1,2, Cha-Cha-Cha!

So after taking an unplanned hiatus from blogging, I am back!

Let's keep this simple. I started my new job, which has been much harder work (in a good way) than I imagined. As a result, I have had to take a few steps back from some other things in order to not lose my sanity... And sleep occasionally!

After many years, my time with B-Man, sadly had to come to an end. Although I like to share aspects of my life online, I'm not a huge fan of delving into something quite so personal, so I'll leave this one here. 

I have done a massive flip in my attitude to food. Training with my PT of 4 years, harder than I ever have before has taken me to a place I didn't think I was capable of. Without sounding like one of those annoying, 6am work out warriors, that preach their way of kale, when you're craving cronuts, it did actually prove how true mind over matter can be. Eating foods to match my activity levels, and that will nourish my body (oh *cringe* I just used the word nourish) has become more important to me, than what my cravings, mouth and eyes tell me otherwise.

Some things I am learning, that I thought I'd share:

* Time Management - this isn't about finding time, it's about priorities. Sometimes that means sacrificing personal things to get work done, and sometimes that's necessary and worthwhile. More often though, I am much more productive when I don't sack off the gym, give myself the much needed "switch off time" I get by being there, and spend the rest of the evening chilling out with my partner - which is all I want to do at the end of the day!

* Getting Back on Track

After some big, and deeply personal events over a period of 12 months, it is so easy to fall off the bandwagon. As cheesy and cliche as it is, I had my 6 months of partying too hard & neglecting some of the things that were important to me, my health & my sanity.. Funnily enough, these things were entirely necessary for me in other ways & have also put me on a new path, with a new man I adore (who shall be referred to simply as G, Sir Goose-a-lot, G-Dawg etc) and where I am the most relaxed & happy I have been in a long time. Now is the time to get back on the wagon! 

So here is my first post, as a new me. 

Sir G & I are both down with a cold, craving carbs & hot drinks. This morning's breakfast was an attempt to feed that craving & sneak some good stuff in too, so hopefully, we are back on form for another busy week. 

I had been flicking through the ridiculous, too-big-for-its-bookshelf, foodie mag collection, and stumbled upon a Bill Granger recipe for a Bombay Potatoes-esque dish with fried egg. Perfect! 

I worked with what we had in the cupboard & created my own version...

Spiced Potaotes w Fried Eggs, Avo & Chutney.. Serves 2

Ingredients..

* Half a sweet potato, quartered (or 4 x potatoes, cut in half) 

* 2 x tbs sunflower oil

* 20g butter

* 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

* 2 tbs ginger, finely chopped 

* 1-2 tbs curry powder

* 1-2 tbs ground cumin

* 1 tbs turmeric 

* 1 tbs ground coriander

* 1 chilli, red or green, seeds roved,

Finely sliced

* 2 spring onions/shallots, thinly sliced

* eggs for frying (number of eggs per person)

* fruit based chutney, or similar condiment to serve (we used a store bought plum & tomato)

Avo 

* 1 x Avo

* 1/4 red onion, finely diced 

* 1 x chilli

* 1/2 bunch of coriander

* juice of 1-2 limes

* salt & pepper to taste

Method..

1. Cook potatoes in salted boiling water for 10mins or until just soft. Set aside & cut into bite size pieces (2-3cm cubes).

2. Meanwhile, smash your avo and all ingredients in a bowl to combine - you can use a potato masher, mortar & pestle, food processor/Thermomix to do this. Just chuck it all in & mash it up together. Season to taste.

3. Heat pan over high heat with 1 tbs sunflower oil, add garlic & ginger, constantly stirring, along with spices until fragrant - DONT let the ginger & garlic burn (like I did the first time...)

4. Add butter to pan, and once almost melted, add final tbs of sunflower oil & potatoes, chilli and shallots to pan. Toss to coat potatoes in space mixture & brown slightly. 

5. Transfer potatoes to a plate to keep warm. Wipe the pan clean, and return to the heat to fry your eggs. 

6. Serve potatoes on plates, with fried egg on top, a dollop of avo and chutney on the side. 

A little bit country

Growing up I was a part of a group of four. We were practically inseparable, and although we made friends with others, our foursome was impenetrable.

Then came high school. of new people and new adventures later we had drifted apart and, long story short, by the time we properly came back together, we were a five. 

Two have ended up in Armidale, two are still on the Central Coast and I am in Sydney. We all try to get together in any way we can as much as possible, but some of the best times have been spent in Armidale, or "Farmidale" as we fondly refer to it. 

