I'm not dead!...

...I've just been having a few problems lately. Tonight, however, I've got my inspiration back and got back into the kitchen.

Pear and Celery Heart Salad

Serves 2 as a side

To Market, To Market!

This is becoming a habit, isn't it? Benjamin and I will go to the Queen Vic Market on the weekend and I'll cook something delicious to post here. We make a day of it: spend a lazy morning at home, then venture out to the market, also stopping for a coffee at Seven Seeds (or, today, at De Clieu: Seven Seeds' Gertrude St venue).

I lost track of how much we spent today, and while some of them were impulse purchases (a lamb backstrap, fresh Australian garlic and Murray River Pink Salt), what we've tried so far has definitely been worth it. I can't wait until stone fruits are truly in season, so I can buy a box of peaches to make chutney!

Gluten Free Beef Ravioli with Leek and Fennel Braise

Serves 4

Spring Pork and Peas

Wow, has it really been a week since my last post? Unfortunately this week I've been living on a budget, which means I've made pumpkin soup and fritters and have been eating leftovers. Then it was my birthday, so I wasn't allowed to cook, and last night I had dinner at Benjamin's place. Today, however, I have been cooking and have just finished an early dinner (I couldn't wait to try it!). May I present:

 

Spring Pork and Peas

Quantity adaptable

Gluten Free Cupcakes

This is a recipe I adapted from my original gluten free muffin recipe. This is only the second time I have made them. The first was a few weeks ago at a Japanese "banquet" Benjamin and I hosted for some of his friends. My cupcakes were a hit!

To date, I have made cupcakes of the following flavours with my base recipe:

• Earl Grey and Orange;
• Chai Spice;
• Chocolate and Hazelnut;
• Chocolate and Cherry;
• Lemon and Poppyseed; and
• Lemon and Green Ginger Wine.

 However, I think this recipe is one of my best.

 

Green Tea and Red Bean Cupcakes

Makes 12 muffins in a 1/3 cup muffin tray

Ruby Red Grapefruit

I never used to like grapefruit, they were too bitter for my tastes. Even now it's not something I cook with often; it's still an ingredient that intimidates me a little. I think this might be true for a lot of people - though supermarkets always stock them when they're in season - who perhaps think a grapefruit's use is limited to an ingredient in a fruit juice. I find they are best paired with creamy ingredients, as in tonight's recipe, so the Ruby Red can be the standout ingredient of the dish.

 

Grilled Chicken with Ruby Red Salad

Serves 2

Macadamias

I love macadamias. Benjamin (my Other Half) and I were at the Queen Victoria Market this afternoon looking for inspiration for dinner, and we came across a nut stall selling unshelled macadamias at $8/kg. We bought 500g, as well as a leek from one of the fruit and veg vendors, and some "Goats Cheese Surprise" (it has tomato and chilli pesto on top) and beautiful Sicilian olives from one of the delicatessens.

When we got home, Benjamin had ... well, I won't say fun, cracking half the macadamias on the concrete outside, but he did a wonderful job. Unfortunately, without the right tools, the nuts tend to split on impact, but it does mean you don't have to do much further to the nuts before cooking them.

Something I might mention now, while I remember, is that Benjamin is a coeliac; ie: he has a gluten intolerance. You might have noticed on my last entry, dear reader, the "allergies: gluten free" tag down the bottom. I intend to tag both gluten free and dairy free recipes, with a view to adding more tags as my blog increases in popularity (well, I can hope, right?). In light of this, may I present tonight's recipe:

 

Spring Spaghetti with Sicilian Olives

Serves 2

Chicken, Asparagus and Lemon Risotto

Ah, Fridays. The dreaded 1pm - 8pm shift at work. Friday nights are usually the nights I'll just have leftovers when I finally get home, or make something that doesn't require much preparation, time or energy. For the last couple of weeks, though, I've got home and wanted to cook something that I've been craving all day, or a dish I've been planning during the quieter moments at work. Something new and exciting. Of course, this means I don't end up eating until 10:30pm. When it's food this good, though, I'm not complaining...

 

Chicken, Asparagus and Lemon Risotto

Serves 2 (or 1, with enough left over for lunch the next day!)