Category Archives: food glorious food!

banana pancakes | paleo style

Posted on May 13, 2013 | 4 Comments

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Remember when I wrote about becoming a cavewoman [this post]?  Well, it’s been three weeks living the paleo diet and I’m feeling fantastic. I’ve dropped a couple of kilograms as well!!!

I’m not a good baker on the best of days, so I’ve had a few kitchen fails with the paleo baking (burnt muffins, failed bread…) but these pancakes are awesome! I got the recipe from Ultimate Paleo Guide [here] but it’s not just for paleoists; they’re flour-free, gluten-free and tasty, so give them a try!

Paleo Banana Pancakes

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 bananas, mashed
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup almond butter (like peanut butter but made from almonds)
  • butter for frying
  • toppings of your choice*

*if you’re paleo, keep it in the family. I topped mine with goats yoghurt, maple syrup & raspberries (but caramelized banana would have been awesome).

mixed ingredients

mixed ingredients

METHOD

  • mix ingredients together, fry in batches
  • serve with toppings
  • feeds two people
fry it up!

fry it up!

Yummo!!! Enjoy!

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roast chicken, kumera & cauliflower mash with greens | paleo recipe of the week

Posted on April 24, 2013 | 4 Comments

I posted this picture on Instagram and got a request from my blogger buddy Simply Stephanie to share the recipe.

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It really isn’t complex and is something that you can easily whip up after work on a week night. It’s paleo because it’s dairy & wheat/gluten free!

Here’s the details to serve 2 people:

Ingredients

- chicken drumsticks (organic please!) x 5-6
- herbs to taste; fresh or dried rosemary (I use fresh from my garden), chilli flakes, thyme, tarragon, salt & pepper
- half a head of cauliflower
- a large sweet potato (aka kumera) about 800g
- green beans, about 120g or two handfuls
- 50g butter
- oven roasting bag (makes life easier but not required if you can’t get them)

Method

1) preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF)
2) place the chicken in an oven bag on a tray (or in a oven dish, with foil to cover) and sprinkle with herbs, salt & pepper to taste (I use 2 sprigs of rosemary and about 1/2 tsp of each herb), salt & pepper. Place in the oven on 20 mins timer
3) peel & dice sweet potato, segment cauliflower and place in a large saucepan and cover with water; bring to the boil and simmer til veggies are tender (around 15 mins). Drain, add butter & mash and set aside leaving covered.
4) check on the chicken at 20 mins (usually needs an additional 10-15 mins) and uncover if using a dish & foil for the final 10-15 minutes cooking time.
5) boil the jug, top & tail the green beans, and cover them with boiling water for 5 mins. drain and set aside.
6) serves 2 happy people!!!

signature - melly xox

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larder | daylesford

Posted on April 18, 2013 | 2 Comments

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I had a religious experience, this coffee was so good. I seriously started detailing my plan to kidnap the barista and abscond him back to Sydney to teach my local cafe a thing or two about coffee making!

Definitely the best place for breakfast in Daylesford; it’s a little bit quirky with it’s kindergarten-inspired framed artwork and totally cool with wooden & industrial worn metal decor. We sat at the communal table made from century-old basketball court wood!

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Interior

After spending a good ten minutes trying to decide what to choose from the ‘I-wanna-eat-everything-on-the-menu’ we finally ordered.

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Jay ordered a Bloody Mary complete with mix your own Tabasco & Worcestershire to taste. He ate the Larder Breakfast which had scrambled eggs, spinach, local ‘Istra’ free-range bacon & spicy chorizo and sourdough.

I ate roasted beetroot with local goat’s feta & walnuts, poached egg and spicy ‘Istra’ chorizo on sourdough.

I had to have a second coffee…

If you’re in the area, visit for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner!

Larder
57A Vincent St, Daylesford VIC
http://www.gourmetlarder.com.au

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cavewoman

Posted on April 15, 2013 | 5 Comments

I’m a cavewoman!!! 

Not in the scary, hairy, don’t-bathe, don’t-brush, get dragged off to bed by my hair (oooh kinky) kinda way….I’ve gone paleo! The paleolithic nutritional lifestyle also known as the caveman, or in my case cavewoman, diet.

It’s been a whole week since the Williams’ household has turned paleo. This next week is going to be challenging because we’re going away on holidays but as long as we can stick to mostly paleo eating I’ll be happy. I’m feeling really good and my skirts are starting to feel looser already!

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View this video to understanding the paleo lifestyle in a nutshell:

Breakfast

IMG_20130412_063002IMG_20130404_110533green smoothies

IMG_20130410_072312scrambled eggs & bacon with avocado, tomato & coriander salsaIMG_20130411_201925IMG_20130407_185646kale, bacon & scrambled eggs IMG_20130414_174219 cafe breakfast; poached eggs, mushroom, spinach, tomato bacon & goats halloumi IMG_20130414_101140 frittas made with coconut flour, zucchini, sweet potato, mint & chilli, with bacon & avocado/tomato salsa

Lunch

IMG_20130408_201353 salad with chicken & goats feta IMG_20130414_174134 mishmash salad; kale, carrot, beans, zucchini, tomato, avocado

Dinner

IMG_20130412_195223fennel, spinach, orange, asparagus & walnut salad with grass-fed beef rissoleIMG_20130411_221341chicken with roasted orange & white sweet potato, onion, cauliflower & broccoli IMG_20130407_185530 poached chicken with roasted veg (white & orange sweet potato, cauliflower, onion & zucchini)

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i scream you scream

Posted on March 29, 2013 | 3 Comments

we all scream
for icecream!

