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…
Tag: delicious
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
A Punchy Little Sandwich for Spring
Even though I am partial to the odd BLT or BELTAC, (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado and Cheese) I tend to stray away from the DIY version at home…..maybe not giving credit enough to the old two slices which serve as a container for other food. In Australia it was unusual for me to see…
Sweet and Spicy Malaysian Chicken Curry
This one’s a real treat, great in winter or summer, for 2 or for a crowd……the flavour is soft, with a hint of sweetness from the palm sugar and subtle warmth from the chilli and spices. Really very simple, once you have your curry paste it’s merely a case of frying it with onion, adding…
Nduja with Silky Tomato Butter Pasta
Nduja is something I’ve been hunting down for years and I finally got to cook with it this week. It is Calabria’s clever variation on salami, which is spreadable and melts into an unctuous delight when heated, making this buttery sauce perfectly rich and wicked (even though the ingredients are so humble). Nduja is composed…
Welsh Cakes
I don’t know what first prompted to make these, but my boyfriends from Wales (even though he has lived here in Melbourne since he was 8 and has an Aussie accent) funny, thinking he was fluent in Welsh as a little boy…..but I wanted to see if he’d had these. Maybe the taste would spark…
Debbie’s Carrot Cake
Yes, it’s been around the block a bit…Carrots were used in medieval times as an alternative to expensive sweeteners, this cake has been popular in Switzerland since 1892, revived in Great Britain due to the rationing of the Second World War, voted no 5 in Americas top fad foods of the 1970’s and even been…
Best Ever Pantry Sticky Barbecue Chicken
I have eaten this particular recipe my whole life, which has been passed on from Mary Berry to my mum then to me. It never ceases to delight me and whoever I cook it for, it’s one of those recipes that kids love, fuss pots love – everyone loves and it’s fun to make, being…
Waffling About
Everyone needs a bit of waffle now and then….so here’s to waffling on…and on………and on…………… I have a stove top waffle iron, which is good but I would still favour the old electric waffle irons purely for the fact it’s easier to get the timing right and the edges are less susceptible to burning. Anyway,…
Zucchini Fritters with Sour Cream and Smoked Salmon
I had always fancied making breakfast fritters of some kind as I’m always partial to ordering them if on breakfast menus. Potato rosti are also a massive temptation, I remember one of the best meals I have ever eaten in Palma was lobster tortellini served on potato rosti – I’ll have to try and recreate…
Crunchy Polenta Onion Rings
Someone very dear to me told me this was the best onion ring recipe…ever. As usual there was a slight doubt in my mind as this person is well known for let’s say ‘exaggerating the truth’. For example, the revolving BT tower in London – she went here for dinner one night, got a little…
Easy No Knead Flatbreads
When I say these are easy, quick and delicious I am telling no lie. You literally add the ingredients together, divide the dough into 12 pieces, roll out each piece to a bread the size of a side plate and griddle. Perfect for dinner party/BBQ or just to rustle up as a snack for yourself….
English Breakfast Muffins
English because they are savoury muffins, rather than the sweet American variety. Well worth the little effort taken to rise 2 hours before you plan to eat – here’s how it could go for you….. 7am – Up to make the simple batter (15-20 minutes, including kneading) then back to bed for 1 hour whilst…
Creamy Bacon, Boursin and Courgette Pasta – My best kept secret
I know we’ve all added various cream cheeses to pastas before but this particular combination is something that pains me slightly to divulge as it has been a personal love affair since my mum first made this for us. A dish that pleases all, and can be made vegetarian easily with the exclusion of bacon….
Easy and Crispy Fried Gnocchi with Sundried Tomatoes, Olives, Mozzarella and Basil
Seriously, one of my favourite dishes, little effort required – maximum delight gained. To make this extra quick, use good quality shop bought gnocchi (but you will get a far better result making your own). When my mum came to stay recently I made a list of places to go and recipes I wanted to…
The Travelling Pantry 