Amongst all the recent tragedies faced by Australians, it brings me to tears each time I see how we all come together and combine our efforts to help the victims. Whether it's cash donations, clothing, food, taking time out of our own lives to physically help, it says so much about our capacity to love and brings out the best of us as a nation. I can't help but sit and wonder how I could possibly live without all the material things in my life.
Being a sentimental person, I love keeping things. Things that have a story behind them. Memories. Photos. I don't know what I'd do if I lost them all in a fire or a flood. But people do. They have. I know my own life would be worth more than any photo, but if I had lost everything - EVERYTHING - I had, it would take so much strength to grasp onto hope and rebuild. Which is what thousands of people around Australia are doing now.
If you haven't already and would like to, you can make donations by visiting the Red Cross website.
Tuesday 17th Feb '09
Last night I made some minestrone using the last of the lobster stock I had. I had two bowls of it for supper! And finished the rest this morning for brunch. See the creepy guy on the TV?
Brunch
Minestrone
Lunch
Prawn Salad with Wasabi & Ginger dressing
Cos lettuce, sundried tomatoes, cucumber, prawns, parmesan and cracked black pepper. I was going to just use some mayonnaise for the dressing, but I remembered that Marissa had gotten me some dressing for Christmas last year and I have yet to try it. I dug around in the pantry and finally found it!
It's a Wasabi & Ginger dressing that has the flavour of the wasabi, but not the heat. I generally am not a fan of wasabi because I think it tastes like playdough with chilli, but I've quite liked the wasabi dressings I've had while in Singapore. Quite a nice flavour if it's not in its 'playdough' form.
Really nice light flavour throughout the salad...pity it's such a small bottle - I'm going to go through it really fast!
I bought buttermilk and whipping cream to make creme fraiche yesterday. You basically heat one cup of whipping cream in a pan on the stove, then add two tablespoons of buttermilk and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for anywhere between 24-36 hours before it thickens. During this time, the good bacteria flourish and prevents the mixture from going off. Once it's thickened, you pop it into the fridge to get a bit thicker before it's ready to serve. I've made it a few times last year and it's absolutely divine! You can use it to thicken soups, in savouries or desserts. I'll post the finished product.
Now you can't buy buttermilk by the tablespoon, so I always have to find another use for the rest of the 600mL carton whenever I make creme fraiche. Buttermilk is rather expensive so you don't want it going to waste. Especially since I bought a 1L bottle this time because it on special. Buttermilk goes on special very often because I suppose it's too expensive for most people's budgets. I usually get Christina to use it in a baking recipe or I try to use it myself. Today, I decided to finally use it for something I've always wanted to try.
I've come across some recipes over the past few years where you marinate chicken pieces in buttermilk before coating them in flour and deep frying. Sounds delicious! I found some chicken wings defrosting in the fridge yesterday, so I set aside six of them in a container and poured most of the buttermilk over them. I let them marinate overnight in the fridge. Today, I prepared some plain flour with some cajun spices mixed in. I coated each chicken wing in this flour mixture and then deep fried them in oil. They turned out absolutely finger-lickingly awesome!
Dinner
Deep Fried Chicken Wings in Buttermilk & Cajun Batter
with homemade Cajun Wedges and Salad
I found half a lemon in the fridge so made some fresh lemonade with it. The lemon juice, a teaspoon of sugar, and water. Yum! I love sour lemons. My mouth waters whenever I think of eating something sour. *drool*
So...the verdict for the chicken?
I have to say, I'm not a fan of deepfrying meat because you see exactly how much oil goes into it. The same could be said for when I deep fry vegetables, but they don't require as much time in the oil to cook. I think I'll stick to going out for KFC next time I have a hankering for deep fried chicken.
I fed Simba tonight...check out this 'homestyle' range of dog food. It has real corn and peas in it!!
Minestrone
Prawn Salad with Wasabi & Ginger dressing
Cos lettuce, sundried tomatoes, cucumber, prawns, parmesan and cracked black pepper. I was going to just use some mayonnaise for the dressing, but I remembered that Marissa had gotten me some dressing for Christmas last year and I have yet to try it. I dug around in the pantry and finally found it!
