On one of my trips back home to Australia a couple of years ago my sister cooked salmon for dinner one night. Now I'm not a big fan of salmon unless it's smoked so I surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The salmon was perfectly cooked & had a crunchy, lemony breadcrumb topping. Of course I asked her for the recipe. Turns out she'd cheated a little - it was a prepared Jamie Oliver product she'd bought from a local supermarket - Parmesan Herb Crusted Salmon (my title, not
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Parmesan Herb Crusted Salmon
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Parmesan Herb Crusted Salmon
On one of my trips back home to Australia a couple of years ago my sister cooked salmon for dinner one night. Now I'm not a big fan of salmon unless it's smoked so I surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The salmon was perfectly cooked & had a crunchy, lemony breadcrumb topping. Of course I asked
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Tomato, Caper & Olive Salad
Tomato, Caper & Olive Salad is a herbaceous, vibrant recipe with fresh ingredients all tumbled together & tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Fresh herbs can elevate any recipe. And if you cook with them you'll know this. If you don't it's time to start. A couple of
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Tortellini with Spinach, Artichokes & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Tortellini with Spinach, Artichokes & Sun-Dried Tomatoes: for when you require the fan-fare without any of the fuss. Pick up a package of ready-made tortellini or ravioli & in the few minutes it takes for the pasta to cook, the sauce is ready.
I know I often clap on about how
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How to Kitchen Basics
Easy Homemade 3 Ingredient Flatbread
Many of us love flatbread: whether it be garlic naan, a wrap or pita bread filled with veggies & meat, but have you ever stopped to read the label on the bread you're buying? It's mind-boggling how many ingredients are listed on the package of something as simple as bread? An average list can
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Homemade Fajita Seasoning
Homemade fajita seasoning is mind-numbingly easy to make & most of the ingredients are things you'll probably have in your spice cupboard. With none of the added crap.
Do you consider yourself a reader of food labels? I like to read anything & everything. I don't use a lot of
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What to do with that leftover ginger…
We've all done it: bought a piece of ginger for a recipe, used what we needed & left the remainder to shrivel away in the fridge or fruit bowl until we eventually chuck it out. Only then to need ginger for another recipe weeks later & then having to buy more & the whole process starts
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Spring & Summer
chocolate hazelnut granola with raspberries
Chocolate makes everything seem a little decadent & life a little better. When it's added to granola with hazelnuts, layered with raspberry compote & Greek yogurt, now you've got my attention: breakfast is worth the early morning alarm & the blurry eyes.
Losing weight &
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really good greek salad with sheep feta
As you know, the majority of cheese consumed in countries such as Australia, England and The United States is made from cows' milk. But have you ever tried sheep cheese? I used sheep feta in this really good Greek salad - a big reason it is such a fabulous salad. I also used good
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wasabi ginger steak salad
The inspiration for this salad comes from Korea, Japan and Vietnam. The ginger, wasabi, sesame and soy dressing for this pretty salad does double duty as a marinade. Then once the steak has been perfectly cooked on the grill, it's tossed with lots of crunchy, fresh veggies and
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Autumn & Winter
creamy mushroom & sherry soup
Creamy mushroom & sherry soup is both rustic & decadent. Any recipe is elevated with the addition of cream making it something a little special...even the humblest of mushroom soups.
If you can locate any more exotic mushrooms than the Swiss brown mushrooms I used - go right
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roasted pumpkin, spinach & cranberry salad
This roasted pumpkin, spinach & cranberry salad is the perfect meal for autumn & winter months when you're craving a salad. The combination of the sticky maple roasted pumpkin with the tart & chewy dried cranberries, toasted pecans, smoky bacon & creamy blue cheese is an addictive
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warm roasted carrot, tomato & lentil salad
Warm roasted carrot, tomato & lentil salad is one of the many easy, fuss-free recipes I make that I hesitate to share because of its simplicity & rusticness. Wholesome foods that are inexpensive & quick to prepare requiring no great kitchen skills or any sort of snazzy appliances...I
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Features
chicken, spinach & feta meatballs four ways
With one base recipe, in this case - chicken, spinach & feta meatballs, you can create several meals. I make these meatballs, quadruple the recipe then freeze the meatballs in four freezer bags to pull out at a moments notice. By adding a few simple ingredients you've got several meals you can
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What does your lettuce choice reveal about your personality?
There was a time not so long ago, when iceberg lettuce graced everyone’s tables. Now with an alphabet of leafy greens to choose from - arugula to watercress, lettuce is still the most popular salad green but now we've so many choices. What does your lettuce choice reveal about your
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10 summer side salads get a makeover, part 1
10 summer side salads get a make-over, part 1 & 2. Have you been making the same side salads for barbecues, picnics and pot luck for years? In this two-part series we take humble side salads - bean, potato, coleslaw, pasta, Greek, zucchini, corn, broccoli, cucumber and carrot, and give them a
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Ladle & Lathe
Bedroom reno before & after
When we bought our home every room in the old house was a different color. The second most shocking room was what is currently our bedroom. Two walls were the hottest pink I've ever seen, the other walls were nuclear lime green. Being a fan of muted colors, this room made me quite uncomfortable
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Bathroom reno before & after
We bought an old house - 117 years worth of old. Thankfully the big things like the roof, windows, plumbing & electrical are okay. Every room in this house was a different color. The bathroom, which is tiny, was a dark sage green with dark cupboards & a tiny dark sink. All of it made the
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Nightstand before & after
We have a very big bed - both tall & wide. So tall in fact I need a step to get into it so I don't throw a hip out for the mount & dismount. When it came to finding a nightstand/bedside table for my side of the bed I couldn't find anything tall enough (looking back now I have no idea why I
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