Veal Mushroom Barley Stew

Super healthy

High protein, low carb, and only 225 calories a serve – 6 serves

Did I mention it’s delicious too!

 

300g lean veal in bite sized pieces

400g swiss brown mushrooms

1 tsp rice bran oil

3 massel stock cubes

2 large sticks of celery, cubed

2 medium carrots, cubed

1/2 cup leek, shredded

5 baby potatoes (350g) peeled and cubed

1/2 cup (50g) pearl barley

1/2 tsp Thyme (dry or fresh)

1/2 bunch freshly chopped flat  leaf parsley

3 Liters of boiling water

 

In a large saucepan, heat the oil, seal the veal, add the mushrooms and sautee

Then add all other ingredients (except the parsley)

Bring to the boil then simmer for 90-120mins

Before serving, stir through the freshly chopped parsley

St. Katherine’s by George Columbaris and Shane Delia

What an epic adventure!

The food was amazing, theatrical, and endless – in the best possible way.

One of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.

I would describe St. Katherine’s as the happy middle ground between Helenic Republic and Maha – with some signature dishes from each popping up as well as entirely new dishes too.

As always, the staff were accommodating, well acquainted with the menu, and went out of their way for people with special dietary requirements.

We had an amazing table for Becky’s Birthday, right opposite the grill kitchen – TALK ABOUT FOOD PORN! I was in heaven!

 

 

So it begins:

 

Warm yogurt soup rice, mint, charred lamb, burnt butter.

It was served as the bits of lamb in burnt butter, and then the staff theatrically poured the hot soup over with a long handled copper jug.

Delicious, creamy and tangy with great texture and then heavenly pockets of little bits of the charred lamb.  A souvlaki without the bread!

Hummus with candied pecans and peppered figs
The hummus was smooth and tangy and complimented with the sweet peppery figs and crunchy candied pecans.  Served with warm fresh sourdough rye.

Fresh ricotta hand made locally, lemon, mint, GC olive oil

A lovely combination of sweet and savoury.  The ricotta was like a creamy cloud with the zest of the accompaniments.

Raki cured salmon, preserved lemon, lemon balm flowers, popcorn shoots

The salmon was smooth and rich and was popping with flavour.

Fried baby calamari lemon, Aleppo pepper, garlic, taramasalata

Sweet and crunchy calamari legs with the hot spiciness of the Aleppo pepper – also rather delicious with the house made BBQ sauce

KFC “St Katherine’s fried chicken” BBQ sauce

It smelled amazing, but I couldn’t have any as I’m allergic to chicken.  It made a wonderful crunch when the others bit into it.

Instead of the chicken, I had a replacement course of:

Honey Roasted Beetroot with goats cheese mousse
Sweet earthy beetroot with the tangy side of goats cheese mousse that was magic.
Heirloom tomatoes with peccorino, bread salad, and fenugreek
Zingy fresh flavours with interesting textures.
Heirloom baby carrots cardamom, caraway, yogurt

The baby carrots were raw and sweet and balanced perfectly with the yogurt with a slight honeyed aftertaste with which most pleasant.

Whilst the others had a char grilled chicken snack burger, I tucked in to my:

Fish Snack burger, sesame & cinnamon roll, Japanese mayo, herbs

I have to say, I’m not a fan of Japanese Mayo, it has a slightly aluminium aftertaste. But the burger itself was delicious and charred and spicy, lovely herb salad and the bun was so so fresh it almost floated off the plate.

Then the tall tray of pide’s  arrived:

ground lamb, tomato, garlic, parsley, Aleppo pepper, lemon

It was wonderful, sweet lamb with spicy Aleppo pepper in a wood fire oven pizza crust – finger licking good!

mint, ricotta, haloumi, peppered figs
Again a perfect balance of sweet and salty, absolutely delicious.

Chips and (anchovy) tarama

Wow – I can only describe the anchovy tarama as ‘saltier than salt’ and it was fantastic. Hot crunchy chips with a warm fluffy center, and then a burst of salt from the tarama.

Salad of ancient grains seeds, nuts, lentils, capers, currents, pomegranate

The perfect salad! No annoying leafy bits – just wonderful crunchy nutty grains and seeds and then a sweet fruity burst of flavour from the pomegranate and the tangy dressing to balance it all out.

Chargrilled spicy kingfish

Hot off the grill, lovely and charred, served simply with micro herbs, olive oil and fresh lemon.

And then the show stopper:

Whole Suckling Pig cooked on the rotisserie flavoured the St Katherine’s way
Pig served with lemon and olive oil roasted potatoes, almond skordalia, fennel and apple salad

We had watched the little piggy slowly spinning over the char grill. The skin had been rubbed with salt and fennel seeds. If you held the crackling up to the lights you could see through it. Crunchy and caramelised.  The meat was soft, tender, moist and almost creamy in texture, it just melted in the mouth. ABSOLUTELY MAGIC!

This was also served with plates of lamb and chicken on the spit.

