Baked Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

Baked Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce
Home Cooking



I got the 'Meals Men Love' cookbook as a gift a while back and this is the first recipe to be trialed. All the recipes look quite easy and don't require a lot of ingredients. This particular recipe was chosen on the basis that I felt like something chickeny.


The procedure is really simple and straight-forward. I didn't follow exact quantities that were mentioned but rather, did my own thing using the recipe as a rough guideline. I substituted bacon for ham and served some baked asparagus on the side. The recipe below is MY version.

Espressohead for Breakfast

Espressohead
169 Boundary St, West End



Breakfast posts get me excited. As well as being my favorite meal of the day, breakfast food photos always turn out amazing because of the morning lighting. I heard excellent things about the quality and serving size of breakfast at Espressohead.


The cafe spans across 2 small shopfronts on Boundary St. The decor is casual and artsy - great atmosphere for coffee and chatting. We ordered beverages first. My friend got a cappuccino and I ordered an unsweetened iced coffee with soy milk (my new usual cold coffee choice).

Simple Sweet Coleslaw

Simple Sweet Coleslaw
Home Cooking



This is a throw-together recipe from a while ago. I was craving fresh vegetables and didn't want to eat anything heavy for dinner. Coleslaw is an ideal solution. It has enough body to fill you up and all those shredded veggies make you feel like you're eating concentrated nutrients!


Coleslaw is easily a family classic. It's versatile - can be used as a side or for lunch, dinner, picnics, whatever. The composition of vegetables and what you put in the dressing is all really flexible but best of all, it's easy to make it taste good.

Mecca Bah

Mecca Bah
http://www.meccabah.com/bris/index.html



I'm developing a habit of suggesting Turkish food for group gatherings. Last time, it was Caravanserai. The most recent time I had the chance to catch up with friends, we went to Mecca Bah at The Emporium.


(Interrupting to say: I'm sorry about the poor quality of photos. I managed to water-log my camera... again... and at the time of this dinner, I used a point-and-shoot method that didn't involve the screen. In other words, I had no idea what my photos looked like)

I LOVE Mecca Bah. I've been there several times now and it's been a great experience on each occasion. There are downers, that's for sure - you can't book so you have to risk waiting for a table. Also, whilst the waitstaff are friendly, the service can be a bit rushed simply because they're so busy.

Slow-cooked Moroccan Lamb Shanks

Slow-cooked Moroccan Lamb Shanks
Home Cooking



I recently took advantage of the interest-free period at Myer and acquired a slow cooker. The first formal project was lamb shanks. Perhaps it's weird to crave such an obviously Wintery dish in Summer but lamb lovers like shanks all year round.

We didn't really follow a formal recipe but instead chose veggies that seemed appealing. Being the pumpkin addict I am, I opted for half a whole butternut pumpkin. My friend was EXTREMELY skeptical, to say the least and I got accused to no end. Thankfully the end result wasn't over-bearingly pumpkinesque or I would've REALLY copped it.

Curried Egg and Tomato Sandwich

Curried Egg and Tomato Sandwich
Home Cooking



I was raiding my parent's house one day hoping for something to ease hunger but was disappointed by the lack of food available. Thankfully, there was a loaf of Helga's and enough to provide for this sandwich. I would have liked a bit of lettuce too but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

La Dolce Vita Cafe

La Dolce Cafe
12/20 Park Rd, Milton



I was Christmas shopping with some friends last weekend. It was 100% ineffective and we all left empty-handed. As a reward for poor efficiency, we thought a coffee break was well-deserved and I put forward Park Rd as a suggestion.

Gelato bar

After roaming a bit, we settled for La Dolce Vita Cafe, affectionately nicknamed within our group as the 'Eiffel Tower'. There aren't many tables indoors but La Dolce Vita has an expansive outdoor dining area. Food offerings are the standard cafe affair with an Italian twist.

Peking Duck at Home

Peking Duck
Home Cooking



Peking duck has to be one of the greatest food ideas ever. I am crazy about and I eat and enjoy just about anything but if I really had to come up with a 'best of' list, Peking duck might just top it. Of course, I'm referring to the real, authentic stuff you can only get in China.

The so-called Peking duck dishes available in Chinese restaurants here are just not on par at all. They're the wrong breed of ducks and also, the wrong technology. Also, you pay quite a bit for a duck but they don't give you all the meat. The duck gets wheeled back into the kitchen after a few slices of skin are carved off and goodness knows what happens to the rest.



