This wonderfully rustic and fail-safe cake is thanks to Mary Berry, I just add more apple. Delicious served warm with a scoop of ice-cream or at room temperature with some thick Jersey cream. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a loose bottomed 20cm cake tin and line the bottom with parchment. Use a large bowl to…
Category: recipe
Fragrant Chicken Noodle Soup
(Serves 4-6) Chilli, turmeric and ginger add extra goodness to this fragrant soup. The base freezes well, like a frozen first add kit for menacing lurgies that coincide with the cooler climate. Bring 3 litres of good quality chicken stock to a boil in a large pan then place in a chicken (about 1.5kg) and…
Roasted Aubergine, Basil and Caramelised Onion Pasta
They call aubergine the poor mans meat, or is it the vegetarians gold? I love this recipe, it’s velvety, creamy, economical and beautifully simple. Heat oven to 180C. Slice 2 aubergines lengthways and use a knife to score through the flesh in a criss-cross pattern close to the skin. Drizzle with oil and bake for…
Cherry Clafoutis
(Serves 4-6) The perfect dessert for August, to make the most of the cherries before they disappear for another year. Use apricots, peaches or blueberries if you’d prefer, all work well. Feel free to leave the stones in the cherries, some say this adds to the flavour. Heat oven to 180C, stone 500g cherries and…
Imam Bayildi
(Makes 4 stuffed halves) Legend has it that this dish acquired its name because it caused the Turkish Imam to faint through pure pleasure. Great served warm but some say best enjoyed at room temperature the next day, which makes it a perfect BBQ side dish, easily prepared in advance. Make a meal out of…
Pizza Bianca
(Makes 2 large or 4 small pizzas) This no-knead pizza dough recipe is one of my absolute favourites. It’s a good late summer dish, as the warmth of the sun aids the rise of the dough. Personally, I leave for a minimum of 24 hrs and for anything up to 48, depending on the warmth…
Baked Peaches with Amaretti and Vanilla Mascarpone
If I had my little way, I’d eat peaches every day, but imported peaches do not compare to those picked at their peak and July is the perfect time to indulge in these juicy morsels. The flavours in this dish are so well matched that it’s a wonder how amaretti and vanilla don’t grow on…
Lamb Kofte
Lamb Kofte (Makes about 12 sausage sized kofte) Kofte go well with so many other ingredients so designing a menu plan is easy for a social gathering. You could marinate some feta in advance in jars, make an array of dips (humous, tzatziki, baba ganoush), serve it alongside Greek salads, tabouleh, olives, pestos and finally,…
Crab Linguine
It’s a great shame that 95% of our crab is exported to Europe. It seems we are depriving ourselves of exceptional national produce (possibly seeing it as special occasion/holiday fodder), rather than relishing it as island dwellers with all sorts of seafood on our doorstep. Now is the perfect season for eating crab, this recipe…
The Ultimate Spring Chicken Salad with Jersey Royals and Basil Mayonnaise
This salad makes the most of the fantastic seasonal produce we have around this time of year. Don’t be scared of mayonnaise, especially if you have a blender – as long as you add the oil in a slow steady stream, you will triumph. There is ample, so be sure to finish it up in…
Persian Love Cake
Like a nutty grandma, everybody needs a slice of this cake in their life. The crème fraiche is critical when serving as it cuts through the sweet nuttiness, accomplishing perfect harmony. Feel free to add rose water or play around with spices, if this is your thing. I added edible rose petals to the top…
Pork Larb in Lettuce Cups
I love this quick and simple recipe. It’s great as a canapé, main with sticky rice and green papaya salad or as part of a South-east Asian inspired banquet. I last made these with asian fish cakes and prawn toasts which all go well with sweet and sour dip and satay so everyone could mix…
Smoky Sardines with Sweet Tomato Chutney
In Australia, sardines became a staple in our household as we used the BBQ more often than the oven. Really easy to gut yourself or just ask your fishmonger. Use a griddle pan if too cold or wet for a BBQ and leave to char to promote the smoky flavour. Sardines are relatively cheap and…
Summer Broad Bean Mint and Pancetta Pasta
(Serves 2) This recipe is a picnic to make, it’s worth taking the time to remove the beans from their skins (unless you can get them super-fresh). Refreshingly seasonal and nutritional and having made it once, I’m sure you’ll make it again. Choose crisp-looking un-withered pods at your local farmers market this month, or better still, pick…
Strawberries with Raspberry Cream and Amaretti
