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Chicche Di Patate with Beef Ragù

03 Jul, 2022

A Beef Ragù/ Bolognese with small Chicche Di Patate (potato gnocchi) makes an easy, rustic and tasty winter’s meal. This particular recipe, whilst very tasty, has a slight “vegetable” taste to it with the inclusion of grated courgette in addition to the standard staples of onion, garlic, carrot and celery, so a good way to get some tasty veg into everyone’s tummies in the family and the small gnocchi add fun,...

Red wine braised beef with mashed potatoes and peas

21 Aug, 2021

There is just something about braising beef that makes it so amazing. This braise is great with secondary cuts of beef such as chuck, shin or cheek. With so much time spent slowly cooking and absorbing the great flavours of the vegetables and wine, this meat comes out very tender and flavoursome. Perfect to be eaten with mashed potatoes and the sprinkling of peas – the peas on the top gives the dish a real splash of vibrant...

Duck breast with white beans, baby spinach and sage

31 Jul, 2021

Okay, you’ve never cooked duck but you like the taste and flavour and you may have seen it being cooked on cooking programmes such as MasterChef. Well this dish is very easy to cook and is such an amazingly yummy dish. Ideal for a special or romantic dinner for two (simply halve the ingredients) or for a dinner party, obviously adjusting the ingredients as applicable. Try it - you won't be disappointed! ...

Balinese Chicken Curry

15 Apr, 2021

This is one of the tastiest and lightest curries that I’ve eaten and cooked – it is based on a Nadia Lim recipe. I’ve served it a few times for our friends and it always get huge raps! It is very fresh tasting with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and tamarind paste in the recipe as well as other traditional Indonesian spices and herbs. Has chilli but mainly as a garnish so is not a hot curry This Balinese chicken curry is...

Fresh Fig, Pancetta and Baby Rocket Salad with Goat Cheese

28 Feb, 2021

I’m guessing that there won’t be much interest in this recipe as not many Kiwis have tried or eaten fresh figs and that’s fine…but if you haven’t, do give this recipe a go as the end “product” is so yummy. “Tis the season” right now (Mar/Apr) and it’s a short season, so enjoy them over the coming weeks. Fresh sweet figs with crisp pancetta and soft goat cheese over baby rocket...

Lockdown/ “leftovers” pasta salad

15 Feb, 2021

I actually made this dish a couple of weeks ago but the concept of using leftovers in your house applies even more strongly during Lockdown if you can’t be bothered going to the supermarket and joining all the loo paper hoarders!! In our fridge, freezer and pantry, we had the following “end” bits and pieces that needed eating very soon…..baby potatoes, rocket, half a capsicum, half a packet of prosciutto, frozen...

Prosciutto, Nectarine and Rocket Salad

29 Dec, 2020

During this peak summertime of the year, this salad enjoys two of our favourite summer fruit, the lovely saltiness of Italian dry cured ham (prosciutto), together with rocket and a yummy dressing – it is a “to-die-for” summer lunch Just ten minutes max to prepare and you’re ready to enjoy, ideally outside for lunch on a sunny summer’s day. If you prefer you could use peaches and you could substitute the...

Asparagus and pancetta (or bacon) pasta

08 Nov, 2020

It’s November and the height of asparagus season, so for many of us we really indulge eating and enjoying asparagus until, maybe, we’ve overdone eating asparagus until next spring! If you don’t enjoy asparagus, please don’t read on! If you do and you like the idea of a “think about it to start eating” in 15 minutes (legit 15 mins unlike some of Jamie Oliver’s 15 min meals!), this is a very tasty...

Beef Rendang

02 Oct, 2020

This is one of my “cheat” curries! Beef Rendang is a Malaysian curry and is considered by many to be the king of all curries! To say it’s extravagantly delicious is an understatement. There are very few curries in this world with such amazingly complex flavours. Originally from Indonesia, the sauce is made with aromatic spices like cinnamon, cardamom and star anise as well as fresh aromatics including...

“Sicilian” Anchovy, Tomato and Feta Tart

29 Aug, 2020

I asked my good wife, Sally, to make a tart for a Sunday lunch using some amazing anchovies that we had in our fridge – it happened to be at the time our daughter Anna and her partner Haydo were in Sicily and the anchovies “happened” to be from Sicily. They are easily the best anchovies we have bought in New Zealand – we bought them at a market in Waiheke. The owner is a lovely guy, Danilo, who is passionate...

Sicilian Sausage Soup

29 Aug, 2020

I googled Sicilian soups when our daughter Anna and her partner Haydo were in Sicily and here is the result and what I cooked. It doesn’t sound amazing and is not a “to die for” dish but very easy and quick to cook, healthy, hearty and tasty, improving with age each day. Worth a cook for lunches or easily substantial enough for dinner as, in addition to the vegetables, it also has pasta Basically onions, carrots, celery,...

Warm Lamb, Beetroot and Chickpea Salad

16 Aug, 2020

I saw this recipe in the Herald a few weeks ago and decided to try it. Tweaked it a tad and had it for dinner It was so easy to cook and had real flavour, so much so that we cooked it again for lunch that weekend but without the lamb. It is the combo of beetroot and chickpeas roasted with spices, feta and salad that make the dish…along of course with the lamb as an extra, but not essential ingredient if you get the drift!...

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