Day 28 - One of those days

Today was a day when we should have looked at the teeming rain, wind gusts and snowy mountain and stayed in bed.
After a week off care the girls were keen to head back. So we braved the weather and headed off. Didn't start well when Elisabeth trampled fresh wallaby poop into the family day carer's living room.
Or the hour that Rob and I spent in banked up traffic due to an accident.
When I finally rushed into work and downloaded emails, I'd only just started working when I got a text from the carer giving me a heads up that Elisabeth wasn't feeling the best. We agreed to see how she was  after her morning tea but suspected we'd need to come back and pick her up. Elisabeth didn't perk up but fell asleep so we came and picked up the girls after her nap around lunch.


She seemed happy enough at home, so Rob set about baking Anzac biscuits to keep the girls amused. But then tummy cramps set in and multiple nappy changes over a short space of time, and then a double melt down by the girls over dinner meant that we're all feeling a bit frazzled, and to be honest a little nauseous!


Let's hope one day all I remember is the baking.

Day 15 - Baking up a storm

I'm hosting a fundraising morning tea on Friday at my work for Life's Little Treasures Walk for Prems. So today I baked 36 Chocolate Guinness cupcakes, a big lemon coconut cake and iced a zillion tiny gingerbread feet. The feet are the same size as the girl's feet when they were born. I'll try and take a photo on Friday. I also squeezed in making a batch of Nutella panna cotta for tonight's dessert, and they taste fantastic, but sadly need a bit more gelatine as they came out of the mould looking a little reminiscent of a cow pat.

The girls were so patient with me, and were happy to help juice lemons, or ice a gingerbread foot each (well actually just eat the icing).

So no new photos today, but another from yesterday.

Hut Christmas 2013 - baking and food

We woke up on Saturday morning and consulted the cook books for baking and food inspiration. Stephanie Alexander's glazed ham was chosen.

We baked a gluten free version of her Christmas cake on Saturday too, so we will have to see what we think of that. 

We were quite relieved to track down our ham today after a morning in town yesterday (the farmer's truck broke down delaying delivery at the market). 

The days have been grey, cool and drizzly, so we both did some baking today, Rob made a gluten-free version of his Mother's shortbread recipe and I made some gingerbread and candied cumquats. 

On Wednesday we'll eat ham with some vegetables or a salad, and I'll make Maggie Beer's almond and cumquat pudding (converted also to gluten free) with home made vanilla custard ice cream.

What is on your Christmas menu?

Hut Christmas 2013 - cookbooks

I love Christmas baking. When I was a teenager I started making all my families requests after my school year finished: rum truffles, cherry hazelnut truffles, white Christmas, fudge, snow men meringues and mars bar slice. 

A bit more traditional now, we make puddings, fruit mince, fruit cake, Speculaas, gingerbread, shortbread, Turkish delight, cranberry and pecan cookies and chocolate fruit slice. 

With Rob now gluten free and our girls keeping us busy this year, I think we'll do a GF cake and maybe some almond biscuits. 

Do you have special treats you like to bake at Christmas?

My top four Christmas baking bibles. 

Raspberry coconut cake

I love Instagram. For many reasons but especially when I find out about new recipes.
At the moment I crave anything sweet. Breast feeding two babies has turned me into a ravenous eater. I can't muck about if I get a free 5 minutes, I eat.
Rather than feeding my sweet tooth with chocolate (which is what I have been doing) I have been trying to bake an almond based cake for snacking on. For two reasons, Rob is on a gluten free diet, and an IG friend, @jenni1029, kindly sent me a book "Mother Food" which notes that almonds are lactogenic. Since then I've regarded any cake with almond meal as an essential dietary requirement. So I was a bit excited when I saw this cake pop up on my IG feed. The recipe was kindly passed onto me from @brionyk and she had sourced it from @andykitten.

Robert's Coconut cake

125g butter
125g SR Flour (or as I did 60g GF flour, 70g almond meal and 2 tsps baking powder)
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of milk

Heat oven 180 degrees
Line 23cm round cake tin

Melt butter and allow to cool.
Mix all dry ingredients together.
Pour in butter and mix.
Mix eggs and milk together and then add to batter and mix.

