April 30, 2011 - Fishy Challenge - Quinoa Paella
Ok, here we go. Where to start....
As a pre dinner snack we had mango and ginger stilton on rosemary crackers. Delicious:
Now for dinner...
Firstly, it was difficult to find an actual recipe (one that I liked and looked well thought out) so I kind of made up my own. Bit risky as I have never cooked mussels before, never used quinoa before, and never made paella of any kind before! Here's my method:
Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
1 chopped red union
Pancetta (as much as you deem necessary, I added about 70g)2 chopped garlic
2 celery stalks1 tsp olive oil
3 cups vegetable broth
1 chopped red capsicum
1 lb mussels
8 prawns
500ml white cooking wine
1 lime
Firstly, I soaked the quinoa in water for 15 mins. This is what I used:
I sweated off the onion and garlic first, added the pancetta, a few mins later added the capsicum.
Then I added the quinoa, stired through, and added the stock. If I had saffron I would have added it at the same time, and to be honest would have really set it on fire. But saffron is hard to come by and what we could find was $12 so I opted out.
I bought it to the boil and cooked for 15 minutes. Another option is to add frozen peas here but I chose not to do that too, I don't fancy peas much.
Meanwhile, I boiled the white wine and the remaining stock, added the celery and some garlic, and cooked the mussels off at the last minute. They only take a few mins so wasn't difficult to coordinate.
At the last minute, I chucked the prawns in and gave it a stir until all prawns were cooked. Took about 2 mins.
They were not shelled but were split so were still pretty easy to eat. Glad I didn't have to deal with prawn heads, need a few beers to be game enough to rip one of those off without being grossed out by those beady black eyes!
Served on a plate, added the freshly cooked mussels, and garnished with a wedge of lime.
Honestly, it was called a cooking challenge, but I didn't find it to be a challenge at all. It was easy to prepare, easy to make and easy to eat. The verdict? It was bloody delicious. Quinoa rocks, will certainly be using this again, and again, and again!
Glad I added the pancetta, next time I might use chorizo though. Plus I might replace the mussels for chicken. They were easy to cook and quite tasty, but I prefer fresh ones straight from the sea (like green lipped mussels in NZ... mmmm). So while the experience was great, going to avoid cooking mussels so far from the ocean.
Overall, yeah sure, I would recommend this, but make your own changes, go with what you like and what you want in it, I don't reckon there is much room for going wrong here. There will be a next time for me to this again, and I will change it every time no doubt!
As a pre dinner snack we had mango and ginger stilton on rosemary crackers. Delicious:
Now for dinner...
Firstly, it was difficult to find an actual recipe (one that I liked and looked well thought out) so I kind of made up my own. Bit risky as I have never cooked mussels before, never used quinoa before, and never made paella of any kind before! Here's my method:
Ingredients:
2 cups quinoa
1 chopped red union
Pancetta (as much as you deem necessary, I added about 70g)2 chopped garlic
2 celery stalks1 tsp olive oil
3 cups vegetable broth
1 chopped red capsicum
1 lb mussels
8 prawns
500ml white cooking wine
1 lime
Firstly, I soaked the quinoa in water for 15 mins. This is what I used:
I sweated off the onion and garlic first, added the pancetta, a few mins later added the capsicum.
Then I added the quinoa, stired through, and added the stock. If I had saffron I would have added it at the same time, and to be honest would have really set it on fire. But saffron is hard to come by and what we could find was $12 so I opted out.
I bought it to the boil and cooked for 15 minutes. Another option is to add frozen peas here but I chose not to do that too, I don't fancy peas much.
Meanwhile, I boiled the white wine and the remaining stock, added the celery and some garlic, and cooked the mussels off at the last minute. They only take a few mins so wasn't difficult to coordinate.
At the last minute, I chucked the prawns in and gave it a stir until all prawns were cooked. Took about 2 mins.
They were not shelled but were split so were still pretty easy to eat. Glad I didn't have to deal with prawn heads, need a few beers to be game enough to rip one of those off without being grossed out by those beady black eyes!