Last Friday, the Coast girls and I jumped in the car and drove 5 hours north to visit the other two. Going on these road trips it's like we revert to being 12 again, packing the car with as much junk food and 90's music as we can stomach. The girls had brought a cool bag with soft drink, some chips, crackers and Lillie's and I had baked brownies. We kareoke'd until we could kareoke no more and laughed so hard we nearly had to pull over.

The thing about these fabulous women is that we have all grown up to be very different people, yet we know eachother so well, it's like things never changed at all. Big is pregnant and just moved into a new house her and her hubby built, Little is about to embark on a motorbike trip to Finland through Asia with her partner, Sish is slowly doing renovations to her home, and Fizz is newly single. Yes, we all have nicknames and no we will never call eachother by our first names.

We headed into town for lunch a Bistro on Cinders and indulged in two courses. I went for the Thai Beef Salad as I felt more justified in ordering dessert, which I had picked out before we were even shown the menu board - flourless chocolate cake with lime, walnuts and margerita cream. The service was knowledgable and friendly enough to have a little fun with us as well.

Stuffed with food and plied with a good strong shot of coffee we ventured out to Dangar Falls to get some fresh air. Unfortunately it hadnt rained in a while so the falls were absent, but the scenery was still beautiful.

 

Little & I have always bonded over food and this trip was no different. The decision of roast lamb was unanimous, and without much discussion, I got to preparing the veg while Little worked the lamb. It was simplicity at its best.

I'm not sure if I could live out of the city, not yet anyway. But I look forward to our weekend escapes. The next trip is not too far away as we send Little off and welcome Big

Inspire:

Inspiration is such an important thing in life. Without it so many of life's stones would lay unturned.

Can you imagine a world where absolutely nothing pushed your button? One thought did not lead to another, a new fresh idea? Nothing to pick you up when you were feeling flat or down?

There are stupid little things that get in my way every day and prevent me doing the things I want to do and being the person I want to be. And I'm sure most of you would experience the same thing from time to time. These stupid little things are known as laziness, lack of motivation, fear and anxiety. 

When I want to kill those pesky little demons, I look for things that inspire. Things that make me want to do. Lately I have found that when the brain fog settles in and I can't string a sentence together, I imagine making pastry, and I instantly feel switched on and revived.

I have also started reading a new magazine called the Messenger Collective, thanks to my Mum who placed the first issue in my hot little hands and told me I must read it. I am still only half way through issue #1, and issue #2 is on my coffee table waiting patiently for my attention. This is not lust, this is most certainly love. I am reading a handful of articles every day or two and with so many entrepreneurs, thought leaders and creative beings amongst the pages I have found I am absolutely hooked and brimming with inspiration!



Since entering into part-time employment I often find myself busy on Wednesdays and full of motivation, but come Thursdays I am flat. The motivation to get out of bed wanes, I spend time watching terrible (no, really, TERRIBLE!) shows on TV and don't get out of my pyjamas until afternoon.

Aaaand cue the sad, little violin.

The past 2-3 weeks I have not had this problem. I am so buzzing with inspiration, motivation, ideas and concepts that I am surprised I can sleep at night. That said it is a very good thing and I am not complaining! I am on the brink of enrolling myself into a course, with more in mind on completion of the first. I have decided on a business and am working towards it in little steps each day.

From all this I have decided Thursdays will no longer be flat whites. They will be mutli-flavoured Slurpee's with popping candy (that was not meant to suggest they will be cheap, artificial and nasty; more that they will be colourful, surprising and multidimensional)! And my posts on Thursdays will be about inspirational things I am devouring - people, stories, art - anything creative to keep the juices flowing.



Speaking of juices (see what I did there?), today, after reading an article in the Collective on Lorna Jane and then finding my monthly Love.Nourish.Grow catalogue in the mail, I was inspired to try my very first green juice. I've always been a bit hesitant to try them, after all the idea of putting kale and/or spinach in a drink just doesn't conjure up a tasty beverage in my mind. A perfect example of why it is so important to be open minded and always try new things. I started with the Morning Juice from Bec's Green Juice Recipes (you can find the recipe here: a-green-juice-journal-with-lorna-jane-bec-ronald) and I think this will start appearing on my daily breakfast menu. The lemony-gingery kick will certainly wake you up, without any of the nastiness my brain thought the spinach would contribute. The best thing about a juice like this is, no buyers remorse. I might enjoy my gelato shake from the coffee shop down the road, but afterwards I don't feel great and I immediately regret my decision. After a glass of this I feel great physically and am absolutely delighted to be making such a healthy choice. What a great way to start the day! Now all I need to do is come up with a handy breakfast to go and I'll be one step closer to my ideal morning.

