Stewarts Restaurant at Brookleigh Estate - Swan Valley

I catch up with my friend Brooke of Cooking 101 regularly and so far our destination of choice seems to be the Swan valley.

Scouring through the entertainment book I notice Stewarts at Brookleigh Estate. I often share their specials on my page and have been to a friends wedding here a few years ago so we decided to hit this place up.

Located towards the back end of the valley on Great Northern Highway, its a bit further out than most of the wineries and restaurants but is an easy scenic drive.

Stewarts restaurant is nestled on the property of Brookleigh Equestrian Estate, which is very picturesque and very popular for weddings.

I was a happy girl looking at the wine list when I saw Forest Hill Estate 2012 Reisling, my most favourite wine that I first tasted when I went down to Denmark for the WA Signature Dish Competiton. After we came back from Denmark I was looking in all the small boutique wine stores around Perth for this little gem with no luck. $38 a bottle was a great price and we happily sipped on this throughout out lunch.

We both agreed to share the Scallops for entrée which were fresh from Rotto and served with saganaki haloumi and sauce vierge. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the haloumi added a nice saltyness to them. This dish was very much enjoyed on both parts.

For mains Brooke chose the Confit Duck leg. This looked amazing on the plate and definitely a filling meal with the large portion size. It came with roasted beetroot, broccolini and balsamic.

 

 

For my mains I couldn't go past the gnocchi. If there's gnocchi on the menu I find it hard to choose other things. This gnocchi was served with a generous pile of mushrooms, spinach, brown butter and parmesan.

The gnocchi was nice and the portion size again was big, I couldn't finish it all! I polished off as much as I could, though.

After lunch the waiter asked us if we could be tempted with dessert; yes we could...and we did! So glad we did too, we ordered the churros to share and eagerly awaited it's arrival. Stewarts definitely delivered with this dessert beauty.

Fresh churros with dark chocolate dipping sauce cleverly poured into egg shells. We got stuck in straight away (after photos of course) and loved every bit of it!

Stewarts had been on my 'to try' list for a while and the visit was most definitely worth the wait. I'll be back here again and know I wont be disappointed!

Stewarts are also affiliated with the Entertainment Book, we used our gold card and received the relevant discount.

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How to Pack the Perfect Picnic

How To Pack the Perfect Picnic

Summer does not last all year, so it’s important to take advantage of the nice weather as much as possible while it’s here. Have you thought about taking your meals outdoors?

Perth has some gorgeous picnic spots, from the beautiful gardens at Burswood Park and the sheltered picnic tables at the Bibra Lake Reserve to the Queen’s Gardens and of course the beautiful Swan Valley. Lilac Hill Park in the Swan Valley is great for both family picnics and romantic afternoon lunches in the park - it has a stunning picnic area on the river. See a full list of parks and picnic areas in the Swan Valley here.

The Main Dish

When it comes to picnic food, simple and clean is the best way to go. Choose something healthy that you can prepare at home and bring to your picnic spot that won't require an extreme temperature, lots of dishes or utensils, or a big clean up.

Sandwiches are a delicious staple for any Perth picnic. You can pack the toppings separately, and have everyone build their own sandwich outdoors.

Stop at your local deli for some fresh meats, cheeses, and veggies. In your picnic basket, include onions, lettuce, slices of your favourite cheese, a tomato, some pickles and perhaps some avocado to spread on top.

The bonus here is that a make-your-own-sandwich picnic allows everyone, even the picky eaters, to eat what they like, there are few dishes and utensils required, and almost no clean up.

The Side Dish

Even if you add veggies to your main dish, it’s always nice to have a side dish that is healthier than potato chips. Potato salad or fruit salad can both be prepared at home, stored in a dish and served on a plate without making a mess.

If you're in a rush or looking for finger foods, cutting up some fresh fruit and vegetables requires little preparation and little clean-up. If you want to spice it up a little bit, you could make some homemade vegetable dip to be shared. Try baby carrots and hummus, grapes, berries, or even chunks of cheese with crackers.