My dad came up with a decent alternative. I'm not going to pretend it's the same as Peking duck in China. Let's be reasonable here. Instead, this is an idea you can easily follow at home and it's much more economical than those restaurant rip-offs.

Satay at Satay Hut

Satay Hut
www.satayhut.com.au


There's been a few times when I haven't been able to think of anywhere to eat in the city. Sure, it's my everyday hangout during term and I know the cafe lunch scene back to front but come night time when I want more than a salad/wrap/yogurt, I get a bit stumped.

To get around, that one night we made the effort to trek to Southbank Parklands. I think Southbank is a bit underrated and tends to be type-casted as some kind of tourism gip but it's really a lovely place to hang out. If you manage to go at a time when there aren't invasive hoards of school children on holiday, the dining and entertainment is not bad at all.



I went from one extreme in the city where I didn't want anything to the other end of the scale in Southbank where there were just too many options and not enough decision-making. In the end, we opted for the first restaurant we walked past that we hadn't tried before.

Desi Dragon: Two-For-One Tuesday

Desi Dragon
www.desidragon.com.au/



I think I first read about Desi Dragon in a newspaper of some sort. In a way, this can be deemed 'fateful' because I never read the news (nor do I pretend to know what's going on). The style of cuisine is described as 'Indian and Chinese'. This combination was so intriguing that I just couldn't resist and Desi Dragon soared pretty high up my 'go to' list.



As it happens, that was a long time ago but I did finally manage to visit a couple of days ago. Since I've been financially challenged of late (not my fault, it is the season for indulgence after all), I waited for a Tuesday because on Tuesdays, there's a special buy-one-get-one-free deal.

Summer Daze - giant ice-cream juice and sky watching

I've been so dizzy with heat, I can barely move. I realize that I seem to be whinging about heat in every post but that can't be helped! High temperature stickiness is bringing out the inner nag. In this post, I plan to introduce you to something that helps me enjoy Summer.

On days when the idea of an icy beverage in a glass frosty with condensation beats the idea of a steak 1000 to 1, this is for you...

Christmas Menu at L'Academie Hotel

Christmas Menu at L'Academie Hotel
http://www.lacademie.com.au/



I've blogged about an experience at L'Academie before. It's a training restaurant facility and as a diner, you take advantage of that by enjoying bargain 3 course meals. Around now, as it's getting closer to Christmas, they have a special Christmas menu to chose from. Since my parents are huge fans of L'Academie, we made a booking to go.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice
Home Cooking



On those really hot, sticky, blazing Summer days (such as what we've been getting of late), the last thing you want to stomach is hot food. Despite this, we still gotta eat, right? I'm not one to let the weather get in the way of a good meal. What we must do is compromise.



Hainanese chicken rice aka Hai Nam chicken rice is not something I was crazy about as a kid. It's quite a subtle/understated dish and when you're young and obsessed with cheese, sauce, sweet and sour etc, it's easy to think of this dish as bland.

My opinion's done a 180, especially with this rendition. I have no claims on authenticity (as with most things I cook); we didn't even follow a recipe. But the end result is tasty, great for Summer and lots of fun. Bland is not part of it!

Greek Almond Cookies

Greek Almond Cookies
Home Cooking



This was a case of - when you're cooking, why stop? I already had 2 recipes going but I felt like committing to one more... for fun. The recipe for Greek-style almond cookies was something I flipped onto and mentally bookmarked as not requiring many ingredients.



It's really easy... like, really, really easy.

When I baked my batch, I had to consider the fact that my family has been eating till bursting for the past few days so I kept it moderate and divided the recipe by 3. The cookies are so easy and good though, I've included the ORIGINAL quantities below and recommend you use these amounts :).

Caffe e Gelato Milany

Caffe e Gelato Milany
http://www.gelato-milany.com/



I'll be the first to admit I have a phenomenal appetite, but during the hottest days of Summer, I find it trying to think about eating anything more than cold fruit and ice-cream. Ice-cream is a Summer staple for me and because I know many of you guys share this stance, I'm going to share this amazing gelato cafe.

Milany's is co-owned by Olympian Tatiana Grigorieva and was recommended to me by a friend in uni. We were waiting for patients and the computers in the clinic stations were vacant so he took the opportunity to Google the website for me to browse. Um... have you clicked the website? It's impossible to look at the photos in the menu page and not want to go.