Pour into cake tin and top with frozen berries, like blueberry or raspberry.

Bake for 25 minutes (I baked mine for 55 minutes until the middle stopped wobbling and a skewer came out cleanish).

It is delicious and we've nearly eaten the whole thing already. It is easy to bake and easy to eat.

I love Instagram.

Chocolate caramel peanut squares {Nigella and Women's Weekly}

I am feeling much more relaxed. An afternoon in the kitchen yesterday did wonders. I cranked up some 80's dance music on the Tivoli, made a list and worked my way down.
Caramel slice, Massaman curry and Speckled (fruit bread).
As we had a packet of peanuts I decided to roast some and inspired by Nigella add them to the caramel. So here's my caramel slice, I see I noted in Nigella's Forever Summer last time I made this, dangerously addictive.

For the base:
1/3 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup plain flour
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
225g in salted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 180degC. Grease 20x30cm rectangular pan, line base and sides with baking paper extending over the long sides.

Combine sifted flours, coconut and sugar, add melted butter and mix. Press firmly into the base of pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

For caramel filling:
395g can of sweetened condensed milk
30g butter
3 tablespoons golden syrup
250g salted dry roasted peanuts

Combine condensed milk, butter and golden syrup in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until caramel is light golden brown, about 10-15 minutes. (I may have pushed it a bit far, very firm caramel!)
You can either stir the peanuts into the caramel now, or as I did sprinkle them over after you've spread it onto the base. Bake 10 minutes, then cool.

For chocolate topping:
375g chocolate (i like a thick chocolate topping, original just has 185g)
3 teaspoons vegetable oil

Melt the chocolate with the oil in a microwave, stir until smooth. Pour over cold caramel. Refrigerate at least 3 hours then slice.

Happy Queen's birthday holiday to you.

Monday's Menu, with a side of beach walk

The menu was for warming comfort food this week, with grey skies and plenty of rain, we get home in the dark and need something to warm ourselves up. Autumn is slipping into winter. For some reason, this year I don't mind as much as normal. Although I do mind the mouse that has set up home in our heat pump!

Monday: we ate left over French onion soup (which was so rich for such a small serve), potato gratin with a salad.
Tuesday: we had a late lunch, so all I could contemplate was a rocket salad with pear, walnuts and shaved parmesan.
Wednesday: Pasta puttanesca.
Thursday: we stopped at my parents place for dinner. Mum made us her Italian beef with potatoes, and a delicious lemon cream dessert (I ate it too quickly to take a photo).
Friday: Baked potatoes topped with cheese and bacon.
Saturday: Beef curry with rice and papadams. The sauce was thick with spices, lentils, onions, garlic and chickpeas.
Sunday: Shepherds pie.
Baking wise, Rob made some rye baguettes and I made a cherry, almond and coconut slice from the Primrose Bakery cookbook. The slice hasn't lasted long, the container is nearly empty!
What have you been cooking recently?


We spent a happy afternoon on Saturday planting out my spring bulbs, carefully lining the paths with the tulips, and the ranunculus and anemones are spread randomly around the triangular beds. Now I just have to wait to see them pop up.
Yesterday after cleaning the hut, we realised that we were free to do anything, as the garden didn't need any further attention. It was an unusual feeling. We decided to go find some plants for Rob's botany practical, he wanted something new. So we grabbed the dogs and headed south. We didn't go far. stopping at Trial Bay. The dogs were super keen, after being cooped up all week because of the weather. Once off their leads they ran around on the rocky beach, sniffing seaweed, and cheekily looking over their shoulder to see if we approved as they waded into the water. I made a pathetic attempt at only letting them go in up to their legs, but as you can see that didn't work.
Rob walked at the back, taking photos of the plants, while I went ahead, determined to get to a jetty that I could see at the point. The rocks were beautiful colours, one even a bright aqua colour. Others were covered in bright yellow and orange lichen. I got to the jetty with two dogs hot on my heels, it was a bit rickety, but I encouraged them to walk along it, so I could take some photos. Those brave dogs, they ran up and down the jetty and looked back to where Rob was wandering along.
Once he got there I think they both wanted to show off a bit, Nigella spied a submerged branch and she swam out to get it, Claudia (who isn't as keen on swimming) even followed her out there. The water was so clear (and must have been freezing) but Nigella loved swimming around us out on the jetty even swimming under it. From our highpoint on the jetty, we were able to see her cute legs purposefully swimming under the surface. Nigella has hip dysplasia, so can't actually run very well anymore, but you could tell she was so happy to be swimming so freely in the water.
We could see a misty grey cloud coming so high tailed it back to the car. But it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Photo collage from my iPhone. Some tweaked in Instagram.



