Happy New Year! Welcome 2013!

Well Happy New Year.

 

I'm resolving to post more regularly in 2013. What happens when I get busy is I tend to fall back on tried and true dishes which means I end up with not that much that I think is exciting to post.

 

I will try harder.

 

Today is a gorgeous summer day in Sydney.

 

Dinner here inclueds a few favourites including:

Slow cooker bbq ribs

http://mysydneykitchen.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/slow-cooker-bbq-ribs.html

and

Creamed Spinach

http://mysydneykitchen.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/popeyes-favourite-spinach.html

 

We're also having corn and potatoes with sour cream.

 

My lovely daughter got a waffle maker for Christmas so she's on dessert.

We're ahving waffles with homemade triple berry ice-cream I made a few days ago to use up the last of the leftover Christmas berries.

 

It's a pretty yummy way to start 2013.

 

Cranberry vodka

I am not a woman in possession of a fine estate as Austen might say but I am a woman in posession of several bottles of vokda. How I came to have these is a long and elaborate story that sounds somewhat more interesting when one actually has vodka in hand, but not entirely fasciating even then.

 

My husband and I have made a few flavoured vodkas over the years including my favourite - vanilla - and his peppercorn. He likes it in a Bloody Mary because he swears that is how they make it at Harry's Bar in Paris.

 

http://www.harrysbar.fr/en/homepage/

 

Many years ago (before GPS and the internet and google) we spent hours searching the streets of Paris so he could take me to this bar, where he had been before because like Hemingway and Sartre he was rather fond of it.

 

Anyway after seeing some cranberry vodka on Pinterest I decided to try and make my own. All the versions I found used fresh cranberries which are elusive here in Sydney so we used craisins.

 

Cranberry vodka

1 packet of craisins

1 bottle of vodka (with about 1/4 removed).

 

1. Step 1 pour the crasins into the vodka bottle.

 

2. Step 2 - Wait.

 

Our vodka has now bee steeping for 3 days...and it tastes delish! Check out the colour.

You could either drink as is or strain and remove the fruit.

 

Here's a shot of the three flavours. That black pepper vodka has an amazing colour and is very spicy.

 

Christmas preparation

Gosh this blog has been negrelcted of late. I have been so busy that my cooking has been much more a collection of old favourites than new adventures.

 

It does so help to have recipes you can fall back on. Last weekend I went to a friend's booklaunch where I was helping with the food. Mid-week she announced she was having 90 guests.

 

So bright and early Sudnay morning I was up making four zucchini slices. Simple, economical and delicious.

http://mysydneykitchen.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/multi-purpose-zucchini-slice.html

 

Sometimes in December you don't have time to re-invent the wheel.

 

We're hosting our annual Christmas drinks again this year. I worry people will be bored with the same old thing but it appears not. My head count is at about sixty.

 

This year's menu has a similar structure as last...

 

People bring finger food and I make some too...I'd like to make something different this year but it could well be the usual fare of zucchini slice, smoked salmon canapes and 7-layer dip.

 

Baked ham and rolls

Sausage sizzle for the kids

Crockpot meatball and spagetti for the kids (I can pre-make the meatballs and throw them in the crockpot with sauce a few hours out). I like to pre-cook short pasta and have it cold for parties. By the time the kids add the meatballs their food is hot but not mouth-scorchingly so.

My husband's bbq paella

MYO sundae bar

 

Christmas itself we're hosting lunch for my husband's family and I think that is twenty-four.

 

I've already made sure all the non-food items are covered such as chairs, table cloths, cutlery, crockery so that in the week before I can concentrate on the food itself.

 

The menu is done and anything I can get ahead such as condiments, chips and snacks have already been purchased.

 

I'll be back to post more on the preparatio later.

Asparagus Caprese

 

Last weekend we were invited to a friend's house for a bbq and I was asked to bring a vegetable dish. I had some baby asparagus and decided to make a twist on the traditional Caprese Salad - you know the one where the tomato, bocconcini and basil are layered.

 

I already had all the ingredients in my fridge and cupboard and it seemed to me that these flavours would work well together and I was right! This was super simple and really yummy.

