We had some friends arrive yesterday. Well I use the term friends quite loosely, we didn’t actually know this family from a bar of soap but we were happy to welcome them into our home. That isn’t completely true either, they brought their own home – a camper trailer. This lovely family are friends of my sisters from Central West NSW. They are travelling around for 4 weeks, doing the loop, up through QLD and down to Ayers Rock and back in through Broken Hill. They have 4 children all around the same ages as my boys and 3 of their children are boys, so it is all systems go here, they are all having a ball. Lego is flying everywhere, there is a lot of bike riding going on, the Wii is getting a workout and I can hear screams and laughter coming from the pool.
Before they left Mt Isa I asked Betti to get me a few items: a few bottles of chardy, 2 lettuce and some rice – just the essentials really. They turned up with much more and let me tell you – I was far from disappointed. A whole case of chardy, chocolates, strawberries, cheese, crackers etc etc. All the usual suspects for a good time with friends….because that is what they were 5 minutes after arrival – old friends. I felt like we had known each other for a life time. I do love new friends!
Tomorrow we are doing a day trip to Lawn Hill National Park and Adels Grove, can’t wait, I love that place. Stay tuned for photos or follow along on Instagram (misschardy8) for live shots. This is our “Whitsundays” – total paradise in the outback!
Tonight I am trotting out one of my all time favourite recipes, a one platter wonder. It is so delicious and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Here is the recipe, let me know how you go with it.
Hot Steak & Crunchy Potato Salad
600g beef fillet steak
2 teaspoons seasoned pepper
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium cos lettuce
1 bunch (about 650g) English spinach, shredded
2 cups (100g) firmly packed watercress sprigs (although I have never used these, don’t even know what it is or looks like)
2 small avocados, sliced
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1/2 capsicum (or you can grill the capsicum)
ok – so basically any old salad items will do, bit of lettuce a chunk of avo, a few tommy’s with a bit of capsicum and cucumber would suffice.
Crunchy Potatoes
2 medium potatoes
1 tablespoon oil
20g butter
Peel potatoes, cut into 1.5cm cubes. Heat oil and butter in a baking dish, add potatoes, stir to coat in oil mixture. Bake, uncovered, in hot oven for about 35 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper. I also like to add some sweet potato and a sprinkle of Tuscan Seasoning to mix it up a little, I am quite rebellious like that.
Creamy Dressing
2 teaspoons seeded mustard
2 teaspoons horseradish cream
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup cream
Combine all dressing ingredients in pan, whisk over heat until warm.
Throw the salad onto a platter. Cook the steak on the bbq, slice it up and add it to the salad. Top with potatoes and warm dressing. This one platter wonder satisfies even the hungriest Jackaroo. It will be a hit.
Thanks to my friend Emma T for introducing me to this fabulous recipe.
I am reading this with tears welling!!! I am so happy to hear that you and Betti hit it off so well and that are enjoying her beautiful family. They are very special friends of ours and I know they will love their time “in the middle of nowhere”!! xx
Having lots of fun Aunty Tones….looking forward to our day trip tomorrow. Stay tuned for photos. We will have a Chardy for you tonight…because – you know – Betti drinks Chardy!!!
I do enjoy your blog!
Oh Sally, I do love comments from lovely ladies like yourself!!! How did you go with your tomato relish, did you find a super recipe?
You crack me up Dan! I love the look of that recipe, can’t wait to give it a whirl
You will LOVE it Edwina, just so yummy. Not to mention easy. I can’t wait for dinner. Glad I can put a smile on your face, thanks for reading!!!! Let me know how you go with the recipe when you make it.
I am going to make this during the School Hols. Have fun with your new ‘friends’. Great that they are Chardy drinkers! X
Oh this salad will be a great hit in my house. Would work very well for an after work/school dinner! Enjoy your visitors and Chardy’s!!
You will just love it. Our new friends loved the salad as much as we did, it is a total WINNER! Even my kids love it. I think it is the yummy sauce, which FYI – I double, because….well – you can never have tooooo much sauce!!!
