Basil Chicken Pearl Barley Risotto

Recently I have been looking to make recipes that are 'low G.I.' for the purpose of replacing my usual beloved staples like jasmine rice, potatoes & white flour. Last week I made braised lentils with red wine and liked it so much I made it again to take to our small group meeting (but bulked it up with sauteed cabbage). Thank you Nigella Lawson! (The recipe was from her cookbook 'Feast' - which you can find if you Google it). More searching online led me to a pearl barley recipe that I also made twice last week! Here for you now is my version that was inspired by a Women'sWeekly recipe developed for babies!

Basil Chicken Pearl Barley Risotto

-1 tablespoon rice bran oil
-4 chicken thigh fillets, chopped
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 ½ cups pearl barley, rinsed (I used half a packet being 250gm's)
-4 cups hot water from a boiled kettle
-2 teaspoons of powdered chicken stock (I use Massells brand)
-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (it's important you don't substitute with dried basil)
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
-2 cups baby spinach leaves OR a prepacked bag of 'baby leaves' salad mix (which includes spinach with shredded carrot & beetroot -adds lovely colour to the risotto)
-Salt/Pepper to taste
-Optional: 2 teaspoons of garlic butter
-Your favourite cheese on top! Suggestions: Crumbled feta, blue cheese or parmesan.
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-Brown chopped chicken in a little oil, remove and set aside - don't worry if not fully cooked through because you will continue the cooking process soon.

-Saute onion until soft then add pearl barley, parsley, half the basil, hot water with stock powder and prepared chicken. Bring to the boil , reduce heat, cover & simmer.

-After about half an hour, remove 1 to 1.5 cups of the risotto and puree in a blender. I use a hand blender (or stab-mixer) with the mixture in a deep bowl. Keep this pureed mix aside.

-Keep simmering risotto until liquid is all absorbed and pearl barley is tender. Make sure you stir the risotto every 5 to 10 minutes. It should be done in about 45 to 50 minutes.

-If for any reason you aren't satisfied with the texture of the pearl barley (ie. not soft enough), just add another cup of hot chicken stock and keep simmering and stirring.

-When pearl barley risotto is ready, add final 2 tablespoons of chopped basil plus the creamy, puree mixture, (salt and pepper if desired) stir well and serve. If you're using the optional garlic butter, stir through right at the end before serving. Crumble-over the cheese of your choice -about 20 grams each serve.

Using 'baby leaves' salad mix which included spinach & some shredded beetroot & carrot, added vibrant colours to the risotto. If you can't find such a prepacked mix, baby spinach on its own will do. Below is a mobile phone photo of the first pearl barley risotto I made, with spinach alone & chicken drumsticks instead of thigh fillets. I crumbled some Apostle Whey blue cheese over the top too. There is also braised lentils with red wine on the plate. I'd already started eating when I remembered to take a quick photo with my mobile!

Bean Squeeze (Drive-Thru Coffee)

Last week a friend strolled up to Bean Squeeze (drive-thru coffee), on foot - and was refused service because she wasn't in a car. How rude! But apparantly it's an occupational health & safety-based rule? I was on my way from 96Three (radio station) today enroute to a friends house & was in the mood for a skinny, half-strength cappucino. I knew I'd be passing 'Bean Squeeze' along the way, so I decided to give them a go.

I was the only car going through the drive-thru at about 1.15pm & it all happened so fast I don't know how they produced a "chino" in such a short amount of time. After I ordered, I was told to follow the drive-way around to the 2nd window which is where I paid $3.80 for a mid-size coffee. The paper cup seemed cooler to touch than what I'm used to with takeaway coffee's. When I took my 1st sip 5 minutes later (at my friends house), I learned the coffee was pretty much cold in "cappucino terms". I downed half of it with one mouthful and decided to put it in the microwave -twice actually before I was happy with the temperature. The actual taste and strength of the coffee was quite good/satisfying. Back at Bean Squeeze I'd asked for raw sugar "on the side" and was given some sugar sachets they thought were raw sugar but "weren't 100% sure". They were filled with white sugar actually. But had I asked them to put the raw sugar in -apparantly they have their own "non-packet" supply.