It's a Wasabi & Ginger dressing that has the flavour of the wasabi, but not the heat. I generally am not a fan of wasabi because I think it tastes like playdough with chilli, but I've quite liked the wasabi dressings I've had while in Singapore. Quite a nice flavour if it's not in its 'playdough' form.
Really nice light flavour throughout the salad...pity it's such a small bottle - I'm going to go through it really fast!
I bought buttermilk and whipping cream to make creme fraiche yesterday. You basically heat one cup of whipping cream in a pan on the stove, then add two tablespoons of buttermilk and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for anywhere between 24-36 hours before it thickens. During this time, the good bacteria flourish and prevents the mixture from going off. Once it's thickened, you pop it into the fridge to get a bit thicker before it's ready to serve. I've made it a few times last year and it's absolutely divine! You can use it to thicken soups, in savouries or desserts. I'll post the finished product.Now you can't buy buttermilk by the tablespoon, so I always have to find another use for the rest of the 600mL carton whenever I make creme fraiche. Buttermilk is rather expensive so you don't want it going to waste. Especially since I bought a 1L bottle this time because it on special. Buttermilk goes on special very often because I suppose it's too expensive for most people's budgets. I usually get Christina to use it in a baking recipe or I try to use it myself. Today, I decided to finally use it for something I've always wanted to try.
I've come across some recipes over the past few years where you marinate chicken pieces in buttermilk before coating them in flour and deep frying. Sounds delicious! I found some chicken wings defrosting in the fridge yesterday, so I set aside six of them in a container and poured most of the buttermilk over them. I let them marinate overnight in the fridge. Today, I prepared some plain flour with some cajun spices mixed in. I coated each chicken wing in this flour mixture and then deep fried them in oil. They turned out absolutely finger-lickingly awesome!
Deep Fried Chicken Wings in Buttermilk & Cajun Batter
with homemade Cajun Wedges and Salad
I found half a lemon in the fridge so made some fresh lemonade with it. The lemon juice, a teaspoon of sugar, and water. Yum! I love sour lemons. My mouth waters whenever I think of eating something sour. *drool*So...the verdict for the chicken?
I have to say, I'm not a fan of deepfrying meat because you see exactly how much oil goes into it. The same could be said for when I deep fry vegetables, but they don't require as much time in the oil to cook. I think I'll stick to going out for KFC next time I have a hankering for deep fried chicken.
I fed Simba tonight...check out this 'homestyle' range of dog food. It has real corn and peas in it!!
Monday 16th Feb '09
Prawn Salad
After enjoying a sleep in this morning, I threw this salad together pretty quickly. Some cos lettuce, freshly peeled Exmouth prawns, avocado and sundried tomatoes. For the dressing, I used a spoon of Masterfood's 'Seafood Cocktail' sauce mixed with olive oil, a splash of vinegar and lemon juice.
This afternoon I attempted a new little project. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time now, but never actually had the time to.
I had kept the lobster head from last night, as well as the legs. Keeping the head in a ziplock bag, I flipped the edge of the floor mat over the bag and using a stone pestle, bashed the shell. It was a mess when I was done - the lobster's head's insides were all over the inside of the bag. At least I know there's alot of flavour in there to extract.
In a pot, I sauteed some sliced onion, leek, celery stalks and whole garlic cloves in olive oil. Once they were softened, I added some fennel stalks, and scraped what I could of the smashed lobster head into the pot. After frying the mixture for a few minutes, I poured in some water (more than the amount of stock I want to end up with since some of it will evaporate), sea salt and cracked black pepper. I threw in several sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary and a few bay leaves. Once at boiling, I partially covered the pot with the lid and left it to simmer on the lowest heat for the next few hours.
Meanwhile, I made myself a large bowl of lunch.
Bee Hoon Soup with Beef Balls, Okra, Tofu, Enoki,
Coriander and lots of fresh cut Chillies
I left the lobster stock to cool down a bit before I strained it through a sieve to have only the liquid remaining. This is my LOBSTER STOCK!I decided to use half of it to make soup.
