Beauty and food. The ultimate combination.
I adore this dish and so do all the blokes I’ve ever cooked it for, it’s definitely a ‘man appropriate salad’ and, if I do say so myself, it’s every bit as good as the salads I scoffed back on holiday in Thailand last year.
Generally I’m a massive fan of clean fresh Asian flavours, if you hadn’t gathered that already (there’s a few Asian recipes on this blog). The weather warmed up here in the Hawke’s Bay recently: Warm enough to get outside and fire up the BBQ to cook the steak! (more…)
I was a kale virgin until recently – I kept hearing about this superfood (mainly on my Facebook newsfeed from all the Paleo/Cleaning eating sites that I admire). When I saw some in my local green grocers for the grand total of $2, I thought I’d give kale a whirl. “How do you like to eat kale?” I asked my local Asian greengrocer. “As chips” he replied and he talked me through how to make them. “I’m into this”, I thought and I busted it out for dinner. YUMMM! Crunchy, delicious, healthy goodness. A new favourite food! We’ve had them three times in the last couple of weeks.
As an aside, it turns out I’m a late bloomer… Kale Chips have been on trend for years with Hollywood folk (probably as kale is a nature super-food and jam packed full of nutrients) and, more recently they’ve been applauded by clean eaters and paleo lovers. Where have I been? It’s a bit like when you get a new car, a model you haven’t heard before, then after you’ve been driving in it for five minutes you realise every other sod has one. Anyhow, I figure if I’m a kale virgin, you might be too, hence this post and, clearly if my local green grocers’ kale chip recipe has made it as a blog post, I’m a fan! So, if you are looking to get more greenery in your diet, or want low calorie meal ideas, or you were a fan of my roast cabbage recipe, get cracking with cooking kale chips, coz kale chips are every bit as good as roast cabbage. (more…)
These bacon wrapped mushrooms are seriously mouthwatering morsels of goodness that will have any mushroom fan begging for more. We have these quite regularly as a side dish, although they went down a treat when we had friends over for dinner recently when I made them as pre-dinner nibbles!
Get creative with these: You don’t need to use a cream cheese/feta mix, if you are a blue cheese lover, why not use that? Instead of using chopped fresh herbs, why not use a heaped teaspoon of pesto? Like things spicy? Add some chilli flakes to the cheese. You get the idea. (more…)
Here’s a super yummy recipe that has long since been a favourite of mine. Why? Because: It’s inexpensive to make; It’s fuss free enough to have mid week; Everyone gobbles it up without fuss (there’s a picky eater in my house whom I love dearly, but who makes me tear my hair out); It can feed the masses (I cooked it once for a family gathering of 20 people, no worries), or if you don’t feed the masses, it’s even more delicious the next day as leftovers for lunch, or better still, dinner (I love a leftover friendly meal that means I can have a night off cooking). Convinced that you should have it for dinner one night this week yet? (more…)
I made this lentil loaf during the week and, mid forkful, Hot hubby turned to me and asked, with wide eyes, “have you blogged this recipe?” Opps. This has been a favourite in our home, as well as the family I used to nanny and cook for, for well over a decade. I can’t believe I haven’t shared it! (more…)
Ramen is a delicious Japanese soup dish that is made with noodles served in a broth that’soften flavoured with soy sauce or miso. You can add any toppings you like to the broth: Sliced meat, dried seaweed or spring onions are all popular. However my favourite is pan fried crispy salmon and I can’t get enough of it! This recipe is (loosely) inspired a ramen dish that blew my mind at Wellington’s Wagamama restaurant. Shamlessly I have attempted to rip theirs off whilst putting my own spin on it!
This recipe serves two, simply as this isn’t something my fussy seven year old eats (his eating preferences are the bain of my life), so it’s just Hot Hubby and I that scoff this back!
Note, this isn’t a good meal to serve friends, or eat on a first date: It’s pretty noisy! (more…)
I’ve been making this exquisite moist date cake with a crunchy caramel and coconut topping on and off for years. I love it because it’s a reasonably non-fuss cake that I can be made at reasonably short notice and the ingredients are pantry staples I always have on hand. Taste wise, it’s a sensation: It always gets people groaning and asking for more. The only thing to note is that it is best eaten on the day it is made, if not the day after. That’s usually no problem, it gets demolished! (more…)
This roasted cabbage recipe is one that’s definitely worth a go: The result is a side dish that will impress… It’s absolutely scrummy. Talk about taking the humble cabbage to a whole new level!
You can get creative with this recipe – I’ve made lots of variations now, including adding a touch of grated parmesan, using different herbs and spices (any of the Masterfood seasonings are great, i.e. Moroccan Seasoning or Tuscan Seasoning), or roasting it simply with olive oil and drizzling it with balsamic cream at the end. Our favourite version is below. Quietly, I’m high-fiving myself at finding a vegetable recipe that Hubby requests. Give it a go – I reckon roasted cabbage is one of the most surprising vegetable dishes ever!
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