I think I'd probably try them again but next time I'd ask for a hotter brew. I might lament about my last cold cup and hope (secretly) that they'd give me one on the house?? There are also snacks you can order with your coffee (which I didn't take advantage of) like muffins, banana bread, lemon tarts, cookies, chocolate brownies and carrot cake. All between $2.50 and $3.50 approximately. Bottled water is $2.50. Oh! Nearly forgot! In the title picture .. with coffee & "bowl".. that bowl was my lunch today (ate it at my friends place) which I'd brought from home. It was a roast beef & cannelini bean salad. Photo's are from my mobile. See you all tomorrow again (God willing!) with my recipe of the week. I also have another restaurant review up my sleeve :) Time to make 'sausage rolls' now with chicken mince & some grated veg +filo pastry -before hubby gets home. It was his first day back after two weeks off.

Ukrainian Dumplings "Vareniki" with potato & caramelised onion filling

Apologies that this recipe appears LONG! There is actually only a small handful of ingredients and it's a fantastic, cheap recipe to make. Because there is homemade dough involved, I have tried to talk you through the whole dumpling-making process, being careful not to leave anything out. The descriptions therefore are a bit detailed, making for a longer recipe, but don't let that put you off! Granted, dough making or rather, dumpling making for that matter is fiddly work and takes time -but the end result is quite rewarding. A new blog reader & fellow blogger has suggested we hit the Acland Street (St Kilda) Jewish eateries one day.. which reminded me of the time I lived in Armadale and had a bunch of Ukrainian (& Jewish) friends. I ate some beautiful meals back then and felt quite pampered by how often they fed me. I ate Vareniki and was taught how to make them too. Ahhh.. memories of good Eastern European fare. Being Hungarian myself.. there was more than one dimension to the 'comfort' factor in these plump & tasty morsels.

Ukrainian Dumplings -"Vareniki" with potato & caramelised onion filling

Recipe yields approx 38 dumplings

-500 grams potatoes

-2 onions

-1 large egg

-1 & 1/4 cups water

-500 grams of plain flour

-salt & pepper (& sugar) to taste

-Some rice bran oil for sauteeing onions

-Optional: 20grams of butter melted on hot, cooked dumplings with some salt & pepper &/or sour cream &/or sprinkling of white vinegar.

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-Dice onions & saute in a little oil until well browned (caramelised), careful not to burn, but allow about half an hour on low heat. Optional tip: Add pinch of salt + pinch of sugar after 15 minutes to improve flavour & texture of onions.

-While onions cooking, make dough. In a bowl, add flour, egg, pinch of salt + half the water. Mix with wooden spoon & then add rest of water. Mix again until lumpy & stiff dough begins to form. With clean hands, bind mixture together & turn out onto a floured board or counter top.

-Knead dough well for at least 10 minutes until smooth.

-Continue to monitor/stir onions. When done, take off heat and set aside to cool.

-Put ball of dough on a plate, cover with plastic wrap & set aside to rest.

-Peel potatoes, cut into chunks, bring to boil & cook until tender.

-Drain potatoes & set aside to cool for 10min's.

-Cut dough in half and work with half at a time. Roll with rolling pin until you get a thickness similar to tortellini pasta or raw wonton wrappers.

-Using an upturned cup/glass or an egg ring, cut out 'rounds' of dough, using all the dough to make as many rounds as you can. I was able to make 38.

-If setting dough rounds aside, make sure you put baking paper inbetween layers and cover with plastic wrap so dough doesn't dry out too much.

-Lay dough rounds side-by-side, ready to fill. Add onions to your cooked potatoes, some salt & white pepper & mash with potato masher. Don't mash to a smooth puree, but make sure there aren't any large lumps which could cause dough to burst when simmering later.

-Add a teaspoon of potato/onion mixture to the middle of each dough round. Using a pastry brush or even your finger, moisten the edges of half of a 'dough round'. Fold in half and seal edges, pressing together with fingers. I tried crimping & folding over edges, similar to Indian samosa's (as you can see in the photo's) -but in hindsight, this isn't ideal. The thicker the edges, the more 'chewy' the texture & the longer they take to cook. I have made these dumplings for years and it's better to just press the edges together with no 'folding' technique as such.

-Place each stuffed & folded dumpling onto a floured board or plate - and continue folding & sealing each dumpling until you use all your dough.

-Boil a pot of water (same quantity as you would for 500grams of pasta). Add a teaspoon of salt to the water.

-Cook 8 to 10 dumplings at a time in the simmering water - for approximately 8 minutes. Test your dumplings. If they burst in the water, then they have been cooked too long. If the skins taste raw or too chewy, they need a bit longer.

