Chorizo, Mushroom, Potato, Feta and Pesto Pizza I love potato on pizzas, especially with this since the flavors are so strong.  I used my trusty pizza base recipe and made a quick pesto. Ingredients: 1 bunch of basil 1 garlic clove Olive oil, salt and pepper 1 piece of smoked chorizo, sliced 2-3 portabello mushrooms, sliced and sauteed 1/2 cup crumbled feta 1 potato, finely sliced, in a bowl with 2 cups of boiling water for 5-10 minutes Blend the basil, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  On a pizza base, layer on the pesto, potato, mushroom, chorizo and feta, and season a bit with salt and pepper before baking at 220C / 425F for 15 or so minutes. High-res

Chorizo, Mushroom, Potato, Feta and Pesto Pizza

I love potato on pizzas, especially with this since the flavors are so strong.  I used my trusty pizza base recipe and made a quick pesto.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of basil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper
  • 1 piece of smoked chorizo, sliced
  • 2-3 portabello mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta
  • 1 potato, finely sliced, in a bowl with 2 cups of boiling water for 5-10 minutes

Blend the basil, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  On a pizza base, layer on the pesto, potato, mushroom, chorizo and feta, and season a bit with salt and pepper before baking at 220C / 425F for 15 or so minutes.

Pulled Pork with Cannellini Beans, Butternut Squash and Tomato I miss proper barbeque.  More so, I miss Dinosaur BBQ.  There’s nothing that comes close in Australia, and there are certainly no sauces you can get that compare. Note: If anyone from Dinosaur is reading this, for the love of God, open up a restaurant in Sydney. In the meantime, I found a recipe for their sauce online, and made so many substitutions that it was hardly the same recipe.  And you know what?  It was pretty damn good.  The below is enough for two big batches of pulled pork, so stock up and freeze it if you have 20 minutes to put this together.  Hell, even double it. Ingredients (BBQ sauce): 1.5 cups of diced onion 1 apple, cored and diced 1/2 red pepper, diced 2 bullseye red chilis, diced 4 garlic cloves, diced 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup worcheshire sauce 1/4 cup wholegrain spicy mustard 1/4 cup ketchup 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup rice malt 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 cup water 3 400g cans of diced tomato Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper Olive oil 1 tbsp chili powder 1/2 tsp nutmeg Juice of half a lemon Saute the onions, chili and garlic in a splash of oil.  Add the apple and cook for a couple minutes before adding in the powdered spices, and seasoning with salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Add everything else.  Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has a nice thickness.  Process with a hand blender or food processor, check the spices, and go nuts. Ingredients (pulled pork): 1-2 kg pork butt or shoulder.  I used a bone-in pork leg with the fat still on top because I couldn’t find a shoulder, and it was alright, but it definitely needs the fat on it. Half the above BBQ sauce recipe (about 4 cups) Salt and pepper I’ll give you a few options for cooking this; 1) Season the pork with salt and pepper, and put it in a slow cooker with the sauce for 8 hours.  Stick a fork in and pull it apart. 2) Season the pork with salt and pepper, sear it on a grill or in a pan, and put it in a slow cooker with the sauce for 8 hours.  Stick a fork in and pull it apart. 3) Season the pork with salt and pepper, roast in the oven for about 20 minutes on high heat, until browned.  Add the sauce, cover, and cook at 170C for about 3-4 hours.  Stick a fork in and pull it apart. Ingredients (cannellini beans): 1 can of cannellini beans, drained 2 cups of diced butternut squash, in 1cm cubes 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves 1/2 cup verjuice or white wine 1/2 tsp of nutmeg Salt and pepper Saute and serve. High-res

Pulled Pork with Cannellini Beans, Butternut Squash and Tomato

I miss proper barbeque.  More so, I miss Dinosaur BBQ.  There’s nothing that comes close in Australia, and there are certainly no sauces you can get that compare.

Note: If anyone from Dinosaur is reading this, for the love of God, open up a restaurant in Sydney.

In the meantime, I found a recipe for their sauce online, and made so many substitutions that it was hardly the same recipe.  And you know what?  It was pretty damn good.  The below is enough for two big batches of pulled pork, so stock up and freeze it if you have 20 minutes to put this together.  Hell, even double it.

