I thought I’d better get in quick with this recipe before asparagus season in NZ winds up for the year! I’ve made this on and off over the years and it’s a recipe I always come back to because it’s straightforward and I don’t have to look up a recipe, I can mix-up the recipe based on what’s in the fridge, it’s filling (as you’d expect with a dozen eggs) and therefore, it feeds the masses (or, in the case of my small family, we can dine on this for days!). (more…)
Main Courses
Quick and Easy Chicken Laksa
Another mid week meal that you can whip up in a hurry, my Hot Hubby loves this and he has even been known to make it (without help) on occasion! Use whatever veges you have in the fridge to keep the meal in season and easy. Note, if you are calorie counting, here’s a tip: When I was on Weight Watchers I made this and substituted the coconut milk for low fat evaporated milk and added a dash of coconut essence – it tastes great and you can’t tell the difference. (more…)
Speedy Prawn Fried Rice
This is a tasty, nutritious and fast mid week dinner that would give Jamie Oliver and his 15 minute meals a run for his money. I always have prawns in the freezer as they defrost in no time at all, as well as a packet of ready-to-go precooked rice. These packets are always super-handy for emergency ‘gotta eat NOW’ dinners. (more…)
Lazy Lasagna
This recipe is from NZ’s Matriarch of home cooking, Dame Alison Holst. I was first introduced to this recipe fifteen years ago when my friend Kitrina cooked it for me. Watching her prep dinner, I was flabbergasted when she mixed raw mince in with most of the other ingredients to form the base of the dish: No pre-cooking required! Anyhow, the result is a really good family style lasagne that takes 10 minutes (tops) to prepare. Best thing is that this recipe is always popular with kids, including my fussy little monkey, who can’t get enough of it. What’s not to like?! In my circle of friends we all thrash this recipe, it’ll definitely change the way you think about making lasanga from now on! (more…)
Honey & Pistachio Lamb Koftas with Courgette Salad
This is (apparently) a Jamie Oliver inspired recipe that a colleague gave to me, which she’d put her own spin on. Well, I’ve bastardized it even further… So you could almost say it’s unique. Almost. It’s amazing. Another rare dish the whole family likes, though you’ll see from the photo our fussy Small Child prefers his kofta without the honey and nuts! I platter this main meal up with a few extras: Diced feta, a simple green salad, diced cucumber with chopped up tomato and a quick drizzle of lime infused olive oil. One of the reasons I love this meal is you can prepare it ahead of time, all you need to do is do the koftas at the last minute. This is quick enough to do for a extra-special week night dinner, or fancy enough to wow visitors. You choose.
Honey Miso Spatchcock Chicken
My bestie came for lunch a few weeks ago and bought me a jar of misomite. This is a miso-based product, which you can use as a spread, or as a flavouring in dishes. It’s gorgeous and I’ve been having it every morning on my toast with poached eggs. Anyhow, I wanted to find another use for it…. and I came up with this marinade for a roast chook (spatchcock style, of course). It was utterly delicious and worthy of sharing! (more…)
Easy Mid-week Asian Chicken and Corn Soup
This soup is a regular feature on our week night menu. It takes a quick 15 minutes to make from start to finish – assuming you have pre-cooked chicken on hand! Best of all, it’s healthy, everyone eats it, including our fussy Small Child. Use whatever vegetables are in season, or what’s in your fridge (or leave them out if you are short on time!). (more…)
Chicken Teriyaki recipe
We had this for dinner tonight and Hot Hubby said ‘you’ve gotta blog that’ – it’s been one of his favourite meals for at least the last decade! This meal is so easy to make, utterly scrummy and easily rivals any teriyaki dish I’ve had in an authentic Japanese restaurant. If you’ve purchased store-made teriyaki sauce in the past, you won’t anymore when you see how easy this is! On that note, I do recommend you double the recipe for the sauce and store the remaining half in a jar the fridge – it keeps well for months and bonus: You’ve got some on hand ready to go next time (or use as a stirfry sauce… Yum).