-Place a teaspoon of butter over hot dumplings, sprinkle with salt & serve. If you desire (like we do!) add a spoonful of sour cream too, the butter actually isn't compulsory. Another popular way to eat them is with some white vinegar sprinkled over too. I personally like the combo of sour cream and white vinegar! You can experiment with fillings, eg. mix 500grams of European style cottage cheese (Quark) or ricotta with an egg. A popular sweet filling used in the Ukraine is a mixture of cherries (from a jar), sugar and breadcrumbs.

-Store uneaten, cooked dumplings in the fridge with a sprinkling of oil to keep dumplings from sticking together. Can be reheated easily in the microwave. Not suitable to freeze.


Dough feels lumpy & hard to begin with....

After 10 minutes of kneading, dough is smooth & pliable...

On low heat, saute onions until nice & brown, but not burnt. Divide dough mixture in half and work with (ie. roll out) one half at a time.

Dough thickness should be similar to raw wonton wrappers.. or tortellini dough.

My cup was probably too big. Don't go larger than an egg ring. Photo on right: mashing boiled potatoes with caramelised onions, salt & pepper. Don't mash to a puree, but don't leave big lumps that could cause your dough to burst while cooking.

I noticed some of my dough wasn't even, so with my hands, I stretched some thicker dough 'rounds' to make them all a uniform 'thickness'.. or would that be "thin-ness"? As I mention in the recipe, I experimented this time by folding/pinching dumpling edges 'samosa-style' which was a mistake in hindsight. It made the edges more chewy than they should have been (as they need more cooking than the rest of the dumpling. If you cook them longer, you risk the bellies bursting! I've had better success with this recipe when I just press the edges together and leave all 'folding' actions out! Nevertheless we enjoyed our Vareniki lunch, pleated edges and all.

I made these to a deadline so I had to be quick with my photo's... and admittedly, in the moment I was a bit stuck as far as 'presentation' for these dumplings. I ate mine with sour crean and a little vinegar - hardly providing any contrasting colours for photo's. So I figured plain & simple was the go. A black bowl.. and white dumplings with white sour cream. Then I broke my own rule (being never resorting to parsley as a garnish if it isn't in the actual dish itself). "What about a touch of parsley?" I thought.. feeling desperate. So I'll give you both versions!

Yawwwwn ;) Maybe a prettier, folk-art, hand painted dish would have been the go. Ukrainian style. I need to hit the op-shops perhaps? All in the name of food-styling of course.

Costs, courses, cooking and creation's...

I should really do a "Warrnambool trip" post.. but other things beckon me.. and I need to offload photo's from my phone first, which is charging at the minute... yadda yadda.

I'll try and do an update in point-form?

*Last night my hubby mixed me a lovely-I'll-have-that-again drink. I felt like something fizzy (which is rare), but he elevated things up a notch by mixing my requested lemonade with some Bickford's peach iced tea cordial with a squeeze of fresh lime. Because of his usual rabbit-themed nickname's for me we've both agreed to the drink invention and name: The "Cottontail".
*During a conversation with my nail salon lady nearly 2 weeks ago, we talked about what she was cooking that night (lamb shanks in a slow cooker for guests). I decided to buy some myself three days ago. I paid $3 each for 3 shanks & eagerly wanted to cook them the last two nights but ran out of time. (I was planning 3.5hrs of oven-time for them minimum). Well, as it happens, last night when I was about to make the marinade (including maple syrup which I bought especially) I was pipped-at-the-post and distracted. We had a call from the mechanic saying my car was ready to be picked up (which had been dropped off Sunday) - so off I drove, dropping hubby off at the mechanic -20 minutes away. I then drove to a supermarket to look for an alternative 'quick meal' to replace the lamb shanks plan. I had other meat in the freezer but nothing that would guarantee a meal by 7.30pm. This morning, in the darkness, before hubby went to work he told me the lamb shanks were still left out on the bench. That's $9 I'll never see again. I felt mad at them. Then miffed at hubby too that he apparantly gets quite grumpy about 9pm dinners, thus cancelling-out any chance of cooking the shanks on previous days. Well, miffed until he came into the bedroom and told me he felt sorry for me because I lost my shanks. Under the doona, I vowed to boycott lamb shanks for the rest of the year. I think.

