It doesn’t take much to take flavours up a notch and to bring variety to the summer grill. With a nod to the clean and uncluttered cooking style the Tuscans favour when it comes to grilling, barbecued meats and fish can taste pretty good with little other than salt, pepper and olive oil, though even […]
Archives for February 2019
Category:
Smoky Pork Steaks
Mmm. This tastes as good as it looks.
Chicken Nibbles with Ginger & Allspice Rub
Stick it to the Colonel – these chicken wings are sensational.
Rainy Day Pasta
Ilaria’s got it sorted: Soften tomatoes in garlicky oil, squish down, and there’s your sauce!
Plum Crumble
A proper pudd, but one you can whip up on the fly.
Big Chips
A picture tells a thousand stories, or just one in this case: eat me.
White Peach Salad with Barbecued Chicken Thighs
White peaches, chilli and lime … sounds pretty good to me.
Couscous with Crispy Onion
You’ve found it! The tastiest couscous salad ever.
Pomegranates
It could be that pomegranates were the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. They’re nothing much to look at on the outside but the clusters of ruby-red jewel-like seeds inside could have seduced even the staunchest of hearts.
Rocky Bay Salad Niçoise
Nice one!
Fresh Tuna Salad
This is loosely modelled on a typical salad you might find around Nice … but there’s a bit of a leap of faith here.
Grilled Eggplant & Feta Rolls
Oh yeah, squish on bread by all means.
How to char-grill eggplant
Cut eggplants (aubergines) lengthways into long thin slices. Heat a ridged grill pan or sturdy frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil (you will probably need to do this in batches, so just brush as many as will fit in the pan without overlapping). Cook on both sides until a good […]
Lentils, Spinach & Eggs
Brunch or lunch? Your place or mine?
Plum Tart
Oh plums, I’ve been waiting for you!
Coconut Ice Cream with Mango Purée
The stuff of summer dreams.
Hazelnuts
Toasty roasty coffeeish – that’s toasted hazelnuts! Here’s how to do it.
Quick tricks for summer dishes
It’s so hot here on Waiheke you might melt if you stay in the sun too long. You need a beach. Preferably at your back door. Or a pool to hop into. When I was a kid, a squirt with a hose did the trick. If you are in New Zealand, or Australia or another […]
Ilaria’s back
It’s hard to believe that February is already upon us. Seriously, how did that happen? Mum’s delicious Christmas dinner, the escape up north to the top of Mount Manaia, a house move … all seem like they happened yesterday. Well they didn’t. Time ticking is as simple as that (it ticks!) so for us ‘Southern […]
Roasted Pepper & Chickpea Dip
Ilaria’s got it just right: A sprinkle of mint, a dusting of sumac … smells like summer.
Summer Salad
Brightly coloured jellied seeds of tomatoes twinkling like jewels, wafts of basil as if you have just crushed a meadow of carnations underfoot … and the bright fresh note of lemon rising to fill the nostrils … Add some gorgeous avocado to the mix and you have the essence of summer. You can make a […]
Eggs ‘n Avo
Eggs and avocados, an unlikely combination, and for breakfast? Whaaa? (That’s hands in the air screaming whaaaaattt?) It really didn’t ring my bell until I tried it, but now I am hooked. I’ve made a few adjustments, as you do. I can’t eat it for breakfast, as it is too rich, too filling, just too […]
Chicken Thighs with Thyme
You can water the garden while this is cooking or fix a nice drink and do a crossword puzzle. It’s easy living, mid-week munching, not a cooking competition.
Zucchini & Mint Salad
What to do with zucchini? Fry it, add garlic, splash it with sherry vinegar … you get the idea.