Quick Dinner: Steak Sandwich

Oh my GOODNESS it’s been too long since I’ve posted! I’ve been a very slack food blogger this year, haven’t I? The Three Cheeses has celebrated its second birthday and I was nowhere around for it. Bummer. All I can say is that life has been busy, and I’ve actually been letting my roommates cook. Gasp, shock, horror, I know! The good news is that I have still been scribbling down recipes and taking photos, so prepare to see a few new things up soon.

To start off with, I thought I’d share this great recipe for a steak sandwich because it’s so darn easy and tasty. This is loosely based off of a Jamie Oliver recipe from 30 Minute Meals, but like any sandwich is so flexible that you don’t really need a recipe, you just need to know that it can be done.

I love this sandwich for several reasons. 1 – It makes one large steak feed four people. Alternately, it makes a few smaller leftover steaks (which are never that good the next day, honestly) into a delicious meal. 2 – It satisfies as well as the best pub food, for a fraction of the cost. 3 – It’s probably a million times healthier than aforementioned pub food, too!

Be flexible and creative with your ingredients, and you’re bound to love this steak sandwich too!

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Edited: February 1st, 2012

Creamy basil pesto dip from scratch

Mmm, don’t you just love fresh basil? It’s definitely one of my favourite herbs and I’m pretty sure I could eat pesto for months and not get sick of it—especially fresh, homemade pesto! Perhaps the only thing I love more is sushi, which I’m munching on while writing this lunchtime update.

I wish I could say that this basil was from my own garden, but alas I seem to be struggling to coax anything to grow except for my two gorgeous zucchini plants. Ah well. Summer has been taking its time arriving in Australia, so perhaps there is time yet for oodles of home-grown veggies and herbs!

This basil pesto dip was so easy to whip up before having guests over, and tasted great the next day too. The best part is that it isn’t made from pre-made pesto, so you have control over all of the ingredients and can adjust them to your taste. Enjoy!

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Edited: November 6th, 2011

Turkey Meatballs

I know, it seems a bit silly to be posting a turkey recipe after Canadian Thanksgiving, doesn’t it? My apologies to my fellow Canucks; this year I spent Thanksgiving itself at work (blame Australia!), and the lead-up to Thanksgiving in Fiji (blame no one, it was awesome). And, our recent celebration of Christmas in July has left me rather satiated on the big roast dinner thing. I never thought I would pass up the opportunity to gobble down stuffing and pumpkin pie, but I guess it was bound to happen one day.

Anyway! In hopes that some of you Americans will find this a lovely alternative to a roast turkey dinner at your Thanksgiving, and knowing that you Aussies don’t care anyway, here’s a delicious turkey meatball recipe for you to enjoy. It’s pretty easy to make and ever-so-tasty, plus, turkey mince tends to be cheaper on average than even chicken or beef mince. The recipe for homemade cranberry sauce is following shortly.

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Edited: October 28th, 2011

Butter Tarts

Gooey and delightful, butter tarts are a staple treat at any Canadian holiday—usually Christmas, but I’ve seen them at Thanksgiving and Easter as well. I actually had no idea that they were a Canadian specialty until I move to Australia and my tart-loving family-to-be (hehe, I had to!) had no idea what they were. Check out these other Canadian recipes too: Nanaimo bars, pumpkin pie, tourtière, and maple syrup pie!

There are two main varieties of butter tarts—those with “impurities” such as raisins or pecans, and those without. I guess I’m a purist because I prefer them without the added bits, but I’ll let you decide for yourself! I did cheat a bit for these ones and used pre-made pastry, which made making these an absolute cinch. But man pre-made pastries come with a lot of packaging. Blech—you sure pay for that convenience.

And I’m so sorry for not posting recently! There are happy reasons for this. One, I just started a new job doing online marketing for Good Return, a non-profit that does microfinance in the Asia Pacific. The transition from working at home to being in an office full time has made me a bit shy of time to do my normal photos & recipes… but never fear, a new balance will soon be reached! I was also back in Canada for three weeks visiting with friends and family, and doing lots and lots of wedding planning. (I’m sure you’ll hear plenty about that as time wears on!) Anyway, without further ado, let’s get this show back on the road!

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Edited: September 23rd, 2011