Picnic Beverages 

While water is always a great option, it can be nice to dress up a picnic with something sweet to quench your thirst. Pink lemonade made from fresh lemons, water, and sugar to taste is perfect for the summer sun whether your picnic is for a date or a day out with friends/family. 

Remember that mixing a drink like homemade lemonade is a great way to get your kids involved in preparing for the picnic! Partially freezing your drinks before you pack your picnic helps minimise the risk of spilling while keeping your drinks colder for longer, even if they're left sitting in the sun.

For store-bought drinks and other items just remember that a bottle or can opener may be needed, so it’s always good to have them in the picnic bag, just in case!

Dessert

No picnic is complete without a tasty snack for dessert, and these homemade dark chocolate cookies definitely make the cut.

The recipe is simple - it only has six ingredients! You'll need dark chocolate, butter, sugar, two eggs, baking powder, and flour.

The best way to keep your cookies fresh on a picnic is to pack them in an airtight container with a piece of stale bread - it keeps your cookies fresh and soft until you are ready to eat them. 

When it comes to dessert, try to avoid solid chocolate or frosting, both of which could melt in the sun. Store bought or homemade cookies, brownies, or even more fresh fruit can also be a great picnic dessert. 

Kid-Friendly Munchies

Picnics are a great way to get the kids outdoors and to explore a new place around Perth. However, kids can be messy even at home, so it's usually better to keep it simple. Fresh cut local fruit or veggies are a good option, or, if you want to let the kids help with the preparation, consider a simple recipe like devilled eggs or homemade fruit, nut and seed bars.

Author Bio: This post was written by Jodee Wearne, the owner and manager of Just In Time Gourmet in Perth. Jodee and her family, love heading out on picnics which is why they have created a speciality range of gourmet picnic hampers to tempt the taste buds, which can be delivered directly to your door (with free Perth metro delivery!) – see these here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Print Hall

To celebrate Becoming the WA Finalist for The Noosa International Food and Wine Show ILVE Presents Australia's Best Home Cook , my Hubby and I were invited to Print Hall for the media launch the next day along with Jim Berardo and Greg O'Brien, the co-founders of the Festival and a few of the sponsors. Print Hall has been on my list for so long I was excited to try Executive Chef Shane Watsons amazing food. We headed to the function room on the 2nd floor and it didn't take me long to spot the menu and folded in the napkins.

Duck Liver Parfait was my Hubby's first course. Generous mounds of lovely smooth and rich parfait topped with salted plum, cherry and Geraldton wax.

My first course was the vegetarian option; New Season Vegetables which was lovely steamed asparagus and yellow squash, savoury soya milk and a big roasted malt wafer! I love asparagus and the fresh dill paired with the other elements perfectly!

For mains I had the Pan Roasted Barramundi that was topped with Coorong Pippis, courgette and dill. The skin was lovely and crispy and the Barra cooked to perfection.

David Blackmore's Wagyu Beef Bavette was a cracker of a dish! My husband loved the cut of beef which they cooked perfectly medium-rare and it was accompanied with leek, roasted pepper, cornichons, beef tendon and a rich jus. The beef tendon was soft; almost jelly like with a light meaty flavour, quite hard to describe.

The desserts we chose were Sweet Chaos with sweet parfait, honeycomb, mandarin and lavender and The Bittersweet Chocolate Tart which was lovely dark chocolate ganache snaked across the plate adorned with caramel almonds, crumbled caramel popcorn and ice cream. Both desserts were delicious.

 

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ILVE presents Australias Best Home Cook Competition - Noosa International Food and Wine Festival 2015 and Lunch at Print Hall

Earlier this year I received an email congratulating me that I'd been chosen as a finalist for a Competition held by The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival. The competition is ILVE Presents "Australia's Best Home Cook" and its to showcase the rise of the modern, everyday home cook.

After receiving more info about the cook-off it was all coming excitingly clear that I had a 1 in 3 chance to represent WA and attend the Festival In May at Noosa! What a fantastic prize!

