Falafel recipe

Being the adventurous foodie that I am, I could not resist attempting to make falafel after my sister brought some home from work. I love the strong spice flavour that I get with each bite from this crumbly, yet soft texture of the falafel patty. Having searched high and low on the internet for a decent recipe, I proceed to make it. Did not turn out as nice as the ones that my sister's colleague made so perhaps you may see round two on this blog?:)

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas
3 tbsp parsley
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
2 red chillies
1 tsp coriander powder
1.5 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour

Basically just needed to blitz everything in the food processor and shape into patties. Best cooked via deep-frying or if you are on a strict diet, pan fry?

May have to reattempt this recipe using fresh chickpeas that should be soaked overnight to soften them and maybe adding a squirt of lemon juice for an extra zap of acidity? Overall, it was good but not great.

Serve with greek yoghurt!!

Chuck Wagon 175

After blogging about Burgastronomy , Fancy burger , Burger Foundry and the good ol' college favourite Blue and white I think it is only appropriate that I do a follow up on my quest for finger-licking delicious burgers in Adelaide. Whilst Burgastronomy, Fancy Burger and Burger Foundry's food are catered for people who appreciate a well crafted burger, I would associate Blue and White's burger as a swotvac/ post-pub night meal, something to get all of us thru the night.

Having heard much ravings about the newly opened Chuck Wagon up on O'Connell Street, I managed to persuade a couple of peeps to tag along and explore this place with me. As some of you may know, this is probably the only place in Adelaide where diners can participate in a burger eating challenge where the contestant has to finish a humongous burger and a side of fries within a set time. The contestant's picture will then be framed either in their "Wall of Fame" corner or the "Wall of Shame" corner. No pressure, right?:)

Anyways, none of us were braved enough to face the challenge and decided to feast on moderately sized burgers for the time being. The staff here are quite friendly and have to admit that the restaurant is spacious enough to fit about 20 diners. Not too bad at all.

We couldn't decide (nor can I remember) on what to have but after sampling a few different types of burgers, I reckon the patties are made from the same recipe and the only difference between each burger would be the accompanying sauce.

When the burger first came out, my eyes widened upon realizing that the burger is pretty tall and may be tricky to consume without making an embarrassing mess. I pressed the burger down a little, in an attempt to make it fit my mouth better, and it worked! Next mission would be to quickly grab a bite before it turned cold!

Burger patty was juicy and seasoned well. The burger was dribbling a little but I guess that a price one has to pay for not having to consume over-cooked, dry meat. No complains there!

Chilli french fries ~ can't eat a burger without a side serving of fries/ chips. Have always been a fan of potato types of food and this was no exception. The chilli sauce was not spicy at all and had a nice, meat-y texture to it. When topped with the oozing cheese, this can be a simply delightful meal by itself!

Deviled buffalo wings ~ This is one of the most delicious buffalo wings I have had in a long time. After taking a bite, I was immediately whacked with a strong and intense aroma which quickly faded away to reveal a soft, succulent piece of chicken flesh. Dipping the buffalo wings in the mayonnaise may have helped simmer down the intense flavour but being the adventurous foodie that I am, I like to have a taste of the individual ingredients before combining them together. Had the celery after gorging down a couple of buffalo wings, just so that I don't feel guilty!

Scoozi Caffe Bar

You know you are in for a good day when you get to the city early and have plenty of time to slowly browse through each restaurant's breakfast menu without having to worry about it being crowded (well, not until it's close to brunch time!). The sister and I were extremely fortunate and after what felt like minutes, we finally decided to head here for a light lunch to freshen up before we head to Rundle Mall for some midyear sales shopping.

I have been to Scoozi a couple of times for lunch with friends and got to admit that I do not know which is their recommended dishes. Nevertheless, this place can easily seat 30 patrons which makes it a perfect last-minute walk in option.

As usual, the sister could not miss her morning cup of coffee.

The big brekkie ~ having lived in Australia  for close to 6 years now, I have gained an appreciation for hearty  breakfast plates as they have this strange and yet comforting feel to them. Each plate is certainly packed with excessive amounts of calories but a good brekkie treat every now and then is an excellent pick-me-up to end a crappy week. Toast, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, eggs and tomatoes. Your daily dose of protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and fat.

Eggs benedict ~ another favourite at breakfast! I love a good gooey egg, dipped in freshly toasted english muffins with a slight tinge of saltiness from the slices of smoked ham. Bonus points for a well balanced hollandaise sauce that has the right amount of acidity to it:)

Nhu Lan

June seems to be one of the busiest and craziest months for me thus far this year and I am secretly glad it is almost over. After organizing for a birthday dinner (presents included!) and having to constantly reply or ring a few people up, I am feeling quite deflated at the moment. Hence, am binge-ing on leftover potato wedges whilst typing this out...not a common sight as I try to eat healthily at home! In a week's time, I'll be flying to Sydney and fingers crossed I am not forgetting an important errand!

