Oven baked sausage and tomato risotto

What you need

1 tablespoon olive oil

400g chorizo sausages sliced thick

1 red onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

2 celery stalks, diagonally sliced

400g can diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf

parsley, to serve

what to do

Preheat oven to 200°C. Heat oil in a 12-cup flameproof casserole or ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Fry sausages for 10 minutes, turning until browned and almost cooked. Remove from pan.

Add onion to saucepan, and more oil if needed. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until soft.

Slice sausages into bite-sized pieces.

Add rice and celery to saucepan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring. Add sausages, tomatoes, stock and water. Stir. Remove from heat. Cover with the lid or foil.

Transfer dish to the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until almost all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, but firm to the bite. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

chocolate lava cake

These individual chocolate lava cakes are great for dinner parties because they can be completely made the day before and then quickly baked before serving, for the all-important "ooze" factor. Makes 6.

180gr unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter, set aside. Spray six 6-ounce ramekins or muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Slowly stir the melted chocolate into the egg mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture evenly into the ramekins. Cover the ramekins and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. bake for15 to 20 minutes. They will be done when the outside has risen slightly above the sides of the ramekins and the center is still soft. Unmold the cakes. Place each cake on a plate and serve with fresh berries, vanilla ice cream or a dollop of double cream.

olive and garlic bread

This olive & garlic bread is a foccacia based bread roll, and is ideal for a mediteranean style meal, or simply for dipping on olive oil.

What you'll need

Olive oil

2 gloves garlic

21gms Yeast

3 tsp Sugar

1650gms Plain flour

480gms Kalamata Olives

150gms Extra flour

3 tsp Sea sal

What to do

Roughly chop the olives and finely chop/crush the garlic.

Combine yeast, sugar and 3 cups of luke warm water. Rest in a warm area until it becomes frothy.

Combine flour, sea salt, chopped olives & thyme in a bowl, make a well in the center and then pour in the yeast mixture, add 2 tbsps oil and mix to a firm dough.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface.

Vigorously knead the dough until it is soft and silky (add more flour if too wet) coat the dough in oil and let it stand in a bowl for 2 hrs in a warm area( or until it has risen to twice it's size).

Cut the dough into 160 gm (6 oz) pieces and shape into small bread rolls, place on an oiled tray and stand in a warm area for 30 minutes.

Bake the bread for 30 minutes on 180*c (350 F) or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped

spiced coffee rub

If your after something different in terms of flavour on your next roast or barbecue meats, why not try a coffee rub, its not as strange as it sounds. the coffee combined with the sugar, chilli and spices give a great taste, and enhance the meats natural flavour.

what you need

5 tblsp espresso coffee powder

2 tblsp chili powder

3 tblsp dark brown sugar

2 tblsp paprika

2 tsp cumin powder

1 ½ tblsp coarse salt

1tsp onion powder

½ tblsp dry English mustard

½ tblsp cracked black pepper

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp red chili flakes

½ tsp ginger powder

½ tsp garlic powder

What to do

Combine all seasonings well.

Lightly oil the pork chop, then sprinkle generously with the spiced coffee rub.

Rub into the meat evenly and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Grill to your liking.

chef's note:

If roasting a large piece of meat, rub the spiced coffee rub generously all over the meat and allow to marinated for at least 6-8 hours or overnight before roasting. This recipe is fantastic for BBQs and Grill parties.
Store left of spice rub in an airtight jar, for your next BBQ.

beer bread

This easy to make beer bread can be made using either whole meal flour or white self raising flours.


What you'll need

3 cups of white self raising flour

3/4 cup of wholemeal self raising flour

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

1 x 375 ml stubby of beer. Stout will give a darker brown colour.

Milk for glazing

Sesame seeds

What to do

For white flour only version use just 3¾ cups of white self raising flour.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees centigrade (425 degrees Fahrenheit).

Sift the dry ingredients without the sugar.

Stir in the sugar followed by the beer.

Mixing thoroughly and make into a loaf.

Brush with milk across the top and sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Place into a bread tin & bake for fifty minutes. To test if bread is cooked, tap on bread and it should give a hollow sharp sound.

sweet chilli jam

This fiery yet sweet chilli jam is great with roasted vegetables and goes well with all meat dishes especially on barbeque chicken.

