Tag: Melbourne

{Quick & Easy} Salmon, Shiitake and Edamame Soba Noodles

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Part two of our jap themed dinner features a bowl of salmon, shiitake & edamame soba noodles! Remember my post on okonomiyaki? This goes really well with it! I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a soba person, not so much udon. Maybe cause it makes me feel like I’m eating something healthier. hehe I do usually like the cold version, especially cause I get to dip it in the cold soba sauce and slurp it!

But I decided to try a hot version of it. And I was really glad with how it turned out! I could seriously have a bowl of it every night! hehe The addition of the edamame not only added freshness, but also added a vibrant colour to the dish!

And what’s more? I topped the soba noodles with supper yummy korean rice seasoning! If you haven’t had this before, I urge you to head to an asian supermarket to get one ASAP!! You could even top the okonomiyaki with it! So so good (: So here’s the recipe which I used for this delicious and healthy (in my opinion) soba noodles! And you can definitely get it cooked in less than 30 minutes! That’s a win-win in my books!

Salmon, Shiitake & Edamame Soba Noodles (adapted from Flying Fourchette)

300g skinless salmon fillet, cut into cubes

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/2 cup edamame, shelled

180g soba (buckwheat noodles)

2 tbs vegetable oil

 For sauce :

1 /3 cup water

1/3 cup light soy sauce

3 tsp korean hot pepper paste (gochujang)

1 tbs brown sugar

Steps :

1) For the sauce : Stir all the ingredients together until the sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside.

2) In a non-stick frying pan, add 1 tbs of vegetable oil and fry the cubes of salmon until all sides of the salmon is slightly brown. Set it aside. Add the rest of the vegetable oil, and fry the garlic till fragrant then add the shiitake. Fry for about 5 minutes, or until the shiitake is tender.

3) Add the salmon cubes back into the pan, and add half of the sauce and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile, heat a pot of water and cook the soba noodles till just tender (about 7 minutes, depending on the instructions on the packet). Drain the noodles and run under cold water, to stop it from cooking further. Drain well and place in a large bowl.

4) Transfer the cooked salmon with the sauce into the large bowl and toss it lightly until the noodles are well coated. Add the edamame and give it another toss, careful not to mash the salmon. Put a few more teaspoons of sauce if desired.

5) Sprinkle with rice seasoning before serving. ENJOY!

Definitely something quick and satisfying after you’ve had a long day at work or school. So hopefully this would be something you’d like to give a try! (: Happy midweek!

Date Night : Snag Stand

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Due to work, the mr and I really treasure the nights and weekends we get to head out, relax and spend quality time together. It’s been a very long time since we watched a movie in the big screens, so we decided to head to the city on one of the Mondays a while back. We were going to catch The Dark Knight Rises at Melbourne Central so I decided to have hotdogs for dinner. I’ve been seeing heaps of pictures on the mouth-watering food from Snag Stand so I told the mr to meet me there after he finished tutoring at Uni.

Snag Stand

Address : Corner La Trobe and Swanston Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

Website : http://www.snagstand.com.au

The Snag Stand is conveniently located in the middle of the city and would be a perfect place to head to when the weather is nice and warm! It kinda reminds me of those hotdog carts you always see in movies, where you can buy and have it on the go. Of course you can stand or sit around their round bar tables, and just savour every single bite. Don’t get me wrong, their hotdogs are by no means ordinary. They have a huge range of sausages, stuffed in a variety of bread rolls, and the toppings they have just makes their hotdogs super yummy!

When I was browsing the menu, I just wanted to have an order of everything. haha Cause I couldn’t decide on what I should have! So I waited for the mr to help me in the decision-making. What I really like is that they cater to different dietary requirements! They even have vegetarian options, which is awesome! (:

So after some time, we decided on a couple of ‘haute dogs’ and a side of chilli cheese fries! Mmmm !

The first one we chose was the Wagyu Beef that is served up in a rustic roll, with butter and garlic mash, herbed gravy and topped with crispy fried onions! I know it’s like a carb overload with bread and mash! But it was so good! The wagyu beef sausage was juicy & tasty and went really well with the fluffy mash!

