My mum is an expert baker. She was a home economics teacher in New Zealand for years and has always been in charge of the dessert section of any family occasion or dinner party. And she does the. best. meringues. ever. No argument. She often makes the good old original kind, this amazing chewy coconut flavour and many others. Mum’s meringues are light and airy with a crispy outer layer and chewy centre. Just how I like them.
ORANGE AND MAPLE LAMB RIBS WITH SLOW ROASTED PUMPKIN PUREE
There is so much golden deliciousness in this recipe. The caramelised ribs with their orange and maple syrup marinade, spiked with chilli and paprika and the fragrant whiffs of cinnamon. You’ll be licking your fingers. You’ll also be using these sticky morsels of goodness to wipe up the pumpkin puree beneath them. By roasting the pumpkin to golden perfection first you get that delicious caramelised pumpkin flavour in the puree. It’s crazily good. With fresh coriander and salty feta to finish, the whole plate will disappear before you notice.
GREEN WINTER SLAW
If you’ve been following my blog or Instagram for a while now you may have noticed that I quite like slaw. And by quite like I mean I like it a lot. I like that it’s so easy to do and adds crunch and vibrancy to any meal. It’s also super versatile and can be Asian inspired or lean towards Mexican or even italian. This slaw is fresh and crunchy and uses ingredients that are in season in Melbourne at the moment. Fresh crunchy salads aren’t only for summer they can add a lightness and crunch to delicious winter comfort food. This slaw uses snow peas, kohlrabi and cabbage and is dressed very simply. You could use an avocado dressing if you’re more into mayonnaise with your slaw (but ti’s not actually mayo!).
SPICED HOT CHOCOLATE
Is there anything better on a cold afternoon than a cup of frothy creamy, chocolatey goodness? Yes. Yes there is. If you add chilli and cinnamon to it. This recipe is uber simple and easy. It can be made with dairy milk or almond milk, but not the dodgy almond milk that’s really watery either make your own or use a good quality rich and creamy version. The hint of chilli makes this extra warming and is just enough to leave some residual heat in your mouth. I promise this is good.
ROAST CARROTS WITH TAHINI YOGHURT SAUCE
‘Tis the season for all things orange: pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots and… well… oranges! I’ve been mucking around with different incarnations of this roast carrot recipe for a few weeks now and this is by far my favourite combination. The fat soluble vitamins in carrots are easily digested due to the oil they’re roasted in and the sauce they are served with so you’re getting the most out of these little guys. try to buy organic carrots when possible so that you can eat the skins without worrying about the nasties that could be on them. I got lucky and found some locally grown, organic baby carrots at my local grocer. With a simple side like this the quality of your ingredients is so important.
RAW LIME CHEESECAKE
These raw ‘cheesecakes’ are so easy to make and as you store them in the freezer it means you can always have something on hand when those sugar cravings set in. But something a lot lower in sugar than your typical cheesecake or frozen treat! This one is fresh and bright and makes the most of the abundance of citrus that’s around at the moment. The lime and coconut is a classic combination for a reason – it tastes fantastic. Zesty, creamy cheesecake top layer on a base of chewy coconut and almond, so simple, so good.
SWEDE AND KOHLRABI FRITTERS
It’s root vegetable season and I’m getting into it in a serious way. I’m trying different ways of cooking my favourite root vegetables (helllooooo Parsnip Fries) as well as trying some that I wouldn’t normally eat loads of. I’m definitely a lover of fritters and was craving a more wintery version of what I would normally make… and this is what happened. Do you use kohlrabi much? It has a texture that’s not dissimilar to broccoli stem and it tastes a bit like that mixed with a turnip. I’ve found it has more flavour if you cook it with the skin on so that’s what I’ve done here. I’ve added the Swedes because I love their slight sweetness and they give great golden colour and smooth texture to the fritters. Fritters are such a great breakfast or lunch food as they allow you to get lots more veg! Served with a simple side salad and maybe a dipping sauce these make the perfect lunch or breakfast.
PARSNIP FRIES WITH HARISSA DIPPING SAUCE
Is there anything better than fries? That crisp outside and instant dippability (it’s a word, shut up spell check). Actually anything that you can dip into a tasty sauce is pretty fabulous in my book (sweet potato crisps, popcorn cauliflower). These parsnip fries have a lot going from them, parsnips natural ability to caramelise is definitely one of them. The natural sweetness of the parsnip is so good with the spicy harissa sauce. 
SPINACH, LEEK AND LEMON BUCKWHEAT ‘RISOTTO’ WITH THYME MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms add such amazing flavour to a dish. this recipe uses a mixture of fresh and dried mushrooms as the intensity of the dried mushrooms adds a real umami flavour. The buckwheat ‘risotto’ has been in the works for sometime now but it took a while to get the texture and flavour just right. Hitting the stock with pureed spinach adds extra flavour and intense green to this dish. It’s a lighter version of risotto, and full of vegetables, and a magnesium boost from the buckwheat.
CHARRED BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH MISO BUTTER, CHILLI AND GARLIC
I love brussel sprouts. Four words my 10 year old self would be horrified to hear me say. Luckily that scenario is not possible! Because I don’t live in a science fiction movie (unfortunately, damn you stupid reality)- not because the statement is untrue. Brussel sprouts are up there with my favourite vegetables. And they love butter and some heavy caramelisation. They are very good friends with those two things. Add some garlic and chilli and you have brussel sprout bliss. Top that with a liberal squeeze of zingy lime and some coriander and you’ll start converting brussel haters. And did I mention that the before mentioned butter has been mixed with miso paste? No, well that part is pretty essential….