I came across this recipe on the blog ‘101 Cookbooks’ – the healthy recipe journal, who I think was inspired by a version from Yotam Ottolenghi. I believe he uses fresh saffron tagliatelle – the recipe is in his book. http://www.101cookbooks.com/ I haven’t actually changed a thing apart from using fettuccine and adding more chilli…
Month: April 2014
The Perfect Tiramisu
This was my first attempt at tiramisu so I wanted to do my research to find the perfect recipe. I like the traditional method and Baileys or beer just wouldn’t cut the mustard. I use madeira lots when cooking and enjoy the flavour so decided to use this, although Pedro Ximenez sherry was tempting too….
Lovely Crumpets
A weekend breakfast maybe, but not difficult by any measure. Whether you go for bacon and maple syrup or poached eggs and dukkah – they are almost as revered as pancakes in my house (which is really saying something). I hope you give this recipe a go and you enjoy them as much as we…
The Perfect Fried Chicken with Buttermilk Slaw
Having read and tried my hand at many fried chicken recipes, this one stood out by having the best flavour, crunch and when mated with this particular coleslaw and the white rolls on my previous post – I have to say, what an absolute delight! It’s the kind of meal you talk about after, as…
Soft pull-apart rolls
I first made these as buns for fried chicken and they were so light, soft and fluffy that I have decided to stick with this recipe for all future fried chicken escapades. You could use these as burger buns but I am still in the mind-set that brioche works best with any burger other than…
Boston Beans, Two Ways
I’m pretty excited about this one. Baked beans have been one of my pantry staples since first leaving home and I have always wondered if it’s a bit of a ‘cop out’ to buy them in the tin. This was a little experimentation involving two recipes – a quick one and a long one (the…
Broccoli Orecchiette
Easter had left us feeling like beached whales and so I wanted to make something really simple, tasty and cheap for Easter Monday. Looking through books, I found this recipe crop up again and again and as it met all my specifications I decided to give it a whirl. You’ll probably have most of the…
Raspberry Buttermilk Pancakes
I tell no lie when I say this could be the easiest pancake recipe of all time. Buttermilk has a heavier consistency than American pancakes, and I can’t say I have a favourite. I would sway towards buttermilk, if adding fruit and wanted to whip something up quick but if not I’d probably go American….
Easter Chicken and Potatoes with Green Olive Tapenade
As Easter is fast approaching, I thought a really special roast chicken recipe would be apt, so here we go. The sweet, buttery tomatoes underneath the skin keep it lovely and moist, oozing out as you serve the chicken and the garlicky tomatoes that have been ‘incubated’ whilst it cooks are beautiful spooned over whatever…
Pasta Jumble Bake
I came across this pasta at the weekend and bought it along with Sicilian and Kalamata olives, mozzarella, lots of large pomodoro tomatoes and basil with the intention of making a pasta bake. I’m always a bit dubious about pasta bakes as I don’t like overcooked pasta or too much sauce but this particular purchase…
Pulled Pork Monster Sliders
Or…Slow Roast Pork Shoulder Rolls I decided to make these after having particularly good pork sliders at ‘Little Creatures Brewery’ in Brunswick. If you get the chance to go, seriously order the fries – I think they could be the best fries ever. I often make a pork ragu, where the meat is cooked very…
Fennel, Garlic and Lemon Potatoes
The Delights of Fennel I am slightly infatuated with the aniseed flavour of fennel (almost as much as I am with Sambuca) but have only recently begun cooking with it. The love affair began when I realised fennel seeds went really well with roast vegetables, then I started adding the seeds to tomato sauces, BBQ…
Market Spaghetti
After a productive week, a bottle of well-deserved Prosecco turned into 2 less justified bottles, which lead onto my first experience at ‘Revolver’. Great fries, electronic music (not really our thing but good music anyway), vodka tonics and to top it all off – a burger I had prepared earlier from Ben’s ‘Hamburger Gourmet’ book….
