Growing up, we had chickens, two apple trees, a pear tree, a mandarine tree, a lemon tree, onions, capsicums, carrots, an almond tree, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, corn … there was always something my mother was harvesting. She was a…
Quick Sticks Blueberry Tartlets
Ok, ok, this is another round of my lazy-cook’s puff-pastry, easy-peasy, quick-sticks, oh-no-is-that-the-doorbell desserts! This time, little blueberry tartlets that can be dressed up or down, depending on your care factor. The premise is the same. Puff pastry, jam/sugar or…
Stewed Pears
Finally!! Some stewed pears lol! The recipe below is self-explanatory. You need pears, water, sugar. Vanilla and/or cinnamon are optional. Instead of talking about the recipe, let me do what I love best, and that is to ignore the SEO…
Rustic Apple Crumble
I’m calling this apple crumble “rustic” not only because it’s far from being a fancy-pants dish, but also because the photo above shows it served in some rustic pottery I bought from the original potter on a road trip I…
More [Cowbell] Strawberries
After writing about the strawberry yoghurt trifle, I went hunting for more strawberries. Found this lovely nature poem. My Strawberry O marvel, fruit of fruits, I pauseTo reckon thee. I ask what causeSet free so much of red from heatsAt…
Strawberry Yoghurt Trifle
This strawberry yoghurt trifle recipe is one I wish I had long ago. Ironically, I don’t remember ever having trifles as a kid – they just weren’t part of my cultural kitchen. But for some reason trifle seemed to…
Party Cola Chicken Wings
I wish Matt Preston’s recipes were around was I was younger, because then I would have discovered Matt Preston’s Coca-Cola Chicken Wings a whole lot sooner. And therefore would have had more JOY in my life! Seriously, I first ate…
Cheats’ Potato Salad
Before I get to my cheats’ potato salad, let me say, for me, Jamie Oliver is the KING of salads. His recipes are always innovative, healthy (and by that I mean nicely balanced and dressed, not drowning in sauce). You…
Last Minute Pineapple Puff Pastry Dessert
I’ve lost count of the times, over the years, I’ve thrown puff pastry on to, around, or underneath something. It never fails to make a quick and easy meal or dessert, far greater than the sum of its parts. The…
Quick Pasta Bolognese Sauce
One of the dishes I fed my daughter constantly when she was little was spaghetti bolognese. It was her favourite at home, whenever we travelled, whenever we went to a restaurant. I was totally fine with that; carbs, meat, vegetables…
Pork Chipolata Sausage Tray Bake w/ Salsa Cheat
Imagine: the smiling home chef, wearing floral oven mitts bought for a song, serving a steaming tray bake straight from oven to table, where eager diners serve themselves until they’re stuffed full. I LOVE this concept. Simple, cost-effective, minimum effort….
Bread and Cherries
Is there anyone who doesn’t love cherries? That as a kid hasn’t hung cherries over their ears? Or on a warm day, sat munching through a bowl of the fruit? Cherries hold a duality I think – somehow managing to…
