Baked Zucchini Boats

Hi everyone!

Cooking is a hobby which I love and often use to relax and de-stress. I made dinner on the weekend between my exams and decided to make one of my favourite dishes - baked zucchini boats! 

This dish was inspired by something I had a few months ago (posted about here). It's very quick and simple, requiring minimal preparation and would be something great to whip up on a week day or night. 

Oven baked zucchini boats from Zootz 

I improvised this recipe the first time I tried making it and have been adding bits and pieces in along the way as I attempt to make it better! I didn't use kidney beans or as much cheese as the folks at Zootz did. 

Serves 7-8 extra hungry people or 10 people with small appetites :P

Ingredients:

10 zucchinis

1 jar of tomato based pasta sauce (I used Leggo's Napoletana)

100g roasted whole red peppers

(I used these)

100g sundried tomatoes

500 beef mince (For a vegetarian option, feel free to substitute with red kidney beans or a variety of vegetables)

2 tsp chopped garlic

150g grated cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

2. Place a large pot of 2-3L of water to boil.

3. Clean and remove the tops of your zucchinis.

4. Keeping your zucchinis whole, place them into the pot of boiling water and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes. Make sure they're not too soft!

5. Meanwhile, slice up your sundried tomatoes and red peppers. Reserve any oil from your sundried tomatoes to use later for extra flavour.

6. Remove the zucchinis from the pot after 10-15 minutes and drain them. Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting them in half and scooping out the flesh. Line them up in an oven dish.

7. Time to get started on the filling! Add your reserved oil and a little olive oil if necessary into a deep pan on medium to high heat. Add and sautee your garlic. 

8. After the garlic is lightly golden, add in your beef mince and cook for 5-7 minutes.

9.  Once it reaches this stage (above), add the sundried tomatoes and red peppers, and cook for about a minute for all the flavours to infuse. Then, add the tomato sauce and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the mixture is hot. Season with salt and pepper according to taste and remove from the heat.

10. Divide and spoon the mixture into the prepared zucchini boats and top with some grated cheese.

11.  Place them in the oven until the cheese has melted and has turned golden.

And voila! Serve with sauteed veggies or a light pasta.

Enjoy! :)

Vy

xo

Red Door Bakery

Hi everyone,

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and to all high school/uni students who have upcoming exams, I hope you're all studying extra hard, but don't forget to take some time off to relax and do something fun to reward yourselves!

On Saturday afternoon, mum and I were doing some shopping and on our way home, I suggested we stop by the Red Door Bakery because I'd heard so much about it and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It was such a gorgeous, sunny afternoon and we were very tempted to have coffee there, but we decided we'd rather bring a whole bunch of goodies home for the rest of the family to try as well.

This is the first place I've visited which actually does suspended coffees. I think it's a lovely idea :) Read more here if you're not familiar with this.

See the empty tray covered in sugary-syrupy-goodness in the top left hand corner? 

That would be because mum and I bought the last few crème brûlée tarts!

Crème brûlée $4.50 each

I've heard so much about these and was super excited to try them! I didn't even edit the pictures of the tarts. They really do look that amazing! 

It was DELICIOUS! The custard is so creamy and there was the perfect amount of vanilla in it. The pastry was just a little bit flakey yet still soft and tasted so good with the custard. Not the entire top was crunchy, but the bits that were tasted fantastic. I definitely recommend this - seriously, go check it out asap!

Pork and Sage $5

This is something else I've heard people rave about so of course I had to pick one up! 

It was SO delicious. The pastry is incredibly tasty - so buttery and flakey! Personally, the filling didn't stand out as much to me as the pastry but it was still delicious. This was my siblings' favourite thing that we brought back. My brother didn't even want to let my sister try some! 

I honestly don't think I'll be able to eat another standard sausage roll again...

Moroccan Eggplant and Lamb $5

I have been loving lamb lately so this caught my attention. 

I loved the flavour of the filling and how you can actually see what the ingredients are. This goes for both rolls - I really liked how you can actually see what you're eating. I really couldn't pick a favourite between the two! Both are worth trying, in my opinion. 

Olive and Rosemary Stick $3.50

Mum picked this one out because she's a fan of olive bread. I didn't love this as much as I thought I would (I'm a HUGE fan of olives!) - the dough was a bit tough for my liking and the olives were so salty. We saved some for dinner and stuck it in the oven, and I think that improved it a little. 

I think this is definitely a place worth visiting. The staff are so friendly and the food is fantastic! I think next time I visit, I will definitely have a coffee as well and dine there, just to get the full experience. I never realised how lovely Queen and Elizabeth Streets actually are - there are so many cute little cafes and boutiques! Can't wait for the next time I visit! And another bonus, it's less than 5 minutes away from my house.
Overall, 9/10.

