Recipe video above. A very forgiving, very easy way to roast a leg of lamb, where the meat is slow-cooked until it's tender enough to pull it off the bone with tongs. It is not the blushing pink flesh carving sort (use this traditional Roast Lamb recipe if that's what you're after). Lamb leg is lean, so to slow cook it's best to partially submerge in a flavoured liquid which keeps the flesh moist plus infuses with flavour. I'm using garlic and rosemary in this recipe - classic lamb flavours!**IMPORTANT**: Lamb leg is lean so it should only be cooked for 1.5 hours until blushing pink & juicy (per this traditional Roast Lamb recipe) or slow cooked for 4.5 hrs until fall apart (this recipe). Anything in between is tough and not nice! For more roast lamb recipes, browse the recipe collection.
Recipe video above. The heartiest of all chunky soups, filled with anything your heart desires! While the add ins are endlessly customisable, stick with the soup broth recipe because I've made it extra tasty!* Asterix marked items can be substituted with any cookable vegetables, 6 cups in total.
Recipe video above. The smell when this is cooking is outrageous! The marinade is very quick to prepare and the chicken can be frozen in the marinade, then defrosted prior to cooking. Best cooked on the outdoor grill / BBQ, but I usually make it on the stove. Serve with Yogurt Sauce (provided) or the Tahini sauce in this recipe. Add a simple salad and flatbread laid out on a large platter, then let everyone make their own wraps!
Recipe video above. Vietnamese caramel sauce is a popular sweet/savoury used in Vietnamese dishes. Here, it's used for bite size chicken pieces that get coated in the glaze with a generous dose of ginger. It's quick, easy, something different and outrageously good!** NOTE: Sadly seeing reader feedback that the liquid isn't reducing and chicken isn't caramelising. Please ensure to use a LARGE PAN and be brave, simmer RAPIDLY! Else the liquid will take ages to reduce. See Note 4.**
Recipe VIDEO above. One of Korea's most famous food exports! The key here is the Bibimbap Sauce - feel free to switch the veg and meat, whatever you use is going to be amazing once mixed up with that Sauce. There's a lot of components here but there's repeat ingredients and it's an easy recipe - and it's MEANT to be served at room temp so don't rush!
Tuna salad - the French way! Hefty and interesting enough for lunch, but not so heavy it loses its summery appeal.Use the best tuna you can get, in oil not spring water!
Recipe video above. The trick to ensuring the melted butter stays firmly sealed inside Chicken Kiev? Partially freezing the chicken. Stops the chicken from moving as you handle it for coating / cooking which ensures the chicken remains sealed and keeps the molten river of garlic butter inside!For a real Kiev experience, you do need to deep fry. BUT for the very best healthier baked option, see Note 6.
Recipe video above. Crispy Turkish flatbreads stuffed with juicy fillings! Choose ONE Filling - either Spinach and Feta, or spiced Lamb OR Beef with spinach and peppers. Can stretch to 5 gozlemes. Works with GLUTEN FREE flour too!
Recipe video. This is based on a popular southern Thailand street food that's typically made with a butterflied chicken grilled over smokey coals. It's sweet but has complexity owing to the simple but clever marinade.Here, I'm making a home version using the marinade for bone-in chicken thighs instead and baked it in my boring oven. I miss the charcoal flavour but it's still lip smackingly delicious! The tumeric powder really makes it. :)
Recipe video above. Here's a Pad Thai recipe that really does taste just as good as takeout from good Thai restaurants, and you'll find everything you need at the supermarket! I use chicken here but feel free to switch with any protein, even prawns/shrimp. If you're after a truly authentic Pad Thai recipe, see here - but be warned that most people will find it a little too "real" for their palettes because Pad Thai in Thailand has stronger fish sauce/dried shrimp "funk". (Don't misread that word! :))
Homemade taco seasoning is so much healthier than store bought - it's preservative free, less artificial tasting and is a fraction of the cost. This recipe makes enough taco seasoning for 1lbs/500g of meat. I also use this for Quesadilla Fillings.
Recipes for winter, to warm your soul.
