:: aus style ::

we have been taking advantage of the beautiful summer days here. the weather has been quite moderate. we usually get some long stretches of unbearably hot weather. so far this summer we have enjoyed sunny hot days and cool nights for comfortable sleeping.

 
we celebrated australia day with family, enjoying a BBQ lunch and ubiquitous australia day treat such as pavlova and chocolate ripple cake with peppermint crisp sprinkled on top (i'm not sure how it happened but the ripple biscuits may have found their way into a bowl of tia maria before the cake was assembled, and they might have accidentally soaked up vast quantities of the delicious liquor)


we have spent more time on the coast hence the absence of blog posts.mobile phone access is scant down there and so internet access is out of the question.
sometimes it is good to have a forced break from technology. it leaves me with a lot more time to read, hook and watch tennis into the wee small hours.


somehow enjoying slow food is also high on the priority list. food seems to taste better when eaten outside in the fresh air.
my number one favorite dish at present is this delicious asian coleslaw, presented here with lemon grass chicken. if you are cooking it when the household budget is in the black substitute the chicken tenderloins for prawns-i use meaty green prawns with the head and shell removed and tails left intact.

ASIAN SALAD WITH LEMONGRASS CHICKEN 

marinate the chicken or prawns for at least one hour in
3 stalks of lemongrass (soft white part only) 
2 garlic cloves
3-4 tablespoons of peanut oil
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1 teaspoon of fish sauce 
pound the lemongrass and garlic into a fine paste using a mortar and pestle then add the remaining ingredients

shred a half of a small white cabbage and a brown onion very finely  (i use a mandoline)
a lebanese cucumber cut longways into fine ribbons
2 carrots finely julienned
handfuls of coriander, vietnamese mint, thai basil and traditional mint leaves.

make a dressing by pounding
2 garlic cloves,
1 long red chilli
2 tablespoons of caster sugar
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
2 tablespoons of lime juice
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
together in a mortar and pestle 

cook the chicken & prawns on a BBQ or hotplate
dress the salad with half of the dressing, divide it between four serving plates, top with chopped dry roasted peanuts and fried shallots.
top with the chicken/prawns
and serve with lime wedges and a cold beer 

enjoy. this recipe is adapted from les huynh's blue ginger-one of my favorite asian cookbooks

summer in australia, kids, the beach, great food, beer, tennis what more could a girl ask for? 

Comments

[aracne]

You gave a wonderful picture of your Summer, every body looks happy and relaxed.
The recipe seems yummy, I love asian cooking, thank you.