Going Home ... a good meal is always good, but when you enjoy it surrounded by people who you love - it makes it great!

I honestly believe that food tastes better when its shared with people you love - the whole experience is made even more special when you get to share it in a beautiful location. 

I've just come back from spending two weeks with my family at home on the Sunshine Coast. My family have lived on the Coast for 25 years - and the old adage of home is where the heart is rings true for me. I love going back and feeling that sensation of falling back in to a relaxed beach town groove, enjoying the slower pace and amazing climate. 

When I was growing up, Maroochydore was a seaside town attracting tourists drawn to its amazing beaches and laid back lifestyle. The Coast's foodie scene has really exploded in the last decade, and as the region has developed and grown, the presence of trendy coffee shops and cool wine bars has too. Now locals and visitors can enjoy good food and wine in amazing waterfront locations offering both gastronomic treats AND amazing views!

As I've written previously, I feel lucky to live overseas and be able to travel, but after spending this time back at home, I realise that the simple things in life are often the best. Bright, sunny days, cool ocean breezes and clean, rolling waves are in abundance on The Sunshine Coast. Living in London for two years I have really missed sunshine and fresh air - so the fact that I had a chance to treat myself to these simple pleasures were the key ingredients for a perfect holiday.

From one food extreme to the other ...

Going home also means being able to visit my favourite restaurants. My idea of Sunshine Coast foodie heaven spans both extremes of the gastronomic spectrum. From the simple pleasures of fresh fish and chips from the Mooloolaba Co-op to the gourmet delight of an Asian banquet at the Beautiful Spirit House in Yandina. Without a doubt, in both cases, the beautiful location in which the meals were consumed and the great company that I enjoyed added to the flavour!

The simple things ... Fresh Fish and lemon

A first stop on any holiday is a swim at Mooloolaba Beach followed by a lunch of fish and chips from the Mooloolaba Co-op at The Spit. The reef fish comes in off the trawler fresh each morning and is simply crumbed and served with hot chips and a wedge of juicy lemon.... life doesn't get much better. Best eaten from the packet on the grass along side the beach - the flavour is enhanced when consumed on a clear, sunny day with a light breeze blowing off the sea ... its a key ingredient to my perfect day!

 

I know that The Brits are mad for their battered fish with mushy peas ... but for me there is no competition. Fresh fish and lemon is as good as it gets! After enjoying the feast, any guilt disappears when you take a walk from The Spit around the bay to Mooloolaba Surf Club (strictly with shoes off and the sand under your feet!) ... heaven

And now ... The delectable things .... A Thai treat

So from the simple pleasures of casual fish and chips to a higher end option of modern Thai cuisine in the picturesque setting of Yandina's Spirit House.

The Spirit House is unique - nestled in the grounds of a lush, tropical garden, the restaurant is set at the back of the property and built around a peaceful pond - the walkway to the restaurant from the car park area is framed by a set of beautiful Chinese red antique doors and the pathway winds through a lush garden which towers overhead adding to the sensation that you've stepped away from the Sunshine Coast and in to a retreat in Chiang Mai.

The restaurant's tables are generously spaced and the ambiance is set by a trickling water feature in the pond, the waft of incense floating in the air and relaxing melody of mellow music drifting through the room. Casting your eye over the pond you see Buddhas dispersed through the garden and cheeky water dragon's bathing in the sunshine - the restaurant is so tastefully decorated with Asian antiques collected over many trips to South East Asia such as rice bowls and carved mirrors which add to the restaurant's authenticity.

We celebrated our farewell meal at The Spirit House so treated ourselves to their Banquet. An incredible meal highlighted by soup of coconut with salmon, lemongrass and chilli oil, roasted pork belly served with a citrus caramel sauce and The Spirit House famed deep fried whole snapper with spicy tamarind sauce.

Considering the kitchen team at The Spirit House is staffed by Westerners (farangs) the food was spectacular and rivals anything I've enjoyed in Thailand. I'll definitely be going back on future trips just for that pork belly! 

So now I've returned to London to continue my Kensington Kitchen Adventure. I've come back with a good dose of Vitamin Sunshine and quality time with the people I love. I'm counting down to go back and re-visit my favourite haunts.

Freestyle cooking - a pinch of this ... a dash of that ...

I think I classify myself as a Kitchen freestyler.

Freestyling Definition

A highly experimental method of approaching problems (similar to the notion of "winging it"). Merging elements of pragmatism and daredevil improvisation, freestyling has developed into a unique and controversial school of thought. 

