WELCOME TO MIAMI

Question: When the temperature drops below zero in NYC, where do you go?

Answer: Miami baby!

A white Christmas sounds good, but as an Aussie girl, I was desperate to thaw out from the sub-zero temps. With endless choices of where to go...there was one place we couldn't pass on, Miami. Three hours on a plane, and hello summer.

Mr. S has been once before, but for me, this was a whole-new-world. With only a week to research and book everything, it was time to put my game face on. It was all about the food and the sun. So I'm going to share my tips & hot spots to check out.

What we ate (and drank):

Dessert at Michael's Genuine Food

Breakfast of champions; fried chicken with biscuits

A cocktail with it's own lip-balm, SLS

Bazaar at SLS hotel: Dragon fruit ceviche, compete with foam

News cafe breakfast plate, did I mention this is for ONE!

La Sandwicherie, the salad was smaller, than the sandwich

Amazing tacos from Ola

Where (we wished &) we stayed:

SLS (poolside)

W Hotel

We stayed at Surf Comber

Restaurant recommendations:
- Michael's Genuine Food & Wine, the food is delicious with an ever changing menu - try go at lunch and enjoy the design district.
- Ola, rated the number one Mexican restaurant in South Beach, it's not traditional but worth a visit.
- Barton G, get your instragram shots ready, the most inventive ways of serving food you may ever see, Pop Tarts (made to order) served in a toaster.
- Juvia, South Beach is known for its architectural-carparks, and this restaurant sits up top, great views, go at sunset.  
- Yardbird Southern Table, we came for brunch & dinner on the same day. Nothing further needs to be said, just go eat there.
- Pinocchio, you'll feel like you've stepped out of Miami and into Italy. Great coffee for the Aussies who miss home.
- Scarpetta, you can't argue with a restaurant that serves, good meat, fish, pasta, sides, and makes it's own bread.   
- News Cafe, a great people watching experience as well as a very filling breakfast.
- The Dutch, we enjoyed several breakfasts here. There's great variety for a delicious breakfast, and has a great indoor-outdoor feel.
- La Sandwicherie, if you don't mind waiting, or eating on the run, you have to have a sandwich or salad here. they're big but delicious.
- Lantao, Surfcomber Hotel, if you feel like, Thai, you can't go past Lantao. 
- Casa Tua, the outside is so inviting you can't help but step in for an Italian meal.
- The 660, recommended for breakfast, and go hungry.
- Jerry's Famous Deli, there's nothing like a good Matzo ball soup in Miami, and there's no better place to get it than Jerry's.


Hotel recommendations:
- Fontainebleu
- SLS
- Surfcomber
- Delano
- Shelborne
- Dream Hotel
- W Hotel  

QUICK & EASY DINNERS PART 1

OK! So what was supposed to be a 10 day trip back to Sydney, was extended thanks to Sandy the superstorm. We're now back in NYC, with power and hot-water.

After 2 months alone in New York, it was time to have our first international guests! My Mr's cousins from Amsterdam. They are both at university and living out of home, and couldn't wait to spend the week in New York with their cousin and to finally taste my food, rather than just drooling over instagram pictures. (The meal that I prepared for them will be coming in the next few days.)

This recipe however, is for Mu, she's living with eight (yes that's eight) girls in Utrecht and was desperate for some quick, cheap and easy dinner ideas. Looking through my past dinners, I realised almost all of them were done post-work, & post grocery shop.

So without further blabbing - I give you my Sabich recipe. Well maybe a little more blabber, to give the origin. One theory is Sabich comes from the Arabic word "sabach", which means morning, as the ingredients are typical of a Middle Eastern breakfast. The other is that it's an acronym in Hebrew Salad (סלט), Egg (ביצה), More Eggplant (יותר חציל).

Whatever the origin - it's delish and a great option for dinner - not to mention HEALTHY!

Ingredients: (this amount will be perfect for 2-3 dinners and lunches)
1 pkt Lebanese bread (you can use either wholemeal or white)
6 x hard boiled eggs, cut in quarters
2 x eggplant, cut into chips (skin on)
2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tsp Moroccan spices (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 x quarter red cabbage, sliced
3 tbs white vinegar
1/2 tsp caster sugar
3 x pickles, halved
3 x tomatoes, sliced (you can use any that are in season)
2 x Lebanese cucumbers, thinly sliced
Hummus (one of my favourite brands is Yalla)
Flat leaf parsley to garnish
Harrisa, optional

Method:
To cook the eggplant:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees, fan forced.
2. Place the eggplant on a line baking tray.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the eggplant, it doesn't have to completely cover the slice, just a little will do.
4. Sprinkle over the spices & place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of the eggplant. Take them out when they are a little dark around the edges, but still a little soft in the middle. 

