Monthly Archives: October 2014

Spice up your Veggies!

I don’t pretend to be a great ‘foodie’ but I just thought I’d share this quick and super easy, and tasty, take on some very ordinary veggies. You can use any veggies you like but I prefer traditional potato, sweet potato, carrots and pumpkin for a good base.

Spray a large baking tray with olive oil. I use Moro Extra Virgin Olive Oil as it has a lovely clean and light taste. Peel and cut the root veggies into large chunks, and halve the bigger sprouts otherwise leave whole, and if using cauliflower or broccoli break into large florets. Boil in lightly salted water for about five minutes; drain and spread onto the baking tray. Then comes the tasty bit … sprinkle the veggies with spice mix (be very generous) and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in preheated oven (200 degrees) for 20 minutes and serve as a side dish with just about anything!  Here are few of my favourites.

Roast veggies with Australia bush spices (served with slow cooked butterfly lamb*)

Ready to roast veggies with Australia bush spices (served with slow cooked butterfly lamb)

I used Jamie Oliver’s lemon and thyme butterflied lamb and cooked in the slow cooker for 6 hours. Delish!

Roast veggies with Moroccan spices (served with seared chicken strips)

Roast veggies with Moroccan spices (served with seared chicken strips)

You can also do the same veggies sprinkled with Indian spices, and serve with samosas for a yummy vegetarian.

Or try red, yellow and green peppers cut into large pieces (no need to precook) and baby Roma tomatoes—just make a cut in the tomatoes so they don’t burst, and drizzle with olive oil and a good sprinkle of Italian herbs and spices, and bake for 20 minutes or until soft. Makes a great side dish for any Italian meal.

Roast capsicum and Roma tomatoes with Italian herbs and spices

Roast capsicum and Roma tomatoes with Italian herbs and spices

If I can do it—you certainly can!

And don’t forget, you can get the best and freshest veggies every Saturday from Canberra Region Farmer’s Market at EPIC.

 

Photos by LFW

Cool Canberra Jazz …

… In the Vines Grape_Vine02

In a past life I was somewhat involved in music and jazz and performed around the Canberra region. Earlier this year I visited the Merimbula Jazz Festival (for a jazz hit and a bit of nostalgia), and found a few terrific Canberra performers well worth seeing if you get the chance. My original article appeared in Surya Magazine, but I’ve been following these bands and thought it was time to update their news, and flag some upcoming awesome gigs, and special events, including a few at local wineries!

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Fresh food – fresh cookbook!

The Capital Region Farmers Market EPIC is launching its very own cookbook on 1 November! 

The Market is operated by the Rotary Club of Hall, and celebrated 10 years of operation this year. The very first Market was held in March 2004 and was established without any financial support or grants from governments or other sources, and had just 18 stalls and around 1,000 customers. Today the Market turns EPIC into a blaze of colour and a hive of activity with almost 200 registered stallholders hosting around 100 stalls, and welcomes over 5000 customers each week.

The freshest of fresh at the Market - photo courtesy threesides.com.au

The freshest of fresh at the Market – photo courtesy threesides.com.au

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Bag Me Up!

Do you know your handbag says a lot about your personality? I’m not sure what mine says other than I carry too much stuff around!

When I was working my handbags were mostly black to fit in with the business/corporate image; now I’m footloose and fancy free I can go wild and choose a bag with a colour that fits my mood—cornflower blue for calm days, hot watermelon for days I want to be noticed, and bright sunny yellow to lift everyone’s mood. And now, you don’t have to be millionaire to have a bag to suit every outfit—or mood—you just need to get acquainted with Sash & Belle!

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What’s the Fashion-Nation with Cooma?

Fifteen year old Charly Thorn is showcasing her young and vibrant designs at Cooma’s FASHION-NATION event this Saturday.

Article from the Cooma-Monaro Express by Tina Zunic http://www.coomaexpress.com.au/ 

MOVE over Alex Perry and Collette Dinnigan, a new and upcoming Australian designer will soon be dominating the catwalks with her vibrant designs and bold statement pieces. Check out teenage fashion talent Charly Thorn who is designing bold and exciting pieces for ages 12 – 18.

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Coastal Charms at Eurobodalla!

Travelling around the world made me realise what I miss when I’m away from home, and, call me nerdy if you will, but I still believe our south coast beaches are the best anywhere. Just a leisurely two hour drive from Canberra will take you down the Clyde Mountain to the seaside town of Batemans Bay, and yes, I actually like The Bay as it’s more commonly known.

Malua Beach, Batemans Bay

Malua Beach, Batemans Bay

With summer on the horizon Canberrans are starting to think about their summer break—usually from late December to early February, this is the time when there is a mass exodus from Canberra to The Bay. A large number of Canberrans own holiday homes at the coast and although it can be expensive to rent a place during the summer, out of season rentals are very reasonable. There is also a huge range of accommodation from luxury hotels and apartments, to cabins and caravans, and even houseboats on the Clyde River.

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