky+bars

I followed the recipe as is but added an over ripe mashed banana to the milk and egg.

The finished product is delicious!

Just look at all the yummy bits!!

This will absolutely become a regular recipe in our house.

Dinner at Maharani, Bentleigh

Maharani

Address: 65 Patterson Road, Bentleigh
Phone: 9557 1030

Last night I didn’t feel like cooking so we went out for Indian. I chose the restaurant because I found a 2-4-1 meal deal coupon. We had visited this place some time back and I don’t remember the meal being anything special. Last night’s experience was much the same. To quote T, the meal was “Okay but nothing special.”

On the table when we arrived there were two sauces; a mint and a tamarind one and we were promptly given some Pappadums to eat while we decided what to order. I had looked at the on-line menu for the restaurant before arriving and was disappointed to see a price difference of $2 for all menu items.

T ordered a Mango Lassi ($4 I think) which he really enjoyed. When it arrived I was very impressed to see the design on top, it was a nice little touch.

 While we were waiting for our meal we took the time to look at the décor. Let’s say, it leaves a lot to be desired. Wall paint was peeling in at least one area and there were many scuff marks from chairs. I also noticed a tea light candle holder with an old candle and we had no offer to light a new one.

When our dinner plates were brought out they were warm, which is always good to see, and our food came out within a reasonable time. 

We had Lamb Masala ($12.90). Which I thought was nice enough; no gristly bits but not a memorable dish.

We also had Kabuli Channa ($11.90).

The Naans ($2.50 each) were tasty, they were my favourite part of the meal.

The waitress who tended to us most of the time was very nice and did a good job, however the other waitress seemed unsure of how to deal comfortably with customers.

Even with the 2-4-1 voucher, our meal cost a little over $26. Not as cheap as I was expecting after looking at the web prices. Maharani is probably not somewhere we will visit again but with a facelift it would have greater potential.

Monday Night Dinner

Last night I made pumpkin soup and decided to serve it with some home-made damper. It was my first attempt at making damper away from a camp fire but I’m pretty happy with the outcome!

The pumpkin soup recipe is a favourite of ours which I’ve adapted from the 4 Ingredients cook book. The soup is particularly tasty due to the addition of red curry paste. Mmm-mm!

 

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

2 medium sized potatoes, diced

1kg (approx) butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced

2 tbs. red curry paste

375ml can of coconut milk (I use 95% fat free evaporated milk with a few drops of coconut flavouring)

Method:
Fry off onions. Add potato, pumpkin and red curry paste. Sauté until it starts to catch on the saucepan. Add coconut milk to deglaze the pan, top with enough water to just cover the vegetables and bring to boil. Reduce heat simmering until the pumpkin becomes soft and mushy. Puree, season with sea salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!

(I added a sprinkling of paprika and a little coriander for presentation) 

The recipe I basically followed to make the damper appears on www.taste.com, but I have noted down the actual ingredients I used.

Herb & Cheese Damper

Ingredients:

2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour

60g butter, softened

½* cup grated tasty cheese

3tsp* dry oregano

2 spring onions, chopped

1tbs* chopped chives

3/4 cup (185ml) milk, plus extra to glaze

1 tbs* parmesan

*measurements are approximate

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 180°C.

2.     Sift the flour into a large bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt. Rub in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in tasty cheese, oregano, spring onions and chives.

3.     In a separate bowl, combine milk with 1/4 cup (60ml) water. Make a well in the centre of flour and stir in three-quarters of the milk mixture. Add what is needed of the remaining liquid a little at a time until mixture just comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 1 minute.

4.     Shape into a round loaf and place on a greased baking tray. Brush top with milk. Bake for 40 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Sprinkle with parmesan  and serve warm.

Brunch at Main Street, Mordialloc

Main Street

Address: 505 Main Street, Mordialloc Vic

Phone: 03 9580 8150

We arrived here for Sunday brunch to see a busy and bustling café. Due to the huge number of customers, we gave our names and waited to be summoned when a table was free. We didin’t have to wait too long to be seated and considering the popularity of the café we didn’t really wait too long for our meal to arrive once we ordered it.

The food and drinks did not disappoint!

Our drinks arrived first. I had a freshly squeezed Grapefruit juice $4.20. It was my first time trying fresh grapefruit juice and it hit the spot perfectly.

T had a ‘Sunday latte’ (a double shot latte) $4. He said it’s the best coffee he has had in ages.

I wasn’t feeling 100% so I ordered Fruit & Nut Toast $6.50. Two very thick slices of toast arrived, with two pieces of butter. Each of the slices was nicely toasted, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Smeared with a little butter, the toast was very tasty, though it may have been even better with a little bit of honey as well.

T ordered the Vegie Patch - 2 eggs (which he had scrambled) served on sourdough spread with avocado, oven baked tomato, mushrooms, spinach, roasted peppers & feta $16.50

His meal was scrumptious! The avocado added a delightful flavour to the eggs, the mushrooms were beautifully cooked and the wilted spinach was mouthfuls of goodness. 

As well as the food I really appreciated the whole atmosphere of the café. Patrons and staff seemed relaxed and the service was super friendly, even though it was really busy. The interior is also really well designed and organised.

It was our first visit to Main Street but will definitely not be our last!

One Sentence Restaurant Reviews

As an initial food related post, I thought I would give a short, sharp review of a few better known restaurants I’ve eaten at. The reviews are based on a single visit and admittedly, not very recently. I guess that just means I am basing the review on any strong memories I have from the experience.

Nobu- INCREDIBLE Black Cod with Miso but other than that and the nice interior (well, and the noise level) the rest was not memorable

Press Club- Interesting food but not really to my taste, one of the complimentary breads was particularly delicious though.

Dish- Delicious food in a gorgeously decorated and lit environment.

Red Emperor- Nice location but over priced and not particularly impressive.

Kouzina- Great modern Greek food with an awesome view, beautifully presented and very tasty.

Well Hello

Welcome to my new food blog!
I'm starting this blog with the aim of amusing myself and giving myself a new hobby. I love food; cooking and eating it, as does my husband (well, he just loves eating it). I will post his opinions on the blog alongside mine, hence the title B(me) & T(him). I've looked at a number of different food blogs lately and thought, "hey, i could do that" so, here we are.
I will attempt to photograph and review restaurant experiences, as well as share some of my own cooking successes.
Our own eating patterns aren't particularly exciting. We don't eat at fancy restaurants regularly and tend to order the healthier menu options. We are also a little picky with our meat choices, but that just means the blog is going to be an honest 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' type space.

Now....where to dine this weekend......