Vegemite!

We can't discuss Australian food without including Vegemite.  Ideally, it would have been the first food we talked about when we moved Down Under, but I had to learn to like it first.  To say I was shocked by my initial taste would be a bit of an understatement, but I did taste it straight out of the bottle.  Silly me.  No one actually eats it like that though, so I tried it on toast.  Better, but still quite strong.  My dog Hector liked it and helped finish the piece of toast.

Shelley found an interesting recipe on the internet using cheese, so I tried Vegemite Melts -- Bread with Vegemite then topped with cheddar cheese and toasted in the oven.  By this point, I was starting to like it.  The cheese and the toasted bread plus the salty Vegemite was actually starting to taste good.  Next I turned it up a notch by adding butter and using mozzarella and Romano cheeses instead plus a little cracked pepper. Yum!

Vegemite Melts

Slice of Bread
Butter
Vegemite
Shredded Mozzarella
Grated Romano
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

• Layer the ingredients in the order listed.
• Toast in a toaster oven directly on the rack.
• If they are baked until crispy, they can be enjoyed warm or cooled.

Bush Tomato Chicken Salad

Australia is such a large country, and so diverse you wouldn't think it would be challenging finding recipes.

And I guess if you want to make things that have lots of calories, kangaroo, crocodile or emu there are lots of recipes there for you to try.

So I started looking at restaurants in some of the major cities. Once thing I noticed is that chicken doesn't seem to be very popular. Even the BBQ places don't have a lot of chicken on their menus.

I did find one restaurant in Brisbane that has a chicken salad that looked interesting, and they even posted the recipe! Thank you Tukka Restaurant!

Remember I said we wouldn't be trying Bush Tucker? I'm keeping to my word, but the recipe calls for Bush Tomatoes.

I can only assume I'm seeing (but not trying) my first "berries that come from the outback and you really have to know what you're picking" bush tucker.

I tried to find something that would taste similar, and perhaps sun dried might be close.

I had to move on with the recipe without these delightful little things.




Most everything else I was able to obtain on the weekend if I didn't already have it in the pantry.

Bush Tomato Chicken Salad
(the recipe ingredients are listed as they are on the Restaurant website - make your own variations as I did)

For the Chicken
500g chicken breast sliced in half
10g ground bush tomato
15g sugar
10g salt

For the Salad
4 apricots (I used 4 slices dried)
1/2 a Spanish onion, sliced thin
1/2 a continental cucumber, sliced thin
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, cut tomatoes in half
1/2 cup toasted macadamia nuts
500g mixed lettuce
1/2 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Since I didn't have bush tomatoes, cooking the chicken was rather easy. I had cooked an extra piece on the weekend with just a little salt. Sliced into bite size pieces.

Mix together the apricots, onion slices, cucumber slices, tomatoes, nuts, and lettuce. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the top, and drizzle a little olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add half the chicken pieces and toss. Plate and arrange the remaining chicken over the top.

Not all that different than the salads I would make. I might not have thought to add apricot, and I may search for fresh and try again. Maybe try cooking the chicken with a coating of sun dried tomato.
(Shelley)

Morning Tea and the Anzac Biscuit

Sometimes Ross and I are totally on the same page. We both zeroed in pretty quick on the Anzac biscuit.

I love a recipe that has a good story with it, and although this cookie in now associated with the somber ANZAC Day, the cookie has quite a history.

The recipe I used is a little different than Ross', but the end result is a crisp cookie that will last in the pantry for quite some time.

Great for morning tea, afternoon tea, and when those unexpected guests arrive.

A great dunking cookie!


Anzac Biscuits

1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
125g butter
2 Tbsp golden syrup
1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the golden syrup and the water. Stir in the baking soda.

Meanwhile, add the flour, sugar, rolled oats, and coconut to a bowl and mix well.

Add the melted butter mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Place walnut sized balls of biscuit mixture on a greased cookie sheet and slightly press down with the back of a fork.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes.

Biscuits will harden as they cool.

Although not on the dieters healthy food list...everything in moderation. I calculated the Weight Watcher points and each cookie from this batch has 2 1/2 points.

ANZAC Biscuits

OK, so this is supposed to be a blog about eating healthy, but but but today is splurge day.  We all have to treat ourselves once in a while, otherwise, it's impossible to stay on the healthy eating wagon.

