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My summer/autumn Ratatouille

24 Jan, 2020

Lots of people cook a ratatouille and there are many different recipes. Unfortunately, to me, many end up being overcooked and "mushy" and some can be a tad bland. To me the secret is to find a way to cook the beautiful vegetables and herbs so that they don't stew yet allow the flavours to get along with each other and maximise the flavours. These vegetables are relatively inexpensive from mid-summer through to autumn and this...

Spaghetti with courgettes, chilli and parmesan

06 Jan, 2020

This is another simple and tasty light summer pasta with very few ingredients which come together for a lovely dish which is perfect for the warmer months- spaghetti, courgettes, onion, chilli, olive oil and parmesan So quick, easy and tasty -enjoy! Ingredients 125 gms spaghetti pasta – about quarter of a 500 gm packet, but don’t be too fussy! 3 courgettes, not too large – slice into ribbons 1 large onion...

Vietnamese barbequed pork fillet with peanut sauce

04 Jan, 2020

This is a very simple but so tasty meal that has great flavour and can be quickly cooked on your BBQ. If you don’t enjoy the taste of peanuts/peanut butter, don’t cook the dish! Key points for a successful dish is to carefully cook the pork and baste constantly and not overcook the pork, but allow to rest for the 5 minutes - husbands cannot leave this dish to cook while they have a chat or a beer/ wine or three!...

Festive season "easy" lamb with baby potatoes and peas

18 Dec, 2019

This is a Jamie Oliver inspired dish which I have slightly tweaked and which is quick, easy and ideal to serve up during the festive season if you can’t be bothered with all the usual trimmings – it is “no-fuss” and looks great when served We don’t use a leg of lamb but rather lamb fillet or lamb backstrap – both are cooked very quickly, then rested and ready to eat and so yummy and tender. If you...

Japanese RWC inspired Edamame Chicken Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette

23 Oct, 2019

Who hasn’t enjoyed Japan hosting the Rugby World Cup and not enjoyed the success and way that the Brave Blossoms have played? Who doesn’t like edamame beans and their goodness and total ease of cooking and who doesn’t like a lovely dish that takes only 20 minutes to prepare and cook and which has a beautiful combination of tasty, fresh flavours coming through with that finishing hint of wasabi! Son Macca enjoyed it so...

Spicy yoghurt roasted chicken thighs

12 Oct, 2019

This is another beautifully balanced dish with a lovely combination of spices and flavours. It is a bit like Tandoori chicken but much more subtle without losing flavours. One of the great features of this dish is that subject to your tastes and preferences, simply by changing up what you serve the chicken with, you can end up with Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern or a dish from the sub-continent! How good and versatile is that!!??...

Springtime Goodness Soup

11 Oct, 2019

I found this recipe in the Viva magazine, liked the flavour combo and very quickly and easily cooked it for a weekend lunch – very tasty but not too rich and “wintery” if you know what I mean. Not many ingredients but they all come together really well You will get your five-plus a day with this lovely soup which has loads of greens plus the kumara packed in one bowl – perfect for a lunch or simple dinner with a...

Oven baked chicken with smoky devilled beans

08 Oct, 2019

Real comfort food and ideal for a Spring dinner when you’re not sure what the weather is going to do! This is not a dinner party dish but, if you like the flavour combo, it can be a real family favourite. Haydo, who looks after our social media loves this dish! Lots of yummy flavours with rosemary, tomato paste, Dijon and English mustard, Worcester sauce and smoked paprika. Quick and easy to cook- lots of ingredients, yes, but...

Spanish one pan dish with chicken, chorizo, beans and roast potato

17 Sep, 2019

This is a simple, tasty and fun dish to cook and serve for dinner all year round. Yes there are a few steps, but all are simple and come together so well. If you like the flavours of chorizo, red capsicum and smoked paprika, you will enjoy this dish I serve the dish in the large frypan that is used for most of the cooking – lovely colour mix with the green, red and yellow. When the cooking is finished, simply put the frypan on the...

Pea, spinach and parmesan risotto

17 Sep, 2019

This is another risotto dish that is so easy to cook, tastes great and can be served for a family meat-free Monday dinner(!) or for friends invited for dinner – I’ve certainly served this risotto as part of an Italian inspired dinner when brother-in-law Scott and his wife Carolyn came to dinner Once again this is not a complicated risotto recipe requiring stock to be added as the risotto cooks – all the stock goes in at...

Bacon, spinach and blue cheese pasta

17 Sep, 2019

This is such a tasty and simple pasta dish to make and includes a useful tip for those ends of blue cheese that can get a bit of a rind I simply freeze the end bits and use them for this dish or a blue cheese sauce to go with a piece of steak. It may also be a meal where you have most of the ingredients already in your frig. One thought – if you don’t like blue cheese, don’t make this dish! This is also a dish that is...

Lao/ Northern Thai Pork Larb

06 Jun, 2019

This Lao/ Northern Thailand dish is a fresh flavourful Southeast Asian extravaganza. It is a dish of pork mince, flavoured with lime juice and fish sauce and various other ingredients such as chilli and coriander. This Larb is packed full of flavour and includes snow peas, broccolini and capsicum with all the ingredients and flavours working together to achieve that magic balance of hot(spicy), sour, sweet and salty. There are...

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