Our New Favourite Cafe - DARE, The Rocks

You know, I'm one of those people. When I get excited about something - I tell everyone. I'll tell you about my new Chocolate Protein Breakfast Bakes that I'm addicted to (and that I'm desperately in need of cocoa powder to make more as I've eaten two batches in a week), I'll tell you all about the cafe I went to that had amazing peppermint tea, I'll tell you about the new store I found that has gorgeous and affordable clothes - heck, I will even give you the things I'm raving about. 

It's true, when I'm sent things for the blog (or just buy things from the store), I don't keep them all to myself - I give some to family and friends so that they can try it and give me their opinions too. When I got a delicious delivery of Cadbury Philadelphia, I sent my sister's friend home with some to share with her family - only to be sent a picture a few hours later of Lily licking her lips with a big thumbs up for the Cadbury Philly. 

It's not just because I blog that I share things - I'm just that kind of person. I love getting recommendations from family, friends and blog readers and I love sharing fabulous things I find so that others can enjoy them too. 

DARE in The Rocks is one of these things.. 

With Coeliac Disease and all of my food intolerances, the most I usually order in a cafe or restaurant is tea (but even then I've gotten sick from cross contamination!). Jesse hates that we can't go out to eat and enjoy a meal together and he hates looking across the table while he's eating to see me sitting there with nothing (or eating something out of my handbag). 

DARE totally changed that. DARE is a coeliac paradise - actually, it's paradise for many people with allergies or intolerances. For once, there were only a few things on the menu that I couldn't eat. If I didn't have any intolerances (other than a gluten allergy) there would have been even more options that I could have eaten. I didn't have to fear that I'd be sick hours later as Lee, the owner, assured me that they have entirely different preparation areas, utensils and equipment for gluten free items. 

If you look into their kitchen, you'll see the blue utensils and equipment - they're all to keep coeliacs from hating their lives in a couple of hours. DARE get cross contamination - and they get allergies and intolerances. If for some reason there's nothing you can eat on the menu or in the display case, they'll whip something up for you that you can eat. 

Plus, they make a damn good peppermint tea.

My choice from the display case was this Spinach and Ricotta Frittata (that I kinda sorta already took a bite of before taking a photo of - heh). All food at DARE is preservative and additive free - it's clean, delicious, healthy food. 

Obviously this quiche is not egg free or dairy free, but it is gluten free and I can vouch that there was no cross contamination as this sensitive coeliac was perfectly fine! 

The Frittata was ah-maze-ing. I don't know how they did it (I told Jesse it had to be laced with crack because it was so good) but it was the tastiest, most delicious thing I have had in a long time - and usually I don't like anything with whole eggs as I can taste them straight away. I could have taken home the entire tray and eaten them for a week straight.

But what about Jesse? As you know, Jesse often eats gluten free - but he still eats regular bread. After taking a bite into this french toast (the picture is pre-maple syrup covering) Jesse proclaimed that it was the "Best French Toast I Have Ever Had!". No sooner did he say that, Lee came over and let him know it was actually gluten free - and Jesse couldn't believe it. 

It was fluffy, crispy and delicious and Jesse has been talking about it ever since. 

The French Toast is a new addition to the menu as Lee is experimenting with some "American Style" breakfasts (to which Jesse said he can surely advise her on) done in a clean, preservative and additive free way. 

DARE is also the only place in Sydney which has Gluten Free Kebabs (doner kebab style) so if you are a previous gluten eater who is missing out on your old favourite - or you're sick of drooling over your friends' kebabs, you better get down to the rocks!

But not only do DARE do amazing savoury food and breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinners - they also make incredible gluten free sweets!

We took home a bunch of sweets to share with family and friends. The Chocolate Brownie is incredible (though just a little too sweet for me, the hypoglycemic without a sweet tooth) and my Dad proclaimed the Ginger Slice as the most incredible thing I've eaten in a long long time. I then told him it was gluten free and he thought I was lying. 

The Raw Balls on the right are a new addition as Lee and her team try to create more raw dishes. These have dates, mango, nuts and cacao and they looked incredible (I was wishing they didn't have mango so I could bite into them!)

So make sure you "like" their Facebook page so you can drool over their incredible food (and pay them a visit to eat that incredible food!)

DARE - The Rocks 
12/20 Playfair Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
Phone: 02 9251 1445

(They also have a store in Balgowlah)

Want More? See: Our Stay at the Swissotel Sydney - Dinner at JPB Restaurant.

But tell me, do you have a favourite restaurant or cafe?
and What's your favourite breakfast/brunch item to order when eating out?

