Grow It, Catch It, Cook It

Tasty food, made simple, for everyone.

Healthy

Quick And Easy

Desserts

Leftover fun

  • Pasta: Curly Fettuccine

    Pasta: Curly Fettuccine

    This pasta shape is a treat for the eyes. Just like flat fettuccine, it is perfect for both light and heavy sauces. The curly ripples help to trap sauce and even meat or vegetables. They also make for that something a little bit different and kids love the “frills”.

    Here I have folded them through a sauce made with Creme Fraiche, pasta water, Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino cheese:

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts:

    View recipe: Pasta: Curly Fettuccine
  • Can I Use A Wet Batter In My Air Fryer?

    Can I Use A Wet Batter In My Air Fryer?

    Yes, you can! I love using my airfryer as a healthier option for making battered fish or chicken.

    Many websites will tell you that you have to use a dry coating (I have a method for that too) but with a few tricks, you can make a wet batter that is super crispy and keeps the meat moist. 

    Simply

    Make the stickiest flour and milk batter you can. I use 1 cup of flour and slowly add small splashes of milk as I whisk away. Here I have also added salt, pepper and paprika. The batter goes a long way, the next picture shows enough for over a kilo of chicken wings and legs.

    Pop the chicken and the batter in a plastic container and then into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Every now and then give the container a shake to get the batter into all the nooks and crannies.

    Now here is the bit that makes it work. Dredge the battered meat in flour (all sides) and then give each piece a spray of oil (check out this Refillable Cooking Oil Sprayer).

    They can go back into the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

    Heat up your air fryer and then add the meat. I have found a longer cook time and lower temperature works best. Here I have used 25 minutes (turning and spraying with oil occasionally) at 180C.

    Aim for that golden brown crispy skin. Don’t worry, the meat will still be tender. 🙂

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more air fryer goodness posts and chicken dishes: 

    View recipe: Can I Use A Wet Batter In My Air Fryer?
  • Pasta: Elicoidali

    Pasta: Elicoidali

    The pasta shape called Elicoidali is similar to penne but a bit thicker and slightly curved. Their ridges exhibit a distinct helix pattern hence the pasta’s name.  

    Their tubular shape and ridges make them perfect for both light and heavy sauces incorporating meat and vegetables.

    Here I have folded them through sauce made with sour cream, pasta water, lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino:

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts. 

    View recipe: Pasta: Elicoidali
  • Powdered Dashi Stock

    Powdered Dashi Stock

    Dashi stock forms the base of many Japanese dishes, imparting a noticeable umami flavour.

    Traditional dashi is made from kelp and fish (bonito or anchovies) and there are many variants involving mushrooms. I am showing you Dashi no moto which is a processed modern powdered version.

    The flavours are often artificially enhanced with MSG and sugar but very tasty and transformational. I can only imagine how good the traditional broth is!

    I often add some to my miso soup and chicken katsu udon along with mirin seasoning.


     Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are more Japanese cuisine posts and a long list of ingredients to make your dishes sing. 

    View recipe: Powdered Dashi Stock
  • Dragon Fruit

    Dragon Fruit

    Commonly know as Dragon fruit, the Pitaya is a relative of the cactus and native to the Americas. They are now grown further afield and are relatively expensive. 

    Their common name comes from the external scaly look of the fruit. Cut open they have a firm, slightly sweet white or pink flesh dotted with tiny crunchy black seeds. Often seen in salads they also pair well with strawberries, pears, citrus and kiwi fruit. 

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    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are more ingredients posts: 

    View recipe: Dragon Fruit
  • PK’s Slow Cooker Corned Beef

    PK’s Slow Cooker Corned Beef

    Corned beef is the salted brisket (a cut from below the neck) or silverside (a cut from the hindquarter) of beef gently boiled in water, spices and herbs. In Australia, it is almost always the silverside that is sold as corned beef.

    You’ll get a great result if you gently boil the meat for 3 – 4 hours in a sauce pan but I like to go for 8-10 hours in my slow-cooker. I’ll show you below how I save time and money by using home-made vegetable stock instead of adding fresh vegetables to the pot.

    Here I am serving tender slices of corned beef with an Egyptian style cold salad:

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    Ingredients
    • ~1.5kg Corned Beef (also called silverside in Australia)
    • 1L vegetable stock
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 6 peppercorns
    • 6 cloves
    • A splash of white wine vinegar
    • Water, enough to bring the liquid level up to cover the meat
    Simply

    Trim off any excess fat and silver-skin from the silverside:

    Chuck all the ingredients above into your slow-cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours:

     

    Serving

    Corned beef pairs well with almost everything. I love eating it with salads or with steamed veggies or even drowned in a cheesy sauce along side potatoes.