What you'll need
500 grams (1 lb) roma (egg) tomatoes

1 small onion julienned

3-4 small red chillis (chopped)

6 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 small knob of ginger (chopped)

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp mustard seed

1/2 tbsp turmeric

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt flakes

Cracked black pepper

What to do
Preheat oven to 180 degrees (350 fahrenheit)

Cut tomatoes in half and drizzle them with olive oil and roast in the oven until skins start to blister.

Sweat the onions in a pot in a touch of oil on low flame until they turn soft and translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients to the onions and sweat a few more minutes.

Add the roasted tomatoes to the pot, reduce the heat to very low, cook out for 1-2 hours season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once all the ingredients are cooked out, allow to cool and puree in a food processor, refrigerate and use as needed

zucchini and feta tart

What you need

6 medium zucchini,thinly sliced

2 Tbsp sea salt

6 eggs

2 Tbsp cornflour

½ cup finely chopped dill

80g fetta cheese, crumbled

Sea salt and white pepper

¹⁄³ cup finely grated parmesan

What to do

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin with baking paper. Put half the zucchini slices in a colander. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the salt. Top with the remaining zucchini slices and salt. Allow to stand for 30 minutes, then rinse zucchini under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside on a large baking tray.

Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, add cornflour and whisk to combine. Add dill, crumbled feta cheese and salt and pepper to egg mixture and stir to combine. Put zucchini slices in prepared cake tin.

Pour the egg mixture over the zucchini. Sprinkle parmesan over the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cooked in the centre when tested with a skewer.

Stand tart for 10 minutes before turning out onto a plate. Serve warm or cold, cut into wedges.

stuffed eggplant

This is classic peasant food. It makes the most out of stale bread and eggplants when they are cheap and abundant in the summer. Like all rustic dishes if you get it right the taste is amazing.

what you need

2 medium sized egg plant

2 cups home made tomato sauce

1 cup quality bread crumbs

handful parsley leaves, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ cup grated parmesan

2 eggs

what to do

cut the egg plants in half and boil them until they are soft.

When cool scoop out the flesh gently, leaving the skin as a vessel.

In a bowl mix the flesh with all the ingredients minus the tomato sauce, making sure that the mixture is properly seasoned and that it’s not too wet or too dry.

Adjust accordingly adding more breadcrumbs if it’s too wet and more egg is it’s too dry.

Pack the eggplant skins with the mixture, pressing it gently.

In a non-stick pan with just a film of oil fry the eggplants with the stuffed side facing down so that a nice crust is formed and the contents are sealed.

Remove from the pan very gently and place the eggplants in a baking dish with the fried side facing upwards.

Spread the tomato over the surface of each eggplant, Sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake in a moderate oven for 15-20 minutes .

stuffed tuscan loaf

When deciding on what food to take on a fathers day picnic, the last thing i wanted to do was cook once we arrived.
So when deciding what to take one of things I went with was a stuffed Tuscan loaf, I took a large Tuscan cob loaf that I hollowed out and filled with all the things I love, basil pesto, fresh cut continental meats, grilled and marinated vegetables and provolone cheese.

This dish is something that the wives of men working in the fields would generally prepare, it was one way to have all their lunch in a easy to eat and carry way.

You could fill the loaf with what ever you like. for mine i hollowed out the loaf, and spread the entire inside with basil pesto.

Then layered all the things i like in side, fresh sliced, leg ham, proscuttio, various types of salami, fresh sliced tomato. fresh basil leaves, provolone cheese, feta cheese, fire roasted red peppers, grilled eggplant, olives and English spinach leaves.

You need to alternate the layers until it is full and compacted to the top, remember to work on the colours for maximum effect once you cut it open.


Once you have filled it to the top, ensuring the fillings are compacted tight, spread the lid with pesto and place on top, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.


When read to serve cut in wedges with a sharp knife and enjoy.

Some of the other items we took were, bacon and leek tarts, rosemary and parmesan crumb chicken tenderloins, pizza bites, sweet potato risotto balls, roasted chicken thighs stuffed with ricotta and sun-dried tomatoes and lamb koftas.

