popsicles for a hot day

Have you heard? We're expecting a high of 43 degrees today in Sydney. I stepped out earlier to buy something from the chemist - my one and only outing for the day - and it felt like being hit by a brick wall of heat. It reminded me of Darwin. Whenever it's this hot and humid I always feel as though we should be trying to eat the air, rather than breathe it.

Other than staying inside as much as possible, days like today call for ice water, salads for dinner (in anticipation of the heat, I made pasta salad yesterday for tonight's evening meal), and popsicles, obviously.

I made these by blending about 1 cup of natural full fat yoghurt with 1.5 bananas and a tablespoon or so of honey. I separated that into 2 bowls, throwing mixed berries into one and roughly chopped frozen peaches into the other. I filled up my popsicles moulds, popped them into the freezer last night and voila! An icy cool treat to carry me through today.

Stay cool (and SAFE) my Aussie friends!

p.s. another, more exact, popsicle recipe is here

merry

Yesterday I put on some Christmas tunes, tied on my apron and got to work making something that's been on my list to try for a long time: the pioneer woman's cinnamon rolls. Since I don't have an industrial kitchen, or the wherewithal to make the bazillion buns the normal recipe does, I used the quantities I found here. It was the perfect amount.

In between the making, while I waited for dough to rise, I got myself organized to finally send out some christmas cards. Beautiful stationary always helps, so I picked up some Rifle cards and excitedly got to use my custom address stamp from Oh My Deer for the first time. Seeing as how I'm just gettting around to this, it's safe to say that no one will actually receive said cards before christmas, but it's the thought that counts, right?

By the end of the morning I was mailing off a few cards and going to visit a friend's brand new baby with a plate of cinnamon rolls in my hands. And people, holy crap, they are good! Almost as good as my beloved Grounds for Coffee (Vancouverites you know what I mean, right?).

the dinner challenge, update & a baked risotto recipe

Last week, my husband and I spent 7 days trying to make a different recipe each night. It ended up taking us 9 days (including a night out and a night we ate leftovers) but I'm still considering it a success. It was great to stretch our creative muscles in the kitchen and not eat the same things over and over again. We ate:

• black sesame otsu from super natural every day
• pizza pockets
• vegetarian vindaloo curry
• baked prawn risotto with thai flavours (so, so good! recipe below)
• pasta with tomato cream sauce from the pioneer woman
• wild rice casserole also from super natural every day
• weeknight curry also from super natural every day

Baked prawn risotto with Thai flavours

• 300 ml stock (I used vegetable) - I used half stock, half white wine
• 1 stem lemon grass, bruised
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons oil (I used grape seed)
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1.5-2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1.5 cups arborio rice
• 300 ml coconut cream
• 600 g raw prawns (peeled and deveined with tails intact) - I didn't include this because I'm a vegetarian, but my husband threw them into his portion

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (450 degrees F). Pour the stock into a saucepan, add the lemon grass and half of the kaffir lime leaves. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Stir in the curry paste and cook for a further minute, or until fragrant. Stir in the rice until well coated. Strain the stock into the rice then add the coconut cream. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, stir in the risotto well, then bake for a further 10-15 minutes. Add the prawns and mix them well into the rice. If the mixture looks dry add some more stock. Bake for a further 10-15 minutes or until prawns are cooked through and rice is tender. Serve the risotto in bowls garnished with lime leaves.

the dinner challenge

the dinner challenge

photo credit

After feeling like we were getting into a rut with what we eat for dinner each night, husband and I decided to set ourselves a little challenge:

Each night for 7 nights, we have to make something new and different for dinner.

To be clear, this doesn't mean that each night has to be something completely new; we just have to use a different recipe. I.e. we can have pasta, but it has to be a recipe that we've never tried. We kicked it off on Sunday night with the soba noodle salad from Super Natural Every Day (my favourite veggie cookbook right now). Other sources of inspiration are: a cozy kitchen, the veggie mama, and whole family fare.

So... would any of you care to join us in this challenge? I'll be posting a recap at the end of the week.

apple crumble yum

This weekend was a wellies and peacoat kind of weekend. A weekend of sniffles, a sore throat and a cold I've been trying to shake. So I stayed close to home and drank lots of green smoothies, coconut water and warm, comfort foods.

Last night I felt like baking so I whipped up a simple crumble with the apples I got at the market earlier that day. I used this recipe that I've posted before, just swapping the pears for apple slices. Though I have to say, if you like topping, you may want to double just that part of the recipe. Either way, comfort food at its finest!

holy guacamole!

Breaking news friends...

Our avocado tree has just given birth!

Ok, so we always knew that we had 2 avocado trees in the backyard, but until recently neither had borne any fruit. My flatmate and I were so excited today to step outside and pick some avos straight from our tree. We both had avocado toast for lunch, and I'm sure we'll be making guacamole soon. I think I'm just so excited because this kind of thing would never happen in Canada!

butternut pumpkin soup

It's been pretty chilly here in Sydney this week, and even chillier inside my house. Whereas in most parts of the world winter means bundling up to go outside, and shedding layers when you're inside, my experience of Sydney is the exact opposite. When I'm home I'm usually wearing about 10 layers (which often includes a toque!), but outside I can still get away with cardigans and open shoes. Oh, and I should mention that it isn't just me, everyone says the same thing!

But what I actually want to talk about is soup, glorious soup to warm your belly. I picked up a butternut pumpkin at the market on Sunday, which became this simple soup last night.