Hi! Came across your blog after baby mac plugged you. So glad I clicked the link! Love a good recipe, and enjoying your blog so I’ve added you to my regular read list! Xx MrsT
That Baby Mac is an absolute champ isn’t she – my favourite blog. So thankful to her for giving me a little plug. Thanks for dropping by Mrs T, glad you are on board. xx
Looks awesome … Can’t wait to try!
So delicious Beth!! Let me know how it goes.
Omg dan
I made this last night and what a hit! I got the comment wow when I brought it to the table.
So simple to make too
Cheers deb
Yippeee, it is just the best isn’t it. So glad you loved it!!! xx
We loved it so much I decided today while driving from Coober Pedy to Broken Hill (995kms in the car and all four children are still alive), with our arrival back to reality tomorrow (only another 750kms) to serve this for Caitlin’s Confirmation lunch on Sunday!
Yum, it will be a hit. I think I might make it tomorrow night. Hope you have a great lunch on Sunday and the rest of your trip goes well.
that looks delicious, so colorful, thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
It is so yummy, I think I might make it this weekend.
It was a huge hit for Cate’s Confirmation lunch on Sunday – kids and adults loved it! Will be making it again! Xx
Yay. So glad it was a hit. I am going to make it tonight. Hope you had a lovely day on Sunday.
Hi Dan,
your beautiful sister Toni served this salad up to my family and I for lunch recently and it was lovely. She reminded me of it yesterday while we were having brunch at a cafe so I have printed it off and it is on the menu tonight. Should be delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Oh YUM Melanie….I just love it, one of my favourite dishes!!! So glad you like it too. Enjoy!! … And brunch at a Cafe – so civilised!!!
Hi Mel, I hope you get the horseradish cream sorted today!! No doubt your tastebuds have been doing back flips waiting for you to make this since Sunday!!
Hi, just returned from a 6 week vacation in Australia visiting very good friends and touring various cities. We enjoyed this salad one night for dinner, it was so delicious. I asked our friend for the recipe once we were home so I can make this for our family. It is dinner tomorrow night, hope it turns out fabulous. Thanks
Hi Mary-Ann, where do you live? I hope you had a wonderful time in Australia. So pleased to hear you loved the salad and good luck with making it. 🙂
This sounds and looks great. I love this bit “ok – so basically any old salad items will do, bit of lettuce a chunk of avo, a few tommy’s with a bit of capsicum and cucumber would suffice.” That is pretty much how I cook, there’s the recipe… and then there’s the contents of my fridge and never do they match 🙂
Oh Nicole, it is sooooooo YUMMY, I would nearly go as far to say that it is one of my favourite dishes. I am keen to try Baby Mac’s (and Zamamabakes) deconstructed pumpkin salad!!! I will definitely be trotting that one out next time I have some fun visitors….whenever that may be 🙂
Eeeeeeek!
So excited to see you came to visit the party Chards!
I have made this salad of yours and I can vouch it’s delicious!
Thank you so much for linking up with Fabulous Foodie Fridays, do come back and party again next week!
Have a fantastic weekend xx
Oh Dannielle, I know I have clicked over to your blog before but last year was just such a bullshit write off year, but now, back in 2015 and refreshed (and bored shitless because I haven’t been to town in over a month) I have time to read some blogs….so I was very excited to be able to go back and read some of yours. Thanks for having me on your Link Up. I am totally making that Pumpkin Salad next time I have friends visit….whenever that may be 😉
That looks awesome – can’t wait to give it a try one night. And how lovely that you opened your home to ‘strangers’ and that it turned out to be so wonderful.
ha ha ha, I know, it was a fun visit. They were friends of my sisters, so not complete strangers, but still, I had never laid eyes on them, ha ha ha. You won’t regret trying that salad, YUM!!!!!
Sounds like a good one and it is always good to make new friends (gifts like those help 😉 ). Shall I IG some watercress for you over at @miss_gritandgiggles … actually I might anyway. Mr Sparky loves to eat it so nicked some from one of the creeks on his parents place to grow in our garden.
Hi Anne…You need to try that salad.. it is so yummy. I just use whatever salad stuff I have. I sometimes put cream cheese in it or I reckon feta would be so good in that salad too. Feta is always good.