Don't worry that Google Reader is closing,  follow Southern In-Law on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Feedly. You can also sign up to Southern In-Law's Weekly Newsletter here.

You can also vote and nominate Southern In-Law for some upcoming blog awards!

Kristy and Jesse ate as guests of  DARE. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions expressed are their own. 

Recipe: Asian Noodle Stir Fry

We have two indicators of a good meal, here in the Southern In-Law house. If something is really good - it's usually referred to as "Blog worthy" or "Almost as good as the Chicken and Bacon Rice Bowl" (Jesse's hands down, ultimate favourite dinner ever).

This recipe went even further than that. Ever since I made it, Jesse has been asking me... "Have you blogged the stir fry recipe yet? It's going to be a huge hit Kristy - everyone's going to love it! It's going to be all over pinterest and foodgawker". Cue Kristy's inner bloggerina dancing a little happy dance that my man now knows what pinterest and food gawker are :P

The Stir Fry is sitting pretty as a tied second favourite meal for Jesse at the moment - tied only with the Brown Rice Quiche that everyone loves and followed by the Cheesy Quinoa Bakes. 

You may remember that I couldn't tolerate soy before, and that's right! Previously, soy of any kind left me with an incredibly sore stomach and feeling horrible - but not anymore!

My friends at Spiral Foods sent me some of their delicious products to try out - and in that box was some of their Gluten Free Tamari Sauce (Gluten Free Soy Sauce!) and I knew I wanted to test my stomach and see if I could once again enjoy my favourite stir fry - and I can!! 

The tamari tastes exactly like Soy Sauce (unlike one tamari I tried a long time ago which was awful) and it's perfect for this stir fry! We plan on keeping Tamari in our cupboards from now on as everyone can enjoy it!

Best of all, it's super adaptable! We make it with beef, chicken (or both as above) and throw in whatever veggies we have in the fridge at the time. You can serve it on whatever noodles you like - or serve it on top of quinoa, rice or whatever you fancy!

Tahini Soy Stir Fry - serves one, easily multiplied

Can be gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, low fat, clean eating friendly

1/2 tbsp Tahini* 
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp Spiral Foods Tamari/Soy Sauce (choose the amount depending on your tastes)
Cooked Noodles/Grains of your choice**
Vegetables/Protein of your choice*** (see my list for suggestions)

Cook your noodles and meats/protein if using.
Slice up your vegetables and set aside, ready to add. 
In a wok or saucepan over a medium heat, pour in your soy sauce and tahini and stir until it combines. Add in your vegetables and stir through the sauce before covering, allowing the vegetables to steam.
If needed, add in a tablespoon or so of water so that your sauce does not burn. 
Once your vegetables are tender, add in your noodles and protein (if using). 
Mix everything together and allow to heat through before taking off the heat and serving immediately.

*You can use hulled or unhulled tahini. I have both and tend to use unhulled tahini in this stir fry, just as I used the hulled tahini for other dishes (as it's more versatile) and the unhulled tahini isn't used as much.
**For the noodles, I use Chang's Egg Noodles for Jesse and Rice Stick Noodles for me which I bought from an Asian Grocer, but you can use whatever you prefer! (I also use Brown Rice Spaghetti when I don't have any noodles around).
***Vegetable Suggestions: Carrot, Zucchini, Broccoli, Broccolini, Corn, Peas, Beans, Snowpeas, Silverbeet, Spinach, Bok Choy - whatever you feel like! 
Protein Suggestions: Try sliced chicken, beef, lamb or tofu - or whatever you usually use in a stir fry. 

So tell me, do you have a yum-ness scale in your house?
and What do you like in your stir fry?

Don't worry that Google Reader is closing,  follow Southern In-Law on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Feedly. You can also sign up to Southern In-Law's Weekly Newsletter here.

You can also vote and nominate Southern In-Law for some upcoming blog awards!

Kristy received Spiral Food products with compliments of Spiral Foods. There was no obligation to post or share these products and all opinions expressed are Kristy's own.

Dinner at JPB Restaurant, Swissotel Sydney

Why hello there! You've already seen pictures from our stay at the Swissotel Sydney - but what about the food?!

If you've been reading Southern In-Law for a while, you'd already know that on top of coeliac disease - I'm also the queen of food intolerances. This means that eating out is incredibly hard and I generally didn't eat out at restaurants at all (instead eating before/after or taking my own food) to save myself from getting seriously ill. 

The Swissotel Sydney thought they could handle my allergies and intolerances - and as I get so many emails and questions from you all for allergy friendly options, I thought I'd be the guinea pig and suss things out for you. 

