Recipes

Carefully stirring a risotto is a lovely thing to do, but it does take time and focus and sometimes we have neither. This is our midweek version and it has served us well for 10 years. This is a base recipe with lemon zest, garlic, whatever green veg you have and parmesan. You can also use shredded poached chicken – just add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Panzanella is a traditional Italian salad made with stale bread, ripe tomatoes, red onions, and basil, all tossed together and dressed with olive oil and vinegar. The bread soaks up the juices from the tomatoes and the dressing, so every mouthful is full of flavor. It’s filling enough to be a meal on its own, or you can make it as a side for a summer BBQ.

A quick and delightful prawn pasta recipe, perfect for any festive occasion. The dish features fresh green prawns, onion, basil, garlic, and a blend of cherry tomatoes enhanced with a splash of white wine for added depth. A touch of tomato concentrate intensifies the flavor, while a red chili offers optional heat. The prawns are cooked gently to prevent overcooking, ensuring they’re tender and juicy. Served with a dash of parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, this dish is a celebration of Italian seafood pasta.

This Iranian rice dish can be served as either a main or side depending on what you add to it or serve it with. The method is what we are teaching here and the ingredients can be flexible, but try not to skip the saffron as it is one of the characteristic flavours of pilaf. Saffron lends its singular flavour and beautiful colour to pilafs, but if you don’t have it, add a little ground turmeric instead.

Pipi e Patate is a very loved Southern Italian dish best served hot or cold, often found in my mum’s fridge and best accompanied by Italian crunchy bread. It involves cooking a mix of brown onion, red potatoes, and capsicums in extra virgin olive oil, seasoned with garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. The potatoes are cut into wedges and cooked with a pinch of salt added at each stage of incorporating vegetables. The dish is simmered until nearly soft, with careful stirring to prevent the potatoes from breaking. After cooking, the lid is removed to reduce the liquid, and oregano is added. Basil can be added before or after cooling, enhancing the flavor of this simple yet delicious Italian recipe.

Pork Adobo is a warm, comforting Filipino dish that’s bursting with rich flavours. Tender chunks of pork are slow-cooked in a savoury blend of soy sauce, tangy vinegar, and aromatic garlic, with a touch of sweetness to balance the flavours.

The potatoes soak up the sauce, making each bite satisfying and hearty. Serve with white rice and enjoy as a filling and delicious dinner. This version is great for beginners, so even if it’s your first time making adobo, don’t hesitate to give it a go.

Puttanesca is the perfect end-of-the-week dinner when the vegetable crisper is bare. Just forage on the top shelf of your fridge and gather all the jars—capers, anchovies, olives, sun-dried tomatoes. You’ll need about one and a half cups of these antipasti-style condiments, so use up what you have. Our quantities are provided as a guide only. Keep in mind you can include marinated capsicums or eggplants, green olives, or even preserved mushrooms or artichoke hearts, so there’s really no need to go to the shops.

This dish is an excellent way to use up summer vegetables, especially those that have sat in the crisper for too long. The low and slow cooking time disguises any blemishes and wrinkles and turns tired vegetables into a harmony of summer flavours.

You need about 1-1.5 kg of summer vegetables like eggplants, zucchini, and capsicum. You can use equal parts of all three vegetables, or just one. There are no real rules.

Serve this ratatouille with polenta and goat’s cheese, use it as a base for baked eggs, or as a side with any grilled meats, fish, or roast chicken.

Butter beans are one of the best pantry staples there are. High in protein, fiber and folates, they should make a regular appearance in your meals. These butter beans are so easy to make, require very simple ingredients but taste like you know what you’re doing. We use one can of beans to make a quick side for one or two people, but double or triple the recipe depending on how many people you’re feeding.

Serve them on a thick slice of sourdough for a quick dinner, or for something more hearty, serve with a grilled piece of meat, fish, or a tray of roasted vegetables.

Take them to a BBQ when you’ve been asked to bring a dish, and everyone will ask you for the recipe!

A delicious and simple recipe for red curry paste, made from scratch. You’ll be using ingredients including galangal, lemongrass, and freshly grated nutmeg, which will create a delicious smell as you cook.

For speed, this recipe uses a food processor, but if you don’t have one, you can also use a mortar and pestle. Store curry paste in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to three months.

This amount of curry paste will be enough to make two curries. Try a chicken and pumpkin curry, a fish curry, or a tofu and vegetable curry.

These mini cabbages are nutritional powerhouses. Hidden amongst those tightly packed leaves are essential vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, so get them on your plate! The peppery and earthy flavours of Brussels sprouts are a perfect pair with salty ingredients like parmesan and pancetta. We’ve added some chilli flakes and red wine vinegar to really make these bad boys sing. You want as much crisp and char as you can get, so crank up the oven and get roasting. They make a great side; pile them onto a lentil stew or serve them with polenta and a hearty ragu.