Carman's: New Muesli Bar Taste Testing (23 July 2010)

http://www.carmansfinefoods.com.au

Sharing the love

Thanks to Sarah from Carman's Fine Foods for providing 3.63 kg of muesli products to sample including their 'NEW' Yoghurt Apricot & Almond Bar and Dark Choc Cranberry & Almond Bar. With so many to try and had to share the love and do a taste testing session with my work colleagues. The clear favourites of the day seem to be the new bars over the other bars which I personally agree with. The thin yoghurt and chocolate base helped break up the taste of the muesli for me. What I also enjoyed was the texture of the puffed rice inside this two bars which is also noticeable in the Deluxe Fruit Muesli Bar which would be my next preference.

It made me think of an idea for another bar flavour of combining the yoghurt base with predominately puffed rice, apricot and coconut with a bit of macadamia nut and raisins thrown in which I think would be a nice combination of flavours. For the WeightWatchers out there I worked out the new bars would be 2.5 points each.

Other product samples from Carman's:

• 23 July 2010 - Assorted Muesli bars

• 14 Sept 2009 - Muesli Bites

• 17 Oct 2009 - Rounds Classic Fruit & Nut

Muesli bar taste test centre

NEW: Yoghurt Apricot & Almond Bars

NEW: Dark Choc Cranberry & Almond Bars

Classic Fruit Muesli Bars

Deluxe Fruit Muesli Bars

Original Fruit-Free Muesli Bars

Apricot & Almond Muesli Bars

Banana Palm: Vietnamese Cuisine, Coogee (23 July 2010)

260 Arden Street, Coogee NSW 2034

Phone (02) 9665 1212

Monday to Saturday: 5.30 pm – 10.30 pm

My new favourite Vietnamese

A friends birthday banquet brings me to this dimly lit and beautifully decorated restaurant on the outskirts of Coogee Bay far away from backpacker central. It was also recommended to me by a work colleague so I was looking forward to the opportunity of trying. It has a respectable 7.5 (45 reviews) on Eatability but many of the negative comments have been about slow service in particular. After the initial hurdle of our group working out the dishes for a custom made banquet for 21 guests our dining and friendly service experience was very smooth and within a reasonable time without feeling too rushed.

The impressive sized Deep fried stuffed prawns with minced pork, served with spicy plum sauce ($13) were a good tasty starter although I think it could have benefitted from a home made classic Vietnamese nuoc cham dipping sauce rather than using a bottled sweet chilli sauce. The Salt and pepper chilli squid ($13) was delightfully crispy and tender as hoped but a bit more freshly fried chilli and shallots wouldn't go astray to add some extra flavour depth and punch — one of my favourites is still from Pho 236 in Newtown. The Fresh Vietnamese rolls with pork, prawns and fresh herns wrapped in rice paper ($10) were wrapped very differently to what I usually see but still worked well delivering the right amount of balance of fresh ingredients. The Vietnamese fresh rolls at Thanh Binh still reign supreme for me, especially their fried version.

A reasonably priced Salad of lotus stem with chicken breast, prawns and peanuts ($12) provides delicious slivers of lotus stem which reminds me of the Beef salad with lotus root at Saigon Saigon. Stir fried beef with lemongrass and chilli ($19.50) is dressed with refreshing coriander and the Wok tossed crispy pork with chilli and shallots ($20) has a similar crispy coating as the Salt and Pepper Squid. Warm roasted duck breast salad with mixed herbs and chilli ($22) has tender meat as does the Braised stuffed chicken with mushroom and water chestnut ($21.50) which I'd happily order again. Good depth of flavour is appreciated in the Lamb shank curry with sweet potato and eggplant ($22) with fall-of-the-bone meat to be had. A crowd favourite of Seared scallops with shitake mushroom, pine nuts and ginger ($25) goes quickly and a must for any scallop and mushroom lover like myself.