And of course there was a pork alternative for our vegetarian – Delicious chargrilled veggies with deep fried honeyed chickpeas.

The lamb was charred and sweet and served with yoghurt and fresh lemon.  I was also given a chicken alternative which was also delicious and spicy – Adana Turkish lamb kebab, heirloom tomatoes.

Lastly the dessert platters arrived – beautifully presented, great flavours, interesting textures, and delicious of course!

Choc chip mousse and jam doughnuts hot cherry jam doughnuts, whiskey jelly, choc chip mousse served in a shot glass.

At every Columbaris restaurant they serve the donuts and they’re always disappointing – BUT NOT THIS TIME – they were light and fluffy, rolled in cinnamon sugar and the sweet/sour surprise of the cherry in the center.

Peanut butter parfait chocolate sorbet, baklava crumbs, sheep’s milk yoghurt and orange blossom foam

Wow – we practically licked the plate when these came out! The peanut butter parfait was that wonderful combination of sweet and salty.  The sheep’s milk yoghurt foam was so fluffy and sour and was a fascinating compliment to the rich and sweet ice creams.

The final palate cleanser:

Honey and orange blossom panna cotta lemon sorbet, strawberry powder

The perfect finish to an epic feast. Simple tart fresh flavours with a variety of textures.  The cold tangy pure lemon sorbet, the creamy smooth panna cotta, and the super infused flavour of the strawberry powder was a poetic final chapter.

 

The Table Restaurant, Fitzroy Street

What a treat! I was taken to The Table Restaurant in Fitzroy Street for a belated birthday dinner by my friend Miss Jill.

It was the perfect balmy Melbourne summer night to eat out in a funky St. Kilda Venue, it was sunny until almost 9pm and we watched the sun set as we ate dessert.

The waiter was so friendly, and knew the menu inside and out – which seems so rare these days.

The food was delicious, fresh flavours from clearly excellent produce cooked with thought, creativity, care and love.

We started with a tasting plate:

There was a spicy chipotle picante dipping sauce, soft little tacos, kingfish seviche with tequlia soaked salsa, suveed duck breast, and a roasted tomato and corn salsa, tomato and corn fritters and home made blue corn chips.  Everything tasted so fresh and zesty

Jill’s main was spicy mussels:

Mussels steamed in tequila, Roasted tomato and chilli broth, with Calamari corn and corriander fritters.  The jalapinos were a perfect compliment to the sweetness of the mussels.

My main was the pork loin:

Pork Loin glazed with agave, orange and chipotle. Stuffed with apricot and goats cheese. Roasted baby fennel. Butternut squash and corn puree.

The flavours were perfectly balanced, the sweetness was not overpowering. The salad was a gentle compliment of sweet pea shoots and grated fresh apple and the roasted fennel was nutty with a hint of licorice.

I wanted to eat it again straight away!

Dessert was a wonderful little tasting tray:

Mexican Spiced Chocolate Tart, Orange and Tequila Flan, Chocolate Truffle Fritters with Vanilla Ice Cream.

It was lovely except the chocolate truffle fritter that tasted of nothing.

I’m looking forward to returning to The Table Restaurant and sampling some more of the menu

What a lovely night out – Thank you Miss Jill!

Zucchini and herb slice (fingerfood)

This is my take on Bill Granger’s zucchini fritters

Making them this way is much easier than frying a boat load of these – not to mention that is is much healthier than frying.

You will need – for the zucchini slice

700g of grated zucchini

1 tsp of maldon sea salt flakes

1 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

12 spring onions

3/4 cup fresh mint

3/4 cup fresh parsley – including stems

250g of fetta (any kind – greek, bulgarian,  low fat, whatever you like)

3 eggs

90g plain flour (normal or gluten free)

method

preheat oven to 170degrees cellcius

Line a large baking tray with baking paper (all the way up the sides so that the mixture doesn’t stick)

Place all the herbs in a food processor to finely chop (not a blender which will liquify them) – otherwise finely chop by hand

Grate the zucchini into a large bowl

Add the herbs

Crumble or finely chop the fetta and add to the bowl

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl so that you avoid the ‘scrambled egg’ effect.

Add the eggs to the main bowl

Season with salt and pepper

add the flour and thoroughly mix through

Pour the mixture on to the lined baking tray and smooth until it is even

Bake for 20 minutes until it is evenly golden brown on the surface

Allow to cool and set before slicing into bite sized squares

Dipping sauce – you will need
the juice of 1/2 a good lime
3/4 cup plain greek yoghurt
1/2 a small clove of freshly minced garlic
1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh  mint
1/4 tsp of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

ALL THIS IS SIMPLY MIXED TOGETHER
serve in the middle of the platter for people to dip

Turkey (or chicken) and sweet corn soup with shitake mushrooms and veggies

500g turkey or chicken mince
1 tbsp oil
400g tin of creamed corn
1 cup of frozen pea, carrots, corn mix
1/2 cup dried shitake mushrooms
soaked in 1 cup of hot water for half an hour
2 stock cubes
1 litre of water
2 finely chopped spring onions
Soy sauce to taste

In a large saucepan add the oil and fry off the mince till cooked through
Add stock, water, veggies, mushrooms and the water they’ve been soaking in
Bring to the boil then lower to a simmer for 25mins.
Add the spring onions and a splash of soy before serving

Enjoy!

