In my kitchen February 2015

Lots of lovely things have been happening in my kitchen since my first instalment of In my kitchen hosted by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial.  

I thought I'd just share a little about my eating style.

I'm not vegetarian or vegan but I really love exploring healthy alternatives to processed food and minimising how much meat I eat.  I thrill at cooking from scratch and using as much of our own produce and if I can organic products, but it's not always that easy living on a budget!

So here we go....

Our home grown purple garlic 

We found this shoulder of pork which was a bit on the fatty side so I slow cooked it in the oven for 7 hours on a rack so all the fat could render out...it was absolutely fall off the bone lip smackingly delicious!

This was my first attempt at making bap rolls and they were a hit and easy as you just put everything in the mixer using a dough hook.  Perfect carrier for the pork let me tell you.

My little lady and I had some cooking fun over the school holidays.  This dough can be found here.

My spin on pesto minus any parmesan...this one is kale, spinach, mint, basil, parsley, garlic, smidge of chilli, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice - all picked fresh from the garden - ah-mazing!

I made cauliflower bread that I used this recipe here as a base.  I changed the recipe a bit and chose to keep them flavour less, so no onion, garlic, nuts  or spinach.  I also added chia seeds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds.  They were pretty good, I toasted them in the toaster the next day and used them just like toast.

These eggplants became chips doused with salt and chilli & smeared with coconut oil.

I've been eating more fish and seafood and this medley of gummy shark, calamari, prawns, greens, herbs and chilli wrapped in foil with a smidge of coconut oil is rock'n' roll.

A visit to my favourite little nook in Melbourne's block arcade Gewurzhaus herb and spice market.  I got whole white peppercorns which can be hard to find and this gorgeous treat of vintage merlot salt which is just darling!  I've been using it on baked fish, chicken, slices of tomatoes & fresh basil - anything really!!

Thanks to Tania from the cooks pyjamas for the idea of making my own granola.  I also got inspiration from another friends recipe she found on this great website.  I made around 500g for a few dollars - a paleo muesli I saw at the health food shop the other day was $25 for 500g!!! WT...

And lastly in my kitchen are 2 chicken ornaments, 

 a milk jug and napkin holder, 

  to further celebrate getting my own real live little ladies which you can read about here.

So that's me for this month.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  There are so many of us on this little adventure to see everyone's kitchen, but if you leave me a comment I will be sure to come and take a peep into yours.

Ciao, Jan x

pumpkin and brown rice soup with walnuts

Hasn't winter kicked in! I'm one of those rare breed of people who actually loves winter.  I love the change of seasons and the excuse to snuggle inside with the heater on and recharge.  Days of constant sunshine and heat wear me down...I know, strange.  But true!

I've had the slow cooker out working for me so I can do my crochet.  Yep, it's official, I'm hooked on hooking.  I've finished a pretty blanket for my daughter and am now working on connecting one for me :D  

This pumpkin soup is nothing new, but the addition of brown rice is.  I just cut up 1/2 a pumpkin and add in whatever I have on hand ~ carrots, sweet potato, potato, celery, onion and garlic.  Plop it all into the slow cooker with a cup of well rinsed brown rice  with enough chicken stock to cover and turn the dial up to high for the next 4-6 hours.  

Blend and serve with crushed walnuts and a big dollop of natural yoghurt.

This is the easiest blanket as it's just a continuous granny square.  I just love this soft pink and green wool.

Now on to crocheting up my granny rug.

I think this is going to take awhile, lucky the weathers bad, no summer sun guilt here!!

What do you do to get you through a rough winter?

Ciao, Jan.

A little bit on the side

I've been in a bit of a food rut lately, mainly the side dishes we have been having have become ho hum.  This week I was a bit inspired by Masterchef.  It's the first season I've watched in some time and I have falled for it hook, line and sinker.  I especially love the mystery box segments.  Seriously, these amateur chefs leave me open mouthed with what they cook under pressure and with time constraints.  How they manage to remember all these recipes they come up with has me thinking are they allowed to bring in a note book or do a quick google of a recipe? What do you think?!

I took up my own challenge and 

here is some of what I came up with this week to have on the side.

