The Offending Oven

Dearest readers,

 Tonight I opened a packet that held a raw boneless roast chicken, turkey blood spurted out and drenched my shorts. If I wasn't feeling so miserable I would have laughed.

 I was feeling so bad because I was going to have to cook the turkey in a pan on the stove-top instead of roasting it in the perfectly fine oven. Why?
Well, my husband and I are renting a room with a family in an apartment, and the mother said I wasn't allowed to use the oven- as she took my food out of it on Sunday as it was cooking in there. I couldn't believe that someone could be so rude to do that to me. I also had the turkey out defrosting to roast that night for dinner. So now in one move she had ruined a whole day of meals for my husband and I.

Tonight as I was cooking the turkey in a pan on the stove-top, the tears fell freely down my cheeks. I had no desire to eat any of it. I hated the sight and smell of it. I didn't want to serve such an ugly meal to my husband.
I fell onto my bed and just sobbed and sobbed. 

We are trying to find somewhere else to live. Fingers crossed.
I need to cook in an oven.

love Sariah

Light Spring Supper for Three

It's the start of Spring here in Australia and while there is still a crispness in the air, the sun has started to shine ever so slightly with a gentle promise of longer and warmer days to come.

I felt a desire to make something Mediterranean,so first I made a salad by halving cherry tomatoes, whole baby spinach leaves and halved juicy kalamata olives. This was then drenched in an olive oil and seasoned dressing.

I had baked a cottage loaf this morning, which I grilled  on the stove top in a grill pan and rubbed the pieces with fresh garlic and drizzled them with olive oil.

Lastly I heated up a pan and popped the scallops in it and cooked them a couple of minutes on each side and placed them back in their shells, then sprinkled them them with lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice and the left over pan juice.

Hot Jam Doughnut

I've just come home from having lunch with a friend at the Preston Market- it was my first time going there.
After drooling over the abundance of deli stalls, I ended up choosing healthy sushi for lunch because we both got excited when we discovered the Hot Jam Doughnut Van! So my main food had to balance out our dessert;)
We stood in the small line in the cold wind outside, not minding too much because of what was waiting for us.
We got our little paper bags with 3 each, and I couldn't wait so I dipped my fingers in and pulled out a ball of hot sweet goodness. Unfortunately it was too soon and I had to drop it bag in the paper bag, and willed it too cool down a quickly. Which it did. Take two.
There is something so satisfying about biting into something warm that you hold in your hand, crunching through the layer of sugar, into the squishy dough,  the jam bursting into your mouth, and then licking your fingers from all traces of sugar and jam that have been left behind as evidence of such an endulgance.
How perfect on such a cold winter day.

Chocolate Fondant

This dessert is really suited to cold weather days when all you want is something hot, gooey and sweet to make you feel comforted against the snap of the cold outside. And the great thing is that it is so easy and fast to make. I first made it 10 years ago from Nigella Lawson, so it was definitely time to try it again- this time I used the recipe from Master Chef Australia.

I definitely feel like I need to exercise after eating one though! So there goes my wish of being a winter bear for the day...

CHOCOLATE FONDANT: (Australian measurements)
Melted butter, for greasing
Cocoa powder, for dusting
200g dark couverture chocolate
200g butter, chopped
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
150g plain flour, sifted
100g butter, extra
100g cocoa powder 

Step 1: For the fondant, preheat oven to 180°C. Place a small square of paper in the bottom of 6 ramekins and grease with melted butter and cocoa powder. Place ramekins on a baking tray.

Step 2: Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a small saucepan of boiling water, turn off heat.  In an electric mixer, add the eggs, egg yolks and sugar and mix on high speed until fluffy and white.  Tip chocolate mixture into a large bowl, pour egg mixture into chocolate mixture and fold together. Fold in flour and mix until smooth. Spoon or pour mixture into ramekins and place in fridge until ready to serve.  When ready to serve, bake in oven for 8-9 minutes.

Poached Peach in Vanilla with Rosewater Cream

This morning was so hot that I felt like something fruity and decadent for breakfast.

I flipped through my Donna Hay cookbook and this simple peach dish caught my eyes- I added the cream.

The recipe was for 12 people, so I adapted it down to 2 peaches.