Spring things

It's a super windy Saturday, which is a nice excuse to stay in. I have a giant pot of chicken stock on the stove and the beginnings of a strawberry and ginger shrub. I'm looking forward to making fruit sodas with it later tonight. I'm testing a bunch of summer recipes this weekend - fun stuff like cocktails and ice cream sandwiches. If you're interested in all of the above (well, minus the chicken stock), the recipes will be in a special four-part newsletter I've been writing for work. You can sign up here, it'll be out super soon!

I've been all about tiny novelties lately. Tahini on toast with honey, sesame seeds and a squeeze of lemon for breakfast. Pop-ups around town for dinner on a Friday night. Oat milk lattes, just out of curiosity (verdict: they're good but it totally depends on the brand of milk... and the barista. Oatly and Minor Figures are my faves).

For the last month or so, I've been going to work early on a Tuesday, which means I'm often on my way home just after four. It makes the evening feel long and relaxed - and it's the night I usually tackle something more complicated for dinner and go for a walk afterwards, and still have time to watch TV and have a shower and eat something sweet - it's pretty weekend-like.

Often it's the night I make a recipe from East by Meera Sodha. Months ago, my friend Lisa suggested we both get a copy and cook through it together. It's been nine weeks since we started, and we take turns choosing the recipe for the week. We rarely double up on our selections, so it's been a good way to try dishes I wouldn't have picked myself - like this roasted paneer aloo gobi. It might be my favourite recipe in the book so far. Lisa lives in Sydney, so every Sunday night, we recap the dish and our weeks over email and share a pic of how it turned out. It has become the nicest weekly ritual.

Something else that's fun - my brother Derrick who lives in New York made me a playlist a little while ago, and every now and then he adds a new song or two. It's a fun way to keep in touch, and a luxury to have music chosen for you :)

Finally, I made the ultimate mid-thirties purchase the other week. I bought my own enamel casserole dish - in pale pink. Every other nice pan in my home has been a gift from my parents or a wedding present. I bought it specially for this cookbook, where most of the recipes are based on a 30cm round roasting dish. I'll be making baked sausages with apple and blackberries next.

Hope you've been well!

X

Spring long weekend plans

It may still be Sunday afternoon but I'm already day dreaming about the long weekend that's right around the corner. My parents and brother will be in town to hang out and celebrate my niece's sixth birthday. We've talked about a fish and chip picnic by the lake, a trip to a late night Indonesian diner and we almost always end up at the local gelato shop - because my dad loves it.

My favourite thing to do on a long weekend (or any weekend really) is try a new and slightly more decadent recipe. Next weekend I'm planning to make braised beef short ribs and rice and serve an apple crisp with ice cream for dessert.

If you're planning an extra yummy meal too, I can highly recommend Ottolenghi's chicken marbella (roast chicken with dates, olives and capters) and baked saffron rice. I made both this weekend and we ate them in our friend's sunny backyard.

The best thing about this meal is that you can do most of the prep ahead of time - I marinated the chicken for the full two recommended days, turning it every now and then. The rice bakes in 25 minutes (and has onion, plenty of garlic and saffron) and stays warm, so you can easily bake it before the chicken and pack up both if you're heading to a picnic. It meant we could have a decent Sunday sleep in, blueberry bagels and coffee for brekkie before getting a start on the rice and then roasting the chicken. We were out of the house before 12!

Other plans for next weekend... getting stuck into Three Women (my library reserve finally came good) and a lakeside walk with friends from yoga (with a pit stop for homemade salted miso brownies). The only thing left to do is get through the working week ;) I'll be heading back to Sydney for a couple of days, which has been the best excuse to make a booking at Bella Brutta for pizza.

Have a lovely week!

X

A favourite new food show

I started watching The Chef Show the other day when I was at home with a cold and it is so. much. fun. The pairing is what makes it the most enjoyable for me - chef Roy Choi had previously trained writer, producer and actor Jon Favreau before he shot the film Chef and played one on screen.

In the Netflix show they reunite to cook together and with friends. Their exchanges are friendly and gentle, and they just seem like they're having fun making and eating a bunch of food together. It's a nice break from some of the more serious and macho food shows out there.

My two favourite episodes so far are the ones where they recreate meals from the movie, and the one that pays tribute to the late LA food critic Jonathan Gold. But most of all, I enjoy watching Jon have a go, occasionally freak out and Roy gently correct and encourage him. If you haven't watched the movie (I hadn't until last weekend) the series is still super fun.