We had reservations at the JPB Restaurant in the hotel at 6pm, so after our lazy afternoon, Jesse and I headed downstairs for dinner.

As we sat down at our cozy corner table, our drink orders were taken and some fresh housemade bread arrived at the table. House baked spelt bread for Jesse and warm house baked gluten free bread for me!

Jesse said the spelt bread was delicious and I thought the gluten free bread was delicious too - with soft innards and a crunchy crust. In fact, I said to Jesse "oh this tastes too good... like that good that you start worrying where the gluten is hidden" - but Jesse tasted it and assured me it was definitely gluten free (this is what happens when you haven't eaten real bread for a while). 

Their menu is great, with seasonal dishes and the produce brought straight from the farmers to the hotel. All of the produce is also organic and the all of the dishes put alot of emphasis on the produce, rather than fussy sauces or fancy cover ups. 

Jesse ordered the Grainge Scotch Fillet with asparagus, potato chips and a bernaise sauce (minus the beetroot because he's not a fan) as he's a steak man and can eat anything he likes (unlike his fussy-stomached wife to be) along with a garden salad on the side. 

 Fusspot-stomached Kristy, on the other hand, had to do some adapting. I don't eat meat (for taste and digestion reasons) and I can't eat soy, and the only gluten free vegetarian option on the menu was the polenta coated tofu which clearly I can't eat.

I decided on ordering some side dishes and hoping they could change a few things up for me. I let the staff know that in addition to my coeliac disease (which I had let them know in advance - something any coeliac should do at any restaurant) I also had a number of other intolerances, including tomatoes, dishes with alot of oil/butter, spicy foods, acidic foods etc (don't worry, I didn't explain things that vaguely). 

As a broccolini fan, the steamed broccolini with toasted almonds was a no brainer, however, as soon as I put the first piece in my mouth I noticed something..... the steamed broccolini was coated in butter? I quickly asked the waitress and she apologised and told me she'd get another dish made without butter.

 I also ordered the side salad, though completely switched it up so that it was more substantial (girl can't just eat lettuce!). I added bocconcini, beetroot and cucumber as they were items I could eat and were already on the menu. 

First off the salad came out with tomatoes, which the waiter quickly noticed when he walked past and sent it back to the kitchen to be made again. Insert Kristy feeling absolutely terrible and super embarassed as I hate having to make people go out of their way for me! 

Soon the new dishes were arriving at our table, brought out by the chef who assured me that everything had been fixed up and completely new dishes had been made. He noticed there was one tomato on the plate with the broccolini and offered to make another new dish, however, I told him it was fine and pushed it aside. 

The broccolini was delicious and the toasted almonds went perfectly with it - but the salad was so so. But it was the best I could do and I was appreciative that they tried their best to accomodate for me - I'm just a little bit spoilt by my amazing salad making skills I suppose ;) I don't know about you, but I hate pickled beets even though I absolutely adore fresh and roasted beetroot so I was sad to see pickled beets in the salad and ended up pushing them to the side. 

The view from the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous, with big open windows looking out onto the city lights and the seating was incredibly comfortable - with booth seating with cushions around the outside of the dining area and regular seating in the middle.

The only thing not so good was that the seating was quite squishy and close together. I'm not a big girl, so that didn't bother me, however, I heard a few comments from a table near us about the table being too close and I am sure that would make some people feel uncomfortable. 

Suprisingly, the restaurant was quite quiet - with you only able to hear the conversations of those who were closest to you - and not the whole restaurant's noise like you sometimes find in restaurants without soft furnishings. 

Knowing that sugar would go straight to my head, having eaten mainly vegetables, I gave dessert a miss - however, Jesse decided on an alternative dessert... a serve of fries. 

The little basket the fries came out with was super cute and Jesse was in heaven (when we're out for dinner, I don't care what he eats as we don't eat fried food at home). 

I settled with a pot of peppermint tea which was delicious and the perfect ending for a cool night. 

Then we headed back up to our room (as Jesse told me it was too chilly to walk in the city) and relaxed before bed. 


Now... I know someone is going to say Kristy, that wasn't enough for dinner! and I agree, so I can promise you - bananas and peanut butter were devoured once we were in our room. 

When travelling with intolerances or allergies, you always need to be prepared. In this case, it was BYOB (bring your own banana) but I always make sure I have added extras in my purse or suitcase just in case.

Needless to say, Sydney Swissotel's JPB Restaurant is a great choice with a stunning view (just make sure you politely ask to sit at an edge table!) and the staff are incredibly friendly and accomodating. AND I didn't end up sick at the end of the night, so it's a coeliac win! 

