Winter is nearly over, which means it’s coming to the end of the tamarillo season here in New Zealand. So this week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com), using roast tamarillos with a Lime & Coconut Rice Pudding. I love the combination of the smooth creamy rice pudding with the slight tartness of the tamarillos. A perfect combination for comfort food if you ask me, and a tasty winter dessert. I haven’t met anyone who doesn’t like this dish.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com).
It’s a middle eastern Vegetable Tajine with a couple of extra sides of Spiced Chickpeas and a Roast Cauliflower & Grain Salad, which makes a fantastic winter meal to have with friends or family. Plus it’s totally meat free, so will suit lots of people.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com).
For something a bit special you can’t go past Jen’s slow roast leg of lamb with lots of chinese spices and herbs. Go easy on the Sichuan pepper and chilli flakes if kids are going to eat it, and just serve with good quality chilli sauce on the side for the adults. Jen is a fan of crisp chilli sauce, which you can find at Asian supermarkets.
The key for perfect slow cooked meat, is to let it rest well after it’s finished cooking. It will hold its heat for a good hour if it’s covered with foil, so make sure you include that time when planning a start time for cooking the lamb.
Serve with freshly cooked greens (what ever is in season), and rice or noodles - both are delicious!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com).
Jen’s created a lovely brunch option for special mothers on Mothers Day, you can’t beat this Crispy Agria & Chorizo with Eggs, Smokey Tomato Sauce, Labne & Herb Salad. This recipe is equally good as a weekend brunch option for a crowd. With a little bit of prep before hand brunch can be ready in no time at all. I’ve also made this recipe for a light Sunday supper kind of meal, when you don’t want a big meal!
The labne and tomato sauce can be made the day before along with cooking the potatoes. Then simply crispy up the potatoes, warm the sauce and poach the eggs to serve. Omit the chorizo for meatfree and perhaps season the potatoes with smoked salt or add a little smoked paprika
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com).
This Smokey Braised Beef is a fantastic winter dish, and Jen originally made it to use up excess turnips and pumpkin. It does take a bit of time in the oven, but makes a lot and freezes well. Its also good cooked in a slow cooker. (see Note below). Could be good for a weekend dinner when you have extra time for cooking, and just reheat any leftovers during the week for a quick meal.
The Cornbread is a bit of fun, and you can mix up the flavours to your taste. Leftovers are delicious toasted and topped with butter!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com).
This Tomato & Coconut curry is a family favourite in Jen’s house, and is so quick and easy to prepare. Subtly spiced with the four different seeds, plus the fresh sweet cherry tomatoes really make the dish. The recipe came about as Jen had an oversupply of cherry tomatoes (always the way with tomatoes all ripening at the same time), one random eggplant, no legumes or meat, and chickpea flour and pantry staples. So thinking cap on and voilà and hour later a dish the whole family loved.
The pudlas are great to serve with a curry and so versatile. Plus kids love them! They are a thin crepe/pancake originating from India, and the batter consistency when mixed is like cream. The mix keeps well in the fridge so feel free to double it and crank some out for breakfast or lunch. This recipe makes 2 cups, so about 8 small crepes. You can add spices like cumin, or fresh grated ginger, or even grated vegetables in to the mix.
Chickpea flour is available at the supermarket, but the best place to buy it is at the Indian grocer or the organics shop.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis year in the garden I’ve been trying a few different vegetables, to see which grows best in my little corner of the world.
Fennel was a big fat fail, but the beetroot has turned out to be an excellent crop. Lots of fat beets and luscious green foliage. So what to do with said crop? In my book you can’t go past a yummy vege relish to have on just about everything, from a cheese board to sandwiches, burgers and cold meats. And the small beetroot leaves can be used in salads or cooked in place of kale.
So the beetroot crop got a big tick from me and will be appearing once again in next years garden. After a strenuous day in the garden, nothing is better than a tasty steak sammie cooked on the BBQ with the Beetroot & Cumin Relish and a garlicy aioli. Yum on so many levels!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). She recently managed to score a 12kg box of peaches at a bargain price, so had to get creative in the kitchen cooking and preserving the peaches before they were past their best. This recipe Jen has developed is a very simple and light summer dessert, and a perfect finish to a BBQ or summer salad. The peaches went down a treat on our shoot day, and I definitely fulfilled my role as chief taste tester by having seconds and thirds! They’re also fantastic as leftovers the next day on your breakfast cereal. Any stone fruit would work well instead of the peaches, as well as fresh figs.
Start this recipe a day in advance as the labne needs time to hang.
Enjoy!
Read MoreWell it’s that time off year again - yup Valentines Day!. Have you got everything sorted for your special other half? Flowers/pressie, special dinner in or out, yummy cocktail to start the evening? Well I’m here to help you out with the last item on that list. Sorry can’t help you the other items, you’re on your own for those!
This Strawberry Basil & Gin Cocktail is pure summer in a glass, and perfect for Valentines Day in the southern hemisphere. Not so great for northern hemisphere peeps, it’s probably still snowing and freezing cold in your neck of the woods. Maybe try this cocktail at another time of the year.
Your challenge on Valentines Day is to try and stop at just one cocktail. They’re very addictive so it would be easy to drink 2 - 3 cocktails, and forget about that yummy dinner you’ve got in the oven!