Some beans from the freezer with zucchini sliced up with the last of our cherry tomatoes.  Cook with a good knob of butter and a crushed garlic clove until beans are tender.  I added some fresh bread crumbs, parsley, flaxseeds and a good dose of salt and pepper.  This would also be great tossed through pasta, brown rice or cous cous.

This is a duck egg potato frittata.  A friend kindly gave us both chicken and duck eggs.  I was a bit gun shy using the duck eggs but they really were beautiful.  This has finely sliced potato and sweet potato which has been blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes, drained and dried.  They are added to 6 eggs, a splash of soy milk, 3 sliced spring onions and a scattering of parsley.  A few slices of brie turned this into a gourmet delight but some shaved cheddar or parmesan would be just as good.  I served it sliced in wedges ( 8 slices from this frittata) along side our meaty dish.

This cheats cauliflower cheese is a sinch and a sure family hit.  Boil the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes.  Drain and add to a small oven proof dish.  Grate some cheddar and mix with fresh bread crumbs with some chopped up almonds and top the cauliflower with this crunchy topping.  Bake for 25 minutes in a moderate oven.

And finally my spin on frozen peas.  I boiled the peas with some of our broad beans from summer along with 2 spring onions.  Drain and add knob of butter, fresh mint and salt and pepper, delish.

I hope these inspire you to mix up your sides this coming week.  Have you got any recipes that you make to move away from just plain old steamed veg?

Ciao, Jan x

bean poached eggs ~ it doesn't get more frugal than this!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm very lucky to have fellow foodies as friends and we love sharing recipes, home grown produce and little things we find on our travels.  We can talk endless about food and are always dreaming up the next meal while still consuming the current one.  I'm lucky that my husband and daughter love doing this too. One of my treasures I was given awhile ago, where these chilpotle peppers.  They come in a  100g tin and are easily added to lots of dishes, giving a smoking kick, but this dish I'm sharing really has to be the simplest yet one of the yummiest frugal meals we have been eating lately.  It's perfect for a Friday night nosh up or when you really, really need to go to the supermarket but just aren't up to it.  These ingredients are a must to keep in your pantry and fridge just for moments like these.

Empty 1-2 tins of good quality baked beans into a fry pan and bring up to a simmer. 

We always have rocket growing so I added a good handful of that to the pan along with 4 eggs or you can add more.

Pop on a lid or wrap in foil if you don't have one to fit and let the eggs poach in the beans until just still runny.

I also added some chopped up feta and fresh basil and a chopped up chilpotle peppers, but it's just as delicious without them.

I toasted some of our crusty homemade bread with a good spread of avocado.

Being a tight arse never tasted so good!

I'm finally getting to one of my bucket list for 2014 and that was to learn to crochet a granny square and hopefully a granny square blanket.  Let me tell you, I need a swear jar.  Goddang it ~ it's frustrating!!! But, surprisingly has me engrossed.  I've been scouring youtube and video based tutorials as I learn best watching.  I'm really enjoying it but haven't mastered it yet, all my attempts have been unstitched and I've still got just a ball of wool....after many trials but practice makes perfect, right?

Now...here's a test...who's still doing the 52 week money challenge?? It's week 22 for those that are :)

Ciao, Jan x

simple but delicious tomato and onion pie and week 13 of the money challenge

We have almost come to stand still with our tomatoes, almost.  There are buckets of green ones that are waiting to be sun kissed, but for now I'm eating them as much as possible.  They really are so unlike the ones you buy from the supermarkets and I'd encourage all of you to plant even just one tomato plant to try the difference for yourself

My nan has always made individual tomato and onion pies to go with her legendary roast dinners.  I've made this pie using the same ingredients but in a bigger pie dish.

For a start you need to slice enough tomatoes, around 3, not too thin, not too thick for the bottom layer.  Finely slice an onion and 5 cloves of garlic and spread them over the tomatoes.  Be generous with your salt and pepper at this stage and then add another layer of tomatoes.  Blitz up any leftover bread you may have.  I've used my no knead bread for this one.  I save all the butts and make breadcrumbs out of them and leave in the freezer for dishes just like this.

Chop your bread into small chunks and blitz with some tomato loving herbs ~ oregano, mint, basil and parsley.