Seafood Soup with Risoni
- Sautee some sliced leek, celery and onion in some olive oil in a medium sized pot for a few minutes.
- Add some crushed garlic and diced tomato and cook until all vegetables are softened.
- Add a splash of white wine, then the desired amount of lobster stock**.
- Season with some thyme, sea salt and cracked black pepper.
- Bring to the boil and add risoni. Simmer gently for about five minutes.
- Add seafood and simmer for another five minutes or until cooked.
- Serve with fresh chopped basil and grated pecorino.
** Depending how much you add, the soup will be thick or more watery.
I used some sliced squid, diced Nile perch, scallops cut in half, and some clams in the shell. The risoni should almost be cooked before you add the seafood because you don't want the risoni to overcook by the time the seafood is ready. I used seafood that I had in the freezer, so because it was still frozen, I added it in a few minutes earlier than I would have if it had had time to thaw out.
Sunday 15th Feb '09
*sings* Tonight's the night!
What a fabulous way to say hello to my two days off after nine days straight at work. I'm so incredibly tired and exhausted - physically as well as mentally. Just drained.
First, I had to decide what side dish to prepare to enjoy with my seafood. I looked all over inside the fridge for some inspiration and spotted what was left of the red cabbage. It could only mean one thing - coleslaw! I made coleslaw last year to take to Benoit's bucks day BBQ and it didn't turn out quite right, even though it got eaten. I think, from what I remember, I used too much salt instead of sugar. *shrug*
Here is attempt number TWO.
I grated a carrot, chopped some cabbage as well as the red cabbage, and mixed in some mayonnaise, a splash of vinegar and a good squeeze of lemon juice. After tasting it, I added a pinch of sea salt and more mayo. Quite nice. Jocelyn came back for seconds.
Right, now the lobster. I cut the lobster in half; peeled the fresh cooked Exmouth prawns (I bought these from the seafood truck across the road from UWA on the way home from work); melted some butter, crushed garlic, dried thyme and chilli flakes in the microwave; heated up the last slice of my potato bake.
I poured myself a glass of wine and sat down to enjoy my seafood platter.
Dinner
Lobster & Prawns
Coleslaw
Potato Bake
*Bon Apetit!*
What a fabulous way to say hello to my two days off after nine days straight at work. I'm so incredibly tired and exhausted - physically as well as mentally. Just drained.
First, I had to decide what side dish to prepare to enjoy with my seafood. I looked all over inside the fridge for some inspiration and spotted what was left of the red cabbage. It could only mean one thing - coleslaw! I made coleslaw last year to take to Benoit's bucks day BBQ and it didn't turn out quite right, even though it got eaten. I think, from what I remember, I used too much salt instead of sugar. *shrug*
Here is attempt number TWO.
I grated a carrot, chopped some cabbage as well as the red cabbage, and mixed in some mayonnaise, a splash of vinegar and a good squeeze of lemon juice. After tasting it, I added a pinch of sea salt and more mayo. Quite nice. Jocelyn came back for seconds.Right, now the lobster. I cut the lobster in half; peeled the fresh cooked Exmouth prawns (I bought these from the seafood truck across the road from UWA on the way home from work); melted some butter, crushed garlic, dried thyme and chilli flakes in the microwave; heated up the last slice of my potato bake.
I poured myself a glass of wine and sat down to enjoy my seafood platter.
Lobster & Prawns
Coleslaw
Potato Bake
Saturday 14th Feb '09
I don't celebrate Valentines Day. Spending three times the amount of money buying flowers and chocolates for me on this day isn't my idea of romance. That being said, I wouldn't have declined a date tonight. Or chocolates. Or flowers.
At work, I had a craving for a pie so I bought one from the Red Cross tuckshop during my lunch break. I had an idea with my tomato sauce...I took a photo of this and sent it to some friends to wish them a happy Valentines Day.
After work, I stopped by the shops to get some seafood to have a nice dinner for myself tonight. By the time I got home, my tummy was begging for food. Marissa had brought me some soup that Teresa had made so I had that.