Swissotel Sydney - JPB Restaurant

68 Market Street

Sydney 2000 NSW

Phone: +61 2 9238 8888 Email: jpb.sydney@swissotel.com

Want More? See: Our Stay at the Swissotel Sydney - Brunch at DARE, The Rocks.

So tell me, have you ever sent food back at a restaurant?
and if you have allergies/intolerances, what's your tips for dining out?

Don't worry that Google Reader is closing,  follow Southern In-Law on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Feedly. You can also sign up to Southern In-Law's Weekly Newsletter here.

You can also vote and nominate Southern In-Law for some upcoming blog awards!

Kristy and Jesse stayed as Guests of the Swissotel Sydney. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions expressed are their own. Only a complimentary one night stay and dinner at JPB was provided.

Recipe: Brown Rice Quiche

Heyyyyyyyyy good lookin', whatcha got cookin'?

I know that I told you I'd share our dinner at JPB Restaurant with you (after I already showed you our stay at the Swissotel Sydney) butttt I decided I needed to share this recipe ASAP. Apparently a lot of you wanted it ASAP too as ever since I mentioned it in our first newsletter's meal plan, I've gotten dozens of emails and messages for the recipe!

This recipe is groundbreaking. 

Why, you ask? There is one person in my family who is the absolute hardest to feed. She is the pickiest, fussiest, most un-adventuous eater and she generally gets stuck on one go-to meal that she will eat at a time (I mean seriously, last month she ate the same pasta dish every single day for an entire month). 

That person is Katrina, my sister. Generally speaking, she won't try anything new. With winter's chill in the air, I've been making more warm and comforting dinners lately - and Katrina spied this quiche which I made for Jesse and I and it sparked her curiousity. Before I knew it, she was asking me if I could make her some next time - so I jumped onboard that thought train as soon as possible and was making her a mini brown rice quiche the next night (or that thought train would have left the station and gone off the rails if I waited).

I put the quiche in front of her and went back into the kitchen to finish Jesse and my dinners and then all of a sudden I heard.... "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Kristy this is the best thing I have ever eaten! Is this really healthy?!?!". Now, if you've been reading the blog for a while.. you'll know I'm a bit of a dork. That comment had me happy dancing around the kitchen and proclaiming myself as the world's greatest chef. I had satisfied the world's fussiest eater and it was a healthy, vegetable filled dish too!

In fact... it was so good that Katrina has requested it quite a few times since then (and has tried many of my other healthy dishes since!) - and Jesse says it is the second best dish I make, after the Chicken and Bacon Rice Bowl. 

But enough yapping and onto the recipe, right? 

Crustless Brown Rice Quiche - serves 4 

Gluten free, low fat, freezer friendly, clean eating recipe

200g dry brown rice, rinsed and cooked

~200g frozen spinach, thawed*

1 medium zucchini, grated 

1 cup cottage cheese**

1 1/2-2 tsps garlic salt

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese***

3/4 cup egg whites  or 3 eggs or 1 egg and 1/2 cup egg whites (I use Naturegg Simply Egg Whites in a Carton) 

Optional: cooked chicken, sliced ham, bacon, extra veggies etc. 

Preheat your oven to 180°C/355°F

Prepare individual ramekins/baking dishes or a medium pie dish or baking dish. 

Cook your brown rice (adding spinach at the last minute if not already thawed).

While your rice is cooling slightly, mix together your grated zucchini, cottage cheese, garlic salt, parmesan cheese and eggs/egg whites. 

Combine your egg mixture with your rice and spinach and pour into baking dishes. 

Bake for ~ 30-40 minutes or until golden and set.

Allow to cool slightly before serving warm or chilling in the fridge.

*Quick and Easy Tip: if you don't have time to thaw your spinach, throw it in the pot with your brown rice when it's almost finished cooking. Stir and cook until the spinach is thawed and all of the liquid is absorbed.

**You may substitiute the cottage cheese for ricotta

***We also use grated cheddar cheese or crumbled feta for something different

Technically, it's not a quiche - but you can call it whatever you like, brown rice frittata, brown rice bake, brown rice casserole, wizz bang bake - whatever you fancy ;) 

So tell me, who's the fussiest eater you know?

 Don't worry that Google Reader is closing,  follow Southern In-Law on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Feedly. You can also sign up to Southern In-Law's Weekly Newsletter here.

You can also vote and nominate Southern In-Law for some upcoming blog awards! 

Our Stay at the Swissotel Sydney

Needless to say, Jesse was sold when these
strawberries were brought up to our room

If you follow Southern In-Law on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram (or even our newsletter), you'll already know that this weekend past, Jesse and I spent the night at the Swissotel Sydney. 

