Prawn Linguini

Fruity Chicken Salad

RSPCA Million Paws Walk

Way too many dogs and people for my local walking track.

Is that a bad thing to say?

Anyhoo i had with me the terrible two's Batman (6 month French Bulldog) and Dakota (3 year old Blue English Staffy). Well everybody wanted to pat them and everyone asked is Batman was a Boston Terrier.... I'm like no French Bulldog. ggrrrrrrrrrrr and whats the grey one? People its a staffy she is just a little fat, they were everywhere you would have to have been super stupid not to know.

One of our friend's said the following about this photo, i laughed so much.

" Too many evil doers. Batman tired, Batman need sleep"

 

Ok OK end rant.

I walked the lake quite quickly, i didn't want to waste the 5km walk going slowly (plus Dakota needs to loose weight) There were the most beautiful dogs everywhere and the cutest little Chihuahua's heheheh i felt bad cause all the other dogs were much bigger than them...... but cuteness to the max.

I patted some Greyhounds from the The Greyhound Safety Net and The Greyhound Adoption Program Please visit these site and donate or adopt!!

My sister has 2 greyhounds from GSN and they are beautiful wonderful dogs. I recommend.

I purchased a blanket for the doggies and all up the day was sunny and great for the dogs to get out.

Everyone should participate next year

Gifts from the Doctor

Pomegranite Malasas

Great addition to your kitchen, i've used it so far for Marinating Meat and Salad Dressing.
I will post soon with pictures of the food I've made.

Its quite tart but you add things to break it down. I've found orange or mandarine juice really helps and works so amazing together especially that mix as a salad dressing.

FCUK

Looking for a winter top to wear to dinners and parties i came across this gem.

I think i was looking for something to buy for hours on Saturday and Myer let down, David Jones let down.
So since i parked at Melbourne Central i was determined to buy something from there.

FCUK at Melbourne Central this knit was cute and appropiate for winter outings, i had a 32nd Bday party to go to thatt night.

Bend and Strech and Bend and Strech

Pilates times

I've started Pilates to help me with my neck.

Its an interesting form of exercise cause I had a private lesson and thought what a pathetic workout and then i paid for those words the next day with pain in places i never knew it could be.
I'm going to Soma Pilates which I'm liking, will give more updates later.

So far i feel like I've had great improvement with Chiropractor (i was super anti the chiro) and I'm hoping Pilates will keep me away from them now.

Beet me

Baked Chicken and Roasted Root Veges






So this is the usual meal at home Meat Veges Salad small amount of cheese. So not much you can really change to make it amazing except for the veges. Beetroot is fun to cook with..... fresh people fresh.

This is a very easy easy recipe and i stole/got inspiration for the chicken from non other than Martha Stewart. YAY she was fun to watch. There was this celebrity (z list) cause  I've never seen her (obviously i know all the good ones... cough cough anyhoo she is staying on the z list).
So Martha was bossing her around and she was doing all types of wrong and it was funny cause Martha tries to be nice but gets very bossy and then the zceleb felt bad and then Martha apologised and then repeat cycle.

I would have roasted the Beets whole in foil with herbs inside the foil but that take too long to cook. So i chopped them up. Then everything went red... but i like it.

Ingredients

Chicken Breast

Mixed Salad

Feta (I'm obsessed with Meredith Diary i think i need to do a solo blog just on their products)
Parsnip

Sweet Potato

Honey

1/2 Lemon

Oregano

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Method

Preheat Oven to maybe about 180 (I'm not sure my oven doesn't have the numbers on the dial)

Cut the root veges up into smallish sizes

Place veges in a oven dish

Coat with oil (not to much)

Heat honey in microwave

Pour honey in over the veges (not to much)

Add a small amount of oregano

Mix around so all the veges are coated
Pop tray in the oven

Place the chicken into a oven dish
Coat chicken with oil
Cover with oregano (i used dried.. that's all i had)
Cut the lemon and squeeze the juice (cut the lemon half into half again)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Turn the chicken and mix around and so forth until both sides are covered evenly
Between the chicken breasts place the lemon that you used
Bake in the oven i think it took around 30 mins to cook

Get a plate
Put the chicken on it
Mixed Salad
Crumble feta on the salad
Put the roasted root veges on the plate
Happy eating everyone, for some reason the chicken stayed super moist and the veges also were covered in beetroot juice and tasted really really good. The Bf is not so keen on the parsnip but i really liked the texture and flavour they added to the root vege mix.

