Prawns with Lemon and Thyme Quinoa

I've started cooking quinoa this year after hearing so much about it being a 'super food'. Its an odd little food, this quinoa, pronounced 'keen wa'. It has a cous cous kind of consistency, and it often mistaken for a wheat but is actually a seed and is part of the spinach family (for this reason, it is gluten free!) Quinoa is filling, packed full of protein and magnesium. It was apparently considered the 'gold of the Inca's' as the protein in it made their warriors extra strong. You can read more about the benefits of quinoa here.

It looks like this before cooking-

Now apparently cooking quinoa from scratch can be a little gruelling, as it has to be rinsed several times before cooking. I have so far used a few different flavoured quinoa's from the Celebrate Health range. I am not sure that these are gluten free as there is an addition of yeast in the ingredients. I buy these from Coles as I don't seem them very regularly at Safeway. You can also buy quinoa in a packet too and cook it per the cooking instructions though it obviously takes a little longer.

Tonight I used the Lemon and Thyme one and decided its perfect partner would be some fresh prawns from Fish House, my favourite fish shop at St Helena Marketplace. The result was a lovely and light dish where the buttery-ness of the prawns was balanced out by the protein rich quinoa.

Prawns with Lemon and Thyme Quinoa (serves 2)

12 raw brown or black tiger prawns, tails removed
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (low fat would work)
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped red capsicum
1/4 cup of chopped green capsicum
1/2 a large onion, chopped
1 cup of snowpeas
Very large handful of baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Packet of Celebrate Health Lemon & Thyme Quinoa

Prepare Quinoa to packet instructions. Set aside.

In a frypan, melt butter and add garlic and onion. Saute until onion softens. Add prawns and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until just cooked (they will turn pink when cooked).

Add the capsicum and snowpeas. Saute for 3 minutes. Add spinach and wait until it wilts. Season with salt and pepper to desired taste. If you prefer a more buttery dish, you may want to add another tablespoon of butter here.

Add the quinoa and stir with a spatula until heated through and combined. Serve in bowls.

Enjoy!

The Gluten Free Challenge- Strawberry and Passionfruit Friands

It was Australia's Biggest Morning Tea at school this week, so I decided to make another of my gluten free challenge dishes. I had fallen in love with a strawberry and passionfruit combination after having the best muffin of my life from Tanck's Corner, my local coffee shop that beautifully paired strawberry and passionfruit.

So I decided to attempt to make this in gluten free, friand form! They were super yummy bite sized treats (I used a mini muffin tray) and my gluten intolerant friend was very impressed. They didn't last long at the morning tea either, which obviously speaks for itself ;)

Gluten free Strawberry and Passionfruit Friands

200 grams of unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups of gluten free plain flour
1 cup of icing sugar
120 grams of almond meal
5 egg whites
1 small tin of passionfruit pulp
10 strawberries, hulled and chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C. Melt butter and use a little to grease a 12-hole friand pan or muffin tin. I used a mini muffin tin and it worked just as well. Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess. The flour dusting means that the friands should just pop out of the tin really easily.

Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl, then stir in the almond meal.

Place eggwhites in a small bowl and lightly froth with a fork. Add to the dry ingredients with the melted butter and stir until completely combined. Add the strawberries and passionfrui pulp and stir again.

Fill each friand/muffin hole 3/4, trying to make sure each one has at least one or two pieces of strawberries. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden on top. Be careful you don't overcook if using the mini muffin tin. Remove from oven and leave in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack- they will firm up whilst cooling.

You could use any kind of combination you like with this recipe- chocolate chips and hazelnuts, mixed berries, lemon etc.

Enjoy! x

Alberto's Delicacies, Preston

Once a month there is a cute little Farmers Market at the local primary school. Whilst I have to be really careful about heading there as I always manage to spend an absolute fortune, I always make sure I visit one little stall that sells Alberto's Delicacies. The home made gnocchi and pesto's are to die for, I just can't get enough of them. The home made gnocchi is soft and tender, and unlike many packaged gnocchi brand, actually tastes like potato! The pesto's, with flavours like eggplant, tomato, capsicum, basil and spinach and feta (my favourite) are the perfect sauce for the gnocchi or just wonderful served on crusty bread. I am a huge fan... in fact, when I had my wisdom teeth out last year, the gnocchi was about all I could eat for a week.

