food glorious food

I’m gonna eat you little fishie!

Posted on April 17, 2012April 17, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I almost didn’t take photos.
I’ve been trying to enjoy food rather than blog food, but halfway through I was suddenly annoyed with myself for not taking a photo.

It looked so pretty, and tasted so good.

Red Cray is a favourite seafood restaurant of ours.
It’s an every-so-often restaurant, mostly because of the price. At $30 for a main meal you expect quality, and we got it.

I could have ordered about 3 different main courses, but ended up with Herb Crusted Barramudi with scallops, spinach, feta, and capsicum, mashed potato and a lemon butter sauce.
The other half had the ocean and earth. Which was perfectly cooked steak with prawns and a bay bug.
My barramundi was delicious. I had to stop myself from gulping everything down, the lemon butter sauced helped it nicely.
Fortunately the other half ordered a whole bay bug which was fortuitous as that slipped down rather easily too.

We even had desert, which is a rarity for us. The sticky date was sticky and gooey. Though I would have enjoyed the caramel sauce and the vanilla bean icecream just as much. The taste I had of the tiramisu was pretty delicious too.
When the other half says ‘terrible!’ with a smirk and a licked clean plate, the sarcasm is implied.

It was an early dinner, and the service was exceptional. So attentive and friendly. It’s probably the reason we ordered desert.
We even had a spectacular sunset (why it doesn’t back onto the river I don’t know) and the fish tanks are always fascinating.

A reliable feed.
And given that the service and food is always quality, I don’t mind paying a bit more from time to time.
Delicious!

baked goods

Posted on April 3, 2012April 5, 2012 by bekswhoknits

There’s not much of a backstory here, except last night we had a power failure.
Fortunately we have a gas oven and dinner was already cooking. But to fill the time I decided to look up something else to bake.
And I found this recipe.

It was amusing cooking with a head torch on in my own kitchen.
We eventually did get the power on but it was rather close to bedtime, so these photos are taken at work. And they do not do these muffins justice.

I adapated to make some simple sweet muffins.
this may be my new default muffin recipe. I like how the brown sugar gives it a caramel taste, which is dense but not too overpowering.

the ingredients
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or milk and lemon juice)
100g melted butter
1 egg
1 cup of chocolate chips

the method
Sift the flour and brown sugar into a bowl.
Make the buttermilk (I used regular milk and added some lemon juice, but apparently vinegar works well too).
Add the melted butter and the egg to the milk mixture.
Add the liquid to the flour and sugar. Then add the chocolate chips.
Mix until combined, and then spoon into a muffin tray.

Cook in a 180 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

I think this would also be wonderful with frozen berries. I can’t wait to make these again.

They’re also really good with hot custard.

Best tuna bake ever

Posted on March 27, 2012March 17, 2012 by bekswhoknits

This is the comfort food that comfort food eats when it feels down.

And to think I very nearly didn’t put it in the oven.

Let me step back. Zomg! Tuna bake.

So I took a couple of chances, and used what was in the cupboard.
There’s three key differences between this and my usual tuna bake.
I still haven’t got any cream and was low on milk so I used evaporated milk to make the sauce,
I added ravioli into the pasta mix, and nutmeg into the sauce.
If I was only cooking it for myself I would have added pineapple but that’s neither here nor there (I’m dating a lunatic, albeit a lovable one).

And I have explicit instructions to write this one down so I can make it again, and again, and again.

the recipe
Cook the pasta. I used fusilli and cheese ravioli.

Empty 3/4 tin of evaporated milk into a pot and slowly bring to the boil.
Add a tablespoon of cornflour to the remaining 1/4 tin of evaporated milk. Whisk well.
Once the evaporated milk starts gently bubbling add the cornflour/milk mixture. Whisk until it thickens.
Add nutmeg (probably more than you think – i accidently tipped in more than I would have and it worked a treat), a small tin of corn, two small tins of tuna, and about a cup of grated cheese.
Whisk some more until the cheese has melted.

Drain the pasta, and pour into a lasagna dish.
Pour over the sauce.
Top with salt, pepper, a drizzle of garlic olive oil, and more grated cheese.

Bake in the oven (about 180deg) for half an hour.
You know when the cheese goes all crispy and slightly burnt but ridiculously delicious? Yeah that’s how you want the cheese on top to be.

Serve with some fresh parsley and a good episode of Grand Designs.

(They restored a sea rescue house and it was right on the shoreline, Kevin wore a nautical striped suit and the house was all round and it had pretty red window frames. It was a very relaxing house.)

I think this would be a perfect camping recipe. It’s mostly in tins and uses dried pasta. And would go very nicely baking on an open fire.

You don’t make friends with salad

Posted on March 20, 2012March 14, 2012 by bekswhoknits

This week instead of the fruit and vegetable ‘magic box’, I bought the salad box.
It came with another kilo of carrots (I’m bugs bunny), but some other yummy salad items.
So salad it was.

This is really my sort of meal. I love the refreshing-ness (not a word) of salad, particularly on a hot March day.

I cooked some chicken thighs to go with it, and a sauce that doubled as salad dressing.

I went out on a limb with the sauce. I borrowed this recipe from taste, but altered it.

the recipe
Melt butter in a pan.
Add garlic
Add chicken
Allow the chicken to brown. Add a tablespoon of Australian Mustard and try and coat the chicken with it.
Add 1/2 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
Once that has reduced a bit, add two tablespoons of philedelphia cream cheese and mix that through the sauce.

Serve with salad (i had lettuce, mushroom, capsicum, onion, cucumber, tomato, and cheese. )

You could use cream instead of cream cheese, but I used what I had in the fridge.

It didn’t get rave reviews from the Mister, but I didn’t expect it to. Next time I’ll make the same chicken and serve it with mashed potatoes. That might go down better.
But it hit the right spot for me.
You don’t win friends with salad.

