Was craving for a bowl of piping hot noodles to get me past the cold winter night and decided to try the new packet of Vietnamese noodle soup paste (Asian Home Gormet brand) I bought from Coles.
Ingredients (serves two)
2 serves of Rice vermicelli
1xCarrot sliced
1/2 bowl of cauliflower sliced
2 buttom mushrooms the size of your palm sliced
1/2 bunch of enoki mushrooms
150 of firm tofu cubed
1 medium sized onion chopped
750ml of water
Steps:
1) Bring the water to a boil, add the paste and chopped onions and stir well
2) Add the rest of the ingredients and let it cook for a few minutes
3) Meanwhile, cook the rice vermicelli in a separate pot
4) When they come to a boil, add vermicelli to the main pot and serve hot after topping with some oregano and ground black pepper
There are many things that I look for in a restaurant. Although I would think that taste of the food should be my first priority, but ambiance and company follows pretty closely after.
Located in the basement of a building on Bridge Street, Fratelli Fresh reminds me of the cafes in New York. One thing to note is that Fratelli Fresh does not take in bookings and you'd have to arrive early to get in line. Fortunately, the place is pretty big and the line does move pretty quickly, otherwise you'd also have the option of sitting at the bar while you wait for a table.
Crispy polenta with mushroom and cheesy broth. This dish was a little salty but it sure was tasty.
Left: Baked rhubarb, raspberries and pear topped with a cinnamon crumble and a scoop of lemon ice-cream
Right: Banoffee Pie - shortcrust base (tastes like digestive biscuits) with a chocolate ganache layer topped with layers of cream with bananas layered in between the cream
Need I say more? Life is unexpected, the next time I'm going to Fratelli Fresh I'm going to eat my dessert first!
If you ever crave for Thai food in Sydney, spice I am is where you should be headed. I'm very eager to share this amazing dish with you - BTS, aka better than sex. Conveniently located in darlinghurst, a stone's throw away from kingscross, and a few other locations in Sydney, rest assured that you won't have to travel far to sink your teeth into this very indulging and satisfying dessert.
What exactly is BTS?
BTS is basically a Aoasted brioche served with pandan gelato topped with Thai caramel sauce and roasted black and white sesame seed
I'm a sucker for desserts, especially tiramisu. So, when a friend was in town, being chocoholics and big fans of tiramisu, we decided to try out guylian's version of it.
Presentation of the cake was simple mouth-watering but the texture of the cake was a bit dry and we didn't enjoy it all that much. However, we did like the hot hazelnut chocolate. There is no doubt that a mug of that would cheer up anyone who is having a down day.
Looking for a dish that would cheer you up on a cold winter's evening or a rainy day? I have found one of the most satisfying dish that is easy to prepare but indulging to enjoy.
Ingredients: fennel, beetroot, garlic, pine nuts, almonds, shiitake mushrooms, olive oil, salt and pepper
Cut off the stems and a little of the bottom of the fennel. Slice the fennel top side up in half (length wise). Turn it perpendicularly and thinly slice the fennel, still top side up. Slice the beetroots and garlic.
Preheat the oven at 220C.
Transfer the sliced fennel, beetroot and garlic into a baking tray and generously drizzle the olive oil. Add some ground black pepper and salt and toss well. Top with pine nuts, chopped almonds and slice shiitake mushrooms
Roast it in the oven for 45-60mins, or until the fennel is tender.
What a perfect day for brunch. Not too warm not too cold.
Met up with a friend at cafe xxii. Located right next to the star casino, cafe xxii is one of the many popular places to dine in the most prestigious inner city suburbs. Be sure to arrive early if you don't pre-book beforehand (11am) and you should get a table pretty effortlessly.
Tried the buttermilk pancakes and skim latte and I must say they were quite satisfying. Firstly, they were huge and not to mention thick. One of these babies would be equivalent to 2 of the pancakes you'd get at pancakes on the rocks. Although I must say that it could do with a tad bit more toppings to bring it to the next level of utmost satisfaction.
If you are looking for something that has more of the home-cooked feel but you don't want to wander too far away from the city, cafe xxii is the place to be.
“Every kindness I received, small or big, convinced me that there could
never be enough of it in the world. Kindness, can change the
lives of people.”- Aung San Suu Kyi
One of the key differentiators between us, the sentient beings, and our animal friends, is having the ability to feel and think. Why is it that we recognize the need to be compassionate to our own species but have no feelings for our furry/feathery/scaly friends? There is no doubt that animals do feel and understand pain. Like us, they fear losing their lives and will do everything to protect themselves from danger. There is no difference between a dog, a cat, a pig, a cow, a bird, a tiger or an elephant. They deserve our kindness and compassion, if you're not already a vegetarian, do consider going vegetarian every once in a while and think of the lives you'll be saving every meal you go vegetarian!
