In My Kitchen, October 2016

I said something in a previous post about time having gone so slowly, and yet so fast at the same time when pondering my daughter's birthday. The same rings true for months and here we are, well and truly into Spring (in the Southern hemisphere) and also, apparently the sign for shops to begin bringing Christmas decorations out! At the end of this month, my 'baby' boy will turn two. I still remember when I announced his birth, and it honestly doesn't feel that long ago at all. Time. It's a funny thing. Anyway, without further ado, here are some things in my kitchen. Lots of bought things actually, but bought with the intention of turning them into something else! (which I will do... when we get over birthday season, and being the house of sick, which does tend to make for lazy meals)...

In my kitchen is...

Chia seeds galore. 1.5kg of them actually, which is really a bit obscene, but at $14.89 for the bag at Costco I couldn't pass it up. I've been having them sprinkled over oats, in smoothies and adding them to my baking. My uncle recently told me that he ground up chia to use as a coating on meat, so I was thinking I might attempt something similar with some firm tofu slices.

In my kitchen is...

Another Costco find, Eco Organic Pasta. There are three flavours - Mung Bean fettuccini, Black Bean spaghetti and Soy Bean spaghetti. These were a bit pricey at $8.89 for the pack, but I couldn't really resist them either. When I walk past something that is vegan, and organic to boot, at shops that aren't always very vegan friendly, I like to support them in the hope they'll continue to source such things. I haven't tried any of them yet (did I mention we've been sick?) but I have grand plans, although I'm not really sure which sauces would best complement each pasta type.

In my kitchen is...

Some Hidden Orchard wines sent to me by Hardy's. They're a new(ish) range of wines blended with natural flavours and juices, which are meant to be refreshing and delicious chilled.

Now that the toddler is finally well on his way to weaning, I can indulge in wine a little more, so I started with the Ripe Raspberry & Rich Cassis bottle (the dark red one). First sip saw me hesitate a little as it was so rich but after I added ice it was much more drinkable. Honestly, I'm a little weirded out adding ice or serving a red wine chilled but it made it much better (it tastes like Ribena in wine form actually).

Our guests preferred the Pink and Zesty White Grapefruit wine but it was a bit sweet for me straight out of the bottle. Diluted with soda water was much better.

I'm unsure if my tastebuds are out of commission from non-regular wine consumption or whether these wines are just so sweet and fruity, but I found them best mixed and diluted. I have yet to try to Peach, Mango, Passionfruit and Pineapple bottle, but it sounds awfully like something university-aged me would drink actually.

In my kitchen is...

Home made raspberry jam, although not made in my home unfortunately. This pot of delicious jam was gifted to me by a friend who had too much. It's a delightful mix of sweet and tart and perfect for eating by the spoonful (ahem). My kids like it with peanut butter between slices of fresh bread, but inspired by Kari's recent post about porridge toppings, I've been adding it, with chia seeds and some Mayver's dark roasted peanut butter to my oats, making a delicious bowl of peanut butter and jammy oat goodness.

I note my photo looks like there is a big glob of peanut butter inside the jar but insist that is just the bench showing through a gap in the jam and not due to double dipping!

In my kitchen is...

Dumplings. Lots and lots of dumplings. We go through phases of food in our house, and it has recently been the phase of dumplings. Which is handy because everyone in the household loves them, they're quick and easy to prepare (once made that is), and make a delicious meal.

My mother in law made me a batch of vegan dumplings which had been pre-steamed and I wasn't able to eat them at the time so I froze for later. It was a time poor night so I unearthed them from the freezer and pan fried those beauties in a little oil until they were the right combination of crispy and chewy. Served with a mix of soy sauce and red vinegar (and a bowl of edamame on the side for greens), everyone was happy. (Well, I should say that Mr Fork had made himself a separate batch of prawn dumplings as he insists on meat versions, but I neglected to photograph those).

Tell me, what's been happening in your kitchen lately? Any tips for using chia seeds? Ideas about how to best enjoy my bean pasta?

In my kitchen has a new host, Lizzy, of Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things. I am linking in to her monthly IMK roundup.