Guess whats in the cocktail

So After Rockpool The other week we went to a french place i think, seriously cant remember what the place is called but its right next door to Rockpool, I could look up what it is called but that would take effort on my behalf and i'm not feel to good today.

Anyhoo it was for a after dinner drink. 

So i could barely read the menu because it was dark and well i need different glasses for that, i told the optometrist that i absolutely refuse to get bi-focal glasses. Anyhoo again

CS and D choose for me and i had to guess what was in it. 

I get excited by this stuff. I hate secrets and surprises but this one was a goodie

So my first impressions of the drink what a earthly fruit type thingy, obviously from the colour there were limits to what that could be so i thought it was pomegranate... then second taste different and the flavours came out. So can you guess.... probably not cause your not drinking it.

Raspberry and Pepper infused Vodka.... I guessed it.... proud moment for me. sniff sniff

(please note that is my BF and we all cant stop laughing at the way he is holding his girlie drink. Its more than likely a apple martini hahahahahahahahah kisses)

So in this photo i think i was channeling the thinking man. i'm an idiot i know.

Outfit 

Glasses.... Dita

Bracelet diamonti thing i stole from my sisters girlfriend, me likies it a lot

Blouse.... Mimosa

Jeans.... Nudie

I'm in love

I haven't put photos of Batman up in ages so, let me be a doting mum.

Batman was seriously sleeping against the window.

Licking her chops after fetch, we give her a treat when she brings the toy back!

My lovelies 

Couch is the Leo MkII from  Arthur G

Cushion .... i picked it up at Spotlight (Myer had it too)

My lovies again

Pick me up you Italian goodness

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is now on the top of my dessert list, which is not hard as i haven't bean able to eat dairy in many years (so pretty much anything is awesome, except let me say how i do not like creme caramel seriously now what is the point of glorified custard..... please note i had this at Rockpool and well i think theirs would be one of the best, so that is at the bottom of my dessert list. end rant)

At Siglo 2 weeks ago i think.... memory fuzzy drunken goodness with Kieran, CS and D drinking we had to try the best springrolls in melbourne (you must try them definately takes out the #1 position in Melbourne) and their dips are really good. I heart Siglo if you cant tell already.

Frist i will mention the drinks you must try their Cigar Lovers Martini, cant remember what was in it but it was seriously good. Also the standard drink for me is a Grey Goose Vodka Martini, i was a gin martini person but had way too many of those, hehehehe

Back to dessert we all had tiramisu and i loved it loved love love heart lick the bowl loved it

Inspiration came to me (like a light bulb above my head ) I had to make one. Did my homework read heaps of recipes (2 days of full on reading) and i came up with this one.

So planned cooking never really turns out for me as you can probably tell the tiramisu is missing a layer..... not only was my tin too small for the next layer i didn't have enough of the marscapone mix left and i purchased way too many lady fingers.... hehehe but saying that i surprised myself and it tasted amazing, hence the post.

My delay in posting means that i have been able to create a real tiramisu because i doubled the proportions to fit in a 40cm circular tray (It was giantor, greek easter so many mouths to feed)

Ingredients

1 packs  Lady Fingers (Savoiardi)

Coffee (what ever you have so i had greek coffee and added a little nescafe... i would have preferred espresso)

Drambuie (their are many options here but i seriously recommend using drameuie)

2 Marscapone Cheese (each container is 250g)

6 Eggs

1 cup Sugar (preferrable caster but i used normal sugar)

Deep Tray (super deep or individual bowls/cups/wine glasses)

Cocoa Powder

1 block Dark Chocolate

Method

Start by making the coffee (it has to be cool when dipping the biscuits), use what ever you have and make a bowl of it, better to make more coffee than not. I'm guessing the amount would be 2 mugs worth of coffee... strong.