Another lovely food thing while we're here, if you're a fan of Alison Roman too, I loved her interview on The Cut podcast.  Over the weekend I finally baked her famous cookie (they went viral last year). I am normally more of a chewy choc chip cookie type but boy these totally live up to the hype.

Two fun things to listen to in the kitchen (or anywhere)

I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen these past few days. There was a double batch of mac and cheese with gruyere and caramelised onions - one for our freezer and another for friends. I also made a whole lemon lemonade with rosemary, more Anzac bikkies, and tortellini from scratch that had us dining at 10.30pm (!). Keeping me in the company in the kitchen...

The TASTE podcast, which I stumbled across while Googling podcast episodes with Ruth Reichl. It's an interview podcast which features some of my favourite cooks, from Smitten Kitchen's Deb Perelman to Christina Tosi, Alison Roman and Dorie Greenspan. I've loved hearing about their perspectives on food and cooking. It's not a new podcast - it's been running for about a year - but at the moment, it's my favourite thing to listen to while making a meal. I'm super keen to sample their daily podcast during the week.

And because sometimes it's nice to just zone out and listen to music, I've also had Anderson .Paak's new album Ventura on repeat. It's kind of old school and new at the same time and very sunny. My brother Derrick messaged me months ago to say I'd like his music - and this is my fave album of his so far.

Have a lovely week ahead. I am a tiny bit nervous about heading back to work after so many days off. I'll miss messing around the kitchen, going out for coffee, and crisp Autumn walks. All things that can be done during the working week, just not all on the same day :)

Weekly meal prep with two new things

I made a few kickass salad dressings over summer and they made eating greens with most meals so much easier. So I'm adding at least one bulk dressing to my Sunday food prep, along with roasting some nuts to chop up and sprinkle on top. I also prefer to snack on roasted nuts compared to raw ones, so I roast extra for the week.

For summer, I highly recommend Julia Turshen's shallot vinaigrette. It might be my favourite salad dressing of all time, and it's super simple to make. I also made a jar of Alison Roman's lemony tahini dressing, originally to go with some leftover Christmas turkey. We also ended up eating it with salads and falafel bowls. Molly Yeh has a slightly thicker tahini dressing with sumac, which I love.

Currently, Sunday meal prep is mainly about getting lunches ready for the week - making quinoa, roasting veggies and now nuts, washing greens and making a dressing. Thankfully over the holidays I made and froze a big batch of Heidi's baked falafel, which I'll definitely do again for weekend and work lunches.

I feel like the relationship between food and health has only really clicked for me in the last 6 months or so, and it's mainly come from commissioning and editing stories for work. Specifically Dr Sandro Demaio, whose advice on what to eat is logical and easy to remember (and reminds of me of Michael Pollan). I've also picked up so many practical tips from how to meal prep, snack and cook from nutritionist Heidi Sze. She also sneaks nutritional facts into her recipes, which has made me more aware of good fats.

Finally, after reading a NY Times Cooking story about how to stock a modern pantry, I was inspired to tidy my own and get rid of anything I hadn't used in a year. One thing I noticed... I often buy faddish ingredients like almond milk or alternative flours. I don't have any food allergies so it was a good reminder to stick to the foods I actually like to eat.

Begin again

I made a mental list of all the things I love doing in the final days of 2018. There was nothing too fancy, just things like picnics, yoga classes, weekends away, watching movies at the cinema, going to the farmers market, and meals out with good friends. I figured by making a list, I'd have something to fall back on during the year whenever things start to feel a little crazy.

There are a couple of things I'm being mindful of in this early part of 2019. One is rushing around a whole lot less, because I can get addicted to getting things done. And now that I'm back at work, I've been making an effort to eat my lunch and really enjoy it, without the distraction of my phone. It was weird at first (lots of staring out the break room window!) but I'm slowly getting used to it and am feeling physically better for it. I'd love to know if you're trying anything new at the start of this year, if you'd like to share :)

My yoga teacher has a lovely take on thinking about the future. Rather than setting big goals, like getting a new job, she instead thinks about how she might like to feel in a few months or a year's time, and who she might like to be then. I'm keen to give it a try.

Summertime feast with gravlax and sorbet

After roasting a chicken on Christmas Eve, baking a ham on Christmas morning and then a pavlova roll on Boxing Day, I came to my senses and decided to leave the oven alone. For New Year's Eve, the entire meal was made without heat, which was just as well because we'd had a run of days over 35 degrees and no air conditioning at home.

