dinner

The plastic bag is a lazy cook’s best friend

Tonight I was cooking a lump of salmon and used a plastic bag to coat it in flour and seasoning. 

I realised as a lazy cook, the plastic bag really is super helpful and convenient and reduces the washing up of bowls, plates and utensils. Plastic bags also reduce the waste of eggs and milk when crumbing (or breading as my friends in north America might say).

So tonight I took my lump of salmon from the refrigerator. The supermarket delicatessen sales assistant had placed the lump of salmon in a plastic bag before wrapping it in paper. Rather than waste plastic and dirty any other cooking utensil I poured a little oil into the bag and massaged my lump of salmon through the plastic bag. I then added a little flour, Panko bread crumbs, some sea salt crystals, curry powder, chilli flakes, and ground pepper. I massaged the lump of salmon through the plastic bag and let it rest while I heated up my frying plan. While my lump of salmon was cooking I added a halved tomato and made a quick coleslaw to eat with the fish.

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You can see the salmon has a nice coating of panko bread crumbs and the chilli flakes and pepper are pretty obvious. What isn’t obvious but to which I can attest is that I slipped with the sea salt crystals and the salmon was a little more salty than I like. That said, I finished my dinner and wished I had another piece.

For the lazy cook, a plastic bag can be used for all sorts of proteins to be coated. I like using it for chicken pieces whether they have skin or not, diced bits of tough beef for browning before slow cooking, lamb cutlets and I suppose you could do tofu this way too 😉 

Do you have any cheats for a lazy cook?

 

How to cook with pomegranate like they do on #MKR

I love pomegranate seeds in meals and tonight was the first time I’ve cut one open and used the seeds in a meal and dessert.

Pomegranate
Pomegranate SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 1600

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I bought a Lilydale chicken yesterday and thought it would go nicely with a salad. After a light breakfast and lunch a roast dinner was in order, especially with My Kitchen Rules on television tonight. Tonight Ash and Camilla are cooking and so many people want to see them fail.


 

For breakfast I met Bron at U&Co Cafe in Kaleen   

I had muesli with seasonal fruits

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For lunch I had tomato on fried bread smeared with Persian feta

Tomato on fried bread spread with Persian feta
Tomato on fried bread spread with Persian feta NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/5.6, 1/125sec, ISO 400
How to cook with pomegranate like they do on #MKR
 
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: Gary Lum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • Lilydale Chicken for roasting
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • Crushed walnuts
  • Chili flakes
  • Quinoa
  • Potato gems
  • Fennel
  • Parsley
  • Red onion
  • Capers
  • Pomegranate
  • Lime juice
Instructions
  1. Prepare the chicken with panko bread crumbs, crushed walnuts and chili flakes
  2. Add the quinoa to the baking tray and add some water, this allows the quinoa to cook in the chicken juices
  3. Put the chicken into the oven at 220 Â°C for 20 minutes and then turn down to 150 Â°C for 40 minutes
  4. For the last 20 minutes add the potato gems on a separate tray
  5. When the chicken comes out to rest turn the oven up to 220 Â°C and cook the gems until golden
  6. Scoop the quinoa out of the tray with a slotted spoon and allow the fatty oily goodness to drain off leaving great tasting quinoa behind
  7. Prepare the salad with the fennel, parsley, red onion, capers and pomegranate seeds
  8. Add a little lime juice to the salad
  9. Plate up the carved chicken, quinoa, potato gems and salad
  10. Shoot a final photograph
  11. Eat the meal while watching My Kitchen Rules
  12. Wash the dishes
  13. Write the recipe
  14. Blog (verb)
 
Notes
If you’ve never deseeded a pomegranate check out this video [url href=”http://youtu.be/8lH47Oorrdk” target=”_blank” title=”Deseeding a pomegranate”]http://youtu.be/8lH47Oorrdk[/url]

 

How to deseed a pomegranate

Although I didn’t use a wooden spoon. I’m Chinese so I used the back of dirty big meat cleaver  


 

How I cooked tea tonight 

Lilydale chicken marinated with chili and coriander
Lilydale chicken marinated with chili and coriander SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/3.2, 1/40sec, ISO 250

I’m not sure if Lilydale is sponsoring MKR this year. 