Thanh Binh has been a long standing favourite of mine for Vietnamese, especially for their fried Vietnamese Rolls and Green Papaya Salad but I'd be happy to return to Banana Palm to explore more of their interesting dishes, especially the Soft-Shell Crab which I didn't get to try this time.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Nice decor and seating, Good food presentation and quality, Fresh and interesting dishes, Reasonably priced

CONS: Service may be slower when it's very busy, Pricey corkage at $7 per bottle

MUST TRY: Salad of lotus stem with chicken breast, prawns and peanuts; Seared scallops with shitake mushroom, pine nuts and ginger. Hopefully Soft-Shell Crab next time.

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Deep fried stuffed prawns with minced pork, served with spicy plum sauce $13

Salt and pepper chilli squid $13

Goi Coun: Fresh Vietnamese rolls with pork, prawns and fresh herns wrapped in rice paper $10

Salad of lotus stem with chicken breast, prawns and peanuts $12

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Stir fried beef with lemongrass and chilli $19.50

Wok tossed crispy pork with chilli and shallots $20

Warm roasted duck breast salad with mixed herbs and chilli $22

Braised stuffed chicken with mushroom and water chestnut $21.50

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Lamb shank curry with sweet potato and eggplant $22

Seared scallops with shitake mushroom, pine nuts and ginger $25

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

The bill for 21 guests

Dining area

Lounge and bar area

Nice decor

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Boom Banana: Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich, Surry Hills (30 July 2010)

27 Oxford Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

BOOM BOOM schnitzel time!

I've passed this tiny juice and sandwich shop countless times, which is nestled next to the Darlinghurst IGA supermarket, but have never thought about checking it out until today when I received a reliable tip that they do a roaring trade of Chicken schnitzel sandwiches for only $5.50. They've got a menu board of around a dozen suggested sandwiches to choose from but you can also just choose your own ingredients like any other sandwich shop. Seeing the large piles of precooked chicken schnitzel gives me the impression that it's definitely one of their more popular choices. The no-nonsense service is quick and efficient and within minutes I'm off carrying my small brown paper sandwich bag to the park. The very light weight sandwich makes me think it won't be very filling but anything deep fried and crumbed is a good filler in the end.

The chicken is surprisingly moist and tender with the right amount of crunch on the crumbing. It's a simple sandwich that's tasty and cheap, especially on the stock standard white bread. If you're looking for a monster sized chicken schnitzel sandwich then head Big Bite on Pitt but I prefer Boom Banana's chicken schnitzel. If you prefer it in a tasty baguette then head to Taste to try their version.

Other reviews of Boom Banana:

• TwoThousand

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Cheap, Tasty, Fresh

CONS: Can get busy when ordering, Small space at service counter, No seating

MUST TRY: Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich

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No. 2 sandwich: Chicken schnitzel with lettuce and mayo $5.50

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Plenty of chicken schnitzel ready for sandwiches

Small shop front

Boom Banana next to IGA

Hyde Park very close to eat your sandwich


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Stewed Tomatoes

It is TOMATO time!!!!

We have been getting some beautiful tomatoes! I know I have mentioned this before but I am the only one who enjoys eating tomatoes. and there is NO way I can make it through all the tomatoes we are getting.

This week I made 2 pints and 1 quart size jars of Stewed Tomatoes.

They look delicious and I can't wait to add them to stews and soups!!!!

The Ingredients:

Tomatoes - All sorts & sizes, peeled and chopped

1 small green pepper, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 TBSP Raw butter

salt & pepper

Italian Seasoning

Palm Sugar (just a little - maybe 1 TBSP)

The Directions:

Place tomatoes in a medium saucepan; cover tightly. Cook tomatoes over lowest heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and butter, along with minced onion and green pepper, if using. Simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until juices are slightly reduced.

For Canning - Carefully ladle hot vegetables into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a Ball® Bubble FREER™, a nonmetallic spatula, or a plastic straw. Wipe rim and threads of jar with a clean damp cloth. Place lid on jar with sealing compound next to glass. Screw band down evenly and firmly just until a point of resistance is met - fingertip tight.