I bought myself a copy of Alison Roman's Dining In for Christmas and made her gravlax using some whiskey leftover from the Christmas ham and dill leftover from a salad. My mother-in-law Wendy makes the most delicious gravlax as a Curran Christmas tradition, and I was nervous making my own, because I hardly ever cook fish and have never cured anything in my life.

We had a back up NYE plan to go out for tacos but ended up eating the delicious salmon with sparkling rose, fresh bread and butter, and a simple salad with an addictive dressing I discovered on Christmas Eve.

For dessert, there were retro sorbet cups served in grapefruit halves, which were super refreshing, and some fancy chocolate my brother brought all the way from London. I bought the best sorbet I could find (blackcurrant and fig), and am still working on my sorbet swirling techniques.

It was such a special but easy summer dinner where everything's made in advance, and just ready to be served. I'd make again for friends, or just a Saturday night :)

Hope you've had a wonderful start to the year - still can't believe it's 2019.

X

The perfect Sunday dinner

Every now and then I want to roast a chicken on a Sunday night. It's usually a sign that things have been busier than usual, and that comfort food is needed. This salt and pepper roast chicken is super easy and delicious. It comes from The New York Times and food blogger Molly Yeh described it as a magical recipe on Radio Cherry Bombe because all you do is season the chicken the night before and then roast it.

I happened to make mine right after watching the Heat episode of Salt, Fat, Acid Heat. So I took the chicken out of the fridge an hour or so before cooking, to let it come to room temperature, and cooked it with the drumsticks facing the back and it came out super tender, with extra-crispy skin. Success!

It accidentally became an awesome dinner because I also needed to make Hetty McKinnon's roast caprese salad before the weekend was up. I'd commissioned the recipe for ABC Life, and always try them before they're published, because it helps with the editing process.

While the meal feels fancy, I made the salad in the afternoon, as part of my regular Sunday lunch prep for the week and then  assembled it at the last minute, while the chicken was cooling. Buying mozzarella always makes me cringe (it costs a bomb!) but it made the salad hearty enough that we could just eat it with the chicken, no potatoes needed.

Finally, dessert. Crumble is one of my all time favourite comfort foods and this one is extra special. I am lucky enough to work with Thalia Ho, who writes a beautiful baking blog Butter & Brioche. She writes a monthly baking column for ABC Life.

When we were brainstorming recipes earlier this year, I mentioned an amazing summer crumble I had on the last night of a south coast holiday. It couldn't remember exactly what was in it, only the fruit was lighter than usual and that it was floral.

Thalia came up with this pear and blueberry crumble with earl grey tea leaves and lemon zest mixed into the topping. I thought my sister-in-law's apple crumble was the only recipe I'd ever need in that department, but this one is crazy good. The pear goes super soft, and the filling goes a deep purple colour as the blueberries cook. It was also a good excuse to buy some take away vanilla ice cream from the gelato shop in town.

We've just figured out that Christmas will be spent in Canberra this year, with my whole family visiting! Every now and then I think about what we might eat, and this whole dinner is an option in my mind. Maybe with Christmas cake at the end instead of crumble. In any case, I highly recommend all three dishes individually - and eaten together, you'll probably go to bed very happy.

A mini office pantry

During the week I eat the bulk of my meals at work, usually breakfast and lunch with a million snacks in between. Years ago, when I worked shifts in a digital newsroom, I found this fact super depressing. But these days, I don't mind it.

Because I head straight to the office from yoga four days a week, I shower and eat my breakfast there before getting into the day. I look forward to flicking through blogs in the morning while I eat my breakfast, it's a tiny pocket of me time before things really kick off.

But lately I've found myself cramming all sorts of condiments, spreads and snacks into tiny containers at night ready for the next day. Or taking a jar of peanut butter to work and then lugging it back home on the bus. It made me realise that if I had a few nicer-than-average staples at work, packing lunch would be a bit easier, and my work days more delicious too.

Just in case working makes you hungry too, here's what's currently in my office pantry (which is actually just a plastic tray that sits on a bookshelf):

Fancy peanut butter - for morning toast, and emergency snacks spread on crackers on bananas.

Nice tea - I drink English Breakfast mid morning and then switch to tumeric for the afternoon.

