I’m one of those people who can’t sleep in on Christmas day. Compared to the 364 other days of the year when my eyes are intent on staying shut and my snooze button gets pressed half a dozen times, on Christmas day it’s another story. At around 6am my eyelids ping open and without a [...]

As I’ve become a “grown-up” I’ve come to the opinion that one does not need to consume large quantities of meat every day and so for weeknight dinners I’ve been preparing a lighter vegetarian meal or one consisting mainly of vegetables with a small amount of lean meat. But as a kid it was a completely different story;

Dhal is one of those magical dishes.  The simple coming together of the humble lentil paired with a perfectly balanced combination of spices (best toasted and freshly ground), cooked long and slow and served steaming hot.  What I love about dhal is that it holds its own when served simply with a dollop of yoghurt [...]

What is up with vegetarian bacon?  I just can’t get my head around the idea.  Fakin bacon just isn’t that cool.  Vegie burgers on the other hand are the real deal, and the possibilities are endless. 

I am not the world’s biggest meat eater.  In fact it was only last night that I pondered why exactly, people upon first meeting me, politely enquire whether or not I am a vegetarian!  Whilst it is not uncommon for my friends to affectionately refer to me as a hippy, I’m not entirely convinced I [...]

A hot bowl of this soup is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for a dreary night when you want something super delicious, nutritious and extremely quick to prepare. 

Heidi, our marketing coordinator based in Borso Del Grappa, sent me this recipe on my first day back in the office this January. It was a lovely surprise to have a fresh recipe to try for the New Year and I have been making these for my lunches a lot recently. The lentils make a [...]

So this month we have been busy creating recipes based on whole grains and super foods, and I like to think that for most of my day, I am quite virtuous in my food choices.  There are of course two exceptions.  One, I love to bake; and two, I love to snack!  Baking is something [...]

I remember a few years ago when I was working as a chef, there was a dry spell in the availability of puy lentils – I can’t remember what caused it but it seemed to cause quite a stir amongst our restaurant community.   I admit that I didn’t really get what all the fuss was [...]

It is starting to get mighty nippy in Dunedin. Although not quite here yet, winter is certainly around the corner and I am all about hearty, warming food right now. This beef and polenta bake is just what I am craving. The polenta topping is deliciously crunchy while the beef sauce is deep and rich [...]

I first made these cheesy morsels for a morning tea (slightly unorthodox I know), as the savoury option and they were gobbled up as fast as I could flip them out of the pan!  Ever since they have been one of those crowd-pleasing favourites that always result in many warm compliments to the chef (aww [...]

Winter for me starts with soup-making motivation stirred by the first sight of the new season veggies. I make a huge batch which is then either eaten as lunch and dinner for the next few days, or frozen in an assortment of plastic containers. I find the trouble with freezing a large quantity of the [...]