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…
Pan-fried salmon on a bed of brown rice and red quinoa, with grilled broccoli, carrot and asparagus
I love salmon, and the crispy skin. Salt and pepper alone are good, but I also like a simple marinade with a couple more flavours, 30 min prior to cooking. And I thought I would do a 50:50 mix of brown rice and red quinoa. The nuttiness of the red quinoa matches well with the…
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…
Grilled lamb cutlets and broccoli
There is not much you can say against lamb cutlets. When perfectly grilled, they are slightly caramelised on the outside and tender, moist and succulent on the inside. Hard to resist, especially with the right marinade! And what grills perfectly with lamb? One of my favourite vegetables. Broccoli. Lately I’ve been roasting broccoli, but this…
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…
Super classic chocolate chip cookies
These cookies are so simple, and it doesn’t even matter how well each step is followed. The important part of a good cookie is the butter/sugar ratio and the final consistency of the dough before cooking. And if all ingredients are mixed! My girls love to help mix the dough, though most of the consuming…
Classic and Asian-style sweet and sour Buffalo wings with ginger green beans
I decided to make two types of chicken wings for dinner…my classic style that I know my girls like, and a spicier version that I was inspired from reading a post from Kitchen Cici. To complement the chicken, I roasted sliced desiree red potatoes and sautéed green beans with thickly sliced ginger. The balance of…
Crispy skin salmon with roasted cauliflower and broccoli, served with rice
I love salmon, as do my girls, but we don’t have it very often. I picked up some nice Tasmanian salmon from my favourite fishmongers today and though to match it with roasted cauliflower and broccoli. I prefer roasted cauliflower, but usually steam or sauté broccoli, but I decided to roast the broccoli as well…
Day to Day Thoughts on Food 