Ok, enough random rambling from me and back to the main point of this blogpost; vietnamese food! I have a soft spot in my tummy for Vietnamese food, especially when I'm on a tight budget. The last time I visited this place would be some time middle of last year and things seemed to have changed since then. The interior had moved around a bit but one thing I was glad of is that their dinner opening hours have extended (if I am not wrong). A bonus for diners like me who prefer a quiet evening with good food and company.

Longan drink ~ pretty standard across most Vietnamese restaurants, I dare say.

Avocado smoothie ~

Combination broken rice ~ the pick-me-up dish if you can't be bothered to choose (I hear you!) but want to sample a bit of everything. Basically contains a decent range of proteins (shredded pork, roast pork and steamed minced pork "cake") , pickled vegetables to freshen up your palate and bowl of beef stock to wash everything down. Yep, fuss-free indeed.

Dry noodles with quail egg, peeled prawns and shredded beef ~ delicious! There was just enough gravy nested under the noodles for mixing and after the physical mixing process, I found it difficult to stop myself from slurping every noodle strain. Do give this a go at your favourite Vietnamese restaurant if you want to venture out of the ordinary pho and broken rice options :)

Kwik Stix North Adelaide

No matter where I am in Adelaide, I tend to lean towards going to the restaurants in North Adelaide as not only do they provide good ambience for diners, but also yummy food at affordable prices. One of my ol' time favourites would be here. I have had some of the happiest moments here and it is a bit upsetting to know that this place would no longer be operating sometime in September..which is approximately 2 months away:(

Back in 2008 - 2010, I have visited this restaurant countless of times, be it for lunch or dinner and after being away for sometime, the menu has evolved with a whole lot of new dishes on the menu. It was tricky trying to decide but alas, we have decided on a couple of favourites.

Salt and pepper soft shell crab ~ outside of Sushi Train, I hardly eat soft shell crabs as I often question their quality. The owner had recommended us to try this out and were we satisfied. Crunchy exterior with soft and juicy crab meat in it. Another plus point about this dish is that it is served with fresh vegetables, just to make sure you do not get constipated after dinner haha.

Black bean beef noodles ~ generous amounts of vegetables piled with the noodles (as per seen in the pictures) and you would be glad to know that they are not overcooked. Noodles and beef meat were well-seasoned. Did I mention that most of their noodle dishes can be made into a vegetarian option upon request? Vegetarian friendly, ticked!

Satay chicken ~ chicken pieces cooked on skewers and literally drowning in satay sauce. Meat was not dry at all and the satay concoction still had a delightful nutty crunch to it. It's not 100% authentic Malaysian but it sure does come pretty close to it:)

Sambal prawn noodles ~ this is my favourite noodle dish and I never fail to order this when I dine here. It is not spicy at all but if you are concerned about it being too spicy, do let the staff know and they will ensure that the chef makes the necessary adjustments. Prawns are fresh and vegetables were not overcooked. Looking at this picture and reflecting about it is making me salivate :/

On a separate note, I have brought my friends here for a birthday celebration and I am very pleased to acknowledge that their main dishes are share-able and very very yummy. Do give it a go if you are stuck on ideas for large functions:)

Clicking the weekend away

I am trying my best to get some practice with food styling (a term that is still foreign to me) and as per usual, food experimentation. I am not an expert in cooking savoury items but am trying to, only because I can bring it to work for lunch. Am a bit fed up with having sandwiches on a daily basis, although roasted chicken with cucumber slices does taste awesome!

Last weekend, I had a go at making beef rendang with roti jala, a traditional Malaysian meal. After browsing through countless of recipes online, I managed to find one that assumingly, is reliable. Unfortunately, it was not as tasty as I had hoped for and hence, no recipe shall be provided for the sake of your tummy. However, do enjoy an array of mouth watering pictures!

Spice garden, indeed. I have been hoarding spices since I started living by myself (who knows when my random personality would spark quirky ideas!).

Pungent is the word to describe the picture above.

A little goes a long way.

I tend to cook savoury food at night (when I am not working/ busy) so I'll usually opt to snap some pictures the following day as having natural sunlight to light up the pictures is way better compared to the fluorescent lighting available.

A fresh loaf of raising toast ~ There is something attractive about true artisan bread that is indescribable. A loaf of bread can cost at least $4, depending on what type is it, but if you can afford to splurge on good quality food, I would recommend buying bread from actual bakeries because it tastes better than the ones in the supermarket.

Ohh...and did I mention that they make pictures look very rustic as well?

So I experimented with a few different settings in photoshop for the picture above and below. The actual photo's colour was not as vibrant nor tempting to the normal eye. What do you think?

The pictures below were not photoshopped as compared to the two pictures above. It does look different, ey?