Add Drambuie to the coffee to achieve the desired taste (this has to be what you want the biscuits to taste like, try to get a nice balance between the coffe and drambuie)

Set a side and let it cool completely

Eggy Weggy time

Seperate eggs into two mixing bowls (egg whites should go in a larrger mixxing bowl)

Add 1 cup sugar (i probably 8/10 of the cup because the biscuits are cover in sugar) to the yolks

Beat (using a electric beater) yolks and sugar until sugar disolves this will take about 10 mins

The yolk mixture will be creamy and thick

Add the marscapone cheese and mix well (use the beater, its quicker)

Clean Electric Beater and dry completely

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks (I hope you all know the rule about this, no water can be present other wise they will not beat proporly)

Fold in the yolk mix (do this very slowly to retain the air in the egg whites, google how to do this)

Once combined set a side

Dunk the ladyfingers into the cooled coffee and drambuie mix 3 times each

Place lady fingers on the bottom of the tray (doesn't matter if there are gaps)

Pour half the egg/marscapone mixture of the top and smooth out

Biscuits should be covered and you should have a depth of about 1-1.5cm (or more if you want)

Dust with cocoa

Repeat

Refridgerate for 24 hours if its in a big tray otherwise no less than 4 hours. It needs this time to set the egg/marscapone mix

Before you serve Grate over with the dark chocolate

ENJOY everyone, i can honestly say i love love loved it

Yoinked from Pepperandbaxter who yoinked it from Domestic Divinity

I saw this on Pepperandbaxter's blog and thought i would give it a tonk. Visit P&B blog its fun times.



1. What time did you get up this morning? 6am to let Batman outside to go toi toi. Back to bed with Batman and really up at 6.30. It was really hard due to the martini session last night.

2. How do you like your steak? Medium Rare well depends on the place. If its the best steak place then Medium
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? I dont go to the movies very often either , but i didn't go and see The Blind Side, last Friends with my friends..... i liked it. I love Sandra Bullock (maybe i shouldn't have said that)
4. What is your favorite TV show? Veronica Mars, Chuck, Community, Gossip Girl, the new 90210, Dexter, The IT Crowd, Grand Designs and Antiques Roadshow, How i met your mother etc.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Melbourne but if i have to choose it would be my other favourite place in the world Barcelona
6. What did you have for breakfast? Natural Yogurt with berries
7. What is your favorite cuisine? This is super hard... i love everything..... but probably a staple of mine would be Pho Ta   Vietnamese slice beef noodle soup.
8. What foods do you dislike? Blue cheese, Short bread, Tin tuna,
9. Favorite Place to eat? Oh um , Cafe Lalibela in Footscray, Provincia in Albert Park, Pelican in St Kilda, Station Hotel in Footscray, Nobu at Crown, My partners Yia Yia's house. and there is lots more
10. Favorite dressing? should always be simple i usually only use olive oil or a mix of olive oil and balsamic or lemon juice
12. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans my Blue based Black Nudies
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Japan, Greece, New Zealand.... you meant more than one right!
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? I'm usually on the full side
15. Where would you want to retire? Melbourne
16. Favorite time of day? when i'm eating
17. Where were you born? Mount Waverley Private Hospital
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Olymics, i can watch any sport so long as it is the best..... I cry watching the medal ceromonies
19. Bird watcher? I like looking at women and what they are wearing, especially shoes and bags
20. Are you a morning person or a night person? morning
21. Do you have any pets? Yes, French Bulldog called Batman she is 4.5 months old now, cutest button eva. Also i have a 13 yr old cat Kobe who lives with my twin at the moment (since she is both of ours). She is one of the snugliest cats ever
22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Its Friday and i'm going home very soon, i'm going to roast beetroot for the first time. wish me luck
23. What did you want to be when you were little? Cant remember
24. Are you a cat or dog person? Both but i have to be honest and say i like dogs just a wee bit more. (Dont worry Kobe I still love you)
25. What was your last drink? Sparkling mineral water, but the hard stuff - Last night i finished up with a Dry Manhatten
26. Always wear your seat belt? I feel werid when i cant, like when you travel and there are no seat belts, i panic on the inside
27. Been in a car accident? I tapped a bus, and i mean tapped less than 1km and hour, buss didn't feel it. It was in the first 4 weeks of having my licence
28. Any pet peeves? I have to many to mention
29. Favorite Pizza Toppings? new to the cheese world, so i'm yet to pick a winner. I do like King prawns on a pizza.
30. Favorite Flower? Tulips and peonis and roses and and and
31. Favorite ice cream? Coconut gelati
33. How many times did you fail your driver's test? 1 heheheh i stalled out. sniff
34. From whom did you get your last email? online clothing store advertisement making me want to buy stuff
35. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? MYER or David Jones
36. Do anything spontaneous lately? Drinks last night
37. Like your job? Yes
38. Broccoli? Yes
39. What was your favorite vacation? sightseeing and drinking
40. Last person you went out to dinner with? CS and OB and Kiz

41. What are you listening to right now? clomping of feet
42. What is your favorite color? Black and then White
43. How many tattoos do you have? none.
44. How many are you tagging for this quiz? i dont know how to tag
45. What time is it? 5:19 PM
46. Coffee ?? I love coffee.... I stopped drinking soy milk so now i have Short Blacks and Long Macchiatos

You dont make friends with salad

Tuna Steak Salad

Definitly one of my greater moments with this salad. But to make it funnier i had water with my salad too.... I always giggle about that (Eddie Murphy what have you done to me).

