Auckland Restaurant Month- Hectors

It’s Restaurant Month here in Auckland. Meaning that a lot of great places are joining in and offering deals to showcase their food.
Hector’s Restaurant, in The Heritage Hotel is a vegan staple.   You can see my review  from a year ago here

If you’re in Auckland, I urge  you to take full advantage of Restaurant Month. What better time to exercise those foodie taste buds? Visit   Heart of the City webpage to find out more about who is taking part.

Anyway, back to Hector’s. Last Friday evening, my partner and I made the impromptu trip to my favourite restaurant in Auckland.

Apparently you are meant to call more than an hour before hand, in order for the chefs to ensure they have all the correct ingredients, to take advantage of the Restaurant Month deal. But they were able to squeeze us in, and we are very grateful for that.

As always, our server was amazing. Herman looked after us, and was incredibly attentive- he gets all the points.

For $55pp you get a 3 course meal off of a set ‘Restaurant Month’ menu- there is a vegan and also a ‘normal’ menu to chose from.

With some vegan wine we got ready for a great meal.

Rockburn Riesling 

Macadamia Cheese and Poached Vegetable Salad with Beet Puree

Anyone who knows me, will tell you I hate salads, making this an odd choice.
  I won't lie, it was the word cheese that swayed me, not salad. Luckily though, there were no leaves in sight and who doesn't love a baby carrot?

I enjoyed this starter, it was light and the flavours were great. The cheese was a bit of a let down, kind of gritty, but I'm glad I chose the salad- try new things and all that.

Truffled Mushroom Tart, Hazelnut Salad, and Balsamic Reduction.

There is that word again, salad. I did eat a bit of it, but I chose this for the tart. I've had this dish before and LOVE IT. It's beautifully made, very flavourful. Ever since becoming vegan, I've had a love affair with mushrooms. They make such a great alternative to meat, so earthy.

This time, it was a bit heavy on the salt, but I haven't had that issue in the past (bear in mind I hate using salt, so I'm quite sensitive to it.)

Chocolate Mousse and Raw Hazelnut Brownie

 Chocolate, brownie, chocolate...and some nuts with freeze dried raspberry. The mousse was very decadent and I wouldn't have wanted more than what was served, as it's quite heavy. As for the raw brownie, it reminded me of soft granola and that is not a bad thing. I really enjoyed the addition of freeze dried raspberries too.

My partner had the fritters (I say my partner had, I did too)

Banana Fritters with Mango Sorbet and Ginger

What a lovely photo of my arm's shadow. 

The fritters  and sorbet weirdly matched the chocolate mousse. But what I really loved about this was the ginger syrup, it went perfectly with the mango sorbet.

 We really enjoyed our evening out at Hectors. it was a great chance to eat some loved food and also try something new. I intend on taking full advantage of what Restaurant Month has to offer Auckland.

So give Restaurant Month a go. You might find a new favourite spot.  



Au Revoir my Lovelies

Rachael x

Pumpkin Soup

I made this over the weekend for part of a 3 course Mothers Day meal. Not to toot my own horn, but it's delicious, and so simple. Perfect for the cold winter.

 Ingredients 

- ½ crown pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes 

-4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes 

-3 onions, peeled and chopped up 

-olive oil or vege oil, about 6 tbsp 

-3/4 tsp ground nutmeg 

-1/4 cup white sugar 

-salt and pepper to taste

-vegetable stock . 

- 2 tsp of smoked paprika

METHOD:

1.Sweat the veggies in the oil, nutmeg and sugar on a med to low heat until the pumpkin goes kinda mushy on the outside. 

2. Cover with vegie stock, then season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the veg is cooked. 

3. Let cool a little while then blend the soup in batches and put back into a clean pot and add a little more stock if too thick to thin it out, check seasoning, and add paprika.

And Ta Da, you are done. This freezes great, so make a large batch, split into Tupperware and freeze for a quick lunch.  

Let me know if you give this recipe a go.

Rachael xx

Stray cat?

Blurry, I know. I'm sorry.

This cat has a tendency to eat all of my cat, Blu's food. 

He comes in through the cat flap, feasts on wet food, and snuggles up on freshly washed clothes. He's living the high life, with no commitment to a family. 

We've caught him numerous times. But no matter how much water you throw at him, how many times you chuck him out, or the dog barks- this cat always finds his way back in. He's persistent, and obviously very carefree- lovely cat qualities. I feel he tosses up the decision like this: 'they have a huge Staffordshire bull/ boxer cross, I really should stay away....buuuut foooood. Yep, I'm going in!' 

