kumara & blue cheese balls with honey toasted walnuts

  Alrighty then – this is not my standard kind of recipe in that it was literally made with left-overs I had in the fridge, and therefore I can’t give you the exact quantity of potatoes and kumaras required to make your mash – but I can give you the precise amount of mash:cheese ratio […]

salted peanut caramel tart with banana caramel ice cream & chocolate sauce

Alrighty here we go then – this latest recipe is seriously easy to make, utterly decadent and the perfect take-to-a-dinner-party (or serve at your own) dessert. The base is a lovely crisp peanut butter pastry, filled with smooth, rich caramel and crunchy salted peanuts. On top a wodge of homemade banana caramel ice cream (or […]

French onion soup & rustic croque monsieur

These are two of my all-time favourite French dishes that are featuring in Fairfax newspapers around the country today – so simple to prepare, pretty rustic, but packed with fantastic flavour. The onion soup is deeply rich, slightly sweet and satisfying while the croque monsieur is indulgently good with crispy bread slathered in bechamel sauce, […]

slow-cooked mexican pulled beef & beans on soft cheesy polenta

Goood morning. I am well over due to get up and get cranking, but wanted to quickly share this before the weekend. It’s looking set to be freezing, wild weather around the country, and this is the antidote – super-slow cooked Mexican spiced beef and beans on soft, cheesy polenta. The whole thing is so […]

banana maple oaty walnut muffins with maple butter

Goood morning from my regular blogging spot – tucked up in bed with a mug of tea. I have a real treat for you today – these banana, maple, oaty muffins are basically a loaf recipe that I have tweaked (and can still be cooked a s a loaf) for Fairfax newspapers, so will be […]

classic lemon tart

Helloooo – if you come here often you will already probably know these things: 1. I love tarts, 2. I particularly love lemon tarts, 3. I am something of a perfectionist (as confirmed by the Fisher & Paykel What’s Your Cooking Style?’ quiz). To that end, the second recipe I thought of when they asked me to […]

warm winter vegetable salad with lemony feta & coriander dressing

Morning all – well it’s been a while ‘between drinks’, but this is a great little vege-loaded mid-week recipe which is super healthy and pretty quick and easy to put together. During winter I often crave big hearty stews or pies (…see recent pie extravaganza), and when I need a vegetable fix I usually go […]

loaded four cheese pizzas with chilli, rocket & lemon

Fridaaaaay! Yay – and finally a beautiful blue-sky day in Auckland – fantastic! Today’s recipe is for a crispy thin-based pizza loaded with cheesy goodness then finished off with a little chilli kick, fresh peppery rocket and some fresh zingy lemon. It is a great vegetarian option, but for other suggestions you can also checkout […]

over-night whole grain oats with chia seeds, fig & date puree, Greek yoghurt & honey toasted nuts

I’m back in my usual blogging position (in bed with a cup of tea) listening to the rain pattering away outside – dammit there goes my morning walk! Today’s recipe is one I put together for Fairfax: wholegrain jumbo oats and chia seeds soaked overnight with dates, quickly cooked in the morning into a big […]

hot smoked salmon & leek pies with aioli

Another (rainy?) Saturday, another All Black rugby test – and another pie! But today’s is completely different to last week’s meaty extravaganza while still being totally addictive and indulgent. These ones involve sweet soft leeks, flaked firm white fish, rich hot smoked salmon, aniseedy dill and sharp lemon zest all tucked up together in flaky […]

rustic apple tart with whiskey ginger ice cream

Good morning 🙂 Right – now that it is actually proper winter, we can can fully justify some hard core comfort food action – like these really simple apple tarts with ginger & whiskey ice cream that I put together for Fairfax. The ice cream isn’t as sweet as you might imagine, but has a […]

beef, bacon and mushroom pies with mozzarella and caramelised onions

Morning all – as you see I have a particularly decadent wee pie here for you, just in time for the weekend. As you want with any good pie the base is crisp and holds together, while the top has a good bit of flaky action. The filling is lush – layers of melty mozzarella, […]