Honey - to drizzle on top of porridge or add to tea if I have a scratchy throat.

A salt & pepper grinder - to replace the ziplock bag of sea salt and pepper that I've had in a drawer!

Chilli flakes - for avocado toast, and to spice up leftovers when I have them.

Muesli - for backup breakfasts or an afternoon snack with yoghurt or milk.

A jar of cookies - every now and then, for morale :)

And two other things... I bought myself a bowl and brought a nice plate from home that I keep with my food stuff because crockery (along with cutlery) in general is almost impossible to find in an office kitchen. Plus, food is more delicious when it's not straight out of a container :)

P.S - We're having lentils with roasted tomatoes and horseradish for lunches this week, Swedish apple cake from Lunch Lady magazine for snacks, along with fruit and yoghurt.

Dinner plans

What's on the menu at your place this week? We've just come back from a weekend away, so we're keeping it simple. I'm making taco bowls for dinner tonight, we'll see a friend for pizza and gelato on Tuesday (yay!), grab some bolognese from the freezer midweek which will see us through to Friday when it's Tony's turn to cook.

For lunches, I'm four weeks into roasting veggies for a work lunches on a Sunday. We used to take turns making sandwiches on weeknights but I find veggie bowls heaps easier to pack and less fussy too. Plus, Sunday afternoon is a nice time to potter around and listen to podcasts while making some food.

This week we'll have honeyed carrots, miso eggplant, and spiced zucchini with quinoa with some spinach leaves and maybe a boiled egg :) There will also be bircher muesli for the mornings we're going straight to work from yoga.

I've also been a super dag and made a weekly shopping list template in my phone that I copy and paste into my notes every week. It's got the basics, so I just need to add any special ingredients we need for the week ahead.

Last but not least - pasta. Here are two pastas I'd love to eat soon - this super satisfying creamy tortellini and a mac and cheese that my friend May rates from Molly Yeh. I also thought I'd share the recipe for a massive bolognese I made recently. My brother sent me Giorgio Locatelli's cookbook Made in Italy for my birthday, specifically so I could try the bolognese recipe. I made it last weekend and it's really good and makes bolognese for days (or 16!).

Have a good week, whatever your plans!

Easy spring picnics

On Sunday afternoon, we grabbed some brie, kombucha and hummus from the grocer near our apartment and headed outside for a late snacky lunch. We went to our favourite spot, a shady area by the lake that played host to Christmas last year, and it was one of those moments that was just really nice. It reminded me that picnics can be just as fun without a homemade pasta salad or a specially made batch of brownies.

The very next day, we woke up early and drove to a national park because we'd been invited to do a yoga class by a waterfall and who says no to that? The class ended up being on top of the waterfall, rather than below it as I was expecting, which was nothing short of terrifying. But we survived and were rewarded with breakfast :)

The hosts served yoghurt, fruit salad, nuts, muesli, muffins and tea and I was grateful to be tucking into my first mango of the season. We chatted and ate on top of a rock that overlooked some mountains, with cool breezes and the sound of the waterfall trickling below us. It was pinch-me great.

And because I have a weakness for chocolate coated fruit and nuts, I was stoked to try the chocolate that was part of the breakfast spread.  Choc chai almonds are my new obsession, from the serve-yourself-nut section of Coles. I am so looking forward to more spur of the moment picnics this season.

Food for the week

This might sound strange but I've just worked out our weekly food shop - 10 years after leaving home! These are the basics we'll get through each week, with a bit of wiggle room when it comes to making quick dinners and work lunches. It's nice to have a list that doesn't change much, and a fridge that's almost empty at the end of the week.

Here's what's always on the list:

Apples and bananas for snacks.

Berries if they're in season, to make packed breakfasts a bit more exciting.

Avocados and tomatoes for work lunch sambos.

Baby spinach for smoothies, emergency tuna pasta and chickpea salad (a super easy weekday lunch).

A bunch of parsley for salads and soups.

Lemons for avocado toast, pastas and salad dressings.

Yoghurt for lazy breakfasts, porridge and curries.

Milk and bread.

Things like carrots, celery, onions, eggs and cheese get bought a couple times a month if that. If we're both home for the whole week, I'll also shop for ingredients for two dinners.

And just in case you're wondering, I look after 95% of the food shopping as a trade off for Tony doing all of the laundry! I love grocery shopping -  this was my favourite book as a kid.

Am I missing something delicious or great? Let me know!

