Twitter Updates

    follow me on Twitter

    Tuesday, September 04, 2007

    Workout then Eat

    Friday
    The retirement home here is doing well
    Big day today Sheer luxury.

    Off to the gym at 8.30 workout lovely long showers at the spa. Home for breakfast a little washing sitting time in the sun with your best book.

    A little computer time and making plans for a Japanese lunch in Noosa.
    Small drama Dale has lost his man purse.
    The apartment is not large but we all hunted to no avail.
    Oh God left it on the bus! We shall have to ring the credit card companies

    He was positive it was here in fact he thought he had put it in a secret place
    So secret in fact that we couldn’t find it.
    Finally Eureka the light came on
    There it was under the bed So Burglars take note.

    If at first you can’t find any goodies…try under the bed.

    We went out to play the pokies at the Coolum Surf Club
    They have a good little restaurant with an interesting menu. I had Rump Steak “Mingnon”
    (yes really)with butter prawns and baby potatoes

    Loved the prawns, the steak was to my liking and tasty the potatoes were tasteless and could have done with a little bit more cooking but I did clean the plate so it can’t have been that bad.
    JT had Caesar Salad

    John Harrisa Chicken with Polenta

    And Dale had Fish and Chips
    A little white wine to wash it down.
    You had to order at the counter

    No worries said the pretty little girl behind the desk I ordered for Dale and I
    No worries
    John ordered
    No worries JT’s order
    No worries
    She checked back our orders
    No worries

    It was a No worries dinner.

    Next onto the Pokies I am a bit of novice and it took me about 5 minutes to catch on but I soon got into the swing of it.

    I cashed in $20 and came home with 14 $1 dollar coins.
    Only $6 for an hours play.
    Might have to have a return visit to use up the coins can’t take them back to NZ.
    Home to gelato and Sport on TV.
    No Idol tonight. Have to wait until Sunday.

    Saturday
    Back to Noosa but first drop off John and JT at golf
    It was shopping time. I was really keen to get back to the Seafood Market in Noosa Junction. Cnr Cooyar Street & Lanyana Way

    A must do visit... Lovely looking fish
    I mean look at our lunch
    Australian Prawns and Wasabi mayonnaise with Avocado and some Ciabatta Bread
    A fresh local pineapple sliced and garnished with honey macadamias chopped up with fresh mint and squeeze of lime juice and an Aussie Rose.

    Only $4.99 a bottle and very acceptable .
    This was our dessert.
    Anyway back to the Seafood market I have bought some beautiful fresh Tuna which I will be turning into Tuna and Ginger Burgers tonight for dinner.
    This is the nicest fish I have seen in a while.We have a good market in NZ with a bigger choice but the presentation of the fish in this place is fabulous. I must take a shot.
    So I bought some fresh tuna...look at it, it is superb.

    We did make Tuna Burgers
    I have already posted a recipe similar to this earlier but I made some changes and here you go.

    The improved version
    A delightful dinner

    JT and I worked together on Kiwi Foodies Promos for the Food TV New Zealand and we are like clockwork in the kitchen.
    Lots of fun…The cooks below

    Tuna Burgers on Kumara Mash with Tomato Mint Salsa

    For 4 people
    2 large kumara (sweet potatoes) peeled cubed

    Cooked till tender and mashed with a big knob of butter

    800 gms fresh tuna (doesn’t have to be sashimi quality)
    5-6 drops sesame oil
    3 tablespoons soya sauce
    Zest 1 lime Juice 1 lime
    2 tablespoons spring onions finely chopped
    2 tablespoons ginger grated
    2 tablespoons mint finely chopped


    Freshly ground black pepper Salt
    2 eggs

    2-3 tablespoons Vege oil (I use rice bran)

    First chop the tuna into little dice
    Place in bowl

    Add rest of ingredients,
    Into a hot pan add vege oil
    Take a large spoonful and place in pan

    You want reasonably sized burgers
    Fry till golden brown each side (about 3-4 minutes)
    Remove and set aside keeping them warm.

    Meanwhile prepare the salsa

    3 ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
    1 tablespoon grated ginger
    1 clove garlic finely chopped

    2 tablespoons mint finely chopped

    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

    2 tablespoons olive oil
    Juice ½ lime

    Mix all ingredients together

    To plate
    A nice mound of mashed kumara
    Burger
    on top
    Garnish with salsa
    I am so disappointed my camera is asking really bad shots on this holiday
    It's not a great photo...
    But I can assure you it tasted delicious AND there were leftovers but that is tomorrow's lunch.
    But the crowning glory of the evening was the successful game of Rugby League.
    Our team The Warriors won and now they are up for a home ground semi final.
    Good news.

