Taste of New Zealand at Melt

So we went for a tasting menu which included 5 meal course for only 30 $ and for 20 $ extra you get wine pairing for each dish
The food and wine were from New Zealand
1..butternut squash soup with pine nuts
2.red snapper with tomatoes ,olives,capers and fennel
3.lamb burgers with quail eggs and beet relish
4.venison with polenta
5 Pavlova
What can i say.... Delicious and for such a great price!!!
My favourite was the burger and the venison,though everything was so good!The snapper and the soup were very tasty and flavourful
And when we stepped in ,the restaurant just got A from the health inspector .So  far it is the greatest place to have a meal and the safest one!!!

Highly recommend Melt as a nice place for a  great meal,and for those who don't know it -the executive chef is Mark Simmons,a great chef as we 've tasted a lot of his culinary creations and leave Melt every time very satisfied and always looking forward to come back

Poppy seed and cinnamon rolls

STUFFED EGGPLANT

Another dish with eggplants as a mentioned i love eggplants!!!This time i used leftovers:))
I had a little piece of pork,some cheese,chopped some onion,pepper added a teaspoon of ketchup.one of mayo,paprika,black pepper,and diced one jalapeno and it came out really good!!!

Magic Peanut Butter Middles

Somehow we had a lot of peanut butter in our pantry,and thought some peanut butter cookies will be a nice treat,so my love found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com and we decided to give it a try.Very pleased with the results!!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup peanut butter

Directions

1. In small bowl blend flour, cocoa and baking soda. Mix until well blended.
2. In large bowl beat sugar, butter or margarine and 1/4 cup peanut butter, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Set aside.
3. To make Filling: Combine confectioner's sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter. Blend well.
4. Roll filling into 30 - 1 inch balls. For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 Tablespoon of dough around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with glass dipped in sugar.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7-9 minutes. When cookies are done, they should be set and slightly cracked.

           

Not your tradtional breakfast!(Tomatoes and ricotta cheese pancakes)

So here is a interesting alternative to breakfast pancakes,healthier,and need to tell you the melt in your mouth!!!It is a way to incorporate vegetables into breakfast so even kids will like them.
Ingredients:
4 big tomatoes
half pound ricotta cheese
2 eggs
dash of paprika
salt
4 table spoons whole wheat flour
1 tea spoon baking powder

Grate tomatoes,throw the skins away,add ricotta,eggs,salt,flour,baking powder,mix well.Using a spoon fry them as regular pancakes.Serve with sour cream,plain yogurt,or any sauce you like

spicy eggplant

I love eggplants!!!i love them baked,fried,stuffed,marinated,pickled,etc
Here is another dish with eggplant,great side dish,or can be eaten with bread,chips,pita
You will need:
1 big eggplant
2 carrots(shredded)
2 onions
2 tomatoes
2 bell peppers
salt
coriander powder
paprika
Salt
black pepper
2 garlic cloves
cumin
olive oil
cilantro
tomatoes(optional)
Cut the eggplant into slices and put it in a bowl with cold water with salt added,this way when you fry it it is going to absorb less oil.
Cut onions into rings,and bell pepper into stripes,shred the carrots.

Put a big skillet on the stove add olive oil and fry each vegetable apart until soft and golden brown.Take the eggplant out of water,pat in try with paper towel,and cut into stripes,fry until soft .Combine all the vegetables add salt ,minced garlic,spices to you taste and cilantro,and put in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Serve chilled.

cheese sticks

So today my love wanted some salty snack,but we didn't have any so he went to the kitchen and made it:))
Ingredients:
1 cup water
2 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cup white all purpose flour
1and a half cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
garlic powder 2 teaspoons
3 teaspoons baking powder
kosher salt to sprinkle
Parmesan cheese

Make the dough then roll it and cut it in long stripes,sprinkle with Parmesan or salt and bake on 325F  until golden brown.Enjoy!

yummy appetizer

This is my guests most favorite appetizer at the parties we have!!!I am sure most of you know about it,or tried it at least once.I made the version with prosciutto and without it and they both are great,so if you are vegetarian omit the prosciutto from the recipe:)
Ingredients;
Phyllo dough( i buy the one that it is cut into squares already)
asparagus
prosciutto
Parmesan cheese(grated)
Defrost the phyllo dough then put a piece of prosciutto,a little bit of cheese and asparagus and roll it.
Preheat the oven 350F and bake until golden brown

broccoli salad

Here is a very healthy,full of  fiber and vitamins salad,everything fresh and crunchy.Give it a try!
You will need:
broccoli
3hard boiled eggs
1 English cucumber
green onion(scallion)
mayo
If you don't like it super crunchy then put the broccoli florets in a bawl and pour some boiling water on top and live it for a couple minutes,otherwise use raw broccoli florets.

Home made sushi

We love sushi and love to make them at home for friends or just for us:)Easy to make and much cheaper then to buy ready ones!

chicken rolls

Here is a easy chicken recipe that will look great at a party and they taste great!
Here is what you need:
chicken breast
spices
any hard cheese
dried plums
red pepper
leeks the green part
also can use mushrooms,carrots ,anything that will look colorful
 aluminium foil
Wash and pat dry chicken breast then flatten it with a meat hammer from both sides,sprinkle salt,pepper,any spices you like.

on the edge of the long part in a nice raw put the ingredients then roll it and place it in foil and wrap it tight so it stays together.Bake t 400 F about 35-40 min

fried mackerel with Mexican salad

I never ate mackerel  beside the smoke Russian version which i love!!!but i always see it in the fish store fresh so i decided to cook it.Here is the recipe,but must worn you,if you don't like strong fried fish smell don't do it!!!or put a bowl of white vinegar next to the stove.
You will need fresh mackerel,gutted,salt,black pepper,paprika
Mix salt,black pepper,paprika.Wash the fish,pat it  dry,rub the mix in.Fry it in olive oil.
For the salad:
1can black beans
1can whole kernels corn
1lime
1jalapeno pepper
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
half red onion
cilantro
2tbs olive oil
salt
paprika

French onion soup

I love this soup!!!and i love french cooks for it!!!
Traditional French onion soup is a combination of rich beef broth and sweet, caramelized onions, topped with French bread, and melted cheese.
So all you need is onions,beef broth,white bread and we used provolone cheese

fish with vegetables

kani salad

This is my favourite  Japanese salad  -easy to make and it tastes great!!!
ingredients:
Chinese imitation crab sticks
English cucumber
mayo

my love's creation:spicy pork stir-fry with veggies

So today i came from work and my loved one was cooking dinner already!!!so i couldn't help myself and took some pictures of the cooking process then enjoyed my dinner:)It was delicious!!!