Served on a plate, added the freshly cooked mussels, and garnished with a wedge of lime.
Honestly, it was called a cooking challenge, but I didn't find it to be a challenge at all. It was easy to prepare, easy to make and easy to eat. The verdict? It was bloody delicious. Quinoa rocks, will certainly be using this again, and again, and again!
Glad I added the pancetta, next time I might use chorizo though. Plus I might replace the mussels for chicken. They were easy to cook and quite tasty, but I prefer fresh ones straight from the sea (like green lipped mussels in NZ... mmmm). So while the experience was great, going to avoid cooking mussels so far from the ocean.
Overall, yeah sure, I would recommend this, but make your own changes, go with what you like and what you want in it, I don't reckon there is much room for going wrong here. There will be a next time for me to this again, and I will change it every time no doubt!
April 30, 2011
Oh man, shame on me. I skipped breakfast today and had the last 'meat parcel' for lunch. It was meant to be for Lee but he took his left over pad thai to work instead. I also snacked on a slice of havarti cheese and some rice crackers.
I have done all the grocery shopping, have made a few last minute changes to the recipe and have some prep to do before cooking dinner (such as scrubbing the mussels etc).
I have a tasty cheese and some crackers for us to snack on the moment Lee walks in the door. Tomorrow is his last 12 hour shift for a month. Squeeee!
Rightio. I will update later on with the cooking challenge and its results etc. So stay tuned....
I have done all the grocery shopping, have made a few last minute changes to the recipe and have some prep to do before cooking dinner (such as scrubbing the mussels etc).
I have a tasty cheese and some crackers for us to snack on the moment Lee walks in the door. Tomorrow is his last 12 hour shift for a month. Squeeee!
Rightio. I will update later on with the cooking challenge and its results etc. So stay tuned....
April 29, 2011
Last night a few hours after dinner, I got hungry. So I accidentally ate my 'meat parcel' which was meant to be for my lunch today.
For breakfast this morning I had one peanut butter ryvita and a coffee and figured because I was awake so early, I would have a gander at the royal wedding. Now folks, talk about your convert. I was so over hearing about it, and kept saying WHO CARES but watching it... I dunno, it was a piece of history, it was beautiful, and I really got into it, plus seeing Will and Haz hanging out as brothers gave me warm fuzzies. Especially after living in the UK for those years, and being away, it made me feel a bit sad and a bit happy at the same time.
I got to work very early, and took in some red velvet cupcakes which went down a treat at 9:30am. I washed it down with a chai tea bought from me by a girl at work I call the 'crazy lady', she has an awesome deadpan sense of humour and has me in stitches quite often.
For lunch I had a salad from the cafe (because I ate my lunch last night), and it was average. Mixed lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, chickpeas, olives and sundried tomato. Oh and some ham (Random? Yes. Tasty? Not really).
When I got home I was starving so I had some left over lime and sea salt rice crackers. Was sad when the bag ended.
For dinner, well, I was totally disorganised this week and have had the hankering for a constant calorie fest. The shameful thing is I would have killed for pizza tonight, but had to talk myself out of it. Lee was working late and the fridge is empty so we got Thai instead, I had chicken & shrimp with 'purple' eggplant and basil. We stumbled across some dumplings also (not so Thai) :
Very tasty but couldn't finish it. Rice overload.
I am menu planning for the week. Lee has Monday off so we will do the grocery shopping for the week then. I am thinking healthy, I am thinking creative and I am thinking fun. Suggestions welcome before Monday!
Stay tuned tomorrow for my third cooking challenge, quinoa paella was the clear winner, thanks to the handful of people who voted. I will also be taking suggestions for the next challenge. Maybe desserts, or multi-appetizer central? Anything! So I throw it out to you guys. Go on, inspire me.... Or at least humor me?!
For breakfast this morning I had one peanut butter ryvita and a coffee and figured because I was awake so early, I would have a gander at the royal wedding. Now folks, talk about your convert. I was so over hearing about it, and kept saying WHO CARES but watching it... I dunno, it was a piece of history, it was beautiful, and I really got into it, plus seeing Will and Haz hanging out as brothers gave me warm fuzzies. Especially after living in the UK for those years, and being away, it made me feel a bit sad and a bit happy at the same time.
