Best Home Chef........

Ok, we all know I love to cook. Some kind people that I have discussed recipes and my enthusiasm with have suggested things like Masterchef and MKR - my dislike of the spotlight, as well as 3 months away from work, prevent this - as an alternative I have joined the great home cooks on Best Home Chef..... If you would like to rate any of my recipes, please follow the link:

See more of my creations.......

Some of my creations make it to pinterest via Best Home Chef - enjoy!

Dental Care for people with a Chronic Disease

Many Australians are faced with enduring a chronic disease in their day to day life, such as diabetes, cancer, alzheimer's, mental health issues and bleeding disorders, these people are also more susceptible to dental diseases' such as periodontal disease and dental caries (decay).
There is currently a scheme through Medicare that allows eligible individuals to claim for dental care - reducing their risk of development and progression of these diseases. Our government wants to crap this scheme, leaving individuals with chronic disease left to pay for costly private dental care, which a lot simply cannot afford.
Please join my colleague - Professor Hans Zoellner in his plight to save this worthwhile health initiative, increasing the quality of life for eligible individuals by following this link :Protect Dental Medicare for People with Chronic Disease 
Thanks for your support - you never know when you, your family or someone you love may need this help!

Peta's Guacamole

Ingredients:
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 pepper corns
good pinch of salt
2 cloves of garlic - roughly chopped
1 shallot - roughly chopped
Flesh of 1 Hass avocado
2 Tablespoons lite sour cream

How to?
Place first 5 ingredients in  food processor, and process until smooth, add avocado and sour cream, and process again, until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste, and refrigerate for a few hours before eating. Refrigeration before consumption lets the flavors develop, and it is delicious!
Great served with nacho's, crackers, vegetable crudites, or even used instead of better on your toast or sandwiches!

Tacos' Nachos' n more.......

Who doesn't love a good Mexican feed? Here's a change to the way you usually make them, tasty, lower in fat, woooo hooooooo!

• 500g piece of skirt steak
• 1 sachet of mild taco seasoning - I do prefer Old El Paso
• 1 onion, diced

How?

In a fry pan that has been lightly sprayed with olive l and is hot, brown your piece of skirt for s few minutes, get a good caramelisation, because this improves the flavour. add approx 2 cups of water and put a lid on, turn the heat down until the water is just simmering, and cook until the meat is falling apart, this will take about an hour. Make sure you check the meat occasionally so it doesn't boil dry, if you need to, add some more water.

Once your meat is falling apart, remove from the pan, reserving the water, onto a chopping board, separate the meat with 2 forks, into strings - add the meat back into the pan with the onion and taco seasoning, cook for a few minutes and stand.



Great served with my guacamole, I'll post the recipe later, sour cream, salsa, grated tasty cheese, and your choice of tortilla, corn chips etc. YUMMY

Posted with Blogsy

Arugula Salad with White Balsam Vinegar Dessing

Very fresh - great with a protein source, such as fish, steak or a quiche 

INGREDIENTS

• Handful of fresh Arugula (Rocket / Rucola)
• Tomato - sliced into wedges
• Finely sliced Spanish onion
• Shaved,fresh Parmesan
• White balsam vinegar
• Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Toss all ingredients, bar the Parmesan in a bowl - top with Parmesan and serve. You may note that I have not specified quantities - do your own to taste!!!

I love this because I like the sweetness of the balsam vinegar with the peppery Arugula and the sweet bite from the Spanish onion - yum!

100 Things I Think Are Awesome.......

1.  The kind and considerate man that I love - and who loves me
2.  Snuffling a warm bunny on a cold winter evening
3.  The feel of sunshine on my skin
4. The smell of fresh tropical fruit
5. CSN - (Clean Sheet Night!)
6. The feeling of satisfaction when I push myself that little bit harder
7. The ocean
8. My eyes
9. Helping someone
10. Mountains in Autumn
11. Soaking in a warm, scented bath
12. A good book = me time
13. Life
14. Children's laughter
15. Cooking shows - MasterChef and MKR
16. Heston Blumenthal
17. Facebook
18. Good manners
19. The scent of freshly mowed grass
20. My family
21. Photography
22. Fresh seafood
23. Honesty
24. Tea
25. Thunder and lightning
26. Losing myself in the beauty of music
27. Techie toys
28. Beautiful stationary
29. Fish - to look at and to eat!
30. Tooth morphology
31. Color
32. Sciene
33. Modern medicine
34. Molecular gastronomy
35. Silence

Short Soup FAIL!