Of course, I only had 1/3 and the mr had to finish the rest. hehe I’m really lucky the mr can eat! hehe (: I had to leave some stomach space for the other two dishes!

Our second choice was the Spicy Spanish Chorizo sausage that was grilled with semi-dried tomatoes, chipotle mayo, baby rocket, shredded spanish goat’s cheese on a brioche roll. I was set on this dish when I saw that it was served on a brioche roll! I just couldn’t resist a soft and delicious brioche! I have to say though, I was a bit worried about how strong the goat’s cheese was going to be, cause I have always been reserved with the pungent smell and strong taste of goat’s or sheep’s cheese. Thankfully it was quite mild and went really well with the spicy chorizo sausage! PHEW!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the ultimate comfort food : chilli cheese fries! What could be better than crispy fries, with a layer of chilli con carne, topped with a layer of cheese! YUMMEH! I could just eat this all day. I don’t usually say this, but this could compete with the Canadian fries from Lord of The Fries! Sinful, yes. Delicious, definitely. So I think deliciousness conquers all sins! 😛

We both definitely enjoyed every single bite of our haute dogs and the chilli cheese fries. Can’t wait to head back and try the other flavours and combinations! Especially since the weather is turning warmer (cause it’s Spring, yay!) it would be perfect to have a haute dog or two!

Definitely a successful date night! (: Can’t wait for more nights like this!

Snag Stand on Urbanspoon

Lemony Blessings

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I always considered our lives very blessed. We always get what we want and we have constant love, care and support from our family. What more can we ask for? But God is amazing. I came home one day after work and found a few bright yellow round things in our garden. My first thought was : someone has been throwing tennis balls into our backyard? haha But when I got a closer look, they were lemons that fell off our neighbour’s lemon tree! (: The winds and rain were so strong, the lemons flew into our backyard! What blessings! Showers of blessings indeed!

So what do you do when you suddenly have a whole bunch of lemons? Make lemon meringue cupcakes filled with luciuus and tangy lemon curd, of course! It’s been a cupcake I have been wanting to make for the longest time. Ever since the first Junior Masterchef when Isabella made her beautiful cupcakes for the Mystery Box challenge! So I decided to make the curd a day before, and wake up early on a Saturday morning to make these gorgeous small cakes.

I started bright and early, so much so that I could try two cake recipes! I was drawn to the recipe on Gourmet Traveller (September 2011 Issue) that was from the Rockpool Bar & Grill. So I couldn’t resist making them. I just had to make both cakes. They were very different. Not just in the type of ingredients used, the way it’s made and also the texture. The cakes using Isabella’s recipe turned out soft and fluffy. But the ones from the Rockpool’s recipe turned out slightly denser and gooey-er (see above). I really couldn’t choose between the two! Both were delicious!

What I really like about Isabella’s recipe is that she didn’t use butter in her cupcakes, so you could practically whip it up really quickly! You don’t have to wait for the butter to soften, which is definitely a plus! And I would like to say that it is healthier. MAYBE. haha But well, regardless. They were both delicious! Just depends on what texture you like more. So I’m going to share both recipes, and you can decide which you like more! (:

*Note : I used the same lemon curd and Italian meringue for both cupcakes and the recipes below are more than enough for all the 24 cupcakes made (12 from each cupcake recipe). 

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Lemon Curd (adapted from Gourmet Traveller – Rockpool Bar & Grill)

5 eggs

155ml lemon juice

1 tbs lemon zest

180g caster sugar

150g butter

*Cupcake 1 (adapted from Gourmet Traveller – Rockpool Bar & Grill)

155g caster sugar

155g butter

155g self-raising flour

1 tbs lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla paste

75ml milk

Italian Meringue (adapted from Gourmet Traveller – Rockpool Bar & Grill)

200g caster sugar

80ml water

140g egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Steps :

1) For the lemon curd : Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then strain them through a sieve. In a heavy-based saucepan, add the butter, lemon juice, sugar and zest. Stir until the butter is melted and sugar is fully dissolved. Add a little of the lemon mixture to the eggs to warm it up, then gradually add it back into the saucepan, stirring continuously.

2) Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously and scraping the base of the saucepan until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. This will take about 8 minutes and make sure the mixture doesnt boil or else it will curdle. Allow the mixture to cool completely, before covering it and put it in the fridge until it is chilled. (At least an hour, but I prefer to make it a day before, and let it chill overnight). This is enough for the 24 cupcakes I made, and leftovers could be kept in an airtight container in a fridge, up to 2 weeks.

3) For cupcakes* : Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius, and line a 12-cupcake tray with liners. In a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for a couple of minutes, before adding the sugar. Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until the mixture is smooth. Add the lemon zest and vanilla paste and mix it for another 2 minutes. On low speed, add the flour and milk (alternately) until just combined. Careful not to overbeat the mixture. Divide the mixture evenly into the cupcake liners and smooth the top out. Bake the cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Turn them out onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. (For Isabella’s recipe, please see below)

4) For the Italian meringue : Combine the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and sitr the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high, and allow the sugar mixture to reach a soft-boil stage, without stirring (about 121 degrees celcius on a candy thermometer).

5) In a mixer, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tar tar until soft peaks form. On medium speed, slowly and carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the whipped egg whites. Continue to whisk the mixture on medium speed until the mixing bowl feels cool, and the egg whites are thick and glossy. Fill a pipping bag and use immediately.

6) To assemble : Cut a whole in the middle of the cupcakes, big enough to fill 2 tsp of lemon curd. Fill a pipping back with the lemon curd and gently fill the holes up. Pipe the Italian meringue onto each cupcake, making sure you cover the curd completely. Using a kitchen blowtorch, carefully brown the meringue before serving.

*Cupcake 2 (adapted from Junior Masterchef – Isabella’s Recipe)

1 cup thickened cream

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1 tbs lemon zest

Steps : 

1) For cupcakes* : Place cream, sugar and eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the flour (1/2 cup at a time) and zest and continue to whisk until thick and smooth. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners and bake for 15-18 minutes. Turn over on a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before filling them up with the lemon curd and topping with the Italian meringue (recipe and steps as stated above).

ENJOY!

Lychee Cheesecake In A Jar

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I’ve been wanting to do this for the longest time. Making a dessert in a jar that is. I’ve been really amused by the whole concept and also totally in love with how the desserts turn out. You don’t even need to decorate it much, just place a ribbon around the mouth of the jar and place it with a spoon, viola! (: You have a beautiful looking dessert on the table. Perfect for a dinner party or even gifts for friends!

I had a block of cream cheese sitting in my fridge for the longest time, and have been wanting to make something with it. I wanted to make some japanese cheesecake, but decided to make something new instead. So searching my pantry, I found a tin of lychees and decided to use them!

Lychees are definitely one of my favourite fruits. But it’s so difficult to find the fresh version here, even if they sell it, it’s so crazy expensive! haha So I always have a tin of lychees sitting in my pantry. (: I have to admit, i’ve not had cream cheese with lychees before, but I suppose, it should go well with a sweet fruit puree. Right? hehe So here goes nothing!

I did a bit of research and found a recipe that sounded easy and the product looked absolutely gorgeous, so I just had to give it a try. The only downside to this recipe? Is that I have to wait for the cheesecake to set, before being able to indulge in them! haha But I am a firm believer of delayed gratification! This is one dessert that is definitely worth the wait! (:

Oh yes! I did add a bit of lychee liquor, which I always have in my pantry, just to make it a little boozy! hehe But definitely not enough to taste it. hehe Almost no effect at all.

Lychee Cheesecake in a Jar (adapted from Honest Vanilla)

For the base :

100g digestive biscuits

40g short bread

60g butter, melted

For the lychee cheese layer :

500g cream cheese

300g thicken cream

240g lychees, drained and reserve syrup

100ml lychee syrup

1 tbs lychee liquor

50g sugar

3 tsp powdered gelatine

Steps : 

This recipe is enough for 6 jars and a 6-inch springform pan.

1) Break the digestive biscuits and the shortbread by sealing them in a ziplock bag and crushing them using a rolling pin. Make sure you get them quite finely.

2) Pour the crushed biscuits in a bowl, and pour the melted butter over them evenly. Combine both butter and  biscuits are well combined and press them evenly at the bottom of the jars and springform pan. Set and chill in the fridge while preparing the lychee cheese layer.