These last three taken by Rob with the real camera.

Monday's Menu {roasted pumpkin soup}

We had a very quiet hut weekend, just the way we like it. We slept in, walked the dogs around the block, Rob made another 3 vegetable garden beds. I baked some lemon cupcakes to take to my mother's Tupperware party, and got away without having to host a party!  We baked Nigella's Schnecken on Sunday for a late brunch. They were seriously sweet, sticky and nutty. Perfect with a cup of tea, but we couldn't eat again until dinner.

Our menu was pretty simple this week a lot of comfort food.
Monday: Chicken and roast vegetable risotto. (Using up the leftovers from the roast chicken dinner the day before)
Tuesday and Wednesday; We had chicken and vegetable soup both nights, (our roast chicken was economical indeed feeding us for 4 dinners and a lunch).
Thursday: Vegetable and chorizo frittata.
Friday: Spaghetti and meatballs (recipe for the meatballs here).
Saturday: I'd been out to an afternoon tea, so wasn't very hungry, so we had baked potatoes.
Sunday: Roasted pumpkin and sweet potato soup - a few of my Instagram followers requested the recipe, so scroll down below if you'd like to read it.

Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet potato soup with potato and speck garnish.

I hesitate to call this a recipe. But it was very tasty. Amounts are approximate and fed just the two of us.

1 sweet potato

1 decent sized wedge of pumpkin

4 potatoes (we used Dutch creams)

Olive oil

1 onion

200g speck (or bacon)

vegetable stock (we cheated and used Marigold Swiss Vegetable bouillon powder and boiling water)

Parsley

Peel and slice the sweet potato and pumpkin into even chunks.

Scrub the potatoes clean. Place the pumpkin and sweet potato on a tray, drizzle with a little oil, place the potatoes on a tray to bake (without oil).

Bake in a 200degC oven until soft.

(We did this the day before, and so popped them in the fridge once they had cooled. But you could just keep going).

Sweat the chopped onion in some more oil in a medium saucepan over a low heat, once softened add the pumpkin and sweet potato, and top up with vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.

Meanwhile heat a little oil in a fry pan and fry the chopped up speck or bacon til cooked and crispy, add the cubed baked potato (with skin on) and fry until nicely browned.

Use a stick blender to blend the soup, ours was still a bit chunky, but if you'd prefer a smooth soup blitz to your heart's desire!

Pour into bowls, top with the potato and speck and some chopped parsley and pepper.

Enjoy.

One Year and Monday's Menu {Flatbread Pizza}

So first up, today is a special day at the hut.
A year ago today we invited our closest friends and family down to the hut for Rob's birthday party.
It was meant to be a house-warming too, but the build of the hut hadn't quite gone as fast as we'd thought.
But that didn't matter, we ate all our favourite foods, drank sparkling wine and enjoyed the sun.
In between main course and dessert, we had organised a little surprise.
Just a little ceremony.
I can still hear the gasp.
Happy 1st Anniversary Rob, it was a perfect day and our first year has been a memorable one.
(If you'd like to read the full story of our surprise wedding last year click here).

Back to our menu.
Monday: Beef and red wine stew.
Tuesday: Gres de Champenois with fresh figs and salad.
Wednesday: A tomato based pasta sauce with eggplant, zucchini, olives and fetta.
Thursday: Pork sausages and mash with home-made tomato sauce
Friday: Pesto and potato pizza (see the recipe below).
Saturday: Margaret Fulton's tarragon roast chicken with roast vegetables.
Sunday: Yum cha and Me Wah. Steamed dumplings and roast duck and many other delicious morsels.