The gnocchi is so easy to cook. Instead of boiling it, you simply cook it in the sauce. So, in a saucepan you add some of the pesto (about 1/2 a cup to one packet of gnocchi). I usually also add half a tin of chopped tomatoes to make the sauce a little saucier. Then, very carefully stir the gnocchi into the sauce over low heat until it is heated through. This keeps the gnocchi firm and delicious without getting mushy.

You can read more about Alberto's Delicacies here. As a lover of fresh and gourmet produce, I can't recommend it enough.

I have included pictures of the products I love most below.

Why you should love Sushi...

Do you ever have that conversation with your friends where you discuss what you would choose for your last meal ever? I don't know how I would ever choose for certain, but sushi would just have to be on the list somewhere. I just love sushi. There are just so many perks of sushi- despite the carbs in the rice, it is such a healthy and balanced meal to have.

I liken the way we 'learn' to like sushi to the way we 'learn' to like wine. I don't know if the experience has been the same for everyone, but I know in my circle of friends we all started off drinking moscato and passion pop, the 'soft drinks' of wine. As our palates changed, we slowly started to experiment with chardonnay, then sauv blanc until all of a sudden red wine was just as enjoyable as red, and then in my case, I became a Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir drinker. Its been a long journey from that first sickly sweet glass of moscato.

Like wine, most of us seem to start off slowly with sushi also. The safest bet is the good old chicken teriyaki or cooked tuna- simple fillings so that the most adventurous thing you are eating is the seaweed. Once you become accustomed to the taste of the seaweed, you may move onto the good old california roll with crabmeat, or a cooked salmon. Then comes the raw salmon handroll, and once thats a favourite, you have nigiri, sashimi and maki rolls to try. All of a sudden the chicken teriyaki seems so boring and old school. I now consider myself to be one of those 'senior' sushi eaters, where I don't think there is anything I won't try on a bed of rice with some wasabi and ginger.

The health benefits of sushi are vast also:
- fish provides a low calorie, high quality protein
- sushi is low in saturated fats and cholesterol (you need to be careful about the addition of things like cream cheese, fatty mayonnaise, fried foods into the sushi which obviously raises the calorie count)
- salmon and tuna is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, which we need for healthy brain function, to improve cholesteral levels and lower blood pressure
- the seaweed wrappers contain huge sources of minerals and antioxidents, like calcium, magnesium and iron.

My favourite place for sushi in my area is Maki Sushi in Eltham. They have a wide range of freshly made sushi rolls, as well as hot dishes, and they also have brown rice sushi which is good for those of us trying to stay away from white carbs (I do love white rice in my sushi though!) I have never had a sushi roll from this venue that hasn't tasted fresh and delicious. I particularly love a combination of crispy prawn (I know, this is the calorie ridden one I warned about... but it tastes so good!) and raw tuna which is also packed with vegetables like spinach, carrot, cucumber and avocado.

So go on... if you haven't yet, get on the Sushi train today!

Finger food fest!

After eating out WAY too much last weekend, I decided to put myself on an eating out ban this weekend. Luckily for my tastebuds, I had my cousin's 21st birthday party last night and my family is notorious for being able to put on an absolutely smashing feast. Last night was no different, with some of the yummiest finger food around. My stomach is kicking me this morning for eating so many different foods in one sitting.

So, seeing as I didn't have a lot to blog about this week, I decided to get snapping and show off how talented some of my fellow family members are... and where I probably got my foodie nature from!

My foodie cousin made these AMAZING chicken tandoori pappadums that were an absolute hit. They were a little fiddly, but I think it was worth it. These would be such a great little starter for a dinner party. They are light and healthy, as well as so delicious. I am hoping she will post the recipe on her blog- you can visit it here.

My Aunty's stuffed mushrooms (which apparently also originated from one of Jac's recipes) are always a hit. In fact so much so, that when two years ago I had to miss out on a family function because I was hospitalized with pancreatitis, I was so disappointed about missing out on the stuffed mushrooms that I told all the nurses about them!