Liberally cover the tomatoes with the breadcrumbs and dot with butter and pop into a 180c oven for approximately 40 minutes.  De-vine!

It's week 13 of the 52 week money challenge if you are playing along :)

Ciao, Jan

My perfect take away breakfast

We had to be in the city a few weeks ago.  A day trip filled with appointments and schedules to keep.  It was to be an early start so the night before I set to making my breakfast for the 3 hour road trip.  

I'm an organised traveller, and where I can I try at all costs to avoid having to eat crap fast food.

I've seen this idea all over the internet, it isn't a new idea by any stretch. My first attempt was with an overnight oat variety which i think was a wee bit too gluggy for me. Here is my lighter spin on a jar of breakfast.

I started with a good layer of natural organic yoghurt, a sprinkling of amaranth flakes and followed by an inch of stewed honey sweetened rhubarb.  Next was  a spoonful or 2 of my own mix of seeds and nut mix (goji berries, flaxseeds, chia seeds, chopped almonds, sultanas, and sunflower seeds), more yoghurt and topped off with some of my favourite walnuts chopped and a drizzle of honey. The next morning all I had to do was shower,  make a coffee, grab my breakfast from the fridge and go. 

On the way home, we were tired and hungry and wouldn't you know it we succumbed to the golden arches.  They are so sneaky being next to petrol stations aren't they.  I needed a sugar fix fast for the journey home and ordered a fillet of fish and a soy mocha.  I had this flash back to when I was really young and we  made this trip to the big smoke with my Dad once a year.  Where we lived only had Ollies Trollies, no Mickey D's and I use to internally pine for it.  My father would never venture near these places so I use to watch them go by the car window and I'd be gutted.  There was one time I remember actually getting up the courage to ask..."Dad, can we please get some Mc Donalds, please"....I couldn't believe it when he said yes and I got my very own packet of cookies and a cheeseburger.

Silly isn't it what we love as kids, now here I was eating my almost cold fillet of fish, the bun not a bit like bread and the fish, well I'm sure there was some of the fillet in the mix somewhere....it always leaves me feeling used and abused!  

So tell me, do you pack your food for road trips or do you fly by the seat of your pants and just grab whatever is on offer?  

Ciao, Jan.

Rhubarb and Lavendar coulis

Well before Christmas I swindled some lavender from a friends garden with the intention of making cupcakes using lavendar sugar.  Lavendar is one of those scents most people love, but in a cupcake? I wasn't sold.  I went about making the sugar anyway.  It's dead easy.  All you need to do is find yourself a clean jar, 3/4 fill with caster sugar and drop in 6 or so washed and dried lavendar stems.  Give it a toss around and leave for 3-4 days, giving it a shake every once in a while.

You can sieve the lavendar out, or just pick it out and give it a shake off.  Leave in your cupboard for weeks or until you are ready to use it.

I've got one beautiful crown of Rhubarb that keeps on giving.  It needed a good harvest so had around 2 kg's of cleaned stalks.  I was looking around the kitchen and thinking of ways to use it up and came up with this gorgeous Rhubarb and Lavendar coulis.  It was meant to be jam, but, well it didn't quite work out :) I'm a quick learner, and Rhubarb has so much water in it, i'd have to use a mountain of pectin to get it to set, coulis it is!

To the chopped rhubarb I added one orange and one lemon.  I peeled the skin off as I wanted to leave it in the coulis.

To around 14 cups of Rhubarb, I added 2 cups of Lavendar sugar and 2 cups of normal sugar, 1 pkt of jam setting pectin and the citrus fruit.

As it's bubbling away nicely, skim off any skum that rises, these are impurities that are best removed gently with a spoon.  Try not to remove too much of the good stuff.  Gently boil for around 30 minutes and let sit for 5-10 minutes and then add to hot, sterilised jars from the oven.  You can read how to do that here.

This haul made around 6 small jars and was made for a few dollars.  It is just scrummy on yoghurt, icecream, a few tablespoons folded through some banana muffins before they hit the oven or even folded through an apple crumble.

It really is so rewarding, making use of all that's coming in from the garden in new ways.  I can see a new love affair with jam's and preserves unfolding!
Do you make your own jam or preserves? What are you bottling up at the moment?

Ciao, Jan.