Recipe
Spiced pork meatballs in tomato curry sauce
Serves 6
Recipes · Main Dishes
Main Dishes
Recipe
Panfried John Dory with Orange Saffron Sauce
Nothing beats fresh fish and this john dory dish is an absolute gem. Borne out of lockdown and the inability to head to the fish markets, we ordered a box from Sanford and Sons .
Recipe
Dramatically Flavoured Olive Oil Poached Fish
This a beautiful way to cook fish, softly poached in a dramatically flavoured olive oil. The colour is something reminiscent of the Incredible Hulk, but only when the herbs have fully relinquished all of their flavour.
Serves 4
Recipe
Beef Ginger Noodle Soup
Every autumn I start craving soups and this beef ginger noodle soup is a cinch to make. The foundation is a rich broth peppered with fragrant herbs and spices that gently warms your soul. There is a gentle heat to this soup.
Serves 2
Recipe
Terakihi Ceviche for Date Night
This terakihi ceviche was created to match with a beautiful Albarino from Astrolabe Sleepers Vineyard , as per the notes from our Wine Friend subscription. While pregnant, we kept the Wine Friend subscription and now have a beautiful stash of inte…
Serves 2
Recipe
Maple Roast Chicken
Before we went into lockdown, I panic-ordered from the library and this Maple Roast Chicken is inspired by one of those books. Eva Kosmas Flores, Adventures in Chicken is a truly delightful read full of wonderful ideas of what to do with chicken. Chi…
Recipe
Miso Salmon with Stirfried Greens
Miso salmon is a gorgeous and healthy dinner that is undemanding to put together. It is a simple dish that does require some advanced preparation but is no means strenuous. The result is an elegant dish that looks like it has been slaved over.
Serves 4
Recipe
Smokey Mexican Drumsticks
These smokey mexican drumsticks are a great lifesaver for busy weeks when you want something easy and delicious. It takes a little planning ahead which is nothing more than putting them in a marinade.
Serves 4
Recipe
Beef and Blue Cheese Burgers
Our front deck has been the focus of construction and these beef and blue cheese burgers were brought in to feed the delightful volunteers. Dear friends and family have all offered to pitch in which makes the job not only fun, but go so much faster.
Serves 6
Recipe
Chipotle Beef Short Ribs
Spicy, smokey and fragrant, these chipotle beef short ribs are full of flavour and perfect for a winters night. Short ribs are very rewarding when cooked, low and slow. This is a very meaty dish, you can truly taste the short ribs.
Serves 4
Recipe
Saffron Risotto Milanese
The cheery bright yellow of saffron risotto Milanese is enough to put a smile on anyone's face. The colour comes from the use of saffron threads, an addition we must thank the glass painter of the Milan cathedral for.
Recipe
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burgers
Buttermilk fried chicken. Need I say more? Naughty and delicious, most people have a favourite kind of fried chicken. The buttermilk helps trap the moisture in the chicken while the seasoned flour forms a crisp crust on the outside.
Serves 4
Recipe
Easter Ginger Pork Belly
This ginger pork belly is perfect for an Easter roast. Autumn is here, the weather is cooling down making roasts King of the kitchen. The ginger cuts through the richness of the pork belly, and is elevated by the sweet contrast of pears.
Serves 4
Recipe
Good Friday Fish
Whether you adhere to Lent or not, a Good Friday fish dinner is always a lovely way to balance the indulgence of Easter. We have so many beautiful options for fish in New Zealand, make sure you buy as fresh as possible.
Serves 4
Recipe
Easter Roast Chicken
Easter in the Southern Hemisphere signals the beginning of Autumn and that means a lovely Easter Roast Chicken full of the season's bounty.
Serves 4
Recipe
Mongolian Beef Broccoli Bowls
These Mongolian beef bowls are easy to whip up midweek for those time when you feel like takeaways without the grease. Full of vegetables and delicious savoury sauce, this is great option for those busy weeknights.
