Holiday food: Australia

The one thing I remember from the Australian restaurant menus is 'salt and pepper squid' and 'schnitzels'. We learnt that the Italians and the Greeks were the first to bring restaurant dining in Australia (correct me if I'm wrong) and you can see both cuisines everywhere. Of course, there were the usual burger joints that you get worldwide but there's no need for them when there's some great local places nearby.

I also loved the fact that there were salad bars as fast food outlets. I picked up on the fact that their lifestyle is definitely more healthier than ours. We saw hundreds of people running by the beach, there were people exercising everywhere and to be externally beautiful was top of the list in a lot of people's eyes. In comparison, in the UK there are hardly any healthy, fast food restaurants. I think this is a huge gap in the UK market. Burger chains have only just started selling salads on their 'menus' but they are a pathetic attempt and the burger still reigns as champion. We need fast, healthy food that packs a punch. We need it soon and I can feel it coming.

Going back to the food of kangaroo land, there were also big Asian influences from the surrounding Asian countries. We loved the noodle bars and there were plenty of sushi places like those cropping up in the West.


To the left is when we had some awesome (and very cheap) instant noodles on the table full of doodles from travellers at the Sydney Harbour hostel. It was the most amazing hostel I've been to...big recommendations to fellow travellers out there!

To the right, we stopped at a local noodle bar just off the beach at Bondi Beach and had laksa soup and chicken and mushroom coconut milk curry. It was beautiful. We went back to our Bondi beach hostel and collapsed in the heat. That was the night before Valentines Day.

The next morning, on Valentines, we woke and went down to the Lamrock cafe for pancakes, eggs and iced coffees. Perfect.

 I couldn't forget to mention that they love their local produce, especially in the smaller cities such as Perth. When we were there, we stayed with family relatives in Baldivis, and had local honey for breakfast and we also ate vegemite for the first time on toast. We were amazed that the honey not only said what honey it was but also what tree it came from. Amazing. All we get here is 'Oxfordshire honey'.

When the rain came, we had movie days and we had a lush day in Cronulla with snacks including Tim Tams, lollies, jaffas, popcorn,  and cheezels. Yum. The photo right is making homemade schnitzels in Wollongong.

 Of course, there was fresh fruit everywhere for most breakfasts. Loved this.

Then, of course, there were the BBQ's. Snaggers or snags (sausages to us Brits) and beef steak were mainly cooked on the barbie. Also, in Bowral on the farm, there were beef joints cooked and served with salad and baked potatoes in cheese and cream and onions (similar to my dauphinoise potatoes). They cooked as much as they could on the BBQ, it was the central family social party starter. It was the hub to the outside parties, it was the focal point of the evening (apart from the delicious beer, obviously!).

One last thing is not only did they love their food but they loved their drink. Ted (Tooheys Extra Dry) was popular as well as Corona (like it is here). Wine was obviously amazing and great value. I spotted some pale ale in bars but not the dark ale or stout that you get here (my Dad defo wouldn't be able to drink there!) as well as cider being introduced over there due to the influence of the Brits.

All I can say is that it was a yummy holiday!

ZP x

Back in my kitchen and happy to be home: Australia, you were amazing!

G'day everyone!

I'm back from Australia and here are the best pics from the month away. It was truly the best holiday I've ever been on and to be part of my cousin's special day was something I'll never forget. Thanks to all my family for the amazing hospitality. It was amazing to meet new family over in Perth - it's amazing where family adventures can take you! I'll be back soon everyone!

I'm already back in my kitchen and I'm happy to be back where all my cupboard essentials are. Home is where the condiments are! Over the past week since being back in England, I have really struggled with jet lag. I've been falling asleep at 7pm and waking very early in the morning, but finally, I seem to have got back to normal.

I've forgotten how I like cold mornings in England and how subtly beautiful the country is. We don't need crystal blue waters or 40 degree heat to be a great country. We've got history, frosty mornings and pubs. I've learnt that we, as a nation, are far too uptight and opinionated. We don't let go of negative emotions which, in the end, let our problems drain the life out of us. We are also crazy for road rage. Chill out and go on the back road. Don't let things affect you and enjoy every frosty morning.

We don't need the sun to be happy so I'll leave you with a small sign of spring to brighten your day. The changing of seasons is what we need to cherish the most:

 

I'll be posting more about the food we experienced over there very soon!

ZP x

Toad in the hole: rainy English weather food

So it's 5 days to go until I head off to Australia for a month. I can't wait for the Asian inspired food and fresh fish over there. I thought I'd leave with a scrummy English meal for you all to make while cuddled up with the rain lashing down: Toad in the Hole...

