Man food

Beef burger with quinoa kale coleslaw and Hollandaise sauce

Posted 2015-01-18 by Gary

I bet regular readers would have never guessed I would try cooking and eating quinoa. I mean quinoa is a health food that is popular amongst hipsters

I used Coles homebrand quinoa which just required me to wash and cook for 10 minutes in the microwave oven. It was pretty easy but that said, it didn’t taste as good as quinoa I’ve eaten elsewhere.

I also used a packet Hollandaise sauce for this. I know I should make my own but previous attempts have been failures. Coles was selling this Gravox® brand packet Hollandaise for $2 a packet and for 40 seconds in the microwave oven it is a lot easier to prepare than making my own. Now I’m sure the Gravox® brand Hollandaise contains chemicals to preserve and protect me against pathogens as well as chemicals to maintain consistency and appearance. It probably isn’t as healthy as home made Hollandaise sauce made from scratch.

Angus beef burger on a hamburger bun spread with Persian feta and served with quinoa kale coleslaw with Gravox® Hollandaise sauce NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/16, 1/50sec, ISO 400

How do you feel about supermarket prepared versus homemade? I like the convenience factor.

Meatless Monday | It would have been better with #bacon

Posted 2015-01-06 by Gary

Will Meatless Monday be a thing for me?

Last Monday I wrote about my last Salmon Monday and speculated on what I would do on Mondays in 2015. I did mention Meatless Monday but dismissed it quickly. I also received some great suggestions.

I’m going to mix things up on Mondays I think. Some will be Meatless Monday, some will be Mad Monday, some may be Monster Meaty Monday, and there may be Mushroom Monday.

Tonight on the first Monday for 2015 I went for Meatless Monday. I cheated by using some Coles kale coleslaw and added some mango, a nectarine and an avocado. I also added in some sesame seeds and dessicated coconut.

Kale coleslaw with mango, nectarine and avocado NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/16, 1/40sec, ISO 400

What did you eat on Monday?

The last salmon Monday for 2014

Posted 2014-12-30 by Gary

This year I’ve had salmon Monday every week. Mostly it’s been for dinner but sometimes for breakfast too.

I’m not sure what I’ll do on Mondays in 2015. Meatless Monday has been suggested. I know that meatless Monday is a thing, especially amongst the healthy hipsters but that’s not me. Not that I don’t want an healthful life, but meatless Monday isn’t me. I’m tending to think it may be monster meat Monday or mammoth meat Monday or just meaty Monday.

I’m happy to take suggestions. What do you reckon my Monday meal meme should be?

To celebrate the last salmon Monday for 2014 I’ve shot a few photographs

Salmon SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 1250

Salmon SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 640

Salmon SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 800

Coles Kale Coleslaw SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 800

Coles Kale Coleslaw SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 1250

Salmon SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 2500

Smashed potatoes and Kale Coleslaw SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 1250

Salmon, smashed potatoes and Kale Coleslaw NIKON D7100 with 40.0 mm f/2.8 at 40mm and f/8, 1/160sec, ISO 400

It was delicious and a fitting end to 2014’s Mondays.

So what should I eat on Mondays in 2015?

Curried salmon

Posted 2014-12-16 by Gary

It’s Monday so that means salmon. I’ve eaten salmon every Monday in 2014. Tonight I cooked curried salmon for Mum, Dad, Miss13 and Miss17. Miss19 is working tonight.

Cooking a kilogram of salmon with the skin on isn’t quite like cooking one portion for myself

Miss17 helped with the salad again which was good. I prepared the vermicelli by soaking it in room temperature water for 15 minutes and then draining the water.

I cooked the salmon in the same way I usually do. I rubbed in some curry powder and oil and then laid the portions out on a hot frying pan and put the lid on top for 5 minutes. I then poured in a tin of coconut cream and then added the vermicelli and then another tin of coconut cream. I broke up the salmon in the frying pan while cooking through the vermicelli and coconut cream.

The salad had mango, avocado, cucumber, cos lettuce, nectarines and tomatoes in it.

Earlier for breakfast I also had some granola

Christmas dinner

Posted 2014-12-15 by Gary

So I’m up in Brisbane a little earlier than usual. I’m here to help Mum and Dad for a few days while Mum continues her recovery from spinal surgery. She’s doing well and maintaining her exercises. I’m pleased to see her getting around and moving better than I imagined. I’m still trying to convince her though that things like ironing and perfect hospital corners on her bed are not essential to living and enjoying life.

Given that I’m in Brisbane earlier than usual I was so happy that Miss13, Miss17 and Miss19 came for a visit yesterday for Christmas dinner

I started the day knowing I had a lot of cooking and food ahead of me.

Vegemite on toast bathed in butter SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/10sec, ISO 800

Vegemite on toast, also known as the breakfast of champions.

For lunch I made a simple smoked salmon and sour cream on toasted wholemeal bread plate for Mum and Dad. They both enjoy smoked salmon and sour cream. I should have bought bagels.

Smoked salmon and sour cream SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/13sec, ISO 400

Smoked salmon and sour cream on toasted wholemeal bread SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/20sec, ISO 400

In the afternoon as I was thinking about preparing for dinner I got some cheese out for Dad. Dad loves cheese and this was a treat for him. What I also love about my daughters is they will try anything, even smelly cheeses. Miss13 said it wasn’t something she’d actively go looking for again but understood when I explained our palates change over years and as she gets older she may appreciate cheeses like this more. I love the spirit of Miss17, from an early age she’d try things, like oysters. I remember the first time she wasn’t that impressed but she made a conscious decision at a young age to try one every time we went out and now she loves oysters.

For afternoon tea we had Roquefort, Castella white and a Tlba cheddar SONY ILCE-7S with E 35mm F1.8 OSS at 35mm and f/5.6, 1/60sec, ISO 1250

Christmas dinner is usually quite large in the Lum household. I tried to explain to Mum we could do something simple and still enjoy it. So I suggested we limit ourselves to two meats and just a salad plus some spuds (potatoes for refined readers).

So here we have a series of photographs that I shot as dinner was being prepared. I’m grateful to Miss17 for help with the salad and of course Mum who supervised and made the apple sauce even though I was meant to be looking after her.

So I apologise in advance for the number of photographs in this post but what you won’t see is the number of photographs I shot and are still in my Adobe Lightroom library.