Amazing April

One third of the year is officially over! Kinda scary huh. So that means its time for another monthly recap. Did you miss my others?

• Jolly January
• Fantastic February
• Magical March

On reflection - this was a busy month - but certainly in a good way.

There was an unexpected triathlon, with a goggles fail....

A work trip to Melbourne...

A soggy Half Marathon...

A fun early morning ride with work colleagues...

And plenty of mountain bike rides...

Although some were better than others.

As the temperature started to decline throughout the month, there were also lots of comfort meals.

From soup...

To risotto...

And from prawns and polenta...

To a three part Indian feast!

Seafood was eaten...

   

Cakes were baked, and decorated....

On more than one occasion...

And I had lots of fun in the kitchen with my Hot Cross Bun experiment.

The Mystery Box was back with a purpose this month, and I ticked off another 5 ingredients!

Broccolini, celeriac, borlotti beans, edamame and tamarind.

This month I also started my MOVE it, TONE it and DRINK it challenge - with a view to increasing my workout times and being accountable for my water consumption. So far, so good, but there are still quite a few days left! Sadly the online program I use to keep track of my workouts is not working at the moment which is kinda frustrating. Almost 2 years of workouts logged and tracked - and now perhaps lost ?!?!?!

So there you have it - my April in a nutshell. And May is already shaping up to be a lot of fun - with a 10km race, my dad's 60th birthday and my 30th birthday!

Here's to a Memorable May!

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Day 10 - MOVE it, TONE it, DRINK it

• MOVE it – Yoga (1hr 10)
• TONE it – Situps (100)
• DRINK it – 1.5L

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What about you? Did you have an amazing April?

Happy Baking :)

5 reasons I love chilli con carne

Happy Friday!

After a 10km run after work, I was delighted to come home to a dish that I had actually prepared last night.

Chilli con carne. A dish that is both hearty and tasty, and perfect to make in advance as the flavours only develop and intensify.

But there are 5 more reasons I love chilli con carne. 

Reason #1 – You can throw in pretty much anything you like.

I had carrots, celery, a little pumpkin, peas, onion, garlic, spinach  and corn.  Combined with minced beef, beans, chia seeds, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, and I had the perfect ingredients for a rich, hearty chilli.

Reason #2 – Once all your ingredients are chopped, the hard work is done. 

  

All that’s then left to do is simmer all the ingredients in a pot with some water for an hour.

Reason #3 – You can make it as spicy or as mild as you want. Just adjust the seasonings.

I opted for a fairly mild chilli, using chilli powder, cayenne and dried oregano.

Reason #4 – You get to serve the chilli with a whole range of tasty extras. 

Such as grated cheese. corn chips and avocado.

Reason #5 – And, if you feel so inclined, you don’t even need to use any utensils.

 

Delish!

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Day 9 – MOVE it, TONE it, DRINK it

• MOVE it – Run 10km (a really lovely outdoor run, that was the perfect way to start the weekend!)
• TONE it – Pushups 41 (boooo ya!)
• DRINK it – 1.5L

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What about you? Are you a fan of chilli con carne?

Happy Baking :)

My first soufflé attempt….and it’s gluten free!

   

Tonight I delved into a culinary unknown. A new dish adventure.

The infamous soufflé.

Actually, I have been meaning to try my hand at making soufflé for a while now. I think it was ever since seeing The Intolerant Chef's gorgeous twice baked goats cheese soufflés on her blog .

And, with half a block of goats cheese in the fridge (leftover from our recent goats cheese risotto), and this carton of wonderful free range eggs supplied by our friends' chickens...

 

Well the soufflé gods had spoken.

For my first attempt, I decided to keep things simple. No herbs, no extra flavours, just the basics.

Eggs, milk, cheese, butter. Besides one change - substituting GF flour for the regular wheat flour.

I wasn't convinced that my regular ramekins were deep enough, so I used these two larger bowls instead. Greased with butter and sprinkled with polenta.

With a 'trial' extra being made in a smaller ramekin.

However, once the final products were taste tested, we both agreed that the smaller dish provided a soufflé with a far better consistency than those baked in the larger bowls. Something I will have to remember for the next time ;)

But where was I? Oh yes - soufflé.

The mixture seemed to come together quite quickly and easily, although having never made soufflé before I am sure that my method and mixture may be open to some criticism.

I melted the butter, then added the flour....

Followed by milk, stirring to form a nice creamy sauce.

Off the heat, and in went the cheese and egg yolks, stirring until well combined.

Excuse the mess ;)

Next the egg whites were whisked until thick.

I folded a spoonful in the cheese mixture,

Then, once combined, folded in the remainder using a metal spoon.

Poured into the prepared bowls,

And baked at 200C for 25 minutes.

I will let the results speak for themselves.

Well risen...

Light...

And fluffy. With the delicate flavour of goats cheese throughout.

Although as I mentioned before, the texture of the soufflé in the smaller ramekin was by far better than those in the bigger ones.

But as far as first attempts go, I am pretty happy with these.

Now I am already thinking of what my next soufflé attempt should be. Chocolate perhaps??

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Day 8 - MOVE it, TONE it, DRINK it

• MOVE it – Body Pump (1hr)
• TONE it – Situps (100)
• DRINK it – 2L

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What about you? Have you ever made soufflé?

Happy Baking :)