I would be really grateful to find out what makes your morning so great - how do you get yourself going? What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning? Please feel welcome to share your inspiration along with any recommendations on great green juice recipes!

Later dudes - xx

Duck, duck, pig...

This weekend was all about slow cooking for me. I love having the time to throw some ingredients in a roasting pan and let it bubble and simmer away, filling the apartment gradually with wonderful aromas like garlic, red wine and herbs.

We are big fans of pork ribs, or American ribs as they're labelled in our local butcher shop. We usually buy the Pre marinated ones as our butchery makes the spice mix and sauce themselves and it is just divine! But of course, I wanted to make my own. Flicking through my Autumn magazines I stumbled across a feature on pomegranate, including a sticky marinade for ribs - I was sold! 

All sweet and sticky, teamed with the right spices and the sour kick of pomegranate molasses the marinade was a great choice as an alternative to BBQ.

3 hours later, I could barely put the ribs on a plate. They were so tender that any attempt to scoop them out of the dish resulted in a lot more scooping! I'll admit the marinade probably needs a bit of tweaking before I'd find it truly amazing, but that said, at the time the only thing running through my head was, "nom nom nom, pork ribs, nom nom, ribs, nom"... Or something to that affect.

Following on from ribs, on Sunday I chose to try my hand at duck. I enjoy duck immensely; it's one of those things I order when eating out but have never been brave enough to try at home. My favourite thing to order from our local Thai is the Larb Ped - Shredded duck meat with lots of fresh mint, Thai parsley, chilli, red onion, shallots, roasted rice and a chilli lemon dressing. 

My duck dish of choice was from the May edition of delicious - Chinese style Braised Duck legs with Crispy Potatoes. I had all the ingredients in my fridge & pantry, and didn't look too technical for a rookie to start with. 

Rendering the fat was probably the hardest part for me. I wanted the skin to go that lovely golden colour but it was taking so much longer than the recipe suggested, and I really didn't want to spoil the meat. Powering through, I set the duck aside and started on the braise. Star anise, red wine, rice wine and soy with a bit of sugar. Both my man and I are steering away from drinking at the moment so we had no wine in the house and buying a bottle was only going to go to waste. I decided to improvise and try using a home made blackberry liqueur, which I thought would compliment the flavour of the duck, with a splash or red wine vinegar so it wasn't so sweet. I am happy to report this choice did not spoil it one bit! I shoved the duck into the oven (literally, our roasting dish is a bit too big for our oven) and got to work on the crispy potatoes. I've heard how amazing potatoes roasted in duck fat are, but I have never tried eating them before, let alone cooking them! I think I may have over cooked them in water and could have done with more duck fat as they did not come out as crispy as I was expecting, and fell apart as they were so soft. More practice needed here, but they were tasty so I don't mind!

When I served it up to Bri, I was worried he wouldn't like it. I used marylands and they were quite fatty and really difficult to cut up and eat. But to my delight he thought he flavours were great and the duck well cooked, and even came up with some really nifty ideas on how I could present it next time to save us the hassle of picking the meat from the fat - and yes there will be a next time!!

It was great to be finishing the weekend on a high, having successfully ticked some boxes in the firsts category, I'm one step closer to where I want to be.

Pat and Sticks

When ice cream sandwiches arrived as the new trend on the food scene, popping up in hipster cafes and bar menus around Sydney, I was pleased but wasn't in a hurry to get my hands on one.

Then my man came home with a box of Pat and Sticks Vanilla Lace Ice Cream Sandwiches and I'm not quite sure how I lived prior to devouring this tasty little morsel.

The Almond "lace" is a perfect combination of crunchy and chewy and tastes like caramel and an Anzac biscuit have made sweet, sweet love in your mouth.

Despite being an ice-cream-oholic, Vanilla has always been my least favourite flavour. In fact, I can honestly say I have never ordered a vanilla anything in my life unless it comes with chocolate fudge, salted caramel sauce or something of the like to mask the taste - it's either all fake and syrupy, tasting of nothing but sickly sweet or 'under-beaned' and almost metallic. Pat and Sticks is hands down the best vanilla bean ice cream I have ever stumbled upon.