I got to work very early, and took in some red velvet cupcakes which went down a treat at 9:30am. I washed it down with a chai tea bought from me by a girl at work I call the 'crazy lady', she has an awesome deadpan sense of humour and has me in stitches quite often.
For lunch I had a salad from the cafe (because I ate my lunch last night), and it was average. Mixed lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, chickpeas, olives and sundried tomato. Oh and some ham (Random? Yes. Tasty? Not really).
When I got home I was starving so I had some left over lime and sea salt rice crackers. Was sad when the bag ended.
For dinner, well, I was totally disorganised this week and have had the hankering for a constant calorie fest. The shameful thing is I would have killed for pizza tonight, but had to talk myself out of it. Lee was working late and the fridge is empty so we got Thai instead, I had chicken & shrimp with 'purple' eggplant and basil. We stumbled across some dumplings also (not so Thai) :
Very tasty but couldn't finish it. Rice overload.
I am menu planning for the week. Lee has Monday off so we will do the grocery shopping for the week then. I am thinking healthy, I am thinking creative and I am thinking fun. Suggestions welcome before Monday!
Stay tuned tomorrow for my third cooking challenge, quinoa paella was the clear winner, thanks to the handful of people who voted. I will also be taking suggestions for the next challenge. Maybe desserts, or multi-appetizer central? Anything! So I throw it out to you guys. Go on, inspire me.... Or at least humor me?!
April 28, 2011
Righto. Well this morning I stretched out and had two ryvitas with peanut butter. Yawn. The coffee was good though, Lee picked up some more yesterday so was nice to wake up to the coffee machine beeping me my wake up call.
I ate some rice snacks (lime and sea salt flavour) at about 10:30am, and by lunch I was starving and devoured my left over 'meat parcel' and left over salad in less than two minutes. Or so it felt.
After work Lee picked me up and drove me to the Drive Test centre, where I got my G1 (equivalent of your 'L's' in Australia and 'Provisional license' in the UK). So thats three countries I have my learners permit in. Sad and tragic.
We passed a pub that we know from Krista and Jad so we popped in for a pint, and that turned into two, and that turned into bbq dinner. We both had a pulled pork sandwich, neither of us finished it, it was rather big, but really tasty. It came with chips which we hardly touched , and a small portion of beans and coleslaw.
We shouldn't have but we did. And it was good. Did someone just say gym?!
I ate some rice snacks (lime and sea salt flavour) at about 10:30am, and by lunch I was starving and devoured my left over 'meat parcel' and left over salad in less than two minutes. Or so it felt.
After work Lee picked me up and drove me to the Drive Test centre, where I got my G1 (equivalent of your 'L's' in Australia and 'Provisional license' in the UK). So thats three countries I have my learners permit in. Sad and tragic.
We passed a pub that we know from Krista and Jad so we popped in for a pint, and that turned into two, and that turned into bbq dinner. We both had a pulled pork sandwich, neither of us finished it, it was rather big, but really tasty. It came with chips which we hardly touched , and a small portion of beans and coleslaw.
We shouldn't have but we did. And it was good. Did someone just say gym?!
April 27, 2011
Much better today. Although breakfast was silly of me, I had a peanut butter ryvita, there wasn't any grapefruit left. When I got to work at 6:40am I was starving so waited for the caf to open and had a banana muffin.
My lunch was a salad, also from the cafe, one of those pick and make it yourself kinda thing. It was ok, but could have made it myself really, given some fridge stocking.
We remembered to take the filo out of the freezer, so made my yummy meat parcels. I gotta give them a name, any takers? They have beef, celery, onion, mushroom, capsicum and zucchini.
Had it with a salad of lettuce, cucumber, red cabbage and olives. YUMMO!
The junk food binge has taken its toll, gained a kilo of the 7kg I lost, and feeling well round and squishy. So will be back on the super foods again, will do a grocery shop tomorrow after work.
