recipe: chocolate croissants.

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I LOVE croissants but what makes a croissant even better? Chocolate of course!

This recipe makes approximately 40 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 sheets of puff pastry
• 3x 230g choc chips

METHOD:

1. Defrost puff pastry sheets.
2. Preheat oven to 180˚C fan forced.
3. Cut pastry in half, then cut the halves into triangles (see picture below).
4. Sprinkle a generous amount of choc chips onto pastry.
5. Roll pastry from thickest end to thinest.
6. Bake for 20mins.
7. VOILA! Eat while hot and share the choc love!

Image from @bakingwithmaggie Instagram

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touche hombre, melbourne.

I am a huge fan on Mexican food so when I walked past this place on my recent trip to Melbourne I knew I had to pay them a visit before I left.

The moment we sat down we were given a bottle of water, in an old tequila bottle (pictured below). I love using old bottles etc. and repurposing them so when I saw this I loved it!

We then proceeded to pour over the menu, which was completely in mexican/Spanish... so that made ordering a bit...interesting, but luckily we knew figured it out pretty quickly what was what. When we made our order we quickly found out what we thought was an uber cheap meal was going to be a little more expensive as the $6.50 we saw for the taco was per taco.. (yeah, I'm used to my Sydney mexican place which serves a few tacos for a cheap price...) so we were told to grab an entree to share. With that we went back to looking at the menu, not knowing what any of the entrees were and decided to grab the Totopos because the description sounded similar to nachos..

When the food came out we were grateful to the waitress who told us to order more. The highlight of the evening would have to have been the Totopos, which in my mind would've went down with one each because they were THAT good.

Find them:
233 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, VIC

Entrees: Totopos, $12

Mains: De Carnitas (left) & Del Coronel (right), $6.50 each

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homemade hot chips.

One of my favourite snacks, especially during winter, is hot chips. For those who've been around me during lunch hour would know my first choice 90% of the time is hot chips. Although this is well and good while I'm out and about, when I'm at home I prefer to make my own food from scratch. So, here is my recipe for homemade chips.

This recipe makes approximately two servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large cream delight potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Extra virgin oil

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C fan forced.
2. Cut up the potatoes into the size and shape you desire, I usually cut them quite thin so they cook faster.
3. Drizzle with oil and add a pinch of salt and a generous amount of pepper and paprika - rub in the seasoning.
4. Bake for 30 mins, or until chips go golden brown.
5. VOILA! Hot chips is made! Enjoy as a side or as a snack :)

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cocoa cake.

For Easter I decided to make a tasty chocolate cake but didn't want the typical heavy chocolate cake made with chocolate, so I switched it up and tried to make a cake with cocoa powder. This is probably one of my favourite chocolate cake recipes. It's even better when it's been in the fridge as the cake becomes almost like a brownie.

P.S: I decorated the cake with the top of the Easter eggs from my cheesecake easter eggs.

This recipe makes about 8-10 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups plain flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1¾ cups packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⅓ cups water
• Icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD: 

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
2. Butter round cake pan - mine had a diameter of 25cm.
3. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Beat together butter and brown sugar with electric mixer until pale and fluffy in large mixing bowl.
5. Add eggs in 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Then beat in vanilla.
7. Add flour mixture and water in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until well combined.
8. Pour batter into cake pan and bake until springy to touch and skewer comes out clean - about 45minutes.
9. Cool in pan for an hour before dusting with icing sugar.
10. VOILA! The perfect chocolate cake! 

Image from @lpmmags Instagram

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the soup place, melbourne.

I stumbled across this cute little place called The Soup Place during a typical Melbourne sudden storm. Although the storm caught me off guard, it was perfect weather for dining in at this cute soup kitchen. With a great range of soups, including my two favourites minestrone and pumpkin, the Soup Place is perfect for the cooler months ahead.

The portions are perfect for the little price - they have three take away prices starting from $7, and one huge dining portion at only $9. They also serve tacos and a variety of other great nibbles other than soup. This place is definitely a great place to hit up during the cooler months. Now, I just need to find something similar in Sydney.

Find them:
Shop 14, Centre Place, 256-260 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC

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thai beef salad.

This recipe makes two very large servings or three decent ones.