*I have some chicken mince I plan to make sausage rolls with (because Cheryl my friend tempted me to use chicken weeks ago). I'll do mine 'Korma style' I think and wrap them in filo pastry. Or puff pastry if I happen to feel like less kitchen toil on the day. I still have some Osso Bucco in the freezer, which, like the lamb shanks -mock the *time-poor*.

*My car has recently had a regular service, plus two new front tyres with wheel alignment plus major-ish repairs. Total cost: $2000-ish. My expected tax return should cover some of this, not all. See the car below? There's a humourous element to them for me..(I'm clutching at humour-straws to deflect from the mechanic's bill). I call them 'Licorice Allsorts' (the moniker is borrowed from a British tv show -I love it).
*In other news, I'm undergoing medical tests at the moment.

*Aaand, both hubby & I are excited to be doing 'The Marriage Course' starting tonight. It's something we've done before but want to do again under new circumstances. I share this with you because I'll be sharing The Marriage Course food over the next couple of months. I personally recommend this course. As the website states.. it doesn't matter if you've been married less than two years or more than thirty the course aims to enhance your relationship. It's suitable for couples with or without issues. The course is based on Christian principles but even couples without a church background have enjoyed the course and found it beneficial.

It's a once-a-week thing (2.5hrs) and starts with a candelit meal (like a 'date night'). After dinner (where all the serving and washing up is done by volunteers), there is course-related DVD viewing (which I always enjoyed) & then at intervals, the dvd is stopped and couples privately work through the exercises in their books. "Every effort is made to make sure your conversations aren't being overheard and music is played in the background" Each couple has their own 'space' & privacy and nothing is discussed as a group. During the longest exercise of the night, coffee/tea and dessert is served. There's no rule that you can't share with other people over dinner for example, but that's a personal choice. At the end of each night there's homework for each couple to do before the next session, which isn't checked by anyone else. There is a cost involved which covers 2 x two-course meals for 7 nights (running over 7 weeks), plus it includes the finger food for the 'Marriage Course Party' on the 8th week & course materials too. These courses can be hosted anywhere, but usually take place in someone's home (which is where we are going tonight). Our church has two homes, running two courses simultaneously this term. With word of mouth (& testimonies), the course has become more popular & there has been increased interest in doing it.
From the Website:

Who designed the course?

The course was started by Nicky and Sila Lee in 1996. The Lees are on the staff at Holy Trinity Brompton - the London church that started the Alpha course. They have been married for over 20 years and have four children.

They have spoken to thousands on the subject of marriage and are the co-authors of The Marriage Book which has sold over 52,000 copies since it was published in 2000. They run The Marriage Course three times a year at Holy Trinity Brompton with around 100 couples on each course.

Nicky is the husband of Sila (pronounced 'Sill-a') . They're great speakers and share lots about their own personal experiences. You can be guaranteed some laughs almost every session.. and they are an easy couple to warm to. In fact, I felt like I would miss them after the DVD's (and the course) ended. The Marriage Course is run worldwide, but click here to find one near you in Australia.

Reviewing: Soul Mama + Recipe of the week!

When hubby and I went to the Palais a month ago to see the Bjorn Again 20th Anniversary concert, we had dinner first -within walking distance of the theatre. There are a number of noteworthy places to try in the area, but we picked one of two places mentioned on The Palais' website, being 'Soul Mama - Global Vegetarian Cafe'. Neither hubby or I are vegetarians but we don't always have meat at every meal.. so after perusing the quirky website, we decided firmly that Soul Mama was the place to try!

Soul Mama's location is a short walk from the Palais Theatre at St Kilda Sea Baths (upstairs), with lovely sea views, even at night time with twinkling lights on the water.
Sliding door and stairs to the restaurant.

We got there quite early without a booking and we were given a table on the proviso we could be finished within an hour. That suited us because we had somewhere else to be! We don't normally arrive for dinner at 6pm (anywhere) so this was an 'early tea' for us. In the photo above you can see a queue of people in front of the hot food buffet (behind glass). You take your buffet ticket (which is given to you after you've paid), line-up and choose your dishes which are plated up for you.
Most dishes are written-up on the glass with coloured felt-pen so you know what's in front of you. If not, then the people serving are more than willing to explain. Food is served in 3 sizes. Small, being 250ml for a soup or salad. Medium (400ml), which is rice (a choice of brown, jasmine or basmati) & 4 buffet choices $17.50, OR Large (700ml) which is rice and 5 buffet choices $19.50. There was only a $2 price difference between medium and large so both hubbby and I chose a large each so we could try more dishes from the buffet. At lunch time you can get rice with two buffet choices for $14.50. You also get to choose what your food is dished-up in, being a deep, wok-style bowl or a flat, stainless steel 'compartmental' style of plate which some Indian restaurants use. I don't like the large, rectangle tray-like plates because I think your food cools down quicker. Hubby and I chose the huge, ceramic wok-style bowls.