Lilydale chicken marinated with chili and coriander
Lilydale chicken marinated with chili and coriander SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/40sec, ISO 640

This is how it looked straight out of the plastic bag

Lilydale chicken marinated with chili and coriander with some panko bread crumbs, walnuts and chili flakes
Lilydale chicken marinated with chili and coriander with some panko bread crumbs, walnuts and chili flakes SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 1250

I added some of my own touches like panko bread crumbs, crushed walnuts and chili flakes

Fennel, red onion, and parsley
Fennel, red onion, and parsley SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 1600
Fennel, red onion, parsley and capers
Fennel, red onion, parsley and capers SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/40sec, ISO 1600
Pomegranate
Pomegranate SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 1600
Fennel, red onion, parsley, capers and pomegranate seeds
Fennel, red onion, parsley, capers and pomegranate seeds SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 1600

What a gorgeous looking salad

Roasted split marinaded chicken out of the oven
Roasted split marinaded chicken out of the oven SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 4000
Roasted split marinaded chicken out of the oven and on the carving tray that collects the tasty juices
Roasted split marinaded chicken out of the oven and on the carving tray that collects the tasty juices SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/40sec, ISO 4000

I love my new carving board

Roasted chili and coriander chicken, fennel and pomegranate salad, quinoa and potato gems
Roasted chili and coriander chicken, fennel and pomegranate salad, quinoa and potato gems NIKON D810 with 90.0 mm f/2.8 at 90mm and f/16, 1/5sec, ISO 64

My finished plate 

Pomegranate seeds and lemon sorbet
Pomegranate seeds and lemon sorbet NIKON D810 with 90.0 mm f/2.8 at 90mm and f/5.6, 1/50sec, ISO 64

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Do you like pomegranate and the seeds from this delicious fruit? Have you got a favourite recipe? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Chifley’s Bar and Grill in the Hotel Kurrajong

It’s Thursday evening and Bron and I go to dinner at Chifley’s Bar and Grill in the Hotel Kurrajong. The restaurant was named after Ben Chifley (Australia’s sixteenth prime minister) and the restaurant specialises in beef and locally sourced produce.

As we arrive at about 7 pm we notice the courtyard with many of the tables occupied with local Canberrans enjoying an after work drink. The clue to knowing they are local Canberrans is that many of them are still wearing lanyards bearing Australian Government identification tags (and they’re also dressed in business attire).

Chifley's Bar and Grill on Urbanspoon

On confirming our reservation we’re shown to a table near the kitchen and the function rooms. It’s a relatively quiet night in the restaurant so we effectively get a waiter to ourselves. The service is very good. Our waiter is knowledgeable about the menu and very helpful. He attends to us fairly regularly through the evening asking if we’re okay and checking that the food is meeting our expectations.


For an entrée I went for the crispy sardine fillets (with salsa rossa).

Grilled sardines at Chifley's Bar and Grill in Hotel Kurrajong
Grilled sardines

The sardines were crispy and tasty. This is the first time I’ve eaten sardines that weren’t from a tin in oil. I could definitely eat a bigger plate of these.


For a main meal dish I went for steak, after all Chifley’s Bar and Grill is all about the premium steaks it serves and I ordered the  Sher wagyu fi Scotch fillet with a marbling score of 5+. I asked for horseradish aioli and the steaks came with celeriac purée.

Sher Wagyu Fi Scotch fillet +5 at Chifley's Bar and Grill at Hotel Kurrajong
Sher Wagyu Fi Scotch fillet +5 with celeriac purée and horseradish aioli

When I got my piece of steak I thought I’d died and gone to food heaven. I’ve never enjoyed steak so much. 

We also got some pommes frites which were delightful.


For dessert I had the vanilla panna cotta. It was nice.

Vanilla panna cotta at Chifley's Bar and Grill at Hotel Kurrajong
Vanilla panna cotta

I’m very happy to recommend Chifley’s Bar and Grill. The steak is amazing. I would like to become a regular steak eater here.

 

I want a super spam sandwich and watch #MKR

Overnight the Mouse suggested adding spam to my sandwich so I made a super spam sandwich

So tonight on the way home I thought about making another sandwich for dinner. I settled on a super spam sandwich that would also involve Angus beef, kale coleslaw and tasty Coon cheese.

