Friday, July 12, 2013

In my kitchen - July 2013

Busy periods with work and home life over recent months has not provided me with as much time to post about what I've been cooking as I would like. Writing an "In my kitchen" post gives me the opportunity to skim over a few items that otherwise would have passed by. Thanks again to Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for hosting this monthly event.


In my kitchen are Coco Luscious blueberry and choc chip cookie dough flavoured coconut ice-creams. I purchased a plain flavoured tub for the man a couple of months ago - he adored it so much that he volunteered to come to the health food store with me just so he could check out the other flavours! They are incredibly expensive so I'm glad he is eating them in moderation but I'm also happy that he has found a product to satisfy his ice-cream cravings. I wasn't a fan of the plain flavour as I'm not fond of big coconut flavours and found it was too strong for my taste. The blueberry flavour is nicer but I'm leaving these products for the man to enjoy as I've always preferred fruit flavoured sorbets over ice-creams.


In my kitchen was a Red and White Cauliflower bake. Years ago I used to make this recipe from Vegan Yum Yum on a semi-regular basis before tiring of it. I had separate requests from the man and young man within the space of a few hours to make this – funnily enough it was my okara loaf that reminded them both of this dish (I couldn't make the connection at all). The cauliflower bake was always a favourite meal of theirs so I had to come through with the goods. The base is made of a herb infused tofu "ricotta", the centre layer contains steamed cauliflower tossed through a cheezy sauce and a napoli sauce topped with breadcrumbs completes the dish.


In my kitchen is home brewed beer. We attempted to brew our own beer many years ago and it was a miserable failure. Some of the man's work colleagues are keen beer brewers so their know-how and tips convinced him to give it another shot. This project mainly takes place in the laundry although the kitchen is also used for boiling heaps of water, preparing brewers yeast and sterilising bottles. I'm happy to say that these recent efforts have been worth it!


In my kitchen is Frank's Red Hot Sauce. I nearly fell over last weekend when I spotted this new addition to the condiments section at my local Woolworths as I've seen so many buffalo tofu and seitan recipes on US blogs that use this sauce as one of the main ingredients. I'm looking forward to playing around with this spicy sauce very soon.


In my kitchen is some kale from the garden. The plants look like they have so much to offer but after I cut so much off them I'm always disappointed with how the kale cooks down into such a tiny amount. Perhaps I'll add some into a stew or curry next time instead of cooking it separately as a side dish. Kale chips are another option I'm considering...


In my kitchen are lots of Indian curries! I'm always in the mood for curries and have been making them very regularly lately. Cold weather is perfect for eating spicy curries so I've been enjoying trying out different recipes on a weekly basis. The new recipes aren't always as successful as the ones I love and often revisit but every now and then I come across one that's a keeper. This week featured toor dal saag and aloo pooriyal, both were nice enough but didn't quite meet the high standards we have for curry recipes.

What’s been happening in your kitchen lately?

18 comments:

  1. I'm excited for your man that he has coconut ice cream readily available - it is ridiculously expensive but a little goes a long way. I'm also excited by that hot sauce and if it's in Woolworths, it may well be over here too. I shall look! My brother has done some beer making and seems to end up with something drinkable, but I suspect he likes the social aspect and process as much as the end result. It sounds like you're having some success!

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    1. I shudder at the price of the coconut ice-cream but then again there are a few vegan food products I purchase that aren't exactly cheap. I do hope you stumble across the hot sauce in your local Woolworths! So far, the result of beer making has been quite enjoyable which means it's likely that the man will continue with this project.

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  2. That's awesome that you found Frank's Red Hot Sauce. To me, it's not really a buffalo experience without it. I'll be curious to hear what you think!

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    1. I'm really looking forward to cracking the bottle open and getting stuck into an authentic buffalo experience!

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  3. Hi Celia, I interviewed Swami, the person who invented CocoLuscious a few months ago. You can find the interview here: http://www.foodgoldcoast.com.au/cocoluscious-ice-cream/

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    1. Thanks for the link Marj - I enjoyed reading the interview and finding out more about the creator of CocoLucious. Incidentally I have since tried the chocolate flavour which was rather nice.

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  4. Love your kale from the garden - in my kitchen posts are great for the little things that often don't warrant a post of their own - glad you are enjoying them too. I wonder if I would like the coconut ice cream - I love coconut flavour mostly but sometimes it is too strong - I have coconut yoghurt in my fridge at the moment that I am yet to try.

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    1. They are great posts for little bits and pieces, I'm still struggling to find as much time for blogging as I would like so I do enjoy writing these posts. Perhaps you would enjoy the flavoured coconut ice-creams more than the plain flavour as I have found the flavoured ones aren't as stong on the coconut.

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  5. Home-brewed beer and coconut ice cream? You may now be my new hero! Expect me to be turning up at your kitchen some time soon!

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    1. Your welcome to visit any time Joey as long as you bring over some goodies from the UK!

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  6. We adore kale, but haven't got any growing in our garden yet - thank you for the reminder, we'd better get planting! The hot sauce looks great, as does the curry and cauli bake, and I'm glad to hear the new beer adventure is working out well! Thanks for playing! :)

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    1. My first batch of kale from last summer was inedible as it was totally infested with insects so I was hesitant to grow it again. This batch of winter kale has gown a lot better in a greenhouse type of environment where the bugs can't get to it. Thanks again for hosting Celia!

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  7. Franks red hot is the go to sauce for many americans, your'e gonna love it, its not buffalo sauce with out it! It has much more flavour than say Tabasco sauce or some other mexican geared ones on the market. You have so many great recipes to try, thanks for writing your blog ;)

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    1. Thanks so much for your lovely comment Jennifer! Hope you enjoy the recipes and I'll keep writing when I can!

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  8. Franks red hot is the go to sauce for many americans, your'e gonna love it, its not buffalo sauce with out it! It has much more flavour than say Tabasco sauce or some other mexican geared ones on the market. You have so many great recipes to try, thanks for writing your blog ;)

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  9. the cauliflower bakes looks totally delicious!
    yay for the kale! great job! I have tried growing kale without much luck! I just don't have a green finger in me anywhere ;-)

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    1. I used to enjoy the cauli bake more than I do now but it is still a great recipe. I'm happier with this latest kale growing endeavour as my first experience didn't work out that well.

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  10. G'day Mel and even though it is cold here, YUM re the ice cream, true!
    Your cauliflower bake looks warm and comforting and thanks for your kitchen view too!
    Cheers! Joanne

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