Research

There's something quite romantic about holidaying in Winter. Big glasses of red wine in front of the open fire, and getting all rugged up in scarves and boots. 

I'm heading away to Bowral with two of my dearest school friends next weekend. Last year we headed to Daylesford because we couldn't make each other's 30th birthdays, and we had so much fun that we committed to a little girls weekend every year.

Lill and I are driving to Canberra where we'll spend the night with Kate before driving up to Bowral the next day. We're staying at Peppers Manor House, divine!

So much indulgence to be had . . . but where do we start?

Does anyone have any suggestions? Please do share!

High on my list is brunch at Biota and a visit to the Bradman Museum, but any other must-sees while we're adventuring in the Southern Highlands?

Please email me with any suggestions!

xx

Playing dress up

 

Okay, so we've all seen it already but I couldn't help myself.

 

I do get a bit gushy with a gorgeous country landscape. Just wish dear old Isabel had a gorgey brother we could perve on. Nothing like a bloke in RMs, moleskins and an Akubra to get the heart racing.

 

I digress.

 

This is my pick from the collection. My friend Alice had already emailed it through to me before the Country Road email landed in my inbox. We are on the same page, this Alice and I.

 

 

Buy it here.

 

I want to get a felt hat for Winter. I think it will be very 'Melbourne' of me - but I don't want to look like a try-hard. The name on everyone's lips is lack of color (the spelling annoys me, especially  because it's an Australian brand) so I'm keen to invest and experiment. Surely black is safe and I'll totes look the part? Yay or neigh, friends?

 

 

 

Shop it here (sans saucy bra thing)

 

Speaking of hats and looking the part, think I need one of these beauties for the footy (don't mention Sunday's game, but we can talk about the Showdown for a bit longer yet can't we!?)

 

 

 

Question is, which colour? Isn't Tina a scream? Couldn't ask for a better model for Lady Chatterley's Affair than the pretty lady herself.

 

Beat the rush and get your mitts on a beanie yourself here.

 

xx

 

 

 

 

Get some pork on your fork

I'm trying to cut back on buying magazines but I just can't walk past Donna Hay in the supermarket.

Her food stylists are masters and I just love how her food looks. Of course, I can never replicate such beauty, but the recipes are just so easy that I'm willing to give it a shot.

I had Ad and Nick over for dinner the other night so that Nick could set up my itunes and iCloud and all the rest of it. I've got no idea what it all means! He has the patience of a saint and fingers crossed has me all sorted when my phone - including all photos and contacts - is deleted from the system when I leave my job.

Scary how much we rely on phones these days!

Anyway, I wanted to do one big final cook up before I pack up my kitchen.

I'm in the mood for comfort food so settled on a pork and lemon ragy with crispy sage. Perfect Sunday night fodder.

It was delish and even the leftovers were good.

pork and lemon ragu with crispy sage

Serves 4-6

1 Tbspn olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1.5kg boneless pork neck, cut into 8 pieces (I had no idea what this was so asked the butcher and he said it was pork scotch fillet)

sea salt and cracked black pepper

1 brown onion, sliced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup (250mL) dry white wine

1 x 400g can cherry tomatoes

1/2 tspn dried chilli flakes

1/4 cup (6ml) lemon juice

2 Tbspns finely grated lemon rind

2 cups (500ml) chicken stock

24 sprigs sage

1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil

12 slices rye sourdough bread

1. Preheat oven to 180. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based ovenproof saucepan over high heat.
2. Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper and cook, in batches, for 3-4 minutes each side or until browned.
3. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4  minutes or until the onion is softened.
5. Add the wine and cook for 2-3 mins until reduced by half.
6. Add the cherry tomatoes, chilli, lemon juice, 1 Tbspn lemon rind, stock and half the sage and stir to combine.
7. Return the pork to the pan and bring to the boil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven.
8. Cook for 2 hours - 2 hours and 30 mins or until tender.
9. Stir through the remaining lemon rind, set aside and keep warm.
10. Increase oven temp to 220. Heat the vegetable oil in a small non-stick frying pan over high heat. 
11. Add the remaining sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds or until crisp. Drain on absorbent paper.
12. Place the bread on a large baking tray and brush with oil. Bake for 4-5 mins or until toasted.
13. Serve the pork with the sauce and bread and top with the crispy sage.