I am not sure who made this pastry pinwheels, but they were filled with olive tapenade which I thought was such an interesting filling and a welcome change from your typical tomato ones.

Both of my older cousins had made something to contribute for dessert. My 'lesser of a foodie' cousin impressed me with these amazing bite sized yo yo's. I have to confess... I may have eaten three or four!

My foodie cousin had made little lemon meringue cups, also very yummy and easy to pop into the mouth discreetly so nobody knows just how much dessert you are eating ;)

After a few drinks, my cousins decided to have a bit of a Masterchef-esque competition to see whether the lemon meringue cups or the yo yo's would disappear first off the dessert platters... We all thought it was hilarious though, when the platter came back with a few yo yo's and meringue cups left over, and my Aunt's rum balls had absolutely flown off the plate! I believe my cousin summed it up well, when between giggles she described that drunken 21 year olds just love 'snow balls'. That must be it ;)

So, proof that you don't have to eat out to consume wonderful food on the weekend. However, I must say I am hanging out for a restaurant meal next weekend ;)

L x

Maroush, Eltham

Last week I headed to Maroush in Eltham with a couple of girlfriends with a handy dandy Entertainment Voucher. I get one every year and it literally pays itself off in one or two uses.

I had visited Maroush several years ago for the banquet and do not remember being overly impressed. This time round the three of us were up for the challenge of the banquet and really enjoyed it. This time around the food seemed to be much more enjoyable and the Urbanspoon reviews seem to speak for themselves about the lovely food and polite and attentive service. Also, with our voucher the banquet dropped from $45 a head to $35. I am not sure I would have justified $45 a head for the food, but then again the waiter did offer us more lamb and chicken and we declined as we were at that 'just right' stage. I have a feeling if Craig was with me he would have wanted a bit more.

We started with some beautiful dips- Hommos and Baba Ghannouj, served with both pita and another crispy style dipping bread. Both dips were clearly homemade and seasoned perfectly. We kept them on the table and used them as condiments throughout the meal. The crispy chips were really yummy too. We also got some tabouli which I find it a great cleansing of the palate type dish.

Next we recieved some mezze type dishes. I love this kind of rich finger food, I love how much flavour can be packed into a little package. The falafels had a beautiful texture and taste, especially with the drizzled spiced yogurt.

These were followed by some beautiful little pastries. The meat cigars were chock full of spiced meat but drizzled with a sweet sauce which had a wonderful fusion of rich and sweet flavours. The 'sambousik', filled with spinach and cheese had more of a subtle flavour and I am a sucker for anything that is spinach and cheese flavoured.

Next dish was the makanak and ors kafta, which I think can be explained as a little sausage and a little rissole. I am not a huge fan of this dish, I find it very dense and meaty... thats not just a Maroush thing, I have tried similar at many Lebanese restaurants.

The main of chicken and lamb skewers with two kinds of rice and salad was just beautiful. The perfectly cooked and seasoned meat was very moreish, and the gorgeous spiced rices complimented the meat really well.

Dessert was also very impressive. The Mahalabia in particular was right up my alley- custard with honey syrup, pistachio nuts and blossom water. I just love custard in any format, and the gorgeous rosewater and crispy topping just made this dish so lovely.

Even so, I couldn't help trying the turkish delight and baklava that we were also served... also very yummy!

Overall, Maroush was a very good eating experience. The restaurant wasn't overly atmospheric on a quiet Tuesday night, but I can imagine when it is bustling on the weekend and with the entertainment of a belly dancer it could be quite the night out. I am not overly sure if I would be as impressed with the banquet is we had paid the extra $10 a head- it was definitely enough food for three girls but I wonder if it would have sated the appetites of three hungry boys had there been boyfriends there? Hmmm..

I cannot recommend the Entertainment Book highly enough though. Obviously not every voucher in there is going to be a winner, but it pays itself off ten times over, especially if you use it on group dinners and save a heap of money!