Pumpkin and Zucchini Thai Green Curry

Pumpkin and Zucchini Thai Green Curry
Home Cooking



This is another marriage of all those little crazes I get: pumpkin, coconut, curry... oh there's sweet potato in here too but it disintegrated so I didn't include it in the title.


I picked up the veggies on the weekend and grabbed a can of coconut milk and some green curry paste. That's all there is to it! The rest of the ingredients are pantry basics and of course, there's a lot of flexibility with what vegetables you include. If you really want to add meat - I SUPPOSE that's allowed too :p.

Lure at The Coro

Lure Seafood Restaurant
28 McDougall St, Milton



Last night, I met up with a couple of my best foodie mates for dinner. After being indecisive about what/where to eat for AGES, I put my foot down for seafood. It must be something about the Queensland Summer because all my vegetarian cravings have subsided for thoughts of water, fish and crustaceans.

One of my friends had been to Lure before and gave the restaurant a thumbs up. We didn't make a booking (figuring that whatever restaurant doesn't work out can be replaced with somewhere less packed - i.e. adventurous/spontaneous dining) but rocked up real early as the first table.

Pho Hien Vuong

Pho Hien Vuong
319-341 Mains Rd, Sunnybank



Last night I made a quick pho stop in Sunnybank with a friend before spending hours, non-stop (literally) trying to beat old school Dr. Mario.



Pho Hien Vuong has a reputation of good, cheap pho (big servings too) and the other bonus is that they open till lateish every day. There's a small courtyard area outside and the inside feel is very typical of an Asian eatery.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Home Cooking



Last weekend my friend hosted a BBQ as part of our after-exam celebrations. We were asked to bring a plate of food and rather than picking up something from the shops, I thought I'd bake something. This was decided on a whim and I was at my parents house so I had to work with the ingredients available in the pantry.



I decided to bake cookies because they're easy to share at a party and I also happened to have chocolate chips etc all at hand.

Breakfast at Four Winds, Gold Coast

Four Winds Revolving Restaurant
2807 Gold Coast Hwy, Surfers Paradise



A while back my parents went on a weekend away at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, down at the Gold Coast. They had tonnes of fun and told me about this breakfast buffet at the top of the tower which they wanted to show me when exams were over.

Hotel lobby

Now that time has finally come. The Four Winds restaurant does lunch and dinner buffets daily but breakfast is only on Sunday. Bookings aren't required so we rocked up when they just opened, at 7am.

Summer Mediterranean- Spanakopita and Greek Salad

Spanakopita and Greek Salad

Home Cooking



I've always loved the idea of spinach pie - it's just the kind of thing that appeals to me since I'm automatically drawn in by anything that's packed with veggies (don't I just sound like some kind of kid's education program??)



My first taste of spanakopita was from the farmer's markets and it was so yum. It didn't really occur to me to make my own until I saw Alex Perry do it on Celebrity Masterchef.

End of Exam Celebrations at The Point

The Point Restaurant Bar
http://www.thepointrb.com/



If ever I needed an excuse to dine out, end of exams must be the most valid, ESPECIALLY if they're the last lot for the year. You slave away on a caffeine high for 2-3 weeks straight, surviving on ridiculous hours/patterns of sleep and then BAM it's over. Time for a break.

My friend happened to finish his exams on the same day as me so we decided to party it out food-style (much better than getting wasted, although I did manage both :D). After cruising through Southbank for a while (we originally intended to go to Stones restaurant but it was packed), we decided to go all out and enter the paid parking zone (way more luxurious than scouting for street-side spots).


Since we were quite hungry and not very picky, we wandered into the first place that looked decent: The Point. I remember when my uncle came from the States, he ate there and told me the fish and chips were good. I had no intention of ordering fish and chips but nice feedback of any kind always makes you more willing to try a particular location.

Atomica Eat Drink

Atomica Eat Drink
3/173 Boundary St, West End



One of my best mates flew up from Canberra recently after exams. She is a BUSY girl but managed to squeeze me on for the obligatory catch up. We are all quite lax with dining locations so I took the easy option of going to West End and deciding from there. We met up with another friend and wandered down Boundary Street for a while. This happened to be a Monday and lots of restaurants/cafes in West End just don't open on a Monday. We were slightly limited but happened to pass Atomica.