Almost cold

In Canberra, they say you shouldn't turn your heater on until Anzac Day. That's when things are meant to get properly cold... and that's this coming week.

We've been getting ready for winter in lots of little ways. Insulated coffee cups have been ordered, and browsing the wool and heat tech sections of Uniqlo has begun (yesterday I found something called a coatigan!).

We also bought a slow cooker after mulling it over for ages, and borrowing one from my sister to try it out. This cookbook was the clincher, it's filled with meals I really want to eat, and the recipes are designed around an 8-hour work day. Before it, I could only think of meaty things to make like brisket (the best!) and osso bucco, and struggled to find good recipes online. I'm excited to try it out later this week.

We ended up getting this 3.5 litre Crockpot, mainly for its size (it's not crazy big) but also because it's the original slow cooker :) My sister-in-law also recommended one from Target, which is super affordable, and I previously borrowed my sister's Sunbeam.

P.S Here are a handful of recipes that look good - Deb's Korean braised short ribs and this nine-recipe round up.

Breakfast on the run

Tony and I have been doing heaps of yoga lately - we made it to five classes last week! We found a studio we really love (they serve coffee right after class) and signed up for the six month pass. We go to an early morning class which means taking breakfast and lunch to work. It's taken a bit of getting used to but here are a few things we've landed on :

Bircher muesli + berries

I make a batch of bircher muesli most Sundays. I mix it up in containers (it's less washing up) so we can grab them from the fridge during the week. It's great with berries and cut up stone fruit.

Coconut muffin + smoothie

These double coconut muffins are quick to make, don't have too much sugar, and are so satisfying! I've made them with mangoes but you could use peaches or pears. They keep for 3-4 days, and freeze well too. I bought myself an insulated smoothie cup recently, and will make a green smoothie or a banana one before class so I'm not just eating cake for breakfast :) 

Yoghurt + banana + granola

This is my end-of-the-week special that takes 2 minutes to pack. It's some greek yoghurt, granola in a separate container to keep it crunchy, and a piece of fruit. I make a breakfast bowl when I get to work and it's super filling. You could also make this with a heaped teaspoon of peanut or almond butter instead of the granola, a holiday trick I pinched from Heidi.

P.S One of my teachers has a habit of saying 'feeling strong' when we're in the middle of a tricky pose. It makes me smile because I do not feel strong in that moment but appreciate the positive prompt :)

My favourite things to do in Canberra

A few times a year, I'll get a text from a friend asking for Canberra recommendations ahead of a weekend visit. When Lou, a reader from the UK, sent me a message about her upcoming visit, it made me think of sharing some of my favourite places with you too.

So, here's my mini guide to Canberra. I've narrowed it down to the places Tony and I visit lots. They're the places we take friends and family when they're here to see us. It includes a heart-pounding hike, a hidden art installation, plus where to sample a cheeseburger-inspired spring roll:

Breakfast, brunch and coffee

Go for coffee at Barrio, a tiny cafe in Braddon that always has good vibes and hearty food. On a cold winter day, their ham hock toastie and a hot cocoa makes everything okay. They've just started opening at night on weekends for drinks and snacks, and it's worth keeping an eye on for their casual dinner events too.

We often take friends and family (or just ourselves) to Local Press on the Kingston Foreshore. It's right by the lake and has plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. Head here if you have a busy day ahead, the meals are delicious and filling.

Then there's a series of diner-style cafes run by the ONA coffee house. Their newest one is Highroad in Dickson. The fit out is beautiful and Tony's always looking for an excuse to go. We'll often share a souped-up shake and some halloumi bites.  ONA On The Lawns in Manuka is especially good if you're brunching with kids. There's a little grassy area out the front that's great for dog-spotting and running around. My favourite book store, Paperchain, is nearby. There's also The Cupping Room near the New Acton precinct.

Or if stocking up on local supplies is more of your thing, visit the Ainslie IGA and pick up Bombolini doughnuts, The Muesli Bar's honey toasted granola, and some Three Mills bread. Recommending a supermarket might seem strange, but this one has a cult following (and an insane cheese wall too).

Dinner and drinks

If we're going out for dinner, Lazy Su is always our top choice. I love the music, the playful atmosphere, and we always order the Wagu cheesesteak spring rolls :) You only need two people to get the banquet, which serves up their greatest hits - they also have a vegan banquet.