So, first, I part roasted the sausages and made the Yorkshire pudding batter to go with it (225g  plain flour, 4 eggs, 250ml milk). Heat oil in the dishes for 15 mins in a hot (180 degrees) oven. When oil is hot, put the sausages in and pour the batter around them. Bake for 30 mins until the batter is all puffed up.

To serve, mash some carrots and suede. Onion gravy goes down well here.

Enjoy the cold weather!

ZP x

Banana and nut cake: the easiest cake in town

Now this is one dessert that I don’t need to weigh anymore. I love my banana cakes and it’s different every time. To make it easy, use a simple Victoria sponge mix then add banana, mix nuts, and dried fruit. This time I creamed butter and sugar, beat in 2 eggs and then sieved in flour with a little baking powder. I mashed 3 very black bananas and then added them in with some vanilla extract and chopped up my leftover nuts and fruits from the cupboard. I baked until it smelt good and when it didn’t pull any raw cake out when pricked with a skewer.

Leave to cool for as long as you can and then serve with raspberries.


ZP x

Staying in vs. going out: a liquid diet

Searching through charity shops can lead to many exciting finds...so look what I found. It's a juicer!

I've been having fruit juice mixes for breakfast and it’s amazing! Orange, grapefruit and lemon/lime is a winner so far. Health kick for the morning, plus only £7 from a charity shop in Witney. Bargain.

On the other hand, when I fancy a treat, cocktails or drinks out are just what you want. When there's nothing impressive coming out the kitchen, skip dinner, and go for cocktails in some local bars down Little Clarendon Street in Oxford. It’s the best place for cocktails in town and you can spend the evening trying some cocktails tailoured to your tastes. Ask the barman and he’ll make you anything…just be prepared to have some stodgy food the following day to cure the drink blues! Blueberry pancakes and a steaming hot sweet tea is my cure (along with lots of cuddles!).

It was a brilliant evening, plus we bumped into my Mum coming out of the New Theatre on the way home…strange coincidence!

(8 days until Australia!)

ZP x

Coffee table platter: lazy, romantic dinner for two

Stuck for dinner tonight? Simply raid the deli at your local market or supermarket and pick up bread, pate, cheese, meats, olives, marinated peppers, hummus and anything else you fancy. I had some pickled aubergines sent down by the neighbour so I used these.  They were amazing – pickled in garlic, oil and all sorts of yummy herbs. I warmed up some pitta/ciabatta. You can dive in with your fingers and eat lots while watching a great movie or catching up with the events of the day. Amazing dinner with no cooking – all you need to do it just make it look pretty on bread boards!

Serve with red wine and coffee for after.

I decanted some red wine so it could breathe a bit (and then had the Burgandy after!); it's amazing what a few hours does to wine. If you don't have enough time to let the wine breathe, then I would pick a lighter red like a Pinot Noir. It doesn't have many tannins in so it's not a wine that necessarily needs to breathe - it's great straight out the bottle!

Have a great weekend!

(10 days until Australia!)

ZP x

Asian noodle broth: the realistic 15 minute meal

Following on from yesterday's post, I made Asian noodle broth for the neighbour. By adding Asian flavours (soy sauce, oyster sauce, etc...) you can transform a normal noodle soup into an amazingly tasty meal that is very filling.

Leave the dry noodles in boiling water to cook in the heat (read the packet if it comes with one). In a big pot, add sliced carrot, onion and mushroom and fry slightly in sesame oil (but not very long as you want to veg still slightly crunchy). A good tip here would be to slice all the vegetables and get all your ingredients out ready to go and within reach.

Add the noodles to the slightly fried veg along with a stock cube (veg or meat depending on the people eating), then add soy sauce, oyster sauce, few spoons of sugar, salt (not much as the sauces have salt in), fish sauce, chilli flakes and anything else you think would go well. You'll probably have to add a bit more water from the kettle as the water from the noodles probably won't be enough. Add as much water as you like (depending on how watery you want it to be) and simmer with some sliced meat/tofu and finely sliced coriander roots for a couple of minutes.

Remember to try some of the broth and add more soy/sugar if it needs it. Good cooks always try their food before serving! Serve with a sprinkle of coriander leaves and a trickle of soy. A squidge of lime would go well here too if you fancy it.

This meal can easily be done in 15 minutes - it's so easy and tasty. Even better is that it's comforting and to get a light broth to be comforting is a great thing indeed!

Make sure the veg are nice and crunchy to keep that freshness. I've even got some left for my lunch at work today. Can't wait for midday food time.

So dive into your cupboards today to transform your usual meals into something you'd find on the other side of the world. Tasty food for hardly any extra calories.

Get experimenting!

(11 days until Australia!)

ZP x