My budget friendly dinner tonight

Atleast once a fortnight I feel a bit sickly so opt for an easy cheap rice and vegie dish! It doesn't sound as appetising as it is - you just gotta try it when you're feeling lazy.

Shopping trolley.

Sweet chilly sauce
light soy sauce
broccolli floret
mushrooms
zucchini
gluten-free short grain rice
organic hard tofu
ginger
garlic
sesame oil
sesame seeds


Preparation.

Slice tofu into 1cm thick slices. Roughly mince the ginger and garlic. In a plastic container, mix the diced ginger and garlic with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1/2 a tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon sweet chilly sauce and 1 of soy sauce. Mix well and add tofu slices. Pop on lid and shake to marinate tofu. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or prepare up to 12 hours prior to cooking.


Process.

Quarter mushrooms lengthways, cut off broccoli florets and slice zucchini into 2cm thick pieces.
Add desired amount of rice into rice cooker, and add water so that when your finger touches the rice it comes to upto the end of your fingernail (about a cm and a half). Steam rice and steam vegies (our cooker has a vegie pot that sits above the rice which is handy).

About five minutes into cooking rice and vegies, heat a non-stick pan to a very hot temperature, lightly oil. Add tofu mixture with marinate and cook each side until well browned. Pour mixture over cooked rice and vegies.

Eat!

I like this basic meal because it is filling, healthy and yummy. The marinade helps to add flavour to the vegies and rice, and there is usually left overs for lunch or dinner the next day.

The tofu is optional, I'm sure the sauce would work well with fish, chicken or beef. Tonight, I didn't even use tofu and just added some soy sauce and sweet chilly before serving. Yum!

The Jess Sammidge(s)

Although its probably not the weather for this sandwich now that winter is upon us - the jess sammidge is perfect for public holiday lunches and warmer weather. I made these sandwiches for Ant and I for Good Friday, as the ingredients are easy to find but together make an extra special (slightly naughty) lunch for two.

Shopping trolley.
Fresh basil
2 big fresh tomatoes
tub cottage cheese
'bergen flackseed etc. bread (or similar fresh very grainy bread)
nice soft avocado
salt and pepper
ginger beer
plain smiths crinkle chips to serve.

Preparation.
Slice the tomatoes and avocado in thick slices. Layer incredients (avocado, tomatoes, salt and pepper followed by basil) on each piece of bread. On second piece of bread spread a thick layer of cottage cheese. Push cottage cheese bread onto the bottom part and slice in half. Serve with a good helping of chips and a nice glass of ginger beer.

Yummy.

My second choice, the tooooowna sammidge is pretty good also. Served with chips and cranberry juice (don't ask me why) its pretty yummy.

Shopping trolley.
Tuna
Dijonaisse mustard
tomato
baby cos lettuce leaves
tasty cheese
Multigrain rolls

Mix the tuna with the mustard till well covered. Spread on one half of each roll. Top with lettuce, tomato and cheese. Serve with chips and cranberry juice.

My Third yummy sammidge is good for winter, as it is a bit more filling but takes time to prepare in advance. It's an excellent lunch to take to uni because it doesn't go soggy.

Shopping trolley.
Turkish bread rolls
Greek feta
butternut pumpkin
zucchini
capsicum
olive tapenade

Preparation.
Roast sliced pumpkin and capsicum in the oven with a little oil, salt and pepper until cooked through. The pumpkin should be soft, while the capsicum skins should lift off easily once cooled. This process takes about thirty minutes.

Cut the zucchini thickly so it doesn't fall apart when cooking. Stray or brush a small amount of oil on pan and grill each side till well cooked.

Use paper towel to pat oil off roasted vegetables and store.

To make sandwiches.
Cut turkish roll in half and toast. Spread olive tapenade on one piece of bread, followed by the roasted vegies. Sprinkle over feta and chopped parsley. Top with second half of bread, slice and wrap tightly until lunch time!

The roasted vegies can be made in bulk and stored in the fridge until all gone. I've often used the vegies and feta for a antipasto pasta when I'm sick of bringing lunch to uni! So versatile, yummy and healthy.

Dexter Bar and Cafe

123 Queens Parade Clifton Hill

9486 5192

Dexter on Queens Parade in Clifton Hill is my favourite place to visit on a nice weekend or holiday when I'm relaxing at home. Just a short walk from my front step I like friends (Ailliche, Peta, Kate, V-Ho, Jess...) to meet me at my house so we can all walk up together.

Photo: Me @ Dexters Cup Day 2008

There are a number of reasons why it is my fav bar, they are as follows (in no particular order - as all are equally good reasons!):

• Luke, the publican/owner is always welcoming with a big smile and a new tattoo to show off.
• The food, oh the food! Out of a tiny self-constructed kitchen consisting of a mixture of industrial and home appliances, Luke and his team of equally friendly staff make meals that large 'fancier' kitchens would fight to beat. I am sure that this is why Dexter had found itself in The Age's Cheap eats guide as well as in many other Melbourne restaurant books. Good prices mixed with logical dishes, generous portions and quality ingredients come to play here. My pick: the field mushrooms on sourdough with persian feta and balsamic reduction. I would never attempt to make it at home, it would be too big a sin!
• The Dexter community - I have met many lovely people and dogs (Bonnie the staffy is usually sun baking) sitting in the sun out front at Dexter. Friends, locals and regulars come together pretty much every weekend. I have had some of my best drunken intellectual rants with the regulars at Dex; and I look forward to many more!
• The drinks - In addition to Luke's fine selection of ingredients - the man knows his alcohol, it's name, origin and serving suggestion. Oh and the bloody marys are the best E.V.E.R!
  