INGREDIENTS:

• Two pieces of steak - the better the steak, the rarer it can be. I used two pieces of porterhouse.
• 300g salad mix
• 1 small red onion
• 225g sliced beetroot in a can
• 50g snow peas
• 60ml lime juice
• 4 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• Fresh chilis or chili flakes

METHOD:

1. Marinade the steak in a mix of the garlic, chili, lime, fish sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce for about an hour or two.
2. Sear the meat until cooked to your preference, pour the remaining marinade over the meat.
3. While the meat cooks, prep your salad by adding the snow peas, beetroot and red onion, both sliced in to ribbons.
4. Slice the beef and pour remaining sauce over the salad - at this point you can make another small (about half) batch of marinade as sauce to go over the whole salad.
5. VOILA! Thai beef salad is ready to be served!

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tropicana, melbourne.

With bags of oranges hanging around the entrance, it's easy to dismiss Tropicana. I stumbled across this place while I was in Melbourne with my best friend. We were both starving and this cafe was a few blocks from where we were staying so we decided to give it a chance.

As you enter there are posters of this gorgeous fuchsia juice claiming to be the best juice in the world, money back guaranteed. Now, whenever I see these outrageous claims I scoff and walk away but with the money back guarantee there was nothing to lose. But take my word for it, this is the best juice I've ever had. The only problem is that there isn't enough of it in one serving.

I had the chicken, avocado and tomato sandwich + juice meal which was $11.70 while my boyfriend had waffles + juice which was $12. The food was okay, it was much better the last time I ate there but I still highly recommend going there to try the South American Juice.

Find them:
213 Elizabeth St, Melbourne, VIC

 
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cheesecake easter eggs.

It's been a while since I've done a recipe post and I apologise. I've been so ridiculously broke recently I couldn't afford even the simplest ingredients to whip up something. BUT seeing as it's Easter I decided to spend the little I had saved up for a cute little recipe I saw on Dear Gladys.

This recipe makes approximately 24 eggs (6cm x 4cm).

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 hollow Cadbury easter eggs
• 225g lemon flavoured cream cheese, softened - if you don't have lemon flavoured just add ½ teaspoon of lemon juice)
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 300ml thickened cream
• 2 passionfruits - passionfruits were expensive so I bought a can of passionfruit pulp
• 30g apricot jam
• 30g unsalted butter

METHOD:

1. Using a serrated knife (I used a steak knife), carefully remove the tops of the chocolate eggs - as it has been ridiculously hot I had my chocolate eggs in the fridge overnight, so use a cup of hot water to heat the knife up so you can actually cut the egg without crushing it completely).
2. Place the eggs in the fridge to keep them chilled as you make the cheesecake filling. I used a empty egg carton to hold the eggs.
3. Mix cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric beater until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
4. Whip the thickened cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks - be careful of over-whipping and therefore splitting the cream.
5. Gently whisk and combine the thickened cream with the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
6. Carefully spoon or pipe the mixture into the eggs.
7. Chill eggs for at least 30 minutes to allow for it to set.
8. Strain passionfruit pulp to remove seeds and place in a small saucepan with apricot jam and butter.
9. On low heat, whisk until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and place in fridge until it thickens slightly.
10. Using the tip of a sharp knife, carve out a hole in the centre of the cheesecake mixture approximately 1cm wide and high. Fill hole with passionfruit filling. Return eggs to fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
11. Remove eggs approximately 10 minutes before serving. VOILA! A tasty treat for Easter!
12. Note: Eggs can be made 2-3days in advance. Just keep the eggs in an airtight or tightly cling-wrapped container to prevent them from drying out.

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cafe no. 5, melbourne.

Our second morning in Melbourne my boyfriend and I scoured Degrave Lane in Melbourne for something to eat for breakfast and soon stumbled across this cute cafe, Cafe No. 5. They had a huge range of paninis to choose from, all $7.50. My boyfriend chose the chicken schnitzel while I had the BRAT: bacon, rocket, avocado, tomato.

I definitely recommend popping by there if you can to grab a panini to eat in or on the go! The flavours were amazing, mine was served with a mustard seed mayonaise and the service is great! Not to mention the cafe is adorned with odd ornaments like a giant emperor penguin sitting on a ledge up the back right corner...

Find them:
5 Centre Place, Melbourne, VIC

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chicken avocado salad.

This recipe makes two large servings.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium avocado
• 150g rocket and spinach salad mix
• 500g chicken tenderloin
• Pepper
• Balsamic vinegar

METHOD:

1. Cook chicken in frying pan coated in olive oil, season with pepper while it's cooking
2. Separate salad into two bowls and cut up half an avocado into each bowl
3. Place cooked chicken into bowls - optional: cut up chicken to make it easier to eat
4. Drizzle balsamic vinegar generously over salad
5. VOILA! This salad is extremely filling and delicious!

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breizoz, fitzroy.