No fuss veal olives

• 8 cloves garlic, peeled, 1 finely chopped
• 4 x 250g pieces veal osso bucco
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 400g can chopped tomatoes, pureed
• 3 cups beef stock
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 125g green olives

Optional 3 large anchovies squashed into a paste and added to the pot with the veal

Just bung everything into a pot and make sure the veal is submerged

(not coating it and searing it in flour saves on mess and keeps it gluten free!)

Bring to the boil and then lower to a simmer

Simmer for 90 mins until the meat is falling away from the bone

Remove the meat

Simmer the sauce so that it reduces and thickens for 30-45mins

Return the meat to the sauce

Serve (on rice or mashed potatoes with lots of freshly chopped parsley)

Zucchini, herb, spinach & fetta frittata with baby Roma tomatoes and a parmesan crust

4 large free range eggs

1/2 a block of low fat fetta

1/4 cup of skim milk

1/2 a large zucchini (grated)

10 large basil leaves (finely chopped)

1 large spring onion (finely chopped)

1/2 cup of fresh baby spinach (finely chopped)

5 baby roma tomatoes thinly sliced

2 heaped table spoons of grated reggiano parmesan

 

Heat oven to 170

Line a small baking dish with baking paper

Mix everything together in a large bowl (excluding parmesan and tomatoes)

Pour into the baking dish and smooth over

Gently press in the roma tomatoes in a nice design on the surface and then sprinkle evenly with parmesan cheese

Bake for 30 minutes (until golden brown and firm)

 

206 calories per serving

A great high protein, low fat, no carb lunch xx

Healthy and hearty veggie minestrone

Serves 4

1 litre boiling water

2 stock cubes

400g tin of diced tomatoes

400g tin of 4-Bean-Mix

1/2 large zucchini (grated or chopped finely)

1 medium carrot (diced)

2 large stalks of celery (diced)

1 small onion / spring onion / leek (finely diced)

1 clove of garlic (crushed)

1/2 bunch of basil (finely chopped)

Fresh reggiano parmasen to serve with a few fresh basil leaves

 

It’s pretty simple

Bung everything in a pot (except for the parmasent which you sprinkle on before you serve)

Bring to the boil

Lower to a simmer for 40 minutes (until the carrots and the beans are tender)

Serve with fresh basil and freshly grated reggiano parmesan and black pepper

 

only 14 calories

But don’t worry about that crap

The most important thing is that it tastes delicious!

Polish Style Mushroom and Barley Soup #2

200g sliced BROWN mushrooms

1/2 bag of MACKENZIE’s soup mix (yellow label)

1/2 small leek finely sliced

2 medium nicola potatoes, peeled and 1cm dice

1 lage carrot, peeled and 1cm dice

3 large stalks of celery, 1cm dice

2 liters of boiling water

4 massel chicken stock or vegetable stock cubes

4 tablespoons of finely chopped dill

Freshly cracked pepper

 

 

In a large saucepan – add the boiling water and stock cubes

Add the soup mix

Boil for 30 minutes

Add the carrot, celery, leek, potatoes

Boil for another 30 minutes

Add the mushrooms

Simmer f0r 20 minutes

Add the dill and pepper

Simmer for a final 10 minutes

Enjoy!

 

 

PS – if you want to bulk it out you can add lamb shanks or lamb neck at the very beginning (with the soup mix)

PPS – you can also bulk it out using the ITALIAN soup mix which has more beans in it

Cheat’s Sausage Cassoulet

You will need:

4 – 6 GOOD QUALITY beef sausages

1 baby leek or 1/2 large leek – finely slices

1 medium carrot – finely diced

2 large celery stalks – finely diced

800g tin roma tomatoes

1 massell beef stock cube dissolved in 2 cups boiling water

400g tin 4 bean mix

400g tin cannellini or butter beans

1/2 cup chopped roughly parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped basil

1 bag of baby spinach leaves

1 tablespoon of butter (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

On a medium heat, cook the sausages through – then remove from heat.

Using the fat from the sausages sweat the leek, carrots, and celery.

Add the stock cube/water, tin of roma tomatoes, 4 bean mix and other beans.

Bring to the boil then  reduce to medium/low.

Cook for 45minutes  until thick and rich.

Chop up the sausages – down the middle and then into bite sized pieces and stir into the bean mix.

Add the spinach, basil and parsley.

(Optional to stir through a tablespoon of butter to add a richness and sheen to the dish)

As soon as  the spinach is wilted, serve with fresh black pepper and a chunk of fresh bread.

Enjoy!