We arrived at the hotel on Saturday afternoon, pulling up out the front of the hotel on Market Street and having our car taken to the off-site parking lot by their valet parking service ($55 for 24 hrs parking or $35 for self parking - but it is so worth the extra $20 for 24 hours as traffic in Sydney can be terrible!)

When we went up to the lobby area, there was a pianist playing (and it sounded divine) and we checked in at reception where we were given our room keys and taken to our room. 

Our room at the Swissotel Sydney - one of their Executive Club Rooms

The room was quite spacious for a hotel room - with a bed, closet, lounge, desk, tv unit and side tables. 

We're picky with beds (because our bed is ahhhhmazing) but the bed was super comfortable. Jesse even though it rivaled our bed at home.

The only thing I didn't like is that there was only a comforter/doona/quilt on the bed and no sheets. Jesse liked that - but I'm a cold bug so the more blankets the better ;P 

The bathroom was gorgeous with lots of lighting, space and a huge shower. Though... do make sure you seal the shower door properly as the water is positioned right at the door (I thought this was a little odd) and you may end up having to build an ark if you're not careful.

Bath lovers rejoice as there's also a large bath in the bathroom so you can relax while soaking in the tub. 

But what about the bathroom amenities? The Swissotel have their own range with Purovel body wash, shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser, soap, sewing kits, nail files, dental kit and even shoe polish - so you're covered if you forget something for the night (as Jesse did).

We had quite a nice view from the room too, looking out at the city with Centrepoint Tower right in front, water glimpses to the left and plenty to look at. 

I was really impressed with the Swissotel's Healthy and Allergy Friendly Options. The room service menu was coded with gluten free, vegetarian, lactose free and pork-free options. 

Their Vitality program is a new addition with a Weekly Program with guided walks through the city during the week (I wish they had this during the weekend so we could have seen how they do it!) and healthy, seasonal menu options available on the room service menu. There is also a gymnasium, saunas and heated pool.

Tea lovers heaven!

As we were staying in an executive room, we also had access to the Executive Club Lounge were we chilled out for a little while. I loved that the executive had bookshelves lined with books and magazines and I could have easily stayed in there for hours with a good book and sipping on their selection of Lipton teas.

The Executive Club has complimentary drinks (both hot and cold) and snacks (this afternoon it was scones with jam and cream - no gluten free options, unfortunately) and there is also complimentary wifi, newspapers, a buffet breakfast in the morning and pre-dinner drinks and canapes in the evening. 

It was a nice, quiet place to sit and relax with a view of the Crossroads Bar downstairs where they were having a high tea. I heard that the high tea is actually gluten free friendly, so it's definitely something I want to check out! Especially as I've been wanting to go to a high tea for what feels like forever!

All of the staff we came across during our stay were lovely - and that's so important when you're staying away from home. You want to feel welcome - not like you're a pain to the people there.

We then went back to the room to chill out before our dinner reservation at 6pm. We'd had a busy week so the downtime was perfect. I probably shouldn't have been reading travel magazines though - as I'm now dreaming of tropical escapes and exotic vacations. 

Before we knew it, it was time for dinner at JPB Restaurant (which stands for Just Pure Bistro)..... but I'll tell you more about that in another post! 

Swissotel Sydney

68 Market Street

Sydney 2000 NSW

Tel: +61 (2) 9238 8888 

sydney@swissotel.com

Want More? See: Our Dinner at JPB Restaurant - Brunch at DARE, The Rocks.

 But tell me, what's your favourite part about staying away from home? 

 Don't worry that Google Reader is closing,  follow Southern In-Law on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Feedly. You can also sign up to Southern In-Law's Weekly Newsletter here.

You can also vote and nominate Southern In-Law for some upcoming blog awards!

Kristy and Jesse stayed as Guests of the Swissotel Sydney. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions expressed are their own. Only a complimentary one night stay and dinner at JPB was provided.

Our Weekend - More to Come!

A lovely weekend with my husband-to-be! A stay at the Swissotel Sydney, dinner at JPB Restaurant and my new favourite cafe - Dare (Delicious & Responsible Eating) at The Rocks! All gluten free and coeliac friendly and lots of details, pictures and good stuff coming to you soon. Can't wait to share it with you all <3

But first I want to know! How was your weekend? 

Don't worry that Google Reader is closing,  follow Southern In-Law on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Feedly. You can also sign up to Southern In-Law's Weekly Newsletter here.

You can also vote and nominate Southern In-Law for some upcoming blog awards!