Rob used this bread dough below for the pizza base.

Annabel Langbein's Crusty Flat Bread

This is a wonderfully supple focaccia dough that makes enough for two large loaves. You can freeze half the dough to cook later. We used leftover mashed potato, but if you don't have any in the fridge, boil potatoes until tender, mash them and allow them to cool before adding to the recipe. The wetter the dough is, the lighter the finished result will be, so don't be tempted to keep adding flour.

Prep time: 20 minutes + 3 hours rising, or 12 hours in the fridge.
Cooking time: 25 minutes.
Makes two large loaves.
Crusty flat bread dough
1 ½ cups warm (not hot) water
1 ½ tsp dry yeast granules
1 packed cup cooked and mashed potato
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ½ cups high-grade or baker's flour, plus extra for kneading
2 tsp salt

Topping
1-2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
½ tsp sea salt

Place warm water in a large mixing bowl (a breadmaker or electric mixer with a dough blade is ideal, if you have one). Sprinkle yeast over the water and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Mix in the mashed potato and the cup olive oil. Stir in the flour and salt and mix until the dough just starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough on to a lightly floured board and, using lightly oiled hands, knead about 30 times (or for 3-4 minutes on the dough cycle of a breadmaker). Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with muslin or a teatowel and leave to rise in a warm place for 3-4 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. You can also leave it in the fridge, covered, to rise slowly overnight.
When you're ready to cook your bread, place a baking stone on the centre shelf of the oven and preheat oven to 220degC. Turn the risen dough on to a lightly floured board, divide in half and shape each half into a ball. Roughly flatten one ball on to a tray lined with baking paper, pressing the dough out to an oval shape about 25 x 20cm. Use your fingertips to press dimples into the top of the loaf, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. Slide the baking paper with the dough on it off the tray and on to the preheated baking stone. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden.
When cooked, the bread will sound hollow when you tap it. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking stone for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool. Repeat with the other ball of dough. If you want to save the second ball of dough to use later, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean cloth and place in the fridge for up to 48 hours. It also freezes well. Thaw before pressing out and baking.
This recipe is from Annabel Langbein Free Range Cook.

So once it had been kneaded, Rob rolled it out very thinly. He made a pesto and smeared that across the pizza (you could use a bought pesto, but we still have basil so are enjoying it while we still can).
He carefully sliced raw potato very thinly and spread them across the pizza, then sprinkled rosemary sprigs on top. He cooked it until the base was golden and crisp (how we like our pizzas).

Next morning he added some currants to the remaining dough and made cute little currant buns which were light on the inside but nice and crispy on the outside.

Monday Menu

Being on holidays is good, we've been able to eat when it suits us, although that has been quite late some nights.
The Weber has been back in action for roast lamb shanks, and a Tarragon roast chicken. We had a chicken salad the next night (our lettuce is big enough to harvest). Other nights we've just had simple food, steamed broccoli on soba noodles, or fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes & basil with bread. We also headed to Cygnet yesterday, picking up some veggies and a sirloin roast.
Today we've been snacking on cold roast beef on toast, we cut the Guinness Christmas cake so have been eating it with tea, and we picked up some mince pies from Jackman & McRoss (we scoffed 3 each in the car!)
Rob made some shortbread, and we made some fruit mince together. I just popped a chocolate pavlova in the oven too, as some friends are coming for lunch.
We've also been making ice-cream with last weeks bargain, vanilla with some alpine strawberries. Also we're in the middle of an ice-cream cake for a birthday party on Wednesday.
Both Rob and I are enjoying our break and are nearly ready for Christmas. Hope you had a lovely weekend.

Speculaas recipe

I've had a few requests to share the recipe I used for the Speculaas biscuits I made on Sunday.
It was Margaret Fulton's from her Christmas book (which I picked up for $10 at Coles last year after Christmas, love a bargain).

Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour, plus extra for kneading.
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used freshly grated)
1/2 teaspoon ground aniseed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or white pepper (I used pepper)
250g butter
1 and 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons rum or brandy
1 egg white, beaten
125g slivered blanched almonds, for decoration
Golden syrup (my addition) see recipe below.

