Spaghetti with traditional bolognese ragu

Everybody and I mean everybody has a version of a Bolognese sauce that they claim is the best… no one can beat mine they say. I have tasted many sauces over the years some good, some ok, some that have caused me not to be able to eat spaghetti Bolognese for a very long time.

Prosciutto olive and rocket pizza - Low carb/wheat free

Ok… I made this expecting a laugh and for it to be a complete disaster. Who in there right mind would make a pizza using zucchini, egg and mozzarella cheese as the base? I found this recipe in Jane Kennedy’s OMG I can eat that! I had already made her Pork Cevapcici recipe and I have to say they were amazing. But I still wasn’t convinced that this could work so I made sure I had a back up plan in case this all went horribly wrong and my pizza was not a success. My back up plan was my local Italian as I was already in a pizza mood.

Well I have to say…I was wrong and I hate saying that because I am never wrong this pizza was amazing… obviously the base wasn’t as crispy as a normal pizza but it looked like a pizza, smelled like a pizza, and tasted like a pizza, so as far as I am concerned it was a pizza!

Indian prawn curry

Confession…I have never made curry paste. Seriously why should I when I can buy an amazing selection from curry pastes from my supermarket made by the experts.

I like to keep a sneaky stash of curry pastes in my refrigerator like Korma, Vindaloo, Madras and Tandoori so when the urge to make a curry hits me I can crack on and make it. The thought of dry frying spices and pounding garlic, ginger and chilli into perfect paste in my mortar and pestle that is too heavy to lift (a gift from my dear mother) is quite frankly too much for me to bear…so I cheat and I am not ashamed to say it.

Spicy chicken wings served with a cooling garlic dipping sauce

Party food is my favourite food… I love the idea of eating a bit of this with a bit of that. If I could my dinner would consist of several plates of h'orderves with a glass of wine to match each one…unfortunately time does not allow me to indulge in that dream as like most of us I get up at the crack of dawn to beat the traffic to go to work and earn a living…a lady of leisure I am not. I do however inform Captain Vegetarian regularly that being a lady of leisure was a life more suited to me…he doesn’t agree!

Oven baked pumpkin and sage risotto

I adore risotto, it’s a one pot dinner that sooths and rejuvenates the sole. However for some reason the thought of being tied to the stove ladling hot stock and stirring continuously for how ever long it takes to cook does nothing for me at all. I struggle to get my risotto just right when I choose this method. I am sure that traditionalist are baulking at me as they read this but I promise you, cooking your risotto in the oven gives you the most creamy, velvety and flavourful risotto with minimal effort.

Adventures on the high sea...with a spot of lunch

Manly Skiff Club

The weather in Sydney has been so hot lately. I think with such a slow start to the summer season there was a lot of catching up to do.

As it was another hot day recently, Captain Vegetarian thought it would be a great day to take the boat out. Captain Vegetarian loves heading out on the boat…. I however only occasionally venture out as I never really found my sea legs.

Stuffed Red Capsicums

I was looking in my freezer and I came across a package of turkey mince… I have no idea what my inspiration was when I bought it, which is probably why it ended up in the freezer! I was in the mood for some comfort food and thought maybe making it into a chilli or meatloaf but I happened to have four lovely red and uniform in size capsicums that I couldn’t resist a punnet of sliced button mushrooms and a jar or Greek seasoning mix that were also another impulse buy that I needed to use…and with these ingredients my stuffed red capsicums were born.