Butternut pumpkin soup

- 1/2 of a butternut pumpkin (otherwise knows as butternut squash)

- 1 big onion

- 4 cups veggie stock

- salt and pepper

Peel and roughly chop your pumpkin. Do the same with your onion. Throw your pumpkin, onion, 4 cups of veggie stock and some salt and pepper into a heavy pot. Cover with a lid and leave at medium heat for about half an hour, or until the pumpkin is soft. Throw it all into a blender (I did this in 2 batches - nobody wants hot splattered soup all over the kitchen!) until smooth. Enjoy!

Cranberry Coffee Cake, just cause

Last night when I got home from yoga I wanted to make a cake. I also wanted for that cake to involve sour cream. Don't ask me why; but the stomach wants what the stomach wants so I obliged. If you too feel like making a cake (with sour cream) for no particular reason, give this recipe a shot:

Cranberry Coffee Cake

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup cranberries (I used dried)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (you could probably use any kind of nut)

GLAZE:

3/4 cup icing sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1 Tbsp warm water

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. Sift dry ingredients together, then add to creamed mixture. Add sour cream and almond extract.

Place half the batter in a tin (I used a bundt tin cause I felt like it) then spoon the cranberries over this. Top with remaining batter and sprinkle nuts on top. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 45-55 minutes (mine was done at 45 minutes).

For the glaze, combine the 3 ingredients then drizzle over warm cake.

Yum, yum.

rosella tea

My housemate, Sandy, has this awesome habit of bringing home crazy foods that I've never heard of. Last week, she casually said "here, try this banana passionfruit." To which I responded: "That doesn't exist, you made that up!"

This week she made this beautiful tea out of rosella flowers and ginger. Floating in the water, the blooms looked like little jellyfish.

It's so nice to live with people who love food, or tea in this case :)

lately, in my kitchen...

Lately, in my kitchen I have...

Made up a BIG batch of orange and walnut granola. Funny story: I realized as I was almost finished making this that I had actually been following a recipe for oatmeal muffins. Oops. I saved it, but I have to admit it's not the best granola ever.

Made vegan chocolate peanut butter cups one too many times. They are just so damn addictive.

Loved the look of these bottles filled with seeds. Reducing, reusing, recycling in action.

Laughed at how much my roommate loves her label maker. But really, I do too.

Snacked on a feijoa. Made my day.

What's been happening in your kitchen lately?

vegan gluten free pancakes

Yup, you read that right. I'm about to share a recipe for vegan & gluten free pancakes. Mm hmm.

Now, I am neither vegan or gluten free. In fact, I freaking love gluten, and while I am a vegetarian, veganism is beyond my grasp at this point. My flatmates, however, are vegan and gluten free so I'm slowly getting used to their style of cooking and their oh so interesting pantry. So whether or not you are vegan, veggie or gluten free, I firmly believe that having a few recipes up your sleeve like this one will come in handy.

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free self raising flour (or normal flour if that's cool with you)

pinch salt

teaspoon baking powder

1 cup soy or nut milk

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon oil (I used macadamia oil, coconut could also work, or just vegetable oil)

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl and then tip into the dry ingredients. Mix together but be careful not to over mix!

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Ladle in your pancakes (I used a measuring cup) and turn when they start to bubble up on the edges. Flip and cook the other side. Serve with maple syrup and/or jam.

Yum.

plum and chocolate clafoutis

So as I was uploading these photos to post on my blog, I was hanging out with my friend Maz (of buddha belly bites) and chatting about her new raw vegan cafe. Yeah, um, this dessert is neither vegan or raw or in any way healthy, not gonna lie. But it is scrumptious.

It's a plum and chocolate clafoutis and I found the recipe here.

I've only made clafoutis once before, and, failing to understand the texture, ended up with a tin full of slop. This time around was a vast improvement. I highly recommend whipping one up and serving it with tea. Flowers don't hurt either.

easy apple tart recipe

Last time my mom came to visit me in Australia, she made this really yummy apple tart for dessert. I couldn't quite remember and/or find the recipe but I decided to just go for it yesterday and it worked out quite nicely. The best part is, you only need 3 ingredients!

Wanna make your own? Here's the recipe:

Easy Apple Tart Recipe

2 apples (I used golden delicious apples but any kind that are good for baking will do)

1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry

little bit of white sugar

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Lightly grease a baking tray.

Cut the apples into quarters, remove the cores and then slice them finely. You want the pieces to be quite thin so that they will lay nicely.

Take your puff pastry and make 4 circles. I did this by choosing a small plate, laying it down on the pastry and then cutting around it with a sharp knife. Easy peasy.

Arrange your apple slices on your puff pastry circles, overlapping the middle corners. Don't worry if they're sticking up, they'll flatten out nicely in the oven.

Sprinkle about a teaspoon (don't worry about being exact!)of sugar over each tart.

Pop in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve warm with a dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

p.s. I reckon this is a perfect dessert for a dinner party because you only need a few things, it takes about 5 minutes to assemble and you end up with a beautiful dish that's yummy to boot ♥

my life in iphone photos: round 11

Thinking I need a haircut. Drinking tea.

Rearranging at home. Cinnamon roll, yum!

Bourke St Bakery with nicole. A lovely building in Newtown.

Homemade noodle rolls for dinner. I made bread (as you know already)!

Catching up with a friend. Looking through our wedding album.

Australia Day. I love Arrested Development, and friends who wear Arrested Development t-shirts.

Making. Being lazy on the weekend.

Out for drinks with friends. On the windowsill.

I'm linking up with Jenni today, to check out other people's iphone shots go here. I hope you all had a great weekend!