Thought I would be clever and do a deconstructed version of my short soup, with the idea of reducing the number of won ton wrappers used......FAIL!
I have had the flu, and therefore no sense of taste or smell - my usual score is a 9 or 10, this big idea got me a 6....... Note to self, do not play invention games in the kitchen when you are ill - it\'s not going to work!
Tonight it\'s back to basics - lamb cutlets with inventive veg!

Zingy Asian Sauce

Time to get inventive - and I really love Asian flavors (and can do them well, with only a fraction of the calories of French!)
Crispy skin salmon is a favorite in our house, and I decided it was time to make a subtle change, here is THE SAUCE......

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 2.5 cm cube of fresh, peeled ginger root - very finely diced
• Pinch dried chili - with a few seeds
• 1/2 t sugar
• dash of sesame oil
• dash soy sauce
• 1 t peanut butter

HOW?????

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend, blend, blend,

Notes...

Approx 6 serves at 18.5 Calories each!!! 

This is great with fish - but would also go nicely with lamb or chicken

Pork Scotch Fillet with Stewed Apple, Kumera, Carrot and Cinnamon Mash, Asparagus and Zuchini

• 2 x 150g Scotch Fillet Steaks
• 1 small Red Delicious Apple
• Ground Cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Kumera
• 1 medium Carrot
• 1 t butter
• 1 bunch Asparagus - fibrous bases removed
• 1 medium Zucchini - quartered length ways, then halved

How???

Pre-heat oven 180 degrees.

Place the kumera and carrot in a saucepan of lightly salted water with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon and simmer until soft.

Meanwhile peel and dice the apple and place in a small saucepan with another sprinkle of cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon, and simmer until soft, but not falling apart.

Have the asparagus and zucchini ready to go in a steamer.

Heat a non-stick frypan until hot and spray lightly with olive oil, season the steaks with salt then sear the pork until beautifully golden, then finish off in the oven for 10 mins or until cooked through.

Steam the asparagus and zuchinni.

Process the kumera and carrot in a food processor until smooth.

Remember to rest your pork for a few minutes after cooking.

Serves 2

Approx. 500 Calories per serve.

Smaller serves of pork for those of us trying to loose weight!

Dinner Tonight

I am struggling with self disgust for gaining so much weight, exercise is hard, but JFDI time, 10 minutes of x trainer is better than nothing!
Andrew is making dinner tonight, baked snapper with brown rice and veges. Should be tasty.
It was delicious......
I must deal with my self disgust, it is only detrimental to my ability to achieve my goals......... I can, I am going to, I will get fit, well and slimmer - for me, my friends and family, my darling man, our bunnies! JFDI

Quickie Soup for Lunch

• 1C Cauliflower 
• 1 medium carrot 
• pinch fennel seeds 
• pinch coriander seeds 
• pinch Szechuan pepper 
• 1 1/2 cups reduced salt chicken stock 
• 1T Philadelphia reduced fat cream cheese 

 How???
Place all ingredients, except the cream cheese, in a small saucepan and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Drain the vegetables, reserving the stick. Blend the vegetables with a stick blender, adding reserved stock until you achieve the desired consistency. Mix in the cream cheese and season to taste. Notes I get my Szechuan pepper from a specialist Asian grocer.
 Serves 1
 Approx. 140 Calories per serve.
Tips
This is nice served with some home made croutons and some sliced shallots

Peta's Short Soup

• 100g minced chicken or pork 
• 1/2 cup finely diced cabbage
• 2t diced shallots 
• 2 cloves garlic - crushed or finely diced 
• 2 cm fresh ginger - crushed or finely diced
• 1t lemon juice (optional)
• sprinkle of Chinese five spice 
• 1/2t sesame oil 
• 1t fish sauce 
• 2L reduced salt chicken broth 
• Sliced Shallot to garnish 
• Packet of Won Ton Wrappers 

 How???
 Place cabbage, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, sesame oil and fish sauce in a food processor and process until you get an even coarse consistency (similar to minced meat) - not a paste, place mix in a bowl with the mince and five spice and mix until combined. Lay out won ton wrappers on a board and place about 1 teaspoon of mix in the centre, brush the edges with egg and seal mix within the won tons - simmer in chicken broth until wrappers are soft and silky. Serve in a large bowl with shallot sprinkled on top - yummmmmmo!
 Notes: Serves 4 as an entree - 2 as a main.
Approx 350 Calories per serve
Won Ton Wrappers can be found in most supermarkets with the fresh pasta's

12WBT

This is week 2 of the Michelle Bridges 12WBT, here I will share with you my journey..... My weight has crept up, and up and up - now it is time to reclaim my life and my body, it's going to be hard, it's going to hurt, there will be highs and lows, losses and probably gains - preferably of a kind other than weight....... Welcome to my journey!