Once I got the oven going, a lamb was a roasting

Posted on March 13, 2012March 8, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I’m on a bit of a health kick at the moment. I’m trying to move more, eat more fruit and vegies, and drink less calories (be it alcohol, cordial, or milk).

So a roast is an easy way to have lots of yummy vegies. And a roast almost always involves cauliflower cheese. I mean while the ovens on why not bake more. Cauliflower cheese is always a comfort food. A white cheese sauce (with nutmeg obviously) over cauliflower and broccoli and then set in the oven.

Add that with some garlic, potato, and pumpkin which was par-boiled then set in the oven with some garlic olive oil for good measure.

Then the lamb, which was close to the best lamb cutlets I’ve ever cooked.

I rubbed rosemary and garlic olive oil over the skin. Browned it in a pan and then set it in the oven. After about 40 minutes I took it out and placed it in alfoil. So really I just did everything tv chefs tell you to do. And guess what! It worked.
So it may not be ‘diet friendly’ but definitely big on vegetables (and taste).

The magic box

Posted on March 6, 2012February 22, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I have discovered the joys of online shopping, and I love it.
I despise food shopping. I walk into a shop, forget everything i’m meant to buy (even if I do have a list), panic and make bad decisions.
I’m almost as bad at online shopping (it is a running joke, but it’s better to be bad at online shopping than have no shopping done) but it makes me a lot less grumpy.

I still have to take my time and read all the descriptions. Last week I bought store brand milk arrowroots (I don’t buy store brands as a matter of principal – I don’t support monopolies), this week I bought a giant tin of condensed tomato soup. I have difficulties with quantities.

It probably doesn’t help that when I placed the order I was feeling very under the weather, so we ended up with a lot of comfort food.
But there’s always some reason. Usually because at home food shopping and wine go very well together. And pajamas. Food shopping is bearable with pajamas and wine.

But one of the things apart from the convenience is the choices I don’t have to make.
Every week now I buy a fruit and vegetable box of seasonal vegetables.
It’s like a goody bag of things to cook with for the week.
So each week new things to try and new gluts to figure out what to do with. I now have 7 bulbs of garlic! (I’m still chasing ideas for that one)
But I did have success with the excess carrots. Carrot cakes.

Super duper easy recipe adapted from taste.com.au carrot and poppy seed muffins it would have been better with poppy seeds though.

the ingredients
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour, sifted
3/4 cup (165g) brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup (160ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 cups finely grated carrot (about 4 carrots)

the method
Combine the self-raising flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Combine the eggs and olive oil in a different bowl.
Combine the wet and dry together and then add the grated carrots.

Divide into greased muffin trays and bake in 180deg oven for 25-30 minutes.

All done!!

These got rave reviews and a request to make more very soon.

This is what happens when you follow a recipe

Posted on February 28, 2012February 22, 2012 by bekswhoknits

I’ll let these photos speak for themselves.

Apparently the secret is to listen to what the cooking shows say.

Tasty business meetings

Posted on February 23, 2012February 27, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Attached forthwith are the minutes of the last meeting (at Sherbert).
A berry sponge cake, a chocolate brownie, and a polenta cake.

Of course the actual minutes were a lot more detailed. Even though I think my work is really interesting, I’m pretty sure not many other people would share my enthusiasm. That and it’s not a subject for the internets. Some anonymity is nice.

Perfect spot for a good coffee and cake.

Pizza Amore

Posted on January 31, 2012January 31, 2012 by bekswhoknits

We have a new pizza place. Finally.

Our last pizza place (Corleones) won our hearts by not only having good pizza, but by ‘delivering’ my drunk Mister home after Melbourne Cup one year. He ordered two pizzas for delivery, and then asked if they were going his way. (Well in his inebriated state I’m sure it wasn’t quite that elegant, but as I didn’t have a car at the time, and there are never any taxis in Perth, especially on Melbourne Cup day coming home from Ascot, I was just grateful that he got home safe.)
But unfortunately they closed down a couple of years ago which left us without a pizza place.
We’re not short of pizza places in the area, but we are short of pizza places which make good tasty pizzas.

Until now.
Crust pizza have just opened in Mt Lawley! Last Monday they opened their doors, and Tuesday we dined. Albeit at home.

I had a BBQ chicken calzone (which was super yummy). The Mister had BBQ chicken pizza pockets (sensing a theme?), and we both shared a Philly Steak.
It tasted like it was freshly made with fresh ingrediants (I’m assuming because it was). But it’s not something that you can always take for granted. Particularly compared with some of the tripe which is served up in the area (Leo’s I’m looking at you.)
I was also impressed with the selections. The Mister had a shortlist of about 8 pizzas, which is something that never happens. He can be a picky customer.
And ordering online was a breeze. I’m inclined to like anything which means I don’t have to get cash out, or have cash on me.
I believe I’m gushing. But it’s definitely our new preferred pizza place.

See you again soon Crust pizza.

4 day weekend has passed with a whimper

Posted on January 31, 2012 by bekswhoknits

Australia day, we drank Aussie beer, watched cricket, and listened to the hottest 100.

The day after Australia day (hangover day), I resigned myself to my hangover and watched an entire season on My Family and had some quality bonding time with my couch.
Air con was appreciated, particularly as it was pretty hot (42 I think) outside.

Saturday we went shopping for a new tv, and some more lazy viewing.
I bought a crepe maker (guess what we had for dinner) and we watched the Perth Scorchers lose the grand final (boo).

Sunday I finished my sockhead hat, and started a new sock, Scylla.
And started watching series 1 of Buffy. (and since bought the box set). I thought I’d have nightmares about creepy ventriloquist dolls but thank fully I didn’t.