Recipes & More
Zucchisagne
Serves 6 Ingredients for the bolognese; 500g Lean mince beef 2 onions diced 3 stalks of celery 250g mushrooms sliced 1/2 red capsicum diced Can of crushed tomatoes 400g Sachet of salt reduced tomato paste Empty can of boiling water 1tsp of powdered beef stock 1tbl of worchestershire sauce 1tbk of dark soy Teaspoon 1 tsp mixed herbs 1/2 tsp Rosemary 1 tsp oregano 1/2 cup of red wine Rest of ingredients; 8 small zucchini 400g low fat ricotta 1/2 cup of skim milk 250gs…
Slow Cooked Minty Lamb Stew
Slow Cooked Minty Lamb Stew Serves 2 Ingredients; 2 lamb shanks Bunch of fresh mint Tsp of dried rosemary I can of chopped tomatoes Tablespoon on chicken stock powder Sliced mushrooms Two onions quartered Water – fill up empty tomatoes can 1 1/2 Salt and pepper Method; Place everything in the slow cooker and cook according to your cookers settings, mine took a good 4 hours on high. Once the meat is falling off the bone take out the meat and bones and a cup…
Beef Bulgogi
Beef Bulgogi Serves 4 Ingredients; 500 grams beef – either a nice piece of steak that you can slice finely (if you put your steak in the freezer until it starts to nearly freeze you can slice it really easily) or beef strips are fine. 1 pear ½ tsp minced garlic 1 tsp ginger 1 tbsp Soy sauce ½ tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar 4 x Spring onions finely sliced 1 pinch of chilli flakes Salt and pepper Method; Peel and grate pear into glass bowl…
Recent Blogs
Curry Vault
Hmmmm I love a good curry and a good hot curry is even better some days! Curry Vault is down a little cobbled street just off the main drag of Collins and on a cold, wet night we scarpered past a good looking local pub and down into the lovely Curry Vault. It’s a nice space, not to fancy, not to unfancy… just right! Service is polite and friendly and the curry was thoroughly enjoyable. Onion bhajis with shredded onion in a lightly spiced chick-pea…
Pretty Mama
It’s a funny location in the top left corner of town but if you know it’s there you are going to want to go all of the time. There aren’t too many Caribbean restaurants around and I would say this was my favourite of the few we have been too. They take bookings, the space is cool, the staff are lovely, you can see the guys cooking up a storm in the kitchen and they do really, really good food! Along with your imported Big…
Misuzu’s
It couldn’t be beaten by fire and it won’t be beaten on taste! Love this place and it’s a perfect place for a weekday lunch with a girlfriend, little wine and some really lovely Japanese food. The service is always great here, they will bring you as much food and wine as you like but will also leave you to get on with it when you are taking more than looking at the menu! The chicken yakatori skewers were great with good quality chicken cooked…
Alice Nivens
Let’s go on a little adventure, I said. Let’s go and find Alice in Wonderland… or Melbourne! Alice Nivens is the cutest little café, snuggled in an arcade opposite Flinders Street Station, they know how to take a boring space and brighten it up. Past the sushi and stamp shops and a rather impressive looking cake decorator shop is a very pretty seating area, outside the main shop but fenced in so that you could be anywhere with rabbits on the table and the smell…
On It Burgers
We love a good burger and we have wanted to get to On It Burgers for ages so when an Ikea trip is required on a dreary Sunday I totally combined it with a bit of burger research! Amongst the bustling of Victoria Street with is many Vietnamese and Asian restaurants is a little burger diner doing a great job with all your favourite burgers, fries, shakes and rings. I’m a pretty ‘safe’ burger girl but you can get pretty much anything here with burgers…
Pelican
Not many relationships last 10 years, never mind when it’s with a restaurant but Pelican has been a family favourite since we first had brunch there more than 10 years ago but sadly it’s starting to age and this was the first time it didn’t feel a magical as it always had. If anything it just seemed a bit tired, the menus haven’t really changed in that time and the content doesn’t need to – I still order the same things every time but the…
Mukka