Preheat oven to 190degC. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, aniseed, salt and ginger or pepper together in a bowl. Beat the butter until creamy in a large bowl, then add the brown sugar gradually (well actually I just creamed the butter and sugar together cause I didn't read this step very carefully!). Beat until light and fluffy then stir in the rum or brandy.
Gradually add the flour and spices to the creamed mixture, stirring until combined, then form the dough into a ball. Unfortunately my dough was too dry so I added golden syrup until it came together.
Knead the dough on a board sprinkled with flour. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 5mm thick. With a sharp knife or cutter, cut the dough into 6 x 3cm rectangles. Lay on greased baking trays, brush with the egg white and decorate with slivered almonds. Bake for 12 minutes or until they are brown and firm. Cool and store in an airtight container.
Makes about 40.

I did find an old issue of Gourmet Traveller that also had a recipe, they played around with the spice mix (adding ground green cardamom pods, and star anise in place of the aniseed). They also recommend popping the mix in the fridge overnight to allow the spices to mellow and really permeate all the way through the dough. You could even leave it up to 3 days! Traditionally the Speculaas are imprinted with images of St Nicholas or Sinterklaas with a special wooden mould- but apparently they are hard to come by in Australia.
They were quite easy, and nice and crisp and spicy. Perfect with a cold glass of milk.
Enjoy.

Monday's Menu

A very fast Monday's Menu
Favourite meal of the week- our first pesto (made from basil grown at the hut) pasta meal of the summer.
Laziest meal of the week- real peanut butter on Pigeon Hole sourdough toast.
Sentimental meal of the week - perfectly cooked (a little runny) boiled free range eggs with sourdough from Red Velvet Lounge.
Baking highlights include Speculaas biscuits for my friend, and the divine smell of the mix of currants, raisins, cranberries, prunes, fresh dates, almonds, muscat, brandy, quince jelly and Seville marmalade that soaked overnight for one of our puddings.


P.S. 20 sleeps to go!

Slowing down

Yesterday afternoon I felt utterly exhausted. The combination of a very busy work week (writing and compiling a 12 page newsletter and managing some media with a federal government department) and the tree making and gazing until late at night finally hit me. After working through lunch then running off at 3 for a roll from Jackman & McRoss, we grabbed a family pie and rushed back to work. I'd had enough by 5.30, so after dropping Rob at his real tennis game headed to Bottega Rotolo for chocolate. Cute squares of Belgian and French chocolate for the advent calendar. I also stocked up on baking supplies from the supermarket, buying an obscene amount of butter! What finally did me in was the post match beer, we headed home and realized we couldn't be bothered even to heat up the pie! So we had a few slices of toast with peanut butter. True to my promise of giving Rob my undivided attention, we snuggled up on the window seat to gaze at the tree. Both of us fell asleep, and woke up a little disorientated about an hour and half later!
Today's grey and showery weather had kept indoors. This morning after our gym class we did some shopping at Norman & Dan, they had the most gorgeous array of chocolates! We picked up a few for gifts, including cigars and pocket knifes. Neither of us could resist these Christmas pudding mugs.
I have finished Rob's notes, wrapped some more gifts, and baked another Christmas cake.
I'm writing this whilst laying on the window seat, watching the clouds behind the hill, as the light slowly fades. I know I've probably told you this but I love living at the hut.

Monday's Menu, and our weekend

Our life returned to it's normal pace on the weekend. Like anybody living on a bit of property the grass on our block had taken off over the last couple of weeks, after the combination of frequent rain and the warmer temperatures. Sadly after one day of brush cutting our not-so-trusty brush cutter spluttered to a halt a couple of weekends ago. I was cleaning the windows at the time and could hear Rob fiddling with it, pulling the trigger, cleaning a filter, pulling the trigger, I was waiting for him to kick it into the dam, but he was apparently resigned to the fact it would need to be serviced. (It was serviced last year at great expense so we were more than a little disappointed with it dying already). I know like Michelle he has a scythe on his wish-list for Christmas, but we really needed to cut our grass now! Apart from looking so untidy, I was getting increasingly worried about the dogs and snakes.
So we took ours to the doctor (a new doctor mind you) and next door is a place where you can hire them. So the drone of a 2-stroke was our weekend companion, it took Rob 10 hours over 2 days to cut the grass around the hut, down the drive, in the orchard and garden and around the nut orchard. It looks so much tidier. I know we'll need to do it again before the whole thing gets cut for hay but it made me feel a lot better.