I finish up on Friday, and have a couple of weeks off before I start my new job, so planning on getting to the gym more and cooking up a super storm. Which reminds me, only a few days left before the fishy cooking challenge, please vote! Top right. Thanks! xxx
My lunch was a salad, also from the cafe, one of those pick and make it yourself kinda thing. It was ok, but could have made it myself really, given some fridge stocking.
We remembered to take the filo out of the freezer, so made my yummy meat parcels. I gotta give them a name, any takers? They have beef, celery, onion, mushroom, capsicum and zucchini.
Had it with a salad of lettuce, cucumber, red cabbage and olives. YUMMO!
The junk food binge has taken its toll, gained a kilo of the 7kg I lost, and feeling well round and squishy. So will be back on the super foods again, will do a grocery shop tomorrow after work.
I finish up on Friday, and have a couple of weeks off before I start my new job, so planning on getting to the gym more and cooking up a super storm. Which reminds me, only a few days left before the fishy cooking challenge, please vote! Top right. Thanks! xxx
April 26, 2011
Ok, slight catch up....
Yesterday, BAU (grapefruit & ryvita). Some nuts at work, was starving by lunch time, Lee picked me up and whisked me away to the park and we scoffed chicken pitas. DELICIOUS! I came back with a big round belly and felt uncomfortable in my stockings and skirt. Sometimes stretchy pants are necessary!
In the afternoon I found out that I got the job I went for last week, and I am super excited about it. I finished at 3 pm (starting work at 7am has its perks) so head straight to the pub where I had several pints to celebrate.
Naturally when we got home, I made a few phone calls to share my joy, and completely forgot to take the filo out of the freezer. Shit! So Lee and I did the 'stuff it, lets celebrate, what can we get with not much money' and stumbled on a pizza. Terrible, twice in a week, but oh so delicious.
It is now nearly 5am, I have been up for two hours, so regretting the beer and pizza, whoops. Looks like today is a salad day.... will update y'all later on. Gotta get my health focus on today!
Peace out xxx
Yesterday, BAU (grapefruit & ryvita). Some nuts at work, was starving by lunch time, Lee picked me up and whisked me away to the park and we scoffed chicken pitas. DELICIOUS! I came back with a big round belly and felt uncomfortable in my stockings and skirt. Sometimes stretchy pants are necessary!
In the afternoon I found out that I got the job I went for last week, and I am super excited about it. I finished at 3 pm (starting work at 7am has its perks) so head straight to the pub where I had several pints to celebrate.
Naturally when we got home, I made a few phone calls to share my joy, and completely forgot to take the filo out of the freezer. Shit! So Lee and I did the 'stuff it, lets celebrate, what can we get with not much money' and stumbled on a pizza. Terrible, twice in a week, but oh so delicious.
It is now nearly 5am, I have been up for two hours, so regretting the beer and pizza, whoops. Looks like today is a salad day.... will update y'all later on. Gotta get my health focus on today!
Peace out xxx
April 25, 2011
Oh my gosh, the shame, the shame! At about 10pm last night, while Lee was at work, I got a hankering for a hamburger. Messaging Lee I quickly found out so did he. Ten minutes later he is in the driveway with a Big Mac for me. Whoops. I looked at it for a good 20 seconds, picked it up, and 20 seconds later it was gone. Not even sure I ate it to be honest!
I hated McDonalds for so many years and still find it a little repulsive, but after having a 'I cant eat any more rice' Big Mac in China, and finding it tasted nothing short of amazing, it appears I am back on the bandwagon. Its was actually my first maccas in over 5 months, so not actually that bad, but shame on me really, especially within days of having a pizza binge.
For breakfast I had grapefruit and a peanut butter ryvita. At work I ate some nuts, and had left over pasta sans Mez Egg for lunch.
Got home, starving, was meant to make filo parcels for dinner but didn't take out the filo in time so will make them tomorrow instead. So we ended up ordering in, just waiting for it to arrive. I ordered a dumpling soup, and some spring rolls. Mmmmm. C'mon already!