When I was researching Australian food, one of the recipes that jumped out at me is ANZAC Biscuits.  These are a coconut oatmeal cookie which are associated with World War 1 and are dangerously good -- I made a batch and tried a couple to see how they taste.  They tasted so good that I took the rest of them in to the office to share with my coworkers, otherwise, the whole batch would have been my dinner.  Aside from being delicious, they are easy to make and keep for a fairly long time.  During World War 1, wives used to bake these for their husbands fighting overseas.  I suspect there is no worry about having them last too long now though.
(Ross)

ANZAC Biscuits
1 cup Flour
1 cup White Sugar
1 cup Quick Oats
1 cup Coconut Flakes
1 tbsp Dark Corn Syrup
1/2 cup Margarine or Butter
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tbsp Boiling Water

• Combine the flour, sugar, oats, and coconut in a bowl, then mix to make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed.
• In a small pan, melt the margarine and add the corn syrup to it, stirring to combine.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the water and add this to the melted margarine mixture.
• Add the margarine mix to the dry ingredients.  The dough will be crumbly at first, but just keep working with it until it is fairly solid and consistent in texture.
• Form into small balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  The cookies will spread out as they are baking, so be sure to leave enough room between them.
• Bale at 350F for about 15 minutes (middle rack of the oven).

Aussie Burgers "With the Lot"

What a way to end a busy week. A barbie with a few of the rellies...

A couple glasses of bonzer homemade wine, a lot of laughs, good food, and it was smokin’ !

No I mean really smoking. 

Smoke from the BBQ was so thick you couldn’t see anyone! 

I thought we’d have to move inside…not often we get a north wind in summer…but we did last night.

And the burgers were good…not burnt which you would have assumed if you had been watching (and laughing) from a distance…

Actually it probably looked like something was on fire…I’m surprised someone didn’t call the fire department.

But on to the burgers…

I was a little hesitant at what the list of “the lot” entailed. But through the week I had been gathering what I would need.

Not the time of year for “beetroot” in our neck of the woods, but I was able to find fresh ones at one of our local markets.

I had everything out on the table when we sat down…and then I brought out the fried eggs and bacon hashers. 

There were some confused looks…I think they were beginning to wonder if I was serving dinner or breakfast…or if I was off my rocker. But I’ll give it to them…they were all ready to “give it a burl” and “bog in”.

I think I heard a few choice words around the table as the burgers were falling apart. I guess it takes practice on how you hold everything together.

Aussie Burgers with the Lot

hamburger patties

buns

cheddar cheese

fried eggs

sliced bacon, cooked

thinly sliced pineapple rings

thinly sliced beet

lettuce

thinly sliced tomato

onion, sliced and fried in a little oil

ketchup

Mayo or Miracle Whip

We skipped the fried egg on the second burgers. We are all a bit health conscious (most of the time), and the second burgers were more “the works” Canadian style.

I used a combination of extra lean and medium ground beef. I find that the medium makes a better tasting burger, but causes more smoke on the BBQ. I also didn’t add anything to the hamburger patties. I used a little seasoning salt over the tops as they went on the grill.

The sliced beets can be fresh, or pickled I found from researching the recipes. I thought there was so much happening on that burger, perhaps the plain would be better. Thinking back, pickled would have been no different than adding relish or a dill pickle.

This burger is not for the faint of heart…or anyone that has a tendency to drip down the front... but so much fun.

(Shelley)

G'Day Mate

Yep, we’re heading Down Under!

To the land of the koala bears, kangaroos, kookaburras, the Outback (not the steakhouse), and Aussies with their wonderful accents…and where the water flushes the wrong direction down the loo.

Australian culture has been strongly influenced by Anglo-Celtic Western culture. The first settlers introduced British food and much of this is now considered genuine Aussie food. Many of the recipes have been handed down through generations. 

Over the next week or so, Ross and I will be "Sydney or the Bush", and you may be seeing the likes of chook, snag bags, Anzac biscuits, damper, pie floaters, dog’s eye, and bush tucker…well maybe not bush tucker. Ross...you want to give it a bash?

So on with the sunnies and off to the bottle shop for some bonzer plonk, goon and coldies. I’ll fossick the pantry and fire up the barbie, maybe have the rellies in for tucker and we’ll bog in. And I won’t be drinking with the flies.

Hoo roo...
(Shelley)

Nyama Choma

How do you say "There was an incident with the ugali" in swahili?

Change of plans...I won't be grilling ugali tonight...

I knew if I searched long enough I would find another version of nyama choma that is a little spicier than the traditional basting of the grilling meat with salted water.

I decided to give it a try on chicken kabobs.

The spice rub is salt base, using either Kosher or sea salt. It has a kick and would be good on any grilling meat.



Kenyan Safari Spice Rub
1/2 cup coarse salt
2 Tbsp coarse black pepper
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.










Chicken Kabobs
1 boneless skinless chicken breast per person
spice rub, above


If using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for about 30 minutes just prior to using.


Cut the chicken in cubes, and roll in spice rub. 1 -2 tsp per chicken breast.


Thread chicken on skewers, and mist lightly with a little olive or canola oil so they won't stick to the grill.






Grill on high heat, turning to brown all sides until done.


Timing will vary depending on how hot your BBQ is.

Serve with your choice of sides.
(Shelley)