    Sunday

    Macadamia Encrusted Fish
    Season fish both sides and press nut crumbs on presentation side

    Olive oil in hot pan
    Place nut side down.
    Cook about 3 minutes
    Turn over and cook about 1 minute
    A good squeeze of lemon juice
    Cook 1 minutes
    Take off heat
    Cover and leave for about 5 minutes
    Guaranteed moist and delicious.

    Marinated Mushrooms

    I put my son Daniel off Marinated Mushrooms for life.
    I always tried to make interesting school lunches for the kids
    He normally loved the mushrooms…Soooo there were leftovers from the previous night’s dinner…what a good idea for his sandwiches.
    Wrong…apparently 4 hours later when he came to eat them they were disgusting (his words).
    Lesson learnt

    But let’s not stop the rest of us from enjoying them

    We had some white button mushrooms finely sliced
    Chopped mint
    Chopped chives
    Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
    1 chili finely diced
    1 spring onion sliced
    Balsamic Vinaigrette

    Toss everything together and leave to marinate at least 30 minutes.
    Today’s Lunch became what I would frivolously call

    A European Bento Lunch box
    I dressed the plate with little gem lettuce leaves and filled them individually with
    1. The mushroom salad
    2. Nut encrusted fish
    3. Last night’s tuna burgers, crumbled and mixed with leftover salsa
    With little balls of mashed leftover kumara on the side
    4. And finally Beautiful crisp pears sliced with a squeeze of lemon and some thin slices
    of Jalsberg Cheese.

    Once again the French Rose was consumed and we were fed and watered once again.

    Roll on Dinner.

    This is the land of Gluten Free products which is perfect for John who is a coeliac.
    I have never seen so many gluten free flours, pasta everything before.
    I wonder if it is more prevalent her in Australia than in NZ.

    Anyway we have the San Remo penne pasta and it is fine.
    I made this wonderful Primavera Pasta inspired by Giada De Laurentiis.
    It takes a bit of time in preparation but is so light and delicious.

    For 4 people
    2 carrots
    4 courgettes
    1 red pepper
    1 yellow pepper
    2 onions peeled
    Extra virgin olive oil
    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

    1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
    Gourmet Garden basil paste
    3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

    100 gms pasta of your choice per person

    For the best effect you need to spend time cutting up the vegetables.
    Heat oven to 200C

    Cut carrots into tiny batons
    Same to the courgettes but cut them a little bigger, they cook quicker
    Thickly slice onions
    Halve peppers remove seeds and core and slice

    Toss the vege with olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Place in oven and cook 20-25 minutes until tender

    Meanwhile cook the pasta to manufacturers instructions in boiling salted water.
    Place cherry tomatoes in a bowl and squeeze over the basil paste
    Mix well
    Drain pasta and toss with the tomatoes

    Remove vege from oven and mix with the pasta
    Add cheese and serve

    Very popular dish.
    Monday the Days are rolling by too fast.

    We hit the Gym at the Golf Club Spar again.
    It is lovely there…all very Asian inspired with running water and tinkling music.
    Lovely aromas. The Spa not the Gym.
    White robes and slippers to wander through to the showers.
    All the lotions and sbhampoos everything you need.
    Took the Ipod today to make the tread mill more interesting.
    Everyone's workout...










    John


    JT







    Dale Did some lifts on the machines and my knee froze that night.But nothing that a Voltaren and some pain killers can’t fix.Still a bit sore but improved

    Made vegetable fritters with a tomato salsa for lunch


    A lovely shot of this beautiful coast.

    JT is Queen of the Smoothies
    She adds almonds to hers for a wonderful texture.
    All the frit in the world, mixtures of juices and a little soy milk (which I normally wouldn’t put in my mouth but you can’t taste amongst the lovely flavours.)
    Breakfast treat.

    4 comments:

    Barbara said...

    Gilly I hope you missed the floods. We'll be spending a few days in Noosa at the end of September. You must tell me more about the seafood market.

    FH said...

    WOW!! All that yummy food, you need that work out too!:D
    Burgers and dessert looks delicious.

    Jim said...

    Tuna burgers--what has science done?!

    I kid. Those look amazing, and I certainly never would have thought of them. Glad you're having a good time!

    So So Simple said...

    Barbara
    Will contact you re Noosa
    Asha and Jim
    Yes those burgers were pretty good.