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). As per usual at this time of year the courgettes take over the vege patch. Jen was telling me she had planted 4 courgette plants this year, which was one less than last summer, and she’s still trying to cope with them all ripening at the same time. Puts my single plant to shame, but I’ve still got the same problem.
If you aren’t picking almost daily, in the blink of an eye they turn into marrows! This rich moist cake is a nice way to use up any extra courgettes you have before they end up the size of a marrow football.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). This time its a type of syrup called a fruit shrub, which is a concentrated syrup with a vinegar base, that’s used as a mixer in cocktails or with soda. It was popular during the American colonial era, and it’s making a come back with the recent interest in mixology. On a hot day it’s very refreshing served with soda, ice and extra fruit.
This recipe has a cold brew method where the ingredients are left to sit to concentrate the fruity flavour. Some fruit, like rhubarb require cooking with the sugar first. Jen tends to use the cold brew method when she can, as it produces a fresher flavour. You could also experiment using different types of sugar, matching it to the type of fruit.
In this recipe Jen used boysenberries, but raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, logan berries will all work well, in fact you can use just about any fruit to make a shrub. Try stone fruit, rhubarb, apples, pears, and even cucumber. Pair them with herbs/spices such as Pear & Ginger, or Strawberry & Basil for a fantastic base in a cocktail.
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 2 of my christmas countdown - and we only have two days till the big day. Hope you’ve done all your Christmas shopping, and are sprinting through your “To Do” list. Todays recipe for Christmas Star Bread is perfect for that Christmas morning snack, while your opening presents and wrangling the turkey into submission. And it can even be prepared the night before and popped in the oven first thing Christmas morning.
Enjoy!
Read MoreWe’re taking in Italy on Day 4 of my christmas countdown. I can never say “no” to a slice of Italian Panforte. Especially when it’s dusted with icing sugar and served with a sneaky port or two or three. Christmas prep is stressful don’t ya know!
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 5 of my christmas countdown is really getting into the Christmas spirit with these tiny Christmas Mince Pies. I love these pies with lots of dried fruit and a touch of nutmeg. They have to be my favourite at Christmas time, and of course I’ve been doing a fair bit of quality testing this week just to make sure they taste as good as they look.
Enjoy!
Read MoreDay 7 of my christmas countdown is a recipe for a christmas bauble or two in the shape of Gingerbread Stars. They look fabulous hanging on a Christmas tree (or any tree if you’re going the non traditional route), or bagged up as pressies.
And don’t be like me and forget to put the holes in each star before putting them in the oven - doh! Never mind, out with the trusty power tool, and drill the holes once the gingerbread has cooled. Don’t forget to give the drill bit a wash first though. Perfect holes every time!
Enjoy!
Read MoreWell here we are for Day 9 of my Christmas Countdown. Today’s recipe is a Chocolate, Orange & Almond Biscotti, just the treat to have with a coffee or anytime snack.
Might pay to do a bit of dunking first as these biscotti are super crunchy, and I don’t want to be responsible for broken teeth at this time of year.
Enjoy!
Read MoreThis week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). This is a simple but beautiful recipe for a Roast Carrot Salad with Labne & Sumac. It’s just the dish for those summer BBQ’s, or a light lunch. The labne could be replaced with soft goats cheese, just give the dish a sprinkle with sumac at the end. You can serve the salad warm or at room temperature, so perfect for Christmas day as you can prep ahead.
Enjoy!
Read MoreOK everyone don’t fall off your seats - another post from me only a week after the last one. I’m trying to be a bit more diligent with my social media posts (early New Years resolution), fingers crossed I can keep going for more than a few months.
This week I have another recipe from fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy (www.themodernmess.com). Savoury Granola makes a great pantry staple, and a perfect topping for salads, soups, on top of eggs, and on roast or steamed vegetables. In fact anything that needs a bit of crunch! It also makes a great homemade gift, particularly at this time of year.
The dry ingredients are interchangeable with what you have in your pantry, just keep it to around six cups of dry ingredients. Don’t go too heavy on the buckwheat, they go nice and crunchy, but you don’t want too many of them.
Enjoy!
Read MoreApologies to everyone out there in blog land - it’s been an absolute eon between posts. Been a bit busy on the work front with back to back projects, and have only just come up for air in the last week or so.
I also wanted to introduce you to fellow foodie Jen Pomeroy from the Modern Mess (www.themodernmess.com). We’ve decided to team up on a few projects and this is the first of our endeavours.
To get everyone in the mood for Christmas, Jen has cooked up a yum Christmas Mince Slice. Yes I know it’s still November, but Christmas is officially one month away today!
This is a version of Jen’s grandmother’s recipe. It’s subtly Christmasy and loved by all who get to sample it, plus great to have in the pantry for those Christmas visitors.
Enjoy!
Read MoreI don't know about you but I'm all about comfort food when the weather is doing it's best to freeze & drown you all at the same time! I tried this recipe for Beef Cheeks recently when friends braved the elements to visit me. During dinner there were lots of oohs, ahhhhh, & yummms so I guess it hit the spot. Unfortunately it's not the type of recipe to whip up quickly, but with a little pre planning and slow cooking the beef for 5 - 6 hours you will end up with a tasty and very tender meal.
Enjoy!
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