Donna Hay - Autumn Winter 2013

(I served mine with mashed potato and used fig and fennel sourdough which was the perfect match for the pork)

Enjoy xxx

Pie in the sky

The only thing I know about Reader's Digest magazines is that they made a great resource for school projects when I was little.

We used to cut them to shreds and use pics on posters, or fold in the pages and spray in gold to make a Christmas tree or angle.

Sound familiar?

Well, my appreciation of this publication soared through the roof this weekend when I tried a recipe that was sent to me by my friend Kelly (mother of the delicious little Max, my Godson)

They were so soo sooo easy and tasty like you wouldn't believe. I made one big pie for four rather than individual ones in muffin tins and it took a bit longer to cook, but it used less pastry which is better for the waistline!

Chicken & Leek Pies
Makes 4
Cook & Prep Time: 45mins
Recipe from here

Ingredients
500gms diced chicken breast
1 Leek sliced finely
1 Tblsp Cooking Oil
1 Tblsp Seeded Mustard
3 Sheets Puff Pastry
250mls Sour Cream
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 large egg lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 200'c. Brown leek and chicken in frying pan with oil til leek is soft and chicken is light golden colour. Add sour cream, mustard and chicken stock to pan, stir til combined and simmer for 10mins so sauce thickens. Then turn off pan while preparing pastry.
2. Lightly oil muffin/pie pan. Cut 4 pastry rounds and insert into pan. Prick base of pastry with a fork and bake for 5 mins. (This method stops your bottom from going soggy.)
3. After 5mins remove from oven, spoon chicken mixture into base and cover with 4 pastry rounds making sure to seal edges of pie by pinching sides together. Pearce lid twice with knife to allow air to escape while cooking. Brush beaten egg over pie top to give cooked pie a lovely golden crust.
4. Place in oven for 10 to 15mins til pie top is crispy and golden. Serve immediately with fresh garden salad and boiled baby spuds.

Some like it hot

How are you all coping with Winter? I love the comfort food that's associated with this time of year but am getting sick of the same old same old sides - heavy, stodgy and waist-line hating evils.

Yes, I'm talking potato gratin, duck fat roast potatoes, creamy mash and the lot.

There seem to be so many more options in Summer.

I am a meat and three veg girl from way back and have found a way to combine the warming nature of roast veggies with the lightness of a salad.

This salad is perfect with pork and I'd love some speck or chorizo tossed through. I have served with roast lamb and marinated chicken breast too, so easy!

Now, I've kind of adopted this recipe and made it my own with no clear cut measurements. So apologies if you're a precise kind of cook and this drives you nuts!

Roast pear and fennel balsamic salad

Serves 3-4

1-2 beurre bosc pears, cored and sliced into wedges

1 fennel bulb, sliced into wedges

1 red onion, peeled and chopped into wedges

half a bag of baby spinach

1 Tbspn olive oil (or a light spray)

1-2 Tbspn balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

1. Lightly spray a roasting tray and put the oven on at 180C
2. Scatter the pear, onion and fennel pieces over the roasting tray
3. Pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the fruit and veg and scatter with salt and pepper
4. Put tray in the oven for about 35 mins or so or until the pears are soft and slightly coloured
5. Remove from oven and add spinach leaves to warm mixture, stir through  until spinach slightly wilted
6. Best enjoyed still warm with a side of pork

Snowy reception

I have a cold.

And I wish I could say it was from recklessly kissing cute boys in the snow.

But alas it's not.

I'm such a wuss when it comes to being sick. Everyone has to know about it. I'm the worst patient ever. I've headed over to Mum and Dad's with my box of tissues, tail between my legs, hoping to be spoilt with cups of tea and fruit cake . . . oh and Foxtel (if I can peel Dad away from the remote - oh the joys of your Dad taking early retirement!)

On a brighter note, I'm researching flights to New Zealand for a dear friend's wedding in December. To say I'm excited is an understatement. Hello hot weather! Hello long lost friends. Hello holiday!

Here's to big dreams (and fresh breath - the garlic I'm downing to rid this cold is a real mood killer . . . hence the lack of kissing cute boys in the snow perhaps?!)

Pinterest

Pie in the sky

I'm not a fan of Winter weather, but I do LOVE Winter food!

I had some gorgeous friends over for dinner the other night and after a woolly and wild day of weather, I felt like something comforting and warm.

This normally means something stodgy and terribly bad for the waistline, but I found a super dooper easy apple and pear pie recipe that I will be repeating over and over again this season.

