Roasted carrots, hummus and walnuts is such a pretty side dish, served either warm or cold. It's my go-to dish when I have friends over as the components can be prepared in advance. I made it many times over the summer holidays. Did you know that carrots are actually are part of the parsley family, along with parsnip and celery? While the most ... Read More
At Amanda’s Table Blog
Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Garlic
I absolutely love spaghetti with tomatoes and garlic in the summer when tomatoes are plentiful. With just a few ingredients, you can whip up a delicious meal for one in minutes, or serve the pasta on a large platter for a few people. In fact, my daughter requested this dish for her family birthday dinner! This week, I picked up some glossy black ... Read More
Chocolate, Cranberry and Pumpkin Seed Cookies
I love these chocolate, cranberry and pumpkin seed cookies, an adaptation of Nigella Lawson's recipe from https://www.nigella.com/books/at-my-table The cookies are sweet, sour, chewy and crunchy all at the same time, with a little bit of heat from the chilli! With the kids back at school, I'm determined to start off on the right foot by baking ... Read More
Grilled Tuna Salad Niçoise with Potato Chips
Grilled Tuna Salad Niçoise with potato chips is a loose interpretation of one of my favourite French dishes, which originates from Nice. A traditional Salad Niçoise reflects the cuisine of Provence, with raw vegetables from the market. Regional variations include fava beans or artichokes, potatoes, boiled eggs and leaves, such as ... Read More
Balsamic Pepper Strawberries with Strawberry Ice Cream
The first time I ate balsamic pepper strawberries was in an Italian wine bar in Soho, New York. The meals I eat when I'm on holidays are often the most memorable. I wonder, is it because I have time to sit down and savour each bite, and to take in my surroundings? When I was backpacking, in the days before emailing, texting and instagramming, I ... Read More
Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Lime
Chilled sweet corn soup with lime is an elegant and simple entree. I've made this soup many times with chicken, vegetable and fish stock, depending on what's on hand. Just back from summer holidays, I'd made a prawn stock with the heads and shells from a prawn feast at the beach. I froze the stock for the car trip home, and it needed to be used up. ... Read More
Parmesan Potato Wedges
My kids love these parmesan potato wedges. They'd eat them every night if they could. It's a great dish to serve a crowd, and you can prepare the potatoes ahead of time if you wish, ready to pop in the oven when everyone arrives. We served these alongside a butterflied leg of lamb and salad on New Year's Eve, and there were none left over! I prefer ... Read More
Nectarine Granita
Nectarine granita is a semi-frozen dessert, perfect for a summer's day. On a recent holiday with the kids on the NSW south coast, we picked up a tray of beautiful big nectarines from a road-side stall. We worked our way through most of them. The few remaining were a little squashed on the drive home, so I decided to make nectarine granita. I've ... Read More
Tomato Salsa
Tomato salsa goes by many names. Also known as 'salsa fresca,' 'salsa cruda' or 'salsa bandera,' it's a traditional Mexican dish of raw ingredients that's quick and easy to make, nutritious and delicious. My favourite name is 'pico de Gallo.' The literal translation is 'beak of the rooster.' It's believed to be called that because people used to ... Read More
Christmas Eton Mess
Sometimes, when I cook, things don't go according to plan. The plan was to make chocolate pistachio meringue cookies with cranberries as Christmas gifts. With three kids underfoot, I got distracted. I turned the mixer off too early, and after adding the remaining ingredients, the normally fluffy meringue mixture ended up as a sloppy mess. I ... Read More