Recipe video above. Meat on sticks is always a good thing, and Thai Beef Satay is one of the best! In this beef version of Thai Chicken Satay, a secret tenderising satay marinade makes economical steak astonishingly succulent. So good, you can eat it plain – but no one in their right mind would skip the Thai Peanut Sauce!Note: Baking soda tenderised beef needs to be thoroughly cooked to be tender. The beef is still a bit chewy if it's medium or less (because we're using economical beef).Top tip: Excellent to grill on the BBQ, or even better, over charcoal for a truly authentic Thai experience.Use leftover sauce for Thai Chicken Satay, Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Sauce) or just douse a bowl of plain rice. You can't go wrong!
Recipe video above. Considered by many to be the mother of all stews, Beef Bourguignon is a French dish made with beef, bacon lardons, carrots, onions and mushrooms slow-cooked in a rich red wine sauce. For the most magnificent stew of your life, start this 2 days before you plan to serve it, do not shortcut pan roasting ingredients individually, and use homemade beef stock if you can!
Recipe video above. The miraculous, easy way to make butter chicken in the oven! Just put everything in a pan and pop it in the oven. That sauce is to-die for! Just like the real-thing, with a fraction of the effort.This doesn't even need to be marinated because the flesh gets infused with flavour as it bakes. Not spicy at all, so this one for everyone!
Recipe video above. This is your favourite pork sausage in patty form. It's so easy - just pork mince (ground pork) mixed with a spice blend. Great to make ahead and freeze, then cook up on demand.Serve for dinner with garlic rice and steamed green beans tossed with French Dressing. O make burgers! Also great for breakfast with scrambled eggs on toast. (I'd still use ketchup :) )
Recipe video above. These fish koftas are like your favourite Middle Eastern lamb koftas - except made with fish. Adore the spicing! Serve with Jewelled rice pilaf for a stunning platter of food.Makes 10 to 12 koftas, serves 4 to 5.
Recipe video above. The chicken version of the beloved Aussie beef rissoles! You'll love the oozy little pockets of cheese.Makes 14 to 16 rissoles. Serves 4 to 5 as a meal, or one Dozer.
Recipe video above. Golden on the outside and meltingly tender inside (hence the name!), infused with flavour from roasting in a buttery stock. Lovely, elegant way to cook potatoes, very restaurant-y! If you're in a hurry, don't worrying about shaping into cylinders. Just cut thick slabs of potato (whatever shape they happen to be!) and cook per the recipe. Or, just use a potato peeler to shape as best you can. It will still taste just as good!
Recipe video above. Risoni - also known as orzo - in a creamy tomato parmesan sauce with juicy slices of seasoned chicken and lots of awesome crispy bits of golden salami! The better bacon - bolder flavour, and it doesn't spit when you're cooking it. :) The addition of chickpeas adds a soft nutty crunch and another layer of texture to this one-pan wonder that's a cosy bowl of deliciousness! Total crowd pleaser.
Recipe video above. This is one of those recipe gems that proves just few ingredients and minimal effort can still deliver a knock-out dish!It's easy enough for a weeknight meal, but can step up as a dish elegant enough for company. A pinch of fresh tarragon adds a lovely sweet aniseed flavour, while mustard brings the oomph and thickens the sauce.Note: The cook time is affected by the size of the pork fillet so a meat thermometer is highly recommended to ensure the pork is cooked perfectly.
Recipe video above. Plump, extra juicy, extra tasty rissoles - an Aussie favourite! I usually make Beef Rissoles but these can be made with lamb, pork, chicken or turkey. Makes 10 - 12 rissoles. (PS For those who are unfamiliar with rissoles, they are basically squashed meatballs! A classic Aussie family favourite :) )
Recipe video above. That perfect combination of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy with crispy Chinese chicken bites. This is a Chinese takeout favourite that pushes all the right buttons!
Recipe video above. If you love your oatmeal cookies soft and chewy, this is THE Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe for you! Crispy on the edges, buttery with the faintest waft of cinnamon and studded with plump juicy raisins, these keep really well and smell heavenly when they're in the oven.This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe and they found the key to achieving this are: a) the size (these are larger than usual) and b) using baking powder, not baking soda.