On the scale of take out, dumpling soup is not so bad, but the pattern emerges and the famous words 'going to get back to it tomorrow' have been uttered. But honestly, it will, we will be back on it tomorrow.....
At least my blog is serving the purpose in identifying patterns, being honest about everything I eat is pretty tough.
Vickie and Andrew are en route for their new home in Thailand today (Aus time). Thinking of them, what an amazing adventure, after three months travel, they returned to Aus, packed up their stuff and planned their move to Chiang Mai. Just imagine their eating opportunities! I am salivating right now.
I hated McDonalds for so many years and still find it a little repulsive, but after having a 'I cant eat any more rice' Big Mac in China, and finding it tasted nothing short of amazing, it appears I am back on the bandwagon. Its was actually my first maccas in over 5 months, so not actually that bad, but shame on me really, especially within days of having a pizza binge.
For breakfast I had grapefruit and a peanut butter ryvita. At work I ate some nuts, and had left over pasta sans Mez Egg for lunch.
Got home, starving, was meant to make filo parcels for dinner but didn't take out the filo in time so will make them tomorrow instead. So we ended up ordering in, just waiting for it to arrive. I ordered a dumpling soup, and some spring rolls. Mmmmm. C'mon already!
On the scale of take out, dumpling soup is not so bad, but the pattern emerges and the famous words 'going to get back to it tomorrow' have been uttered. But honestly, it will, we will be back on it tomorrow.....
At least my blog is serving the purpose in identifying patterns, being honest about everything I eat is pretty tough.
Vickie and Andrew are en route for their new home in Thailand today (Aus time). Thinking of them, what an amazing adventure, after three months travel, they returned to Aus, packed up their stuff and planned their move to Chiang Mai. Just imagine their eating opportunities! I am salivating right now.
April 24, 2011 - Dinner
The pesto came out great, the pasta was delicious, and the Mez Egg was an absolute treat! Shaved some parmigiano reggiano on top, with some cracked pepper, voila:
Stuffed now, so full. Worth it though, plus Lee was a huge fan. I think next time I need to add pancetta in the mix (or even crisp up some prosciutto and crumble on top of the egg) and poach the egg for a little less time so it is more runny. Mmmmm.
Stuffed now, so full. Worth it though, plus Lee was a huge fan. I think next time I need to add pancetta in the mix (or even crisp up some prosciutto and crumble on top of the egg) and poach the egg for a little less time so it is more runny. Mmmmm.
April 24, 2011
First thing I ate when I woke up was chocolate. Now come on people, don't you judge me, I think that was a global breakfast, no?! Well to be fair it was only two little eggs, not really going to feel guilty after that.
For actual breakfast I ate the rest of the grapefruit and a peanut butter ryvita. We are out of coffee, so will have to send Lee off during the week when he is off work to go get some more.
For lunch I had a massive left over pork sandwich with coleslaw & tomato sauce, check out this bad boy:
Loving this healthy slaw, thanks for the inspiration, G-Ram!
The plan for dinner is sundried tomato pesto fettuccine. I cant make it just yet as Lee is asleep at the food processor isn't exactly a low soothing humming machine. I have basil, and some walnuts also, so will blitz that up with some olive oil, garlic & parmesan and a touch of salt and that should do it. Stir through with some low fat sour cream, and possibly a Mez Egg.
For actual breakfast I ate the rest of the grapefruit and a peanut butter ryvita. We are out of coffee, so will have to send Lee off during the week when he is off work to go get some more.
For lunch I had a massive left over pork sandwich with coleslaw & tomato sauce, check out this bad boy:
Loving this healthy slaw, thanks for the inspiration, G-Ram!
The plan for dinner is sundried tomato pesto fettuccine. I cant make it just yet as Lee is asleep at the food processor isn't exactly a low soothing humming machine. I have basil, and some walnuts also, so will blitz that up with some olive oil, garlic & parmesan and a touch of salt and that should do it. Stir through with some low fat sour cream, and possibly a Mez Egg.
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