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chicken, sweet potato & pinenut frittata | recipe

Posted on March 28, 2013 | 5 Comments

IMG_20130324_161957 Chicken, sweet potato, mushroom & pinenut tartlet

IMG_20130324_175843 Chicken, mushroom, pinenut & sage tartlet

I got inspired to do some last weekend for the week’s meals ahead! Here is the recipe for my original creation!

CHICKEN, SWEET POTATO & PINENUT FRITTATA

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup light cream
  • ½ cup grated cheese (Havarti is good)
  • 1 large sweet potato; cut into cubes & roasted in the oven
  • 1 medium chicken breast; cut into cubes & pan fried til cooked
  • 6 large button mushrooms; diced
  • Handful flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tbs pinenuts; lightly toasted
  • Sea salt & cracked pepper to taste
  • ½ tsp rosemary or Italian herbs
  • 1.5 sheets store bought low-fat shortcrust pastry; thawed
  • Cooking spray oil

TOOLS

  • 20 inch frittata pan
  • Large baking tray
  • Baking weights (or rice)
  • Baking paper

METHOD

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F (fan-forced). Spray the frittata pan with cooking oil and line with the shortcrust pastry. Top with baking paper and weigh down with baking weights (or rice). Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes (until there is a hint of golden). Remove from oven, remove weights/rice and cook for another 5-10 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and when cooled, remove from tin and place on a large baking tray. Turn the oven down to 120°C/248°F (fan-forced).

baking

Lightly whisk the eggs then stir in the cream & cheese. Add the salt, pepper & rosemary/herbs. Scatter the cooked ingredients (chicken, sweet potato & pinenuts) and the mushrooms in the prepared tart shell then pour over the wet mix. Randomly push the parsley into the mixture and top with pinenuts.

Bake in the oven (120°C/248°F) for 30 minutes.

[variation: top with sage before baking the filled tart in the oven with butter pan fried sage]

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serve with salad for a perfect meal!

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And good news! My recipe is going to be featured on the Project Cookbook blog!

Enjoy! 

signature - melly xox

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sunday at the grounds

Posted on March 24, 2013 | 11 Comments

You wouldn’t know it’s autumn with the summer weather Sydney’s been having! Today was the perfect Sunday morning to wander The Grounds.

The Grounds cafe (without the 5000 people that are usually in attendance!)

The Grounds cafe (without the 5000 people that are usually in attendance!)

[pic via]

In the mostly-industrial suburb of Alexandria, The Grounds is an awesome purpose built functional cafe-slash-garden. There are chickens, randomly placed raised garden beds of herbs and other edible plants and more waitstaff than you could possibly imagine. They roast their own coffee, bake their own bread & make their own pastries. The smell of freshly sugared jam & caramel filled donuts are almost too much to bare!
Plus there’s Kevin Bacon’s House which is where the little pig Kevin lives!

It opens at 8am and the queue starts immediately. When we arrive at 10am it’s a 40 minute wait for table service, so we get take-away coffee, fruit salad and bacon & eggs brioche instead. We wander the grounds and this is what we saw:IMG_20130324_113949 kitchen garden
lemonade & fruit stand
bacon & egg brioche cart

IMG_20130324_114128 gardens, chicken coop & Kevin Bacon this cutest little pig sleeping in the sun
(Harley even pokes his head through the fence to say hello to Kevin Bacon but since he doesn’t smell like bacon he doesn’t know what to do!)

IMG_20130324_113131 really really really good coffee

IMG_20130324_124330fruit salad, yoghurt & toasted muesli

IMG_20130324_113542 Harley being cute and fluffy

20130324124541876 the basil plants are insane!!!
and check out that little wooden kid’s play house!

IMG_20130324_113313 the fresh flower cart

♥

The food is OK but it’s the space that is amazing.
You could drop a geodesic dome over The Grounds and quite happily survive the Zombie Apocalypse or a nuclear war here. Go for coolness but stay for the coffee….seven bean house roasted blend which is seriously good.

