Smashed potato? I had never heard of the phrase until recently. Supposedly it is an Australian thing? Now, twice-baked potatoes I know. I grew up with these. Larger potatoes, baked in the oven until tender, cut in half, innards scooped out and mixed with any combination of butter, sour cream, garlic, onions, chives, peppers, bacon,…
Category: lunch
BBQ Lamb ribs
I’ve posted these lamb ribs through Instagram, but just the photo. Here’s the monologue and recipe (and doesn’t include details on the grilled chicken thighs, bottom right of the photo). I’m not sure how common lamb ribs are for people? Personally, I wasn’t properly introduced to lamb until I lived in England, but my indulgence…
slow cooked bbq chuck steak on the bone
The next cut of meat up for slow cooking is chuck steak on the bone. Each of these pieces weigh in at nearly 2 lb (just under 1 kg). I have dry rubbed these steaks with a mixture of sumac, cumin, anaheim chile, guajillo chile, allspice, cinnamon, oregano, garlic and salt. For those of you…
Fruit bowls
Are fruit bowls in the past? Does anyone still keep a large bowl with mixed fruits, not only looking delicious, but tasting delicious? Personally, I think having fruits on display, the contrasting colours, textures and aromas, entices you to eat them. And if you’ve got kids, I think it’s an extra bonus to promote healthy…
Spinach and cheddar quesadilla with sour cream and hot sauce
There’s nothing like a simple quesadilla. I’m happy with some fresh mozzarella alone, but it’s good to throw in something green and a sharper cheese. And if your going to throw in some spinach, throw in a bunch! Let’s say about 4 oz, 1/4 lb, 225 g. And a good amount of sharp cheddar! Fry…
Home-style potato chips
Everyone loves crispy home-style potato chips. Not the thin crispy style…the thick style with crispy skin and tender potato inside. There are a lot of ways to cook the ‘perfect chip’, and I’m not debating them here. But here is one way that is easy and a lot of the work can be done ahead…
BBQ pork ribs – one of the best so far
There are a lot of different ways to prepare BBQ pork ribs, and I can’t say which I prefer. But here is one method, and flavour, which worked well. The method is simple. Quick? No. But simple. Yes. And tasty? Very. Place the pork ribs in the oven with a range of wonderful ingredients, cook…
American-style spiced brown sugar mini-ham
I wanted to make my own ham for sandwiches, mix with pasta, etc., but didn’t want to make 5 kg (10 lb) that I wouldn’t eat in time! So I bought a small (1 kg, 2 lb) pork ‘leg steak’, a nice boneless cut from the leg. I cured the pork in a brown sugar…
Wonderful Ginger leaves
The local asian grocer always has a small amount of fresh greens, herbs and roots, all fresh and some hard to find elsewhere. The girls also like going there because the old chinese woman who owns the place always gives them candies flavoured with lychee, green tea or some other variety! I’ve started picking up…
Corn and avocado salsa
This was a very quick and easy salsa to make. Great with corn tortilla chips or used as a filling in quesadillas or tacos. And also great with beer. I made a small batch but it can easily be bulked up. Ingredients Fresh corn from 1 cob 1/2 of a brown onion, finely minced 3…
The green machine vegee sandwich (avocado and asparagus)
The night before I had BBQ’d some chicken drumettes and also included some asparagus that I bought at the fruit and vegee shop (local new season asparagus, only $5/kg, $2.50/lb). I tossed the asparagus in a bit of rice bran oil, salt and pepper, and then grilled it on the BBQ. So the next day…
Cornmeal battered snapper
Some people may say that a nice fish such as snapper shouldn’t be battered (breaded) and fried…I beg to differ…I think the right batter on a fish provides a nice, crisp and flavourful coating that locks in the moisture and flavour of the fish. And cornmeal provides a bit of extra ‘bite’ in texture and…
Day to Day Thoughts on Food 