Which kind of makes it even more sad. He is obviously desperate, and  there is even a possibility he does have a family. And If he does- he should be taken from them anyway. He is skinny, clearly hungry for loves, and has, what looks like, an infected eye. 

Don't get me wrong, he's a lovely, gentle cat, far more loving than my Blu. I wish we could keep him, but our dog would try to eat him.  

I know it's a long shot, but he is honestly the sweetest cat- even Blu seems to like him. We often find them snuggled up together (maybe they are boyfriends?) if anyone does recognise this cat, please let me know. We are almost at the point of taking him into the vet. 

For good measure, here's Blu. 

Rachael x

Letting the blog down

Life has been crazy but great. And unfortunately, that means I've been neglecting you. 

I've been traveling loads, and focusing on my job. 

When I started this blog, I was working part time in a job I hated, then made redundant and jobless for months. This blog became a haven for me, a place to express myself when I felt trapped and lost. 

I don't want my efforts with this blog to go to waste, this isn't a goodbye, it's a hello. To you the reader, to the blog itself, and to the me I want to become again-the me that takes the time to do what I love, write. 

Ingredient of the Month- Quinoa.

Qu-I-no-A? Queen-O-A? Kai-O-noa?

Oh the ever elusive pronunciation of Quinoa. (It's KEEN-wha by the way.)

Quinoa has been around for thousands of years, though only recently has it become a popular ingredient, and dubbed a superfood. 

A complete protien, quinoa is the only plant food featuring all essential amino acids. It's also gluten free, low GI, low carbohydrate, and high fiber. It's pretty much a complete food. 

Whether you are a health nut, trying to lose weight, or are just after some good wholesome food, try quinoa. 

There is, however, a nack to cooking it. 

First off you need to make sure you give it a good wash as most don't come prewashed, and quinoa naturally has a bitter coating. 

You then boil it using a 1:1 water ratio. It will take between 10-15 mins to cook. What you're looking for is a small hook to begin to pop out- if, by this time, your water hasn't all been soaked up, strain it. Otherwise use a fork to mix the quinoa around, trying to get as much air in it as possible- you want fluffy quinoa.

Quinoa is relatively flavourless, the black and red varieties being more earthy than the white- and will also take a bit longer to cook. All 3 colours are natural, so don't worry about any possible bleaching. 

This is a really versatile food. It can be used in baking, as a replacement to potato, rice or pasta, added to soup, or bread. Here's a really basic recipe to get you started.

Ingredients:

1.1 cup of quinoa

2. 1 cup of water

3. 1 stock cube

4. Tin of chopped tomato

5. 3 cloves of crushed garlic

6. 1 medium onion

7. Handful of button mushrooms

8. 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

9. Pinch of salt.

Recipe:

1. Chop the onion, garlic and mushroom to suit. 

2. In a saucepan add the quinoa, water, and stock and bring to boil.

3. In a fry pan, fry off your onion, garlic, and mushroom(filling the room with that amazing smell)

4. Add the tin of tomato and simmer until the tomatoes turn to a dull red.

5. Add paprika, and salt. 

6. Once you're satisfied with your quinoa, take it off the heat (sieve if you need to) let if cool for a minute or two, using a fork to stir it every so often. 

7. Stir the qunioa into the sauce and voila!

I hope you enjoyed this first Ingredient of The Month. Let me know if you try this recipe or what you love to do with quinoa.

Au Revoir my lovelies Rachael x

Current Favourites

As it has been a long time since I last posted ( a few months, I'm sorry) I think a favourites might be a good place to start.

Eco Store Hand cream.

Since realising that your hands are a dead give away of your age- as most people forget to take care of them- I've been addicted to hand cream and addicted to finding the perfect vegan one.

I tried a few.  But for the most part, I felt like they just made my hands smell nice. Nothing wrong with a nice smelling hand of course, but I need to feel like a hand cream is doing a bit more for my skin. So while on my way to work one day, I popped into the Eco Store and bought this lovely thing.

As with all of the Eco Store's products, the packaging is 100% recycled and carbon neutral. The other good thing about this brand is that they only use ingredients that are necessary- meaning no nasty chemicals or additives. 

I've been giving this light hand cream a go and really enjoying it. There is something therapeutic in taking a moment out to just care for your hands- because they do a lot, touch a lot and that all shows as you age. Everyone's hands deserve a little TCL. I even give my, gym-caused-callus-ridden, boyfriend hand massages to make sure they get looked after.

