The Recipe Swap

I am so excited to be part of the up-coming recipe swap! 

THE GROUP: Old hands Dennis, Mari, Nay, Toni, Sabrina and Lindsay are on this group list. Each of these bloggers are articulate, fun and passionate bloggers whose creativity never ceases to amaze. From charter member, to punk domestic to wine lover to food explorer to gluten-free to professional chef, their small bios are up of them on Christianna's site.

The following are joining the recipe swap for the first time:
1. Jennifer, a gluten free-type
2. Cindy, a colleague of Christianna's who she has 'guilted' into joining
3. Joy,
4. Monique, a fellow food blogger who contacted Christianna for work purposes who she completely inappropriately diverted into a personal conversation about the recipe swap and then roped her in to (possibly) her first swap. (quote end quote)

AND...ME - the first international participant!

I found out about the recipe swap by regularly reading Chef Dennis' blog. After leaving a few comments on some of the outstanding ideas, Christianna contacted me to see if I would like to join the group ... and of course I said YES!

I've been busy in the kitchen and can't wait to post my final creation!

Gett'n Dippy With It

Summer is filled with excitement - it means that people are all trying to get outdoors and enjoy the perfect weather. And what do we all need to accompany our outdoor activities? Some delicious picnic treats!

Although we haven't experienced the best summer conditions, this weekend provided us with excellent weather for TROPFEST! 

The popularity of Tropfest, the world's largest short film festival, continues to grow rapidly in the national capital. So much so that the nation's capital crowd is the largest crowd outside of Sydney - ACT movie fans enjoyed the fine weather, great venue and pre-screening entertainment. Our picnic crew enjoyed some pretty delicious treats as well :)

Each year, Tropfest receives over 600 film entries, made specifically for the festival. Film entrants are required to follow a few essential guidelines - the film must be a maximum of 7 minutes and must include the Tropfest Signature Item, which this year was 'key'.

One of my favourite things to enjoy at a picnic is a cheese board - too bad I am lactose intolerant. I am really bad and sometimes eat the cheese much to the dismay of my partner Phillip... It's just too good - I'd rather just enjoy it and put up with the pain later.

APRICOT & COCONUT CHEESE

250 grams cream cheese, softened

15 dried apricots, diced

2 tablespoons toasted decicated coconut

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon apricot jam

1 vanilla pod (just add the insides)

Mix all the ingredients together, roll into a disk and then wrap in plastic. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavours blend. Serve with sesame crackers and extra dried apricots (oh and I really enjoy it with green grapes). 

So I didn't go over board with the cheese, I also packed some dairy fee dips to enjoy with lots of yummy veggies. I made a hommus and a guacamole... you'll find my guacamole recipe here - but my hommus recipe is below

HOMMUS (adapted from Bill Granger's recipe)

2 cans of chick peas

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon Tahini

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Pour chick peas into a bowl, over with cold water and leave over night. Drain the chick peas and then add to a boiling pot of salted water. I also add the cloves of garlic so that they are less bitter than raw garlic. Boil for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Place cooked chick peas into a blender add garlic, lemon juice, tahini, 1/4 cup of oil. Place the lid on the blender and blend - adding oil until the desired consistency.

Serve with strips of celery, red capsicum and carrot.

Your Place or Mine?

This is a very exciting post. Why you may ask? Well…

A) It was my birthday in late January, so I had the opportunity to catch up with my good friend Neats (Anita) and have lunch at one of our favourite spots ‘Flute’. What’s so goo about ‘Flute’ (located at 8 Barrier St, Fyshwick ACT), you may ask? This is one of the best bakery/patisseries in Canberra! If you’ve got a craving for some of the best sourdough, or a perfectly flakey aroma filled pie (the lamb and the beef are my favourites), or a mouthwatering cake – you’ll find it here! The windows will delight you with their amazing beauty and the smell is heavenly, but don’t get stunned trying to choose, because the queue behind you is growing. Be thankful that they aren’t open on the weekend, as your waistline could take a serious beating.

B) Neats gave me a wonderful cookbook for my birthday entitled ‘Your Place or Mine?’ by Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris (from Master Chef). This book is so interesting! It celebrates good produce, great cooking and a legendary kitchen friendship. It’s so interesting to see how each chef’s influences affect how they choose to cook the exact same key ingredient.

