Spring cleaning makes me happy

This is probably going to make me sound like a big dork, but I love cleaning. Like, love love cleaning. And so after watching the Better Homes & Gardens Spring Special (yes, yes, big dork remember?!) last Friday night, I was inspired to tackle at least one spring cleaning task over the weekend, starting of course, with the pantry.

I spent a good hour pulling everything out, spray & wiping, checking expiry dates, putting things in little containers, labelling... And check out how great it looks! Albeit a bit bare, but hey, everything is all organised and within it's expiry period, so I'm happy! And hopefully I have inspired you to try a bit of spring cleaning happiness at your place :)

Out & About: Dr Jekyll

Can you tell I like my weekend breakfasts? I just looked back through my Out & About posts and nearly all of them contain eggs! Well this one shall be no different :)

We actually went to Dr Jekyll (107 Grey Street, St Kilda) a little while ago now, and for some reason I neglected to write about it here. Not due to any fault on their part, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was welcoming and warm. According to our St Kilda local friends D & F, this used to be a teeny tiny cafe, but they have expanded, taking over the space next door and filling it with comfortable communal tables. There was a little leafy courtyard out back too, but given the chilly Melbourne morning we opted to sit inside.

The menu is very simple, but still manages to keep things interesting. I went for the Jekyll Eggs (poached of course) with chorizo & feta ($14) plus a side of avocado ($3.50). It was beautiful! The feta was smeared across the crunchy sourdough, the chorizo was crispy and the eggs cooked to perfection. The generous serving of avocado was definitely needed for freshness and really rounded off the dish for me.

D went for the scrambled eggs with smoked trout & chive créme fraiche ($14.50), which arrived on the most amazing looking bread!

Mr B also went with the Jekyll Eggs, but scrambled instead of poached, and F went for the most simple and classic of all brekkies - sourdough toast with preserves ($5.50).

Overall our breakfast was of a very high standard, the coffees were absolutely amazing and the service was friendly and efficient. The only thing missing from this bustling cafe is bacon! But hey, sometimes a change is good :)

Minestrone Soup

I think it is safe to say that I am well and truly over winter, and it seems that the lousy weather has managed to destroy my cooking mojo! Hence, I have not been particularly inspired to try out anything new in the kitchen and have fallen back on my old favourites.

This soup is a classic; warm and comforting, as well as quick to prepare and healthy. Perfect for beating the winter blues...

1L salt reduced chicken stock
1 400g can diced tomatoes
1 400g can cannellini beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 small red capsicum, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium potato, diced
1/2 cup macaroni
Sea salt & cracked pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Shaved parmesan, to serve
Continental parsley, to serve

Bring a small pot of water to the boil and cook the macaroni until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion and garlic until tender, then add the carrot, celery, potato, capsicum and zucchini and continue to cook until the vegetables begin to soften.

Pour in the diced tomatoes and stock, add the tomato paste and bring to the boil. Season well with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Lastly add the macaroni and cannellini beans, stir through and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve topped with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan, fresh continental parsley and a side of crusty bread.

Serves 4 - 6.

Out & About: Provenance

I had my bestie Paul visiting from Perth last weekend, and we spent a fabulous 5 days together doing what we do best; eating, drinking and talking about food. After a rather large weekend we decided that Monday would best be started by a darn good breakfast, followed by some serious shopping.

I had been hoping to take Paul to Cavellero, but unfortunately they were closed so we headed a few doors down to Provenance (288 Smith St, Collingwood), which is a tried and true favourite of mine on Smith Street.

I started with a latte and decided on eggs benedict ($14) while Paul went with the scrambled eggs with coriander & chilli ($13) with a side of grilled haloumi ($3). He also ordered an orange juice which, disappointingly never showed up. Seems the guy serving us may have had a large weekend too...

Despite the orange juice mishap I couldn't fault our breakfasts. My eggs were perfectly cooked, the hollandaise had just the right amount of vinegar giving it delicious sharpness whilst still being rich and creamy and the bacon was a great change from the standard ham. I also really love the grainy sourdough - 1 piece was perfect, 2 would have been overkill.

Paul's eggs were fluffy and light with just the right amount of kick from the chilli, and the haloumi golden on the outside and molten and chewy on the inside.

If only the shopping expedition that followed had been as successful.....

Chicken, Leek & Corn Pot Pies

I've definitely mentioned before that I love pie, but in case you missed it... I LOVE PIE!! And I especially like this recipe because it's just so easy, and it also looks pretty special so it's a good one to pull out if you're trying to impress.

1 large skinless chicken breast, diced into 1cm cubes
1 400g tin corn kernals
1 leek, washed and sliced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
4 spring onions, chopped
400ml chicken stock
1 tbsp cornflour, dissolved in a little water
Sea salt & ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 sheets frozen reduced fat puff pastry
1 egg, beaten for glazing

First, preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

Heat a tablespoon on oil in a heavy based saucepan, and saute the leek, onion, spring onion and garlic until softened, then add the chicken, corn and stock. Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Next add the dissolved cornflour and stir through. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes as the mix thickens, then spoon into four ramekins.

Cut four circles out of the puff pastry (2 per sheet), lightly grease the edges of the ramekins then crimp the pastry around the edges to seal. Brush lightly with beaten egg and place into the oven on a tray.

Cook the pies for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden...

Serve with a simple side salad and enjoy!

Serves 4.

Out & About: Golden Harvest

Trying new places is always risky... you can never be quite sure what you're going to get, and can quite often leave feeling disappointed. Which is why I like to go on recommendations. So when Sibby suggested we head out to Footscray for peking duck at this great place called Golden Harvest (15 Leeds Street, Footscray), I was immediately interested, as I haven't really explored the area.

We grabbed Kate and headed out last Sunday with high hopes and empty tummies, and managed to nab a carspace right out front, which was a great way to kick off the day!

We of course started with a cup of fragrant jasmine tea, then realised that the restaurant was licensed and quickly ordered a round of beers!

We ordered two types of dumplings to start, the prawn and the chive, which I thought were supposed to be vegetarian, but as it turned out they both contained prawn (so best to check if you have any dietary requirements). The dumplings were super sticky and fresh, and tasted amazing, especially when dipped in a good helping of chilli sauce.

Next we shared the peking duck pancakes (1/2 duck), which as you can see were very generous in size and packed with loads of crispy, juicy duck meat and plenty of hoisin sauce. They were absolutely incredible!

For our mains we shared plates of sizzling mongolian lamb, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce and vegetarian fried rice. The lamb was brought out in a little bowl which our waitress poured onto the hot plate at the table, adding a great bit of atmosphere.

The chinese broccoli was perfectly crisp with lashings of oyster sauce, and the rice, although it might look a bit plain, was fluffy and absolutely packed with flavour.

Golden Harvest's prices were very reasonable, and the food of an extremely high quality. Our lunch came to around $85, including drinks.

Will we be back? Absolutely!