We tend to skip dessert so we can head to the nearby Frugii for the best gelato and ice cream in town. My Dad always visits multiple times when he's in Canberra and they'll always have a seasonal flavour like Hot Cross Bun and Anzac Biscuit.

If my parents are in town and we want to take them somewhere special, we go to XO in Narrabundah. It's contemporary Asian food, and as an Chinese Australian, eating there is always an emotional experience. The food always reminds me of dishes I grew up eating. If you go - listen out for the medley of TV theme songs they play in the bathrooms, and order the soft serve for dessert.

There's also Pulp Kitchen in Ainslie, which has a cosy neighbourhood vibe while still being a bit fancy. We went for our most recent wedding anniversary and love its sister restaurant, eightysix. Sometimes we go after the movies just for the banoffee pie.

There are plenty of quick and filling options too - Locale in Deakin is our favourite pizza joint. We order the Locale, which has hot salami, blue cheese and mascarpone. Grease Monkey in Braddon serves up Mary's style burgers. Bistro Nguyen in the city is our favourite place for Vietnamese (order the pork belly stew!), and we also love Thai Chiang Rai and Sammy's Kitchen in Kingston.

For drinks, Bar Rochford is refined and cosy - they have a fire in winter and the food is really good. If you're into craft beer, Capital Brewing is a relaxed place to spend a sunny afternoon. They also have a Brodburger van - Canberrans love Brodburger for unfussy burgers and hotdogs. And while we haven't been, the Pop Inn wine bar always looks pretty no matter where it's set up.

Places to visit

The city is surrounded by mountains, and climbing them can be a really nice way to start or end a day. The Mount Ainslie walk is probably the most popular, and it gives you a beautiful view of the city. The track starts off gently but you should save your energy for the stairs near the summit. The return trip takes about an hour or a little longer if you keep stopping to take photos :)

Out of all of the museums and galleries, the National Gallery of Australia is my pick. There's usually a blockbuster exhibition and a range of free shows. If the weather is nice, it's lovely to walk through the sculpture garden. I especially love the fog work. Just outside the entrance is one of James Turrell's sky spaces. You can visit it at any time but it's best viewed at sunrise and sunset, when a special light show plays. The optimum viewing times are posted here every day.

Other things we love, Here yoga studio in Downer, Palace Electric cinema in New Acton (get a hand-dipped choc top and head to Monster Kitchen & Bar  afterwards for a snack), riding around Lake Burley Griffin, and Tony's busting to try Go Boat.

Fun things for kids

Questacon is really popular with toddlers and young children - our friends buy an annual family pass. For smaller folk, we've spent some time at the Yarralumla Play Station in Weston Park. There's a mini train and an adventure playground.

The most impressive playground is at the National Arboretum. They've built giant acorns that sit on top of ladders of varying heights, which kids can climb into. Across town, Manuka pool has a sweet wading pool, and then there are free play spaces for kids at the big institutions like old Parliament house and the national gallery.

Lastly...

While you're in town, Her Canberra and Visit Canberra are great for getting a sense of what's happening that week. I also love Megan Sparke's Instagram account, especially when I'm looking for somewhere new to eat.

The city has plenty of festivals too. Enlighten is my favourite because there's a night noodle market and it reminds of when we first moved to Canberra :)  We also have a food truck festival and a hot air balloon festival.

Enjoy!

Best recipes: 2017

I tried a bunch of new recipes last year. Some failed terribly but there were plenty of keepers too! Here are my favourite 20 recipes of 2017 :)

Breakfast

Morning smoothie with a kick, which is extra nice in summer.
Bircher muesli with hazelnut crumble. The crumble is key - don't skip it!
Cheese and pickle scrolls, which make great hiking snacks too.
The best cinnamon buns. These can be made ahead and frozen, perfect for cold Sunday mornings or an easy breakfast with friends.

Make-it-quick dinners

Pasta with creme fraiche, lemon and rocket, my number one recipe of the year! It's a favourite Sunday night dinner and it would be easy to make on holidays too.
Portobello mushroom burgers with coriander pesto with sweet potato fries. Don't forget the aioli!
The easiest, cheesiest dinner with veg - orange-roasted asparagus with haloumi and mint.
Curried lentils with coconut milk, my go-to quick dinner that doubles as my haven't-been-shopping meal.
Parmesan soup with kale and beans, or cheese soup :)
One-pot pasta with lemon, asparagus and peas.
Yakisoba noodles that taste just like the real thing.