I love reading cook books, I love talking to other passionate cooks about food, I love going to markets and seeing all the fresh produce and love going out to restaurants and getting ideas - but I rarely follow instructions to the letter.

I freestyle and relish the challenge of looking in the fridge and working out what to do with what I have.

Tonight it the challenge was something that called for: sage, chicken, spinach and olives

... and the answer I came up with was 'Chicken, spinach and ricotta deconstructed lasagna' - and it worked! I slow cooked chicken thighs to make a ragu. I stripped the chicken from the bone and then mixed spinach and ricotta to make an alternate layer lasagna - not exactly authentic Italian, but super tasty).

There's a pattern developing here ... 

I am not prescriptive in the kitchen. I always like to interpret recipes and make them work with
a. what I have at hand, and
b. the flavours I prefer

I seem to always add a pinch of this ... a dash of that

It doesn't always work, My husband has taken to labelling my interpretation failures as 'Chicken Surprise' ... or 'Pumpkin Surprise' (the 'surprise' denoting the failure) but I've found that the longer I work at perfecting this cooking business, the successes now outweigh the failures.

Last week I was flicking through Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Minute Meals and came across his 'Chorizo and Squid Greek style couscous salad (p. 166) and I changed it. I'm not a massive fan of cooking squid (I love calamari fresh at the beach from the fish and chip shop or BBQ'd in summertime) so I substituted chicken and it was AMAZING - and healthy!

So here's Jamie's version [annotated with my suggested improvisations] .... 

Chorizo & Squid Greek-Style Couscous Salad

Couscous

4 spring onions

100g baby spinach

1 bunch of fresh mint

1 mug (300g) of couscous

1 lemon

Chorizo & squid

400g baby squid, gutted and cleaned [I substituted Chicken thighs diced]
80g cured chorizo sausage
olive oil
2 mixed-colour peppers [I used green and yellow peppers which I roasted first in the oven, I also added a punnet of roasted grape tomatoes]
1 tbsp runny honey
sherry vinegar [I used red wine vinegar]
2 cloves of garlic
8–10 black olives (stone in) [seeing it was Greek, I used Kalamatas]

Garnishes

50g feta cheese
1 heaped tsp harissa [I omitted the harissa yoghurt]
4 tbsp fat-free natural yoghurt

 

Blitz the trimmed spring onions in the processor with the spinach, most of the top leafy half of the mint and a pinch of salt and pepper until fine . Remove the blade, stir in 1 mug of couscous and 2 mugs of boiling water, put the lid on and leave to sit in the processor • Cut open the squid tubes and, using a regular eating knife, lightly score the inside in 0.5cm crisscrosses, then slice with a sharp knife about 1cm thick, and roughly slice the legs

 

Slice the chorizo and put it into the pan with 2 tablespoons of oil • Deseed,slice and add the peppers, then about 4 minutes later stir in all the squid,the honey and a splash of vinegar • Squash over the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher, destone and add the olives and stir for a few more minutes

 

Fluff up the couscous and mix with the juice of ½ a lemon, then tip on to a big board or platter • Spoon the squid, peppers and chorizo over the couscous • Crumble the feta over the top and pick over the remaining mint leaves • In a small bowl, ripple the harissa through the yoghurt and serve everything together, with lemon wedges on the side

Jamie's version is designed to be prepared quickly, but seeing I have no time constraints I freestyled and extended it a little. It took longer than 15 minutes, but it was worth it!

a. I roasted the peppers in the oven first with a punnet of mini grape tomatoes with just a drizzle of olive oil. The tomatoes are really fragile when they're hot - so that they held their shape, I only stirred them through the completed dish just before serving.

b. I used a good quality chorizo that oozed out oily, porky, paprika-y goodness (warning ... this dish aint halal!). Once the chorizo was warmed through and had released the fat, I added the sliced onion and garlic to soak up the chorizo flavour.

c. Then I added the chicken and the kalamata olives.

d. Once the chicken was cooked, I gently stirred through the sliced roasted pepper and the roasted grape tomatoes.

e. Then I added the red wine vinegar and honey

So, freestyling is one thing - but there's a reason Jamie O is a professional and I'm a pretender. I would never have thought to put vinegar or honey in this dish but it really did made it special! The combination of honey/vinegar served to deglaze the pan and create a sticky delicious glaze to the roasted veges and chicken.

So - once it was done, I just spooned it over the prepared cous cous and then crumbled fetta on the top!

We'll definitely be making this 'Jamie Oliver feat Nic' version again!