Inspired to drink....

So I've been finding beer a little too heavy lately, inspired by a night out at Madame Brussel's I've been making this cheeky summer punch and sitting outside with the dog and the bf. Oh Madame Brussel's how I love thee- best spent with bestie sipping delicious cocktails and fruit punch!

Cheeky summer punch:

Pink grapefruit
Lemon or Lime
Apple juice
Cranberry juice
Lots o' ice
Gin

Fill a tall tumbler with ice, squeezing grapefruit juice and lemon to coat the ice. Add shot o' gin. Drop in a quarters each of grapefruit and lemon and pour over 1/2 apple juice and 1/2 cranberry juice to fill.

Might even want to top off with a bit of champagne if you're feeling super cheeky!

How would we feel about a couple of mint leaves?

Madame Brussels Level 3
59-63 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9662 2775

Crafting with Jess...

So aside from cooking, gardening and working I have been crafting a fair bit since christmas. I find it really relaxing and rewarding. It's so exciting when you learn a new technique or find a bargain material. It's also great for my obsessive-compulsive side!

I thought I'd post up some of the crafty projects I've been working on lately...

Also if you're interested this DK sewing book is amazing and really helpful.



My very first quilt! Isn't it gorgeous!? It was made for my cousin in England. Shipped off with my sister and given to her just after the beautiful baby girl was born this month!

I used Curly Pop's chef's hat tutorial to make a hat (picture shown is not my own)

One of the gorgeous pillows of make for each of my cousin's babies - I think it is so super cute, I almost kept them for myself.

My patchwork apron

Gorgeous scarecrow for another avid gardener

Hmmm I've made a couple of other things and have plenty of other projects I am busting to start... so I'll post them up if and when I make them!

Chocolate overdose...

A friend of mine/ regular reader and I are constantly trading recipes and trying to show each other up in the kitchen. But we hadn't actually sat down for a cooked meal until recently. So, along with the gf and bf we sat down for a yummy dinner at their house. Oh and what a dinner- home made miso, agedashi, gyoza, asian green salad....

So I decided I couldn't just make any dessert, and as the monthly drew closer my craving for chocolate grew, hence the chocolate mousse companion for the chocolate tart. It took me ages to find a recipe I was happy with but when I stumbled across the Lindt website I knew no other recipe would suffice!

So seriously check these recipes out - Amazaballs!

The mousse, using alot less chocolate than the tart was gorgeous and set really well in the couple of hours before dinner time. I used 71% cocoa instead of the 85% and I am glad I did as it was pretty rich. I also added a bit more sugar to the mousse which balanced out the dense chocolate bite.

I kept the tart recipe pretty much the same, but attempted to have it ready the same day - it really does need 8 hours to set. Also trust me - this is not a dessert for four this is a dessert for twelve! So rich, a slither is just perfect.

Tip: I used this recipe for the pastry, but might have tried the lemon tart pine nut crust recipe found here from a few months back.

P.S Said friend's Japanese feast was impressive - hope I can show them up next time with our Mexicana spread!

Last night's dinner...

So things have been pretty hectic lately. The BF and I haven't had much time together - get up early, get home late and go to bed. But we've been able to fit a few healthy and delicious meals in!

Baked Whiting with barley, asparagus and Broccolini Salad:

(Serves Two for dinner with left over salad!)

Shopping Bag:

3 fillets King George Whiting
3 lemons
Fresh herbs eg. basil, mint, sage, parsley, chives
Barley
Bunch Asparagus
Bunch Broccolini
Punnet Cherry tomatoes
1/2 a block feta (your favorite kind)
Flour
1 Egg
Olive Oil
S&P
70g pine nuts toasted
2 shallots minced and sauteed.
1 Roma tomato roughly chopped

Salad.

Prepare I and a 1/2 cups barley in 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 1/2 an hour. Stirring occasionally. The barley should be slightly chewy and still firm when done. Strain and spread over a large plate to cool.

Combine the lemon zest and juice with 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tsp sugar and s&p. Stir- Add sugar if too sour or more salt and pepper if too sweet. Pour 1/2 of mixture over barley as well as 1/2 toasted pine nuts. Mix well.

Steam broccolini and asparagus for 5 minutes - or until just cooked through. Freshen in cold water.

To plate up, spoon 3/4 cup barley mixture onto each plate, top with asparagus, broccolini, halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, pine nuts and a little more dressing.

Fish:

In a large bowl combine minced herbs with egg. Using your hands, coat fish in egg mixture thoroughly.

Coat each fillet of fish with flour.
Place in baking tray (layering is fine) and top with tomato and shallots and a little olive oil.

Bake at 210 for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve up alongside salad and enjoy!

Yummy! Seriously yummy... the tartness of the salad compliments the fresh herb crust of the fish perfectly.