So whilst Rob was busy outside I baked a carrot cake on Saturday and our first Christmas cake on Sunday. We took a moment to marvel at the colours of the sunset on Saturday night, and over the weekend I kept finding the dogs snuggling each other. It was pretty darn cute, although I'm not sure Nigella entirely approves of the adoration from Claudia! She tolerates it.



The menu at the hut this week: salmon on soba noodles, a salad with Asparagus and new season pink eye potatoes, I made red pepper pesto (with almonds) then stirred it through pasta, we had a chorizo, potato, zucchini and ricotta frittata and finished off the working week with a quick lemon linguine.
We always start our Saturday morning off quite virtuously at the gym for a weights class, but then it quickly deteriorates from there, with a visit to Jackman & McRoss for small white chocolate and peach tarts and cream buns. We picked up some lamb shanks and were tempted by a tasting to buy some wagyu beef sausages.
So Saturday's dinner was a simple one of sausages, Pigeon Hole bread and home made chutneys. Rob roasted the shanks in quince jelly so we ate them last night with roast potatoes and some beans. With enough left over lamb for souvlaki tonight and lamb soup tomorrow!

Monday's Menu

It’s granola season at the hut. I struggle with eating breakfast during the week, I get bored easily, and I was so over porridge. I’d eat a mouthful and then not so subtly put the bowl down for Claudia to finish off (she loved me!) So last weekend I baked up a batch of Nigella’s granola (from Feast). What’s not to love about roasted Almonds, seeds, honey, and raisins? I made another batch yesterday but added some flaked coconut, pumpkin seeds and golden raisins as well. During the week we served it with strawberries, mango and rhubarb. Now I can't wait for breakfast.

As mentioned on Friday we took delivery of a box of goodies from Mount Gnomon farm. So pork dominated the menu all weekend. We’re not complaining though. Rob slow roasted the shoulder for three hours in the Weber on Saturday. Then yesterday we blasted it in our oven under the maxi-grill, that thing is wicked, I could see the skin blister! That crackling, I have to say, was perfectly cooked, shattering as you bit into it. It was then warmed up again in the Weber sitting on some sliced fennel, baby carrots and bay leaves, and served it with roast potatoes, the pork was deliciously juicy. Oh dear I’d better stop otherwise I might start drooling on the keyboard.

Finally, as it rained most of Saturday we were happily stuck inside, after lunch I fell asleep on the window seat with Claudia as a foot warmer, for several hours!

I thought I’d better do something worthwhile, so I measured out and chopped the dried fruit for two Christmas cakes (sultanas, currants, raisins, dried apricots and prunes).


Maybe the menu might have to be a little healthier this week (looking at what you eat all week is a bit of an eye opener) maybe even some salads and green vegetables! 

Top row: Scrambled eggs on Pigeon Hole sourdough toast, Granola with Greek yoghurt and strawberries, Italian sausages on mash with peas (an excuse to eat relish), creamy mushroom, bacon and pea fettuccine, spring vegetable risotto.

Middle row: Mount Gnomon bacon and egg roll, Sweet Envy jam doughnut and pecan sticky bun, Mount Gnomon chorizo, tomato and lentil risotto, dried fruit soaking in brandy for Christmas cakes, the roast pork shoulder (from guess who).

Bottom row: The pork served with roasted fennel and carrots, a pear poached in red wine, cinnamon, vanilla and thyme, our granola fresh out of the oven, this morning with rhubarb, gin and tonic season has started.

Monday's Menu

We had a great cooking week this week. With the warm weather (even in the evenings) we have been using the Weber BBQ to cook as much as possible.

I think this regular post is helping us raise the bar, we’re thinking about trying new recipes and making the food we eat more presentable. I’m very thankful to have a husband who loves to cook for me, and that it’s a passion we can both share. I have to say that he introduced me to good food, although I was interested in cooking before I met Rob, he made me think about making the most of every meal we eat.  Sorry just a little sentimental moment there; back to the food.