3) In a small pot, heat the lychee syrup till it just comes to a boil. Take it off the heat and add the gelatine. Stir until it dissolves completely. Set aside to cool.

4) Puree the lychees in a blender until there are less visible chunks. Add the lychee liquor and mix it well.

5) Whisk the cream cheese in a mixing bowl with the sugar until smooth, then add the lychee puree. In another bowl, whip the cream to a soft peak and gently fold it into the cream cheese and lychee mixture.

6) Once it’s well combined and smooth, add the gelatine mixture and fill a piping bag with the lychee cheese mixture. Slowly pipe it into the jars. Pour the rest of the mixture into the springform pan. Set to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. (I recommend leaving it in the fridge overnight.) 

7) To serve, top it with a bit more buttered crumbs, and a lychee. I added half a strawberry for more crunch and texture! Also, pour 1 tsp of lychee syrup on top just before serving for extra sweetness!

ENJOY!

Note to self : Definitely add a little bit more next time! hehe Of course, you can leave it out if you want a kid-friendly version! hehe

Won’t Be Crying Over This… Spilt Milk

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Ever since we moved, we have been trying to look for a brunch/breakfast place that is nearer to our house. So going through my super long list, I realise there is one that is relatively nearby and has the cutest name : Spilt Milk !

Spilt Milk is a boutique cafe specialising in coffee that newly opened in May this year. It’s a super cosy place and when you walk through the doors, you are greeted by the friendliest people ever! While we were there, many people came in just to take away their coffees, even when it was pouring outside! So it definitely says alot of good things about their coffee aye? hehe *SLURPS*

Love all the wooden decors in the cafe with shelves of baked goods and sandwiches! Everything just looks so good!

When we were all comfortably seated, we ordered some hot drinks to warm our tummies up while deciding what we want to eat. The dishes were named after animals! So interesting and cute! I couldn’t really decide what I wanted to have. hehe

I was so happy that they had bonsoy and their chai is made from powder. Not those syrup things. hehe So I just had to order it! The mr had a long black that morning because he had a competition in the afternoon and was trying to make sure he would make his weight category. So he decided to skip the milk that morning. hehe He’s a funny one (:

We decided on three animals that morning :

Kong Seng ordered the Sheep – Baked free range eggs served in a pan with sundried tomatoes, spinach, fetta on sour dough and chilli jam. He was given the choice of runny yolks and of course he took it! hehe

I ordered the Zebra because I was craving for some avocado hehe it includes  two slices of olive sourdough smeared with avocado and ricotto with onion jam and baked bacon

The mr order the Donkey – Poached eggs om sourdough, bacon, spinach and spiced capsicum aioli. He requested for them to leave the bread out (trying to reduce the amount of carbs he takes for comp! haha) but they forgot about it and it came with bread. Half way through the meal, they came to apologise for their mistake but we were totally fine with it! hehe Kong Seng had the bread for the mr in the end. hehe so all good! Besides, it would look quite funny without the bread don’t you think? hehe much prettier with. hehe But it was really nice of them!

To our surprise and delight, a plate of yummy brownies were placed on our table and it was on the house! AWESOME! hehe and of course, these brownies had an animal name too : Squirrel ! hehe How cute! They were super fudgy, just the way I love my brownies! and every mouthful were full of walnuts. Yummos!

So with awesome coffee, great food, super cute names of dishes and the friendliest service, do head there the next time you are around Carnegie! (: We will definitely be back for more (the lunch menu is super tempting! hehe)

Happy midweek everyone! (: Just 3 more days till the weekend!

Spilt Milk on Urbanspoon

Josie Bones

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This would be my second visit to Josie Bones but this time, we had the mr’s cousin join us so we could try more of the menu, so I was really excited. I have to admit, we wanted to have Huxtaburger that night, but silly me didn’t check their opening times and they were closed on Mondays. But it was like a blessing in disguise, cause we got to dine at Josie Bones again!

