A crisp sip of Pino Grigio, and then another just for good measure. A drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. A slice of just-charred bread piled high with earthy autumn flavours. As your eyes gently close you can almost feel the warm Mediterranean breeze flutter your lips into a contented grin... And then the traffic, or the neighbours, or the kids, or the rain, come crashing into your lovely daydream to remind you that you are not in fact in Italy, and there are things to be done, … [Read more...]
Raw Macadamia & Salted Caramel Pie Crust
A pie filling as luscious and decadent as Raw Banana Cream Pie needed an equally special crust. Dates are nature's caramel after all so it isn't too far a leap to see the dates + sea salt = salted caramel connection. How's that for a raw replacement fix? Add in buttery macadamias and a few other secret ingredients and we have a pie crust made in heaven. Don't forget to pop over to the Raw Vegan Macadamia & Coconut Banana Cream Pie post to check out the rest of the creations in the … [Read more...]
Corn, Zucchini & Saltbush Fritters
Can someone please tell me how on earth we ended up a week into May, remind me what day it is, hire a cleaning lady and get me a cup of tea? I've been racing like a maniac to finish the artwork for the MCA Zine Fair so things may stay a bit quiet around these parts for a little while but we all still need to eat. A while back I shared a pic of the goodie bag from an event I attended. Creating this recipe not only gave me an opportunity to use the saltbush leaves but I finally worked … [Read more...]
Gluten Free Cheezy Rosemary & Black Pepper Crackers
I just thought it would be best to warn you up front, these are spectacular. Crunchy, salty, cheesy, savoury, addictive. I'm one of those people who is usually quite satisfied with a small handful of chips or a single spoonful of ice cream or one slice of cake but with these crackers all bets are off. I'm not even kidding. It's the last Monday of the month and therefore time once again for a Secret Recipe Club post. This month I was assigned the lovely blog Fearless Homemaker, and talk about … [Read more...]
Smokey Chilli-Lime Hummus
My kitchen blender dramas have been well documented, but if you missed the various rants, in short at the end of last year both my immersion hand blender and mini-food processor went on to the big kitchen in the sky. As a result, for a little while I was without any way to make drinks, soups, spreads and cheesecake. First world problem? Yes, of course. But I do live in a first world country, and we do like our weekend smoothies. In any case, KitchenAid was kind enough to send me a hand … [Read more...]
Summer Cantaloupe, Cucumber & Mint Green Juice
I once had a boss who gave a hard time to anyone answering the question "how are you?" with the word "busy". It didn't stop any of us from defaulting to it anyway, but it did make you think about how often it is offered up as a reply or an excuse. Why? Are we all looking for sympathy? Or acknowledgement? Or is it simply easier than any of the alternatives answers? Who knows. But lately I've been head-down-bum-up, had lots of bits-and-pieces-on-the-go, lots of balls-in-the-air... You get … [Read more...]
Fig, Fetta, Tahini & Thyme – an Almost Recipe
I don't create recipes the same way I post them. I think in arrows and chicken scratch and abbreviations. I have to make sure I write down oven temps and final cooking times and recipe titles or I'd end up with a pile of papers containing a list of ingredients and little else. But some things just don't need proper recipes or quantities or detailed instructions. A quick photo, a few simple ingredients and maybe a note or two will suffice. As I regularly post dishes on Facebook via … [Read more...]