Soba- So-Good Noodle Salad

This is a favourite recipe of mine! You can really add anything you like to it - asparagus, prawns, soused spinach, bbq chicken ... the list goes on. It's yummy to take on a picnic - and it's even better if you make it and then eat it the next day!


You Need:
1 packet of soba noodles
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 avocado - sliced and diced
1 cucumber - sliced thinly
2 tbsp of pickled pink ginger
1/2 punnet of cherry tomatoes - halved
1 tbsp peanuts - chopped roughly


Dressing:
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp light olive or good vegetable oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sugar
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic, diced
1/2 chilli, diced
1 inch piece of ginger - diced

Mix all these ingredients together in a jar.

Cook noodles for 4 or 5 minutes in boiling salted water - then cool immediately in a big bowl of cold water. Drain well once cold. Add all other ingredients. Toss well with the dressing. Eat it all up!

Corn and Bacon and Potato Soup... Chowder if you like!

My mum used to make this when we were growing up. This is my version, because I don't have her recipe. It's super yum and I recommend making a double quantity and freezing half for delicious suppers at a later date.

Oh... and you can definitely substitute FRESH corn for the corn kernels - but don't leave out the creamed corn - it makes it thick and sweet and super delish!



1/2 kg of peeled diced waxy potatoes
1 tin of creamed corn
1 tin of corn kernels
200 g bacon diced
1 onion
1 litre of milk
250ml chicken stock
salt and pepper
butter

Fry the onion and bacon in a wee bit of butter until lovely and smelling sweet. Add the corn, creamed corn, potatoes, milk and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Eat it all up.

Carluccio's Meatloaf

I like this even better the next day. Cold. Sliced thick. In a sandwich with home-made tomato sauce (and sliced roast potatoes if you are feeling super decadent). Yum.

1 kg minced beef (or a mixture of veal, lamb, pork mince)
175g crumbs from stale bread, coarsely ground
2tbs finely chopped parsley
50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
oil for frying.

For the tomato sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic crushed
4tbs olive oil
1 bottles of tomato passata
1 tin of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup basil leaves

Mix the minced meat with the breadcrumbs, add the parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Lightly beat the eggs and add them. Form it into an oval meat loaf. In a large LIDDED oven proof casserole dish/pan, heat the oil and fry the loaf until it is a crisp golden-brown all over. Set casserole aside.

In a separate pan, fry the onion in the oil. When softened add the garlic, then the tomatoes and tomato passata. Cook sauce over a medium flame for 10 minutes, stirring. Season with salt and pepper, add basil then pour the sauce on the meat loaf, and put the lid on the casserole. Bake in a hot oven (200C) for an hour. Carefully baste loaf from time to time. Remove lid after 30 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. The loaf should cool for 10 minutes before it is sliced. Serve with mash and peas or cubed new potatoes fried with garlic and rosemary.

Amazingly Delicious Fish Curry

If you DEFO won't eat fish - you could try this with chunks of pumpkin in the rolls - you'll just need to cook them for longer (about 15 minutes on an even simmer). Or you could put chicken fillets in there. Or some deep fried tofu would be lovely too.

Please note: This makes a mild curry that Max can eat too - definitely add some fresh chilli to amp things up if you like!


2 tsp of red curry paste - DIY or store bought
1 440 g tin of coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 kilo of nice fish fillets - cut into little bite sized pieces - no bones please!
1 large CHINESE cabbage - for extra stretch
Juice of one lime - or 1 tbsp of lime juice
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 clove garlic, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1 small onion, 3 candlenuts (or macadamias!) - all ground to a paste in a food processor or mortar and pestle
1 tbsp of peanut or other good frying oil
Some toothpicks for securing the 'fishy cabbage rolls'


First cut the end off the cabbage - discard the outer leaves for compost and separate the rest of the leaves nicely. Also remove any hardcore woody ends too - they'll make for a yick mouthful and tricky wrapping too. Put on a large pot of water to boil - and blanch the leaves for about 30 seconds each - until soft. Place a leaf flat and pop the bite sized raw piece of fish in the centre. Fold one end of the leaf over - the fold the sides in - and finally roll the whole lot over and secure into a neat, tightish parcel with a toothpick. (Easy. Max did this for me this afternoon)

Next - fry the garlic, ginger, onion, nut paste in a spoonful of oil until fragrant. Add the red curry paste and fry for 30 seconds or so, stirring. Next add the stock and stir till combined. Then add the coconut milk, lime juice, pepper, soy and fish sauce.

Bring to a fairly serious simmer and then pop in the cabbage/fish parcels. Now, slosh it around a bit so the curry sauce gets all over the fish. Next, bring the whole lot up to the boil, and turn off the heat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes while you cook some rice.

When your rice is done, turn the fish back on and bring up to the boil again. Turn off and allow to sit for 5 minutes with the lid on before serving.

Enjoy with a nice cold beer or glass of crisp white wine!

Dorothy's Scones

This recipe comes courtesy of the CWA documentary 'Not All Tea and Scones'.

500g flour
60g butter
60g icing sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
30g cream of tartar
15g bicarb soda
1 egg

Rub butter into sifted dry ingredients using spirit fingers. Add milk and egg all at once. Knead gently and lovingly like a CWA chick. Gently pat down to 3cm or so thickness. Rest dough for 5 minutes. Cut into rounds and bake in a hot oven on a greased tray for 15 minutes until risen.

Amazingly Delicious Eggplant with Honey

Whenever I make this, people moan with delight. It can be a wee bit embarrassing. For them. I am used to moaning. I based the recipe on a Claudia Roden one that I found in an old Cuisine Magazine.

2 medium eggplant, sliced to about 1cm slices
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, diced
1 tsp of curry powder
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 cup of stock or water
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup of olive oil (light)
a sprig of fresh mint or coriander

arrange the eggplant on oiled oven trays - drizzle with 1/4 cup of the light olive oil and bake until golden. Add more oil if they look to be drying out.
meanwhile, in a deep frypan - heat a tablespoon of olive oil and gently fry the garlic and ginger, being careful not to brown it. Add the curry powder. Next add the honey, lemon juice and stock/water. Stir until well combined. Simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat. Add the oven baked slices of eggplant. Cover and simmer, checking often for sticking/burning, until the liquid has reduced and the eggplant has started to go sticky and caramelise a bit.

Serve at room temperature with plenty of sea-salt and black pepper and the mint sprinkled over it too.

eggplant beanbags from here

Best Ever Choc Chip Cookies - via the Frankie Cookbook

I am lucky. Frankie asked me to be in their cookbook last year. Of course i said Y.E.S. With pretty bells on. Here is my Frankie-Famous recipe.

125g salted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 small eggs
1 or 2 drops of vanilla essence
1 3/4 cups self raising flour
250 grams ! choc chips

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until pale.
Beat in the eggs and the vanilla until nicely mixed.
Beat in the sifted flour until mixed through.
Fold through the choc chips.

Grease or line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll dough into teaspoon sized balls and pop onto the tray. Bake for ten to twelve minutes. If you like them chewy don't let them brown. They will crisp up as they cool down. makes about 48.

cookie jar via here