I made a Vietnamese-style chicken salad for dinner last night in an effort to please everyone at the table. Every night this week, someone has complained about the meal I've served. So, I placed all the ingredients on the table for people to help themselves, with the chilli and herbs on the side, and included tomatoes big and small. The fussiest ... Read More
mint
Chicken Mayonnaise Sandwiches with Pistachios, Mint and Lime
Chicken mayonnaise sandwiches, for me, are the ultimate picnic fare. They're believed to have originated from"Poulet Reine Elizabeth" or "Coronation Chicken." This was a dish created by Rosemary Hume, a Cordon Bleu chef, and Constance Spry, a florist and author, as part of the banquet for the the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. ... Read More
Roasted Romanesco with Green Pea Hummus
Romanesco broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, has to be one of the most beautiful vegetables I’ve ever encountered. The first time I saw one, I was reminded of a piece of chartreuse coral. The pale green florets are arranged in an intricate, fractal-like, conical spiral formation. Romanesco belongs to the plant species Brassica oleracea, which also ... Read More
Pea and Lettuce Soup with Mint and Chives
Pea and lettuce soup with mint and chives takes only a few minutes to prepare. It’s a simple entree for a spring lunch. However, if you like a more substantial soup, it works beautifully with some almond meal stirred in, or some strips of grilled prosciutto strewn over the top. It’s also a lovely way to use the outer, tougher leaves of a lettuce ... Read More
Pea and Mint Puree with Lemon and Ricotta
Pea and mint puree with lemon and ricotta is a beautifully light dip to serve with crudités. I recently served it as an alternative alongside a stronger salsa verde with radish leaves. Frozen peas are such a handy staple to have on hand, don't you think? The eschallot, which is sautéed before cooking with the peas, adds another layer of flavour, ... Read More
Salsa Verde with Radish Leaves
Salsa verde with radish leaves is simply my interpretation of a green sauce of chopped herbs. Many versions exist - think of the British mint sauce, the French sauce verde with chives and tarragon, or the the Argentinian chimichurri with coriander, just to name a few. I bought a bunch of beautiful radishes from my local market this ... Read More
Roasted Onion and Beetroot Dip
Roasted onion and beetroot dip is so easy to make, and it makes a very pretty appetiser. A painter, who did some work at our place once, noticed how much I loved cooking. He would bring me culinary treats - pomegranates from his garden, halva and a jar of pomegranate molasses. Pomegranate molasses is a Middle Eastern reduction of pomegranate ... Read More
Salmon and Brown Rice Salad with Lime and Sesame
I made this delicious salmon and brown rice with lime and sesame from last night's dinner leftovers. It's a quick and easy lunch to put together in advance and keep in a thermos if you're on the go, as the flavours blend together well and there's no lettuce to go soggy. I've used cherry tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers and avocado, but ... Read More
Pea and Mint Soup with Celery and Lettuce Leaves
This pea and mint soup with celery and lettuce leaves is one that I love to make as it makes use of the green things that many of us throw away – the leaves of the celery stems and the outer, tougher leaves of the lettuce. Plus, I always have a bag of frozen peas on hand. It's a trusty, economical staple. Did you know that green peas are actually a ... Read More
Watermelon and Tomato Salad with Pistachios, Feta and Mint
Welcome to my first blog post of 2020. We’re on holidays at Hyams Beach on the south coast of NSW. It’s a magical place on the edge of Jervis Bay, completely surrounded by national park. This is my favourite two weeks of the year, just before school starts back, when everyone does whatever they feel like, whether it’s an early morning walk and a ... Read More