C) Phillip and I finally decided to give up on house hunting and build a house! And we have chosen our builder and actually have an approved plan! Can you believe it!!!! I can’t wait to have a place of my own – don’t get me wrong, I am so thankful to Phillip’s parents for letting us stay with them, and I will miss their company (especially on the nights that Phillip has to work late). But I’ll also enjoy sleeping in, leaving the dishes in the sink, having my friends around for dinner parties (get ready for some exciting/crazy posts … in June), planting a veggie garden of my own, and cooking whatever I would like!

Oh and just incase you thought that you were going to miss out on an actual recipe – here one is! It’s simple and delicious and has minimal washing up…I love it!

Baked Beetroot Dip (adapted from ‘Your Place or Mine?’)

3 large beetroots
500 grams of Australian Feta
1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Peel and wash the beetroots. Cut in half and place into a baking dish. Roll the beets in oil and then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes at 200 degrees.

Into a blender, crumble the feta and add diced beets. Add lemon juice and a drizzle of oil. Blend. Add a little more oil until you find a consistency that you like. Season with salt and pepper and then enjoy! EASY!

Around the World

It’s Philip’s favouite time of the year – the Multicultural Festival is in town. The heart of Canberra comes alive – with the city centre filled with the scent of culturally significant dishes, the sound of traditional music, and the site of yet another foaming plastic cup of beer!

It actually is quiet a good weekend where the Nation’s Capital comes alive to celebrate our rich and vibrant cultural diversity. The festival draws performers and visitors from across the nation and globe. Over 100,000 people attended the event in 2010 & I’m expecting them to let us know that there were more this year!

Phillip had been talking about the festival for weeks in advance, and was like a kid in a candy shop when we arrived on Friday night. I was surprised that so many people turned out for the first night, as it was raining quiet heavily – but it didn’t stop those people who were lining up for a German Beer or Dutch Pancakes (the two most popular stands)!!

Some of my favourite dishes from over the weekend (yes, we were there Friday night, Saturday afternoon/ evening and Sunday lunchtime) included: a German Kransky & Sourkrat Roll, a Mexican Burrito, some Croatian Chavarpi, some Turkish Gouzlami, an excellent Thai Pad Thai with Fresh Prawns, some Dutch Pancakes…and this great dish from El Salvador - Pupusa.

A pupusa is a thick, handmade corn tortilla delicately filled with a unique blend of savory fillings such as cooked pork, seasoned beans, a mixture of aged and fresh cheese or other fillings, and then placed on a hot frying pan (or in the case of the Multicultural Festival a hot flat BBQ surface) until the crust turns golden.


Pupusa

2 cups Masa Harina
1 cup water
1 can refried beans
1 can Mexican beans
1 cup shredded cheese

Stir the masa harina and water together in a mixing bowl until smooth; knead well. Cover bowl, and let the dough rest 5 to 10 minutes. Shape the dough into eight, 2 inch diameter balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into 6 inch diameter round.

In a bowl mix together beans and cheese. Roll into small balls and place in the middle of the disk of masa harina. Pinch in the edges together to seal in the cheese.

Top with one of your favourite salsa (something thin, not a thick, chunky tomato salsa)…you may find the perfect salsa here (http://delatierrablog.blogspot.com/search/label/Salsa%20Recipes)

Heat ungreased frying pan over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla into the skillet at a time, and cook until cheese melts and tortillas are lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side.

Valentine's Day Breakfast

When you think of Valentine's Day, you think of champagne, chocolate and strawberries...Well, that's where I thought that I would begin when I decided to make Phillip something special for Valentines day!

Phillip loves pancakes - especially chocolate pancakes with strawberries. I think that if I made this for breakfast every day: a) we'd be engaged and b) we'd be approximately 40 kgs heavier...the chocolate pancake and fresh strawberries aren't too bad on their own, but when you add the cream, ice-cream and if I'm feeling generous, hot chocolate sauce - is when you'll start having issues.

I'm sure that people would look at this and think - 'Why didn't you do something to the strawberries?' But the truth is that a perfect red, ripe, summer strawberry is perfect just the way it is! Maybe if we were more in spring or autumn and they were missing a little something, you could add some champagne and icing sugar to enhance their sweetness. But these were perfect just the way they were.

Oh and as required in every Valentine's Day recipe - I've added lots and lots of LOVE xox

Chocolate Pancakes with Fresh Strawberries
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons coco powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 punnets of fresh strawberries
Oil

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, coco, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, water, eggs and melted butter. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook.

Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over a medium high heat.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Pour of scoop the batter into the frying pan, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Top with fresh strawberries, whipped cream or ice-cream.