(Above) My view from where I was sitting. The restaurant has a lot of ambience and is quite dimly lit -not good for photographs. I used my mobile and moved my food to another table with a spotlight over it to get a better photo!

Here are my 5 choices with rice! I had:

-Basmati Rice
-Blue Cheese & Broccoli Rice balls (crumbed/fried & size of golf balls, but couldn't really taste blue cheese though)
-Thai Red Curry Vegies

-Satay noodles (quite spicy!)
-Eggplant & Potato Curry (this was *hot* & very tasty)
-Potato salad -that had everything it it, including kalamata olives & feta, cucumber, broccoli, carrots, tomato, red onion & baby spinach & a dressing that included cottage cheese
-Plus 'on the house' were two house made chutneys/relishes... Which was a watermelon relish and a pineapple chutney.. one was like sweet chilli sauce.. the other more 'barbecuey'.

A LOT OF FOOD! My unfinished wok-bowl above, it was all so filling I didn't want to get uncomfortably-full before the Bjorn Again show. One thing I particularly liked in hubby's bowl was a red wine & lentil dish.. I'd never tried lentils with wine before. I might give that a go at home I think, especially since hubby was given a bottle of red as a gift from someone at work.

Desserts that we didn't get to try.

The verdict? A hearty thumbs up from us. We'd go back again! Though being an hours drive away.. I don't know when that would be? When we left, the place was filling-up quite quickly.. it was obviously a popular place to dine. Friendly staff too. The water is help-yourself with filtered room temperature and filtered chilled on offer. Definitely worth $19.50 for huge servings of healthy & varied vegetarian options.. that will most likely leave you with enough to take home. Not sure if they'll doggy-bag leftovers however?

(Below) Two photo's outside of Soul Mama, with flash and without (from my mobile). Soul Mama is open for lunch and dinner 7 days. Ph. 03 95253338. St Kilda Sea Baths. Jacka Boulevard. Victoria. Australia.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

In keeping with the vegetarian theme of 'Soul Mama' I decided to share my favourite hommus recipe. There are as many hommus recipes as there are spelling variations and even pronunciations! Spelling variations include: Hummus, houmos, hommous, humus... and on and on it goes! It's important to have an electric stab-blender to make this or a sharp, meat-grinding attachment on your food processer. You don't want chunks of chickpea's or garlic as you enjoy this slightly grainy, yet smooth, full-bodied dip. Hommus is a healthy accompaniment &/or topping that can be used as a spread on toast, a dip with crackers & crudites or something to dollop onto grilled or barbequeued meats. It contains Vitamin C, calcium and protein.. so think about making some at home - it's quite quick, very easy and delish!

HOMMUS

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-1 x 420g can of chickpeas (I use organic) - drained & rinsed

-1/3 cup of tahini (sesame seed paste, in health food section of supermarket)

-2 fresh garlic cloves

-1 teaspoon Maldon salt flakes or 1/2 tsp of table salt

-Juice of 2 or 3 lemons

-2 or 3 shakes of cayenne pepper

-For garnish: Sprinkle of ground cumin & paprika, tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley & a drizzle of good quality olive oil.

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-In a food processor or a small, but deep bowl with a stab blender, blend together drained and rinsed chickpeas and garlic until it looks like a thick paste.

-Add tahini, salt, cayenne pepper and juice of 2 lemons - blend into a smooth dip/spreadlike consistency. Taste. You might want the juice of one extra lemon, if so, add according to your tastes. Even an extra clove of garlic if it's not garlicky enough for you?

-Once hommus is smooth (not runny), spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle over some ground cumin, paprika and chopped parsley. Before serving, drizzle over approximately one to two teaspoons of olive oil.

-Serve as a dip with toasted Turkish bread, crackers or vegetable crudites. Dollop over grilled or bbq'd meats & serve with tabouli and/or potato salad.

Relaxed, tired, anticipating, ouch and WHAT IF?

