Orange vegetable soup

One of the best things about the cool winter months is soup. There is nothing better than sitting down with a bowl of steaming hot, fragrant soup. My favourite are those one pot wonders, where you chuck everything in, and then once it has bubbled away, blitz into a thick soup. You can put anything in it...I will often use the last of my veggies in my crisper so it is also economical! Sometimes this doesn't look too pretty, especially when the spinach turns it a khaki kinda colour, but it always tastes so good. I love that since it's all blitzed up, you get all the nutrients and you can even leave skins on the veggies (washed of course!!!) to boost fibre and nutrients even more. Quick, easy and super healthy, these soups just make you feel so virtuous and healthy! 

My current pot is a vibrant orange colour...and tastes amazing! 

Orange vegetable soup

1 orange sweet potato

1 potato

Pumpkin, approximately the same amount as the sweet potato

Half a red capsicum 

1 red chili, deseeded, unless you like to blow your head off

2cm fresh ginger

3 carrots 

1 orange, zest removed

1-1.5 L vegetable stock (I use Vegeta)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fish sauce (you could leave this out if you wanted to)

Chop all vegetables into approximately even sized pieces and place in a large, heavy based pot. Use enough stock to almost cover the vegetables, and add the soy and fish sauce. Simmer until the vegetables are tender. Time will very depending on how small you cut the vegetables. Let it cool and then blitz it up with a hand stick blender. 

It is great just as it is, but I feel it tastes even better the next day. Garnish with natural yoghurt (I use goats yoghurt), plenty of fresh coriander and crushed pistachios. 

Enjoy!!

GOMA

This fantastic resource is right at my doorstep, yet I so rarely go. I have loved it each time I have been...let's not let it be so long between visits, GOMA. 

We didn't quite make the special exhibition, that will be another (non-school holiday) day me thinks...but loved just wandering around the free modern art exhibitions and marvelling at the artists talent. There were some dubious exhibits to be sure; chewing gum brothers, you made me actually want to gag, and dark, charcoal drawings, your sexual and quite demonic representations left me disturbed. But the remainder, the aboriginal art, the white forest, the peace rememberance monument, among others, were fantastic. 

I would thoroughly recommend a visit sometime soon. Just take a jumper if you plan on being there for a while.

Brisbane lovin'

I love Brisbane. There are so many lovely spots around, and lately I have been fortunate enough to actually holiday in my city recently with some great friends. I have been reminded of some fantastic places to spend some time, and have discovered some new favourites as well. 

I would encourage you to holiday in your city sometime soon. You may just surprise yourself!!!  

Potato salad

I have been craving potato salad the last few days...and I finally remembered to get some potatoes from the supermarket today. I had it for dinner tonight...was as good as I hoped it would be. Yum!

Now I'm not talking about the acidic, squishy store bought variety. I'm talking about rustic, garlicky potatoes that...shock..taste like potatoes! Super simple, and I love this variation. I hope you like it too.

Now I quite like egg in my potato salad, but since I am related to an non-believer, I reflexively do not put it in...but I served it with a soft boiled egg...and some spinach, just to make it a bit more balanced for dinner.

Bon appetit!

Ingredients

1kg baby cream potatoes, washed but KEEP the skin ON!
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons sliced kalamata olives
Corn kernels (I used a 72g tin coz that's what I had, but go for gold cooking your own)
1 heaped tablespoon garlic aioli
2 - 3 tablespoons plain yoghurt (I used goats yoghurt, but if you're not a fan, use your favourite plain or Greek yoghurt)
1/4 Spanish onion, finely chopped

Chop the potatoes into mouth sized pieces. Mine were quite little so they were quartered. Now, I'm not a 'boil my vegetables' fan, however there are two reasons I will boil my veggies. Potato salad and mashed potato. The texture is worth the loss of nutrients (and remember, you can be a bit virtuous, you've left the skin nutrients in tact :-) ). Boil until cooked but not too squishy. I must admit I am not entirely sure how long that took...I was watching tv (blush).

Carefully drain the water off the potatoes and let them cool a bit. Then, add all the other ingredients and gently mix to combine.

That's it. Easy. Generally I would serve it as a side salad, but is great by itself for a light dinner or lunch. I like it slightly warm...but enjoy it as you see fit.

Xxx

Brighton beach

Who would have thought, that just a few kilometers south of Melbourne city, there would be a whole other world. Yes, I'm talking about Brighton Beach. I've known about Brighton beach and its colourful beach huts for ages. I finally had the opportunity to take a visit this last weekend. It didn't disappoint.

It really was a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre. I braved Melbourne public transport and hopped the Sandringham line to Brighton Beach train station. Always on the search for a picture I headed straight for the beach and a short walk north later stumbled across the most beautiful view of the city. The sun had finally decided to make an appearance, and the gorgeous blue sky provided a bright and cheery backdrop for the Melbourne skyline, and for the vibrant quirky beach houses. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

Our picnic lunch tasted amazing on the verandah of a vivid blue, yellow and red beach hut. The sea gulls were hilarious...zooming in like SAS bombers from afar at the very hint of a crumb. I realised quickly not to mess with the gulls....those creatures are vicious when it comes to fighting for food. Their ardent favor quickly waned once the food was gone.

Some burnt limbs later, we wandered back to the road. Amazingly, while down on the beach, you couldn't hear the traffic, but once back up, reality hit again. Weary, we headed back to the city on the City Circle line. Such a wonderful day trip...and such a different world!

Definitely put Brighton Beach and its colourful beach huts on your 'to do' list next time you head to Melbourne. It is definitely worth it!

xxx

 

 

Melbourne in B+W

I love the look of black and white photography but seem to have difficulty editing my photos into black and white. I shoot what catches my eye, and it is often the colours which grab my attention. So I thought I'd do somethng a little different and try my hand at B+W street photography from my time in Melbourne last weekend. They break all the rules of good photography, but I love them. I hope you do too.

This weekend, how about challenging yourself to shoot something just a little bit different. Who knows, you might find yourself a whole new genre you just love to dabble in!

xxx