Some people might look at a recipe for risotto on this blog and rage at me, “This is not simple food! Risotto is complicated” But, at the heart of the matter, risotto is a simple dish – rice, stock, flavourings and love. People get all caught up is how to make the perfect risotto and…
Read MoreAll articles filed in recipes
Cinnamon palmiers
Crisp, cinnamon scented, buttery pastries and excellent coffee were what was called for at our place today. Treats are most needed when exam season begins. The wickedly rich chocolate ganache we had with them might have been a little too indulgent, but then chocolate always makes studying easier! Palmiers are a traditional French pastry, often…
Read MoreBlood orange punch
Summer is on its way in my part of the world, bringing with it warm days, still-cool evenings, and life bursting out in the vegetable patch. It’s the most marvellous time of year to be in the garden, where every small effort of planting and watering brings excellent returns at the table in the form…
Read MoreSweet potato pie
After ten days in Papua New Guinea spending time with some amazing women who live and work with the local people there, I came home to my family ready to do one of the things I most love, cooking something delicious for them. Sweet potato is common in PNG so I was inspired to make…
Read More
Tangelos and oranges with lime and vanilla syrup
Tangelos have a short season which makes them all the sweeter, to me, at least. I just love the intense citrus taste that is like an orange, and like a mandarine, but also uniquely tangelo. I’m salivating even as I write this. When I made this ultra simple dish, I wanted to celebrate the beauty…
Read MoreYoghurt cream with strawberries
Strawberry season has started early where I live and these beautiful, luscious, sweet and juicy strawberries were just begging to be eaten. I read in a wonderful book by one of my favourite authors, Helene Hanff, of 84 Charing Cross Road fame, a 19th century quote about strawberries – “Doubtless God could have made a…
Read MoreSimple pizza dough
We make pizza fairly often at our place – with teenaged boys in the house, it’s a real crowd pleaser. However, pizza, like pasta, presents challenges when one member of the household is a coeliac and needs to have a strict gluten free diet. Most of the meals I cook work for the whole family…
Read More
Potato and pea salad with hazelnut dressing
This salad is not much like the mayonnaise flooded, stodgy version of potato salad familiar to many. It has a nutty hazelnut and mustard dressing that has a great bite and contrasts with tender potatoes and crunchy peas. It’s perfect for when sugar snap and snow peas are in season. It can be served warm,…
Read MoreSweet potato soup – winter joy
Pumpkin soup is ubiquitous as a winter time meal in my part of the world so I thought I’d mix it up a bit and try a sweet potato soup instead. Lots of spices and a bit of heat make this soup a little different and it would be a good introduction for the uninitiated…
Read MoreFeta and oregano dip
I know it’s easier to just head to the supermarket and buy dips, but for flavour, value and culinary satisfaction, I often choose to make my own. This dip comes together really quickly and is creamy and salty and herby and a bit spicy all at the same time. We ate it with crispy pita…
Read More
Simple food 