Wednesday 27th October 2010

ADELPHI STEAKHOUSE
14 Mill Street, Perth CBD
I caught up for dinner with several friends I haven't seen in a while for an eagerly anticipated steak dinner.

With the mains, you get access to the salad bar. It's such a challenge not to stuff yourself with the salad while you're waiting for the mains to come out.

I started with some beetroot, potato salad,
chillies, parmesan slices, sundried tomatoes and anchovies.

I went back for seconds.
I love the beetroot and anchovies.

Surf' n Turf
Harvey beef tenderloin topped with prawns, scallops, squid
& rosemary baked gourmet potatoes - 42

I asked for my steak medium-rare. It was absolutely divine. The steak was so incredibly tender and cooked to perfection. On the other hand, I thought the scallops and squid were slightly undercooked. They were really tender but I had trouble getting through them. The prawns were cooked just right and were delicious!

Tuesday 26th October 2010

Last night while I was making my chicken kiev for dinner, I also prepared what I had for lunch today at work.

To a second chicken breast fillet, I sliced it into two pieces, flattened it out a little with the pestle and crumbed it for a chicken schnitzel.

I mixed some cajun spices through the bread crumbs.

Lunch at work
Cajun Chicken Schnitzel and Salad
For the salad, I combined some fresh oakleaf lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, finely sliced red onion and steamed asparagus. For the dressing, I intend to the shake up some olive oil and white balsamic vinegar that's in the little Tupperware midget.

Dinner
Linguine with Scallops & Prawns in a Tomato Sauce

Monday 25th October 2010

Now, here's something I haven't made for many years. Not since when I used to work at Lenard's. That's right, I used to work at the Lenard's store in Centro Maddington (it was called Metro Maddington back then) and I prepared all the chicken products. I can happily say that I learnt a thing or two about preparing chicken while working there!

CHICKEN KIEV

Ingredients:

1 skinless chicken breast fillet, tenderloin removed

2 Tbn butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tspn mixed herbs

2 tspn cornflour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper to season

Method:

1. Combine the butter with the garlic and mixed herbs. Place in fridge to harden.
   
   
   
2. Using a small, sharp knife, pierce a small slit in the centre of the chicken breast, careful not to cut all the way through to the other side.
   
3. Fill this incision with the garlic herb butter.
   
4. Lightly dust the chicken breast fillet in cornflour.
   
5. Dip the chicken breast fillet in the beaten egg.
   
   
   
6. Lightly season the bread crumbs and coat the chicken breast fillet in it.
   
   
   
7. Bake in the oven at 180C for about forty minutes.

Dinner
Chicken Kiev with Salad

I left the chicken cooking about ten minutes too long (I was distracted watching Junior Masterchef!) and so the chicken wasn't as moist as I would have liked.

Sunday 24th October 2010

Dinner
Lamb & Rosemary Pie
Ingredients:

Pie Filling

1/2 small brown onion, diced finely

3 cloves garlic, crushed

200g lamb, diced

3/4 cup carrots, diced

1/4 cup celery, sliced finely

1 roma tomato, diced

2 Tbn olive oil

2 Tbn plain flour

1/2 Tbn butter

2 Tbn tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1/4 red wine

cracked black pepper and sea salt to season

Mash

4 medium sized royal blue potatoes, peeled and roughly diced

3 Tbn milk

1 Tbn butter


Method:

1. Put potatoes on to boil.
   
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy based pot.
   
3. Sautee the onions for a few minutes, then add the garlic, celery, carrots and tomato.
   
4. Fry vegetables for several minutes, adding more oil if required.
   
5. Add the lamb and cook until beginning to brown.
   
6. Add butter and plain flour and stir to combine well.
   
7. Add tomato paste, red wine, rosemary and season.
   
8. Add water if required.
   
9. Bring to the boil and turn heat down low to simmer.
   
10. Meanwhile, mash potatoes with butter and milk.
    
    
11. Divide pie filling into ramikins or oven proof bowls.
    
    
    I added some grated Tasty cheese.
    
