I love the flavour of lemon because it gives the most amazing sharpness to both sweet and savoury foods, bringing out the best in the ingredients it is paired with. In this recipe a juicy lemon is sliced into wedges and then roasted with chicken, tomatoes, baby peppers and thyme until the chicken…
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Brownies to die for
I won’t say that these brownies are the best ever. I would never say that anyone’s brownies are the best ever. I think that the world has room enough for a truckload of spectacular brownies, and I’m writing as one who has tried a comprehensive range; nutty, chewy, studded with white chocolate, or milk chocolate,…
Read MoreWarm bean salad with proscuitto and herbs
The flavours in this warm salad – garlic, basil, onion, proscuitto and a kiss of chilli are absolute winners with the creamy cannelini beans. With some simply grilled meat, a fresh green salad and jacket potatoes, you have a complete meal that’s delicious, healthy, and has a wonderful mix of contrasting textures and flavours. Serves…
Read MoreButter beans with pine nuts and lemon
I was inspired to create this recipe to bring out the gorgeous flavours of butter beans by the bumper crop from my vegetable patch this year. Butter beans are similar to green beans and not to be confused with the equally delicious but quite different broad beans. They have a slightly sweeter flavour and I…
Read MoreOrange blossom cupcakes
When I was growing up cupcakes were called patty cakes and strictly for children’s birthday parties. Now it seems as if the formerly humble patty cake is everywhere, and dressed up in all manner of adornments. No matter if they have a new name and fancy schmancy decoration, they are still a universal…
Read MorePoached egg on toast
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Leonardo da Vinci I doubt Leonardo da Vinci was referring to a poached egg on toast when he made that statement. However, a softly poached egg – organic or from a generous friend’s backyard chooks – with a chewy piece of toasted rye bread, topped with sea salt…
Read MoreSpiced carrot dip
My father-in-law ate carrots under sufferance and to tease him I used to suggest all sorts of carrot based recipes for me to cook and him to eat. He never tried this spicy dip, but I like to think that if I hadn’t told him that it was made with carrots, he would have loved…
Read MoreSlow roasted tomatoes
These tomatoes are incredibly simple to make, taste fantastic and can be used in a multitude of ways. I like to have them as part of an antipasto platter, roughly chopped and stirred through pasta, layered in a vegetable lasagne, smashed onto toast with fresh ricotta and basil, or just by themselves. Hot,…
Read MoreDukkah
I love the nutty, spicy flavour and crunchy texture of dukkah, especially when I eat it with soft, warm turkish bread dipped in fruity, grass-green extra virgin olive oil. The word dukkah comes from the Arabic word meaning “to pound” since the spices and nuts are pounded together after being dry roasted. There are many…
Read MorePesto
My kids say that this pesto is the besto. From early October right through to the end of March where we live (in Queensland) my basil plants yield prolifically, so much so that I make pesto around once a week. Home made is so much better than even the best shop bought pesto and if…
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Simple food 