While everyone one else was trying to get around the public BBQ that never seem to heat up down by the river, we were sitting back in the sun enjoying lunch and having a glass of wine.

That''s a stress fee fathers day.

33715c52-123b-4386-8952-dbca94661704

1.03.01

gluten free pizza dough

This dough is not like the traditional pizza dough but if you are gluten intolerant and love crispy base pizzas this is a great base to make.

what you need
450gr gluten free flour
550ml cold water

what to do
Place the gluten free flour in a large bowl and slowly add the cold water.Mix the flour and water together until you have a firm dough which resembles shortbread. The shortness of the dough will make it hard to knead.
After kneading for 7-10 minutes you should have a good pizza dough.
Roll out the dough and place on a baking tray slightly overlapping the edge, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for a minimum of 15 minutes.

Top as desired and bake.

note... if you don't let it rest and cook it straight away it will shrink and crack.

basic pizza dough

Recently I had an email from Lu Anne requesting a pizza dough that she could make at home resulting in a thin crispy crust, unlike the thick bases in those large chain pizzas.

The key to crispy base is replacing some of the flour with fine semolina, and also to cook the pizza on a stone. The stone helps to draw out the moisture resulting in a crispier base.
If you aren't lucky enough to have a wood fired oven with a stone base, you can purchase pizza stones from most kitchenware stores, that you can heat up in your kitchen oven. The secret is to cook your pizzas directly on the stone and not on a metal tray.

what you need
1 kg (2.2lbls) strong bakers flour
10 grams salt (0.35oz)
10 grams sugar (0.35oz)
20 grams dry yeast (0.70 oz)
20mls good olive oil (0.70oz)
660mls water (22fl oz)

what to do
mix flour with salt, sugar and dry yeast.
place water and olive oil in an electric mixing bowl add all dry ingrediedients mix on low with a dough hook for 5 minutes. turn out and need for one minute.
place dough in a oiled bowl covered with cling film for approx 1.5 hours to double in size.
knock back and shape into pizza balls, let rest for 15 minutes, then roll out and top as desired.

crispy tip
If you want a crispier crust replace 200grams of flour with 200grams fine semolina

veal rolls with polenta

what you need
4 (140g each) thin veal schnitzels, halved lengthways
4 slices pancetta, halved
2/3 cup (80g) semi-dried tomatoes
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 cup polenta
1/3 cup pure cream
Small fresh basil leaves, to serve

what to do
Place 1 piece veal on a plate. Top with 1 piece pancetta, 1 tablespoon tomatoes, 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon basil. Roll up to enclose. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining veal, pancetta, tomato, cheese and basil.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook veal, turning, for 3 minutes or until golden. Add pasta sauce. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until veal is cooked through.
Meanwhile, place 3 cups cold water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Gradually add polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until polenta is soft. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Remember to remove toothpicks from veal. Serve veal and polenta topped with basil.

Ciabatta Italian Bread

Poolish (the starter dough)

what you need
300 g general purpose flour (Caputo Tipo 00 works well)
300 g room temperature water
1 g (pinch) yeast

what to do
Mix to a pancake batter consistency, cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 3-4 hours, or overnight. Refrigerate after 3-4 hours.

The Finished Bread

what you need
The poolish, plus:
700 g flour
20 g salt
9 g yeast
430 g water (73% final hydration)

what to do
Mix the dough until it is well hydrated (it is very sticky).

Stretch and fold (like a letter) and let rest covered with plastic for 30 minutes.

Stretch and fold again, and let rest for 1 1/2-2 hours covered. (The stretch and fold lines up the gluten to give the dough structure.)

Cut the ball into 3 pieces, and stretch into the final shape.

Proof for 1 hour, then bake at 500ºF (plus or minus) until the internal temperature reaches 205ºF.

