Eliott and I have officially been living in Sydney for 1 year! Crazy. Year 2 will be dedicated to exploring more of Australia, so we spent a long weekend in Melbourne. This city is wonderful with its food, entertainment, and short flight from Sydney.
Since this blog is dedicated to food, I'll post about our brunches we thoroughly enjoyed. Eliott used Urbanspoon to find a brunch location for us each morning. Our two favorites were Hardware Societe and Seven Seeds. I wish I could eat at these cafes over and over and over again.
Hardware Societe gave me the opportunity to try French cuisine and I ordered the Croque madame. Yum.
At Seven Seeds, I satisfied my sweet tooth with Brioche french toast with spiced baked pears, mascarpone and toasted pecans. Eliott had a fried egg with smoky berkshire bacon, roasted cherry tomatoes and tomato relish on a toasted poppyseed bagel. This cup of coffee was the best flat white I've ever had.
Our last day was quite classy. We had American donuts and Dr. Pepper. I've never been so happy.
See ya soon, Melbourne.
E: 10 - thanks to technology
A: 10 - we walked 10 minutes from our hotel
T: 9 - popular places means lines
HH: 12 - so happy
MasterChef Australia kicked off this week and I'm already amazed at what the contestants are cooking. I don't understand half of the techniques they use, so I'm happy to watch from the comfort of my couch instead of competing. These foodies would probably laugh at this ordinary Homemade Hamburger Helper as they make recipes with octopus or seaweed.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef
1 lb elbow macaroni
8 ounces frozen corn
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
14 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. Cook meat over medium-high heat in a large skillet until browned. Drain and return to pan. Add all dry seasonings and flour and stir until combined. Add milk, tomato sauce and corn, bring to a boil stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add macaroni pasta and cheese, toss to coat.
E: 9 - just as easy as the original Hamburger Helper
A: 9
T: 9
HH: 9 - he loved it and the leftovers were tasty too
This world is full of salad options. Caesar salad, fruit salad, potato salad, tuna salad, chef salad, bean salad, chicken salad, taco salad, and many more. Here's a zesty pasta salad for you from Betty Crocker herself.
Ingredients:
16 oz corkscrew pasta
1 pound asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
3 medium bell peppers, cut into bite size pieces (I bought red, yellow, & green)
1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Directions:
Heat 4 quarts water to boiling in a large pot. Cook pasta in boiling water for 11 minutes. Add asparagus to boiling water, cook about 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Drain pasta and asparagus. Rinse with cold water and drain. Mix dressing, basil, and crushed red pepper in large bowl. Add pasta, asparagus, and remaining ingredients. Toss. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Enjoy your zesty pasta salad!
E: 10
A: 9 - fresh veggies = grocery store
T: 10
HH: 10 - He loves this pasta salad! It is zesty, so lessen the crushed red pepper if your tongue is sensitive to spicy foods.