We were first introduced to Josie Bones by my mr’s client who gave raving reviews about the food and the vast number of different beer/alcohol they offer. This comes as no surprise, because it is opened by Chris Badenoch and Julia Jenkins, who were contestents of Masterchef Season 1 and Chris was known as the beer merchant. And the Mr purchased Chris’ cook book because he loved how he uses the whole animal when he cooks, like the whole pig, sheep or cow. Nothing goes to waste, which is awesome!

Josie Bones

Address : 98 Smith Street, Collingwood 3066

Telephone : 03 94171878

Absoutely love the outlook of the restaurant. It has a long bench top which customers can sit and enjoy the food and have a chat with the most friendly staff! Josie Bones is a tapas style restaurant that serves heaps of unusual but delicious food. It’s definitely not your usual dishes, but trust me they are awesome! There was alot of oohs and ahhs the moment the plates were placed on the table. Just couldn’t wait to dive in, but as usual, our cameras ate first. hehe

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the beverage menu. haha Yes. It’s that thick. They do bring in lots and lots of beers from all around the world, and most of which we’ve never seen or heard. The staff were all very knowledgeable about every single beer and they are more than willing to help if you get lost in the ocean of beer choices!

The mr told him what he usually likes (which is whiskey, of course) and the staff actually recommended a beer that tasted like whiskey and totally suited his taste buds! I, on the other hand, prefer something fruity. And the melon gibson, which was more on the sweet side and tones of watermelon, was highly recommended. It was delicious and not overly sweet! Kong Seng had the raspberry beer which was really yum as well!

We ordered two entrees to start our meals. One of which is the crackling of the day ($4). Every single piece of crackling was super crispy and its served with a side of seas salt which was so good! It went from the a plate full of crackling to an empty plate in less than 10 minutes. And yes, we ordered a second serve of it as well! haha Whoops!

Our second entree was one of the specials of the day : mini sliders with braised pork belly and kimchi in freshly baked brioche buns. These were the BOMB! SO good! I could just have that all night long to be honest! The brioche buns were freshly made and cotton soft! and the braised pork. oh what can I say? Melt-in-your mouth goodness! The kimchi added a crunchy texture to the slider and also cut through the richness. AMAZING!

Yes. It was really really good. Would love one now. hehe

hehe that’s how small it was. Small but mighty, I have to say. hehe Can you tell how much I really like it?

So then come our mains. We ordered three to start with and the staff recommended we order a side of greens to balance our meal out. hehe It totally slipped my mind to order some greens! hehe Oops. Totally focused on all the meat dishes! But can you blame me? hehe I got overly excited when I saw the menu.

Our first main was stuffed trotters with black pudding, with braised lentils and crispy pigs ear. As you already know, I love dishes with different textures and this just ticks all the boxes in my list! The soft and tender pig trotters that were stuffed with black pudding was tasty but not overpowering! I was a little apprehensive about the black pudding at first, cos it wasn’t something I usually enjoy. But this was really good. The deep friend pigs ear was so good! I saved that to the very last bit and had it all slowly, savouring every bite. *crunch*

This was my favourite dish of the night! We had it the first time we came as well. But had to have it again, cause it was so good! It’s rolled pigs head with sauce gribiche and crackling. Yes. More crackling! haha This is just one of the examples of not wasting any part of the animal! In fact, the meat from the pig’s head (for example pork cheeks) are the best bits! Super tender and super tasty. Melt-in-your-mouth kind of goodness. The super crunchy outer layer covers the most tender piece of meat (and fat). But I’m really glad we shared, cos it might get a bit too rich. But the sauce gribiche helps cut through the richness as it is a tad bit sour and tangy.

This zucchini salad with fiore di burrata, toasted almonds, grapefruit and saffron pickled shallots was recommended by the staff and I must say it was a perfect in between dish to be served as it was really refreshing and acted almost like a palette cleanser, preparing us for our final main dish. Fior di burrata is actually an italian cheese made of mozzarella and cream. The texture was exactly like a fresh mozzarella. So good!

The mr’s cousin have never had rabbit, so he requested for us to try this dish : Braised rabbit with chorizo and creme fraiche jus. The rabbit pieces were really tender and the chorizo added a mild spiciness which was good! and what’s better? The staff offered us a basket of bread to go with the gravy! DUNK!