Okay so as you've probably already realised I could write a sonnet about all the reasons why I love dexter but I wont - i'll just let you try it out and write one for me.

Dashi Disaster

Dashi is a staple in the Japanese diet, and a delicious flavor i have yet to recreate successfully. I promised I would post my cooking failures (though there are not many of them lol).

Photo: The Japanese Kitchen

After a long day sitting at my desk at work, I usually make a basic clear broth with some buckwheat or udon noodles, tofu, mushrooms and cabbage for dinner. But rather than using my packeted soup stock I wanted to make something with less preservatives, so decided to make this stock.

Dashi stock consists of dried bonito flakes, seaweed and sometimes some dried shitake mushrooms. But I was trying to make the basic stock containing just the bonito flakes.

First, where to buy the bonito flakes? I made a trip from Uni especially to pick up a bag of these flakes, not sure exactly what I was looking for or the cost of such an odd incredient (dried fish) it took me a while to find it at my favourite asian s/m, found in a big bag filled with air. The bag was about $6 - the next step: find an appropriate evening to make this stock.

Finally a thursday night came when I could make my stock when it was only me who had to eat it. I followed internet-searched recipes and procedures to no avail. The stock smelt amazing, yummy and fishy but upon taste testing, it tasted like diluted fish sauce water; not very appetizing at all.

Not wanting to waste my precious stock, I decided to add another cup of dried bonito flakes and let soak for another 20 minutes. This did not improve the taste one bit. Wondering what to do, I decided to experiment with some sesame seeds, sesame oil and soy sauce. It did nothing. Still too diluted. Next, I tried some fish sauce before remembering that I actually hate fish sauce.

But again, I did not want to just throw away the stock nor did I want to waste the 45 minutes spent trying to make the friggin stock! Reluctantly I added a packet of my store bought soup mix and settled in front of the couch to watch the remainder of Bondi Vet.

Disaster. Any suggestions? Tips? I am determined to master this.

Here is a good recipe for making dashi - give it a go and tell me what I'm doing wrong!?

Top 5 Lygon Street Carlton Italian Restaurants

Photo: The Age Epicure

Lygon Street in Carlton central is notorious for its robust and inviting italian restaurants - almost to a fault!

With so many italianna restaurants on the same strip, it is often impossible to decide where to go - and where the good vs the bad smells are coming from. I have a top-five list of italian restaurants which i recommend you try atleast once. Then you know what sort of italian-food mood your in next time you've planned a dinner on lygon street!


1. Tiamo
303 Lygon Street, Carlton, Carlton 9347 5759

Tiamos will always be my first pick on lygon street, and last nights birthday dinner for Lindsey confirmed why.

The service is a bit up and down but the food and atmosphere makes up for it.

Lygon street eateries can often be more expensive than you'd think. Which is why I like Tiamo. There are many things that seperate it from the others, most notebly because rather than being sprooked to dine, a wait for a table can be up to 30 minutes! But let me tell you - it is worth it. I recommend to head up before 7.30 on a saturday or sunday night and before 7pm on a thursday or friday night. It's a great place to meet for a coffee on a nice day, as the big wooden tables out front offer a comfy place to people-watch. Now that Tiamo 2 is renovated (completed May 2008) you can get food from both restaurants where ever you sit. I recommend the Don Giovanni or the Tartuffo if you're after something particularly different, but really you can't go wrong with the menu at Tiamo, everything tastes fresh and of good quality. The small garnishes on particular dishes add style, while the complimentary bread with the saucier dishes is budget friendly. Despite it's long history and high standing among locals, there is no pretentious or snobby vibe - which is perhaps why I like it so much. Its just a great place to enjoy authentic italian with a twist.

The food is outstanding for what you pay, which is really no more than you'd pay at any of the nearby restaurants. Oh and the tiramisu... don't get me started!

2. Papa Gino
221 Lygon Street Carlton 9347 5758

If your after good old fashioned corner store style food see Papa Gino. Big servings, gigantic pizza, good prices (though you can pay up to $20 for a large pizza - but boy are they big!). As with Tiamo, a wait for a table can be up to half an hour, if you want to sit inside. An outside table is usually available though. They don't take bookings though (wierd - as the website says they do) and aren't very good at keeping track if you're outside having a drink waiting to sit inside, but the food is yummy. Good hearty (not exactly healthy) feel good food.

The garden salad (for the table) is great value, the chips and garlic bread are hot and salty but the creme de la creme of fatty goodness- the garlic focaccia with cheese.

Delizioso!

3. Cafe Coretto
225-227 Lygon Street Carlton 9347 2300

So if you're after something casual but can't stand the wait for a table with the Papa, head up to Cafe Coretto. Once you're through the doors seated at one of the red and white laminated tablecloths you'll see why. In contrast to Papa's, the staff seem to be made up of more women than men, which is nice and welcoming. Which is not to say that Papa's is not welcoming; its just more of the pizza makers peering out the window at big-breasted women variety. Food isn't as good as Papa's but it's pretty quick! Which is why it takes third place.

4. Cafe Italia
56-66 University street Carlton 9347 0638

If you're really struggling (say you're in a big group and can't find a table for more than five) head down the laneway to Cafe Italia. The prices are a bit higher for smaller servings, but there is a bit more variety. It is a good place for more of a formal dinner (p.s tiamos has an upstairs quieter area too) with big tables and well dressed waiters. But to be honest it isn't my first pick - it's more of a backup plan.

5. Now I know I said I had a fifth recommendation, but honestly I don't - so tell me what your favourite Italian restaurant in the Carlton area is and I might post it (and if it is the only one i definately WILL)!