Indulging tastebuds instead of Cooking.

Apart of experience of cooking is the participation in eating other foods that you have not prepared yourself.... In fact the older and more experienced in cooking I get, the more aware of layers and notes in dishes, I have a greater appreciation for the time and thought put into each dish as I eat.

Recently during a trip to my homeland Australia I had the chance to partake of some noteworthy restaraunts and meals,  I decided to post blogs of restaurants that made it to my favorite list during my travels. 

 (When I say noteworthy.. I really mean it)

These restaurants are from different towns in the beautiful state of Queensland.

 

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

This is one of my favorite Italian basics. Intense and sweet I love the concentrated flavor of sun-dried tomato pesto.

Ingredients

1 8.5oz jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil

1 cup (Packed) fresh basil leaves

2 garlic cloves

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions

In a food processor, pulse the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil with the basil, garlic and pine nuts just until the tomatoes are finely chopped.  Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl, and stir in the cheese adn salt and pepper.  Season the pesto with more to taste.  Depending on the oil in your sundried tomatoes you might need to add more Extra Virgin Olive oil in order to get it to the right consistancy.

(this pesto will last for 1 week if stored in an air-tight container.)

Massaman Beef Curry with Potato

Perfect for a cold winter day. It's worth stinking up your house for!  This hearty curry with mild flavors is very kid friendly.  My family gobble it up.

Ingredients
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
approx 750 grams of beef
1 large red onion, chopped
4 small potatoes or 2 large chopped to bite size
2 cans coconut milk (Do not shake your can... let it sit and seperate in your fridge before cooking)
1 cup massaman curry paste (See recipe on blog) - variations and ratios may be different depending on your paste. This recipe is based on the flavors in the paste I make myself with the recipe shown below
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
half cup of shaved palm sugar (Substitute dark brown sugar if you cannot access palm sugar)
7 Tablespoons fish sauce
quarter cup of tamarind water

Directions
Heat oil in wok and sear meat. 
Add onion, cook about 1-2 minutes.
Add enough water to cover, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the potatoes, cover and simmer until potatoes are partially cooked.
Strain out meat and vegetables, reserve broth.

Place thick cream from the coconut milk in wok, stir in curry paste, cook for 2 minutes. 
Mix in potatoes, meat and peanuts.  Stir in reserved coconut milk, add sugar, fish sauce and tamarind.
Stir until sugar is dissolved.  If necessary, stir in as much of the reserved broth to thin the sauce to your taste. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.
This curry taste almost better the next day, the flavors sit and marry in the fridge. Reheat gently.

Massaman Curry Paste

This mild curry, named after the Muslim people in southern Thailand, is spiced with cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, and used for hearty stew-like dishes.

It is one of the mildest and most fragrant of the Thai curries.

Ingredients

10 gms of dried red chilis -  I used 1 huge pod. Pick your chili dependant on the heat you want.

2 cardamom pods, roasted ( no stores in my area have cardamom pods, I opted to use 1/2 tsp ground dried cardamom).

1 1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seed, roasted

1 1/2 tablespoon whole coriander seed, roasted

1 1/2 teaspoons shrimp paste, roasted

1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stalk lemon grass, finely sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled galangal (Substitute ginger root if you cannot find galangal)

1/4 cup fresh chopped garlic

third cup chopped red onion

Soak chilis in warm water.

Line a tray with tin foil. Put spices  cardamom, cumin, coriander, and shrimp paste on tray and roast in oven until fragrant.

Combine peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and roasted spices, grind in mortar and pestal for best results,... or if you don't have one put them in a zip lock bag and pound with flat side of a mallet until all are ground up and combined.

Finely chop remaining ingredients and transfer to food processor with the ground spices and shrimp paste.

Process to a paste using some of the soaking water if necessary.

Store in the fridge. Keep sup to 2 weeks. Or freeze in ice cube tray.

The Surf & Turf Burger

Check back tommorow for the recipe !

Alyses' Super Satisfying Taco Soup

I Have tried many taco soups and this is by far the most family friendly and satisfying. 

Perfect for a cold winter day and it only takes me 15 minutes to cook it, fantastic for a busy day at work or school.

Ingredients
1 pound beef mince (Ground Beef) - I prefer to use extra lean.
1 Cheesy Taco seasoning packet - If you don't have that flavor at your store simply choose the regular taco seasoning with what heat you want.. it's best to go with mild for young families.
1  can corn with liquid
1 can beans of your choice rinsed and drained
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
2 cans cream of potato soup
For Topping
Grated Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

Directions
In a deep frypan or soup pot, brown your mince.
Sprinkle seasoning directly on meat, stir through.
Add remaining ingredients and stir through. Stir while it's on the stove until it's heated and bubblig gently all the way through.
Serve immediately with toppings of your choice. I love to use tortilla chips as my spoon.

BBQ'd Thai Coriander Garlic Lime Chicken

This flavor packed marinade is not for the weak in tastebuds.

Grilled slow and low for perfect juiciness!

Ingredients

3 Tbspoons Finely chopped garlic

4 Tbsp finely chopped coriander (Cilantro)

1 1/2 tbsp Oyster Sauce

2 splashes fish sauce

1 lime

1 tbsp oyster sauce for extra basting while grilling

Vegetable Oil

Create the following marinade for the chicken.

Finely chop all the garlic and coriander.  If you have a mortar and pestal then use it to pound the ingredients into a paste. If not use the flat back of a large knife to press and smear the ingredients together.  Add salt and pepper (if you want it spicy add more pepper).
Once paste is juicy and well smooshed together add in 1 1/2 tbsp of Oyster sauce and the spashes of fish sauce. Mix together.
Using your hands (it's really the only way to do this) smear all the paste evenly over the chicken pieces. I used 2 skinless chicken breasts and 2 drumsticks with the skin on, just for a little variety, and also convenience - it was the only chicken I had in the fridge. You can use whatever you like. Once covered in marinade squeeze the juice from half lime over the top of the meat. (Put other half of lime aside to use later)
Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for at least an hour.

When you are ready to grill heat the BBQ, and then reduce the temperature to medium low. lightly grease the grill and place chicken trying to keep as much of the marinade on as possible.

Cook for approximately 25 minutes or until completely cooked through. While cooking watch closely and turn and baste with remaining oyster sauce, I also drizzled some vegetable oil over them about halfway through the cooking time . When done squeeze extra lime juice over the top to your taste.

                                           Serve with a salad or side of vegetable stirfry noodles.