After our lunch party last weekend, we enjoyed the left over cheeses, with a salad for dinner on Monday night.

One of our friends had given us a selection of her chutneys and relishes on Sunday, and I desperately wanted to eat them with some good sausages, sadly by the time we got to the butcher, Rob decided to skip the sausages and buy rib-eye steak. So he cooked it on the Weber, and we ate it with some cubed potatoes and wilted spinach.

Wednesday night we were home quite late (Rob had been up to the Tarn Shelf at Mt Field setting up a transect to measure with his students), so I quickly cooked us puttanesca.

Thursday was our show day holiday, it was a perfectly sunny day, Rob decided to brush cut the orchard, so I stayed inside to keep the dogs away, and with the sea breeze I could feel my hay fever symptoms flare up. So I thought I’d make us a quick Lebanese feast for lunch. I’d made some lavosh for a work lunch the day before, and we already had some labneh balls in oil in the fridge, so I rolled them in za’atar. I made a batch of hummous and our favourite red pepper and walnut dip. Then I put together a green salad with lots of mint and a sprinkling of sumac. That night it was Rob’s turn, our new favourite recipe for the BBQ is chicken wings marinated in lemon (juice and rind), olive oil, garlic, thyme and chilli flakes. We served them with some grilled Asparagus.

We bought a pizza stone a couple of weeks ago (our oven has a pizza setting we were yet to try) so we thought we’d give it a whirl. Rob made up a batch of dough and we used up all the bits and pieces in the fridge, tomato passata, olives, anchovies, grilled red pepper, labneh cheese, and parsley as a topping.  The first one we tried to move from a tray onto the hot stone, which was quite unsuccessful, it just stretched the already thin base out so we rolled up the edges and left it on the tray.

The second one Rob quickly put together on the stone. They were different, I quite liked the one with the bready edge, but the one baked on the stone was super crunchy. Maybe we have a new Friday tradition?

We were slightly indulgent on Saturday morning picking out a selection of cupcakes from Jo and Michelle’s Salamanca stall.  Rob had a lemon curd and berry ricotta crumble cake, whilst I couldn’t go past the vanilla and rhubarb and the chocolate and honey. They are so good, that neither of us really want to share! We have to wait and hope that they’re there next week.

We ate a dinner of couscous, Lebanese green beans (cooked in tomato and onion with allspice), and grilled eggplant, zucchini, fennel, peppers.

Finally Sunday, the trial run of the chicken wings had gone so well we ate them with some roasted kipfler potatoes, watercress, a garlic and rosemary ciabatta. Our friend's children loved the wings (even with the chilli).  Then the cake.

What was on your menu this week?

Monday's Menu

Ok a quick post this week, with the return of some cooler weather, I craved warming food-

Monday- some cheese! We enjoyed the leftover lamb souvlaki for lunch, and then our window seat had been delivered, and neither of us wanted to get up and leave it to cook dinner, so we just nibbled on some parmesan!

Tuesday- after enjoying a beef burger with the lot from the Devil's Kitchen on Sandy Bay Rd, we ate a rustic Caesar salad for dinner.

Wednesday- Spaghetti and meatballs! Enough said.

Thursday- stir fry vegetables and rice noodles with a heap of mint.

Friday - My comfort food meal (it was cool and rainy on Friday evening), Bratwurst sausages with mash and peas and my favourite Dijon mustard. Oh and my lovely husband bought us some sweet little macarons for dessert.

Saturday - I thought I'd share our little lunch of a washed rind sheep's cheese and a very, very ripe goats cheese and sourdough bread.

Dinner was lamb shanks roasted in the Weber, basted in the left over red wine sauce from last weekend's pears, with baked potatoes and spinach. We love this mini roast lamb dish.

Sunday- A lamb shank and vegetable soup with home baked potato bread.

Oh and I can't resist sharing our trial run of the Profiterole tower for Maisy's baptism. Still working on the consistency of the creme patisserie. I asked my brother how they were, his reply "explosive"! What's been on the menu at your home this past week?