Thai-Style Fruit Shake - 1 - $ - V

Hello! I'm back from a lovely week away in Thailand. When I boarded the plane to come home the temperature was 34C delicious degrees and when I stepped off in Melbourne it was 5C! Brrrrrr is an understatement.

Railay Beach

I spent a couple of days in bustling Bangkok and then headed down south to beautiful Railay Beach. No roads, no markets, no nothing except pure relaxation. Even though we stayed in a resort we ate most meals in little local eateries and for breakfast I had yummy fruit shakes. For $2 these drinks were a bargain and really filling. The secret ingredient that made them super delicious is coconut water. You can find coconut water in health food shops and Asian grocers and then you too can have a little taste of Thailand at home.


Ingredients

fresh fruit - you might like to try combining watermelon and pineapple; mango and banana; pineapple and mango; blueberry and banana - whatever floats your boat and is in the fruit bowl
1/4 cup coconut water
ice

Chop your fruit (about a cup of fruit and a cup of ice per person) and then put it and the other ingredients in the blender. Blend on high to crush the ice and mix everything together.
Pour into a glass to serve.

Enjoy!

Lemonade & Flea Market Finds - 1 - $ - V

I have been enjoying my long weekend immensely! It has been a non-stop procession of fine wine, fine food and the finest company.
I've also had the luxury of some downtime which means I've had a chance to read the paper on the day it came out (unheard of usually), spend some time in the kitchen and potter around a few op-shops. The last two activities now bring you my Flea Market Finds for this week and some lemonade: trumpets please!

I picked up these teeny, tiny, little crystal vases at the Sacred Heart Mission op shop in St Kilda for $2. The round one has a small chip on the rim but I am fairly sure that the people who visit my house aren't going to examine my glassware for faults, so it matters not. I also think the diamond shaped one was probably a perfume bottle originally.

The lemonade takes all of 10 minutes to prepare and even though it does have a lot of sugar, at least there's no preservatives. Lolly water lovers, you're better off making your own. My hot tip for this is not to use brown sugar - like I did the first time - because it will look like a dark ale and no one will believe you when you swear you're not drinking a beer for morning tea.


Ingredients - makes approximately 1/2 litre

400ml lemon juice (about 6 large lemons)
300gm sugar
100gm honey

Juice your lemons and then take a moment to admire your newly formed biceps.
Heat the sugar and honey in a pot over medium heat until it melts together. You will need to give it a good, swift stir to get it to blend together.
Pour in the lemon juice and bring it to a simmer. Let it bubble away for about 5 minutes and very carefully have a taste, as it will be hot. Adjust to taste, ie more honey or juice.
Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator.
Serve over ice.

Enjoy!

The Cookbook Challenge Week 10 - Cool - Cocktail - 1 - $$

As I was hosting a Mexican themed dinner party over the weekend I thought the perfect recipe for the 'Cool' Cookbook Challenge would be Pineapple, Mango & Tequila cocktails, courtesy of Curtis Stone.

As I was hosting a Mexican themed dinner party over the weekend and we were drinking Pineapple, Mango & Tequila cocktails, I forgot to photograph the finished product.

This recipe serves 4 and comes from the September 2009 issue of delicious magazine.

Ingredients
1 cup roughly chopped fresh pineapple
1 ripe mango, chopped
250ml orange juice
125ml tequila
Ice cubes, mint leaves and lime wedges to serve

Whizz the pineapple, mango, orange juice and tequila in a blender until smooth. Curtis says to strain the liquid through a fine sieve and serve these drinks over ice. I couldn't bear to turf all the lovely fruit so my cunning friend Kym suggested we put the ice in with the ingredients and blend together.
What we ended up with was a very fluffy drink, similar to a daiquiri, that we garnished with mint.
Our version ended up like a boozy meal in a glass, so perhaps Curtis was onto something with the straining.

If you're going to have a crack at making this drink, try and do it before the end of January, then you can have a crack at FebFast and abstain during the shortest month of the year as well as raise some money and awareness.

Enjoy!

Drink - Pimms No 1 Cup - 1 - $$

Having bought a bottle of Pimms, to prepare Mr Oliver's delicious Grilled Strawberries at a very special party on the weekend, I found myself in the following situation:

'Add a couple of splashes of Pimms to the strawberries' said Jamie.
'Whatever will I do with the rest of the bottle?' I replied.
'I think we both know the answer to that...' said Jamie with a wink.

