Seeded rye sourdough with goats curd & rocket/mint/avocado pesto

Hello :) My Saturday morning involved going to Eveleigh markets with my sister. I always love the atmosphere of the markets & it was especially busy this morning, with everything stocking up of gourmet goodies in time for Christmas!

Isn't my sisters silk shirt stunning!

The goodies we took home from the markets included seeded rye sourdough, fresh goats curd, pumpkin falafels & extra virgin olive oil. It was my first time buying fresh goats curd, and even though it was a little pricey, I just had to buy a small tub after sampling some on bread. Super creamy!

I decided to make a light lunch for myself using some ingredients I'd just purchased. I knew I wanted to have the goats curd on the seeded rye sourdough and thought something green would look nice on top. Pesto was the immediate thought, however we didn't have any basil, so I simply made one up with the ingredients we had. 

Rocket, mint & avocado pesto. 

Ingredients- 

1-2 handfuls of rocket

small handful of mint

1/4 avocado

handful of pinenuts 

a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil 

Method-

Lightly toast the pine nuts then blend all the ingredients, using as much olive oil as necessary. I pour a little at a time until it all comes together.

Even though I bought extra virgin olive oil at the markets, I use a cheaper one in pestos and hummus etc and use the more gourmet & expensive one in salad dressings and on bread with dukka.

Light lunch.

Seeded rye sourdough with goats curd & rocket/mint/avocado pesto. 

Fresh, vibrant & wholesome. 

And after the markets, we headed off to Anglicare where I found this beautiful mug! I love that there is a decent amount of room between the cup and handle, to grip. It sounds silly but these things are necessary! It's the kind of cup I imagine having a robust loose leaf black tea, like an english breakfast or darjeeling! 

I really need to stop reading simply breakfast, because I want to copy her layouts!

And here I am, relaxing with my Saturday reads...

I've had to stop reading The Hobbit for a little while, because I've started Norweigan Wood which I had reserved at the library. Has anyone read any Haruki Murakami? So far I love the book & I'm hoping my library has a copy of 1Q84, I can read afterwards.

Oh and Frankie is out! There's an article about growing your own herbs. Guess who's going to be sipping on fresh rosemary tea a little later on :) 

Hannah x

Healthy market finds...

Hello :) Let's get to the point. Why am I showing a few fabulous finds I have from the markets? Well you see, I have been lucky enough to score a job assisting at an Ethiopian food stall at markets, two days a week. On Wednesday I work at the Entertainment Quarter (next to Fox Studios) & on Thursday at Bondi Village markets. It was by chance that we had a mutual friend, and she knew I was looking for a job. So far it's been great- I help set up the stall, prepare the curries by washing the rice & lentils (there are 2 lentil, 2 chicken, 1 beef and 1 salsa), serve food, collect money & clean/pack up.

To be honest, I'm just so thrilled I'm working somewhere I want to work and enjoy working, and the fact it's a food stall where I get to learn about Ethiopian cuisine is too exciting!

I've been learning a lot about the amount preparation and cleaning that goes into the stall & just how tasty Ethiopian food is! All the large pots of bubbling, fragrant curries...I very much look forward to my lunch break, where I usually have a flat bread/pancake (injera) with various curries. Yum :)

Now I just love looking at food market stalls with homemade cheeses, breads, fresh fruit & vegetables etc. And for these past two weeks, I've been quite happy to spend some of my money on a few products that have caught my eye so far...

Green drink. I know, it looks a little scary! But it's full of organic greens (kale, broccoli, silverbeet) as well as grapefruit and orange and honey which gives it a nice sweetness. It's delicious- very energising indeed! I've seen the stall at uni, where they sell kale bars too.

Goji berries. I thought it was about time I tried some goji berries, after reading so much about them! Luckily I got a bit of a staff discount too ;) I really like the taste of them & grabbing a handful to snack on. I think they'd go very well in a mix of raw nuts, shredded coconut and dried fruit :) 

The guy who sells these also sells Loving Earth products, such as activated nuts, which means they've been dried in the sun then dehydrated- and he said to think of them as "pre-digested", as the enzymes have been released. Good stuff :) 

Tamari almonds. The perfect snack- and something a little different and more interesting than raw almonds. I adore the salty taste...mmmmm! 

It's fun being a worker at the stall! Serving lunch to staff, who'll give us delicious cherries in return & buying fresh apples to snack on. And working, even if it's just two days so far means my dreams of travelling to Europe next year around June are becoming a little bit more of a reality ;) 

Have you tried these products or Ethiopian food before? 

Hannah x

Homemade baked black beans with feta & dukka

Hello :) As you can see from my previous post, I love recreating fabulous dishes I have at cafes. They always come up with awesome combinations of foods I think "wow, I want to make this!". A little while ago I went to Single Origin cafe in Surry Hills (so hip, you must go!), and had their persian spiced beans with feta, dukka & flat bread, which just wonderful. Here's a visual...