Breakfast at The Pancake Manor

The Pancake Manor
18 Charlotte St, Brisbane



There's a bit of story behind how I finally ended up writing this post. Sure I've been to The Pancake Manor numerous times. They're one of the only 24hr dining joints in Brisbane and besides, the food is not half bad. I've got a collection of photos from going there in the past (and they're still relevant now since the menu doesn't change) but I sort of put it off until I could get a more recent/fresh experience to write about.


And I finally got it... but it was an adventure.

These days, especially with exams and all that, I've had a lot of trouble sleeping. I go through phases where I can't sleep till early in the morning anyway but if I have nothing on the next day, it doesn't matter much. When I have something on that requires a good night's rest, it gets problematic. Yet, the thing with sleep is: the more you need it, the less likely it's going to come. In fact, I find that the moment I think 'man, I really want to fall asleep right now', I'm stuffed. It's all over. I might as well just turn on the lights and wait it out.

Back in action

Time to put my feet up :D

Many apologies for the dry spell but you know how it is... exam season = a special kind of craziness. Sure I would have taken on any excuse to procrastinate, including writing on this blog but I had NOTHING to contribute. I've moved out of home (again) and this time into a share house so I haven't really picked up any motivation to cook.

As for eating out well, the unemployed uni student budget is my main problem there. Also, everyone else has had their noses stuck in textbooks for the past couple of weeks and if I'm eating by myself, I tend to favor food court over sit-down with a menu.

BUT...

As I say... the holidays have started so everything is going to pick up. All good!

Orexi Cafe and Grill

Orexi Cafe and Grill
7/220 Melbourne St, West End



When you're in the final leg of exams during a uni year, you find yourself grappling at any excuse to have a party. I endured 2 exams last week and never mind the fact that I have another 4 or so to go... the end of 2 exams is cause for celebration.

I grabbed one of my foodie mates and rather than argue over what we wanted or be completely indecisive (as is usual), we were both in the mood for GREEK.

There are plenty of Greek restaurants in West End and so that's where we headed. The idea is that if nothing caught the eye, West End is chockas with other dining options anyway.

I'd heard bout this new place called Cafe Orexi that opened up where Cristos used to be. My friend and I had actually eaten at Cristos before so we thought - may as well give this new lot a go.

Vietnam Corner

Vietnam Corner
Shop 140, Sunnybank Plaza Shopping Centre, Cnr Main Rd and McCullough St, Sunnybank



Last day of clinic down in the Southside... we had a mini party with scones, cakes, chips and lollies (all the good stuff) but decided to go one further and stop off for Asian food on the way back to the city.



Vietnamese food is one of those cuisines where you have the option of going 'lighter' or at least, it tastes kind of light and fresh. So when you want more but barely have the room for it, this is not a bad option.

Malt cookies

Malt cookies
Home Cooking



Surely I don't need to elaborate on my current malt obsession in any greater detail? Well ok, maybe just one more time. I'll be brief:

Malt? I dig it.

Yehhhh...

So malt cookies sounded right on in terms of satisfying my cravings. I had malt powder. I had the other ingredients. Time to get the rolling!

Country comforts: Milk Ice-cream

Milk Ice-cream
Home Cooking



It's kind of strange and interesting that people's taste in food changes over time, both in the short-term and long-term. I've mentioned on here numerous times, the various 'phases' I go through. This moment in time, I can't get enough milk.

Any kind of milk.



Soy milk has always been a regular for me but currently, I'm also quite partial to a glass of cow's milk. This might not mean anything to you but as a kid especially, I wouldn't go near cow's milk unless it was full cream. I just couldn't stand the taste! Not anymore. I'm drinking milk in smoothie form, milk with coffee, milk in milkshakes and milk with malt powder.

Date Scone - a 2 method comparative analysis

Date Scone - a 2 method comparative analysis
Home Cooking



Yes, yes, I really shouldn't harp on about the things I love and am obsessed with but in my defense, this IS my food blog so what better outlet am I going to have?

Judging by the number of scone recipes I've posted on here, you probably have a fair idea of my attitude towards scones; i.e. they rock my world.

I don't even disagree with people who say plain scones are bland. If I had a limited range of adjectives, I'd probably use 'bland' too! But they are bland in such a good way. Add cream and jam and you're set for win.



Now... onto date scones.