L x



The Gluten Free Challenge- Vegetable & Corn Couscous

I don't think I would have ever considered eating corn cous cous (normal cous cous is so nice, why need an alternative?) but when my gluten intolerant friend offered me a taste of her gluten free corn cous cous, I fell in love! Whilst the texture is almost exactly the same as your regular wheat based cous cous, the taste is something amazing- it literally tastes like a buttered corn cob. Yum!

So, I decided for lunch this week to throw together a Vegetable and Corn cous cous dish (serves 2).

1/2 cup of chopped eggplant

1/2 cup of chopped green capsicum

1/2 cup of chopped red capsicum

1/2 cup of zucchini



1/2 red onion, sliced
1 teaspoon of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon of tumeric
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder
1 1/2 cups of corn cous cous
1 cup of water
2 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter or margerine

Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic, cumin, tumeric, paprika and chilli powder, along with about a tablespoon of water and saute into a paste. Add vegetables and simmer, coating vegetables in seasoning for 5-7 minutes or until tender.

Prepare cous cous according to packet instructions (one cup of water to the boil along with a dash of salt and teaspoon of olive oil, take off heat and add cous cous, stir and let sit for two minutes, fluff up with fork and add butter).

Mix together the vegetables and cous cous. Enjoy!

The Gluten Free Challenge- Lemon, Broccolini & Goats Cheese Pasta

In the last six months I have become very close with a new friend who is gluten intolerant. This has been a new journey for me discovering what she can and can't eat, and challenging myself to cook dishes that she can safely eat.

Recently, she has suggested that I challenge myself by eating gluten free for a week just for the health benefits, and so I can tell her how much different things really do taste when I eat the gluten free version. I don't think I can commit to a week just yet, especially with a bit on in the next fortnight... but I have decided to set myself a chellange of cooking at least one gluten free meal per week.

After some research I have discovered that there are several benefits to eating gluten free regardless of whether you suffer from Coeliac's Disease or not, such as:
- weight loss
- lowering cholesterol
- enhanced digestion
- boost in energy
- reduced joint pain
- enhanced mood
- improved sleep
- decrease in symptoms for Autism sufferers

I have been enjoying this muesli for quite a while now. The consistancy can be a little weird, with the grains sticking together and having to be broken apart but I quite like the flavour and the texture and often enjoy it with fresh berries (when they are not ridiculously expensive) and some Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of Chia seeds.

For my first attempt at cooking a completely gluten free meal, I turned to a very delicious looking recipe from a fellow local blogger- Lemon, Broccolini and Goats Cheese Pasta.

http://livinglovingdreaming.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/living-easy-peasy-and-super-healthy-pasta-recipe/

I was unable to find the multigrain and quinoa gluten free pasta even though it sounds super yummy, so I used gluten free buckwheat pasta. I also added a chopped red chilli (seeds removed), a teaspoon of garlic and a handful of cashews (my Nan used to make this vegetable pasta with cashews for me, so I think I may have been channelling that, as well as my inability to follow any recipe directly!). The result was really yummy. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the consistency of the pasta. I often eat wholemeal pasta anyway, and it was really no different to that. I would not hesitate in eating it again.

I know goats cheese is really an acquired taste, but I quite love it so didn't really mind the rich, bitter cheese flavour. It is a great way for the lactose intolerant to enjoy a creamy pasta dish.

I made two mistakes with this dish. 1) I used lemon juice from one of those squeezy containers rather than fresh lemon (blashphemy, I know!) and for a dish that relies on the zesty lemon flavour, it really didn't do the job. I won't make that mistake again! 2) Between Safeway, Coles, 2 fruit shops and IGA I could only find one bunch of broccolini, so used that along with some broccoli also. Whilst the brocollini stayed firm and delicious, the broccoli cooked too quickly and went quite mushy.

It is a dish I would definitely make again though, and in comparison to when I have eaten your usual creamy pasta dish I felt much more nourished and less bloated afterwards.



Burger Lounge, Eltham

Burger Lounge is a bit of a local gem in our area. I would argue that it has the best burgers within a 20 km radius. It features a huge variety from beef, steak, lamb, chicken, fish and vegetarian burgers as well as yummy treats like onion rings, thick herb chips, salads, macaroons and gelati. On a summers night it is almost impossible to get a table and the line for takeaway will be right out the door. It is definitely one of the 'it' places to eat in Eltham.