When I first found Breizoz three years ago I immediately fell in love - with both the crepes and the French people with REAL FRENCH ACCENTS who work there! 

When you open up the menu you are spoilt with choice. You can choose between the savoury (galettes) or, if like my boyfriend's initial reaction, you think crepes are a sweet only thing they have an equally long sweet crêpes selection. I've tried crepes from both savoury and sweet and my recommendation is, have your savoury crepes for a main, sit and chat over a cup of cider (a recommend drink to go with the crepes) and finish off with a nice serving of sweet crepes.

The best thing about this place, other than the amazing food and people that work there, is it's cheap. Ranging from $5.50 to $17 there's a price range for everyone. What I had on my latest visit was something I stumbled across on my first visit - the first time I found this place I went every day for the week I was in Melbourne... - the goat cheese and onion galette which was a cheap and filling $10.50 while my boyfriend had the ham and cheese, $9.50 - sorry there are no pictures of his crepe, before I could snap it up he had already finished most of it!

Find them:
Cnr Gertrude St & Brunswick St, Fitzroy, VIC

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zucchini fettuccine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 small zucchini
• 8 small zucchini flowers
• 500g fettuccine
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small brown onion, diced
• 1 cup cream
• 150g mascarpone
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
• salt and pepper
• parmesan cheese, shaved

METHOD:

1. Cook pasta in salted bowling water until al dente
2. Slice zucchini and flowers lengthways
3. Heat olive oil and saute garlic, onion and zucchini in frying pan until softened
4. Pour in cream and simmer gently for 3-5mins
5. Stir in mascarpone and oregano, season with salt and pepper
6. Drain pasta and add to frying pan, toss to combine
7. Serve with parmesan and zucchini flowers

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french toast.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 slices of bread per person
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup milk
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 40g unsalted butter

METHOD:

1. Whisk eggs, milk and cinnamon in a bowl
2. Heat pan on medium heat and melt butter - if the butter sizzles furiously the pan is too hot and you may be burning the butter, remove the pan from the heat and cool it down a little
3. Dip bread into egg mixture and coat generously, draining excess and fry in pan until each side becomes golden brown
4. Drizzle with maple syrup or honey, and garnish with fruits like bananas and berries to serve - VOILA! French toast!

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sushi hotaru, sydney.

My love for Japanese food stemmed from my first encounter with sushi trains as a young lass. The best thing about sushi trains are that they are THE perfect fast food places. You're not going to get food faster any other way, and not to mention it's healthier than a meal from Maccas.

The best thing about Sushi Hotaru is that every dish is only $3, which is incredibly cheap if you've ever been to any sushi trains, AND the sushi from Hotaru is simply amazing! My favourite of all dishes there is the soft shell crab (second picture below). I don't know what it is that makes it so amazing, but ever dish you try is amazing!

Find them:
Shop RP1, 500 George St, Sydney - inside Galleries Victoria.

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mud cake.

Mud cake reminds me of that scene from my favourite childhood movie Matilda. Although that scene makes me completely and utterly sick I can't help but love the decadent chocolate cake with a generous serving of vanilla ice-cream.

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g butter, chopped
• 2x 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
• 1½ cups plain flour, sifted
• ¼ cocoa powder, sifted
• ⅔ cup thickened cream

METHOD:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
2. Grease round cake tin.
3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat, add chocolate, sugar and 1 cup of cold water - constantly stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl and cool for 10 minutes.
4. Add eggs, stir to combine.
5. Add flours and cocoa, stir to smooth.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean.

Ganache

1. Pour chocolate and cream into a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth.
2. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate for 30minutes or until thick enough to spread.
3. Spread over cake and VOILA! Chocolate mud cake! Serve with a generous amount of vanilla ice-cream and you've got the perfect childhood dessert.

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pattison's patisseries, top ryde.

I first stumbled across Pattison's Patisseries about 5 years ago when I lived in up north and drove past that St Ives branch daily. The moment I walked in I knew this was a love that would last, and it has. Pattison's both have a little something-something to curb your savoury and sweet pastry cravings. Although the price is a bit expensive, especially for a student income, the food is well worth the money when you can afford it! The quality is absolutely amazing and will have you coming back for more!!

Find them:

My local Pattison's is located in Top Ryde shopping centre but they also have several other stores in Sydney. Find your closest one here!

Turkey & Brie Turkish Sandwich, $7.40

Provencal Quiche, $7.40 (dine-in) / $6.20 (take-away)

Tomato & Basil Quiche, $7.40 (dine-in) / $6.20 (take-away)

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