Apple and pear pies

Serves 2

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Peel, core and thinly slice 1 medium apple and 1 small pear.
3. Combine fruit with 1 Tbspn lemon juice, 2 Tbspns finely chopped dried figs, 1 Tbspn caster sugar and 1/2 tspn ground cinnamon in a medium bowl.
4. Divide fruit mixture between two shallow 1 cup (250mL) ovenproof dishes (ramekins work well), cover with foil.
5. Bake about 10 mins or until fruit starts to soften.
6. Remove foil; top each dish with a scrunched sheet of filo pastry. Spray pastry with cooking oil; bake about 30 mins or until browned lightly.
7. Dust each with 1 tspn sifted icing sugar; serve each pie with 1 heaped Tbspn low-fat ice cream

Recipe from The Australian Women's Weekly 'the 21-day diet planner'

Not such a silly sausage

There are some dishes that excite all senses.

This is one of them.

Colour, flavour, texture, scent, warmth, spice, tang, comfort.

I have made a few variations of this before, but never combined all these flavours in one.

Out. Of. This. World.

I served it up as a side dish in the first instance (with pesto chicken and smashed roast potatoes) but then froze up the leftovers and ate it in its own right the next week. Just as good reheated - you should've smelt my kitchen!

A great dish for a single gal (although, I'm not sure how good it is for my new healthy eating regime?!)

Blah to that, it's Winter and I will NEVER sacrifice taste.

PS. Yes, that is a Laguiole fork. Susie Q (aka Mum) outdid herself in the birthday present giving stakes this year, and treated me to not the Laguiole steak knife set . . . but the whole cutlery set! Take note dear readers, writing an online birthday wishlist to your Mother can really work in your favour!

Garlic chickpeas and chorizo

Donna Hay

Serves 2 as a main

3 chorizo, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 Tbspn shredded lemon zest

250g cherry tomatoes

1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained

1/2 cup basil leaves

1 Tbspn lemon juice

finely grated parmesan, to serve

(I also added a handful of pitted kalamatas and LOVED them)

1. Heat a non-stick fry pan over medium-heat. Add the chorizo and cook for 3 minutes each side or until the chorizo is golden and crisp.
2. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute.
3. Place the tomatoes in a sieve and press to split and release some of the excess juice and the seeds
4. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas (and olives) to the pan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until heated through.
5. Stir through the basil and lemon juice.
6. Divide between serving bowls and sprinkle with parmesan to serve.

Recipe from Fast Fresh Simple - Donna Hay

A big piece of the pie

I've been away for work the past few days and with limited supplies in the fridge, was happy when Mum asked me over for Sunday night dinner.

She was trying a new recipe that her friend Bernece had recommended - lamb, mint and rosemary pies.

And, they were good!

Some of you may have seen the pics on Instagram but Mum wanted me to make it very clear on here that SHE did all the cooking, I just came along in the last ten minutes to help seal the pastry on top, cut the rosemary from out near the pool (it was freezing outside, so I find this a valuable contribution to the meal!) and brush with the egg wash.

But yes, she was the mastermind and I shouldn't take the credit!

The peas were my idea though, and Dad thought these were a delicious touch. He was a bit perplexed though when I served his up double decker style!

They're only muffin size, but I found one plenty enough for dinner. Have packed one up for my lunch tomorrow, yum! I'm sure they'd freeze well too, so think I'll knock up a batch of my own next week and wrap them up for Ron (as in later-on, not my new boyfriend!).

Thanks for sharing, Bernece!

Lamb, mint and rosemary pies

Makes 12

Ingredients

1 Tbspn olive oil

1 brown onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped

400g lamb mince

1 cup tomato paster

2 Tbspn mint jelly

1/4 cup chopped rosemary

sea salt and cracked black pepper

5 sheets store-bought shortcrust pastry thawed

1 egg, lightly beaten

12 sprigs rosemary to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Heat oil in non stick fry pan. Add onion, garlic and carrot and cook for 5 mins. Add mince and cook for 5 mins or until browned.
3. Add tomato puree, mint jelly, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook for a further 5 mins.
4. Cool completely
5. Cut out 12 x 11 cm rounds from the pastry and use to line 12 x 1/2 cup capacity (125mL) lightly greased muffin tins
6. Divide lamb between cases.
7. Cut out 12 x 18cm rounds from remaining pastry
8. Brush edge of pics with water, top with the rounds and seal edges
9. Brush with egg and stick the rosemary sprigs in through the top of the pie
10. Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden.