meal for one

Food for Australia Day 2017

Posted by Gary

What did I eat on Australia Day 2017?

Before I get to today, I should mention what I did last night. I left work thinking about Australia Day 2017 and what it means for me. There were also thoughts about the chicken wings I had in the refrigerator.

I decided to go with something that would fill me with saturated fat. I had a bread roll which I split and put on the bottom of a large frying pan. On this, I spread some Vegemite and then added some grated Coon cheese. On top of this typically Australian combination, I put my chicken wings and added some more grated Coon cheese.

Cheesy chicken wings with vegemite and Coon cheese on 'fried' bread Australia Day 2017 Gary Lum
Cheesy chicken wings with vegemite and Coon cheese on ‘fried’ bread {click for a better view]

Breakfast

Overnight I had some weird dreams and as I woke from sleep I pondered breakfast. I decided I’d have something green and gold for Australia Day 2017, so I went with a piece of toast slathered in golden butter, covered in Vegemite and topped with a slice of Coon cheese. To this, I added a fried egg with a golden yolk and garnished with green spring onions. I put this on a green plate.

Australia day Vegemite and melted Coon cheese on toast with a fried egg Australia Day 2017 Gary Lum
Australia day Vegemite and melted Coon cheese on toast with a fried egg [click for a better view]

Lunch

For Australia Day 2017 lunch I had some lime and pepper chips, a Queensland mango and some lime green lime juice in a glass of water.

Happy Australia day 🇦🇺🌏 My idea of green and gold! Queensland mangoes and lime Australia Day 2017 Gary Lum
Happy Australia day 🇦🇺🌏 My idea of green and gold! Queensland mangoes and lime [click for a bigger view]

Favourite things about Australia

Did you know my favourite state is Queensland and my favourite territory is the Northern Territory of Australia?

Dinner

There is a bit of a commercial tradition for lamb, to be featured so I went with a rolled boneless lamb shoulder that was slowly cooked in the oven at 150 °C (302 °F) for 2½ hours covered with aluminium foil and then 30 minutes uncovered. I also cooked a couple of spuds and served it with some peas and corn for a bit of green and gold!

 

 

Australia Day Lamb shoulder roll with potatoes ready for the oven Australia Day 2017 Gary Lum
Australia Day Lamb shoulder roll with potatoes ready for the oven [click for a bigger view]
Australia day 🇦🇺🌏 Roast lamb shoulder with potato, pearl barley couscous and gravy Australia Day 2017 Gary Lum
Australia day 🇦🇺🌏 Roast lamb shoulder with potato, pearl barley couscous and gravy [click for a bigger view]

What did I do on Australia Day 2017?

This morning I went for a walk around Lake Ginninderra and had a coffee.

Lake Ginninderra Australia Day 2017 Gary Lum
Lake Ginninderra [click for a bigger view]
Then I got stuck into writing and recording a couple of podcast shows for next week.

What did you eat on Australia Day 2017?

Hopefully, you had a good day off if you’re here in Australia. If you live outside of Australia, I hope you had a good Republic Day if you’re Indian and a great 26 January for everyone else.

Parting words

I regularly post photographs of food to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Please feel free to connect with me on any social media platform.

Curry prawns with pork beef mince balls

Posted by Gary

Curry prawns with pork beef mince balls for Sunday tea

Curry prawns were on my mind today after I realised, that last night when I cooked the scotch fillet steak, I forgot to add the prawns for a surf and turf steak sandwich.

I had some pork and beef mince (ground meat) in the refrigerator and I knew I could make enough to have leftovers for lunch at work this week.

 

 

 

What you need to make this meal

  • Raw peeled prawns (bought from Coles)
  • Pork/beef mince (500 g bought from Coles)
  • Thai red curry paste (2 tablespoons)
  • Coconut cream (1 × 375 mL tin)
  • Spring onions (1 small handful)
  • Onion (1 onion, sliced)
  • Peas, Corn and Capsicum (frozen, 2 small handfuls)
  • Lime zest and juice (1 lime)
  • Red quinoa and brown rice (1 packet, 250 g)
  • Tomato (1, diced)
  • Red chilli (1, sliced)
  • Jalapeño pepper (1, sliced)

How do you put it all together?

Mould the pork beef mince into small balls just bigger than human testicles (sorry, podcasting medical fun facts has got me confused, this is a cooking blog isn’t it?)

If you’ve never held human testes, mould the balls to a size a little smaller than table tennis (ping pong) balls.

Pork beef meat balls curry prawns Gary Lum
Pork beef meat balls [Click on the photograph for a full view]
Set the meaty balls aside

Get out a nice big wok

Cook the packet quinoa rice in the microwave oven for 90 seconds on high

Get the wok nice and hot

Add a little vegetable oil to your hot wok

Stir fry the onion, some of the spring onion and if you want it some garlic and ginger

Slowly and carefully add the balls to the wok and brown them off

Once the balls are mostly cooked through add the curry paste and get everything nicely covered in the paste’s flavours

Capsicum, Corn, Ginger, Jalapeño peppers, Marmalade, Onion, Peas, Red chillies, Spring onion, Tomatoes curry prawns Gary Lum
Capsicum, Corn, Ginger, Jalapeño peppers, Marmalade, Onion, Peas, Red chillies, Spring onion, Tomatoes [Click on the photo for a full view]
Add the following ingredients in this order

  1. chilli, jalapeño and tomato and stir,
  2. quinoa rice and stir everything thoroughly,
  3. the tin of coconut cream and bring the wok to a very gentle simmer,
  4. lime zest and lime juice,
  5. Peas, Corn and Capsicum and stir in, and
  6. prawns and keep stirring until they are cooked

Turn off the heat and transfer the curry to a bowl and garnish with the rest of the spring onions

Put the remainder of the curry into a plastic container and put it into the refrigerator

So how did it turn out?

