I lived on campus with 12 international and local students sharing one kitchen the time I arrived Australia. After a couple of months, I was wondering why it was only me cooking at Lunch time, where were the other people? They didn’t have lunch at all? Weird!!!

Occasionally, I saw a few students got in and left within minutes. Most of them only used a toaster or a sandwich press, unlike me, though I cooked as simplest lunch as I could, eg, veggies egg noodle soup, it still took a while, washing and chopping the veggies, boiling the water, adding veggies, eggs and  noodles. After that, I found I have already messed up the kitchen bench, which I had to clean and wash cooking pan and dishes. After everything’s done, 30 to 40 minutes’ gone, let alone if I cooked as complicated lunch as my Mum did in China, which might took me more than 1 hour.  I had to figure out how to make a balance between study, part time job and cooking, no time wasting

I started following my floor mates’ step by making western style easy brunch, as I was living on a budgeted rate with lots of frustration on my studies, I couldn’t afford much time and effort on food, mainly, like most of others, I bought one bag of toast, stored it in the freezer, and it could be used for a while.

Now, I can focus on my lifestyle after settling down everything. I am gradually buying whatever I like without concerning the price. However, I am still on a simple way for preparing brunch.

Early last year, I discovered one dish for lunch —pasta vegetable salad,as I am focusing on nutritious and light weight stuff. It is made of a few cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, lettuce, wild rocket, half avocado, one boiled egg, nuts or walnuts, small amount of  pasta( I will also mix a little bit apple cider vinegar with pasta) spraying with Japanese Roasted Sesame dressing on the top( really nice dressing), yum…

In addition, some brunch are really easy made and time saving. Sometimes, I will bring 2 pieces of toast and cheese, heat it up on the sandwich press, here we go: melting cheese toast with a cup of coffee which is made by myself directly from coffee machine. Sometimes at lunch time, I would like buy a fresh croissant from bakery by adding pieces of cucumbers and ham or one slice of cheese in the middle.

For Breakfast, most time, I have milk with cereal by adding a bit black sesame, walnuts or macadamia nuts and dries fruits. I will take 2 kinds of fruits to the company every morning, so that I won’t feel hungry.

I also take yoghurt and fruits to the company, working while eating, cut apples, bananas or rock melons into pieces mixed with yoghurt, it actually tastes really good, I love it, and it is so easy to make. One more breakfast, I would like have is smashed half avocado and spread it on the top of premium original Chrispbead(one of my favourite biscuits).

Italian Garlic bread is one of my favourites, on Sunday, I usually buy a freshly made French Baguette from the market, I used to cut it diagonally, chop up fresh garlics and mix with butter, spread them on the top of the bread, then put it in the oven, smell so nice when I take it out of the oven, I can’t help eating with a piece of smoked salmon on.

Please don’t be confused, most of days I cook Chinese food for dinner in Australia.

Whenever, my family visit me, especially my brother, I have to give up my western lunch at home as my brother is such a traditional Chinese man, he always cook 2 big means a day with lots of dishes, which is inherited from my parents in shanghai I guess.

Every time I argue with him, if you live in Australia in a long term, you have to adapt to western style food, as there’s not as many choices for Chinese traditional food as in Shanghai, if you can’t survive, then stay in China, therefore, he could stay no more than 3 weeks, then left.

Every year, when I was on holiday, I was soo excited by those typical Chinese food, my mouth was watering, I didn’t want to leave, they were  my home town yummy food, really good. Whenever I walked passed by big shopping centre, I smelt the western food, I couldn’t help running away, no, I was too sick to have a look at it. 

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pasta salad before praying with Japanese Roasted Sesame dressing