This is a post for me because every time I want to batch cook poached/steamed eggs I have to start the research process again. Cooking eggs in the oven is the only way to do it if you need to cook more than the 3 or 4 that fit in the frypan. I cook a […]

This is a simple version of a Shrimp boil or as we could call this modified version made in Australia – a prawn cook up. This is definitely not boiled and is served in a large ceramic dish, with a lid, so everything stays hot and all the juices can be scooped out and poured […]

This is such an easy way to cook pancakes for group of people. It takes about 10 minutes to make the mix up and 10 minutes to cook. It’s so fast that this is one of those times where you really do need to turn the oven on to preheat before starting the preparation. This […]

I have made the long winded, brined, rubbed, smoked, steamed version. This version may not be authentic but worked beautifully. Maybe it won’t win any prizes but it is really good and only involves a small amount of preparation time but a long slow cook. PASTRAMI Allow at least 24 hours, 36 for a bit […]

For years I have been making chocolate bark for Christmas which just melted chocolate with chopped candy canes spread over the melted chocolate. When set it is broken up into shards. When I stumbled across this recipe which just adds a layer of biscuit and a layer of toffee to the chocolate I had to […]

We recently spent some time in Canada, and as part of any trip we try the food from the countries we visit. The best food we found in Vancouver was the Nanaimo Bar. I had to make it when we got home. This is my version of the Nanaimo Bar – we don’t have Graham […]

We love Christmas and have a whole batch of things that we do in the lead up to Christmas. When my grandchildren start school holidays they spend days with me doing Christmas stuff. Decorated sugar cookies are one of the things we do, and they do a really interesting job of the decorating.   SUGAR […]

This is usually made with dried chickpeas, that have been well cooked and seasoned in the process, slightly mashed, stirred with the stuff of hummus, dressed with oil, nuts, seeds, spices and served a but warm, often for breakfast. Appears to be a rustic dish that can be made with whatever is available. I came […]

This is really quick and I am loving making what used to be biscuits into bars. It is so easy to throw the mixture onto a baking tray, smooth it out, put it in the oven, wait 15 minutes or so and you’re done. The alternative is to scoop the mixture into balls, spread the […]

This is such a great dip or side. It goes really well as a spread on bread rolls or as an addition to a poke bowl. Just make a batch and use it in or on everything. KASHKE BEDEMJAN Ingredients 3 medium eggplants, peeled 4 tbs vegetable oil 1 tsp minced garlic 1/2 cup water […]

This is a great way to relive your childhood party mojo, where a kids party always included fairy bread, mini frankfurts and chocolate crackles. Only thing is that this is far nicer. Childhood food memories are so different to the actual taste of the food. Eat chocolate crackles as an adult and they don’t have […]

This is a quick, easy bread that uses bicarbonate of soda and kefir to make it rise. There is no raising time and absolutely minimal kneading, we really don’t want to work the gluten. It is a great one to make while camping, and could be made in a hooded BBQ or camp oven. SODA […]

This is a good moist easy cake with ingredients that are easy to find.   TIM TAM CHOCOLATE CAKE Ingredients 150ml tasteless vegetable oil 150ml milk or kefir 2 eggs 3 tbs golden syrup 1 cup plain flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup cocoa 14 Tim Tams, 10 roughly […]

These are the muffins that turned our winter breakfasts around. Custardy bread baked in individual moulds, frozen in batches, and ready whenever you need them — two minutes in the microwave and you’ve got the base for a proper breakfast bowl with kefir, fruit, and a scatter of toasted seeds. Or grab one straight from […]

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 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 […]

Years ago, a nearby restaurant served balsamic mushrooms on sourdough as an entrée. After one visit I was hooked — ordering a second serve of mushrooms instead of a main. It took a lot of failed attempts before I finally nailed the recipe with field mushrooms and a decent balsamic. The quantities are flexible and […]

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 one is such an easy soup — few ingredients, one pot, and it’s ready in well under half an hour. Zucchini bulks it out without needing potato but you can add a potato if you have one, and a good hit of Korean seasoned salt gives it more depth than stock alone could ever […]

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 […]