As well as the funky location and huge variety, it also has health benefits compared to your typical burger joint. It has gluten free and low carb options, uses only sugar free sourdough bread, local Gippsland hormone and chemical free meat, fresh fish and they roast all the vegetables on site.

This was probably our fourth or fifth visit to Burger Lounge. I particularly love the salmon burger with freshly grilled salmon, sweet chilli mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and herb aioli. This visit however, was the morning after a big night so I went for a big greasy beef burger to soak up the beverages from the night before. However, being the foodie I am I had to make it fancy so chose the classic burger with beef, lettuce, tomato, red onion, herb aioli, blue cheese and a caramalised pear and fig chutney. I shared a side of thick cut herb chips and onion rings with Craig. The chips were crispy and salty, the burger juicy and tasty- and the perfect combination of blue cheese and pear made it just gourmet enough for a foodie like me, even with a hangover.

Craig enjoyed his Grande burger- beef, crispy smoked bacon, grilled caramalised pineapple, Swiss cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, red onion, relish and herb aioli... and also the rest of my burger when I couldn't possibly fit anymore in. He even joked about putting some onion rings in there as well, but there was no way it could possibly fit! The onion rings in particular here are absolutely delicious- so naughty and more-ish.

Our friend, who was trying Burger Lounge for the first time, was also a fan of the BBQ burger with beef, beetroot, tasty cheese, BBQ sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, relish and aioli... also, with a side of the amazing onion rings.

Burger Lounge is a very casual and hip place to enjoy a burger with friends for lunch or dinner. I definitely recommend it!

Binh Minh, Richmond

When a girlfriend of mine suggested this Asian eatery on Victoria St for some dinner and wine before a night out, I sneakily checked my Urban Spoon app and was pleasantly surprised to see rave reviews and an 86% rating (I try not to go anywhere with less than 75-80% if I can).

I was even more pleasantly surprised that this ended up being one of the yummiest Asian meals I have had out of Asia. I enjoyed it so much I am already planning on visiting again in the next fortnight.

We were seated upstairs in a very full and noisy room which reminded me of Shanghai Dumpling House. There is something enjoyable about that kind of atmosphere. We shared two bottles of BYO wine at $2 a head which was very reasonable. Being able to drink your own wine definitely helps keep it a budget friendly dinner!

Appearance wise, Binh Minh was your usual cheap Asian restaurant- very busy staff who have no time for customer service whatsoever, baskets of cutlery on the table and plastic tables/plates. However the menu had a lot more variety than most Asian restaurants I have been to, featuring a huge range of Vietnamese, Malaysian and Thai dishes.

I was highly amused by the water jugs on the table- just your standard, kitchen stock measuring jugs!

The homemade dim sims ($1 each) were the most interesting dim sims I had ever tried. Stuffed with tasty mince, biting into it gave you an immediate but subtle chilli hit also. It seems as though there had been a tiny amount of chili sauce inserted in the top, also giving them a very funny appearance!

My girlfriend enjoyed her sang choi bow... such a messy thing to eat, but also so yummy!

I couldn't go past the salt and pepper tofu ($11). I am one of those weird people who love tofu despite also being a rabid carnivore. I enjoy the taste and texture of it. This didn't disappoint- crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, accompanied by a tasty salt and pepper sauce and plenty of yummy toppings. This is my kind of dish and I was shattered that it was too big for me to finish it!

At my friends recommendation we also got some of vegetarian fried rice ($7)- she loves the fried rice there so much she has that and that only as her meal. I shared this one with my other friend. I am normally a steamed rice girl, but I am glad I strayed away this particular evening. This fried rice was fresh and tasty, chock full of perfectly cooked vegetables. It was fabulous.

Overall, this was probably the best value food I have eaten in Melbourne. Although some other blogs seem to view it as Westernised Asian food, I personally would compare the quality to some of the great food available in the food courts in Malaysia. Whether or not it is authentic, it was tasty and fresh and very more-ish. I can't wait to visit again and work my way through the menu. As a lover of Asian food, I highly recommend this awesome eatery for a cheap and tasty night out. There was also some really cool private dining rooms for big groups that looked like a great venue for a special occasion dinner.