Naturally I wanted to make it! Now I'm all for using up grains & legumes that we already have instead of purchasing packets and then thinking "what am I going to make with these?", so luckily I'd recently bought black beans recently for this cookie recipe & I remembered my friend had sent me a recipe for baked beans, which she found on the Masterchef website. 

Recipe: George's Homemade Baked Beans (adapted from George Calombaris) Serves 4. 

Ingredients-

2 cups (400g) large dried beans (mixture of large white lima beans and black beans)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 brown onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled, diced

1 stick celery, strings removed, diced,

2 bunches thyme, secured together with kitchen string

2 dried bay leaves

2 cups chicken stock

400g can diced tomatoes

3-4 slices crusty bread

1 garlic clove, extra, halved

100g feta cheese

1/4 cup mint leaves

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

Method-

1. Place beans in a large ceramic bowl, cover with cold water and set aside for 12-24 hours to soak. Drain well, rinse and drain again

2. Cover the base of large frying pan with extra virgin olive oil and heat over high heat, add beans, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, thyme & bay leaves, stir to coat. Pour over chicken stock and add the tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender. 

3. Drizzle both sides bread with olive oil and char-grill until toasted. Remove hot toasted bread to a board and rub with cut side of the garlic. 

4. Taste the beans, adjust the seasoning as required. Remove the thyme and bay leaves. Crumble over the feta, scatter over the mint leaves and parsley. Serve with bread. 

Such a comforting dinner :) I just loved it- the soft beans, creamy feta, hint of thyme, sprinkle of dukka & super fresh herbs picked from our garden...good stuff instead! 

And I think this will be my breakfast tomorrow, topped with a poached egg and wilted spinach. Scrumptious! 

Hannah x

Fennel, caramelised onion, ricotta, toasted almond & rocket sandwich

Hello :) You know those enticing words that cafes use, to make a dish sound a little bit fancy? Here are some examples:

...slow oven-roasted tomatoes
...biodynamic muesli
...macerated strawberries
...organic fruit spelt bread
...heirloom carrots

Well yesterday, before my ballet concert rehearsal at the Seymour centre I was walking along King St, Newtown in search of lunch. Since I was going to be dancing quite soon after, I wanted something light yet satisfying if that makes sense. I came across Luxe bakery and had a look at their sandwich options- and decided I shall have one for lunch!

Shaved fennel, sweet & sour caramelised onion, fresh ricotta, toasted almond & rocket is the option I decided to have. Doesn't it just sound like an amazing combination? I'm one to be enticed by those words such as "caramelised" and "toasted"...it turns simple ingredients such as onions & almonds into something totally scrumptious!

The toasted sandwich was totally scrumptious, although I realised after I'd eaten half, I had to rush off so I ate the rest on the way. I did manage to take a quick snapshot of it...

A fresh loaf of bread is always the perfect way to start the weekend in my opinion anyway, so I decided to recreate my delightful lunch I had yesterday, today using some wholemeal spelt bread. 

~ Fennel, caramelised onion, fresh ricotta, toasted almond & rocket on wholemeal spelt bread ~

Serves 2 

What you'll need: 

1. Wholemeal spelt bread (any kind of fresh bread is fine)

2. Fennel, fresh ricotta, a small brown onion, handful of rocket and small handful of almonds 

How to make: 

1. Caramelise a small brown onion. On very low heat add about a tablespoon of butter in a pan and add sliced onion. Cook for about 10-15 minutes (adding a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to the pan), or until the onions are brown and cooked well. 

Whilst you're waiting I suggest you enjoy some bread with extra virgin olive oil & dukka :) 

2. Let's arrange our sandwich! Lay two slices of bread on a board

3. Add fresh ricotta to both slices and add half the caramelised onion

4. Next, add toasted almonds (simply chop almonds and toast under the griller for a few minutes) and sliced fennel 

5. And add a handful of rocket 

6. Toast lightly under a griller, a few minutes of each side until slightly brown or crisp around the edges 

7. Cut diagonally & serve. 

8. Repeat this process to serve another! 

This was a seriously good toasted sandwich! I can't say I've ever used fennel before, but I really like the subtle liquorice taste! I did used to drink fennel seed tea in the past which is lovely & good for digestion, as is fresh fennel.  

I'm wondering what sandwich combination have you been loving lately? Perhaps you had it in a cafe or made it yourself!

Hannah x

Pumpkin bread with walnuts & cranberries

Hello :) This is going to be part of a series of sugar free baking. I've been inspired to eliminate sugar from my diet for a little while, particularly by Sarah Wilson, who recently wrote a "quit sugar" e-book as well as bloggers (here & here). I know everything in moderation and all that jazz, and I'm not cutting it out for good (hello Christmas!) but more as an experiment to see how I feel, and to try baking lots of sugar free delights!


