This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”! Mexican Shredded Beef I have a “thing” about shredded meats. I just love how it acts like a mop for sauces, so every mouthful is so juicy. From Shredded Chicken Tacos to Pulled Chicken Nachos, Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta and Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken and Rice Soup to Crispy Chinese Shredded Chicken, if the eating experience is better when the meat is shredded – I shred it....

Use this to make a Ripper Beef Nachos! “This Nachos Cheese Dip was an invention out of necessity. Because I love cheesy dips, and I wanted one that did not harden or congeal as it cooled.” I am yet to meet a cheese I don’t love. Plus I have a weakness for all things snacky. If there’s something to nibble on within reach, it’s like my arm is on auto pilot....

“OMG! That Lentil Salad!”, my friend exclaimed as we stood shivering in the cold, fully covered head to toe in waterproof gear, throwing toys into the water for our dogs. Prancing out of the way of the spray of ice cold water when they shook right next to us (where else would they do it?), yelling at them if they dared to leap up and touch us. I realise it’s completely ironic to be talking about a lentil salad when I’m describing a freezing cold winter day at the dog beach, but I think that’s a testament as to how good this salad is – that my friend got so excited about it even though we’re in the height of winter and it should be all about soups and stews....

This recipe for bread rolls will blow your mind! These dinner rolls are: made without kneading; without a stand mixer or any other electric appliance; take 2 minutes of active effort to mix the dough; have golden tops and are soft and fluffy on the inside. Every single time I make these, I am in utter awe of how effortless they are, and how amazing they taste. They are in every way just as good as classic dinner rolls, made by kneading the dough by hand (tired arms, tired arms!...

Posting live from regional Queensland in the midst of mango harvesting at the Groves’ Tropical orchard!!! Long time readers may remember that I visited this very same farm in early 2016. This City Gal turned Northern Beaches Gal Wanna-Be-Country-Gal swept into Yeppoon, armed with cameras and all manner of gadgets, ready to get stuck into the farm life. Turned up dressed completely inappropriately (who wears a sparkly clean WHITE TOP to a farm?...

I really don’t think I’m a food snob – hey, I’m that person who has confessed to doing the KFC and Maccers drive through of shame. But I was brought up with food made from scratch and my mother ended up doing a great job of brain washing me because I never use store bought packet mixes or recipe bases. It just doesn’t taste right to me, it has an edge of artificial-ness, and usually they are too salty....

Teriyaki Chicken – homemade Teriyaki Sauce As a kid, all I ever wanted in my lunchbox was a peanut butter sandwich and crisps so I could be like the other kids. Instead, my mother used to send me to school with bento boxes and sushi rolls. As an adult, all I want is for my mother to pack me bento boxes. A step up from the peanut butter sandwiches I usually end up slapping together....

This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”! Welcome to Day 10 of the inaugural Holiday Salad Marathon, a series where I’m doing the polar opposite of the usual sugar-loaded baking countdowns out there: I’m bringing you a new salad recipe every day through to Christmas Eve! Today, it’s a salad that’s an ode to summer! Vietnamese Chicken Salad While this exact salad is not strictly authentic, the flavours, texture and spirit of the dish I drew heavily from traditional Vietnamese food....

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe! This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code! Just to explain…. I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀 I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise....

You don’t need to be Irish to make this.😉 You just need to be a fellow Carb Monster! Rustic flavour, great crust, keeps well for days. Slather with butter, mop your plate clean, dunk into soups – or Irish Beef and Guinness Stew! World’s BEST No Yeast Bread! People say that the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven is one of the best things in the world. Forget the smell....

Welcome to Day 5 of the inaugural Holiday Salad Marathon, a series where I’m doing the polar opposite of the usual baking countdowns and bringing you a new salad recipe every single day through to Christmas Eve! Today I’m sharing a great Aussie classic: Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad This is a salad from that comes to you from the back of the Chang’s Crispy Noodle packet. It’s an Aussie summer BBQ favourite that hits the spot with everybody....

Here’s the thing about Asian families (I’m betting we aren’t the only Asian family with this attitude!). When it comes to faux Asian food (modern / contemporary / fusion Asian), we are snobs. We love it when it’s done right. But there’s a line – and if it’s on the wrong side of that line, we turn our noses up at it. So when I announced that I was going to make a “faux Asian beef soba” meal for a family dinner, the response was……well, underwhelming....

Cheesy Zucchini Bread I want to tell you that this is a special recipe I made for Australia Day, which is today, Friday 26th January 2018. Being that as I started writing this post, it dawned on me that this Cheesy Zucchini Bread is green and gold which are our national colours. But alas, I must confess, it is by sheer co-incidence that I happen to be sharing a green and gold recipe on Australia Day....

I saw this on a Chinese cooking program years ago. I can’t remember what the show was, but I do remember being dubious. Just 5 ingredients? How good can they be? I frequently see cooking hacks with very few ingredients and often they are made using cake mixes or store bought sauces. Which I have no problem with per se, it is just not my way of cooking because I like to cook from scratch as much as (practicably) possible....

Made with a classic Scottish shortbread base and a fresh lemon curd topping that is a lovely balance of sweet and zing. I think you’ll be surprised how straightforward Lemon Bars are to make! Lemon Bars As I started writing this, I remembered that I shared Parmesan Shortbread Biscuits just 2 weeks ago. And that I shared a Honey Lemon Chicken last week. And here I am today sharing these easy Lemon Bars with a shortbread base....

I love doing homemade version of chicken simmer sauces you can purchase in jars, like the Everyday Chicken Curry sauce. Homemade is a gazillion times more delicious! Honey Mustard Chicken How many Aussies reading this remember this jingle from the 90’s?? ? I feel like Chicken Tonight, like Chicken Tonight! ? It was for an advert for a range of simmer sauces called “Chicken Tonight” sold in jars at supermarkets....

Essential BBQ Side Dish! Whenever you have a passing thought about what sides to make for a BBQ, the answer must surely always include grilled corn, right??! I mean, it’s the most effortless BBQ side dish ever: plonk corn on the BBQ, serve with butter. And we could just leave it at that. But I like to do one extra little thing to make it even more amazing: brush with melted butter while it’s on the BBQ....

Jambalaya Around the world there are many chicken and rice dishes, all delicious in their own right. But then there’s Jambalaya. It’s chicken and rice, yes. PLUS smoked sausages. PLUS prawns (shrimp). PLUS bacon. All mixed up with rice perfectly-cooked in a Creole spiced tomato broth along with tender vegetables. It’s damned hard to argue Jambalaya isn’t one of THE most epic rice dishes in the world*. I scoffed down many a delicious bowl of the stuff during my travels some years ago in New Orleans, spiritual home of Jambalaya in the South....

Finished with a lemon glaze, this is a simple cake that you can whip up on short notice. Yoghurt keeps the cake moist so it lasts for days and days! It’s the same batter used in this Blueberry Lemon Cake and Strawberry Cake. Lemon Cake recipe This Lemon Cake is one of my emergency quick and easy cake recipes, something I can get in the oven super quickly when I’m short on time....

Mini Shrimp Tacos I am literally beside myself with excitement, being able to share with you a chance to win an entire CASE of my favourite Australian wine – Turkey Flat. And not just for my Australian readers either – Australian AND AMERICAN readers!! {Just drop a comment below to enter!} ** Giveaway now finished! Winners at the bottom of the post!** This is not a sponsored post! I was emailing back and forth with one of my readers (a certain lady from Portland, Oregon – you know who you are!...