Category Archives: Australia

T-bone steak and salsa burger

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Tonight’s meal creation was extremely delicious. Yes, extreme is an extreme word and should only be used on extreme occasions but I rated this burger 9.8 out of 10 so it deserves a superlative descriptor.

T-bone steak and salsa burger

The parts of this feast:

  • T-bone steak briefly marinated in black pepper, salt, sumac and olive oil; grilled medium rare in the Weber Baby Q and then allowed to rest in a warm oven
  • Lepinja bread fresh from the local Balkan bakery cut in half; leftover spicy salsa spread on the base and tulum (a crumbly dry Turkish cheese) with nigella seeds sprinkled on the top half; placed in a moderate oven to add a crunchy texture to the bread
  • Fresh basil, parsley and spring onion straight from the courtyard garden, chopped finely
  • Grape tomatoes halved
  • Ripe avocado flesh squashed on the salsa base

The bread provided both crunchy and squishy textures and all ingredients complemented each other perfectly. Yum!

Fried Rice, Awesome Style

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Put together the following in a hot wok:
– sesame oil
– Thai shrimp, garlic and chilli mix
– fresh hot green chilli
– garlic
– ginger
– shallot onions
– sweet chilli sauce
– soy sauce
– cashews
– thinly cut bacon
– carrot
– cabbage
– green capsicum
– pineapple
– mushroom
– steamed rice
– tofu
– bean sprouts
…stir, and, voila!

Fried Rice, Awesome Style

Better Than Easter Eggs

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For breakfast this Easter Sunday, post morning run, I treated myself to something far more delicious than Easter eggs:

My own muesli mix with frozen blueberries, honey, natural yoghurt, milk (added after the photo) and the secret ingredient: fresh mint leaves straight from the garden. I wasn’t sure how the mint would affect the taste but it turned out to be an absolute winner. This morning I repeated the recipe with the addition of a Lady’s Finger banana.

IMG_2380 (Custom)

Advieh – a Wonderful Persian Spice Mix

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After running around Kings Park, along the Swan River and up Jacob’s Ladder this morning I went to Subiaco Markets. To my delight, the Spice Library stall had advieh, a traditional Persian spice mix. I didn’t know it was called advieh until today but I certainly recognised the smell.

During my 2004 Iran holiday I bought a plastic jar of advieh from Shiraz Bazaar. After returning to Mersin I used this yummy spice mix in most meals for 3 years including pasta, roast vegetables, stir fries and curries.

The following photo I took at Shiraz Bazaar shows a man taking some advieh out of one of the two advieh mixes. I love how the different spices are layered. In the central top section of the photo are plastic jars containing advieh.

Following is my empty jar prior to throwing it out in June 2007:

 

The Joy of finding Nar Eksisi (Pomegranate Molasses) in Perth

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Nar Eksisi - Pomegranate MolassesYesterday I made my periodic visit to Dunya Market, the Turkish supermarket in Bentley. To my delight, for the first time in Perth I found pure pomegranate molasses (nar eksisi), a stunning and beautiful ingredient for salads, marinades and the like. How good is nar eksisi? Well, if a religionist used nar eksisi as a basis for their belief I would be tempted to convert.

Now, I’m not referring to that more widely available poor cousin called nar eksili sosu (pomegranate flavoured sauce). Anybody who thinks nar eksili sosu is a substitute for nar eksisi should wash their mouth out with soap. They probably also think Creed is a substitute for Pearl Jam.

rocket salad and scotch fillet steakMy favourite use for pomegranate molasses is with rocket salad. Today I made rocket salad to accompany a scotch fillet steak:
– rocket
– roasted capsicum
– garlic bruised and cut finely
– sumac (another super ingredient)
– olive oil
– pomegranate molasses
– chilli flakes
– salt and pepper

2019/05/20 UPDATE

In November 2017 Dunya Foods was destroyed by fire. The shop has now reopened at nearby Unit 1, 1164 Albany Highway, Bentley. It again stocks many Turkish and international foods and supplies, even Argentinean yerba mate tea.

Dunya Foods Shopfront on Albany Highway, BentleyUnfortunately, as of 12 May 2019, they weren’t selling Turkish pure pomegranate molasses (nar ekÅŸisi). The closest items were non-Turkish pomegranate molasses and Turkish pomegranate-flavoured sauce, neither of which are adequate substitutes for the real thing.

Two Spiritual Experiences

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This evening, I had two spiritual experiences I must share:

1. Grilling a beef t-bone steak on the courtyard barbecue on a beautiful winter’s evening.

2. Eating a perfectly medium-rare cooked t-bone steak accompanied by boiled potatoes with Nuttelex, left over vegetables and Mum’s eggplant chilli chutney:

 T-Bone Steak