Vy
xo

Random tidbits from early 2013

Hey everyone,

As you may or may not have noticed, I haven't been posting very much recently. This is because I've been busy studying for my mid year exams which began today! I don't have any exams tomorrow so I'm dedicating some time tonight to my blog. I haven't been out to eat lately because all I want to do is study, so I thought I'd share with you photos I've snapped of my meals while out and about during the first 3-4 months of this year along with very brief reviews.
Enjoy! And I'll try to get a proper post up in about a week.

 Clockwise from top left:

Arizona Green Tea

Dips Platter $15.90

Gnocchi Pollo Pesto $18.90

Insalata Di Agnello $18.90

This was a meal shared between 3 people while on a Sunday afternoon shopping trip during the first term school holidays. The pita bread is definitely one of the best I have EVER tasted! Lightly salted, toasted until piping hot while still crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside - a perfect accompaniment to the delicious dips. My favourite was the olive tapenade. 

The gnocchi was a bit of a let down after the entrée. I found it very 'boring' and very ordinary.

The lamb salad was the dish of the day! The lamb was cooked to perfection and the candy balsamic dressing was oh so good. I absolutely loved the feta - it wasn't too crumbly or salty. I ordered this again to have all to myself in April and it was just as good. Definitely recommend it!

Iced tea, Tasting platter for 2

This was my first time trying Devour and I was very impressed! I happened to be in Prospect for a Street Fair in March, I think, saw Devour just opening up for the night and quickly dragged my sister and her friend in with me. No matter how much I wrack my brains, I can't seem to remember the flavour of the ice tea. It might have been something along the lines of rose and lychee? 

By memory though, the tasting platter consisted of a white chocolate macaron (blue), black sesame macarons, peanut butter panacotta,  and deep fried donuts with vanilla ice-cream. I enjoyed all elements except the white chocolate macaron - it tasted like nothing. The deep friend donuts were delicious though I could only manage one. The peanut butter panacotta was deliciously rich and I liked the contrast between it and the crunchy salty and sweet crumbs of something which I just can't remember. The black sesame macarons were also delicious! I haven't been back since, so I think another visit is on the agenda.

This was an evening in January when 2 of my friends and I had a quick Korean dinner together after a UMAT course we did. So I can't remember the exact names of these dishes. I know that the dish in the first photo consisted of pork and vegetables tossed in a spicy sauce. It was tasty but I don't think we'll be ordering again any time soon. The second dish was very well received by us! It consisted of battered and fried chicken pieces atop a bed of salad veggies, drizzled in a tangy lemon sauce. The chicken was crunchy and tasted so good with the lemon sauce. This has been probably our 4th or 5th time dining here at Koba, though probably not our favourite. I really don't know about the authenticity of these dishes - we usually have barbecued meats. I'd probably recommend this mainly for the barbecue option. Remember to order the garlic pork belly if you visit!

 Latté and salted caramel macaron

Ordered this while resting my feet after running a few errands in town and waiting for my sister to finish up.

From La Petit Macaron on the first floor in the David Jones building.

 Green Tea Matcha Latté

A huge group of us, both guys and girls, visited the Aviary on the evening of the 15th of February after our school formal at 11:30pm. I ordered this to start me off. I wanted something warm to drink because it was quite a cool evening for mid February. It was really powdery. I liked the flavour, just not the texture.

 Lychee Pearl

Lychee ice cream encased in a pink guava granita on a bed of of lychee jelly and vanilla and raspberry swirl custard

This was the special for February, I'm pretty sure, but I found that it's on the regular menu now. I loved the presentation of this as it reminded me of the Peter Gilmore's "Snow Egg". This was my first time at the Aviary and I'd set my expectations pretty high because I've heard so many great things about it. I really liked the idea of this dessert but it really let me down. The lychee ice cream didn't have a distinct lychee flavour, though I did like the pink guava granita surrounding it. But even the flavour of that was too subtle. The lychee jelly had the most strange texture and I really didn't like it so I didn't even bother finishing it. The custard was a bit disastrous - it was far too runny for a custard and just created a bit of a mess at the bottom of the glass. 

 Macarons which I took home and had the day after. I think the flavours were:

Lamington

Cookies and Cream

Salted Caramel

Chocolate

Jaffa

and I can't remember the final one!

They were delicious and the texture was just right. I'd recommend the macarons here, for sure!

From the Sneaky Pickle food truck at Fork on the Road in March.

Left: Tasting platter of fried pickles, pulled pork and coleslaw bun, and pastrami sandwich.

Right: Chilli cheese fries

I don't like pickles on their own or in burgers (pickles in Maccas' cheesburgers as a kid = nightmare!), but battered and dipped in that mayo is a whole other story. They were so delicious! Definitely give them a go if you ever encounter this truck. The pulled pork was very tender and tasty. I'm not a fan of coleslaw though, and there was HEAPSS of it! The pastrami sandwich was also quite tasty - I didn't love it though. The chilli cheese fries were so finger-licking good! I wish it was a bit more chilli, but I still liked it as it is. I believe this is only on the menu at special events, so dig in if you're given the opportunity!