“If suffering were an unavoidable part of our existence, we should try
to alleviate it as far as possible in practical, earthly ways.” are the wise words of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi. Although she may not necessarily be referring to animals, but there's no reason why it shouldn't be.
Some may argue that animals are put onto this earth for humans to feast on, but let's not forget that we have also been given a conscious mind that allows us to feel compassion for other beings. Animals are our friends, not food, Go Veg!
Found this recipe from Coles website and tried it. It turned out to be really good.
Perfect for a rainy day. :)
Curried Pumpkin Lentils
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil700 g Butternut Pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 2cm pieces
1 small Brown Onion, roughly chopped
2 sticks Celery, cut into 1cm pieces
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
2 cm piece Fresh Ginger, peeled, finely chopped
3 tbsp Curry Powder
5 tsp Ground Coriander
5 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Cinnamon Stick
325 g Red Lentils, rinsed
3 cups Water2 cups Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped
Method:
Place a large heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil and when hot, add the pumpkin and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Add the celery and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, coriander, cumin and cinnamon stick. Cook for 1 ½ minutes until fragrant. Add the lentils and then pour in the water and stock. Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for about 18 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed, until mixture thickens slightly and lentils are just cooked through and tender but still intact. The consistency of the mixture should be between a thick soup and a stew. Turn off heat, remove the cinnamon stick and season with salt and pepper. Divide lentils between large serving bowls. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve immediately.
(Inspired by a recipe from Coles)
A satisfying meal at Rossini Restaurant, Circular Quay, Sydney
Vivid Sydney - a Festival of Lights, Music and Ideas takes over the city after dark from 25th May to 11th June 2012. It has been rated as one of the world's 10 best "ideas" festival by Guardian newspaper and is in its fourth year running. So since we are in Sydney we will not want to pass this fantastic opportunity. We arrived quite early and night is rather cold so best way while waiting for nightfall is to fill up the tummy to build up some energy to fight the cold.
We went round to look at the menus stuck outside some restaurants and finally decided to pop into Rossini Restaurant as they have two choices on vegetarian.
Vegetarian Pizza - $ 15
First choice was the pizza which was topped generously with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, capsicum, olives and mozzarella cheese. It was baked to perfection and taste was really good. The pizza bread was not too soft and the base was still a bit crispy. Also it was neither too thick nor too thin, just nice enough to fill the tummy.
Vegetarian Focaccia - $ 14
Second vegetarian choice on the menu was the focaccia which had basically the same toppings as the pizza but now finished off with a good bunch of kale. Texture of the bread of this focaccia is fluffy but yet sturdy which we like very much and the kale went really well with it.
Nasi Kunyit with Vegetarian Curry Mutton - RM 11.90
Have chosen to have a gathering with my friends at Pappa Rich as I just learnt that they have a good selection of Vegetarian dishes.
Other than the usual nasi lemak with vegetarian sambal, they have now added two more, one with nasi kunyit and the other with nasi lemak, both served with vegetarian curry mutton. During my earlier visit I have tried the nasi lemak with vegetarian mutton which was very tasty and filling as the serving was really generous. This time I tried it with nasi kunyit and am very happy with it too as the glutinous rice was steamed to perfection and together with the vegetarian mutton, long beans, fried peanuts, half an egg and slices of cucumber was really satisfying. For noodles menu, they have the Pappa fried meehoon served with either vegetarian sambal or vegetarian mutton. For those who prefer something soupy, there is the vegetarian noodle soup with mutton. Pappa steamed pau, wholemeal red bean pau and vegetarian steamed glutinous rice with mushroom are available for dim sum lovers. Lastly, Pappa Ketupat with Roasted Coconut Floss can be ordered together with vegetarian curry mutton. For dim sum lovers, they have two types of paus - Pappa steamed pau and wholemeal red bean pau - and vegetarian steamed glutinous rice with mushroom. Lastly, Pappa Ketupat with Roasted Coconut Floss goes well with Vegetarian Curry Mutton. I enjoyed my nasi kunyit with vegetarian curry mutton and my friends were all happy with their orders too. However, we do have two complains. First is that it was a hot day and we did not realize that only two ceiling fans were on but not the air-conditioning. We just presumed that they should be on. Half way through our meal, we really felt the heat and were all sweating and only when we complained did the staff switched on the air-condition. Second is that the glasses in which the drinks were served were full of stains. They should give their glasses a good scrub with VIM/JIF.