Ingredients (BBQ sauce):

  • 1.5 cups of diced onion
  • 1 apple, cored and diced
  • 1/2 red pepper, diced
  • 2 bullseye red chilis, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, diced
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup worcheshire sauce
  • 1/4 cup wholegrain spicy mustard
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup rice malt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 400g cans of diced tomato
  • Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
  • Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • Juice of half a lemon

Saute the onions, chili and garlic in a splash of oil.  Add the apple and cook for a couple minutes before adding in the powdered spices, and seasoning with salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Add everything else.  Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has a nice thickness.  Process with a hand blender or food processor, check the spices, and go nuts.

Ingredients (pulled pork):

  • 1-2 kg pork butt or shoulder.  I used a bone-in pork leg with the fat still on top because I couldn’t find a shoulder, and it was alright, but it definitely needs the fat on it.
  • Half the above BBQ sauce recipe (about 4 cups)
  • Salt and pepper

I’ll give you a few options for cooking this;

1) Season the pork with salt and pepper, and put it in a slow cooker with the sauce for 8 hours.  Stick a fork in and pull it apart.

2) Season the pork with salt and pepper, sear it on a grill or in a pan, and put it in a slow cooker with the sauce for 8 hours.  Stick a fork in and pull it apart.

3) Season the pork with salt and pepper, roast in the oven for about 20 minutes on high heat, until browned.  Add the sauce, cover, and cook at 170C for about 3-4 hours.  Stick a fork in and pull it apart.

Ingredients (cannellini beans):

  • 1 can of cannellini beans, drained
  • 2 cups of diced butternut squash, in 1cm cubes
  • 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 cup verjuice or white wine
  • 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper

Saute and serve.

Curried Chicken Salad with Grapes, Almonds, Cilantro and Red Pepper I’ve been making a fair amount of chicken salad for lunches, but rarely do I photograph it since I’ll make it at night and throw it in a tupperware.  One time I even made enough for 2 days to leave at work overnight, thinking I was really clever for planning ahead.  That was a huge mistake.  Going into the kitchen for Day 2 Lunch to see someone had been munching on it as a midnight snack was fairly infuriating.  Who does that? I digress.  I had to try a bit of this so I managed to take a picture, and it’s one of my favorites so far.  The rolls I made with leftover pizza dough that was in my fridge for 24 hours, mixed with some flax-seeds.  Really nice, and not just because they were warm.  The 24 hours in the fridge helped. Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 tbsp curry powder 2 tbsp chili powder 1/2 red pepper, diced 1 cup grapes, sliced in half 1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup chopped cilantro Olive oil and salt Rub the chicken with a little oil, then sprinkle with the curry and chili powder.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 220C / 375F or until just cooked through.  Let cool. In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients.  Chop or shred the chicken once it’s cool enough to handle, and mix in.  Season with salt. High-res

Curried Chicken Salad with Grapes, Almonds, Cilantro and Red Pepper

I’ve been making a fair amount of chicken salad for lunches, but rarely do I photograph it since I’ll make it at night and throw it in a tupperware.  One time I even made enough for 2 days to leave at work overnight, thinking I was really clever for planning ahead.  That was a huge mistake.  Going into the kitchen for Day 2 Lunch to see someone had been munching on it as a midnight snack was fairly infuriating.  Who does that?

I digress.  I had to try a bit of this so I managed to take a picture, and it’s one of my favorites so far.  The rolls I made with leftover pizza dough that was in my fridge for 24 hours, mixed with some flax-seeds.  Really nice, and not just because they were warm.  The 24 hours in the fridge helped.

Ingredients:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 red pepper, diced
  • 1 cup grapes, sliced in half
  • 1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • Olive oil and salt

Rub the chicken with a little oil, then sprinkle with the curry and chili powder.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 220C / 375F or until just cooked through.  Let cool.

In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients.  Chop or shred the chicken once it’s cool enough to handle, and mix in.  Season with salt.

