Roasted pork with apple glaze on quinoa, cauliflower & peas

Whilst I can't wait for summer to arrive, I am mindful that there aren't many opportunities to cook those hearty winter comfort dishes. So I made this lovely winter pork dish tonight for dinner for Mr Carrots and me.

Avocado and Cherry tomatoes on toast

This was my weekend breakfast - I was really excited as it was a rare opportunity that I got to sit out on my balcony to bask in the winter sun.
I toasted my rye bread and topped it with avocado, chopped cherry tomatoes, rocket and chia and linseeds. A side of crunchy fuji apples was the perfect accompaniment. Delicious brekkie and warm winter sun - does it get better?

Ruby grapefruit, navel orange & fennel salad

This is probably the most refreshing salad I have ever made. It works best as a side salad and particularly something quite rich or sweet. I made it to go with these sticky ribs and the acid from the citrus fruits just helped cut through the sweet and spicyness. Plus it is so low in calories that you don't feel too bad about having a few more helpings.

Mint, pea, sugar snap & feta salad

This salad is just wonderful - it reminds me of spring and with the wonderful weather of late in Sydney, it really inspired me to make it. It also went wonderfully with the sticky ribs!
It takes no time to make and is super easy.
I blanched the sugar snaps and peas in boiling water for 3 minutes before draining and plunging in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well again. I remove the mint leaves from the sprigs of a bunch of mint. I finely slice a quarter of a spanish onion and crumble some danish feta. Combine everything in a bowl and dress with EV OO, lemon juice, and add a generous cracking of black pepper. Does it get any easier????!!!
 

Sticky and Spicy pork ribs

I made some kick a## sweet and spicy ribs tonight in celebration of the Masterchef finale! They were finger lickin' good!!!
I won't share too much about how to make this because it is a little bit of a calorie splurge.  But if you do want to attempt...you 'll need to marinate it for a day or so with a lot of bbq sauce, garlic, herbs, chilli flakes, lime juice, vinegar and brown sugar before cooking it on the bbq for 2.5 hours!  It's well worth it though. The reason why I have posted this is because in my next two posts, you'll see the 2 healthy salads which I made to balance out the flavours and save it from becoming a calorific overload. I think it's nice to have a few healthy side dish options to accompany the odd splurge.
Check out my Mint, pea, sugar snap & feta salad and Ruby grapefruit, navel orange & fennel salad.

Office brekkie - Avocado and seeds on rye toast

Just because you don't have time to have breakfast at home before work doesn't mean you have to have a boring one at work! 
This was my breakfast from the other day - jazz up your avocado on toast by using an interesting rye bread and add that seed mix - pumpkin, sunflower, linseed, almonds. Add a side of fruit like strawberries and what a wonderful way to start the day!

Asian style chicken broth with vegies & noodles

Here is one of my favourite dishes. 
I soak some rice vermicelli in boiled water in a large bowl for about 4-5 mins until soft. I drain and set aside in a serving bowl. You can try using any noodles you like.
In a saucepan, I heat up about 2 cups of chicken stock (see how I make a basic chicken stock used for my pumpkin soup ) until boiling, then throw in some seasonal vegies - I used broccoli, brussel sprouts (yep, please rediscover this wonderful vegetable), and in the last minute, some fresh shittake mushrooms. Don't overcook the vegs as you will just ruin them and they should maintain their bright green colour. These vegs only need 3-4 mins max. Once cooked, I lift out the vegs using a slotted ladle and place on the serving bowl with noodles. I turn the heat down to low and crack an egg and poach for 4 minutes before lifting onto the bowl. I bring the broth back to the boil before turning off the heat and pour over my bowl! Eat up - yummy! Perfect for a winter dinner.

This week's packed lunch - Tuna salad PART 2

In case you are curious as to what my packed tuna salad lunch looks like when you put all the ingredients together. Here it is! There are plenty of colleagues eyeing my lunches every day!