Tag: winter

  • Mexican chowder

    Mexican chowder

    What a freezer we’re having this winter.  I can’t remember these sub-zero temperatures so consistently throughout the cold season before.  Certainly inspiration to whip up some belly warming soups.  This is a variation on a recipe I found on the Good Food site.  The kids would have loved it had I not accidentally used hot…

  • Bar Idda’s Purpetti Dolce (Sicilian Meatballs)

    Bar Idda’s Purpetti Dolce (Sicilian Meatballs)

    If you like in Melbourne and make some time to visit Bar Idda in Brunswick for gorgeous Sicilian inspired fare.  The food is to die for!  Here’s a recipe they they give away their secrets to.  I’m not really much of a meatball eater, but these are something else..

  • Karen’s Black Pepper, Walnut and Cumin-stuffed Chicken roasted with Pumpkin

    Karen’s Black Pepper, Walnut and Cumin-stuffed Chicken roasted with Pumpkin

    Karen, Karen, Karen.  She never fails me and I love her.  Another winner flavour combo and simple to make.  I mean, you’ve gotta love a roast on a Sunday night, shove it in the oven and wait.  But this, with the walnut pesto and enough butter to please Julia Childs stuffed under the skin, is…

  • Chicken, Sausage and Pumpkin Bake

    Chicken, Sausage and Pumpkin Bake

    What a cool few weeks we’ve been having.  Very unusual for mid-summer Melbs, but in some ways a nice break from the scorching heat and an opportunity to turn the oven back on and cook up some warming fare.  As any one who I’ve caught up with lately knows, I’m having a bit of an affair…

  • Crispy Skinned Salmon on Red Curry Coconut Spinach

    Crispy Skinned Salmon on Red Curry Coconut Spinach

    I used to make this dish years ago when I wanted something quick, easy and impressive for dinner guests.  I don’t normally go for fish in curries, but this is a worthwhile exception.  The buttery soft salmon holds its own in the spicy sauce and looks so good on the plate on a bed of spinach.

  • Freekeh Salad

    Freekeh Salad

    What a tasty little grain this is.  Freekeh is young, green wheat which has been toasted and cracked.  One of the so called ‘ancient grains’ which have made a resurgence in recent years, it is packed full of goodness and tastes great too.  I can’t get it at my supermarket, but I think some fancy…

  • Baked Cannelloni with Spinach, Ricotta, Feta and Bocconcini

    Baked Cannelloni with Spinach, Ricotta, Feta and Bocconcini

    We recently had a little holiday at the beach and had a night off to go out for dinner, just Pete and me.  We went to a local Italian, very simple but lovely homemade fare.  I had cannelloni, which was absolutely delish.  Interestingly, instead of  pasta, they used crepes, which I’d never seen before.  Anyhoo, it…

  • Fennel and Radish Salad

    Fennel and Radish Salad

    Raw fennel is way yummier than cooked in my opinion and this is such a refreshing salad in either summer or winter.  It’s fantastic with fish and chicken on a hot night, or will lighten up a heavier meal, such as pasta in winter.  

  • Ray’s Spanish-Irish Christmas Pud

    Ray’s Spanish-Irish Christmas Pud

    I’m a bit late putting this recipe up now that we’re in Jan already, but perhaps it would make a good Xmas in July dessert and there’s no doubt that Christmas puddings always get better with time, so make it ahead.  It was Raymondo’s turn this year to make the pud and I have to…

  • Pork Fillet with Honey and Ginger

    Pork Fillet with Honey and Ginger

    Pork has to be my all time favourite meat.  It’s so often overlooked (or over cooked!) but if you buy good quality cuts, it is so sweet and tender, soaks up flavour really well and is cheap as chips compared to red meat.  This is a really simple one-pot-wonder dish I’ve made for dinner parties…

  • Ricotta and Parmesan Dumplings with Tomato and Basil Sauce

    Ricotta and Parmesan Dumplings with Tomato and Basil Sauce

    I never got the hang of potato gnocchi.  The couple of times I’ve made it, it’s turned out heavy and tough.  I think it’s a case of too much flour, anyway, I gave it away for this lighter, simpler ricotta version (taken from the Two Greedy Italians), which I’ve made many times.  

  • Pete’s Lemon Potatoes

    Pete’s Lemon Potatoes

    Pete adopted this recipe from his mum.  These potatoes are a bit of a winter staple, although they’re not too bad in summer either, and go with pretty much anything, particularly roast chicken or Fish with Garlic, Lemon and Tomatoes.