No, I don't want you to push my trolley

You wouldn't believe me if I told you - but I am about to tell you and it's all a little crazy.

Yesterday, Phillip called me on my way home from work and asked if I would call in to Woolies (Woolworths at Dickson) and pick up a few things. I'd been away at a Hens Weekend, so there wasn't things for dinner or lunches throughout the week... So I called into Dickson, pulled out a trolley and began to 'meander' down the isles with 'purpose'.

I picked up ingredients to make beef tacos, butter chicken and teriyaki chicken drumsticks. I picked up items for me to take for lunch, I picked up Phillip's requests of ice-creams, chips and chocolate. I'm not usually the one to eat the junk, but it never surprises me that when ever I am at the shops Phillip can sniff it out and request me to pick some up!

I noticed out of the corner of my eye two guys doing their grocery shopping - and they looked to be stopping and looking at things as I did. I didn't really think much about it - I really just wanted to get home after a long day at work and make dinner...

I finished up my shop and got to the register. The boys lined up along side, smiling and trying to make eye contact. Again, I didn't really think much about it, I paid for my groceries and I walked out to the car park.

The boys were waiting when I got outside and asked me if I needed help pushing my trolley. I said that I was fine and continued walking, they walked along side me asking me:

'Do you want to come home and make us dinner?'

'Are you single or taken? Cause if you're taken do you have a sister that could make us dinner?'

'Why don't you want to come home with us?'

I began with being polite and saying I had a partner and that I wasn't interested in their proposal. But as they became more inappropriate, I told them to 'F*ck off'. I got into my car and they followed me all the way to my suburb. I was scared - thankfully, when I pulled into my street they drove off.

When I got inside, I told Phillip and his parents what had happened. Phillip asked why I hadn't called him sooner. I just brushed it off and thought that I could take care of myself... but the thing is, the world isn't as safe as it used to be.

What if those guys had pulled me into their car and taken me? What is the world coming to when you can't even go to the shops and pick up some groceries without getting harassed?

Courses for a Cause

This looks amazing - and I thought that if you're a fellow foodie in Canberra you might be interested in Courses for a Cause!



OutInCanberra and The Mark Agency, with the support of local restaurants and businesses, will host Courses for a Course, with 100% of donations split between the Queensland Premier's Flood Relief Appeal and the Red Cross Victorian Flood Appeal.

Thursday 10th February will see a host of top restaurants across Canberra treat Courses for a Cause guests to an unforgettable evening of dinner, drinks and indulgence.

Following the dinner, entertainment continues at the exclusive Courses for a Cause after party at Tongue and Groove.

To secure a seat - you'll need to make a donation of $2500 for a table of 10 or $1250 for a half table of 5. To make your donation you need to contact OutInCanberra at admin@outincanberra.com.au or call 6257 6644.

Stuffed Paprika

I've come to find myself interchanging Croatian words with English words - pretty good seeing as it's only been 6 months since I've been living with Phillip's parents. Although, I have been around the language for about 6 years now!

I try to pick up words here and there, because I know that Phillip's heritage is not only important to his parents, but is also important to him. (And I don't want my kids to be able to talk in Croatian behind my back.) I try to pick up recipes, all the time, that Milka makes because I want my kids to enjoy not only a sausage sandwich, a meat pie and a lamington - but some of Phillip's favourite Croatian fare.

Stuffed Paprika is stuffed capsicums to you and me, but stuffed paprikas to Milka (Phillip's Mum) conjures memories of being at home (in Croatia) with her family. Milka left home to come to Australia when she was 19.

Stuffed Paprika
10 small yellow capsicums
350 grams lean beef mince
350 grams pork mince
1 egg
1/2 a brown onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
2 tablespoons of cornflour
2 tablespoons of oil
4 tablespoons of paprika
1 tablespoon of vegeta

In a large bowl combine mince, egg, diced onion, diced garlic, diced fresh parsley, vegeta and 3 tablespoons of paprika.

Wash and remove the stalks & seeds out of the top of the capsicums.  Make sure that you don't damage the capsicum and are able to stuff it with the meat mixture. Roll the remaining meat mixture into meatballs. Place the stuffed capsciums and meatballs into a deep saucepan and cover with boiling water. Simmer for 15 minutes.

In another small frying pan place the oil and the flour and cook the flour off for approximately 1 minute. Then add the remaining paprika and a little bit of water. Add this thickening mixture to the capsicums and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and fresh garden salad.