Of course, we couldn’t leave without having sweets. Although we were all quite full, but like the mr says. There is always space for dessert! hehe When we looked at the dessert menu, our choice was made up almost immediately. haha

Pear tarte tartin with beer caramel and bourbon & raisin ice cream. The puff pastry was still crispy-crunchy and the pear was really tender, all these yumminess covered with an intense beer caramel which was sticky and gooey. This hot tartin was paired perfectly with a boozy bourbon and raisin icecream. It was so good! Although we did wait 30 minutes for it, but I think it’s well-worth the wait! hehe

So after all the rich and delicious food, we were of course super stuffed but we had happy bellies at the end of the night! hehe I have to say that every single dish was really well balanced in terms of flavour and textures. Almost each dish had a a mix of tenderness and crunch! Plus you pair them with beers of your choice! Definitely really happy we went there that night.

So go ahead,  hold on to those hooves and give them a push! I know you would want to! (:

Josie Bones on Urbanspoon

Pho Hung Vuong Saigon Springvale

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Winter just means one thing. Soup. and lots of it, just to keep out tummies warm and fuzzy! One thing we do love is a good pho. Before we moved, we used to always head to Footscray to have a nice big bowl (well small for me) of pho because it’s just around the corner. Now, thankfully Springvale is a 10 minutes drive away! Phew!

 I have to admit, we haven’t had the chance to explore the different shops in Springvale. Not as much as I would like to! You know sometimes when you’re nearer to a particular suburb, you tend to not explore it as much? Sadly, we kinda took the distance for granted. It is currently just a place I go to do my grocery shopping. We had to extend out (food) knowledge and we decided to head there last weekend with a mission : to find a place that sells pho as good as the one back at Footscray (Hung Vuong Saigon)! To my surprise, I actually found a Pho Hung Vuong Saigon here at Springvale as well! So of course we decided to give it a go.

Pho Hung Vuong Saigon Springvale

Address : Shop 2/15 Balmoral Avenue, Springvale Vic 3171

Telephone : 03 95585147

It was really packed though it was about 3pm in the afternoon. But the wait staff were really friendly and asked us politely to wait for just a few minutes before we could get a table. So we were more than willing to wait. In less than 10 minutes, our tables were ready for us! Talk about quick!

We sat down, and were asked almost immediately for our orders! I was a little shocked, but I think cause they have been around for 20 years, they reckon we have been there before and would know what we wanted! They had menus on their walls, but were either in mandarin or in vietnamese so we had no clue what they had! haha I shyly asked the wait staff if they had an english menu and he quickly got us some. Thank goodness! Their menu is slightly different from the one at Footscray. They specialise with pho. There wasn’t anything else on the menu. Short and sweet, it was. So we made our decisions and waited for our bowl of hot deliciousness to arrive.

I had the beef and beef brisket pho, as I always do. Love the thin and raw slices of beef that would just cook instantly when pushed into the hot soup! The first thing I always do is to take a spoonful of soup and slurp it! haha Sorry I know it sounds rude, but the soup is a crucial component of a good pho! It. was. incredible! The soup was clear and super tasty! Absolutely made my cold afternoon! I just wanted more after each mouthful. Plus, they were super generous with the beef and brisket! Both of which were so tender! Was a clear winner to me. I’ve found my new favourite place for pho! HAPPY!

The mr ordered the chicken special which had a whole load of chicken breast fillets, chicken sausage, chicken blood, giblets and a  pasteurized egg yolk. Now, that a lot of ingredients! And how clear is that bowl of soup? I had a taste of his soup and it was really tasty as well though it more delicate and sweet when compared to the beef one. The mr did enjoy it quite a bit! We did wish that they had the fried spring rolls though! Wanted some crunch! hehe

We left the place super stuffed and satisfied! Definitely heading back there, knowing that my craving for pho will be satisfied for sure! (: Where have you had the best pho? Do share! Have a good week ahead everyone!