The Grounds | 7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria
boo for no bookings

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dinner club 2013 february | mexico surry hills

Posted on March 6, 2013 | 8 Comments

mexico food + liquor | Surry Hills

It was Jay’s choice for February dinner club. We went to Sydney’s latest Mexican buzz establishment Mexico Food + Liquor in Surry Hills (affectionately aka Slurry).

hola pic above borrowed from their website

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Goodness it’s hot & muggy when we arrive after work on Tuesday evening. E & Neen are already seated at the bar (they won’t seat you until all your party has arrived, and there are no bookings!) and have the right idea… a jug of margarita!

neensjugs stolen from Neen’s Instagram @neenjackson

Although it’s quiet when we arrive it soon fills and is buzzing with after work catch-ups. The food is tasty and super quick. The menu reads like standard Tex-Mex but it’s finger food fun with creative twists that make it awesome and along with the atmosphere and funky staff give this place it’s new-kid-on-the-block buzz. All the menu items are small plates, so you order a few and graze.

20130226220559155clockwise from top left:

totes cool day of the dead entrance
menu
wall of tequila & cerveza
long-bench tables

20130226220743681we each have a small soft taco (E & Neen have pulled pork, Jay has beef & I have fish) we share the quesadillas.

clockwise above from top left:

*Pibil rubbed pork w black beans, red cabbage, guajillo, sesame soft taco
*Beef brisket braised in coconut & ancho w green onion, chilli, papaya soft taco
*Blackboard special: chorizo & whitefish with green cabbage soft taco
*Achiote chicken, citrus cured red onion, mint w salsa borracha quesadillas

20130226220902407we share….

clockwise above from top left:

*Mexico’s fried chicken (ohmygodohmygodohmygod)
*Beetroot, blood orange, chilli peanut salad w queso fresco, tostada
*Quinoa, wild rice, green bean, grilled zucchini salad w mustard greens
*Crispy potatoes tossed in celery lime salt w spicy tomatillo dressing

ohmygodohmygodohmygod. The fried chicken is to die for!!! The salads are amazing; fresh, different & tasty!

mexicofrida
wall of Frida

I love this place. I want to go back every night until I can’t eat Mexican anymore! If you’re local, don’t walk, RUN here!

Mexico Food + Liquor | 17 Randle St, Surry Hills
mexicofoodandliquor.com.au

 ♥♥♥♥♥

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dinner club 2013 january | love.fish rozelle

Posted on March 5, 2013 | 7 Comments

I’m a little behind with my recaps of our Jacksons/Williams Dinner Club expeditions.

This is the fourth year we’ve been doing dinner club and it’s still super fun and at a minimum a monthly scheduled catch-up with our favourite couple.

We each take a turn picking the venue monthly, starting off with my pick for January 2013….

love.fish | Rozelle

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And love fish they do! The blackboard has a list of all the fish they love; all sustainably caught from local spots such as Ulladulla (flathead), Palmers Island (mulloway), North Coast NSW & South Australia (kingfish), Wallis Lake (prawns) & Sydney (oysters).

Now I must apologize because I’ve gone and lost all but 3 (inc front pic above) of my photos from the night. These were the ones I shared on Instagram so I could fortunately reuse them!

As we traditionally do, we shared entrees and sides and desserts.

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This divine pretty little plate is of my entree; hiramasa kingfish carpaccio with shellfish oil and pink grapefruit. The sweetness of the thinly sliced fish is a little overpowered with the tartness of the pink grapefruit but the shellfish oil does a good job balancing out the sweet/tart combo. With it’s decoration of micro-herbs it just looks delightful too!

We also order:

  • 4 camden haven rock oysters
  • crispy wallis lake school prawns with aioli & lemon
  • polenta chips with tuna aioli, tomato jam & celery salt

lovefishchips Polenta Chips: picture borrowed from [here]

For mains we have;

  • NSW beer battered sand whiting
  • Huon crispy skin salmon
  • Spencer Gulf prawns grilled with olive oil, garlic, parsley & lemon
  • WA grilled Cone Bay barramundi

served with sides of steamed green beans, cabbage & parsley salad with sherry vinaigrette, roasted kipflers with rosemary sea salt and a bottle of Hahndorf Hill SA pinot grigio.

Then for dessert…..(at this stage of the night Michelle Bridges who was sitting at the table next to us had departed so we didn’t feel bad about ordering dessert!!!!)

IMG_20130130_213028 (1) This picture does not do this dessert justice.
It was one of the best damn desserts I’ve ever eaten.
And that verdict was unanimous!
Banoffee Pie with chocolate & banana.

This little fish diner is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Best to book as it’s always busy with locals and rightly so. The perfectly simple and well cooked seafood with a sustainable message is just as their tagline states; the fish bar with a green heart.

lovefish love.fish | 580 Darling St, Rozelle
lovefish.com.au

♥

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granola bars | recipe

Posted on February 1, 2013 | 3 Comments

Yesterday as Jay, Harley & I were returning from our sunrise harbour walk we discovered Jay’s wallet was missing. What followed was the fasted 2km run I think we’ve ever done! But there it was, sitting on the grass where it had fallen out of Jay’s pocket when we were doing our sit-ups & ab-work!

Today my knee is a little sore, so I skipped my workout, but always searching for Friday’s Fitspiration, I found this amazing healthy granola bar recipe from MoveNourishBelieve which I’m going to make on the weekend!

granolabars_02

friday

PSE4

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