Category Archives: salads

Early Autumn, Prawns & Peaches

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I am still wading my way through the pile of Australian Delicious magazines

left by my lovely ex-next door neighbour,  after vacating their home of 25 years.

Except for my first cookbook read when I was about 8 years old that was highly instructive, I have mainly cooked by a combination of intuition and inspiration.

This has resulted in some mistakes, occasional disasters  but lots of happy times that I can never replicate!

I have really enjoyed immersing myself in the array of recipes & photographs, having so many magazines at my fingertips at once has fed inspiration to this cook’s soul!

Running on this inspiration I decided on this platter for dinner, making the most of what’s fresh and available now.

Early Autumn Dinner Platter                                                                                                        DSC_0296

  • 6 whole peaches
  • 1/2 kilo tiger prawns
  • tub fresh bocconcini
  • large handful of walnuts(roasted with honey & balsamic vinegar)
  • rocket lettuce & baby spinach leaves
  • Dressing – white balsamic vinegar, seeded mustard, apricot jam & lemon juice)

Peel, halve & de-stone peaches. Place on baking paper with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, walnuts & honey and bake in slow oven for 25 mins. Assemble all ingredients together on platter & pour over peach juices & dressing.

Panfried Swordfish

Cut swordfish into large chunks. Season with lemon juice, olive oil, rock salt, black pepper & lemongrass(optional). Pan fry or barbeque until cooked.

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Tribute to Luke Nguyen

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Probably my  favourite celebrity chef, Luke’s simultaneously down to earth and passionate approach to food always inspires me.

And how good is Vietnamese cuisine with its fresh and fresher approach to ingredients!

So, Luke has prompted me to create lots of heavily herbed, astringent tasting salads that just cut through the protein & fat of any meat you are eating.

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Tonight’s salad is a combination of the following; green mango slithers, finely julienned cucumber & ginger, avocado in tiny cubes, with lots of fresh mint, coriander & cress. The salad is dressed with a mixture of fresh lime juice, finely chopped lemongrass, fish sauce & sugar to season – all shaken together in a salad dressing jar.

The fish is more like an accompaniment to the salad in my eyes rather than the other way round. I have cooked some fresh barramundi fillets – lightly coated in plain flour then pan fried in a half-half  butter/olive oil mix and seasoned with rock salt.

The enjoyment lies in getting mouthfuls of the fish and salad together – watching the creation of the morsel forming on the fork and then straight onto your tastebuds. Divine . . .