Well he didn't really, but I'm sure he would have had he been there. He is English after all and what else do you do on a summer's day in Old Blighty? Have a Pimms No 1 of course daaaarlings!



Ingredients

Pimms
1 punnet of strawberries
1 cucumber
1 lemon or orange or half of each
1 bunch of fresh mint
ginger ale
lemonade
ice

Find yourself a pretty jug, preferably glass so you can see all the lovely bits bobbing about.
Remove the tops from the strawberries, wash and then chop them into quarters.
Wash the cucumber, leave the skin on and chop into small sticks or thin rounds.
Slice the lemon/orange and pick off some mint leaves.
Put lots of ice in the jug and add all your chopped fruit and mint.
Depending on your level of match fitness add 1/3 Pimms, 1/3 ginger ale and 1/3 lemonade, or whatever you think is suitable for the size of the jug and the tastes of your company.
Lots of bubbles will form, so let them settle and add more ginger ale or lemonade to top up.
Stir well with a swizzle stick or a chopstick.
Put your pinky in the air and sashay into the garden to serve.
Be careful, this tastes like lolly water but packs a punch.

Enjoy!

Prickly Pear Cocktail - 1 - $

I've decide to call 'time-out' on the silly season at my place. After indulging for what seems like months, I fear that I will need some kind detox if I don't stop; or at the very least I won't be able to fit into my jeans by the end of the week.

But just because the fun police are on stake-out at mine, doesn't mean I can't help YOU have some more good times with this refreshing little drinkie.

My friend Simon was inspired by a similar drink a little while ago, so he tweaked and I tweaked and now we present...the Prickly Pear.

The following makes enough for two people with some kind of decorum, or one big one for a lush. Amend as you will.

Ingredients

60ml Absolut pear infused vodka
1 fresh lime
1/2 handful fresh mint
1 cup good quality ginger beer
crushed ice

Ideally you want to make this in a cocktail shaker, but improvise with a big glass and a little plastic cup that fits inside it, if need be. If you don't have a 'muddler', again, improvise with a wooden spoon, rolling pin or pastry brush handle.
Slice the lime into quarters and put it and the mint into your shaker. Muddle them until the juices and fragrance start to come out and mix together. Don't be shy, really give them a good squishing.

Add some crushed ice and the vodka, pop the lid on the shaker, raise to shoulder height and do you best Peter Allen off to Rio impersonation. Absolutely dance round the kitchen while mixing.
Add some more crushed ice to the two glasses, strain your cocktail mix over the ice and then top up with the ginger beer. A little mint on the side to garnish and away you go.

Enjoy!

Vic's Summer Smoothie - 1 - $ - V

Melbourne is about to have what is possibly the hottest November since 1902. So thank goodness the lovely Vic has been inspired to come up with this delicious summer smoothie. Doubly thank goodness that she chose to share it with us - hooray for Vic!
It doesn't have to be hot outside to make it though, so no matter where you are, get that blender out and get busy.

Ingredients
(Serves 2)

1 banana
A few generous tbsp of natural yoghurt (Vic likes Jalna)
1 handful of blanched almonds
1 handful of rolled oats
1 glass of frozen mixed berries
1 glass of milk (soy or moo juice is fine)
1 tbsp of honey (optional)

Throw everything in the blender and press go.

Have a taste and add some honey if you like it sweeter.

Enjoy!

Drink - Espresso Martini - $$$

TGI Friday!

It has become an indulgent Friday night ritual of mine to head out somewhere after work and have a cheeky Espresso Martini before heading home.
These little babies pack a punch, but boy are they good.



The recipe varies depending on the cocktail bar, but basically it goes like this...

Ingredients

2 30 ml shots of vodka - something nice, Stoli or Absolut are a good start
1 30ml shot of Kahlua
1 30ml shot of espresso coffee
Ice

*You need a cocktail shaker to make this.

First, shake the vodka over ice for a minute. Then add the coffee and Kahlua and shake again - really put your back into it and make sure it's nice and cold. Strain into a martini glass and pop a couple of coffee beans on the top to make it look really fancy. Prepare for a life changing experience and take your first sip.

My favourite place to have one is up at Transit Lounge in Melbourne, where the lovely Joe makes the best in town (pictured - the cocktail, not Joe). Cookie, comes a close second.

To avoid disappointment, don't order one in just any old bar.

Have a great weekend everyone - cheers/salud/cin cin/slainte!