    You can’t go past a corned beef and cheese sandwich:

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more slow-cooker dishes and more easy to make meals: 

    View recipe: PK’s Slow Cooker Corned Beef
  • How Do I Use Cloves

    How Do I Use Cloves

    Cloves are a must-have in your spice collection. They are the dried buds of a tree that originally only grew on a few islands in eastern Indonesia. Cloves are very aromatic and impart a slightly sweet but tangy earthy flavour. Note though that a few go a long way.

    Cloves have been traded up to China and then across the continent to England for millennia. They permeate many cuisines and cultural health remedies. Their name stems from the Latin word for nail and I think that is very apt.

    Cloves pair well with many types of meat, herbs, spices and vegetables. Notably pork, beef, onion, citrus and pepper. 

    The evergreen tree cloves come from:

    In India they are essential for making Garam Masala:

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are more herbs, spices and ingredients posts. 

    View recipe: How Do I Use Cloves
  • PK’s Slow Charcoal Weber Lamb Leg Roast

    PK’s Slow Charcoal Weber Lamb Leg Roast

    There are few meals more mouth-watering than the Aussie Sunday lamb roast. 

    My favourite is the mini lamb leg roast because it is so cheap yet it always turns out tender across a range of cooking methods. Here I have cooked the roast in my charcoal Weber for ~2.5 hrs using a lowish (130°C) indirect coal method. The spuds needed a finish off in a hot oven to get them crispy but that was the only time I had to do anything.

    Bone in it came to 1.1kg and $12.50 for 4 people. Talk about thrifty easy cooking! 

    Simply

    Put the lamb in a zip lock bag with garlic-infused olive oil, a handful of rosemary and oregano, salt and pepper at least 2 hours prior to cooking and refrigerate. Massage the bag every now and again to spread the oil around evenly.

    Take the bag out of the fridge so it can approach room temperature just as it goes onto the Weber. Use your preferred coal technique (I described mine above and the coals are off to the side in a holder) so that your meat has an internal temperature of 70 C for medium-well. 

    Pop the potatoes alongside the lamb at the start, carrots and pumpkin etc in about an hour later. Transfer them to a piping hot oven about 30 minutes prior to serving to get them crispy. 

    When you get the meat to the temperature you want, transfer it to a chopping board and cover it with aluminium foil to let it rest for at least 10 – 15 minutes. 

    Serving

    Serve hot with Dave’s Mint and Balsamic Sauce and lots of gravy. 🙂

     

    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more lamb dishes and previous roast posts: 

    View recipe: PK’s Slow Charcoal Weber Lamb Leg Roast
  • Italian Vegetable Stock: Brodo Vegetale

    Italian Vegetable Stock: Brodo Vegetale

    This full flavoured vegetable stock is another amazing Italian recipe from giallo zafferano. 

    It couldn’t get any simpler. The holy trinity of vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) and a tomato is all you need.

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    Note:

    1. Takes about 20 minutes to prepare and an hour to simmer.
    2. You will get about 1 – 1.5 litres of stock that keeps for a few days in the fridge and also freezes well.
    3. Making stock is a great way to use your older veggies up, I even got the tomato from the grocer’s seconds bin.
    4. You are also reducing food packaging waste and if you source local ingredients you are cutting down on food transport miles.

    Steps

    Equipment

    Ingredients

    Preparing the vegetables
    1. Peel the onion then slice in half. 
    2. Splash a bit of olive oil in a stock pot and cook the inside face of onion halves until slightly charred.
    3. Remove the onion carefully and wipe the stock pot free of oil with a cloth or paper towel.
    4. Return the onion to the pot.
    5. Roughly chop the 2 celery sticks and the carrot.
    6. Halve the tomato.
    7. Chuck the lot into the pot along with 2L of water, salt to taste and a sprinkle of whole peppercorns.

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    Simmering

    Bring to to a rolling boil and then simmer on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

    Straining

    Use a small meshed sieve or strainer to remove the vegetables. These can go into your compost bin.

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    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more Italian cooking secrets and ways to use your stock : 

    View recipe: Italian Vegetable Stock: Brodo Vegetale
  • Pasta: Cavatelli

    Pasta: Cavatelli

    Cavatelli are beautiful little curled pasta shapes that look like little hot dog buns. The shape is perfect for holding a light sauce.

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    Here I have folded cavatelli through a garlic infused olive oil and cheese sauce, replete with small pieces of steamed broccoli:

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    Enjoy,

    PK

    Here are some more pasta shape and pasta recipe posts. 

    View recipe: Pasta: Cavatelli