A quick, impromptu blog-post before bed!

Today I had a couple of phone calls - not including hubby's calls from work. I was quite tired because I didn't sleep last night. Not to mention -very upset stomach. Nevertheless I decided to keep a 'date' for coffee with a friend at her place and it was lovely and relaxing. First time I'd ever been there.. a renovated home.. and I was inspired. Not to renovate --but just to work on 'minimalising' things around here. I hold onto too many 'sentimental' things.. which don't have a place. I need to detach and downsize. I have a tiny kitchen and my dining room table is basically my office. Or wherever I take the laptop. So I need to be mindful of the space I have available. Above, left is a mobile phone photo of the coffee that was made for me.. A bit too much chocolate came out of the shaker. All traces of powdery-residue on the bench top were wiped away before I 'snapped away'.

An invitation has been extended to me if I want company during gym workouts. As it happens, someone I know goes to my gym. Trouble is, they usually work-out around 6.45am. Who knows, maybe. One day? I'm still getting used to this idea of regular exercise again. I need to tread carefully because I have a rebellious nature within the claustrophobic confines of a healthy living regime. I don't want to go one step forward and two steps backwards. When I say claustrophobic confines.. I have to add, there is a very fine line between that and the "freedom of a healthy living regime". It's that mindset I'm working on.

Speaking of which.. I received an envelope in the mail today (fuschia pink on the non-addresssed side) with giant words on the back that read: "WHAT IF?" -- My immediate hunch was "Weight Watchers" and I was right. It was a formal, yet personalised note and invite from my former WW leader asking me to go back.. and no back fee's would be owing if I did. Truth is, they couldn't pay me to return -so I'll have to somehow (politely) convey that in an email.

Stuff happening in the weekend ahead. School returns next week but my girl doesn't go back until Thursday because her teachers are starting the week with three 'professional development' days.

Recently we attended a 70th birthday dinner and tomorrow we'll be going to a less formal and 'low key' 50th birthday, celebrated with our church small group at a local eatery.

Hubby is helping his son move house on Saturday and on Sunday we'll be having dinner out of town. Allow me to explain: A few years back we were passing through a regional town on our way home from Adelaide & needed to stop for dinner. We were a tad confused by the limited options available to us but settled on a pizza/pasta place and hoped for the best. Well, we were quite frankly blown away. Hubby had gnocchi and said it was the best he'd ever eaten. I had pizza and all I can say is that it was superb. I think my girl had fish and chips? Anyway.. we vowed to return one day.. so that day.. about 2.5 years later, will be, God willing, this Sunday.

And in conclusion, in the week that was and still is.. my car was serviced the other day but is booked-in for about 3 consecutive days next week for repairs, which will cost between $1,000 to $2,000. We are thankful this is happening at a time when someone WE HOPE will send us GROUP CERTIFICATES, so we can work on getting our tax returns in.

Best-Ever Two Meat Minestrone

I made this minestrone from the 'top of my head'... and liked it so much, I sat down and forced myself to remember every ingredient. Even though I was writing within an hour or two of eating this, it's amazing how quickly you forget. If I didn't know I'd blog about this soup then how did I know to take photo's? I photograph over 50% of everything I cook, but not everything features here at Foodie Wanderings. Not because it isn't good enough, but somtimes something better comes along & recipes get tucked away for another day or sometimes they're just forgotten!

Best Ever Two-Meat Minestrone
I felt almost reluctant to make soup a 'Recipe of the Week' and my hubby didn't even want me to call this 'Minestrone'. I asked him "why?' and he said that all minestrone's he's tried were too acidic and lacked flavour. He wondered if people would be excited about minestrone? I can confidently say we loved this minestrone very much.. so do give it a try! Despite the title, there is more veg in this than meat & the accompaniment of olive bread, just hands-down makes this perfect. It finishes the dish off to make it more than a meal.. in fact, I'm making this again TODAY, when I'm done at Rhema & the gym. The only thing I don't like about this soup is what deli's charge for ham hocks these days. The first ham hock I used was nearly $7 and the one I bought the other day was $8. I know steaks cost more per kilo and a BBQ meatlovers pizza costs more.. but weren't ham hocks cheaper in the olden days?