Pho Hung Vuong on Urbanspoon

{Product Review} Chobani

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I have been truly blessed this year. Lots of exciting things happening ever since I got back to Melbourne. One of which is receiving an email from Chontelle, a representative from Chobani Australia, asking if I wanted some samples of their yogurt. Of course, being a yogurt lover, I immediately said “YES PLEASE!” (: The representatives from Chobani were really friendly and super organised! I received a call from them to arrange a suitable time for the goodies to be sent to my home. They said they would try for next day delivery, but no promises. But the next morning, there was a box of delicious greek yogurt delivered to my doorstep!

As you can see, I was still in my pjs! haha (: I was a very happy girl! I have to admit though, that when they told me they were going to send me some samples, I thought I was going to get a maximum of 6. So when I saw how big the box was, I was (delightfully) shocked! 12 generous tubs!

I was given 2 tubs of a variety of 6 flavours each : plain, pineapple, peach, mango, blueberry and strawberry! And I couldn’t wait to dive into them! They were all either low fat or no fat (2% or 0%) which just means there are really good for u! Especially those who are health conscious. Score!

So, before I get into the review, just want to share a little bit about myself. I come from a family who LOVES pineapples. Everyone (except my dear brother) loves pineapples. My dad would head to Pon Tian (a state in Malaysia) and buy back at least 8-10 of their sweetest pineapples for the whole family! The ones he gets are super good though! You can actually eat the core and it’s really crunchy! So when I saw pineapple as one of the flavours… Oh happy days! (:

So without a second thought, I tried (almost immediately after I unload them into my fridge) the pineapple! And when I first peel off the foil, I was greeted by a thick and smooth layer of greek yogurt, and started to wonder, where is the pineapple? Then you stick a spoon in and dig all the way to the bottom, and tadah! the yummy, jammy layer of fruit! Mmm mmm!

Almost similar to a kinder surprise where you don’t really know what at the bottom will look like till you dig in! hehe I’m not sure about you, but I only ever used greek yogurt in my cooking. The natural ones that it. And all I remember from trying a tiny bit of natural is my eye squinting cos of the tartness! haha and before Chobani, I never had a fruity greek yogurt before. I never thought the tartness of the greek yogurt would go so well with fruits! But boy was I wrong. The jammy layer of fruit was just sweet enough to go with the thick and creamy yogurt and really complimented each other! And before I knew it.

This.

Became this!

My favourite was no doubt the pineapple and also the blueberry! Unfortunately,there will always be a flavour that im not a big fan of, and that was the peach. To me the peach was a little too sour and just didn’t compliment the greek yogurt as well as the others, it still had a tartness to it, a bit too much to my liking! But I had a solution for that.

I added some homemade muesli and what a good brekkie that made! And healthy too! I did that for the mango as well (as pictured) and it was really good! Of course, it would also go well with the natural plain greek yogurt but I had other plans for it.

I mixed it with some aubergine and chilli pickle, and it went so went with my corn & okra fritters!

Of course, don’t just take my word for it, do go get some tubs to try it for yourself! They can be found in the yogurt aisle at Woolworths for $2 a tub! And do let me know what you think after you’ve given it a try! Would love to know what you think! (:

I just want to sincerely thank the representatives of Chobani for contacting me and being so generous with the samples! I couldn’t be happier with all the tubs of yogurt I tasted and it definitely made a good breakfast or snack for work!

Once again, thank you Chobani Australia! And as the slogan says, it is definitely ‘nothing but good!’ (:

Disclaimer : There is no financial attachment with this post. I am doing this review as a personal opinion of the product. 

Sticky Date Pudding

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It’s been a while since I baked something, and it’s definitely been a long while since I made a sticky date pudding. Cold winter nights usually makes me crave for a hot dessert. That to me, would definitely end my night on a super sweet note! (: So what could be better than freshly baked sticky date pudding with a dollop of freshly whipped (and quenelle, might I add) vanilla bean cream? Absolutely, nothing! Nothing could be more comforting than a hot pudding with cream or ice cream! mmmm.

My colleague has very kindly shared her recipe with me. I took one bite of the one she made, and immediately asked her if she minds sharing the recipe. She made it so often that she wrote out the recipe in less than 5 minutes! Including the steps! WOW! I was super impressed and couldn’t wait to try it!

