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
olive oil
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
Fennel and Zucchini with Nectarines and Fior di Latte
Fennel and zucchini with nectarines and fior di latte is one of my favourite summer salads. It doesn't really need instructions, as it just requires you to assemble the best of ingredients that you can find together on a large platter. There are so many good flavours: the sweet, juicy nectarines, the creamy fior di latte, (I love the cheese from ... Read More
Grilled Asparagus with Pomegranate, Mint and Barley
Grilled asparagus with mint, pomegranate and barley is a side dish which can be served either warm or cold. It looks so pretty with the pomegranate arils, like crimson jewels, perched on top of the rich green mint and grilled asparagus. This is my interpretation of a delicious sauce I had several years ago at Gjelina, one of my favourite ... Read More
Tomato and Olive Salad with Roasted Onions and Thyme
Tomato and olive salad with roasted onions and thyme was borne out of a need to come up with something quickly because I feared I didn't have enough to feed my guests. A friend of mine has a wonderful expression: "maximum impact for minimum effort." With just a few ingredients, this salad does just that, with juicy, ripe baby tomatoes, black ... Read More
Little Gem Lettuce with Buttermilk Herb Dressing
I love this little gem lettuce salad with buttermilk herb dressing. It looks really pretty arranged in a radial pattern on a plate, and it takes very little time to prepare. It's easy to buy lettuce leaves pre-washed and pre-packaged, but they're packed in plastic, and they don't last long. If you a buy a whole lettuce with its roots still ... Read More
Poached Chicken Breasts with Almond Sauce
Poached chicken breasts with almond sauce is a simple dish to make. It can be prepared in advance, and it easily feeds a crowd. Six chicken breasts are enough for 12 people if you're serving them as part of a larger meal with salads. The almond sauce recipe belongs to the excellent chefs of Ester, https://www.ester-restaurant.com.au It's one of ... Read More
Chilled Roasted Tomato and Capsicum Soup
Chilled roasted tomato and capsicum is perfect for a light meal on a hot day. I often use nuts in soups as they give the soup a lovely creamy texture (without the cream), and they tend to make the soup a bit more filling. I also like to make my own chicken stock, either with chicken carcasses from the butcher, or with the leftover frozen bones of a ... Read More
Eggplant Mezze Plate
I served this eggplant mezze plate yesterday as a starter for lunch with friends. I used eggplants in two ways - thinly sliced and roasted with smoked salt and olive oil, and also roasted whole, with a head of garlic, to turn into a dip. They tasted delicious on top of toasted pita bread with a dollop of homemade labneh and rose harissa. The labneh ... Read More
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