This formula is non greasy, meaning I can apply it and not have to worry about making everything I touch slimy- which is always nice. As it's a light moisturiser, I can feel it lets my skin breathe but gives it the moisture it needs. If you're in the market for a new hand cream or want to start taking better care of your hands- try the Eco Store. 

Sukin Nourishing Lip Treatment.

As the softening ingredient in most lip balms is bees wax- it can prove quite difficult trying to find a vegan friendly one. But not to fear, for I have found a good quality one!

Since discovering Sukin, I will admit I have become a little obsessed with them. You can see my review of some of their products here.

Like the Eco Store, Sukin is carbon neutral and free of dodgy ingredients. 

If you've ever tried Hurraw, you will understand when I say that although they smell nice- it did nothing does nothing for your lips. This Lip Treatment on the other hand, is great. The smell is rather neutral- just a hint of Shea butter.

I went years without a lip balm and got into the bad habit of biting my lips, meaning I was in need of this beauty. After using it two days, my chapped, sore lips were 85% better. It's incredibly hydrating, and it has great staying power due to its thick formula. 

I will be repurchasing this for a long time. 

Real Techniques- Core Collection.

I've wanted Real Techniques bushes for a while.  I mainly use the Eco Tools brushes that I bought a few years ago, and are still in really good shape (am hoping to get more on net trip to UK in Dec) but Real Techniques are renowned for their quality, I had to get my hands on some.

After having an issue with Fishpond over shipment of this collection, I decided to buy it from Life Pharmacy.They cost about $40 for the set of four.  You can find Real Techniques in most pharmacies. 

Core Collections features:

Buffing Brush: I've been mainly using this for press and loose powder.

Contour Brush: This I use for contour and press powder in small areas. 

Pointed Foundation Brush: I don't use this one unless I have the time. It's a pretty small brush so it can take a while to cover your whole face- I prefer to use my fingers.

Detailer Brush: This one is great for concealer in small areas or even for precision cream eye-shadow. 

What I really wanted to find out about these brushes was how soft they are, and also if they shed. No one likes a face covered in brush hairs when applying foundation. 

Luckily they leave my face brush-hair free. Obviously, the real test for softness and shedding will be time. 

I feel like I've been spoilt by using Eco Tools for so long. Although, Real Techniques are very soft, they don't really come close to the softness of Eco Tools. 

When it comes down to how well they do the job, I'm not going to pretend I am any sort of cosmetics expert. I don't really know what I'm doing, or what the real purpose of most brushes are, but I find my own uses for them and they work pretty well. They are easy to clean and apply make up pretty flawlessly. 

I am really enjoying using these brushes at the moment. You can definitely tell when you're using good quality products. 

I would love to add more Real Techniques to my collection.

Strawberries.

It's that time of year again. Who doesn't love the sign outside the grocers 2 punnets for $4?

Whether they are covered in sugar, chocolate, in a smoothie, fruit salad, or just as a snack on their own- strawberries are so sweet and beautiful at the moment. And the way the weather in Auckland is going at the moment- they are the only good thing about summer. 

Archie. 

Archie is by far my most favourite thing on this list. 

About 5 months ago, I got the idea in my head that I wanted a dog and within 2 weeks, Archie was living with us. 

We got him from The SPCA and apparently he and his siblings were found abandoned under a house. 

When we visited they had all been adopted apart from Archie (he was called Taffy at the time), we were told that no one was interested in him because of his unusual markings. Apparently he is a Staffy cross, but they can't be certain. We now know he has Boxer in him. 

His story tugged on our heart strings, so we had to meet him. He was subdued at first, but soon came out of his shell, and we fell in love. 

At 8 months old he is the most loving thing, very clumsy, and loves nothing more than a good snuggle. 

If you ever intend to adopt a pet, please check out The SPCA. And if there isn't one close to you, please make sure you do a background check on any place you might be looking to adopt from to ensure it's not a puppy mill or something similar. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my current favourites. Promise you won't have to wait so long again for an update. 

Au Revoir My Lovelies.

Rachael. x

A New Beginning

It's been a while since my last blog post. 

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months. 

But enough is enough! I love writing and I love this blog. Time to get back into it. 

You'll notice it looks a bit different around here. I decided that as I neglected this blog for so long, it deserves some TLC, a re-vamping if you will. 

So, I'd like to formally introduce you to the improved Rachael Claudette blog. 

There is some exciting stuff to come, so hit that follow button and enjoy.

Au revoir my lovelies

Rachael.x