Worth the effort 

Better-than-takeaway stir-fried udon, which my sister's kids love too!
Sarah and Mark's trusty spinach and feta pie (I make two medium-sized pies from this recipe and stash one in the freezer).
My favourite fried rice with Kewpie mayo and Sriracha.
Lasagne with surprise sausage meatballs, which would be Tony's pick of the year!
Thai beef bowls with fresh veggies and chilli.

Baking and sweet treats

Molly Yeh's coconut mud cake, excellent with fresh berries.
Dark chocolate olive oil cake - it's simple, quick and satisfying.
Whole lemon bars from Smitten Kitchen's first book.
Spelt dark chocolate chunk cookies, because I'm always on the look out for a twist on the classic.
Magic dark chocolate and salted caramel brownies.

Enjoy! I'll keep sharing great recipes as I find them. Two favourites so far - artichoke pizza and a chickpea and parmesan salad, which you probably have the ingredients for right now. One thing I'm really curious to try is the Feel Good Food Plan from Healthyish. I loved following people doing it in real time (the first two weeks of January) but might have a go when the recipes better suit our climate - ie. in winter!

P.S - On the other end of the spectrum, these salted butter and chocolate chunk cookies are meant to be insane.

Summer fun

Things are definitely feeling summery and relaxed around our way. We're home for the holidays, and are starting to settle into days with no alarm clocks or set agendas. If you're about to finish work or are already on holidays, here are some things you might enjoy for the slower days ahead:

One movie I highly recommend is the Japanese animated film Your Name. I watched the trailer a few months ago but found it a bit bizarre. Then it showed up in my brother's e-newsletter as a must-watch, and in the iTunes store that same week. I watched it on a rainy Sunday afternoon, it was surprisingly moving and very beautiful too. We had to go out for ramen afterwards :)

This is a bit of a guilty pleasure - lately I've been tracking down my favourite restaurants and local businesses on Spotify and listening to their playlists. Here are some fun ones - Lazy Su made a Yes! playlist to celebrate the same-sex marriage postal vote result, and shared the playlist for their hip hop ramen nights. I keep an eye on the new softserve flavour at XO, a fusion Asian restaurant near our place, and their music is always eclectic.

And if things are really busy, I love tuning into my yoga studio's playlists. The Joey Pecoraro tracks remind of me the days when I used to take a beginner's ballet class in Sydney. It was the best way to wind down after work and shake out my computer posture.

I bought a pair of Springcourts sneakers when I was in Sydney earlier this month to replace my white Vans. They are ten times more comfortable ... and the same style that Yoko Ono wore on her wedding day :) I'm excited to wear them with summer dresses and on weekend bike rides.

And ahead of my desk warming party, I bought a copy of Charlotte Ree's baking e-book Bakeree, after Catherine gave it a great wrap. I made the chocolate and macadamia cookies with white choc chips and they were super yum! We have a small stash in our biscuit tin and home, and I am still sneaking one every day.

Avocado Toast with Pesto and Hummus

I made a great green sandwich the other day, by accident, while waiting for a cake to come out of the oven. It kept me full until my friend came round for cake and tea :)

Now that it's spring, I'm eating more open sandwiches and a lot more colours too! When it warms up a bit more, I'm going to start carrying my Turkish towel (the perfect picnic rug for one) for outdoor lunch breaks and lazy weekends of reading and eating by the lake.

Avocado Toast with Pesto and Hummus
Serves 1 as a hearty snack, double the recipe or add an extra piece of bread for a decent lunch

You'll need:

The biggest piece of bread you can find (think middle of the loaf!)*
Spinach or coriander pesto
1 tbsp hummus
Half an avocado, sliced
Parmesan cheese, grated
Chilli flakes
Pinch of sea salt, pepper
Two lemon wedges

* If you're Canberra-based, I'm a big fan of Three Mills Bakery bread. They sell extra large loaves of sourdough (pre-sliced!!) at Ainslie IGA.

Here's how: 

Toast your piece of bread and slice your avocado while you wait for it to pop.

When it's ready, spread a generous layer of pesto on your toast, followed by a thick layer of your favourite hummus. Lay your avocado slices on top, then garnish with sea salt, a few turns of pepper and a sprinkling of chilli flakes.

Grate some parmesan cheese on top (I use a microplane to keep it light) and then squeeze over some lemon juice. Enjoy in the sun :)