Cut up the veggies while the eggplant is in the oven. 

To cook the cabbage: 

1. Put the cabbage, vinegar and sugar in a medium size pot. 
2. Cook on a medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. 
3. When the cabbage is slightly opaque it's ready. 

To construct a Sabich:

1. Place a slice of Lebanese bread on your plate.
2. Spread out a spoon (or two) full of hummus length-ways down the middle of the bread.
3. Add a teaspoon of Harrisa if you like an extra kick of spice.
4. Grab the grilled eggplant and place a 4 or 5 pieces, running length-ways on top of the hummus.
5. Repeat with the cabbage, pickles, tomatoes, cucumber, egg, & parlsey - you can use as much or little as you like, but remember it has to roll up. 
6. To ensure the wrap seals, add some extra hummus in the middle. 
7. Fold up the bottom & close in the two sides. 

HINT: the best way to keep it wrapped up, keep on eating and don't put it down :)

PRESENTATION: If you're having people over, serve up the ingredients in different bowls. People can help themselves to what they like.

Also, I have to thank my brother-in-law, who introduced us to the Sabich in Israel, was the perfect pre-flight snack.

Shooz Does Healthy Dessert

It might be hard to believe, but I've found a healthy and delicious mid-week dessert (the weekend should should be all about splurge). It came from a quick perusal of the fridge and cupboards, the beauty of this is, you can use what you have in your own cupboards.

The finished product, ticked everything on my "healthy dessert" checklist:

• Tasty
• Sweet  
• Filling
• Crunchy (a la MasterChef)
  ...and when on the table could pass for dessert without people screwing up their faces!

 So with a resounding yes (from the voices in my head) I give you... 

BERRY-HEALTHY TRIFLE.

Ingredients:

• Strawberry yoghurt (I use Barambah Organic)
• 4 x strawberries, sliced
• 1 tbs pumpkin seeds
• handful hazelnuts and almonds, chopped

Method:

1. Use a glass cup (I used Bodum), so you can see the layers & it looks great. 
2. Start with the yoghurt for the first layer, depending on the size of the glass, roughly 1 tbs will do. 
3. Cover the first layer of yoghurt with a few strawberry slices.
4. Sprinkle the nut & seeds over the strawberries. 
5. Add another layer of sliced strawberries. 
6. Repeat starting with the yoghurt again and finish with the remainder of the nut & seed mix. 

* You can use a variety of fruits, nuts and seeds. Depending on the season & your preferences. 

A sweet treat with NO GUILT, what more could you ask for?

SHOOZ & THE ANTIPASTO PLANK

So shock horror, I love MasterChef - I know, I keep on surprising - but my love deepened when my favourite chef, Jamie Oliver was a guest chef.

I mean who doesn't love Jamie Oliver? He speaks as fast as he chops, and the end result is sophisticated but relatively easy to recreate! And that's what I like to do! So after watching MasterChef - I set myself the challenge.

Hint: The challenge was this: the three girls up for immunity had 45 minutes to create there own "Antipasto Plank" - Jamie Oliver's life changed for the better when he came up with his own plank - the pro (Jamie) had 30 minutes. Let the FUN begin! No surprise, Jamie's antipasto won-over the judges hearts.

Yep that's it!

Ever since - I can't stop thinking about it. So I set myself the challenge, the Shooz Antipasto Plank. And yes, I did it in under 45 minutes, and was a great dinner. A little much for just me, but there was plenty of leftovers for hubby and I for lunch, conciliation prize!

I hope you like it...

  

ANTIPASTO:

2 x pieces of toast 

Hummus, topped with Harrisa and good olive oil

Tahina, topped with sesame seeds and cracked pepper

ROAST TOMATOES: 

Tomatoes (still on the vine), placed on a lined baking tray, seasoned with salt and pepper. place in the oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool down and place on a bed of crumbled feta. 

BLACK BEAN & AVO SALAD:

Drain and rinse a can of black beans, and place into a bowl. Cut one avocado and throw into the bowl. Top with chopped shallots, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Finish with a sprinkle of coriander.

GREEN VEGGIE DELIGHT:

In a medium size pot, cook a teaspoon of garlic, add chopped asparagus & broccolini (chilli optional), squeeze in half a lemon and cook for 5 minutes with a lid on. Serve on a bed of baby spinach leaves and finish with toasted pine nuts on top. 

I think this will be the first of many planks! 

Be sure to comment if you tried it yourself or need a hand. 

Love Shooz xx