HIP HIP HOORAY FOR TEMPEH!

If you happened to peruse my last blog entry you will already be familiar with my new found love of winter cooking. I am especially fond soups and stews, they are such a great way to get my 3 serves of vegetables a day and make sure no vegetable ever goes to waste in our house. So I thought that I would share one of my favourites of the season.

TEMPEH AND AUTUMN ROOT VEGETABLE STEW

ingredients

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tbsp orange zest

1 tsp tamari

2 cloves finely chopped garlic 

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp honey

4 tbsp canola oil

1 packet of tempeh (about 300g I think) cubed

2 carrots sliced 

1 cup diced potato

1 cup diced sweet potato

1 cup diced turnip

1/2 cup diced parsnip

approx 2 cups of vegetable stock

1 can diced tomatoes 

2 whole start anise

1 cinnamon stick 

1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2tbsp water

salt and pepper to taste

chopped coriander

method

1. combine orange juice, zest, tamari, garlic, ginger & honey in a bowl and set aside.

2. in a massive post heat oil over medium heat, add tempeh and brown on all sides.

3. add orange juice mixture and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. add vegetables & the tomatoes with their juice and then enough stock to almost cover them.

5. add star anise and cinnamon & bring to a boil.

6. reduce heat to low & simmer, cover, until vegetables are tender, for about 30mins.

7. uncover, increase heat to high, add cornstarch-water mixture & cook for 1-2mins until stew thickens

8. season with salt, pepper and additional honey as desired

9. serve with fresh coriander.

ENJOY!

Everyone in our house seems to be getting into the spirit of winter this year. Both Mick and I have spent many a day pottering about the house fixing things up and generally making our house a home, and there is no doubt that little Peanut Butter is enjoying the extra company on the couch snuggled up amidst a sea of throw blankets. 

I'll leave you with a photo of Peanut Butter strutting her latest winter wears. My last jumper cost $4.50 from the op shop near work, Peanuts cost $50. Go figure. I love her more than me.

Kitty xx

EMOTIONAL WINTER WARMERS.

One of the biggest changes I faced moving to Melbourne was the weather. It gets cold here. Really cold. A lot. It might even be cold the majority of the time. 

I don't like the cold. Or at least I didn't. I find myself fast becoming a "Winter person". I figure that there's no point fighting it, trying to catch the odd sunshiny day and hopelessly clinging onto my summer dresses. I'm just going to embrace the cold, let it happen and I love what I can about Winter.

So this is a small list of my current winter wonderland…

• Scarves - especially my new Burberry scarf my charming man brought me back from London this week.
• Beanies - They solve so many problems. Bad hair days? Sorted. Regrowth? Sorted. Don't know anything about styling your hair and secretly think this makes you a bit rubbish at being a girl? Sorted.
• Knitted sweaters- They're comfy and comforting and makes me feel like I'm wearing a big hug and that no one can see the extra mugs of hot chocolate I've been indulging in.
• Aforementioned hot chocolate - and hot chai and hot beverages of any variety really. If anyone has a hot cider recipe, send it this way!
• Vitamin D tablets - Sunshine in a pill, I take 2 every day to help ward off any seasonal affective disorder that might be lurking in the next rainy day. I'd recommend it to everyone. Better stock up on Echinacea while you're at it.
• Reading - Obviously a favourite past time of mine at any time of year, it is especially enjoyable under a collection of snuggly blankets on our oversized couch with my favourite french bulldog hot water bottle substitute.
• Making my own soup - It makes me feel fancy and makes the house smell completely delicious. 
• Torrential rain - Yes a bit dismal but I love watching it throughout the window whilst safely inside. It feels like a vertical moat that cuts our home off from the rest of the world.
• Rationalising that wearing my pyjamas at 3.30pm is completely acceptable because it's rainy and dark outside.
• The abysmal weather allowing me not feeling guilty about spending the whole day inside cross stitching, reading, cooking, working on designs, snuggling with Peanut Butter Dearest the wonder dog and generally being a 20 something hermit nana.

Better rug up Melbourne.

Bring it on WInter, I can take it.

Kitty xx.