If Clare had sent us 720 cans of soy creamy cooking milk we so would have done this!

It’s a soy milk hot spring!! Only in Japan…

But to be sent 3 cans of Carnation’s latest product Soy Creamy Cooking Milk meant good eating times instead of bathing times (big thanks to Clare). Soy is a big part of the vegetarians diet as it has health benefits and also a good replacement for dairy products for lactose intolerant people. At first we were quite unsure of what to make as we are not fluent in the language of vegetarianism and soy but it was quite a journey to learn more about this under-appreciated product.

Our 3 cans meant a 3 course meal of soy goodness!

I decided to go with good old mac n cheese from Cook with Jaime

However I added my own twist and of course more cheese than recommended which is good for some people but can be bad for others.

Boil the macaroni so that it is slightly undercooked. On a heavy set pan heat up a nice slab of buttery goodness and add in the marjoram. Add the drained macaroni and some reserved cooking water into the buttery pan then add in the magic…

I used ricotta, a mini wheel of camembert and parmesan. Sprinkle it all in and watch the stringy, gooey pile just meld into one. Then add in the Soy Creamy Cooking Milk to complete the dish.

Pour all of the mac and cheese into a baking dish; add some breadcrumbs and more cheese on top and into a preheated oven to get a golden browned, crunchy crust.

The result was surprisingly good as the soy flavor was not too strong. I think the cheese covered most of the flavoured but the creaminess of the soy cooking milk meant that the macaroni was not too dry. There camembert was slightly overpowering so next time I shall be trying a different type of cheese but the breadcrumbs and extra parmesan created a beautiful crust on top.

For the main course D came up with a creamy and tasty Beef Stroganoff. And use we used REAL beef stock because we were making a REAL beef stroganoff (I mean it… REALly).

Dairy-Free Beef Stroganoff:
500g of sliced lean beef
2 cups of chopped button mushrooms
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup of soy milk
1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
salt
pepper
extra virgin olive oil

This is the most simple variation of a classic Russian dish, where seasoning is the most basic. Simply cook the beef until desired then remove from heat. Sauté the mushrooms until browned and then take off the heat as well. For the sauce, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil into a small saucepan and whisk in the flour over low heat until it is combined. Next, add the remaining ingredients until it is slightly thickened and then add salt and pepper to taste.

You can choose to put the cooked beef into the sauce as we did, or serve the beef on a bed of rice and then pour the sauce over.

This beef stroganoff starts off with a creamy, mustard hit with only the slightest nutty aftertaste from the soy creamy cooking milk. The tender meat and soft mushrooms combination meant that it was definitely a warm winter comfort dish. It was also surprisingly easy to make and recommend to anybody who wants to have a go in the kitchen.

For dessert Cupcake decided to make a creamy and tasty mango pudding. Yum ^^!

2 mangoes

1 ½ tbs gelatine

100g sugar

1 ½ cups hot water

1 C carnation milk

2 egg yolk

Blend fresh milk and mango puree (can set aside one for dicing)

Mix gelatine and sugar in hot water – then put over ban marie

Stir constantly over steaming water to make a clear gel

Beat egg yolks

Gradually mix milk into yolks

Then add gelatine syrup

Pour into mould

Chill until set

The soy meal ended with a sweet and creamy note with this smooth and silky mango pudding. The soy creamy cooking milk was more obvious as it did resemble the nutty flavour of almond pudding from Chinese restaurants. I thought it was a successful 3 course meal and the soy was surprisingly friendly to use. The healthy factor was also a good thing to keep in mind as you drizzle those nice chunks of mango pudding with condensed milk ^^!

Milo begging for some food hee hee!; A shot for the girls…. guys in the kitchen; Cupcake and her mango puddings

FFichiban

There are not many things that would get me out of bed voluntarily, during the wee morning hours of the weekend. But one major motivator is the promise of a good relaxing weekend spent with friends in the form of a fishing trip on the Hawkesbury River. The generous Billy (A Table FOR TWO) recruited an awesome combination of crew for the fishing trip, photographers and foodbloggers! This meant many good times captured on the undeniable lens of truth as well as a 30 hour eating fest provided by Billy, The Pom, Helen (Grab Your Fork), Suze (Chocolatesuze), Simon (The <3 of Food), Tim (Monkeyboy), Beardman and Big O’ D.

Welcome Aboard our boat… “BIG DICKIE!” of Holidays Afloat

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