This salad was also the usual for me, nothing planned and home late from dog training. I think i do my best work when it is not planned. I believe this is similar to a Nicoise salad as there is salad and tuna and egg.

Ingredients

Tuna Steak (I do not like tin tuna... maybe Sirena...maybe)

1 Egg

Handful green beans

Mixed salad leaves

1 Spring Onion

Teaspoon of mayonnaise

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Yugoslavian Grappa

(this made the fish have a sweetish taste it was really amazing, I'm guessing it would be hard to find, as this was a gift to my partner... homemade)

Method

Cut the ends off the green beans and then cut them into 1 inch size pieces

Heat a fry pan with olive oil and cook the beans until bright green

Place the beans in a bowl to the side to cool

Cut the spring onion up while the beans are cooking (i like it when they are on a angle)

Using the same fry pan heat the spring onion (until they become a little bit clearer)

Place the spring onions in the bean bowl to cool

Wash the mixed salad

Place in a large bowl

Add the beans and onion

Add the mayonnaise and mix around till they are lightly coated

Boil water in a small pot (adding salt make it boil faster)

Turn the heat off

Add the egg and let it cook while you cook the tuna (5 mins)

I want the yolk to be runny and mine i would have preferred to be a little runnier but my effort wasn't too bad because i haven't boiled an egg in years and years

Season the tuna with salt and pepper

Heat up a fry pan with olive oil

Add tuna and cook that side till the white (cooked part) comes up to about half way

This is where i added a couple of splashes of the grappa (careful because it spits up)

Turn the tuna

Wait till the tuna is almost cooked (there needs to be pink left)

Turn the heat off and cover fry pan with lid

Take the egg out of the water and put it in a bowl of cold water with ice

Remove the egg and peel off the shell

The tuna will be cooked through

Cut the tuna in strips (cubes would work nicely too)

If you have some juices left in the pan pour over the cut tuna

Grab a plate and put the salad mix on it

Place the tuna on top

Place the peeled egg on top of the tuna

Hold carefully and cut into quarters

If you are a vegetarian dont read this post

Lamb Rack

So i was seriously lacking ideas for dinner and looked in the fridge and just grabbed things that I liked and this is the dinner i came up with.

Sorry about the messy plate but i'm not really good at presenting food and didn't really think this dinner would end up on the blog.

This is seriously a random dinner and to my only reader I'm sorry about the in your face meat photos.

Ingrediants

A Rack of Lamb

Baby French Beans

Almonds (any way.. i just had these in the pantry)

Feta

Pomegranite

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Method

Rub olive oil on the lamb

Season the lamb with salt and pepper

Cook the Lamb on the Bbq (make sure both sides spend time on the grill)

When the lamb is cooked let it sit/rest for 5 mins

Cut the rack into cutlets

Rinse beans

Cut the end off

Put a small amount of oil in a fry pan wait till hot

Cook beans (they will change colour to a more intense green)

Put the beans on the plate and sprinkle almonds on top

Crumble feta on a plate

Cut open your popergranie and seperate the pods, disgard the skin

Put the pomergranite pods on top of the feta

Melbourne's Storm aka attack of the Golf Balls

It was literally insane when it started, as usual in Melbourne it was about 27 degrees and then it got dark and the golfers down pour begun

Spanako-triangle-pita

Spanakopita

I am very lucky to be part of a Greek family..... through the bf... I'm the token redhead. hehehe

So bf's Yia Yia is the family pita maker and well no one is learning how she makes it. So i have taken it on to learn her fabulous recipes.

Note i cant actually eat it because of the dairy. But all reports were glowing.

Just so you all now the reason they are triangles is because i got the wrong pastry.... blush blush so embarrassed. But it worked out well.

I was under the impression that pita would be hard but its not. That's why i trialled these at home before i attempted Yia Yia's pita.