Let me know what you think from the photograph.

Red curry prawns with pork beef meatballs with red quinoa and brown rice in coconut cream Gary Lum
Red curry prawns with pork beef meatballs with red quinoa and brown rice in coconut cream [Click on the photograph for a full image view]
The curry had a nice limey lummy tang with the spiciness of the curry and chillies.

The coconut cream nicely infused the meaty balls and prawns too.

 

All that said, tomorrow I’m fearing the burning ring of fire 
 

Parting words

I regularly post photographs of food to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Please feel free to connect with me on any social media platform.
I also have a podcast. It’s not food related but each show is short and it’s named Medical Fun Facts. You can find it in the iTunes podcast store as well as Stitcher. A show drops every Monday and Tuesday. It has a little cynicism, a little scepticism and occasionally some sarcasm.

Healthy Angus beef burger

Posted by Gary

Can a beef burger be healthy? Many would argue no. I’d probably agree when I analyse what goes into a burger, but with a little tongue in cheek and just because I like to be contrary, I’ve added quinoa and kale to my burger to make it healthful. Given hipsters like quinoa and kale, it must be healthful (or at least cool).

The secret to making this healthful burger extra tasty is cooking the quinoa in chicken fat and having the kale as part of coleslaw that is mixed with the chicken fat coated quinoa. In previous posts you will have seen how I like to add quinoa to the baking tray while roasting animal flesh so the oily fatty juices add rich flavour to the quinoa.

Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese
Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese
Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese plus some chicken fat cooked quinoa and kale coleslaw
Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese plus some chicken fat cooked quinoa and kale coleslaw
Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese plus some chicken fat cooked quinoa and kale coleslaw plus an Angus beef burger, some cheese, tomato and mustard
Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese plus some chicken fat cooked quinoa and kale coleslaw plus an Angus beef burger, some cheese, tomato and mustard
The completed burger. Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese plus some chicken fat cooked quinoa and kale coleslaw plus an Angus beef burger, some cheese, tomato and mustard.
The completed burger. Toasted and buttered soft bread roll with a mighty big dollop of cream cheese plus some chicken fat cooked quinoa and kale coleslaw plus an Angus beef burger, some cheese, tomato and mustard.
A DipTic of my burger
A DipTic of my burger

How would you make a beef burger healthy?

Quinoa makes a return after #Hawaii #holiday

Posted by Gary

During the ten days travelling through Oahu, Hawaii I didn’t have any quinoa. Quinoa makes a return to my diet tonight. What better way to enjoy quinoa than with roast Chicken Maryland. 

Delicious roasted Chicken Maryland can be made better by cooking quinoa in the baking tray and incorporating the cooking juices from the chicken. 

Delicious roasted Chicken Maryland with kale coleslaw, grated cheese and jalapeño pepper
Delicious roasted Chicken Maryland with kale coleslaw, grated cheese and jalapeño pepper
Quinoa makes a return after #Hawaii #holiday
 
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Australian
Author: Gary Lum
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • Quinoa
  • Chicken Maryland
  • Coon tasty cheese slice
  • Mixed dried herbs
  • Golden syrup
  • Black ground pepper
  • Kale coleslaw
  • Mayonnaise
  • Jalapeño pepper sliced
Instructions
  1. Pour some quinoa in the bottom of a baking tray and add a cup of water
  2. Put a rack in the baking tray and lay on a Chicken Maryland
  3. Put a slice of cheese on the chicken and add some pepper and mixed dried herbs plus a squirt of golden syrup
  4. Cook the chook in an oven at 150 °C for 1 hour
  5. Rest the chook for 20 minutes after it has been cooking for an hour
  6. While the chook is resting prepare the kale coleslaw and mix in the quinoa and some grated cheese
  7. Plate up and add a dollop of mayonnaise
  8. Slice a jalapeño pepper for some added zing
  9. Lay over the Kale coleslaw a delicious roasted Chicken Maryland
  10. Shoot a photograph
  11. Eat the meal
  12. Wash the dishes
  13. Post process the photograph
  14. Write the recipe
  15. Blog (verb)
 

The chicken skin ends up being succulent and crispy. The meat is moist, juicy and tender. The dark chicken meat goes so well with some mayonnaise, it’s like having an open sandwich with shredded chicken meat. 

The quinoa adds a lovely nuttiness to the kale coleslaw while the jalapeño pepper adds a real zing. 

So quinoa makes a return to my meal planning. Do you like quinoa?

Saimin salmon salad

Posted by Gary

Today was the last day of my holiday. For dinner I thought back to a lunch I had in Hawaii, viz., a saimin burger and went about making a saimin salmon salad for dinner tonight. 

In case you’re interested, I cooked the noodles in hot water and then fried them in egg rings. I added a little olive oil, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce and maple syrup. 

Saimin burger from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
Saimin burger from L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
Saimin salmon salad for dinner
Saimin salmon salad for dinner

I spent my last day of my holiday at home cleaning up and unpacking, washing more clothes and catching up on personal e-mails. I also went for a walk around Lake Ginninderra and shot some photographs.

2015-04-27_08.08.34_001_GARY_LUM_FB 2015-04-27_08.17.37_002_GARY_LUM_FB

For breakfast I made cheesy scrambled eggs. 

2015-04-27_10.25.38_001_GARY_LUM_FB 2015-04-27_10.28.20_002_GARY_LUM_FB

I had a coffee at Heather’s House of Cake.

2015-04-27_12.44.00_001_GARY_LUM_FB

I made a BLT for lunch. 

Have you ever eaten saimin salmon salad?