PappaRich PJ
No.2 & 4, Jalan 52/18 Merdeka Square, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Yes, we're back for a 2nd visit, to our delightful find right in the heart of Sydney's bustling CBD. Situated within a comfortable walking distance from Wynyard station or Darling Harbour, Peace Harmony is quite centrally and conveniently located for both tourists and Sydney's worker bees. Only downside is, lunch gets very busy and you would often find that you would have to wait for your table if you did not book ahead. However, fear not, as their take-away service is very efficient and you would get your food within 5-10 minutes, and it's cheaper to take away too. Since Darling Harbour is just a stone's throw away with ample benches by the harbour, why not consider saving a few dollars and taking your takeaway boxes with you to enjoy a little sun and the sea?
Pad Thai - It came sweet, and I do not like sweet. I want mine SPICY!!!!
Jungle Curry -oh boy was this spicy! :)
Dimsum that came with the set lunch Veggie drumstick (beancurd sheet rolled on stick, deep fried) Soy Chicken Satay (Veggie Chicken marinated in Satay powder and coconut milk topped with peanut sauce) Money bag (mixed vegetables, water chestnut and veggie meat wrapped in chinese dumplng pastry) Curry Puff (Potato, carrot, corn and pea cooked with curry powder)
Beverage that came with the set lunch
Red Curry - the popular thai curry cooked with bamboo shoots, vegetables in red chilli paste, coconut milk, veggie meat and tofu
Aussies are known for their BBQs and they are proud of it. Almost every Australian household owns a BBQ grill. Unfortunately for vegetarians in Asia, when it comes to BBQ, we are often "left out", but fear not, as the Aussies do not deprive their guests as Vegetarian Bacon Style Rashes are one of the many "BBQ-friendly" meat alternative available in all woolworths / coles supermarkets. Priced at $4 for 125g, it comes packed with nutrition as it is fortified with zinc, iron and b12. You would also be pleased to know that its colors are from natural sources - beetroot!
Here's the recipe I'll be sharing with you today: The Aussie Big Breakfast for vegetarians.
Ingredients (serves 4): 100g Button Mushrooms 1 can of Heinz baked beans 6 free range eggs 50g of long beans 1 pack of bacon styled rashes 4 tablespoon of olive oil Freshly Ground Black Pepper Pinch of salt
Method: 1) Beat eggs in a bowl. Add long beans to the egg mixture 2) Thinly slice the mushrooms, cap down on the chopping board. 3) Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan, and pan fry the eggs and long beans. Gently flip the half-cooked frittata and pan fry until golden on both sides 4) The move on to pan frying the mushrooms and heating up the baked beans. 5) Finally pan fry the bacon styled rashes and serve and enjoy while it's still hot!
Ta-da!!!
Sure looks like the real thing doesn't it?
Here's what to look out for when you head into woolworths or coles :)
Green Life Vegetarian @ The Curve, Mutiara Damansara
Happy that I could find vegetarian food when I went shopping at The Curve. Helping was generous but the food served were all cold. Fortunately the rice and the soup are hot. The set comes with rice plus 3 veggie dishes with a free bowl of soup and request for brown rice ia an additional 50 sen.
IPC Shopping Centre Lower Ground Floor, Lot LG62 No.2, Jalan PJU 7/2 Mutiara Damansara 47800 Petaling Jaya Selangor Darul Ehsan
Awesome vegetarian Thai @ Peace Harmony, Sydney CBD, Australia
Yay to the first authentic Thai eatery outside of Thailand, in fact I have yet to dine at a full vegetarian in Thailand, so do let me know if you know of any good ones!
Peace Harmony is a Thai vegetarian eatery located in the heart of Sydney's CBD. They are open for lunch and dinner, so head on over if you are in town! However, they do get very busy, so reservations are highly recommended!
Green Curry - a bit too coconut milky and a bit too sweet. I think most Malaysians prefer their curry to be more spicy and not sweet.
Soy Fish - this dish is made perfect by the sweet and sour sauce that comes with it.
Pad Prik Khing. We loved this dish. It was spicy and yet not overly creamy / oily. Best companion for a bowl of warm rice!
Peace Harmony Address: 44 Erskine Street Sydney NSW
I like it when chefs go natural when it comes to vegetarian. I hate it when they try to imitate all the "meat" dishes out there, it's like telling everyone, we vegetarians don't have anything to eat, so we have to "imitate" meat, which is simply not true!!! Now, this is what I call all natural sushi! :)
A vegetarian? 'Oh, are you a Buddhist or a Hindu?' That was a typical exchange in the 1990s when Dr George Jacobs, 59, president of the Vegetarian Society, told people he was vegetarian.