It’s a very moist dough, and you don’t slash it. The final shape looks almost like a dog bone, and the final bread is crusty, with big holes in the crumb.

ricotta and spicy chorizo calzone

what you need
Basic pizza dough
180g 00 strong plain flour (or bread flour)
140ml warm water
1tbls Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp dried yeast

For the filling
500g ricotta cheese
200g cooked spinach
15 slices of spicy chorizo sausage
Handful of Parmesan cheese
Handful of pitted black olives
3-4 tbsp passata tomato sauce
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

what to do
Basic pizza dough
Mix the salt and the yeast in a bowl with the water. In another large bowl make a well in the centre of the flour and then add the water mixture and the extra virgin olive oil. Mix well with a wooden spoon until you create a doughy texture. Turn out the dough onto a clean well floured surface and work it with your hands for approx. 3 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with a towel, leave in a warm place and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. At this stage, pre-heat the oven at 220º.

To make the calzone
Use a 30cm diameter pizza tray. Flatten the prepared dough into the tray with your hands.
Spread a thin layer of passata over the dough spread all the ingredients on one half of the pizza and very carefully fold the other half over the top and closing the edges with your fingertips. Bake for approx. 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

rosemary and parmesan crusted chicken cutlets

what you need
2 cups milk
2 cloves garlic crushed
5 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 grated parmesan
1 cup chopped parsley parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
500gr thinly sliced chicken breast
Salt
Pepper
5 Eggs
Vegetable oil

what to do
Beat 5 eggs together and add 1 cup of milk.
Soak Chicken Breast fillet in 2 cups of milk with the crushed fresh garlic. Can be made 2 hours before or soacked night before.
add chopped parlsey and rosemary to the bread crumbs.
Add parmesan to the bread crumb mixture.
Add a couple of pinches of salt and some cracked pepper.
Now drain the milk egg mixture of each cutlets and coat with bread crumb mixture and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.

Italian Sausages, with Potatoes and Rosemary.

what you need
6 italian sausages
800 g kipfler potatoes scrubbed and sliced
1½ teaspoons Paprika
1 Rosemary stalk
4 Garlic Cloves unpeeled
sea salt
freshly ground Black pepper
2 Slices ciabatta bread
50 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 handful continental parsley

what to do
Preheat the oven to 200 C.
Slice the sausages into 4cm pieces and place in a large roasting pan.
Add the potatoes, paprika, rosemary, garlic cloves, sea salt and pepper.
Tear the ciabatta into bite size pieces and add to the roasting tray.
Drizzle over the oil and gently toss to combine.
Place in the oven and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the sausages and bread are golden brown.
Top with continental parsley and serve with a green salad and crusty bread

pasta with braised beef and tomato ragu

A truly hearty Italian meal which will warm and fill anyone on these cold nights. This recipe is also well suited to lamb, especially lamb shanks.

what you need
1kg stewing beef on the bone (such as shoulder or veal shank)
100ml olive oil
3 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 bay leaves
400ml red wine
4 tablespoons tomato puree
4 x 400g cans chopped Roma tomatoes
600g rustic style pasta just as trofie
6-8 basil leaves, torn, to serve

what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Season meat with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Heat a dash of olive oil in a heatproof casserole over a medium-high heat, brown meat all over, then remove and set aside.
Add remaining oil to casserole, reduce heat to medium, and fry onion, celery and garlic until softened. Add bay leaves, pour in wine and bring to the boil, then stir in tomato puree, canned tomatoes, 300ml water and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
Place meat back in casserole and bring to a simmer, then cover casserole, transfer to the oven and cook for at least 3 hours, or until meat is tender and falling from the bone and sauce is a glossy, deep burgundy colour; if sauce starts to thicken too much, add a little extra water.
Allow to cool a little, then pull meat from the bone, discarding bone. Refrigerate meat in the sauce, then scoop off and discard surface fat, and divide ragù into two batches; reserve one batch for another mealtime

Cook pasta according to the packet instructions until al dente and reheat remaining batch of ragù. Toss drained pasta in the ragù, scatter with basil leaves, and serve immediately.

