Grilled things you like. That is apparently what ‘okonomiyaki’ translates to (I read fried things somewhere else but same same…kinda), and this is definitely a grilled thing I like. These Japanese pancakes are a fantastic way to use up left over vegetables and make a super quick dinner. They’re also ridiculously tasty but I’m not going to claim this is a particularly ‘traditional recipe’. Instead, I’ve gone for easy.
I never used to be an eggplant fan. It was too often, butter, soggy or watery. I’ve learnt that when it’s cooked in certain ways it is so delicious. This is one of those ways, in this little recipe the eggplant becomes meaty and laden with umami rich  flavours from the miso paste. The crisp lettuce cups are a perfect foil to this salty richness.
Fried rice is one of my favourite things. Not wasting leftovers is another of my favourite things. Christmas is a time when we tend to over cater in my household, and coming up with new ways of using the leftovers is a fun post Christmas game. This fried rice is super tasty, full of veg and can use up a tonne of left over bits and pieces in your fridge.
These dumplings are filled with a great mix of vegetables and slathered in a very addictive sauce. So they’re all about balance and I love that! I like them best steamed and then generously dribbled in sauce. The chilli in the sauce isn’t just tasty, it’s great for you too.
This baby packs a flavour punch + is filled with loads of veg to help you get your daily fix. You could make it with any noodles you have on hand and it will work out just fine. I know I’ve posted a few noodle based recipes lately but that’s because they’re so good for this warm weather we’ve been having, a 30 degree spring days (celsius for you international peeps) is crazy for Melbourne, so maybe I’ve gone a little crazy for cold salads too. Just maybe.
This salad makes a delicious dinner when the weather gets warm and an easy lunch. You can make it the day ahead and take it to work. As you’ll see it’s seriously simple to make, simple food is where it’s at for week day lunches.
Soba noodles, miso, sesame, a pile of vegetables and a couple of great protein sources – all this makes up the bowl of health. This beautiful looking bowl is full of goodness, such as: omega 3s, protein, vitamin a, b, c, e and k, antioxidants, fibre, iron, calcium just to name a few!
Winter means soup. Lots of root vegetables are in abundance and you pretty much want to fill your body with heat at this time of the year, and soup goes well with both those things. This soup uses sweet potato, pumpkin, fragrant spices and a little coconut to warm and nourish you from the inside out.
I love dumplings. So so much. They are up there with my most favourite foods ever. Which is probably still a long list as I don’t like playing favourites with food… it’s all so good. I would normally serve these as an entree or nibble for friends or have them for dinner with a pile of steamed broccolini on the side because you know, health. The filling is juicy and flavoursome and the contrast between the crunchy underside of the dumpling and the soft chewy top is what eating is all about. The vinegary carrots add something a bit different to the garnish and some crunch.
I’m a little potato obsessed. I love all kinds and I also love that different potatoes have favourite ways of being cooked, it gives them their own little personality. Dutch creams love a good mashing, Russets make the best roasties and fries and kipflers, well those litlle nuggets of joy are perfect eaten with their skin on boiled or roasted. In this recipe I boil them then roast them and chuck them in a mayonnaise free roast potato salad of sorts. It’s served warm but would be fine the next day straight from the fridge too. The asian flavours make a nice break from my usual potato salad and lend the kipflers a welcome freshness. The texture of the soft coriander, crunchy nuts and the crispy potatoes is also great. Plus potatoes love salt and the dressing is all about that.