 Citron

Fresh lemon callebaut mousse, light vanilla sponge, with raspberry centre and finished with white chocolate glaze

 Coffee & Bailey's

White chocolate mousse, fresh ground coffee mousse, sponge finger biscuits soaked with baileys and dark chocolate sponge.

One word for both cakes: HEAVENLY.

My family is obsessed with this place and we absolutely adore their cakes. They're consistently delicious and I can back that up - we've been customers for over 2 years now. I promise you, you won't be disappointed - definitely go and give them a go! Just steer clear of the macarons.... trust me.

And finally, some red velvet cupcakes which I baked and decorated for my sister's sweet 16th. I think I did a pretty good job :P

Hope you enjoyed the picture spam!

Much love,

Vy

xo

Beyond India

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all well and enjoying the week so far.

Last weekend, I went out to dinner at Beyond India before seeing the school production with a bunch of my friends. We chose Beyond India because it's one of our favourite restaurants - the food is always absolutely delicious and it was conveniently located not far from our school.

We decided to order 5 different curries to share on a table of 7 people (Shout out to the 6 of you if you are reading! :* and R... even though she wasn't there for dinner). We also wanted to choose a different curry for each type of protein to get a large variety of dishes, along with our usual favourites!

 Complimentary papadums

Not usually a fan of papadums to begin with, but I found these quite salty!

Mango lassi $4.50

This was something I was really looking forward to trying but I was actually quite disappointed. The consistency was insanely thick and it felt like I was drinking yoghurt through a straw. I also wish it was colder. There is also an alcoholic version of this in which there is an addition of Midori. 

Butter Chicken

Chicken fillet char-smoked in the tandoor, then folded through a cream based tomato and roast capsicum sauce enriched with crushed cardamon $18.50

During the week while we were discussing our menu options (we were excited, okay...), we vowed that we wouldn't order this because it wasn't authentic Indian. However, one of the girls loves butter chicken, and we're not people who'll deprive a best friend of something she loves! This was delicious, as expected. 

Lamb Korma

Tender lamb pieces simmered in a creamy cashew based sauce with lighter flavours of cardamon, ginger and fennel $19.50

This was also delicious - the pieces of lamb were so tender!

Mango Prawn Curry

Prawns in fresh smooth mango sauce embellished with ginger, turmeric, coriander and spiked with a dash of green chilli $22.90

Definitely a hit with all of us tonight! I loved the really subtle mango flavour in the sauce and I think it definitely suited the prawns, which were very well cooked. I'd recommend this for people wanting to try something a bit different to the usual curries. 

*

Chicken Vindaloo

Our much loved hot chicken dish. Chicken pieces and potato in a clove and green cardamon tomato based sauce dish with sour flavours abounding $18.50

I'm actually kicking myself right now because I forgot to take a photo of this! Probably my favourite of the night because I loved how spicy it was. It was a beautiful deep red colour and really packed a punch. Definitely try it if you love really spicy food! This was great with the cucumber raita.

Saag Paneer

Our homemade cheese in a sauce of roasted mustard seed and fenugreek spiced sauce folded through cooked pureed English spinach $13.90

Definitely not one of the most visually enticing dishes I have ever seen, but looks are deceiving! We ordered this because we wanted a Saag curry and didn't want to order another chicken curry. I really enjoyed this, especially the delicious bits of paneer.

Aromatic Steamed Basmati Rice $3.00

 

 Zeera Pilau Rice

Pilau flavoured with cumin, clove and peas $3.50

Naan Basket

One piece each of plain, garlic and cheese naan $9.50

Our favourites! Sooooooo delicious. Look at that cheese oozing out of the centre - yum!

Mint Chutney $2.50

Mango Chutney $2.50

Loved them both. The mint chutney was delicious with the richer curries and the mango chutney was delicious with EVERYTHING!

Cucumber Raita

Our homemade organic yoghurt with finely sliced cucumber $4.00

Perfect accompaniment to the curries tonight, particularly the vindaloo. It added a lovely freshness which cut through the richness of the curries. 

This will definitely always be a favourite amongst my group of friends, and a place we'll be often returning to! Service was great - our waiter was very nice and asked us numerous times through out the night how our meal was. We had a little mix up with one dish but it was easily fixed without any hassle. The food is just divine and never lets us down. I'm sure it's one of the best places for Indian food in town! We actually ended up ordering another serving of rice as well as another garlic naan because we realised we hadn't ordered enough for the amount of curry we had. I think next time we visit, we might have to try out some of the entrees and desserts.
Also, how cute is the presentation? I love the look of the brassy little pots along with the matching spoons.
Altogether, we ended up spending just under $25 each, which I think is fantastic value! However, I think that for smaller groups, it would be a little pricier as the servings of curry are probably only enough for one very hungry person. The only fault in this place is I've noticed that the takeaway quantities are much larger for both the curries and the rice compared to dining in, yet the price is the same.
I still highly recommend visiting, though!