You could also serve this ragu with polenta or creamy mash potatoes.

raspberry and white chocolate friands

what you need
125g fresh or frozen raspberries
185g butter, melted
6 egg whites
1 x 100g packet almond meal
1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
100g white chocolate, chopped

what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease 8 x 1/2 cup capacity loaf friand pans.
Crush 1/2 cup (75g) of the raspberries, place in large bowl with butter, egg whites, almond meal, flour, sugar and chocolate, and mix until combined.
Pour evenly among prepared pans. Scatter with remaining raspberries. Bake 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with a little raspberry coulis, if desired.

italian sausage and cheese calzone

whay you need
400g plain flour
100g semolina
1½ cups warm water
60ml olive oil
7g sachet dried yeast
1 Tbsp salt flakes
Extra 1 Tbsp olive oil
300g spicy italian pork sausages, out of their skins
2 large brown onions, sliced
¼ bunch oregano, leaves picked
Extra salt flakes and pepper, to season
400g ricotta
200g cherry bocconcini
150g parmesan, grated

what to do
Preheat oven to 200ºC. Put flour and semolina in the large bowl of an electric mixer. Attach dough hook. In a jug whisk together water, oil and yeast.

Turn mixer on low and pour in yeast mixture. Once all liquid has been added, increase speed to high, add salt and mix for 5 minutes until dough is soft and silky. Remove dough hook and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Put bowl in a warm place and allow dough to prove for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.

Heat extra oil in a frypan. Add sausages and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes or until brown. Add onion, reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Add oregano and season with extra salt and pepper.

Divide dough into 4 portions and roll out into rounds. Divide ricotta between rounds, tear over cherry bocconcini and drizzle with a little oil. Season with salt flakes and pepper. Sprinkle over parmesan and top with sausage mixture.

Fold over dough rounds to form half-moon shapes, then rope-twist the edges or press with a fork to seal. Put calzones on a heavy tray or preheated pizza stone and bake for 30 minutes or if your lucky as i am cook it in your wood fired oven..
Stand for 10 minutes, before serving

roasting meat

Roasting large pieces of meat to the correct doness can be fairly difficult at times and once the roast is too much done, there is no turning back anymore.

The easiest solution to avoid disappointment is to use a meat thermometer. I prefer this “scientific” approach much better than how i learnt many years ago by “poking” a meat fork into the meat and establishing the doness of the meat by trying to judge the cooking temperature by the color of the juice that sipped out of the whole where the fork was removed and/or the temperature of the needle held against the lower lip ( which if well done can burn). This might be the “old fashion method” but it still works just as well especially when one is experienced in using this method.

What you'll need
* Meat thermometer, digital or analog
* Meat fork or stainless steel needle


What to do
While one can leave the thermometer inside the joint/roast while roasting, this is not always advisable as, especially when roasting meat on a BBQ grill, due to the basting with liquid or marinate.

Stick you needle into the meat, so that the needlepoint reaches the middle of the thickest point of the roast. Depending on the type of thermometer used, ensure that you allow time for the needle to come up to the final reading.

All meat should be well rested after roasting.
This is done on a warm (below 60C or 140 F) place; 10–20 minutes depending on the size of the roast will be sufficient. This will help in equally distributing the juices throughout the meat and the meat will be equally done rather then very bloody on the inside and grey around the edge of the meat.

In general the meat will “heat through” a bit during the resting period, one should calculate approximately 10% additional “cooking” during the resting period.

As a general guideline to determine the doneness follow these temperatures:

Very Rare / 45C (113F) / blood of meat will be cold
Rare / 50C (122F) / deep red to purple, “bloody”
Medium Rare / 55C (131F) / dark red
Medium / 60C (140F) / pale red,
Medium Well / 65C (150F) / light red to pink, almost clear
Well Done / 71C (160F) and above / clear, no blood visible

beef and red wine jus

Ever wondered how to make that dark rick sauce that nearly every restaurant serves with their meat dishes, while it is best to make your own stock, there is nothing wrong with the good commercial ones you can by from the supermarket.

What you'll need
2 litre Veal or beef Stock
1 litre red wine
2 shallots (eschallots) peeled and halved
4 sprigs tyme
3 bay leaves

What to do
Place all the ingredients except for the veal stock in a sauce pan over a low flame and reduce by ½ (I usually make a little pen mark on the outside of the pot, so I know when it is half).

Add the veal stock and reduce that amount by half again.

