In the kitchen - Round-up 6-12 July

If you had a choice between a cleaner and a cook, which would you choose? I would certainly choose a cleaner - I absolutely love cooking (and I don't much like cleaning).

This has nothing to do with craft (although maybe cooking is an art form?), but those who know me will know that food is my main purpose in life. So I'm posting a weekly round-up of what we've been cooking up in the kitchen. Beware a long post with not enough photos (must remember to take photos before eating)...

On Friday 6th it was my turn to host Parent's Group. I'd found a bittersweet chocolate tart in 'The Age - Good Weekend' on Saturday and it turned out to be fantastic! Dinner was plaa meuk pat gui chai (stir-fried squid with flowering garlic chives) (actually, with pak choy, round beans, spring onion and cauliflower - those who know me will also know that I don't follow recipes very well) on jasmine rice from David Thompson's 'Thai Street Food' which also turned out well. Most of David Thompson's recipes turn out well.

Stir-fried squid with pak choy, round beans, spring onion and cauliflower.

We were invited out on Saturday 7th for dinner at a friend's house, so Darren used his favourite tarte au citron (lemon tart) recipe from 'Sweet Food' and turned it into individual lemon tarts for dessert. It worked and the tarts were lovely and sweet and tart, as tarts should be.

Darren cooked up pat thai (fried Thai style), again from David Thompson's 'Thai Street Food', on Sunday 8th. He used fresh prawns and since he can't follow a recipe either, omitted the bean curd and salted radish and instead added mushrooms and it turned out to be a lighter, fresher version than some of the pat thais that we've made before. I liked it both then and for lunch the next day.

A new work week. On Mondays, Mr 22 cooks and on Tuesdays I work in Notting Hill, then pick up Miss 1 from Bayswater North, and then drive home. That doesn't leave much time for cooking before Miss 1 is hungry. On Monday night I put together a tuna bake for dinner on Tuesday 10th with tinned tuna, pasta, peas, red capsicum, mushrooms and bread crumbs, using the cheese sauce recipe from 'Home Food' with added dijon mustard. I got home late on Tuesday and Darren had the tuna bake in the oven - it's nice to come home and find dinner ready. 

Wednesday 11th, I got out 'Cool Food' and made grilled lamb pittas with fresh mint salad (minus the red onion, plus grated carrot, sliced gherkin and roquet) and yoghurt on Lebanese bread. The pittas were really tasty and it was a good way to use lamb chunks that I'd worried might be a bit tough if they weren't slow cooked - I'd make the pittas again.

Grilled lamb pittas with fresh mint salad.

Last night, Thursday 12th, was Indian. I made a vegetarian korma with potato, pumpkin, carrot and mushroom and teamed it with dhal based on the recipe from 'The Essential Asian Cookbook' and basmati rice. As sides, I made yoghurt and mint raita, and coconut bananas, and added mango chutney and hot lime pickle. Miss 1 has been sick since Tuesday and this was the first real food she's eaten since then - she downed the rice and raita, and had a go at the dahl - not great, but progress...