My super spam sandwich with Angus beef burger, spam, tasty Coon cheese and kale coleslaw on fried Helga's pumpkin seed bread
My super spam sandwich with Angus beef burger, spam, tasty Coon cheese and kale coleslaw on fried Helga’s pumpkin seed bread NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/8, 1/60sec, ISO 400

Oops, sorry the good stuff was sliding off the Angus beef burger.

My super spam sandwich with Angus beef burger, spam, tasty Coon cheese and kale coleslaw on fried Helga's pumpkin seed bread
My super spam sandwich with Angus beef burger, spam, tasty Coon cheese and kale coleslaw on fried Helga’s pumpkin seed bread NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/8, 1/50sec, ISO 400

Gee, doesn’t that look great. Nice big thick slices of my favourite processed meat with a juicy Angus beef burger and two slices of delicious tasty Coon cheese. 

It’s no wonder I’m getting fatter. I really need to stop. I’m contemplating a low carbohydrate stint again to get me back on track but I’d prefer to just apply the discipline to reduce my intake. I’ve been walking every morning for about 40 minutes and I start my day with muesli plus a cup of coffee. Part of my problem is my sweet tooth for cheap and nasty sweet stuff. The charity chocolate has returned to work and today I bought two chocolates. I really need to stop that. 

So if you were making a sandwich how would you make it?

Slow roast lamb with quinoa and onions served with kale coleslaw

It’s been a cold weekend in Canberra which motivated me to have roast lamb again.

I love a slow roast lamb, especially the shoulder joint. The lamb shoulder joint has deliciously fatty flesh and is full of lamb flavour.

After a morning walk and some Sunday ritualistic ironing and Star Trek watching I pulled out the lamb to get to room temperature. My plan was a three hour cook and a 30 minute rest. I then enjoyed watching the Summernats on 7mate and the burnout competition 

Slow roast lamb with quinoa and onions served with kale coleslaw
 
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: Gary Lum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • Boneless butterflied shoulder of lamb
  • Onions
  • Quinoa
  • Mixed dried herbs
  • Curry powder
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Vegetable stock
  • Kale coleslaw
  • Coleslaw dressing
Instructions
  1. In a casserole lay out some sliced onion and add a cup and half of stock
  2. Add some quinoa and dried mixed herbs along with some curry powder
  3. Lay in the lamb
  4. Rub the lamb with curry powder, dried mixed herbs and salt
  5. Cover the casserole and put it into an oven at 150 Â°C for three hours
  6. After three hours remove the casserole and allow the meat to rest for thirty minutes
  7. Put the lamb with the onions and quinoa into a bowl
  8. Prepare the coleslaw
  9. Plate up the lamb, the onions and quinoa and the coleslaw
  10. Shoot a photograph
  11. Eat the meal
  12. Wash the dishes
  13. Write the recipe
  14. Blog (verb)
 

 

Onions, quinoa and herbs at the bottom of my casserole SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/50sec, ISO 800
Onions, quinoa and herbs at the bottom of my casserole SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/50sec, ISO 800
Boneless butterflied shoulder of lamb rubbed with curry powder and dried mixed herbs and salt SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/50sec, ISO 1250
Boneless butterflied shoulder of lamb rubbed with curry powder and dried mixed herbs and salt SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/50sec, ISO 1250
Out of the oven, slowly cooked boneless butterflied shoulder of lamb with quinoa and onions in a rich sauce SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/50sec, ISO 1600
Out of the oven, slowly cooked boneless butterflied shoulder of lamb with quinoa and onions in a rich sauce SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/4, 1/50sec, ISO 1600
Out of the casserole, roast lamb with quinoa and onions SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/50sec, ISO 3200
Out of the casserole, roast lamb with quinoa and onions SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/8, 1/50sec, ISO 3200
Slowly cooked lamb with quinoa and onions served with a kale coleslaw NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/8, 1/100sec, ISO 400
Slowly cooked lamb with quinoa and onions served with a kale coleslaw NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/8, 1/100sec, ISO 400

What did you have for dinner? Was it roast lamb?