Strain, portion and freeze and use as required for your next dinner party.

A little more than a tablespoon is all that is needed per serving of beef, lamb etc; so you should have enough here for a few dinner parties.

prawn oil

Next time you prepare a dish that leaves you with a lot of left over shells do not throw all those wonderful bits out, instead make up this oil and you will regret every time you did throw them out. With this oil in your fridge you will be able to add a beautiful richness to a large range of dishes.

What you'll need
1 kg of any or all of the following: prawn, crab, lobster or bug heads & shells
1 brown onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
carrot (peeled and roughly chopped)
stalk of celery (roughly chopped)
2 bay leaves
A few sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp tom paste
1 litre (1 quart) virgin olive oil


What to do
Crack, break or chop the shells into pieces (approx the size of a thumb nail).

In a large heavy based pot over high heat add a few tbs of olive oil and sauté the carrot, onion and celery until soft.

Add the shells and tomato paste and continue to cook a further 5-8 minutes.

Carefully pour in the remaining oil, add the bay leaves and thyme, make sure that all the ingredients are covered in oil, you may need to add more than a litre depending on the shape and size of your pot.
* Leave on high heat for 5 minutes and then reduce to low and allow to cook for at least 3 hours.

Turn off and allow to cool for at least 2 hours.

Once cooled strain though a colander and allow solids to drain of all the oil.

Discard the solids and strain the liquid through a fine chinois (sieve) at least twice.

Once oil is completely cooled down transfer it to a bottle and it will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

chefs tip
When using the oil in recipes you will need to remove it from the fridge about an hour before you need it so it can become liquid again.

Use it as the oil called for in any seafood pasta dish. Toss it through any al'dente pasta along with a little chopped parsley. Drizzle it on top of any soup. Cook scrambled eggs with salmon in it. Once you understand the flavours in it, let your imagination run wild.

parmesan and herb crumbed lamb

This dish, although inspired by the abundance of herbs in late spring, is a wonderful dish to have any time of year. I find it a great choice for entertaining, as you can crumb the lamb hours before. All you'll need to do when your friends arrive is cook the lamb, let the wine breathe and sit down to dinner.

what you need
12 lamb cutlets (ask your butcher to French, slightly tenderize and flatten them)
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
4 tablespoons grated parmesan
2 cups plain flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk

For the lamb
Lightly beat the egg and add the milk.

Place the flour into a wide bowl or dish and season with salt and pepper.

Place the crumbs, parmesan and herbs into a wide bowl or dish and mix in the pesto, (it may become lumpy but keep mixing it until you have an even texture.

Dust the cutlets in the flour, keeping the bone clean.

Then one at a time, moisten them with the egg and milk wash, again keeping the bone clean.

Allow the egg wash to slightly drain off and crumb them with the pesto bread crumb mix.

Place in the fridge if you are preparing ahead of time, or move right onto the next step.

Over medium-high heat, brown them off in a little butter mixed with extra virgin olive oil and transfer them to the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on whether you want well done or medium-rare cutlets.

I recommend a medium bodied red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon to go with the lamb.

Great as party food or serve as a meal with Caponata and mash potatoes and crusty bread.

peach and buttermilk muffins

what you need
2 cups rolled oats (regular oats not instant or fast cook)
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups self-raising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
415g can peach slices in natural juice, drained, diced

what to do
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease three 6-hole, 1/3-cup capacity muffin pans.

Place oats, buttermilk, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Sift flour and cinnamon over oat mixture. Add sugar. Stir gently to combine. Fold in peach. Spoon mixture into muffin holes to completely fill (muffins won't rise much, due to the oats).

Bake muffins for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve muffins warm with cream cheese.

tomato dust

This is perhaps the simplest of recipes and one of those that sound so fancy on a restaurant menu
But, tomato dust or powder is a handy thing to have around the kitchen. Use it as simple decoration sprinkled on the rim of plates or dust a little on top of the mascarpone that I like to top a creamy pasta with or to sprinkle on a savory souffle.

The same process can be applied to slivers of beetroot or carrots, citrus peel (peel only, all the white pith needs to be removed) and slivers of sweet potatoes to achieve different flavors and colors.