The dish I'd chosen is a very easy dish, in fact the recipe is here. It's called Shakshuka and is basically a thick tomato sauce with Moroccan spices, beans and chorizo. Its simmered for a good 30-40 minutes before cracking some eggs around in the sauce and letting the hot simmering cook the eggs to your liking. It is then served with crusty bread to mop up the tasty goodness.

Cook off day had arrived and I headed to the ILVE Showroom in Osborne Park. My Hubby then met up with me at the showroom for moral support and to bring my bread knife that I forgot!

Cooking at home in your own kitchen is fun, comfortable and every appliance you know how to use. Cooking in a foreign kitchen is a quite daunting; not to mention cooking under pressure and the judges watching your every move. The showroom was full of beautiful brand new ovens, gas cook tops and induction cook tops which took a little help from the friendly staff on how to use, but once we knew, it took a bit of stress off.

I was so happy to see that my big heavy based Scanpan pan I brought from home worked on the new induction cook top, so I used that to cook my dish and the heat control was fantastic. Usually at home when I simmer on low I find it catches on the bottom of the pan but this was simmering the whole pan gently and constant.

We had 2 hours to cook off and the ambience wasn't stressful but more calm. We had all obviously cooked our dishes heaps of times before, so we eased straight into cooking mode fast.

My dish was presented, eaten and judged 2nd in line. I gave the judges a brief description of the dish and explained how versatile and easy it was to cook.

The judges deliberated and their decision was final. I was stoked to be chosen as the winner of the WA round!! I now get the chance to cook off in May at the Noosa Festival. I've never been to Noosa but I've been hearing its a lovely place and the Festival is so much fun, I'm really looking forward to it!!

To celebrate my Hubby and I were invited to Print Hall for the media launch the next day along with Jim Berardo and Greg O'Brien, the co-founders of the Festival and a few of the sponsors. Print Hall has been on my list for so long I was excited to try Executive Chef Shane Watsons amazing food. We headed to the function room on the 2nd floor and it didn't take me long to spot the menu folded in the napkins.

Duck Liver Parfait was my Hubby's first course. Generous mounds of lovely smooth and rich parfait topped with salted plum, cherry and a smear of Geraldton wax on the side.

My first course was the vegetarian option; New Season Vegetables which was lovely steamed asparagus and yellow squash, savoury soya milk and a big roasted malt wafer! I love asparagus and the fresh dill paired with the other elements perfectly!

For mains I had the Pan Roasted Barramundi that was topped with Coorong Pippis, courgette and dill. The skin was lovely and crispy and the Barra cooked to perfection.

David Blackmore's Wagyu Beef Bavette was a cracker of a dish! My husband loved the cut of beef which they cooked perfectly medium-rare and it was accompanied with leek, roasted pepper, cornichons, beef tendon and a rich jus. The beef tendon was soft; almost jelly like with a light meaty flavour, quite hard to describe.

The desserts we chose were Sweet Chaos with sweet parfait, honeycomb, mandarin and lavender and The Bittersweet Chocolate Tart which was lovely dark chocolate ganache snaked across the plate adorned with caramel almonds, crumbled caramel popcorn and ice cream. Both desserts were delicious.

Extremely satisfied from our sumptuous lunch we then had a speech from one of the Founders of the Noosa Festival Jim Berardo who gave us a brief history of the event and how its changed and grown over the years. Jim Berardo and Greg O'Brien first started the Festival over a decade ago as a way to thank all the suppliers of the Berardo Restaurant. It's gotten bigger and better each year and now has over 25,000 people attending the 4 day event each year.

Jim then introduced Print Hall's Executive Chef Shane Watson to everyone and he gave a speech about the menu that we just ate and his plans for The Noosa Festival.  If your planning on heading to The Noosa International Food &Wine Festival this year Shane will be in charge of the Audi Asian Food Trail on the Thursday and Friday so get your tickets!

I cannot wait for May to roll around and get a chance to attend this awesome festival and cook off against the other fantastic Home Cooks!

