Away from Home - Melbourne 2018

Last month we were back in Melbourne for a flying visit. I was attending a conference and added a couple of days so that Hubby and I could have a mini-break. And of course, that meant discovering new eats and visiting old favourites.

Winemaker's Platter

A simple meal for a hot day!

These last weeks in Sydney have been hot and humid. Scorching days and muggy nights leave me feeling so drained that cooking dinner at the end of the day is the last thing I want to do!

Away from home - Orange

It had been two years since we last had a long break so we decided to take some time out in Orange, 3½ hours drive from Sydney.

Orange has been described as the “food bowl of New South Wales” and, when I started looking for accommodation, I discovered that the Orange F.O.O.D (Food of Orange District) Festival ended a couple of days before we arrived.

With the festival, school holidays and Easter long weekend, finding accommodation with a full kitchen was difficult. The apartment that I booked had a kitchenette with, according to the website, only a microwave for cooking.

I mainly use my microwave for warming frozen meals, so cooking with a microwave was going to be a challenge!

Beef Fajitas

When we lived in the US back in 2001, one of my favourite Mexican dishes was fajitas. So when this beef fajitas recipe appeared in my news feed a few years ago, I bookmarked it and it is the basis for my beef fajitas. Unlike the chicken tacos meal, this dish needs a bit of planning to ensure that I have the ingredients and there is enough time for the meat to marinate.

Lemon Myrtle and Sesame Pork

Lemon myrtle is an Australian native tree. The dried leaves are used to create a spice that is similar to lemongrass.

Whilst browsing through a magazine, I found and copied a recipe for Lemon Myrtle and Black Sesame Chicken. Since then I've experimented with chicken, turkey, fish, and pork and really loved the pork. Chicken and turkey also work well but the flavours tend to overpower fish.

Fish Pie

The weather is starting to warm up so, unless there is a cold snap, this dish is not likely to appear on our menu for quite a while. I was looking for recipes in which I could leftover sushi because sushi salad doesn't always feel right to me in Winter months.

Maybe I should've labelled this recipe “Sushi Pie” because I always have leftover sushi for this pie: the seafood and seaweed is cut up for the filling and the rice is included in the mashed potato.

Honey-Mustard Roast Chicken with Lemon Stuffing and Vegetables

Perfect family dinner for those cold Winter nights!

Hubby and I really enjoy our Sunday roasts if we have the time to prepare and cook. This roast chicken is probably the easiest and quickest of the roasts we enjoy, and there's always leftovers for another night. I throw all the vegetables into the roasting pan throughout and serve everything in the one pan.

Note: I use a Dutch oven on the stove top to cook my roast so the times and temperatures for the oven are based on the information provided in my cook books.

Away from home - Melbourne in 2015

This is a long overdue post about some of the meals we prepared and some of the restaurants and cafés we visited when we were in Melbourne earlier this year.

Away from Home - The Hunter Valley Again!

During our last trip to the Hunter Valley I discovered that Sting and Paul Simon were performing at the Hope Estate Winery on Valentine's Day. Hubby and I couldn't think of a better reason to return to the Hunter.

Lime and Chilli Spaghetti

A nice, light pasta dish for warmer weather.

The original recipe did not contain prawns so for a vegetarian dish, eliminate the prawns.

Curry Laksa

This laksa is surprisingly quick to make. Replace the coconut milk with skim evaporated milk and coconut essence for a lower-fat version.

Away from Home - Brisbane

Another trip, another city. This time we visited Brisbane, staying in an apartment in the CBD. This post describes our grocery list for the week, the meals we prepared and some of the restaurants and cafés we visited.

Turkey Patties

I love working with turkey mince—the meat is so light and is complemented by many different seasonings. We serve the turkey patties accompanied with salad and chips, or use them in turkey burgers. This post describes three types of seasonings that I characterise as French-, Italian- and Thai-style seasonings. The ‘French’-style patties are similar to the turkey patties I made in Melbourne.

Chilli and Lime Chicken Salad

Perfect for dinner on a hot summer night or as a late-night supper for those returning from an interstate trip!

I'm not sure which magazine I took this recipe from but it seems to be the same as the Chilli and Lime Chicken Salad recipe on the Australian Women's Weekly site. I changed the recipe to cater for Hubby's low sodium diet.

Quick Congee

Quick and easy to make! Warm and fulfilling on a cold night.

Hubby was away on business so I took the opportunity to cook a childhood favourite, quick congee, or as we called it, quick juk. As kids we preferred the quick juk to the ‘real’ juk, which had amongst its ingredients dried bean curd, water chestnuts and red dates. I still prefer the quick juk. It's a versatile dish—I will cook it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Turkey Patties with Apple Sauce

Hubby and I are currently on holidays and staying in a serviced apartment. Being away from home means adjusting my cooking style a little—I'm using fresher ingredients (none of these packaged herbs, spices and condiments) and fewer ingredients. These patties were simple to make and so delicious—we had two for our dinner and two were put away for another meal!

Chicken Tacos

A meal that is quick and easy to prepare—perfect for those nights when Hubby and I are both working late!

Dry Curry

A favourite for Hubby and me. The curry goes well with steamed rice.

Quick Vol Au Vents

Something quick and warm for those late, cold winter's nights.

Impossible Quiche

If you don't like pastry on your quiches then this recipe is for you.