So below is my recipe to make Spanako-triangle-pita enjoy

Ingredients

Puff Pastry

a lot of Spinach

200g Goats Milk Feta (goat has a bit more bite to it and the cows feta is smoother in taste)

2 Eggs

2 Spring Onions

Salt

Pepper

Method

Thaw puff pastry (you will only need 2 sheets for this recipe)

Cut each sheet into 4s

Wash spinach

Heat a fry pan (use non stick, otherwise use a little olive oil)

Grab a handful of spinach and wilt in the pan

Take out wilted spinach and place in a colander or bowl

Repeat until all spinach is wilted

Let it cool to room temp

Cut spring onion in small pieces

Medium size bowl place crumble in the feta

Crack One egg on the feta

Add spring onions

Mix it together (i like to have chucks of feta so i make sure not to crush them while mixing)

When the spinach is cool (put gloves on)

Squeeze the spinach in your hands to get rid of the liquid

This will take lots of squeezing (small amount at a time helps)

Add to the feta mixture and mix around

Crack the left over egg into a bowl and beat

This will be your glue for the pastry

Also the egg wash for the outside of the pastry

Using one small square score the inside where the pastry will meet with a fork

This will help the pastry stick together

Use a tablespoon and place the mixture in the middle of the square

Egg wash 2 of the pastry sides

Fold the non egged side over to cover the mixture and press down lightly

Use a fork and push the down all the way around the edge to really make sure the pastry sticks

Place in a non stick oven tray (use baking paper otherwise)

Repeat

Use a basting brush and egg wash the triangles (this is how pastry becomes golden brown)

Place in oven on a moderate heat for about 10 to 15 minutes

Lift a triangle up and the bottom should be flakeyish like the top and not clearish

(I've found if you have trouble here you can flip the triangle and cook a little longer)

I realise the method seems long but its not the whole thing should only take 30 mins to make!!!

You can choose how much spinach you want in there and you have the happiness of making something that everyone is bound to love.

The Bf practically woofed them down and i had to hide the ones i made for Cottonsocks and Oreboy. I hope you like them, i will make them again for you if you wanna!

Time for me to go and collect my broken bike so it can get fixed. I crashed it like a idiot ages ago and it stopped working..... i promised myself i would ride more and well that didn't really work out.

But this time I'm serious!!! like a super serious motivated like a crack head looking for crack..... hehehheheh i think that was a bit much

Russian Roulette Spanish Style

Pimento de Padron

The Age Epicure had a little article on these little gems. I love them

I first had them at Rockpool years ago as a side dish. They were a special of the day.

So anyhoo a friend at work and i decided to go halfies in a kilo and get them freighted down from Queensland. Best decision eva

They are described as Russian Roulette in hotness because 1 in 5 will blow your head off.

It really is fun times. Description and picture here

Ingredients

Pimento de Padron
Olive Oil
Good quality salt

Method

Cover the bottom of your fry with a good quantity of olive oil.
Wait till its hot hot hot (test put a pimento in the frypan and you should hear and see bubbling)
Place in your pimentos and let them cook away moving them around and turning
They will start to blister and then turn a little brown on the blistering
Use tongs to take them out and place on paper towel

Don't be alarmed they will deflate.

Sprinkle with salt and serve.

I'm not drinking beer at the moment, but these little wonders would be a great tapas item to have with beer.

Breakfast Parfait - Gluten Free

Breakfast Parfait

I started making these for the bf so he will eat breakfast. Any thing with the word parfait and well that is all it took.
I am casein intolerant (milk products) so i cant eat it, but i have had great reviews.
Probably the healthiest breakfast you can have
Ingredients

Mixed berries (i use frozen)

Natural Yogurt (full fat - its really healthy people no need for low fat)

Cereal - http://www.worldsbestcereal.com/ Gluten free (highly recommend i have it with rice milk)

Honey

Glass or anything really (it looks pretty in a wine glass)

Method

Mix honey and yogurt to the desired taste

Get your glass and add muesli (section your muesli up for layering)

Cover muesli with yogurt

Cover yogurt with berries

Repeat

Cover with glad wrap

Then leave the parfait over night in the fridge

The mixture does shrink and doesn't look as pretty as the photo above - but the taste will be better. Also if you use frozen berries like me they need to defrost.

I hope you all make this its super easy and super duper healthy. I would say the portions per person would be the same as if you were making a bowl of cereal