Keep an eye out for my next post: Australia's Best Home Cook Competition Finale!

Visit The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival Website.

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Kailis Fish Cafe - Leederville

Kailis in Leederville has been on my list for a while to try. I've bought some seafood from here a few times before and always felt a bit envious of the diners in the café sipping their wines and enjoying the freshly cooked seafood nearby.

We headed into Leederville on a very warm Saturday just before noon where we found parking easily just behind the café. So we walked up and were seated quickly near the window.

We decided to order 2 cocktails to start, a Mai Tai for my Husband and a Peach Bellini for me.

My Peach Bellini was so good. Italian prosecco combined with peach liqueur and peach nectar it really hit the spot on that warm day.

The kids menu mainly consists of seafood but also has the non-seafood option of Spaghetti with Tomato Salsa. All are $9.90 and they come with a free water in a plastic cup with a lid and straw. The kids are also kept busy with colouring in packs, which is handy.

We decided to share the seafood platter for 2 which was $90. The chilli mussels were nice and the thick tomato sauce had a nice flavour. The massive prawns on top however were overcooked and quite rubbery to eat which was a bit disappointing because prawns are my favourite seafood!

The scallops were crumbed in the half shell with chilli and herbs and were lovey, soft and sweet to eat.
The platter also came with a squid stir fry that had a lovely Asian flavour, my Hubby loved this dish the most.

The stand out on the platter I think was the beer battered fish and the pan fried salmon fillets. Both tasted so fresh and were cooked to perfection!

Our daughter had the Kids Fish and Chips which was the perfect size and nicely presented. Once again the battered fish was so good, it was all eaten!

I ordered a glass of Lamont's Quartet Classic White $10 to sip whilst finishing off the platter.

At the end we ordered some affogato's. The coffee was nice and rich and was a nice way to finish the meal.

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Homestead Brewery for Breakfast

A few days into the new year we decided to try out Homestead Brewery for Breakfast. We had plans for later that day to head to Outback Splash at The Maze in Bullsbrook but realised it didn't open till 10am, an hour later than we thought. So my Hubby suggested a quick breakfast at Homestead and who was I to say 'no!'.

We've been here plenty of times already for a few drinks and some lunch/nibbles and have had breakfast on my 'list' to try for a while, that along with the Mandoon Estate Degustation Lunch or Dinner.

We arrived at about 9am and was surprised to find the place almost empty, with 2 other tables dining. I put this down to everyone still being on Christmas Holidays because I've heard this place isn't this quiet for breakfast on the weekends.

We grabbed some menus and decided to sit outside seeing as though it was going to be a nice day.

The waiter gave us enough time to decide on our drinks and we ordered our usuals; a Cappuccino and a Long Macchiato topped up.

 

Browsing through the menu you will find the 'usual suspects' being Bacon and Eggs, Eggs 'Benny' (a few ways) and Pancakes. Plus a few different items.

The coffee's were nice and smooth. No complaints...except that we didn't get take-aways for the road.

I had the Crispy Bacon and Eggs which came with a grilled field mushroom, tomato half and a slice of Sourdough Toast. The bacon was definitely crispy and my poached eggs were cooked to perfection. The sourdough toast could have done with some butter, so I piled my eggs on top.

Hubby had the Eggs Benedict which presented with 2 English muffins topped with ham, perfect poached eggs and 'that' sauce. The meal also came with the Homestead's 'Hashbrowns' which reminded me of little onion bhaji's.

They taste nothing like a bhaji but are crispy on the outside and soft and flavoursome on the inside. Thank goodness I had some of these on my plate too, because they were so tasty, I didn't want to share.

Our daughter had the Kids Pancakes (no surprise there) but wished there was more maple syrup! Perhaps a scoop of ice cream or cream would complete this cracker of a kids dish!?

So glad to cross a 'Homestead Breakfast' off my list today, it really is a great new place in the Swan Valley. We are locals and we probably are embarrassed to say how often we really do come here :-)

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