 

Aspargus Caprese (this served 6 as a side dish)

2 bunches aspargus

1 clove garlic

8 basil leaves shredded

8 cherry tomatoes quartered

6 baby bocconcinni cut into chunks

olive oil about 1/3 cup

balsamic vinegar about 1/4 cup

(You could include some olives if you like them!)

 

1. Bring a large pot of boiling water to the boil. Toss in the aspargus and cook about 3 minutes till just tender.

2. While water is boiling put cold water in a large bowl with some ice-cubes. When asparagus just tender drain and throw in iced-water to stop cooking.

3. Meanwhile combine other ingredients in a bowl, adjust olive oil and balsamic to taste.

4. When aspargus is cold tun onto a platter and top with caprese mix.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Four Ingredient Apple Tart

  Four Ingredient Apple Tart

 

This poor blog - so neglected. So unloved.

 

This last week I made this very yummy very cheaty apple tart. I didn't get a picture but it was super yummy  and very easy so I thought I'd share it anyway.

 

I adapted it from a recipe I saw on a cooking show. The lovely chef on that show made her own pastry and her own apple sauce from scratch. I did not.

 

Four Ingredient Apple Tart (or 5 if you count water)

1 pie shell or you could use a sheet of shortcrust pastry moulded into a pie shell

1 apple sauce

3 apples - peeled andsliced (I sliced mine in the food processor so it took about 2 minutes)

2  tablespoons Apricot Jam

 

1. Bake the pie shell as per the instructions.

2. Cover the base with about an inch of apple sauce

3. Arrange sliced apples attractively on top.

4. Bake till browned...about 30-35 minutes.

5. Meanwhile combine apricot jam with a tablespoon of water in a small saucepan stirring until melted.

6. Brush jam over top of pie for a nice sheen.

 

Enjoy!

 

My poor neglected cooking blog

My poor cooking blog has been neglected of late. I have has some camera issues which have meant when I have cooked something new and interesting the photos haven't worked.

One thing I find when I'm busy is that I tend to fall back on tried and true recipes rather than getting creative and making something new...it doesn't make for such an interesting read.

For example tonight we're having Chinese Style Ribs which I have already blogged about before. Simply because when I saw the right cut of on sale meat at the supermarket I knew it would be a quick (well not so much quick as not labour-intensive) and tasty dinner!

We still like to eat well when we're time poor and that's when planning comes it. I was putting something in my extra freezer today and I realised I had the makings of quite a few freezer meals and that it would be a really good idea to have a freezer cooking day.

The questions is when? It won't be this week...but maybe next. I am thinking food even if not much is happening.

So what have we been doing/eating? I've been focussing on making things that have a duel purpose or get us through two meals

I've taken to poaching some chicken breasts on a Sunday night and making half into chicken salad and half into chicken pasta salad. That's great for lunches. And the pasta salad is the same with pasta, corn and tomatoes...

Last week I made meatloaf so my husband and daughter would get meatloaf sandwiches for two lunches.

I turned last week's roast chicken into soup today which I had for lunch and will again on Thursday.

Chinese-style Ribs http://mysydneykitchen.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/chinese-style-pork-ribs.html

Oh yes and we did make this cake for my daughter's birthday last week. She had an archery party!



Yum cha from the Asian Grocery store

One of our favourite meals out is Yum Cha. I believe in the USA it's known as dim sum.

We like it because it's the sort of food we don't eat at home. It's a pretty inexpensive meal out overall but Chinatown yum cha definitely tastes better than suburban yum cha, at least in our part of town.

Today's solution was a trip to the Asian grocery store. For under $30 I got enough frozen and pre-made dumplings, spring rolls, pork buns etc to feed is for yum cha at home three times.

As you can see we fried some won tons and rice noodle rolls and steamed the rest. We already have an Asian steamer. these are available at all Asian grocery stores. They're also great if you want to steam fresh fish.

One of the things I like at yum cha is the simple Asian greens that are served with oyster sauce. So I batch of these as well. Greens lightly steamed, oyster sauce and sesame seed. So simple and so yummy.

This meal wasn't as fabulous as yum cha at The Regal or The Marigold but it was delicious and simple and inexpensive and something different. Now I have enough in the freezer that next time I won't even have to travel to the local shops.