It’s always a pleasure to be invited to visit a restaurant and even though I drove the guys crazy changing due to various illnesses across the team we made it and it was well worth it!! It was a cold, dark night when we dropped in to see Mukka on Brunswick Street but we soon warmed up with their friendly welcome and Indian inspired cocktail list. Food wise – it all sounded fantastic so we were totally open to the ‘feed me’ option – I’m…
Coco Vodka
It’s great being a food blogger, honest! Especially when lovely people like the guys from Coco Vodka offer to send you some of their great products to try – Yes, please!! The brand is all about fun and coconuts! NUT TREES COULD LIVE ANYWHERE, THEY WOULD CHOOSE TO LIVE IN MELBOURNE Coco Vodka is exactly what is says on the can – a luscious blend of vodka and coconut vodka served in a totally convenient can! Available with a rum option too and a vodka,…
Bickle
A Caribbean restaurant in Prahran? Who knew! But there she is, relatively unassuming, amongst the bustle off Chapel Street, it’s a nice spot to drop by for Red Stripe! I don’t know much about Caribbean food but I like the sound of the menu with chicken bickle bites, jerk sliders, goat curry, seafood gumbo, rice and peas and roasted allspice bananas for dessert! Even better if you want to go on cruise around the Caribbean they will feed you a selection of food for $45…
Feast of Merit
Feast of Merit is a great space on Swan Street and friends have recommended it for sometime so it was a perfect spot for ladies who lunch! But it’s not just the perfect meet up space it is also giving back with with 100 percent of it’s profits directly supporting YGAP’s movement of impact entrepreneurs who are improving the lives of people living in poverty. The breakfast menu sounds fantastic with Middle Eastern crumpets with vanilla and cinnamon labneh, pear puree and pistachio praline or…
Supernormal
Supernormal is a great looking restaurant, a huge bar runs along one side where you can wait for a table or sit next to the people you are waiting for for at least 5 minutes before you realise!! And then you get a table! Or you can eat at the bar too. The dining area is a relaxed and nicely spaced area to sit back and enjoy some shared plates with some good friends. The menu is divided into segments with small appetisers sesame cucumber,…
The Burger Project
Always impressive to see the business owner clearing tables and meeting customers, especially when the owner is Australian icon Neil Perry. Famed for high end restaurants with Rockpool and Spice Temple it seemed an unlikely move for Neil to flip into burgers but he has approached it with the same finesse and high standards with Cape Grim beef featuring across the restaurant and real pride in serving quality beef to the punters. We use the finest Cape Grim beef in Australia. The beef is cut,…
Cookbooks
Tony May – Italian Cuisine
Possibly my go to traditional Italian failsafe, this is such a great book and… there are no pictures!! SO no pictures in my blog either!! This is THE book I cook my classics from, it’s straight from the Nonnas and the flavour profiles are simple, Italian elegance. Recipe 1 – Fettuccine alla Carbonara Has just seven ingredients and not one of them is cream!! This is pancetta, egg yolks and olive oil to create a creaminess and richness. I have a tendency to want to…
Cookbook – Sophie Dahl Miss Dahls Voluptous Delights
Recipe 2 – Pear & Ginger Muffins Had a bit of rhubarb lying around so that went in too! Substituted spelt flour for wholemeal flour and oat bran and they are a bit dense but super tasty!! ******************************************************************************************* Last published 21st July 2012 The 2012 Cookbook Challenge – at least one recipe from one book, every week, for the whole year! Wk 26 / Bk 26 – Sophie Dahl Miss Dahls Voluptous Delights Click here to see the adventures so far! 2012 Cookbook Challenge :-…
Jamie At Home
I don’t think you can go wrong with Jamie Oliver and At Home is a gorgeous seasonal feast from Jamie’s garden. Simple, wholesome, flavoursome and fun there is enough here to enjoy all your market produce at it’s best every day of the week! Recipe 2 – Eggy Breakfast Crumpets Such a great brunch treat! Just a few perfectly chosen ingredients and you have a fabulous feast! Little cheeky hint of chilli and hey presto! Breakfast of kings!! Recipe 1 – Broccoli and Cauliflower Cannelloni…