The end of the school holidays is fast approaching - Yay!
As much as I love not having to race out the door in the morning, I can honestly say its time for the school year to start.
New chapters to begin, old ones to re-commence and a little bit of quiet time for this mama!
I have so many recipes I've written and photographed over the holidays but have had no time to edit and post, so once the school year begins it will be head down for me and back to business.
I thought today I'd share with you a few of the delicious things we've been eating over the break.
Purple carrots are in season and they are so good. Below I have made Wilco's favourite dinner and in the coming weeks I will share with you other recipes using them.
Also a recipe from my Dad and a delicious Orange and Cinnamon Cake - inspired by my favourite muffin's from my favourite diner 'Ruby's'. Ed has kindly handed over the family secrets and is letting me share his recipe with all of you.
Cut everything small and to the same size.
Cook the onion and bacon till golden and caramelised.
Then add the purple carrot and garlic and cook for a further 5min.
Then add the rice and toast this along with everything else in the pot for another min or two.
Season and add stock
My method to cook rice is always:
Toast the rice for a min or two in a drop of olive oil
Then add liquid and cook on lowish heat until the water has almost evaporated, then fork the rice gently and pop the lid on, turn the heat right down for another couple of minutes - then simply switch it off and let it sit for 10min or whenever you eat.
With brown rice you need more liquid.
1 cup white rice - 1 3/4 cups of stock or water
1 cup of brown rice - 2 1/2 cups of liquid (you might need a little more)
My son lives on rice, done this way
(with a myriad of different veg).
These delicious babies....
You'll need:
Wraps of choice - I like the Naan bread ones - warmed in the oven (make sure you wrap them in foil so they don't dry out)
The leftover rice - warmed
*You know that you can only reheat cooked rice once and it should be within 24 hours
Yellow tomatoes sliced
Lettuce - washed
And meatballs, or you could use eye fillet, fish or chicken or halloumi(if your a vego).
Yogurt Sauce
The sauce I made up - it had:
My new favourite discovery in Melbourne was these 1 cup serves of Organic free range chicken stock. I've seen this brand before but only in the 1 litre containers - this was my saviour in Melbourne, Wilco had rice or pasta with vegies from my dad's garden cooked with this every night.
As you all know, I make my own stock which is what my kids eat and I'm not sure it would cut it for them as just soup, but when the stock is not the star of the show this is what I'll be using! Now to find someone in Sydney that stocks it?
My,'can't live without' items for this summer are the above.Itch goes for all the mozzie bites my kids have been on the receiving end of and the other, Peppermint Oil for those Farking ants!!!
No need for chemicals as I've just found out that ants hate peppermint oil, so sprinkle this around and not only will your house smell amazing but those teeny tiny pests will disappear!
I'm obsessed with salted caramel - I mean crazy stupid obsessed, so I've been eating everything and anything salted and caramel.
Now I need to stop as my hips are paying for it!
It's all about fast dinners these holiday's. That and cleaning up after my very own junior masterchef.
And with that delicious meal we drank this - so good, and the only cordial I'll buy in my house.
Oh and truck loads of veg!!!
 |
| The boys have just realised they are great mates! |
Also a recipe from my Dad and a delicious Orange and Cinnamon Cake - inspired by my favourite muffin's from my favourite diner 'Ruby's'. Ed has kindly handed over the family secrets and is letting me share his recipe with all of you.
Wilco's Purple Rice
How it's made:Cut everything small and to the same size.
Cook the onion and bacon till golden and caramelised.
Then add the purple carrot and garlic and cook for a further 5min.
Then add the rice and toast this along with everything else in the pot for another min or two.
Season and add stock
My method to cook rice is always:
Toast the rice for a min or two in a drop of olive oil
Then add liquid and cook on lowish heat until the water has almost evaporated, then fork the rice gently and pop the lid on, turn the heat right down for another couple of minutes - then simply switch it off and let it sit for 10min or whenever you eat.
With brown rice you need more liquid.
1 cup white rice - 1 3/4 cups of stock or water
1 cup of brown rice - 2 1/2 cups of liquid (you might need a little more)
(with a myriad of different veg).
Wraps of choice - I like the Naan bread ones - warmed in the oven (make sure you wrap them in foil so they don't dry out)
The leftover rice - warmed
*You know that you can only reheat cooked rice once and it should be within 24 hours
Yellow tomatoes sliced
Lettuce - washed
And meatballs, or you could use eye fillet, fish or chicken or halloumi(if your a vego).
The sauce I made up - it had:
Whole milk full fat plain Yogurt
Stacks of chopped coriander
The zest of 1 lemon
And 1/2 the lemon juiced
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
Salt and pepper
(and fresh chilli if it's only for adults)
Assemble like my picture above and I ate the leftover sauce with pan fried John Dory and roast potatoes the next evening - mmm...delicious!
As you all know, I make my own stock which is what my kids eat and I'm not sure it would cut it for them as just soup, but when the stock is not the star of the show this is what I'll be using! Now to find someone in Sydney that stocks it?
No need for chemicals as I've just found out that ants hate peppermint oil, so sprinkle this around and not only will your house smell amazing but those teeny tiny pests will disappear!
Now I need to stop as my hips are paying for it!
I know this doesn't look as incredible as it tasted, but this was the Christmas lunch my dad cooked(and my dad is a really good cook)he has cooked this pretty much every year we've gone down for Christmas.
Roast pork - melt in the mouth with German bread dumpling's and a sauce my dad makes with the juices from the meat - to die for!
His house isn't so good for taking photo's as it's a little dark but you can see those dumpling's, I ate way to many drenched in the sauce - so good!
©Michelle Schoeps 2013
All photos taken by Michelle Schoeps
Hi Michelle, I'm so glad you're back!! Your recipes are sooo delicious and I can't wait to see more and more of your recipes this year. Thank you for such a gorgeous blog. Best, Megan
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