We are very nearly there

This week the final windows were delivered & installed.

I ordered the tiles for the bathroom.

I bought the fireplace.

I organised the recycled cork floor for upstairs.

I worked out our laundry cabinets & I bought the door handles for them.

We are very nearly there.........

Singapore Chilli Crab:
Mr Girlfriend and I are huge fans of  crab.  We like it much more than it's very expensive counterpart Lobster.
We had an itch we needed to scratch.
I needed to go to Sth Melbounre to get my laundry handles so we were a hop skip & a jump away from South Melbourne Market.
Singapore Chilli Crab for dinner it was!
I love eating crab- it is super messy & a great communal meal. It takes a while to eat and I think that helps be more mindful in the eating.  I always think that messy eating is a great levelling experience, an  opportunity to make fun of ourselves a little- always a good thing. 
Our big kids ADORED this- adjust the chilli to suit your palate. We like chili a LOT!
It is a relatively easy dish to make once you get around the preparation of the crab. This is actually easy too- you just need to know what to do- Mr Girlfriend did this part. Yay for Sous chefs.
Just slip your thumb under the bottom flap and grap the carapace (top shell) and lift it off. Remove the feathers & any brown meat.
That's it!
This is a stir fry recipe so it really pays off to be absolutely prepared before you start to cook & don't be afraid to have your wok at FULL temp. I use a Le Creuset cast iron wok at home as I feel they are the best at getting a super hot heat on a domestic stove.
Ok- let's go!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 4 crabs (1 per person) we used Blue Swimmers.
• 2 inch knob ginger, sliced into fine julienne
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
• 4 large tablespoons tomato sauce ( I used our home made one)
• 4 large tablespoons chilli sauce (Sriracha is good)
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 large red chillies, sliced
• 2 spring onion, sliced
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, chop the rots & stems to cook and save the leafy parts to add once cooked
• 2 tablespoons Rice Bran oil 

METHOD:
Prepare the crab as per Recipe intro.

Use the heel of a large kitchen knife to chop the crab into smaller pieces (as in pic below of Mr Girlfriend playing Sous Chef)

Set crab aside.

Now prepare all the other ingredients ready to stir fry.

Pop the ginger, chopped coriander root and stem,  garlic & chilli in a bowl & the liquids & sugar into another.

Heat your wok to high heat (I set my cast iron wok on the gas flame for about 5 minutes).

Add the oil and then carefully add the crab.

Use a wok tool to move them around- you will see the shell change colour to orange as it cooks.

Add a lid and let cook for about 10 minutes moving around the pieces occasionally to ensure they all cook.

Now add the dish of ginger etc.  Stir through well.

Add the sauces and do the same, pop on the lid for a couple of minutes.

Remove lid and add the spring onion and extra fresh coriander.

Stir through well and serve- I put our Wok directly on the table for people to help themselves. YUM.

Patrick Watson is one of my all time favourites. This clip is just gorgeous, playing in the streets of paris- wearing a Dolly t-shirt no less. *sigh*