L x

Paladarr Thai Issan, Alphington

This tucked out of the way Northern Thai restaurant in Alphington is not your average local Thai joint- its a lot prettier... and your wallet may feel a lot lighter on the way out! But in general, it does serve food that is a step up from your local Thai. The dishes are a lot more exotic and innovative than pedestrian Thai.

I first discovered Paladarr in my teens when I did my very first ever cooking course there. It was such a fun experience in the commercial kitchen making curry puffs and tom kha soup and pad thai and red curry with the head chef Chaloem. Craig and I ate there a few weeks after that but as young, part time uni students we were shocked by the bill and never went back.

Now that we are a bit older and slightly more financially comfortable, when I recieved a birthday voucher in the mail I decided to head back and give it another try. And sure enough, we enjoyed it more than we did then. Our wallets found the hit a little easier (and the free main meal and two glasses of champagne the voucher entitled us to helped) and we enjoyed the food more since we have become a lot more adventurous since then. The food there can be quite hot as the curry pastes are traditional to Northern Thailand, and the menu recommends that you don't tamper with the heat of the dish by asking for less curry as it is meant to be enjoyed that way. We didn't find any of the dishes we ordered too hot though, but we are accustomed to a bit of chilli these days.

We started with a dish that has always sparked my curiosity- Creamy crumbled pork in coconut cream with peanuts, pepper, garlic and coriander. Complemented with butter-fried roti bread and fresh vegetables. Basically, this was a yummy satay style warm dip with pork mince through it. It was very enjoyable but I found the serving size a little small for $14.

We were very impressed by the steamed ocean-fresh snapper plumped with fresh herb stuffing and drizzled with garlic, chilli and ginger nahm jim. The snapper, full of herbs, garlic and ginger had just absorbed this amazing flavour and as picked the flesh of the bone each bite was full of delicious juices. The nahm jim topping was quite hot but we just put it to the side and had a little at a time. This was an absolutely beautiful dish.

Safe to say we picked every single bit of fish off that we could find, leaving a bit of a mangled mess ;)

Our other main was the sliced pork belly plunged in hot rice bran oil and stir-fried with Chinese broccoli and chilli. This was also really enjoyable- bite size, crispy pieces of pork belly with Chinese broccoli and just the right amount of spice. The pork pieces were delicious but it was hard work chewing through them as the crackling was quite crunchy.

The menu gives you two rice options- steamed jasmine rice or black sticky Issan rice. We adventurously ordered the black rice but were a little disappointed. It was a little too sticky, and hard to eat with the mains. It is obviously traditionally designed to be eaten by hand, and that concept didn't really work with a whole fish and stir-fry style dish. We wouldn't order it again.

As a side to our mains we ordered the ‘Son-in-Law’ eggs in caramelised red onion, tamarind, palm sugar sauce and coriander . I have always wanted to try son in law eggs- soft boiled eggs that have then been fried. These didn't really tickle our tastebuds. They were kind of bland. I had always imagined a soft boiled egg in a crispy coating (and have seen photos of other restaurants intepretations in a tempura style coating). This didn't taste much different than a simple hard boiled egg.

Since it was technically my belated birthday dinner, we also shared dessert- Coconut cream Panna Cotta infused with Kaffir lime and lemon grass, adorned with warm seared mango, palm sugar caramel, tamarind sorbet and sugar-dusted taro threads. This was enjoyable but I am not sure how well all the elements worked together. Individually each piece was really yummy, but together I wondered whether the tamarind/mango combination was a little too much.

The service is also very friendly and attentive, a step up from your standard Thai restaurant. We did wait about 15-20 minutes to recieve a food menu but the waiter was very apologetic when he realised.

It is a little bit expensive and I would recommend Paladarr as more of a special occasion venue than just a typical Friday night. For a more exotic and adventurous Thai feed, it is worth trying. Also, Monday night is 'bowl' night, where for $16 they feature a range of soup and noodle dishes which would be a cheaper way of enjoying the beautiful atmosphere and service without the big bill.