Before you read this… ask yourself these two questions. Do I own a food processor? And do I have an abundance of greens in the garden (or if you’re like me, have a friend that does?) If you’ve answered YES – then please, carry on reading. This recipe comes from a friend, Annalise Merriman, who […]
Category: pasta
beef mince stroganoff
Don’t get me wrong – I like spag bol. It’s just that yesterday afternoon I caught myself standing at the fridge staring at the packet of beef mince I’d bought for dinner, thinking “gosh I can’t possibly cook spag bol again!” So off to Google I go.. typing ‘beef mince recipes’ quickly in to the […]
cork daddy’s chorizo pasta
Cork Daddy’s been making this chorizo pasta forever; since his flatting days in Randwick and he’ll freely admit that it was the only dish he knew how to cook back then. My sister and brother in law, Lou and Matt (who are both really good cooks) make this pasta all the time too, having made […]
standby spaghetti | bacon + onion + chilli + garlic
Standby spaghetti… for those nights when you’ve got something better to do than cook. Take tonight for example. Saturday’s in iso – we’re burning a few snags on the fire with the kids for a late lunch and then I’m challenging Cork Daddy to a pool comp tonight. So far, Meemar and Grandad AND Gen […]
spinach + ricotta cannelloni
So often the hardest thing about midweek cooking (or any type of cooking) is trying to figure out what to cook don’t you think? I’m always looking for inspo in the kitchen and I haven’t made cannelloni in ages! When browsing the aisles of Woolies this arvo, I came across a shelf with half price […]
nee’s spaghetti slice | greek pastitsio
I first fell in love with Pastitsio whilst on holidays in Greece – what feels like a million years ago! A dish made up of ground meat, cooked pasta and a cheesy béchamel sauce; it’s the Greek equivalent to the Italian’s favourite dish – lasagna. And talk about a crowd pleaser. Comforting and delicious, team […]
roasted vegetable + grilled haloumi risoni salad
I’d quite happily become a vegetarian; just as long as I was able to eat haloumi all day, every day. How good is haloumi. Finely sliced and seared in a hot pan, there’s no better ingredient to add to a salad. The grilled haloumi is definitely the star of the show in this dish, guaranteed […]
spaghetti vongole
I can still remember the first time I tasted spaghetti vongole*; Cork Daddy and I were on holidays in the Amalfi Coast. Sitting in a little trattoria, not a care in the world and making our way through a carafe of wine, I think we were on to our second (or third) bread basket whilst […]
sweet potato + spinach + almond pasta
The Betoota Advocate recently posted an article with the headline “Monday Breakfast of Acai Berries Makes Up For 97 Schooners Consumed Over Weekend”. If you’re unfamiliar with The Betoota, do yourself a favour and check out their website. A hilarious satirical newspaper, they never fail to get a laugh out of me. The thing about […]
amatriciana pasta sauce
Cork Daddy and I used to go to Bar Italia in Leichhardt every Friday night during rugby season. Back in the day when we were footloose and fancy free. When our only worry in the world was being invited to two 21st’s on the same Saturday night. Being creatures of habit, without fail we’d order […]
jamie’s pasta dough | homemade egg pasta
My birthday’s two days before Cork Daddy’s. Born in the same year, it makes me the older woman, even if it is only by a couple of days. It’s become a bit of a tradition that he buys me a new cookbook as a birthday present (one can never have too many cookbooks in my […]
creamy orecchiette | a family favourite
To say that Cork Daddy and I had a big night last night would be an understatement. In Sydney for one night only for a work function, we had a great time, making full use of the open bar (thanks Delta). And let me just say, we don’t bounce back as well as we used […]
12 ways with mince | best ever mince recipes
Mince. Every home cooks best friend. Easy, affordable, oh so versatile and talk about tasty. A flavour carrier that is perfect for making quick and easy midweek meals, it’s always a staple in my trolley. Beef, pork, chicken or sausage mince. There’s a recipe below for every occasion and to suit everyones taste buds and […]
grandma betty’s famous macaroni + cheese | a favourite amongst the grandkids
It’s our darling Annabubby’s 3rd birthday today and what better way to spend it than a day at the zoo. The girls have been talking about the giant daddy gorilla ever since and Ame and my backs are still sore after lugging the kids around up all of those hills. The absence of Pete and […]
tuna macaroni | a family favourite
Growing up we always called zucchini slice – ‘zucchini pie’ cause Mum made hers in a pie dish. And that’s what she called it. Similarly, we’ve always called this dish ‘tuna macaroni’ even when Mum used pasta shells instead. We’ve called it this because that’s what the original recipe states; a recipe given to Mum […]
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 […]
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 […]
‘bring back the dinner party’ | lo’s beef ragu | as featured in the winter 2018 edition of GRAZIHER magazine
Growing up, Mum and Dad used to host these elaborate black tie dinner parties. The open fire raging, the silverware all laid out to be polished and the smell of roast lamb wafting from the kitchen, there was a real sense of occasion in the air. I’d watch in awe as Mum put on her […]
penne with chicken + bacon + spinach in a tomato + cream sauce | an easy + delicious midweek meal
This pasta dish was inspired by my very first casual job which feels like it was donkey’s years ago – at Cafe Tropez. Soph and I worked there for a couple of years as teenagers and my favourite dish on the menu (apart from the hot chips with aioli and chicken risotto) was their tomatoey/creamy […]