Free Cake

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Moroccan Spiced Scrambled Egg Sandwich with Crispy Prosciutto and Brie Ingredients (serves 2): 4 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves 2 garlic cloves 1 tsp Moroccan seasoning Salt and pepper Prosciutto, fried Brie, sliced tomato, and 2 rolls Mash the garlic, whip with the eggs, and mix in the milk, thyme, Moroccan seasoning, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, whisking constantly, until it changes colors and starts to form solid chunks.  At this stage, using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan and create folds.  One the eggs are more or less in one pieces, flip over and finish cooking on the other wise. Serve on the roll with the brie, tomato, and prosciutto. High-res

Moroccan Spiced Scrambled Egg Sandwich with Crispy Prosciutto and Brie

Ingredients (serves 2):

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp Moroccan seasoning
  • Salt and pepper
  • Prosciutto, fried
  • Brie, sliced tomato, and 2 rolls

Mash the garlic, whip with the eggs, and mix in the milk, thyme, Moroccan seasoning, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, whisking constantly, until it changes colors and starts to form solid chunks.  At this stage, using a spatula, scrape the bottom of the pan and create folds.  One the eggs are more or less in one pieces, flip over and finish cooking on the other wise.

Serve on the roll with the brie, tomato, and prosciutto.

Borlotti Bean Cakes with Smoked Trout and a Poached Egg There was a pile of leftover croissants that I wanted to turn into breadcrumbs, which worked well with the beans (they can get a little dry if you’re not careful).  Just use regular breadcrumbs if you don’t have a croissant or two. Ingredients (borlotti bean cakes): 1 can of borlotti beans, rinsed and slightly mashed 1 egg 1 croissant, toasted and chopped into breadcrumbs Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 cup cilantro Salt, pepper and olive oil Mash up the ingredients, seasoning with the salt and pepper, and use the oil to grease the bottom of a pan.  Form cakes and cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes on each side.  Serve with trout and a poached egg, and maybe a little cheese. High-res

Borlotti Bean Cakes with Smoked Trout and a Poached Egg

There was a pile of leftover croissants that I wanted to turn into breadcrumbs, which worked well with the beans (they can get a little dry if you’re not careful).  Just use regular breadcrumbs if you don’t have a croissant or two.

Ingredients (borlotti bean cakes):

  • 1 can of borlotti beans, rinsed and slightly mashed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 croissant, toasted and chopped into breadcrumbs
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • Salt, pepper and olive oil

Mash up the ingredients, seasoning with the salt and pepper, and use the oil to grease the bottom of a pan.  Form cakes and cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes on each side.  Serve with trout and a poached egg, and maybe a little cheese.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Corn Polenta and Mushroom Tomato Sauce I tried out the sweet corn polenta recipe out of Plenty, which was nice, but not necessarily worth the extra effort unless you’re trying to use up corn you have on hand.  Make some polenta however you do it, with plenty of cheese and garlic, and give the sauce and short ribs a shot.  Serves 4. Ingredients (short ribs): 12 small or 8 large short ribs 2 cups of red wine 2 cups of beef stock 1 onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 cup of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 2 tbsp worscheshire sauce Equivalent of 1 bunch of chopped herbs, but mix it up between some thyme, oregano and rosemary Olive oil, salt and pepper Coat the ribs in the flour, and in a pan, brown in a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Remove from the pan and sauté the onion, carrot and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper, and add the worcestershire.  Then add the wine and stock and bring to a simmer before adding back the ribs.  Cover and cook on low for 2.5 hours. Ingredients (sauce): 3 tomatoes, diced 1 pack of oyster mushrooms, sliced 1 small can of tomato paste 3 tbsp fresh thyme 1 cup red wine 2 cups of water 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the ribs (after its cooked for 2 hours) Olive oil, salt and pepper Sauté mushrooms in olive oil and thyme, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes before adding the wine and tomato paste. Stir to combine.  Add the cooking liquid, then the water. Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve on the polenta.  Top with the ribs and a scoop of the veggies and cooking juices. High-res

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Sweet Corn Polenta and Mushroom Tomato Sauce

I tried out the sweet corn polenta recipe out of Plenty, which was nice, but not necessarily worth the extra effort unless you’re trying to use up corn you have on hand.  Make some polenta however you do it, with plenty of cheese and garlic, and give the sauce and short ribs a shot.  Serves 4.

