This is such an easy side to prepare and cook, and tastes good hot,  warm or cold and even better the next day. It can be made in advance and heated or eaten cold. What more could you ask? Tastes great with most meats especially pork and chicken. RED CABBAGE SALAD – HOT OR COLD […]

SWEET POTATO STACKS Ingredients 6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 5mm thick slices 120 g butter, melted 1 tsp minced garlic 2 tbs thyme, chopped 2 tbp fresh oregano chopped or 2 tsp dried 50 g grated parmesan cheese 30g grated cheddar cheese Salt and pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 180° C. Grease […]

VERTICAL RATATOUILLE   ï This is a fantastic way to get vegetables that taste great and look brilliant. Apparently it is the style of ratatouille made in the movie Ratatouille. INGREDIENTS BASE SAUCE • 1 can crushed tomatoes • 1 tbs minced garlic • 1 tsp dried oregano • 1 tbs dried parsley or more […]

This is my new way to make ice-cream. For bulk I make up the mixture for 2 batches and store in the fridge until it’s cool, usually overnight, and just churn each, one at a time on the same day, in succession. During September and October we get 2 goose eggs each day so I […]

This is the simplest vinegar infusion it’s possible to make, and you get amazingly colourful vinegar to use in salad dressings and mayonnaise. All infusions are simple whether they be in alcohol or vinegar. The trick is knowing when to remove the flowers/flavours. That is mainly determined by sampling the infusion regularly. Don’t forget that […]

Many years ago a restaurant nearby served balsamic mushrooms on sour dough as an entre. The first time we went there I ordered a second serve of the mushrooms and skipped the mains. I was hooked. I tried so many times to replicate the recipe and never got it right. Last week I bought a […]

We grew up with Arnotts Iced VoVos. We always chewed off the pink lines of icing, ate the biscuit and then ate the remaining thin strip of the jam. The iced VoVos of today kill that memory. This version has squishy, thick marshmallow, tasty jelly like jam all on a shortbread biscuit base. These biscuits […]

This is so yummy and so simple. I make Anzac biscuits every year for Anzac Day. I use a recipe that makes a large number of biscuits so I have to dedicate quite a few hours to making them, then they have to be packed between pieces of baking paper and stored. This recipe comes […]

Years ago I bought a bottle of pomegranate molasses and used it from time to time with no real understanding of where it really belonged in my cooking, then I bought an Ottolenghi cook book. I was hooked. The remaining pomegranate molasses was used up quickly and then I couldn’t find anywhere immediately accessible to […]

This is tasty, easy and quick if prepared in a combination of microwave, high speed blender and a small fry pan for the onions and spices. Most of the cooking is done in the serving dish. You are left with a fry pan an blender jug to wash up. And it can easily be on […]

Why buy sour mix when you have a glut of citrus. This is so good for making sours with whiskey, gin or amaretto. It even makes it good cordial, not so sweet but definitely to my liking. It can be used as a substitute for any cocktail recipe that includes lemon/lime and sugar syrup. I […]

I love a good bread and butter pudding and this one is brilliant. We are in lockdown again so I chose to use ingredients in the cupboard that I haven’t used since the last one. I happened to have a tin of evaporated milk in the cupboard, an ingredient that I rarely ever use, so […]

We have a tree full of beautiful tangelos. It’s definitely my favourite citrus and goes so well in cakes, butters, salad dressing, infused alcohols and custards. This cake is not quick to make because of the 2 hours required for boiling and more time for cooling but they can be boiled ahead of time. Ingredients […]

This salad is basically from the back of the Chang’s Crispy Noodles packet. So for a totally no fuss salad I serve it with Chang’s Crispy Noodle salad dressing. It’s a great salad dressing to have around because it can go on anything. I use it as one of the dressings on my chopped raw […]

This is one very versatile combination of great ingredients. I don’t buy the best quantity blue cheese, just one that I enjoy. A really runny cheese will not need as much as of the milk, if any, but this all depends on what you are going to use the mix for. This can be used […]

Although I don’t love hot cross buns from the supermarket and I resent paying exorbitant prices for them from speciality bakers I have to have Hot Cross Buns at Easter. Having a stand mixer makes it easy to do with kids, and this recipe has ingredients that I can find in my pantry. I also […]

What do you do when you grow cucumbers, make pickles! Well not just any pickles, cucumber relish, cucumber chutney, finely sliced sweet pickles, vinegary, spicy thick sliced bread and butter pickles, chopped pickles in omelettes, tomato, cucumber and onion salsa, raita – the list goes on but there comes a time when the creativity runs […]

This is the end of my experimenting with what to do with a piece of silverside. This is my progress: Boil the silver-side – in the pressure cooker, with pickling spices Cooking in the slow cooker, with pickling spices Rub with pastrami rub, leave for 24 hours, smoke to stall, rest, cool overnight, steam for […]

PEAS & BEANS ON TOAST This is a good substitute for avocado on toast, and because it is made from frozen peas and broad beans, it can be made at any time of the year. Serves 2, one piece of toasted sourdough each. Ingredients 3/4 cup frozen broad beans 1/4 cup frozen peas small amount […]

  So I’ve decided that because I’m getting old and sore that I need to take a few steps to that will benefit my well-being. I am aiming to slow down the aging process, or at least manage it. Turmeric has such amazing anti-inflammatory benefits, just “Google” it, that I decided to give it a […]

I came across a lettuce omelette while reading novels based in Japan prior to a holiday there. I find reading novels set in countries that I am to travel to gives me a greater understanding of the people and customs of the country. This is a great way to use up eggs and is a […]

I made pork knuckes for dinner and needed something to cut the grease. This is a revisit of German Potato salad. I love the way the vinegar and sweetness complements the pork and the whole potato salad thing without the mayonaisse greasiness. German Potato Salad INGREDIENTS 1 kg red potatoes, scrubbed well (or any potato […]

Pink Panthers Milk was one of the cocktails we had at 5pm every day during to COVID-19 lockdown. When we revisited this drink just before Christmas there was not enough Gin and no Brandy so we used Sloe Gin and Sherry. With the sprinkle of cinnamon it tasted a lot like Christmas. This can be […]

A strata is just a fancy word for an egg and vegetable bake. This one can be used as a side dish or light meal. There is another one here that is fantastic for a family breakfast – great to prepare and simply put on to cook when you get out of bed. BREAKFAST EGG, BACON […]