The Italian secret to perfect pasta is starchy pasta water, which gently thickens this creamy sauce so it becomes luscious and gorgeous, clinging to every fettuccine strand. Translation: perfection with every bite! Find the recipe
Recipe video above. Such a spectacular way to cook a whole chicken! Cooked in a Thai red curry sauce with potatoes and beans, the pot-roasting method keeps the chicken ultra juicy. Plus, we can get away with store bought curry paste here because the chicken juices add a stack of money-can't-buy flavour into the sauce.Easy enough for midweek, definitely impressive enough for company!
Recipe video above. A quick chicken dinner that's an explosion of (spicy!) Asian flavours! Make this with chicken breast, boneless thighs or tenderloins.Spiciness level: Spicy but not blow-your-head-off spicy! Remember, I like to think I'm a Spice Monster, but in reality I can't handle the heat (literally!). To dial it back, reduce chilli flakes and see Note 2 about reducing Sriracha.
Chicken satay tossed in a noodle salad loaded with plenty of veggies with a creamy peanut satay dressing! Serve this warm or at room temperature.
Recipe video above. This is a Western style curry, and it's the easiest chicken curry I know how to make with the least ingredients possible without sacrificing tastiness! Very mild, not spicy at all (assuming curry powder is mild).
Recipe video above. This makes a light, crispy fish batter like you've never had before! Stays crispy for a good 15 - 20 min, though my fish disappears long before that.The yeast and carbonation in beer makes the batter puffy just like you get at good fish 'n chip shops. Meanwhile the rice flour + shock of ice cold batter hitting the hot oil makes it super crispy. Normal wheat flour doesn't cut it – the batter goes soggy within minutes!You can't taste the beer at all, and the alcohol gets cooked out. Serve with ultra crispy French fries for the ultimate homemade Fish & Chips experience.
Recipe video above. Meat on sticks is always a good thing, and Thai Beef Satay is one of the best! In this beef version of Thai Chicken Satay, a secret tenderising satay marinade makes economical steak astonishingly succulent. So good, you can eat it plain – but no one in their right mind would skip the Thai Peanut Sauce!Note: Baking soda tenderised beef needs to be thoroughly cooked to be tender. The beef is still a bit chewy if it's medium or less (because we're using economical beef).Top tip: Excellent to grill on the BBQ, or even better, over charcoal for a truly authentic Thai experience.Use leftover sauce for Thai Chicken Satay, Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Sauce) or just douse a bowl of plain rice. You can't go wrong!
Recipe video above. This cheeseburger recipe assumes your bun is 10cm/4" wide. If it's larger, you may want to scale up the beef so you don't end up with wafer-thin patties or a burger patty that's much smaller than your bun. Nobody likes biting into bread with no beef!!Slather with sauce of choice though for a really great burger experience, try my Special Burger Sauce (quick, no cook) or my Tomato Chutney for Burgers.
Recipe video above. "The secret is the bacon..." It really takes this sausage roll to another level! Also, sautéing the onion and celery before mixing into the filling makes it sweet and more moist than the usual, and using panko instead of normal breadcrumbs also contributes to making the filling of this sausage roll so moist.The addition of fennel adds an extra burst of flavour but it's optional. Pork and fennel are great mates and though most everyday suburban bakeries won't use it, you'll find better bakeries use it (like Bourke St Bakery). If you're wary, drop it to 1/2 teaspoon. Or just skip it!
Recipe video above. This is a white bean soup with a thick, creamy broth that's full of savoury flavour with a hint of tomato. It's a fast way to turn bland beans into a really filling soup that so simple to make, yet so, so good! The flavour trick - blitzing up the sautéed onion, carrot and garlic with just a bit of the beans. Keep it meat free or see notes for how to add ham, bacon, chicken or sausage! This is VERY filling - and keeps you full for ages (thank you beans!)
Recipe video above. Are you ready to discover the world's easiest curry?? As in, a real one, made from scratch. Introducing - Kuku Paka! This chicken curry in a tomato coconut spiced sauce tastes like an Indian curry. Except it's African, and you can get everything you need from your regular grocery store. For a strictly traditional version, sear the chicken over charcoal for chargrilled flavour before adding into the sauce. To make this Monday-night-friendly, I've just pan-seared. Serves 4 hearty appetites or 5 to 6 regular servings.