My first sugar free baking attempt: Pumpkin bread with walnuts & cranberries. Here's a link to the recipe :)

I did change a few ingredients depending on what I had. I replaced the pecans with walnuts, the extra virgin olive oil with grapeseed oil, the fresh cranberries with dried cranberries and I used a small butternut pumpkin.

Mine didn't look as moist and light as hers, although I think it's because I used a bit less oil & maple syrup. But it was still really delicious! And topped with a spread of butter...yum yum!

I've already bookmarked lots more delicious sugar free baking recipes. How fun!

Hannah x

Paris mash

Hello :) Doesn't this dish sound so...elegant. Paris mash. When I told my mother I was making it she remarked "are you going to chop up the Eiffel tower"? Don't worry I am not & my sense of humour certainly did not come from her (I hope)...

Moving on. Why is this dish called Paris mash? I'll let Sophie Dahl explain:

"Paris mash was named from when I used to visit my great friend, the brilliant artist Annie Morris, in her apartment on the Rue Guisarde in Paris when we were both about nineteen. We would go late to the local supermarket and buy a strange mix of Puy lentils, salad, garlic, onion and herbs. I suppose it was like a student stone soup, originally made from whatever was in the fridge. The mash would be cooked willy-nilly, accompanied by a lot of red wine, and usually us gazing stupidly at an assortment of pretty French boys, but for some reason it was always utterly delicious" 

Recipe: Paris mash (adapted from Sophie Dahl)
Ingredients- 
1.5 cups of Puy lentils
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
125mL/1/2 cup red wine
30g/1 cup spinach
A generous handful of parsley and coriander
salt and pepper
Ingredients I added-
handful of dried cranberries
seeds of half a pomegrante
Ingredients I left out-
1 cup fresh vegetable stock
1.5 cups of Puy lentils
1 tablespoon pf creme fraiche
2 handfuls of mache lettuce/lamb's lettuce

Method- 
Place the lentils in a pan and add just enough water to cover. Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, then drain. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the onion. Cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the lentils with the red wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the spinach with around half a cup of fresh vegetable stock (I skipped this step) and cook for another 5. If the liquid gets low, add some more stock or a bit more wine as the consistency should be slightly soupy.

Stir in the creme friache (if using) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Put the lamb's lettuce in at the end and cook for a few minutes. Roughly chop the herbs and scatter them on top. Season to taste and serve as is. Sourdough bread can be used to mop up the juices.

I didn't use the vegetable stock, as I felt it didn't need anymore liquid & didn't have any fresh bread to accompany and mop up the excess liquid. I left out 1.5 cups of Puy lentils as I thought the initial 1.5 cups were enough (the lentils expand a lot, so there was probably 2 cooked cups in the end). I also added dried cranberries & pomegrante seeds which I think gives it a nice sweetness and pop of flavour!

What a delightful dish! I love recipes with stories behind them...and am now imagining myself in a Parisian apartment serving up this dish to a few friends over a glass of red wine or two. 

But for now I ate this whilst flicking through Sophie Dahl's cookbook. You can see my purse I found at Finders Keepers, which is rather handy to store by lipbalm/lipstick etc when I go out. You know, all those essentials! 

Have a lovely week everyone! I'm going to be seeing the ballet Romeo & Juliet at the Opera House on Wednesday, which I'm super excited about! Let's hope I can get some tips for my ballet concert later this week ;)

Hannah x

Lemon cakes

Hello :) After a very busy Saturday, it's nice to have a quiet Sunday. I decided this morning to make these little lemon cakes, aren't they oh so cute! I shall get straight to it & share with you the recipe...

Recipe: Lemon Cakes (adapted from "Afternoon Tea" by Frankie Magazine)
Ingredients- 
125g butter
1 cup caster sugar, plus 1/4 cup extra
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup almond meal
Grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon

Method-
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter well. Add 1 cup caster sugar, and beat again. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sifted flour and salt. Add milk, almond meal and lemon rind and fold together.

Grease a 12-hole cupcake pan and divide mixture evenly between holes. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.

Combine lemon juice and extra sugar in a saucepan. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour syrup over cupcakes while hot.

Makes 12 

As you can see, mine made 9. They were wonderful and I loved the crisp buttery edge & the syrup was just...well delicious and lemony. 

I think the rest of my day will include making a quinoa salad for lunch, cleaning my room, watching Changeling & perhaps finishing my novel "Playing with Grown Ups" by Sophie Dahl. It's a very charming book so far :) 

Did anyone go to the Finders Keepers markets this weekend? I went on Friday evening for a little while and came home with a Marilyn Monroe bookmark and babushka printed linen coin/makeup purse. Quite lovely!

Hannah x