Serves 2
Recipe
South Asian Beef Curry
The projects for the year are full steam ahead, so I need recipes like this South Asian beef curry to help keep everything balanced during the week. Meals that can be prepared ahead of time are always needed in busy households.
Recipe
Pad Thai
I adore any excuse to bulk up the vegetables in a dish and this vegetarian Pad Thai is full of fresh vegetables and a signature fragrant sauce.
Serves 4
Recipe
Korean Eggplant Skewers
These Korean eggplant skewers look divine as part of a barbecue feast, piled high and vibrant in colour. Eggplant is also cheap and plentiful at the moment and these skewers will be devoured by vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Serves 20
Recipe
Mexican Black Bean and Prawn Fritters
A couple of crazy first weeks into the working year and these Mexican black bean and prawn fritters were a delicious Friday night dinner. I find fritters beautifully informal and simple to make especially on busy weeknights.
Recipe
Wicked Prawn Pineapple Burgers
Crispy batter, juicy prawns and the sweetness of pineapple = wicked prawn pineapple burgers. Big juicy pineapple rings contrast beautifully with the crispy beer batter that gives way to big pink prawns.
Serves 4
Recipe
Stuffed Lotus Root Bao
WARNING: these stuffed lotus root bao are ridiculously moreish... Lotus root is similar in texture as potatoes, crunchy when raw and crisp when cooked.
Recipe
Leftover Christmas Ham Frittata
A frittata is a beautiful way to be resourceful and use up leftover Christmas ham. Either for brunch, lunch or a nice light dinner with a big green salad, it's so versatile that you'll find ways to have it all year round.
Serves 4
Recipe
Guinness Christmas Ham
One of the best parts of Christmas is having leftover Christmas ham. I love to toss the leftover through some scrambled eggs, or add to a salad for lunch. And of course, the simple cheese and ham toasties after a day at the beach.
Recipe
Spring Prawn Zucchini Fritters
Modelled off my corn fritter recipe, these asian inspired prawn zucchini fritters taste like spring on a plate. Fresh and crisp, they're a delicious dinner for these lighter nights, bolstered with a fresh side salad. It has taken a few tries to get t…
Serves 10
Recipe
Grilled Asparagus with Poached Eggs
Less a recipe and more a guideline, this grilled asparagus with poached eggs is a seasonal dish that pops up everywhere in spring. I can find few dishes as elegant and as luxurious as asparagus with eggs; be they scrambled or poached.
Serves 1
Recipe
Jerk Chicken
My first taste of jerk chicken was at the Nottinghill Carnival in 2010. The smoke from the BBQ's filling the streets, the music and the dancing. The atmosphere was loud, colourful and wonderful.
Recipe
Bloody Mary Braised Brisket
A spiced Bloody Mary cocktail reminds me of my lovely sister-in-law; her love for this cocktail runs very deep. The order will be specific - well spiced with a good wallop of hot sauce.
Recipe
Greek Lamb Tray Bake
The weather is warming up and lamb was on special this week, making this greek lamb dinner a divine little hint of luxury. Lamb can be expensive, so we save it for a real treat. Here I've used shoulder to roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
Serves 4
Recipe
Simple Fish Burgers
Sometimes there are recipes that are so integral to my week that I often feel they're not blog worthy; my Canadian had to remind me how delicious these simple fish burgers were!
Serves 4
Recipe
Pillowy Potato Gnocchi in Popeye Sauce
Soft pillowy potato gnocchi. A humble but sexy way to serve potatoes. Little pillows, light and fluffy; served in a considered and luxurious sauce.
Recipe
Marinated Beef Bahn Mi
Spring is on it's way and these marinated Beef Bahn Mi are the perfect addition to a spring picnic at the beach or the park. Bahn Mi have to be one of my all time favourite sandwiches. I first encountered them on Dominion Road as a graduate.
Recipe
Soul Warming Curried Vegetable Pies
These soul warming vegetable pies are a beautiful way to entertain a casual weekend lunch with a couple of dear friends. The Indian style spices add a tasty, fragrant kick while the cheese sauce envelopes the vegetables, hugging them close.
