I’m really excited about this one. As in – I could hardly get a snap of the soup because I was already busily hoeing in to it. Gosh it’s good. I need to thank Nadia Lim for the recipe inspo. I googled ‘pumpkin and haloumi’ as these were the ingredients I had laying round in the fridge […]
Category: main meals
chicken + veggie soup | ‘get better’ soup
A freezing cold day in Boorowa today, it’s currently 5℃ outside. I’ve given up trying to wrestle a jumper on to my two year old daughter Annabelle who says “I’m not cold!” As long as a top has ‘sleeves’ and a sparkly front, she is fine. My other daughter Charlotte is a more sensible four year […]
salmon + rice bake
Of course you’re allowed to disagree with me, but I don’t think there is anything daggy about tinned salmon. I love it. Not used as much as it should, you don’t see many recipes cutting round using this tinned fish anymore. I’ve grown up eating salmon rissoles a lot and enjoy making this delicious salmon pate. […]
lamb schnitzel
Can I just throw it out there – crumbed lamb cutlets are the best food on the planet. And if cutlets are number one, this lamb schnitzel comes in a very close second. Lamb schnitzel came around thanks to Mim – who makes THE best schnitzel. Walking past her local butcher shop recently, she happened […]
chicken in pastry | friends for dinner
You’d be hard pressed to find a better movie than The Castle. A firm favourite in our family, we find ourselves quoting the film often. One of the best scenes is when Con and Trace come back from their honeymoon in Bali. Huddled round the living room, the two are quizzed on every aspect of the […]
salmon w chorizo | a jamie oliver recipe
One word for you. Flavour. When Jamie Oliver wrote his ‘5 Ingredient’ cookbook, in my heart I know why he wrote it. Not to ditch the Ottolenghi’s of the world, instead to say that food doesn’t need to be complicated and time consuming to be ‘oh so right’. Cork Daddy’s at rugby training and I HAD […]
egg + bacon pie | a family recipe
I’ve been wanting an excuse to make this egg and bacon pie for ages, ever since I came home one day to a parcel at my door step – a shiny new deep quiche pan which had come all the way from France; a gift from Mim on my birthday! So when good friends of […]
red lentil dhal | meat free monday
Weeks ago I made dhal for a meat free Monday night dinner and whilst doing a million other things, simply forgot about it, leaving it on the stove to burn. To a crisp. Talk about ruining a dish. We ate spag bol instead. And I’ve been wanting to make it again ever since. I was […]
beef bourguignon | made in the slow cooker
I made this beef bourguignon for the rehearsal dinner at my favourite cousin (if I’m allowed to call her that) Jess’ wedding in Kangaroo Valley last year. Rehearsal dinner. That sounds so American. Anyway, so I made three slow cookers worth and still recall sending guests home from the weekend with Tupperware containers full of […]
cheats prawn laksa
Chatting to my good friend Lizard recently, she told me she’d made a chicken Laksa for dinner. This gave me the inspiration to reach for that jar of Laksa paste whilst browsing the gourmet food aisle at Knights Meats last week. This prawn Laksa is the quickest and easiest soup you can make and although I […]
pumpkin + pea + pine nut pasta
Try saying ‘pumpkin, pea and pine nut pasta’ really fast three times. That may be difficult, but making this tasty little pasta dish isn’t. The perfect meat free Monday meal, it’s made even easier if you can roast the pumpkin on Sunday night and have it in the fridge ready to throw in. Made with simple […]
mim’s famous fettuccine
There’s a story behind this fettuccine. When Charlotte was born Mim came and visited us in Wagga. A fabulous cook, she made a huge batch of my favourite fettuccine – decadent and rich, it’s a real crowd pleaser. Mim stocked the freezer with scrumptious home cooked meals for Cork Daddy and I – as new sleep […]
coq au vin | chicken in red wine | made in the slow cooker
Have you seen the film ‘Julie and Julia’? A terrific chick flick, it’s based on the life of Julia Child who is recognised as bringing French cuisine to the United States. Her first cookbook ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ is on my Christmas wish list. I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without a […]
mushroom sauce | to accompany steak + vege
I wouldn’t say I’m a crazy sauce person. Unlike my brother-in-law Jezza who is obsessed with condiments, I actually confess to ordering chicken schnitzel at a pub without gravy. I love making mushroom sauce at home though and this one is absolutely delicious. Inspired by my Mum who always makes a mushroom sauce to serve […]
a warm winter salad | roasted pumpkin + cauliflower brown rice salad
This roasted pumpkin salad is the perfect thing to bring when told ‘not to bring a thing’. So leave the Favourites at home and turn up with this impressive salad instead when invited to a friends place for a barbie. Goes down really well with any grilled meat, tastes delicious, looks great and is sure to […]
chicken + broccoli spiral pasta
Broccoli in pasta? Yep. Broccoli finds its way in to my grocery trolley each and every week. I steam broccoli for dinner, along with its mates – carrot and corn, for the girls nearly every night. My kids love my creamy bacon pasta (however pick out the mushrooms) and their favourite food is chicken, hence […]
jacket potatoes | that cork daddy cooked on the campfire
In the culinary world, is there anything more versatile than the potato? With the fear of sounding like Bubba from Forest Gump where he bangs on and on about the versatility of shrimp; you can do just about anything with the humble spud. Roast them, mash them, boil them, turn them in to chips. You […]
simple beef mince tacos | a tasty + affordable meal the whole family will enjoy
Mum used to make tacos a lot when we were kids. We used to love loading up our own tacos with mince, tasty cheese, shredded iceberg lettuce, grated carrot and chopped tomatoes which all sat colourfully, lined up in their individual bowls. I went through a stage of making these all the time back in […]
sausages in a red wine + onion gravy | served w mashed pumpkin + steamed veggies
The very first time I went to Cork Daddy’s family farm in Boorowa all those years ago, I did something that’ll never be forgotten. Sitting in ‘Joe’s’ paddock, having a barbie and a few beers – my father in law was cooking some sausages on a grill plate over the fire. As he went to […]
thai red curry w chicken | made in the slow cooker | a meal the whole family will enjoy
State of Origin tonight. One half of me wants to be at Rom’s watching it on the giant outdoor screen; the other half is stoked with my decision to stay at home with a bowl of this delicious slow cooked curry. This is one of my go-to meals for days when I want something quick […]
