Moppity Vineyards, Hilltops NSW

It didn't come as a great surprise when the good folk at Moppity took home (yet another) award - Best new brand 2010, Quaff 2010. They've been very busy lately collecting awards and trophies. 
So we decided to go ahead and test the wine and see what the hooplah is all about! Well, in short, they've nailed it on every front. Great wine, great range and unbelievable price (though that'll change soon, inside sources have warned me). 
We were so impressed that we decided to put three of their wines on our wine-list: Cab Merlot, Rose and Sav Blanc. Central Ranges has emerged as a region to watch out for. Every year, something big comes out of that area. Thanks to people like Jason Brown, we haven't seen anything yet....

Veggie patch - spring is here!

XXXX Summer Bright Lager

I know I'm challenging a lot of loyalties here, but let me say this, Summer Bright is the Aussie answer (finally) to Corona. There might be a bit of a difference but I guess we can live with it. Now, I'm more of a wine kinda guy but every now and then I end up in situations where you shouldn't ask for wine if you dont want to labelled a w**ker. Just grab a beer. In those situations, I wouldn't mind a Summer Bright. It's light, fresh and crisp. Add that magical wedge of lemon and voilà! Now the serious part - it's so much cheaper than Corona.

Another beauty by Ben Glaetzer

Bishop, by Ben Glaetzer. 2009 Shiraz. It's so much more than what it seems like when you first open it. It evolves into something much larger, much more lovable overnight. Beautiful shiraz. Available for around $30 AU, this is a great wine to stock up on.
Great on its own. Medium-bodied, gentle spices and mesmerising aroma. Berries are evident and the palate is full. All of that aside, it has that something special about it. Something that makes it a love t first sip.
It's no secret that Ben Glaetzer has been changing the way wine is produced and made in the Barossa. For a few years, he's been busy belting out wines that are more elegant than in your face. Lot gentler than what most people expect from the Barossa. Wines that are thoroughly enjoyable. This is a fine example of all that class and elegance that Ben has added to Australian wine.

Healthiest meat in Australia!

If someone asked me what was the healthiest meat that I could get in Australia a few years ago, I would have said 'Organic Chicken'. Or 'Organic Lamb'. Or something like that. But back then, Kangaroo meat was something out of a trivia night.
All Kangaroo meat (to my knowledge, at least) is organic. As far as I know, Kangaroos used in the meat industry are all wild. They do not have any antibiotics or hormones applied by the humans to boost their growth. For a simple reason - there's no need for it. 
The more I know this meat, the more confused I get. Why isn't this the most popular meat out there? This is by far the healthiest meat available to mankind. It has no man-infused chemicals in it. It is the only source of a fat that is highly beneficial to humans (according to the CSIRO). It has huge quantities of iron it in. It tastes awesome! Then why? Why isn't it the most consumed meat in Australia? Even the hippies I see flocking the organic op-shops hardly ever go for organic Kangaroo meat. And contrary to the common belief, they do eat meat.
I have tried a few different recipes with Kangaroo meat. I like all of them. Actually, that's an understatement. I love all of them. Chilli Kangaroo stir-fry is awesome and a personal favourite. Kanga steaks on mash. Kanga curry. There's a lot you can do with this versatile meat.
The best part is that I don't have worry about all the chemicals, antibiotics and hormones that are a part of the meat industry in the west. I dont have to worry about getting some kind of cancer later on in my life. Human organs are not made to handle unnatural chemicals that we find in most meats and other food products today. It's all as simple as that.

Grill it!

Going by taste alone, I don't think there's a better way of cooking food than grilling it. And then there's the health-related stuff as well. Personally, if I can grill it rather than fry it or bake it, I grill it. If it's a lazy evening, beer is in the air, I char-grill it. And if it's chicken or lamb that we're talking about, I some times flame-grill it.

Some people say roasting works well as well. Yes it does. So does baking and deep frying. No dispute there at all. But grilling is the simplest and fastest way of cooking food that tastes great and is healthy and feel-good at the same time! So grill it!!

Here's a quick recipe that everyone can adopt and come up with a kick-ass chicken dish in less than ten minutes! Once you've marinated the chicken overnight (or for at least a few hours in the fridge). Enjoy!

Take 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat it in a pan. Add 5 tablespoons of tomato paste to it an mix well. Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the mix and keep cooking on low heat. Now add 1/4th of a cup of red wine (I go for a Cabernet Merlot, gives the chicken a robust taste and adds good colour) and keep heating till you can't smell the wine anymore. Now add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and let the mix cool.

Dice a half a kilo of chicken breast or thigh fillets (or use the whole fillets) and then mix with the mixture when it has cooled down (or else it starts to cook the chicken when mixed). Refrigerate overnight or at least for a few hours.

G R I L L:

If you do not have a grill, heat a pan and add some oil to it (spray oil works best). When the pan is hot and you can see the oil has heated up, throw the diced chicken in the pan or the fillets - you should hear a sizzle. cook on one side for approx. 3 minute and then turn and do the same. Once the chicken has been grilled completely, you can serve it with toasted bread and diced tomatoes and cucumbers. Too easy.

Grilled Sandwich - Vegetables and Cheese!

This one takes less than 5 minutes once you're grill is good to go!

Came up with this one on the go. Got myself a few vegetables from the markets. Chopped them up and threw them in the freezer last week. I do that genius stuff every now and again.

Yesterday afternoon, feeling a bit hungry, don't want a big lunch.... what do I do... oh! the frozen vegies. Out they come and voilà! One of the simplest lunch recipes was born.

Steamer ready! If not, boil some water. Throw the veggies in. They just need to been softened up a bit, not cooked entirely. The mix that I'm using is very simple -

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Carrots

Beans

You can use the frozen vegie packs from the supermarket. I just happen to be in the fresh markets every week so I usually do my own.

Use any type of bread, I use white (that's because I run and exercise) and spread the steamed vegies on the bread. Grate some cheese on the top when you're done. Some salt and pepper (freshly ground if that's an option). On to the grill and make sure the bread gets toasted nice and crisp - that ensures two things, one, the bread feels good to bite into and two, the cheese melts.

Nothing you didn't know! BUT. How many times have you DONE this in the last 2 years? Exactly.