Tag: homemade

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beef burgers, kumara chips & aioli

so burgers are just favourites the world over, arent they? no exception at my house.  this is my go to recipe and they are so simple, but SO much better than what you will get from any takeaway.

the kumara chips are a healthier version to your regular hot potato chips – not only nutritious they are so delicious with the home made aioli.  give making your own aioli a go – its so much better than the bought stuff which is so full of preservative and other shit.

for an extra special treat, and this is sooooooooooooooooo naughty (i blame my brother for this one), drain the bacon fat from the cooked streaky bacon and add it to some butter.  spread the butter on your burger buns when putting it together ….. told you it was naughty!!!

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indian inspired meatball wraps, with coriander guacamole, and… other stuff

this might seem a wee bit like a cuisine clash (it is!!!) traditionally I am not big on that….however, i reckon it works (maybe it’s the coriander that ties the meatballs & guac together).

this is just a fun dish to eat and gets everyone involved.  its fun making your own wraps, and choosing the ratio of ingredients per wrap. just make sure one person doesnt take all the meatballs…………………….  🙂

these meatballs are so tightly packed with flavour that its hard to stop after you have had number one (…. just ask my fam!)

in addition to the below recipe, you could include a garlic yoghurt (plain yoghurt with crushed garlic & salt)… and experiment with the wrap fillings – whatever takes ya fancy!  yum!

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Raw Raspberry & Lemon Cheesecake

i made this for a dinner party, and my guests raved about it.  (i thought it was bloody good too).

this cheesecake uses fresh fruit – raspberries and lemons… so its not only part of your 5+ a day but brings a really refreshing flavour…. AND satisfying the need for something sweet! (without the guilt!)

the lemon layer is tangy and balances so beautifully with the luxury flavor that only berries provide.  as you can see, i am not at all fussy with getting the layers perfectly aligned – i like the rustic look!

huge bonus is that its a one food processor dish, no need to wash between layers, so its quick and easy to make (as long as you plan to make it the day before so the nuts get time to soak)

enjoy!

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green chilli and coconut curry sauce, with steamed monkfish & brown coriander rice

some nights are just curry nights.  in my home, there is at least one curry night per week.  we love it.

add curries to the list of things in life that are just plain addictive with this recipe. its the satisfaction that comes from a hot, thick, spicy, flavourful and punchy sauce… and you’ll want it time and time again

this is a thai style curry.  youll get a whole mouth experience – no one misses out

  • sour at the front,
  • heat at the back,
  • slight sweetness all over

then true harmony arrives with the coconut milk.

change the fish stock for chicken stock, and use chicken thighs if you dont want the fish.  its just as good!

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bangin’ terakihi ceviche, with kumara chips

its just bullshit that only the bad stuff tastes good…

but if you DO believe it, don’t just listen to my words…  allow me to change your mind with this dish

inspired by mexican style ingredients, this dish feels clean to eat, and clean in your gut.  its super filling, good enough for a main (but its also a great starter!), and the intense flavours, perfectly balanced (of course), will sizzle your tongue

and………… best of all, you just can’t feel guilty in ANY way for indulging.   thats always good eh 🙂

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lamb with grilled peach, rocket, mozzarella, pinenut & almond salad with rockin mint pesto

just brilliant. this salad will change your life.

I promise you:

  • sweetness from the grilled peaches,
  • balanced by pepper from the rocket,
  • paired with toastiness from the nuts,
  • contrasted by the creaminess of cheese,
  • all in harmony with the tenderness of the lamb,
  • and a flavour punch from the mint pesto

this will drive you crazy….

and you will want it for dinner the next evening too.

do it.

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Chicken salad, cucumber, chilli, thai herbs, ginger and lime dressing (inspired by Chinwag – Christchurch)

nothing else can match the fresh, explosive flavour of a thai salad… and the one i had at chinwag in christchurch on a hot, blustery dry summers day was just that… and it hit the spot.

boy was it spicy… (which i love) but not at the expense of all the other trademark thai flavours. perfectly balanced and satisfying, i had to give it a whirl.

there are a few deviations from chinwags offering – i didnt have lemongrass at home, so used ginger in the dressing instead.  and i couldnt get fresh squid, so there is chicken which i bathed in its own sticky marinade so it would get a great flavour crust on it.  the chicken ended up contrasting with the chilli in in the dressing perfectly.

this is something you can smash together in about 45mins if you need to.  it will take longer if you want the chicken to marinate longer.

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a greek feast: lamb shoulder, fried carrot salad with pumpkin puree & fried haloumi with chilli apricots (inspired by hellenic republic – melbourne)

i had a fabulously long lunch at hellenic republic in brunswick, melbourne early jan 2017.

not only did i nearly make new best friends with the server, i experienced the most mouth watering lamb (arni sto fourno) i have ever had – melt in your mouth, cut with a spoon kind of tender.  i had the carrot salad, which is far too humble of a description for what blasted me with flavours of cumin, basil and honey.  and the saganaki – well there isnt much in the world thats better than a hot, textural, and salty cheese with figs.

my replication of the dishes took a few creative liberties based on what i had available – but i was super pleased… they were delicious… and they took me right back to my seat in that brunswick restaurant on a 35 deg day, where i downed delicious mythos lager and went on my first, and immensely memorable, greek food journey.

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udon noodle broth, smoked pork, slow egg, chilli oil (inspired by a.baker – canberra)

i didn’t get to eat the original dish myself.  the recommendation came from my husband. i then checked out what a.baker’s website said about the dish – the rest was up to me.

my result (photo posted) was amazing, actually incredible – heaps of flavour, super fresh, the smoked pork gives it great depth and there’s heaps of texture.  every spoonful was heaven.

don’t be put off by the ingredient list – the broth is easy, it’s a set and forget kinda broth.

the toughest bit of the recipe was trying to do 63 deg eggs on gas, but i found the right balance of “pot off the element” to not have to watch it like a hawk.  if you don’t have the patience for this, just do poached eggs!  the best thing about 63 deg eggs is the texture – but if you do poached eggs, flavour won’t be impacted.

give it a go!  recipe follows.

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