Sake. Prawns. Ginger. Shitake. Yes, this recipe combines a number of classic Japanese flavours. We added some bean thread noodles and included a few coriander leaves thus taking the dish into the popular Pan-Asian realm ….
CELEBRATION SALADS
WHITE SALAD WITH WHITE GAZPACHO DRESSING
BABY POTATOES WITH CAVIAR
SPICY MEATBALLS WITH MINT YOGHURT SAUCE
We always need something to graze on at parties, but particularly if it’s a drinks-only event, the nibbles need to be substantial enough to stave off hunger and make good company for drinks. With that in mind we’ve adapted a classic recipe on our blog for Cevapcici, Skinless Sausages, to make these spicy little Meatballs with Mint Yoghurt Sauce ….
CHEESE CRISPS
CLAMS, ARTICHOKES AND RED PEPPER AIOLI
I’ve sometimes found clams problematic to serve due to the pesky and persistent grains of sand that no one likes to crunch upon, but now that I can buy them already de-sanded they’re regularly on my shopping list. This recipe of Braised Clams and Artichokes with Red Pepper Aioli is Iberian in origin and delicious as a light meal. As good quality, preserved or marinated artichokes and red peppers are now also available in good delis, it’s a quick and easy dish to make ….
GLUTEN-FREE SCONES
MEJADARRA, MEGADARRA, MUJADARRA
SUGAR-FREE AND SEEDY
SILKEN TOFU AND CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Silken tofu is the star of today’s recipe, and what an intriguing ingredient it is, particularly given that it’s almost flavourless! Its appeal, apart from as an excellent vegetable-based form of protein, lies in its capacity to pick up and enhance the ingredients that accompany it and, of course, in its unusual texture ….
HAZELNUT, CHOCOLATE AND RICOTTA CAKE WITH GANACHE
ASPARAGUS AND PEA RISOTTO WITH STUFFED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS
It might seem strange but we’ve only posted one other recipe for risotto on our blog. There are so many out there we’ve wondered if the world really needs another … until now. Our Asparagus and Pea Risotto with Stuffed Zucchini Flowers is a celebration of the spring vegetables that are abundant (and cheap) in our markets right now …
SANTIAGO CAKE
GADO-GADO. VEGETABLES WITH PEANUT SAUCE
LEMON POSSET
Light and silky, this Lemon Posset is so easy to make that it’s almost like some sleight of hand is at work. Here’s how it works: boil cream and sugar, add lemon juice, pour into some attractive glasses or small bowls and place in the refrigerator for a few hours. Done. Now that’s my definition of magic ….
TANDOORI-SPICED GRILLED CHICKEN
This recipe for Tandoori-Spiced Grilled Chicken was given to me years ago by friends who knew I liked to cook. It came in a tiny book, and when I say tiny… I mean miniscule. It was about 50mm square. The book itself has disappeared (that’s how small it was) but a version of this quick, easy recipe lives on. The trick is to make the spice paste in advance. Double the batch and you’ll have a good supply to keep in the fridge at the ready ….
LEMON CURD
We’re yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like Lemon Curd – and what’s not to like about the buttery richness and the sweet ’n’ sour kick it delivers? Even children seem to like the tangy sourness. Most people have a recipe handed down from a Grandmother or favourite cook. There are many methods and slightly varying ingredients so we’re now adding our recipe into the mix ….
POT AU FEU
We’re calling this a Pot Au Feu but, really, it’s a simple riff on the French classic, in which beef and beef bones full of marrow are poached, along with vegetables, in stock. We have retained the vegetables and delicious home-made stock but have replaced the beef with tasty gluten-free pork sausages and tender duck breasts and have thrown some sake into the stock for good measure ….
SCHOOL PRAWN AND BELUGA LENTIL SALAD
These beautiful little Beluga lentils are my new best friends, particularly when they’re part of this School Prawn and Beluga Lentil Salad. Named for their apparent resemblance to caviar (hmm, really?) Beluga lentils have all the advantages of other lentils, in that they’re packed with protein, iron, potassium, polyphenols, folate and fibre, and they’re also low in kilojoules. That’s not bad for a start ….