Sticky Date Pudding (Adapted from Sandra)

200g dates, chopped

600ml boiling hot water

2 tsp soda bicarbonate

200g self-raising flour

150g unsalted butter

4 eggs

160g dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 pinch of salt

Butterscotch Sauce

300ml thickened cream

150g unsalted butter

1 cup of caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

whipped cream or ice cream, to serve

Steps :

1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. Place the chopped dates in a bowl, and sprinkle the soda bicarbonate on it, and pour the boiling hot water over it. Leave it aside, to let it soften.

2) In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix well. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix till well combined.

3) Using a large wooden spoon, fold in the flour, a little at a time. Add the date and water mixture and mix till it becomes a wet mixture. Don’t worry, it does look very watery, so don’t panic! Pour into a well buttered baking tray and bake for 40 mins.

4) Meanwhile, make the butterscotch sauce by placing all the ingredients in a saucepan over a medium heat. Allow the butter and sugar to melt and thicken. Pour 1/3 of the butterscotch sauce over the baked pudding and place it back into the warm oven for another 15-20 minutes.

5) Serve with freshly whipped vanilla bean cream or ice cream. ENJOY! (:

PS : It is very addictive! Don’t say I didn’t warn you! haha (:

Roasted Tomato Soup

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Soup Club has been something the junior school (Year 1 to 4) at my workplace came up with in the last few weeks of last semester. The teachers of each year level will cook lunch for all the teachers of the junior school on one of the days in that week, and we rotate weekly. Absolutely loving the whole idea! Been trying all kinds of different soups and every one that I had was yummy! Sometimes, the teachers ventured out of soups, and got creative! We even had chilli con carne and curry lentils! Really well fed at my work place. haha

I was part of the year 1 team, and on our first rotation, I made cream of mushroom soup! So glad they all enjoyed it. Always get very nervous cooking for a bigger group of people. Plus I always cook too much! haha The mr and I would end up having soup for the next few days. Whoops! But more is better than less ya? hehe So it was the Year 1s turn again yesterday, and I decided to try something new. Brave, I know! haha I flipped through my recipe books and one of the soup recipes from the Delicious: Simply the best cook book, which I scored at Aldi for $12! hehe

The part that really caught my eye is the addition of asian flavours to this soup. It’s no ordinary roasted tomato soup, the addition of coconut milk, fish sauce, ginger and coriander makes it almost like drinking a less spicy and creamier version of the laksa gravy! Mmmm. AMAZING!

As much as I love the asian influence in this recipe, I have to admit I was a little worried as to how my colleagues will react to the taste. But thankfully, it turned out well and everyone was asking for the recipe! Yay! (: Totally made my day! Oh yes, and did I tell you I’ve never seen and cooked with that many tomatoes in my life because I doubled the recipe below. haha

Roasted Tomato Soup (Adapted from Delicious: Simply the best)

1.5kg tomatoes, quartered (any type you like)

2 onions, quartered

2 capsicum, thickly sliced

Salt & pepper, to season

3 tsp dried basil

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves

2 tsp finely grated ginger

400ml coconut milk

700ml vegetable stock

1 tbs tomato paste

1 small bunch of coriander, leaves and steam finely chopped (extra to serve)

1 tbs brown sugar

2 tbs fish sauce

Natural Greek yogurt (to serve)

Steps :

1) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Line a baking tray with foil. Place the tomatoes, capsicums and onions on the baking tray and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and dried basil. Roast for 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are very soft and lightly charred.

2) Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the garlic and ginger until fragrant (1-2 mins), do be careful not to burn the garlic as it will have a bitter after taste.

3) Add the tomato paste, coconut milk and stock and simmer for 10 mins. Add the sugar, fish sauce, chopped coriander and the roasted tomato, capsicum and onion, plus any of the cooking juices in the baking tray. Simmer for a further 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, remove from heat and allow it to cool slightly.

4) Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend, in batches, until smooth. Serve the soup, garnished with coriander leaves and a dollop of yogurt. Serve with bread or roti.

Enjoy!

PS : This is one soup that is not too heavy but full of flavour! Perfect for a cold winter night! Do give it a try and let me know what you think! (: So dear readers, what is your favourite kind of soup? Would love to know!