And on the 6th day (sometime in 2004), God created Pat and Sticks. Bored with their 9-5 jobs, two buddies decided they would never fall short of a date by creating an after dinner treat no woman or man could possibly say no to. Ok, so it wasn't quite like that, but essentially they created a product they loved and believed, starting in their own kitchen making ice cream.

The reason it tastes so good because it's locally made from top notch REAL ingredients and free of preservatives and artificial flavours. The duo still are involved in the entire process and credit to them.

The flavours - so far I have only tried Vanilla - but Caramel Pecan, Mochaccino and Strawberry Choc-Chip are where I intend to venture next!

All in all, I am a Pat & Sticks convert and believe you will be too!

The Soup Challenge

Winter is coming.

The air is different. The light is different. The garden starts changing. This past week I have dusted off my coral ugg boots and found that salads are not really cutting it as 'go-to' quick and easy meals. I am craving meals that are heartier and warming, so I have turned my attention to soups. I can whiz up a batch quickly, easily and with little clean up; freeze it and a la peanut butter sandwiches!, I have a meal that is ready in a few minutes for lunch at work or for dinner during the week. Not to mention that you can cram them full of your favourite vegies and top them with fresh herbs, chilli and a dollop of greek yoghurt so it is full of flavour but with nothing to get all bloated about!

My last post was a Zucchini Soup recipe, and this week I have called upon the greeny goodness of Broccoli. I've always felt sorry for Broccoli. It has long been one of those vegetables that is un-loved and mistreated. I don't really remember being a broccoli or vegie hater as a kid, but I certainly wasn't going out of my way to eat them! As I have grown, my palate has changed and as I have focused more on clean eating, I am discovering just how good they can be.

Broccoli Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
1 x garlic clove, finely sliced
2 x eschalots, finely diced
1.2kg (approx 3-4 heads) of broccoli, cut into small florets
1L chicken stock
140g greek yoghurt
zest of 1 lemon
chopped chives

Method:
1. Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add eschalots and garlic and cook for 2mins until soft. Add broccoli and cook, stirring until bright green.
3. Add hot stock and bring to the boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until broccoli is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Remove pan from heat and whiz with a stick blender until you reach your desired consistency*.
5. Combine yoghurt, zest & chives in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve hot soup in bowls with a dollop or two of yoghurt.

* Personally, there are few soups that I like pureed until they're completely smooth, and I prefer them thick rather than liquidy, so I leave a few bits un-blended to give it some texture.

All this talk of soup has inspired me to launch another challenge - a soup challenge. Each week I endeavour to find and create a new delicious soup recipe. The good news is, this can include some of my all time favourite asian dishes - laksa and pho, that I have never attempted at home before. Think dumplings, tortellini, chunky-garlicky croutons vegies, seafood stews - the list is endless and I can see this will certainly keep me occupied! If you're keen to participate, please send me some ideas for recipes I should try and I will give it a go and post the results!

Happy souping!

AMAZING RECIPE ALERT!!

As Autumn gets settled in and the weather has become crisper in the mornings and evenings, my attention has turned away from fresh, vibrant salads and onto more humble and heart-warming fair. I stumbled across a zucchini soup that I thought would ease me gently into the full swing of slow cooking, and after catching up on one of my new favourite foodie shows, Ottolenghi's Meditteranean, I felt inspired to jump into the kitchen and knock up a batch. My oh my, this soup is sooo delicious I had to share it straight away! Not only that, but it's super quick and easy, even for Tuesday night cooking and very inexpensive to make. Now I call that winning! And I got to use some mint from my balcony garden, which made this even more exciting.

I made a few changes based on what I like so I'm sharing my version of the recipe here.

Zucchini Soup with Mint, Harissa and Lemon - Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1-2 tsp Harissa paste
1kg zucchini, diced
700ml hot chicken stock
Mint leaves, to serve
Lemon wedges, to serve
Greek yoghurt, to serve

Method:
1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and Harissa paste and cool, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 mins until soft. Add the zucchini and cook for 2-3mins until bright green.
2) Add the hot stock, turn heat up the high and bring to the boil. Return heat down to medium and simmer for 5-6mins until zucchini is soft.
3) Season with salt and pepper and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Check season and adjust to taste.
4) Serve soup with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, a drizzle of olive oil, mint leaves and a lemon wedge. If you like it spicy, you can stir through some Harissa into the yoghurt before adding to the soup for an extra kick!

The lemon and mint really make this so don't skimp on them!