-1 ham hock (smoked -from deli)
-3 chicken thigh fillets (chopped into walnut-size pieces)
-Handful of fresh green beens (About 15, chopped)
-1 x 400gm tin of cannelini beans
-2 leeks (chopped)
-1 carrot (chopped)
-1 x 400gm tin of chopped tomatoes
-2 cups chopped cabbage
-1 small to medium sized zucchini (chopped)
-3 potatoes (chopped)
-2 cups pumpkin (chopped)
-2/3 cup chopped parsley (You will use 1/3 cup at a time)
-1 garlic clove, crushed
-One pinch each of dried rosemary & thyme
-1 tablespoon of powdered vegetable stock
-1 tablespoon of powdered chicken stock
-1/2 to 1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes (optional)
-Salt & white pepper
-Oil for sauteeing vegetables (I use Rice Bran oil)

-Extra chopped parsley for garnish

-I served this with a good sourdough olive ciabatta loaf, any olive bread would be good or alternatively, chunky pieces of any buttered, sourdough/ciabatta loaf
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-In a large soup pot, saute the chopped leeks & carrot in a tablespoon of oil, until soft (prepare chicken while doing this, see next instruction) .
-On a dinner plate, mix chopped chicken thigh fillets with clove of minced garlic and half a tin of chopped tomatoes (the other half will still be used). This will flavour & tenderise the chicken while you prepare the vegetables in the soup. Also mix-in a pinch of salt and a couple of shakes of white pepper. Let sit on plate, covered, while you continue to prepare the soup.
-Cut the skin and any visible fat from your ham hock, discard skin/fat & add the hock to the pot.
-Into the leek/carrot/hock mixture, add the potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, dried herbs & 1/3 cup parsley & cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes with another tablespoon of oil.
-Cover vegies & ham hock with water from a boiled kettle (about 1 to 1.5 litres, it depends on your pot) .
-Bring to boil, reduce heat & simmer covered for 1 hour (skimming any 'scum' ie. froth from the surface, there shouldn't be much)
-Add tin of drained/washed cannelini beans, chicken/tomato/garlic mixture, chilli flakes, zucchini, green beans & the other 1/3 cup of chopped parsley
-Bring to a soft boil again, turn down heat and simmer another 15 minutes
-Turn off heat & let soup sit for another 15 minutes, covered.
-Serve soup, but allow to sit for 5 min's in bowls before eating
-Serve with good, buttered olive bread. You can find excellent ciabatta loaves with olives in see-through cabinets at the supermarket (in the bread section, around $4.95). Or a good sourdough bread, spread with proper butter would also do. Beeeeautiful!

Road-Testing: DONNA HAY -Lemon & Coconut Cupcake Kit

I spotted a Donna Hay cupcake kit at a local 'providore/deli' earlier this year. I took one look at the price (around $15) and put it back. Then about 4 to 5 weeks ago I was at an upmarket green grocer (which also stocks expensive frozen things, cheeses & spices etc) - and I spotted the Donna Hay kits again. They were calling me! I decided to take the plunge and fork-out the $13.95 price tag to road test this product - because good or bad, I knew I'd get a blog post out of it.!

I think there was only one other flavour choice, which was vanilla? And I was tempted to go for that one.. oh choices, choices. Above photo we have the open box and a typed/written 'insert' from Donna. Apparantly the coconut used to be in with the cupcake mix, but now she packs a separate bag of coconut. The instructions on the back of the box don't mention the coconut being separate, so her note explains this. Otherwise you'd find yourself saying "When do I put the coconut in"?

The top of the box reads: "At age eight Donna Hay skipped into the kitchen, picked up a mixing bowl and never looked back. From these humble beginnings this baking range has been created with the best-quality ingredients Donna could find. As good as baking from scratch, only foolproof. One taste and you'll understand".

Sachet of cake mix, sachet of coconut and a sachet of lemon icing. The cake mix is coconut flavoured and it's the buttercream frosting that is lemony.

My fan-forced oven baked these in 20 minutes. I had to supply 2 eggs and half a cup of milk into the sachet mixtures/mixing bowl.

Ok, I had one even before icing it. Actually I did spoon on some frosting after I'd taken a bite. It was a peasant-style, rustic in-your-mouth-NOW version.

This started off as 125grams of softened yellow 'Creamy Tasmanian Butter' (I think 'Select' brand from Woolworths). The icing sugar sachet goes in and also a tablespoon of milk. Mixed with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.