My mum has made this for as long as I can remember, a great ‘back pocket’ recipe that has saved me and famed me at many summer gatherings. A great way to flaunt great summer produce having PYO, I recommend a strawberry huller to save your fingers.Tip – Double the coulis quantity and keep some for…
Sprouting broccoli and Pea Pesto Orecchiette
It may not sound hugely exciting but blending broccoli is one of the most simple and tasty ways of eating it. I have been sneaking it into classics like carbonara and pesto, roasting it with spices and frying it with Asian flavours Put 200g of sprouting broccoli (green or purple) and 100g frozen peas into…
Sticky Pork Loin
I think pork loin is underrated, it’s tender, easy to prepare and penny-wise. This marinade is comprised of pantry staples (with the addition of fresh ginger) and tastes incredibly good! I serve this with steamed rice or noodles tossed in sesame oil and sprouting broccoli or inside bahn mi with pickled veg and coriander. *Tip…
Lemon Polenta Cake
I absolutely love this cake, its ridiculously simple to make and really packs a lemon punch, stays moist for days and never fails. Tip – This can be made gluten free by either omitting the baking powder (and whisking exuberantly at the last step) or using a gluten free variety. Extra tip – I sprinkled…
Super-Spicy Daal with Eggs and Spinach
I really love this recipe. It is packed with loads of nutritious ingredients, it’s filling, it’s protein, it’s cheap and it makes enough to feed a small army (freezes well so don’t worry). Great to whip out if you come down with a sore throat and versatile too…. Serve as breakfast, brunch, as a side…
Bakewell Slice,Very Nice
I am an avid frangipane fan and try and sneak it into recipes all the time – apple cakes, crumbles, mince pies, it’s always a bonus rather than a defamer. Here I have showcased it in all its splendour with a scattering of fresh raspberries, a generous layer of jam and addition of a good…
Pici with a Rich and Unctuous Tomato Sauce
I discovered the wonders of pici in Tucany, where it is served commonly with wild boar (the poor old stuffed heads are everywhere, usually sporting spectacles funnily enough). The best I had was in a tiny village high up in Montepescali, in Osteria Sotto Le Logge and one of the best food experiences in my…
The Share The Love Crumble
Give me a food magazine and I am content for at least an hour (even if I’m just looking at the pictures). I rip out anything I might want to make and add it to one of my scrapbooks then pass on the magazine to a friend or donate to a ‘waiting area’. Delicious is…
Baked Tandoori Chicken with Mint and Coriander Relish, Easy Flatbreads and Charred Cos
Our Sunday lunch is normally ‘the last hurrah’ of the weekend and so much thought goes into planning something thats not going to let us down. This chicken recipe is by Neil Perry, absolutely so delicious I already can’t wait to make it again. Next time I’ll double the chicken quantity and so we can…
Satay Roast Chicken with Blazing Chilli Dip and Honeyed Salad
I was glad to finally cross this particular recipe off my list and even gladder to have this fierce dip under my belt (luckily not literally) as it blows your head off but I’ll definitely be making this again. I have decided to add the link as I followed the recipe exactly, the only tips…
Romanian Sarmale
When I met Nancy I had just moved to Melbourne, she worked in my local cafe (The Barber Shop). I miss the coffee, bagels and Nancy now too! Nancy liked to forage (something id never heard of) but learning about all these secret spots to pick-up free herbs and other eatable things was convenient, money-saving…
Simple Roast Chicken with Garlic, Lemon, Thyme and Honey
There is something so satisfying about a roast chicken, it is a great example of simple yet sophisticated cooking, it can feel old-fashioned (the process of preparing, carving and gobbling) there is something medieval, almost gluttonous about it. Sometimes I like to make a herb or tomato butter and carefully stuff this under the chickens…
Delicate yet Decadent Kedjeree
I’ve always seen kedjeree as a jumble of ingredients, like the food equivalent of a jamboree….a jazzy festival of flavours, a fabulous brunch, hearty and ‘Sunday snooze inducing’. Kedgeree is the kind of dish that lends itself to lazy weekend, lazy late breakfasts. Not much effort is required to deliver such delicious results. I like…
Madeleines
What I especially love about these light little sponges is the elegance in their simplicity. These particular bites bare a hint of honey and lemon but adorn your own as you fancy. With your rindless lemons, it could be nice to try making a sugar glaze with the juice. The batter is best left over night…
The Travelling Pantry 