Tandoori Chicken Tray Bake

This is another delicious chicken traybake recipe using Tandoori paste for maximum flavour. For busy  cooks who are time poor, traybakes can be our saviour. By now, you will know how much I love a traybake.

"Sunday with Mum" at Palooka Restaurant, Cairns, in Far North Queensland

 Mother's Day at Cairns Palooka Restaurant, in Far North Queensland, totally exceeded my expectations. They describe their food as contemporary modern European dining, or Mediterranean, and the French and Italian influences in their cuisine are very obvious. The restaurant is situated in the heart of Stratford village in Cairns, offering cosy seating inside or outside on the footpath, which is well protected from the weather by sturdy blinds if needed. The restaurant is very accessible, and parking along the side street is generally available.

Slow-cooked Italian Lamb Shanks

Italian lamb shanks are one of my favourite meals, and is often what I order when we are dining out. This recipe had a lot to live up to, however it is as delicious, even more so,  than any Italian Lamb Shank meal I have ever eaten. It's made from scratch, without the use of any packets of supermarket branded products, such as a packet of red wine jus. There's just no need.

In My Kitchen - May 2024

 It's May already, and I'm about to share with you what I've been cooking and enjoying in my kitchen during April, which is always a busy month. This year we were home for all of April, which was lovely. I resorted to making a few of my favourite recipes, and cooked up some new ones. April brings Easter, precious thoughts about loved ones during Anzac Day, and our wedding anniversary as well. All of these events are full of memories, as are so many food recipes that I cook. May brings the very welcome cooler weather, and that means that I start making delicious soups again.

Roasted pumpkin, beetroot, pearl barley and haloumi salad recipe

 

This is a hearty, vegetarian Autumnal salad, celebrating the in-season vegetables, jap (Kent) pumpkin and beetroot, which are in plentiful supply at the Australian markets and retail supermarkets right now. Photos can't fully portray the delicious flavours contained in this salad, with pops of maple syrup sweetness accentuating the warm crispy haloumi, and a refreshing mint pesto combining with all the ingredients.

Afghan biscuits, the traditional New Zealand Anzac Day biscuit and homemade Anzac biscuits

 LEST WE FORGET!

 ANZAC Day is remembered in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday the 25th April each year and is a declared public holiday in Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Norfolk Island, and Tokelau. To commemorate this sad occasion, many of us in Australia and New Zealand will be either making a batch of the traditional Anzac biscuits, or a batch of these delicious Afghan biscuits, which have no connection to the Afghan people or their country of origin. 

Bean, Ham and Kale Soup Recipe

 

This Bean, Ham and Kale soup recipe is perfect Autumn fare as the weather starts to cool down, and we begin to feel like eating soup, but we are still not ready to enjoy the heavier style of ham and lentil soups which are perfect for the middle of Winter. I don't buy Kale very often, I'll be honest it's not on my list of favourite green vegetables, but as Kale comes into season, and becomes less expensive to buy, it is perfect in this soup. It holds it's shape well and is very nutritious and colourful.