Easy Yoghurt Flat-breads
These have never let me down, and I am by no means a bread maker – so that’s really saying something! I first made these to go with dips and then to accompany slow cooked lamb and coleslaw, and now I make these with most salads and pretty much anything. The only thing I ever…
Smoked Trout and Coconut Salad
‘Hot sun beating down, making you sweat’ Yes Phil, this is how it was in Melbourne’s summer, all you want to eat are fresh salads and cold food. I remember making Bolognese with an ice lolly in my mouth and the very prudent nights, sleeping as far apart as possible so as to escape from…
Thyme Roast Tomatoes with Feta and Basil
This is one of the most simple breakfasts but so fresh and so punchy – it was tough taking the photos before devouring this tasty morsel. It’s probably wrong for me to call this a recipe, it’s more like a good flavour combination. Plates all too often get busy or confused but good ingredients can…
Saffron Rice Pilaf and 2 Nifty Curries…
I have cooked many a curry in my time but find these two are good quick weeknight recipes using mostly store-cupboard ingredients, here is the spice list for all three dishes, Bay leaves Ground coriander or coriander seeds (to grind) Ground cumin Ground turmeric Garam masala Saffron threads As Winter drawers closer, I find this…
Spaghetti Bolognese
My choice for death row, without a doubt. Hearty, homely and ‘a cuddle in the mouth’. I did try this in Bologna and it was very good (almost as good as this little number) – not too saucy, caressing the spaghetti, rather than drowning it. It was also mixed in, which my partner was happy…
Going Nuts!
Eat a handful of almonds a day, walnuts for your heart, peanuts for your brain and pecans and brazils for men’s health! If all the nut advice is driving you nuts, I advise to keep a stash of raw nuts/seeds – and familiarise yourself with a handful of recipes incorporating them. Be creative about when…
Thank God for Fabric!
You could say fabrics are of secondary importance to food, which is possibly why they work so well together. Food for fuel, providing the essential nutrients required to keep us fit and healthy and fabric, for protection against the elements. Along with the kitchenalia and small animals, I collect fabrics. Sometimes I find table runners…
Beef Short Rib Ragu with Gnocchi
I made this in ‘the gnocchi period’. You know when you make gnocchi once and suddenly this whole world opens up to you, all the combinations to try and how nice to have a new, staple ingredient to work with. If you haven’t already, try frying gnocchi in butter (another recipe for another time)…
Pineapple Infant
I found this little fella today and couldn’t resist his charm….
Harissa and Capsicum Chicken with Chickpea Couscous
I found this in a Delicious magazine. The rich red capsicum sauce looked great alongside the golden tones of the couscous. I felt like it may look better than it tasted, but gladly I was wrong. Ingredients – Serves 2 3 tbsp olive oil 1 brown onion, chopped 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 red…
Zucchini Agrodolce
Zucchini still sounds very Aussie to me, but then courgette agrodolce doesn’t have the same ring to it. Agrodolce is a traditional Italian sweet and sour sauce, made up from ‘agro’(sour) and ‘dolce’ (sweet) – in this case vinegar and sugar. If you haven’t already tried this, please give it a go as it is…
Baby Beet this for Breakfast Baby!
This combination was inspired by Top Paddocks… I have to say, this is probably the best breakfast I have had in Melbourne and I can’t bring myself to try anything else when I come here. I am not a beetroot person by any stretch of the imagination, but this ingredient has now transposed into one…
Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad by Stephanie Alexander
Recipe by Stephanie Alexander – My only tweak was adding some rice vermicelli at the end. Vietnamese was something new and exciting to me since moving to Melbourne and living in Richmond, Victoria Street is our ‘can’t be bothered to cook’ destination. I always fancy this on a hot day, after a few drinks in…
Bill Granger’s Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake
Who doesn’t like cheesecake? This was the first cheesecake recipe I tried and love the way it is so easy, just a matter of measuring everything and letting the food processor do the work. Preheat oven to 140°C, lightly grease a 24cm springform cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper. Find a deep…
The Travelling Pantry 