    
12. Cover with mashed potato, raking a fork over the top.
    
13. Bake in the oven (or grill) until the peaks on the mashed potato brown.

MMm, it was delicious!

Saturday 23rd October 2010

JAPANESE DINNER AT THE LIM'S
I have been trading my big nights out for quiet nights in.

With fantastic home cooked food!

I thought this was tofu but it's Japanese omelette.

Karaage Chicken

Okonomiyaki

Look at those gorgeous Bonito flakes!

This slice of okonomiyaki had yummy little puffs of prawn.
I thought they were extra large rice bubbles!

Beansprouts

Soup with Tofu, Vegetables and Pork Cubes.
I can't remember what the pork cubes are called - they're gelatinous cubes of porky goodness.

Rice with Mushrooms and seasoned with Japanese sprinkles.

My favourite of the night - SASHIMI!

The kingfish was absolutely divine!!

Vincent cooked the teppanyaki - beef and prawns.

I bought this bottle of 'milky sake' during my last trip to Melbourne.

And to finish the night - Green Tea Ice Cream!

Friday 22nd October 2010

Lunch at Work
Chicken & Asparagus Soup

Thursday 21st October 2010

For lunch, I pulled out a Homebrand meat pie from the freezer.

I have been eating Mrs Mac's frozen pies but I thought I'd give this Homebrand one a try. It is cheaper, afterall. I don't mind going for a cheaper option if it tastes good.

It was good!

A few weeks ago I made a purchase on Ebay for some blank Nespresso capsules. You can fill them with any ground coffee and use them in the Nespresso appliance.

I tried them on the weekend. I felt like I was running an illegal operation. Carefully filling each capsule with ground coffee, being careful not to make a mess.

Peel the paper off the rim of the capsule to expose the adhesive.

Apply a piece of foil onto the top of the capsule.

The capsules is ready to use!
I was a bit anxious about using the capsule for the first time. I was worried that if the foil wasn't strong enough when the capsule was punctured, I'd end up with coffee grounds throughout the Nespresso machine and it might ruin it.

Deep breath.

Here goes...pop it into the Nespresso appliance.

Hurrah! It worked!

It makes a nice coffee.

Wednesday 20th October 2010

Lunch at Work
Roasted Chicken Drumsticks and Potato & Leek Soup
Vince was going to pick his lunch up from his favourite place - Jean Claude Patisserie - down the road. I asked him to get me a few bread rolls so I could mop up my soup with them.

He brought me back three loaves of bread!

This loaf of white bread was absolutely delicious!!
Crusty outside, soft inside. Perfect with lots of butter.


Dinner
Spaghetti with Scallops
In the pan I heated some olive oil and cooked the scallops. A few minutes on each side. I set them aside and continued to cook the pasta sauce in the scallops' juices.

Love that gorgeous brown on the scallops.

I sauteed some diced onion, crushed garlic, diced roma tomato and sliced leek. I added some cracked sea salt and chilli flakes. More olive oil. I threw in some al dente spaghetti and tossed it around.

Serve with the scallops on top and fresh sliced chillies.

Tuesday 19th October 2010

For our morning meeting, we had a spread of baked goods from Bakers Delight on the boardroom table. I immediately went for the blueberry scones spread with a generous amount of butter.

Yum! I took another piece back to my desk with me!


EDO Japanese BBQ Restaurant
320 Barker Road, Subiaco
Vince and I went out for lunch today. I had a craving for sashimi.

Sashimi Bento - $11.9

As like the other day, the sashimi was beautifully fresh.

At home, I made some Potato and Leek soup.
Served with a drizzle of Truffle Oil.

Yes, yes people. I have been slow with the posting.

For one thing, I have finally terminated my home ADSL with Eftel after close to ten years of service with them. Their customer service is extremely terrible but I won't go into that here.

Secondly, I've started working evening shifts at the lab, so the last thing I want to do when I get home is go online. I just want to make dinner, eat dinner and then veg infront of the TV with a cup of decaf coffee or peppermint tea before bed.