Process pints 15 minutes, quarts 20 minutes.

AMAZING Potato Soup

The past few weeks we have been getting New Potatoes in our food share. I have only used a potato here and there and my stock just kept growing.

I decided to try to make a healthier Potato soup with out all the Velveeta Cheese and Milk.

I think I did a good job!!!!

Still have a few more little changes I need to do but AMAZING!!!!

The Ingredients:

• 6 cups diced potatoes
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 3 Leeks, diced
• 3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth, divided
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 6 tablespoons RAW butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons whole wheat flour (I used 3 TBSP Quinoa flour and 3 TBSP Whole wheat)
• 4 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

The Directions:

In a large pot, bring potatoes, celery and onion to a boil in 2 cups of broth. Cook until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes. Drain and reserve liquid.

Combine reserved broth and half-and-half in pot. In a bowl, combine melted butter and flour. Stir into half-and-half mixture over medium heat. Stir until thickened. Stir in reserved vegetables, remaining broth, bouillon and pepper. Heat through and serve.

I topped the soup with Raw cheddar cheese.

What would you like me to try???

Calling all recipes...

What would you like me to cook and change??? Leave your post below under the comment section!

VACATION

My family and I went on a weekend getaway and still ate healthy!!!!

We served these roasted vegetables with T-Bone steaks.

It is all about planning!!!! :)

Mexican Zucchini Soup

My garden is doing great! Two more skinny, forearm sized zucchinis harvested!

I saw this wonderful looking recipe a few weeks back for zucchini soup. The original recipe had jalapenos, which would not mix well with a nursing mom, so I made a few changes.

My husband said this was a great soup. He was convinced there were potatoes in the soup because of the texture but no no no... no potatoes in this soup.

This is a great tasting soup, and a good use for those extra large zucchini that often appear in the garden. Of course, a normal size zucchini also is good.

The Ingredients:

2 large skinny zucchinis, chopped in small cubes

1 small yellow summer squash (I just had this on hand and needed to get rid of it - could do without!)

1/2 - 3/4 red onion, chopped

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup yellow corn

1 TBSP Olive Oil or Raw butter

2 vegetable bouillon cubes

2 cups water

1/2 - 3/4 cup tomatillo salsa

nutmeg

pepper

salt

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (you can use more or less!)

The Directions

Saute onion in Olive Oil or Raw butter until glassy, about 3 minutes.

In a blender add zucchini, in sections, and pulse zucchini until finely mince with a few bigger pieces. You do not want to completely puree the zucchini but you do want a variety of sizes.

(this is how I tricked my husband into thinking this was a hardy soup)

Add zucchini to the onions. Saute with onions until tender. Stir in water, bouillon cubes, corn, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Bring soup to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and cook until corn and zucchini are soft but not mushy.

Add Parmesan cheese and tomatillo salsa.

Garnish with fresh Parsley. (I did not have any on hand and the soup tasted wonderful!)

Perfect Pear Baby Food

Pears are high in fiber, potassium and Vitamin C. High in fiber, Pears like other fruits, are great aids in reducing the risks of cancer and heart attack and sustaining healthy cholesterol levels. They are also a great fruit to offer as a remedy to help alleviate baby's constipation.

Pears are gentle on the tummy and thus are wonderful for babies who may be suffering from Reflux. Pears contain no sodium, saturated fats or cholesterol. They contain two types of sugars, glucose and fructose. A pear is very nutrient dense meaning that there are more nutrients per calorie than calories per nutrient. There is no need to peel a pear unless feeding one to a small infant. A pear's skin is easily digestible.

Perfect Pear Mash (4 months on)

1 ripe pear

1. Peel and de-seed a fully ripened pear
2. Mash or puree as needed for your baby's preference
3. Add cereal (if desired) to thicken up.
You may wish to steam pear chunks for a bit to soften them and enable easier digestion for a younger baby who starts solids early.