I had half of it cold - what a wonderful summer soup! The second half I zapped in the microwave and it was just as good warm as it was cold.
With my tummy appeased, I made a potato bake - provolone, mozarella, cream, dried thyme and rosemary. I was planning to have this with the lobster I bought after work but it was still frozen.
Plan B.
I rustled up a quick salad with a dressing of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar and thyme. I served up some of my potato salad and some of the cooked King Prawns I also bought after work. Deliciously large prawns. Fresh. Mmm...
Friday 13th Feb'09
Tonight we went out to celebrate Shallen's change of workplace. It's been a while since we've dined together. The four of us - Ling, Shallen, Kong and I used to go out regularly for dinners. Trying new places, new cuisines - as long as there was a good wine menu or BYO. It was just like the good ol' times tonight!
We've heard from a few people that the decor of this restaurant was a bit on the cheesy side, but when we got there, we loved it! It's basically one large room with African themed artwork pieces. I really like the sheets of brown fabric covering the ceiling to make us feel like we were eating in a large tent. We were seated right next to a window but there wasn't a view since the neighbouring house was about a meter away. There was a brick wall and a large sheet of fencing, a t-shirt, socks and a bike strung up on some string. There was 'Free Mandela' written on the fence so we're not sure if it's intentional decor or someone's random stuff outside.
The door at the end of the room leading to the toilets has 'ZOO LOO' painted in large letters on it. I thought it was amusing and kept chuckling to myself everytime I looked past Ling's head and saw it.
We were all feeling adventurous and eager to try some game meat tonight! The obvious choice to start with was the 'safari platter'.
Safari Platter
A selection of bush delicacies including crocodile, ostrich, buffalo and boerewors served with monkey gland and piri piri dipping sauces.
Go on, be game!
Yum! I think the stunner was one of the tender pieces of meat in the centre of the dish. We don't know if it was buffalo or ostrich though. I was very curious about the 'monkey gland' sauce too. It tasted similar to the piri - don't know if there really was any monkey gland mixed in there though...
The African equivalent of the barbie! Tender sirloin coupled with the spicy boerewors sausage and served with one of our special sauces.
Zebra's very own char grilled crispy half chicken served with cous cous and your choice of either our own bbq or piri piri sauce.
Tender chicken breast with king prawns and capped with a creamy garlic white wine sauce as served to the victorious rugby springboks!
I don't know what 'springboks' are...but the chicken looked damn delicious!
A tender thick sirloin steak topped with king prawns and a coconut based spicy piri piri sauce.
OH - MY - GOD - my steak was DIVINE!! I asked for it to be cooked medium and it certainly was. It was one of the most tender steaks I have ever eaten. Ling had his steak rare and with the madagascan green peppercorn sauce - I tried a bit and it was sooo good. Peppery!
With our main courses we had the choice of either a baked potato or fries, and seasonal vegetables or salad. We all opted for salad when we found out that we helped ourselves to them at a little station in the centre of the room.
Beans & Spinach in a Creamy Dressing
Couscous
Potato Salad
We definitely recommend this restaurant.
After dinner, we went to Ling and Shallen's for dessert and coffee. We'd stopped by my place so that I could grab some things to make mini pavlovas. Ling made us coffee on their new coffee machine.
White Nectarines
Grapes
Passionfruit Pulp
Not the greatest ingredient combination for pavlovas, but this was the best we could do with what we had.
Thursday 12th Feb '09
Mum's Pork with Tofu, Bean Curd & Shitake Mushrooms
I don't know what the name of this dish is, but it's one of my favourites that Mum makes. I especially love the beancurd.
I cooked some pasta to take to work for lunch tomorrow.
I bought some Nile perch, scallops and a squid tube and sliced them up into roughly the same size. The squid I sliced into rings, the scallops into half, and the fish I diced. I used some to make this pasta and the rest I divided up into some ziplock bags to go into the freezer for when I need a 'seafood marinara' mixture in the future.
Mum had bought alot of mushrooms. They were on special so of course she bought more than we actually can eat just to save a few dollars. I decided to make some soup.
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