FOOD, FUN, LAUGHTER and SONG – these are the words that come to mind when I think about our Sunday family dinners and our last one was no exception.
Last Sunday was such a warm sunny day, which seems to be the norm in Melbourne at the moment and I’m loving it, so we had dinner out on our verandah.
My menu consisted of the following dishes:
- Roast pork belly and RAINBOW COLESLAW – an amazing combination.
- Yemista – a Greek dish of tomatoes and peppers stuffed with fragrant herbs, rice and minced beef.
- CRUNCHY ROAST POTATOES sprinkled with sea salt – all golden on the outside and soft on the inside.
- GREEK SALAD – a must on our table, always!
- GREEN SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING – made with fresh Spring vegetables.
- Tiramisu and Peanut Butter Cocoa Bliss Balls for dessert.
Some might say that’s a lot of food, but my family have a huge appetite and I’d rather have leftovers than not enough – not that there is ever very much left over.
You’ve probably also noticed there is a wide variety of dishes. Well, that’s because some of us have food intolerances or issues eating certain food, which means I need to carefully consider that the menu offers something for everyone. That might sound like hard work, but I actually love the challenge it presents.
One food I usually worry about cooking is pork because it can be hit and miss for me, and I’m not sure why. But based on the comments on Sunday, the pork belly was tasty, succulent and delicious and the crackling, crunchy.
I had the pork belly sitting on lemon slices, fresh fennel and apple cider while it baked for 3 hours and I think the flavours that were infused in the meat during that time made all the difference to the taste. It’s the third time I’ve cooked it this way and it’s worked out great, so I think I’ll stick with it. Also, the contrast of flavours between the sweet, salty pork and the fresh tangy coleslaw, made this dish extra tasty.
Making the yemista was a last minute decision, but I’m so glad I made this dish because it was very popular with a lady who does not usually eat meat. I haven’t put my recipe for yemista on my blog yet, but I hope to very soon so look out for it.
Salad of any type is always popular with my family, but Greek salad has to be THE one that is rarely missing from our dinner table and NEVER EVER left uneaten (Theo makes sure of that!). It’s a salad that just seems to go well with anything.
It’s really delicious in summer when tomatoes and cucumbers are at their best, and with a drizzle of really good quality extra virgin olive oil – OMG, you just can’t beat it!
So, enough about the food. Now let me tell you a little about the fun, laughter and song in just one word – PEDRO – my 2 year old grandson.
Pedro is a delightful little boy who brings so much joy to our lives. He was born with a love of music (genes he got from his dad, I’m sure), so any time he hears it he starts to dance. And on Sunday, when we were sitting around the table chatting after finishing dinner, that’s exactly what he did as soon as my husband played a song by the rock band Bad Company. Anyone under 40 is unlikely to know of this band, but Pedro didn’t care, he just wanted to dance.
When the song started, Pedro’s eyes lit up and he started tapping his hands and moving his arms to the beat of the music, which always makes us laugh. At one stage he even started shaking his head just like Angus from ACDC. Watching Pedro having so much fun was a great way to end another Sunday family dinner.
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Does your family spend time together over a meal?
Note: Any dishes that do not have links means that I have not yet posted the recipe - sorry. However, I plan to do so soon, so look out for them in coming weeks.
Meatballs and Muffins 