Spaghetti Bolognaise with Mushroom and Kale

I think I have an addiction to kale. This is one of my go to recipes, I love, the kids smash it, its mostly veg. Win - win. One of the most beautiful things about this dish is, you can make it on the go. Once the onion and celery are minced and have begun sauteing, you can bgein chopping the next bit. If you have never used pork and veal mince for spag bol, you should. Two tips, 1) generally it is how you finish a dish that makes it rule - some great parmesan and great extra virgin can lift any dish from good to wow; 2) learn to love chilli - it is the business.

1 onion in small dice
1 stick celery in small dice
2 tsp minced rosemary
2 tsp minced thyme
1 handful minced parsley
1 handful basil leaves
3 cloves garlic minced
2 rashers bacon in small dice
2 handfuls mushroom minced
A few porcini mushrooms ripped (optional)
500 gms pork and veal mince
3 leaves kale, finely chopped
1 bottle of passata
1 packet of pasta
1 or 2 tbs sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Chilli - fresh or dried

Get your pasta water hot. Sauté the onion and celery over a medium high temperature in some extra virgin with the 1/2 of the garlic, rosemary and thyme. When soft throw in the bacon and fry for a few minutes. When fragrant add in the mushrooms - you may need more extra virgin. When the mushrooms are cooked add in the minced pork and veal. Cook the concoction until the moisture has mostly evaporated then mix through the kale, salt and pepper. When fragrant and beginning to soften, stir through 3/4 of the tomato passata. Add in the sugar, balsamic and remaining garlic and 1/2 of the parsley. Start cooking the pasta in salted water. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce until the pasta cooks. If your sauce is too dry add some of the pasta cooking water into the sauce. Chop the basil and stir through, check for seasoning, adding more salt/pepper/sugar/balsamic as necessary. Combine the sauce and pasta. Spoon into bowls. Top with a sprinkling of parsley, salt, a grind of pepper, parmesan and chilli. Some crispy prosciutto is wicked too.

Beef Tarts with Pesto and Cummin

Simple and another opportunity to make pesto. Could easily be done on a smaller scale as a tapa or canapé.

500 g mince
2 cloves garlic minced
1 slice bacon diced
1 onion, 1/2 sliced 1/2 diced
1 tsp cumin
4 tbs pesto
2 tbs sour cream
1/2 hanful coriander leaves
3 sheets puff pastry
Salt and pepper
1/2 a capsicum sliced
1 handful mushroom sliced
1 - 2 cups grated cheese
1 tbs milk
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Preheat an oven to 180C. Sauté the diced onion and garlic in 1/2 of the oil with the bacon and cumin until soft and fragrant. Add in the mince and brown with some salt and pepper. Add in the sour cream and reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes until almost dry. Stir through the coriander and remove from the heat to cool. Spread about 1 tbs of pesto over each puff pastry sheet leaving a 1cm border. Evenly divide the flavoured mince between the pastry sheets and spread to a thin layer. Scatter about the capsicum, onion and mushrooms and top with a little cheese. Brush the sides with some milk. Drizzle over the remaining oil and some salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until golden, turning if necessary.

Cashew and Macadamia Nut Satay

I watched a TV chef recently smash together a satay sauce in about 2 minutes and I thought well I want to do that too. My recipe differs quite a bit from his but as my research after the fact discovered, it don't matter. I think satay is one of those 'satays are like opinions' scenarios. They can be simple or complicated. In any case, what I have done here is very very good and I can thoroughly recommend trying it. My bother in law who doesn't like satay had two helpings and was kind with his review. There is enough satay to marinade 1 - 2 kg of the meat of your choice, have enough left for being a sauce and, an additional purpose like making satay and coconut milk rice for the kids.


2 handfuls salted cashew/macadamia nuts
2 heaped tbs crunchy peanut butter
Rind of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes (maybe more)
2 cloves garlic
1 thumb ginger roughly chopped
1/2 bunch coriander, roots and all
200 ml of coconut milk (or to taste)
1 long red chilli
1 tbs palm sugar (or brown)
2 tbs light olive oil or peanut oil
1/2 cup water


Leaving out the water, blitz the lot until it is in a smooth paste. Check for flavours and add more lime juice, coconut milk or sugar until you reach a tasty result (there should be enough salt from the nuts). Aim for a good balance of nut, sweet and importantly, lime. Pour in half of the water, blitz, check the consistency and add the remaining and more if required.

Corn Chip Crusted Nacho Meat Balls

Do it. I've been thinking about this concept for a while after hearing on a cooking show that you can crumb meat in basically anything. Two thoughts popped into my head 1) crushed up Cruskets for fish or chicken and 2) crushed corn chips to coat chicken or beef meatballs. I believe though that pork would happily work as well. Easy as and full of flavour. The corn chips I went with here were nacho cheese corn chips which are covered in powdered cheese so I cooked them as small balls at a medium temperature to stop them from burning. If they were much larger they definitely would have burnt. I happen to have a decent 'Tex Mex' seasoning at home, taco seasoning would do but if you don't have either - its fair basic, just use a little powdered cumin, paprika, salt and coriander to taste. Want more, make a larger batch.

500 gms minced meat (I used veal and pork)

 2 or 3 tsp Mexican seasoning
1 clove garlic minced
Some chopped coriander
2 or 3 handfuls cheesy corn chips blitzed
1/2 cup flour (or more)
1 egg beaten (or more)
1 cup light olive oil for shallow frying
Simple tomato sauce and guacamole to serve

Combine the mince, seasoning, garlic and coriander well in a bowl. Make small meat balls and dust with the flour. Pass the meatballs through egg and then through the blitzed corn chips, coating very well. Blitz more corn chips if necessary. Shallow fry in the olive over a a medium heat, turning until you have great colour all over. Remove to some paper kitchen towel to drain then serve hot. I served mine with a simple tomato sauce and some guacamole but salsa or bottled tomato sauce would also work well.

Savoury Mince with Pearl Barley

Savoury mince when I grew up was mince, veg and powdered curry, heaps of it, all slapped on toast. At the time I loved it but I have grown tired of curry powder. The concept I have used here is the same, meat and veg, avoided using tomato (and therefore ragu/spag boll) and, used fresh herbs, stock, white wine, pearl barley and a little bit of cream. Pearl barley is very cheap, has a subtle flavour and a great texture. Use any vegetables you have pretty much and if you don't have wine/stock, use water. I served this with a turkish garlic bread from my Garlic Oil recipe.

1 kg beef mince
1 onion in small dice
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 slices bacon diced
1 sprig rosemary stripped and chopped
2 tsp thyme chopped
1 cup pearl barley
1 zucchini grated
1 medium sweet potato peeled and grated
6 or 7 mushrooms chopped
1 cup white wine
500ml chicken stock
2 tbs cream
Pepper
Chopped parsley
Extra virgin olive oil

Saute the onion, rosemary, thyme, bacon, garlic and mushrooms until the onion is translucent over a medium heat in a large saucepan with a lid. Add the beef and brown at medium high. Add the wine, return to the boil and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes to remove the alcohol. Add the stock and stir in the pearl barley, return to the boil, reduce the heat to medium low and add the lid. Simmer for 20 minutes then add the zucchini and sweet potato, stir and add the lid, simmering for a further ten minutes. Check that the pearl barley is tender, if not add the lid and simmer until ready. Remove the lid, turn off the heat and add the cream and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Make your garlic bread. Check for seasoning, spoon into bowls and top with a little extra virgin and chopped parsley, serving with garlic bread.