Serves 6
Recipe
Creamy Winter Chicken with Mushrooms and Thyme
This creamy winter chicken is a simple midweek dinner that truly satisfies in the depths of winter. I use chicken thighs as I find them more forgiving and prefer the flavour.
Serves 4
Recipe
Solo Salmon Poke Bowl
My Canadian often travels for work and these solo salmon poke bowls are great for one. I can find it hard to eat healthy when flying solo. It's because I'm looking for something fast, simple and tasty; which is why cheese on toast is so popular.
Recipe
Luxuriously Simple Chicken Confit
Luxuriously simple chicken confit; when one thinks of confit, the word simple doesn't usually appear. They typically think of fancy restaurants, chefs and a complicated dish.
Serves 4
Recipe
Chipotle Pumpkin Burgers
I like to incorporate a few vegan and vegetarian meals in our meal rotation, and these Chipotle Pumpkin burgers are a delicious option. In winter, I will often peel and chop a whole pumpkin into pieces and roast all the pumpkin at once.
Serves 4
Recipe
Vietnamese Fish Curry
Autumn has brought her crisp clear days and fallen leaves; our little household is starting to crave heavier dishes that are still light, like this Vietnamese Fish Curry.
Serves 2
Recipe
Chicken Leek Brie Tarts
These chicken leek and brie tarts are luxuriously moreish. It is oh, so simple to have another one... And another one! I did cheat with this and prepped the chicken and line the pastry tins the night before.
Serves 4
Recipe
Friday Night Paneer Saag
When my Canadian goes away, I treat myself with meals that only I enjoy, like this Saag Paneer. Beautifully spiced and fragrant, I find it is the perfect antidote to a long arduous week.
Serves 2
Recipe
Fragrant Vietnamese Beef Stew
As the temperature drops, this fragrant Vietnamese beef stew is a divine dinner, that fills your kitchen with beautiful exotic aromas. The pungent ginger, lemongrass and star anise all mellow over time to create this light, but warming stew.
Serves 4
Recipe
Cider Roast Chicken
There is something very special about the smell of a roast chicken. The aromas permeate the house with the scent of homey comfort. I find this to be a very simple meal to create as the oven takes the grunt of the workload.
Serves 4
Recipe
Classic Fish Burgers
While I do adore more complicated fish burgers, this is that classic fish burger combination. Fresh fish, fried in butter until tender, moist and lightly golden.
Serves 4
Recipe
BBQ Pulled Pork Burgers
These BBQ Pulled Pork Burgers are perfect for entertaining; prep the pork the day before and then leave in the oven for a whole day on low. I adore that the oven or BBQ do the hard work for me, making it easier to sit and talk with my guests.
Serves 6
Recipe
Leftover Roast Lamb, Bacon Mushroom Pies
Here is a gorgeous, decadent little pie full of leftover roast lamb, bacon lardons and a delicious herb gravy. These are not for the faint hearted. The recipe makes 4, which is perfect for the two of us; one for dinner and one for lunch the next day.
Serves 4
Recipe
Japanese BBQ Salmon
This salmon is covered in Al Brown's Japanese BBQ sauce. It is sticky and sweet but savoury and umami without being salty or cloying on the tongue; the balance is perfect.
Recipe
Tomato, Ricotta and Thyme Tart
I made this Tomato, Ricotta and Thyme Tart to take to my niece's 3rd birthday BBQ, knowing there would be a handful of vegetarians attending.
Serves 6
Recipe
Spiced Cauliflower Salad
This Cauliflower Salad has been a recent favourite of mine, especially for those times when you simply can't look at another lettuce leaf. It is fragrant and warm with beguiling freshness.
Serves 2
Recipe
Grilled Vegetable Salad with Herby Dressing
I adore the flexibility of this Grilled Vegetable Salad. It allows you to take full advantage of the best seasonal produce available at the time.
Serves 2