Garden Fresh

With dad being a keen gardener, I was ecstatic to find these seeds sitting comfortably on our bbq while I tried grabbing the ping pong ball, I embarrassingly didn't hit while the fam and I were having a little family sesh.

I'm really excited to see how they'll grow in the cold Melbourne Spring and the hot-as-ever Summer, but I'm sure that they'll be blooming in no-time! Not a gardener at heart or much of an outdoorsy and hands-on type of person unless you're talking about computers or sports, I will try my very best to go out once in a while and see the progress of these young seedlings and help out with some watering or two.

I'm already excited of the things I could make with them! But what makes it even more exciting is that when the seeds have gorgeously turned into their supposed vegetable or herb, there's no need for me to wait a good couple of days before we go grocery shopping or opt for the packet ones! All I need to do is to have a little walk outside, breathe in the fresh Spring air and pick out the best ones. 

Spring onions for some nice steamed fish, tomatoes for some home made pizza sauce and parsley for anything, really! Radish... I'm still thinking of what to do with them but I'm sure mum or dad (who's a good cook himself) would have something up their sleeve.

Fresh is best. Soon, I shall recommend growing some basil too.

Easy to make "Chicken and Vegetable Pie"

Here we go, my cousin and I's version of Chicken and Vegetable Pie! Opting for the fast and the delicious, the following ingredients are for those who doesn't want to do A LOT of mise en place (cutting and a choppin). If you've got some frozen vegetables in the freezer and some left-over cream after whatever you may have used it for, then this is the recipe for you.

But remember, all the time, it's best to go for the fresh produce so if you've got time, then do some choppin and a cuttin and maybe gather some of your friends or your relatives round to help you out.

But otherwise, here it is:

Easy to make "Chicken and Vegetable Pie"
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of butter
• 500g chicken breast fillets, roughly cut or ALTERNATIVE*: cut meat from chicken wings or marylands (approx 1 maryland and 5 wings)
• 1 teaspoon garlic**
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 5-6 sheets of puff pastry
• 2 cups of Frozen Vegetable Mix*** (carrots, peas, corn, broccoli, radish)
• 1 small potato, peeled and diced
• 7 pieces mushroom, sliced
• 1/2 cup thickened cream

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a fry pan over medium heat.
  
• Add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned or almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Add parsley and garlic to the pan and cook over low heat. Add the flour and cook for approx. 1 minute.
• Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celcius on a fan-forced oven.
• Add chicken stock and cream. Cook, stirring (make sure that there are no clumps of flour) for a further 5 minutes in a medium-low heat.
• Return chicken to pan and add in vegetables. Season well then set aside to cool.
• Cover the bottom of the dish**** with 2-3 sheets of puff pastry, allowing the sides to be covered. (Brush the puff pastry with some water if it starts to dry up)
• Pour in chicken and vegetable mixture on the dish and place the rest of the sheets on the top, covering it.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Serve and enjoy.

NOTES & HANDY DANDY TIPS:
* - In this recipe, we used 1 maryland (leg and thigh) and took out as much meat as we can and also with the wings. Preferably use drummettes instead of the wing itself. Apart from the fact that we didn't have breast fillets, we thought it a good idea to use these chicken cuts because they're more moist and weren't as dry as breast fillets usually turn out to be.

** - You can use 1 clove of fresh garlic or the not so fresh diced garlic in a jar. 

*** - There are many different kinds of frozen vegetable mixes in your local supermarkets but just make sure that for this particular recipe, you've got some peas and carrots. Any other vegetable combination is fine too, but remember, always TASTE before serving up.

**** - For the baking, we used a glass, circular dish that is oven safe. You can also use any other oven-safe plates, whether they be ceramic or glass. Preferably round shaped ones.

TOP TIP: When cooking, though following the recipe is usually a must in many dishes, it's also a great way to test your culinary skills by 'winging' some of the dishes. But you just have to make sure that it tastes GREAT. 

Enjoy!

C & H

The Appetiser

For a certain birthday, we went out at the beautiful Crown Promenade in the City and had dinner at the Mesh Restaurant.

Beautiful atmosphere and a terrific buffet of appetisers. From salads to breads, to seafoods and canapes, it was great.

What was mine?

A selection of two different breads, I think one was sourdough. I've got a bruschetta with tomato and basil and sour cream. Perfect combination!

A side of salad with croutons, a bit of bacon and balsamic glaze.

Perfectly yummy!

However, that night was ruined by their unsatisfactory steaks. They were tough and chewy. The different selection of sauce were great, but the steak's the hero of the plate and it didn't live up to.

Big fail...

The Lazy Dessert: Crepes & Ice Cream

The Lazy Dessert: Crepes & Ice Cream
When you're in those 'meh' moments where you just could not be bothered grabbing the pan out of the cupboard, let alone mix a batter for a tasty, sweet treat, then take the initiative and prepare beforehand.

Recommended Shopping List:

1. Creative Gourmet French Style Ready Made Crepes (Frozen)
2. Cadbury Dairy Milk Ice Cream Chip

The Crepes take around 50 seconds in a High Microwave and around 1 minute in a Medium one.

Easy, tasty and absolutely delish.

Sorry that there wasn't a recipe. Next time, I'll be attempting to make the best ever chocolate cake I've ever tasted in my life. Stay tuned!