Ingredients (short ribs):

  • 12 small or 8 large short ribs
  • 2 cups of red wine
  • 2 cups of beef stock
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 cup of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp worscheshire sauce
  • Equivalent of 1 bunch of chopped herbs, but mix it up between some thyme, oregano and rosemary
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper

Coat the ribs in the flour, and in a pan, brown in a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Remove from the pan and sauté the onion, carrot and herbs.  Season with salt and pepper, and add the worcestershire.  Then add the wine and stock and bring to a simmer before adding back the ribs.  Cover and cook on low for 2.5 hours.

Ingredients (sauce):

  • 3 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 pack of oyster mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the ribs (after its cooked for 2 hours)
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper

Sauté mushrooms in olive oil and thyme, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes before adding the wine and tomato paste. Stir to combine.  Add the cooking liquid, then the water. Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve on the polenta.  Top with the ribs and a scoop of the veggies and cooking juices.

Cilantro and Lime Poached Eggs with Avocado and Blue Potato Cakes I’ve been trying to be more diligent about writing my recipes down while I’m actually making them.  To be honest, the potato cakes are a bit of a blur, I’ve got a reasonable idea of how I made them, but if all else fails just wing it with what you have on hand.  They’re fried, you can’t fail. Ingredients (serves 2): 1 avocado, sliced 5 eggs 3/4 cup chopped cilantro Juice of 1 lime 3 medium blue potatoes (or any potatoes), boiled and mashed 1/4 cup flour 1 tbsp soy sauce Salt, pepper, and olive oil In a bowl, mix the mashed potato, flour, soy sauce, 1/2 cup cilantro, 3/4 the lime juice, 1 egg, salt and pepper.  Make 4 balls, flatten, and fry for 5-7 minutes on each side in a bit of olive oil. Boil water in a pan.  In the meantime, in glad wrap, make pouches of 1 egg, salt, pepper, a few drops of lime juice, and cilantro (splitting the remaining lime and cilantro between the 4 pouches).  Lower the egg pouches into the water, at a low simmer, for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the water, and carefully remove the glad wrap.  Serve on avocado and the potato cakes. High-res

Cilantro and Lime Poached Eggs with Avocado and Blue Potato Cakes

I’ve been trying to be more diligent about writing my recipes down while I’m actually making them.  To be honest, the potato cakes are a bit of a blur, I’ve got a reasonable idea of how I made them, but if all else fails just wing it with what you have on hand.  They’re fried, you can’t fail.

Ingredients (serves 2):

  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 5 eggs
  • 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 medium blue potatoes (or any potatoes), boiled and mashed
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Salt, pepper, and olive oil

In a bowl, mix the mashed potato, flour, soy sauce, 1/2 cup cilantro, 3/4 the lime juice, 1 egg, salt and pepper.  Make 4 balls, flatten, and fry for 5-7 minutes on each side in a bit of olive oil.

Boil water in a pan.  In the meantime, in glad wrap, make pouches of 1 egg, salt, pepper, a few drops of lime juice, and cilantro (splitting the remaining lime and cilantro between the 4 pouches).  Lower the egg pouches into the water, at a low simmer, for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the water, and carefully remove the glad wrap.  Serve on avocado and the potato cakes.

Rye Fougasse with Oyster Mushrooms, Basil and Parmesan I ran out of bread flour, and tried this recipe for a quick bread with half rye flour.  It takes an hour to rise, and then goes straight in the oven, so it’s a pretty quick on on the weekend.  While it was rising, I mixed up 2 cups of sliced oyster mushrooms, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, and set aside until it was time to made the fougasse.  Spread the mixture over the dough and top with 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and bake for about 15 minutes on as high heat as your oven goes. High-res

Rye Fougasse with Oyster Mushrooms, Basil and Parmesan

I ran out of bread flour, and tried this recipe for a quick bread with half rye flour.  It takes an hour to rise, and then goes straight in the oven, so it’s a pretty quick on on the weekend.  While it was rising, I mixed up 2 cups of sliced oyster mushrooms, 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, and set aside until it was time to made the fougasse.  Spread the mixture over the dough and top with 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and bake for about 15 minutes on as high heat as your oven goes.