Nowhere on the box is the topping referred to as frosting - it's called 'icing'. To me, this is a real, buttercream frosting. Butter made to look like faux-cream and even have the texture of it almost. I struggled (just a bit) to ice them and keep them looking pretty. A few days ago I also struggled (a bit) in the sugar-aisle at the supermarket. I saw little colourful sugar-flowers, perfect to put on top of cupcakes, albeit a little boring (after seeing what is out there on other foodie blog cupcakes). I didn't want to part with another $4 seeing as the cupcake kit already cost $14. So today.. for a minute or so, I regretted not purchasing the cupcake embellishments. But then I had an idea. Lemon zest!

So! The verdict? I have to admit, I started off this exercise feeling just a wee-sceptical. I don't fully know why. Maybe part of me wondered if I would be getting what I paid for. Was this a marketing exercise? Would I get the same from White Wings or Greens at the supermarket? As it happens, no.

Tasting the cupcake batter and frosting separately (pre-baking) I worried they would be over-sweet. But after they were baked and with my first mouthful I realised Mmm Mmm.. these are 'special' little cakes. More like 'muffin sized' cupcakes, I do think for what you get, the $13.95 price tag was worth it. They'd easily pass as a 'conversational piece' to bake for guests or to "love someone" with.. as a gift? Of course, a warning (without trying to sound cliched).. it's hard to stop at one!

Thursday musings...

Further to my Twitter 'tweets'... I want to mention here also that doing gym workouts these past couple of days has not 'become me'. However, today a distinct feeling did come over me. There was a point, a moment.. as I went from machine-to-machine.. as you do at 'Contours' (& a different trainer worked me much harder today).. I found myself at a mental crossroads of sorts. On the one hand I was feeling inconvenienced by the huffing & puffing & sweating and was taking the attitude of "not much longer now and I'm outta here". On the other hand, a certain part of me seemed to awaken. Or at least open one eye for a peek. It was as if a part of me had been lying flat, still & dormant. Then that once-still head rose up and I looked around and said "Oh.. I know this place (I mean: heart-rate up, pushing myself physically).. this is familiar... I can get quite hooked on this". So there were two of me inside my head. Two different me's. There was the "get me outta here" me who was thinking about my next meal & there was an "athletic me" who hiked for hours and even jogged around Tasmanian lakes & hills & rocks at Cradle Mountain in March. Have you seen the film 'Sliding Doors' with Gwyneth Paltrow? There's a scene where she's running to catch a train.. and there are two of her. One misses the train and we see what happens to that Gwyneth and the other Gwyneth only ju-u-u-st manages to jump on board and get her seat on the train home. So we follow that Gwyneth too. Different directions and consequences. Friday I have my obligatory third 1-on-1 session with a trainer.. after that, I will be "let loose" and free to come and go when I want.

Seen two movies in two days. 'Year One' was a bit disappointing for me.. but 'Ghost Town' with Tea Leoni, Greg Kinnear and Ricky Gervais was excellent. We all had quite a few laugh out loud moments. It's all 'fantasy' of course and deals with a not-very-nice dentist (played by Englishman Ricky Gervais). He is inconvenienced by people and life.. so much so that he insists on a general anaesthetic to have a colonoscopy & even resists answering 90% of the pre-procedure questions because they're an invasion of privacy. He finds out later that he actually died for 7 minutes on the operating table.. which explains why he keeps seeing ghosts who insist on following him with "please can you do this for me" requests.

Dinner tonight was salmon fillets (I managed to land for half price), with baked potato and sweet potato & salad. I served the salmon with some homemade 'parsley pesto' I decided to whip-up in the pestle & mortar (inspired loosely by something I saw online). The pesto did wonders to enhance the flavour of everything.. it was quite garlicky & I made it with cashews & some jalapeno's for spice (instead of something like capers)... and other 'secret' ingredients. And I think for the first time ever I overcooked the salmon. I can ruin a roast quite easily, but never usually fish. I was stunned! Oh well.. the pesto added moisture and saved the meal I think.

I have a nail appointment tomorrow afternoon.. because mine are screaming for infills. I really like the nail salon I go to and always enjoy my time there. No doubt I'll Twitter a photo or two on the sidebar of my blog. So far I've been given chocolate hedgehog and an Anzac bikkie with my coffee's. The nail technician (& business owner) has a kind Mum who bakes especially for customers. The portion sizes are 'mini' ... but that's ok, it's the thought and homemade flavours that count. Have a great weekend everyone :)