But that mindset is slowly changing, he said.
'More people have become aware of the health and environmental rationale for eating less or no meat,' said the university lecturer.
The questions he now gets are different too. 'Times have changed. Today's vegetarianism is not our parents' vegetarianism.'
___________________
Compassionate Vegetarian: Vegetarianism is not a religion, it is a lifestyle and compassion for animals.
We were wondering where to go for a meal and a gathering on this second day of Chinese New Year and called up a few restaurants to find out if they are opened for business. When we got through to Chef Low Organic Kitchen, we were delighted to know that they open from 6pm onwards and immediately made our booking for 4 people.
We arrived at 6.30 and were glad that the place was only half full and was not rowdy with the CNY crowd.
Without delay we quickly placed our orders which include the "Fatt Choy Yee Sang" which I normally will not miss. It is not that I wish to be prosperous after eating this dish but that I like the accompaniment of the different raw salads that goes with the dish. However, this yee sang is not delectable to my taste buds and as such, do not think I would like to recommend it.
The Beancurd Winter Melon ( Dong Bor RO) was special and tasted really good but portion was a little too small. Nyonya fish was good and the Xiao Bai Cai's portion was more than enough for the four of us.
After settling the bill, it was so nice of the boss to present us with a plate of ''wor tip'' on the house. Thank you. This dessert is normally deep fried but we got was baked and I like it very much as it was light and fluffy and the sweetness was just right.
Baia THE ITALIAN, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney, Australia
Sydney used to be more known for its beaches while Melbourne is more known for its food, cafes and culture. However, Sydney is fast catching up and in recent years, more and more restaurants and cafes have sprouted around the city, making it a city that has everything under the sun. Well, nestled somewhere in the heart of the CBD, we visited Baia, THE ITALIAN on Cockle Bay Wharf. Having the impression that nothing could beat the restaurant standards of the famous Lygon Street in Melbourne, we were not expecting a lot when we decided to dine there. However, we were thrilled to be proven wrong. Read on and I bet that you'll be drooling before reaching the end of this post.
Risotto ai funghi - mushroom risotto $25 Pan roasted porcini mushroom risotto with chives, black truffles and cream fraiche This was a real gem. I normally dislike risottos as I normally find them a little overwhelming in terms of the cream that is used in the dish, however, I am pleased to say that this is one of the best risottos I have had so far. Will have to go to Italy to try out the more traditional and authentic ones before I comment any further :D
Pappardelle alla vegeteriana - $25 Homemade pappardelle with pan-roasted cherry tomatoes soft goats feta, baby spinach and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Pappardelles are extra large fettuccine and this is actually our first time trying it. Until today, I think italian pastas only vary in shapes not that much in taste, unlike chinese noodles which is very varied in all color, shape, taste and texture. Apart from the noodles being a little fatter than the usual fettuccine, I did not find this dish to be anything special.
Traditional Tiramisu - $17.50 The famous Italian Tiramisu is really just layers of homemade mascarporne and lady fingers soaked in coffee liquor and served on a lattice of vanilla bean anglaise and dark chocolate. Tiramisus are one of the most easy DIY cakes but I always would like to explore new and different versions to see if there are any rooms for improvements when I next make them. This is a little drier than my tiramisu recipe and is more of a cake than my serve-in-a-dessert-cup-and-eat-with-a-spoon version. So, I guess the art of dining really depends on the individual which version a diner prefers and there isn't really a perfect recipe that would satisfy everyone. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this version of the tiramisu, though I really do prefer like my own version where the cake drowns in coffee liquor as then the aroma of the coffee is so much stronger which then makes it more indulging than the drier version.
Passionfruit Souffle - served with lemon sorbet and fresh passionfruit - $17.50 OMG! This was definitely a dreamy dessert. The souffle arrived at our table feather light and airy. The crispy outer made it almost something to crave for every single day. Served with a dollop of icy lemon sorbet, this dessert is something to die for. Only downside is that I might not want to pay $17.50 for another one in the near future.
Address: Baia THE ITALIAN, 114 Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, 2000 Sydney, Australia Tel No: 9283 3434
Two avid vegetarians are here to share some insights to the world of vegetarianism.
Hopefully, through this site, the lives of some animals can be spared. Always remember, animals have feelings too, they are our friends not our meal.
Beverage that came with the set lunch
Vegetarian Party
Pot Luck Party