This is the sort of food that makes me do the happy dance. Literally. I took a massive spoonful and was jumping up and down with glee. It was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. Non foodies will find it hard to understand the elation you feel when you make something that is this good. I mean, gravy even in its most basic form (and anything you smother in gravy) is fantastic....
Using this foolproof method of poaching chicken breast you will never again end up with a dry, overcooked chicken! Honestly, poaching chicken breast is one of the most difficult things to master, even the experts use thermometers to get it exactly right, or they use fancy techniques like sous-vide (sealing meat in vacuum packs and submerging them in hot water maintained at an exact temperature). The home method is so simple and no fail....
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”! Greek Chicken Gyros recipe It’s been ages since I made this Greek Chicken Gyros. But the minute the chicken hit the grill, all I could think was “why don’t I make this more often??” The smell is incredible. You can REALLY smell garlic and oregano. You know how sometimes you add herbs into things and you can’t really taste it?...
Naturally this is a perfect substitute for vegetarians and vegans whenever a meat stock is called for. But really, it’s delicious in its own right and suited to all sorts of applications by anybody! Homemade Vegetable Stock As with all stocks, homemade Vegetable Stock is far superior to store bought, with the added benefit that it’s much easier to make than seafood and meat stocks which often call for manhandling of considerable amounts of bones (I’m thinking of you beef stock!...
Chickpea soup with flavour explosion! I had every intention of making a wholesome, chickpea and vegetable soup. I really, really tried to get excited about it. It is possible to make a great meat-free chickpea soup (I promise I will share mine one day!). But, but, but…. I wanted kapow flavours. Actually, I was really tempted to do the long haul drive for a good laksa fix. I felt like I deserved it....
Egg recipes are a favourite around here because I always have some on hand! Try omelettes the Chinese way with Egg Foo Young, healthy grab-n-go Egg Muffins, a big Frittata to share or everybody’s favourite Quiche Lorraine. Who says omelettes are just for breakfast? No no no!!! Omelettes are terrific for any time of the day. And it’s a master recipe that everyone should know! How to make an omelette It’s this simple:...
This was an accidental discovery. Sometimes it amazes me that I go to the grocery store almost every day and yet when I start making dinner, I’m missing a crucial ingredient. Like spaghetti for spaghetti bolognaise. Seriously. Who doesn’t have dried spaghetti in the pantry at all times? I know, I’m weird. I think it’s the Japanese blood in my veins. I always have rice. But I don’t always have pasta....
PIKELETS – an Aussie favourite! It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s that I learned that pikelets are actually a very Aussie thing. I grew up thinking that kids all over the world were snacking on pikelets and begging their mums to make them for breakfast. But actually, while they are well known in Australia and New Zealand (and apparently in Scotland???), the rest of the world is sadly deprived of pikelets....
Give it to me! I’m a big fan of soft buns piled high with juicy fillings, from Sloppy Joes to big Pastrami sandwiches, and big juicy burgers! Pulled Pork Sandwich Steak Sandwich on Monday. Pulled pork today. It seems like it’s sandwich week. No one told you? Don’t worry. No one told me either! 😂 Actually, I could have shuffled the posting schedule around. But I don’t want to. I’ve been busting to share this recipe for ages, and finally it’s here and I’m not holding it back any longer!...
Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs These Teriyaki Meatballs are a total crowd pleaser. The sauce for this recipe is based on my mother’s real-deal Teriyaki Chicken recipe (you will be surprised how easy it is – less than 15 minutes start to finish, NO marinating!). All I did was add cornflour / cornstarch as thickener and water to thin it out to make it more saucy. My mother is a bit of a food snob when it comes to western twists on Japanese classics....
And… welcome to Thai week!! Welcome to Thai Week! Every now and then, I like to do a recipe theme week. This week it’s THAI week, with three classic recipes to make your very own Thai feast at home: Thai Yellow Curry There are many things to love about Thai food, but for me, the jewel in the crown are the curries. I adore that elusive combination of fresh aromatic herbs and spices with the complexity you get from using umami loaded seasonings such as fish sauce and shrimp paste....
Dainty food this ain’t – this is proper comfort food, dialled up to 11! Twice Baked Potatoes Twice Baked Potatoes are so named because of how they’re made. Whole potatoes are firstly baked until the flesh is soft. It’s then scooped out, leaving the potato skin shells. Meanwhile we mash the flesh with a jacket potato’s best friends – bacon, cheese, butter and cream – to create the ultimate mashed potato filling!...
The World’s EASIEST Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake! This is comfort food for busy people, dedicated to all those back home in Australia and everyone else around the world suffering through a blustery cold winter! The method I use for this Ultra Lazy Healthy Chicken Pasta Bake certainly is unorthodox. Just plonk flour, uncooked pasta, raw chicken, vegetables, milk and chicken broth into the baking dish, give it a quick stir, then pop it into the oven....
A great, fresh Vietnamese noodle recipe Winter in Sydney swings from being warm enough to run around in shorts and play with your dog at the beach, and cold enough to wear ugg boots and maybe, just maybe, turn on the heater. So the food I make ranges from hearty winter stews to fresh summer salads. I grill outdoors all year round, I make soups in summer and salads in winter....
All cookbook action around these parts!! Back in October 2021, I made the decision to put a pause on posting new recipes on this website to allow myself “just a couple of months” to focus on writing my first cookbook. I really expected (and declared as such!) to be back to my usual routine of sharing 3 new recipes a week by December. Then in December, I declared I’d be back in February....
Lobster Recipes Rounding off a crazy year, Australian grocery stores have been selling lobsters at steeply discounted prices in the weeks leading up to Christmas due to trade tensions with China. (Read more below.) If you’ve been lucky enough to pick one up, here are 6 Lobster recipes that really make the most of them. All easy – and you’re likely to have everything to make at least one of these, if not two or three!...
Just a great pork chop marinade You know when something hits the pan and it smells so great than even if it’s the first time you’ve made that recipe, you know it’s going to be a winner? This is one of those. 🙂 Plus, the added bonus is that there is a very good chance that all the ingredients are already in your pantry. Checklist: soy sauce brown sugar mustard garlic pepper Worcestershire Sauce (I never spell that right first go!...
Economical and hearty, there’s no better way to see out the colder months. Let it simmer away slowly on the stove or oven, speed things up using your pressure cooker, or set and forget with your slow cooker. Mop your bowl clean with Irish Soda Bread, a quick rustic no-yeast bread, or this incredible easy crusty Artisan bread! Beef Stew The Queen of Brown Food strikes again. Back to back brown foods, possibly the two MOST brown foods in the world – a curry on Friday, and now a Beef Stew recipe today....
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”! Carnitas Is there anything better in this world than pork slowly cooked until it’s crazy juicy and fall apart tender, then crisped to golden perfection? Yes. When it’s inside a taco. 😂 Carnitas is one of my specialities. I make this recipe often – for everyday purposes, a freezer standby and for taco-bar gatherings with friends!...
Plus, an opportunity to join me for a very special, one-off dinner – see below for details! Australian cookbook tour 2022 I won’t lie. I’m a little nervous. Some of these event spaces are big. Some I’ll be cooking live at. Some I’ll be doing alone, with no Dozer by my side to clutch onto as my life raft. But also, I’m excited! Looking forward to meeting you in real life, to chat about our favourite ways to roast chicken, reveal our secret foods-of-shame and agree how bread-n-butter counts as one food item in the Deserted Island game (if you say it really fast)....