What you'll need

Tomato peel - the peel that is left and dis-garded when peeling tomatoes



What to do

Spread out the tomato peels on a baking paper lined sheet pan, or rack and dry in an oven at 80 C (175 F) for approx 2 hours, until the tomato skins are completely dry and crisp.

Place the crisp tomato peel into a coffee grinder or blender and turn it into a fine dust.

Store in a dry shaker for usage anytime when needed.

rich chocolate brownies

What you'll need
500g butter
1Kg flour

120gr Sugar
8 Eggs
70g Cocoa Powder
50g Dark Chocolate
250g Roasted Hazelnuts (Chopped)

What to do
Heat the chocolate and butter until melted, don't boil. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in the sugar, adding the eggs one at a time, then sift in the flour and cocoa and chopped hazelnuts.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper and pour in the mixture, Bake at 150*c (302 F) for 35 minutes.

Remove the brownie from the baking tray, trim the edges off and cut into portions.

Top with some vanilla bean ice cream and a rich chocolate fudge sauce.

braised duck tagliatelle

what you need
duck marylands
1 large onion and 1 carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup (70g) tomato paste
1 tbs plain flour
2 cups (500ml) dry red wine
300ml chicken stock
2 bay leaves and 2 tbs thyme leaves
Pared rind and juice of 1 orange
500g tagliatelle or any wide pasta
2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

what to do
Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Place a large flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add duck, skin-side down, and cook for 6 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 4 minutes. Remove duck and drain fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a further minute.

Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine. Add the wine, stock, herbs, rind and juice. Bring to the boil and season. Return the duck to the pan, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

Remove the duck from sauce, skim as much residual fat from the surface as you can. Place casserole over medium heat. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until sauce has reduced slightly. When duck is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred meat. Return meat to casserole.

To serve, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to packet instructions, then drain. Return to the pan, add the sauce and toss to combine. Divide pasta among plates and serve sprinkled with parsley and grated parmesan, with a watercress, fennel and orange salad.

Note :
You can use ready made pasta, or you will find a recipe for fresh pasta on my site.
A maryland is the leg and thigh of the duck

pumpkin and date mufins

what you need
2oz butter or margarine
6oz brown sugar
125mls water
1 egg (well beaten)
2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
100gr cooked and pureed pumpkin
6oz pitted dates cut into thirds and soaked in hot water

what to do
Preheat oven to 180f
Melt butter and brown sugar in the water and place into fridge to cool.
Grease muffin tray with butter or margarine
Beat the egg well and add pour the sugar/butter/water mix in and stir well
Sieve the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl make a well in the center and
pour the liquid in and stir until smooth add dates and spoon into tray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes

warm pumpkin and goats cheese salad

what you need

1/2 small jap pumpkin (skin on), cut into thin wedges
100ml olive oil
1 tbs thyme leaves
150g firm goat's cheese, cut into rounds
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 cups mixed baby salad leaves

what to do
Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Toss pumpkin with 2 tablespoons of the oil and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, turning once, until cooked and lightly caramelised. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, brush the cheese rounds with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on a separate greased baking tray and chill until just before you're ready to serve the salad.

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the goat's cheese in the oven for 5-6 minutes until crumbs are golden.

Toss the salad leaves and pumpkin in half the vinaigrette and pile onto plates. Add the warmed goat's cheese and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

note: you can substitute panko crumbs for dry breadcrumbs

orange and poppy seed muffins

what you need
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/3 cup extra-light olive oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly whisked
2 large oranges, rind finely grated, juiced
100g cream cheese
1/4 cup pure icing sugar


what to do
Preheat oven to 200°C. Place twelve 1/2-cup capacity extra-strength muffin cases on a baking tray (see note).
Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in sugar and poppy seeds. Make a well in the centre.

Whisk oil, buttermilk, egg, 2 teaspoons orange rind and 1/2 cup orange juice in a jug.

Pour into well. Gently fold until just combined. Three-quarter fill muffin cases with mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand muffins on tray for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Place cream cheese and icing sugar in a small bowl. Using a wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind and 1 teaspoon orange juice and stir until well combined. Spoon mixture on top of muffins.