Recipe video above. A beloved Italian-American classic comprised of a crispy golden chicken cutlet smothered in a rich Marsala wine flavoured mushroom sauce. A restaurant favourite that's easy to make at home, one bite and you'll be hooked for life like I was!The key flavour here is Marsala wine so if you can't consume alcohol or don't have it, make Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce instead! Also, this dish uses more alcohol than my usual "just a splash of wine" so it's not recommended for kids. :)
Recipe video above. Pan-seared chunks of white fish are coated in a syrupy, spicy lime sauce in this dish loosely based on pla tort sahm rot, a traditional Thai street stall favourite. It tastes a bit like a fish version of everybody's favourite Chilli Garlic Prawns. Very quick to make, it's loaded with big flavours!Spice level: fairly spicy but not blow-your-head-off. See Note 4 for how to control the spiciness.
Recipe video above. This is a recipe for naan bread that's fluffy, bubbly and chewy, just as it should be. Nobody will ever mistake this for just another basic flatbread! Perfect for slopping up your favourite Indian curries – yet so good that you'll happily devour it plain, straight out of the skillet.Bearing in mind that we aren't cooking in nuclear-level 480°C hot tandoors, see in post for background notes on how I find this recipe to most closely replicates restaurant naan. Makes: 6 naans, ~15-16cm / 6 - 7" diameter. For more Indian recipes, browse the Indian collection.
Recipe video above. Coq au Vin is the well known French stew where chicken pieces are braised in a luscious, glossy red wine sauce with bacon, mushroom and onions. Like Beef Bourguignon, the beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity: remarkably few ingredients and simple process with results fit for a king – or queen! For the best results, start this 2 days before serving: 12 - 24 hour marinade for the chicken (essential), then rest the finished stew overnight to let the flavours develop even further (recommended but not essential).Recipe source: Another classic French recipe brought to you via Chef Jean-Baptiste Alexandre, our culinary collaborator for all things French. Because I like to do traditional recipes properly!
Recipe video above. Everybody's favourite Spring Rolls, made at home! Nothing like the ones at suburban Chinese takeout joints with unidentifiable mushy fillings and overly greasy. These are shatteringly crisp and golden, just like they should be, and you will actually be able to taste the filling!
Recipe video above. Copycat of restaurant style Chinese Beef with Honey and Black Pepper Sauce. Very fast and easy to make - it's on the table in 15 minutes! The sauce is absolutely divine - sticky, sweet, salty and with a subtle burst of heat from the black pepper.
Recipe video above. Not a single bowl is required to make these bars! Everything is put together right in the cake pan. Hot contender for the world's best emergency baked goodie!Tastes: caramel-y, chewy, chocolatey and peanuty. Like a caramel slice but with peanuts - and much faster to make!
Recipe video above. This gorgeous, vibrant Persian saffron rice is perfumed with spices and studded with dried nuts and fruit. Featured in post with fish koftas. See in post for a list of suggestions for other things to serve this with!
Recipe video above. "The secret is the bacon..." It really takes this sausage roll to another level! Also, sautéing the onion and celery before mixing into the filling makes it sweet and more moist than the usual, and using panko instead of normal breadcrumbs also contributes to making the filling of this sausage roll so moist.The addition of fennel adds an extra burst of flavour but it's optional. Pork and fennel are great mates and though most everyday suburban bakeries won't use it, you'll find better bakeries use it (like Bourke St Bakery). If you're wary, drop it to 1/2 teaspoon. Or just skip it!
Recipe video above. Super crunchy baked drumsticks that are generously seasoned with an addictive zingy kick from black pepper and cayenne. It's not blow-your-head off but it has a very warm buzz! Just omit the cayenne and reduce the pepper to make it kid friendly. It's so seasoned you don't need a sauce for dunking but if you want something quick but great, use my honey mustard or pink sauce - both recipes in the notes.
This is the baked version of my popular Vietnamese chicken recipe. It’s got a sweet, caramelly Vietnamese glaze, and it’s so delicious it’s worthy of serving to guests. Find the recipe on page 20 of
Pork shoulder is the perfect cut to cook into tender submission in rich barbecue-style sauce for the best Southern beans you'll ever try. Find the recipe on page 70 of Dinner. https://youtu.be/SbFVU8VxvEg?rel=0
This hearty soup is a copycat of a popular dish at the Italian–American chain Olive Garden. I find myself making it regularly because it’s so quick to make yet tastes so good, especially with the
