Review - Honey Rider - Neutral Bay

4 of us went for pre dinner drinks on a Saturday night. Arriving at 7:30 we had no problem getting a seat, so we took the lounge area. The interior is retro grunge and the decor provides some talking points, the background music is a bit jazzy and the bar has a lot to chose from. There's also bar snacks on offer and I think I saw they're on special on Tuesday nights? We ordered the fresh apple juice mixers for starters which was their signature drink for the day then we moved into the wine list which has plenty of choices. The prices and the service were both great. We went away for dinner but actually came back after and again, no issues getting a seat. We left at about 10:30 and it did look like it was getting busier. Some awesome looking cocktails were being made around that time and I did notice the cocktail menu had a lot of thought put into it. Will be back for sure.

Recipe - Mid Week Easy Thai Fish Cakes

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 650g snapper fillets, skin and bones removed (see tip)
• 2 tbs red curry paste
• 1 tbs cornflour
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 egg white
• 4 snake beans, trimmed
• 2 tbs chopped coriander leaves
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 limes, halved
• 1 cup steamed rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Roughly chop the fish and place in a food processor, process until finely chopped. Add curry paste, cornflour and sugar and pulse to combine. Add egg white and pulse until well combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Thinly slice 4 snake beans and add to fish with coriander, mix well.
2. Using 2 tbs of mixture per fish cake, roll into balls using damp hands. Place onto a tray lined with baking paper and flatten slightly. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes if time permits.Preheat oven and baking tray 210°C fan forced. Lightly spray both sides fish cakes with oil. Remove hot tray from oven and line with baking paper. Working quickly place fish cakes and lime halves, cut side down onto the hot tray. Return to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes or until fish cakes are light golden and cooked through.
3. Serve with roasted lime and steamed rice.

Source

Recipe - Algerian Spiced Chicken with Dates, Couscous & Currants

I saw this recipe on TV and had to cook it that same day. I did and I loved it. Would happily make this if I was having friends over for a casual dinner. Note I did the recipe with rice instead of CPUs CPUs for today.

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

Olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp grated turmeric

1 carrot, sliced

1 cinnamon quill

11/2 tspn cumin powder

2 cloves

4 cardamom pods

Olive oil

2 breast of chicken with the skin on/ or Maryland

1 orange

1 lemon

1 cup dates, seed removed

¼ cup flaked almonds

¼ cup pistachio nuts

1 bunch coriander, roughly chopped

½ bunch parsley

1-litre chicken stock

1 cup tomato passata

 

Couscous

250g Couscous

250ml Boiling water

2 tbls olive oil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

pine nuts

currants

Method

Add onion and carrot with some olive oil to a pot and allow to fry. Also add the garlic, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and cumin powder. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Slice some orange peel, remove the pith and add to the pot.

Once the carrots have softened a little, add the chicken stock and the tomato passata, allowing it all to come to the boil. Add the dates and half of the coriander to the pot.

Slice the chicken into strips and stir it through the pot. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the pot from the heat and add the rest of the coriander, the almonds and pistachios and the juice of half and orange and the juice of half a lemon.

Give it a good stir and it's ready to eat

Couscous

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl

Cover with cling film, let stand for 8 minutes

Run a fork through to break up.

http://www.goodchefbadchef.com.au/recipes/245

Sent from my iPhone

Felix's 2nd Birthday Cake

My very talented friend Jo created the below bear cake for my darling godson's 2nd birthday.

I had nothing to do with this at all (except eating) and it was too good not to share.

The recipe is from http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/

• Baby's First Birthday Cake (Carrot Cake adapted from What to Expect)) 
• (Makes 1 double-layer 9-inch square cake) 
•  2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots -  2 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate (may 
• use slightly less) - 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 2 cups whole-wheat flour (may use Graham or all-purpose unbleached as well)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil -  2 whole eggs -  4 egg whites 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract - 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ - 2 Tbsp low sodium baking powder 
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon – 1 Tsp ground Ginger 
• Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 9 inch square cake pans with waxed paper and spray the paper with vegetable spray/shortening.

1. Combine the carrots with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the juice concentrate in a medium size saucepan. 
2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender,15 to 20 mins. Purée in a blender of food processor until smooth – add pinch of brown sugar and dash of cinnamon as you purée then add the raisins and process until finely chopped. Let mixture cool. 
3. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups juice concentrate, the oil, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat just until well mixed. Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce. Pour the batter intothe prepared cake pans. 
4. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 mins. Cool briefly in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Recipe - Carrot Cake

-       4 eggs, lightly beaten

-       11/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar

-       ¾ cup vegetable oil

-       1/3 cup golden syrup

-       1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

-       1 cup self-raising (self-rising) flour

-       1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate)

-       1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-       2 1/2 cups firmly packed grated carrot

-       1/2 cup drained crushed canned pineapple

-       1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

-        

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C
2. Lightly grease a 23 cm (9 in) round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and sugar until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is frothy.
4. Stir in the oil and golden syrup and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth
5.  Sift both flours, the bicarbonate of soda and the cinnamon into the egg mixture and mix until smooth.
6. Stir in the carrot, pineapple and pecans or walnuts.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the top.
8. Bake for 1-1/4 hours, or until golden and firm to the touch. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
9. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely
10. Serve dusted with icing (confectioners') sugar. Alternatively, spread with cream chees e icing

Cream Cheese Icing

-       30 g butter

-       80g packaged cream cheese, softened

-       1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

-       1 tablespoon lemon juice

-       1 ½ cups icing sugar, sifted

1. Beat butter cream cheese, rind, juice in small bowl with electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar.