Duck & Honey Plum Sauce {+ why cauliflower pizzas are wrong}

Jump straight to the recipe → "Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath" - Michael Caine Two hours I spent this week experimenting with cauliflower pizza bases. Two hours of my life I shall never get back. I knew it was a bad idea. The first time I saw the recipe I archived it in the “That Sounds Revolting” file in my brain (the ...

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Thai Squid Salad

Thai Squid Salad {+ other Asian salad stories}

Jump straight to the recipe → "I'd say the most dangerous thing I've ever done is probably bungee jumping in Thailand" - Simon Cowell I bought an orchid at Bangkok airport once. And then got on the plane and proceeded to spend the next eleven hours in a panic that I was going to be arrested at Heathrow for bringing prohibited plant contraband into the country. I am pretty sure I didn’t ...

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Chicken and Pumpkin with Soy & Star Anise

Jump straight to the recipe → So this whole 'posting once a week' thing hasn't really worked out for me that well. I could make excuses but it feels better simply to adopt the mantra of a famous British Kate - never complain, never explain. (Now I've thought about it, there really are quite a few famous British Kates these days aren't there? Between the likes of Moss, Winslet and the artist formerly known as ...

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Bill Granger Pork Cashew Nut Salsa

Pork with Cashew & Mango Salsa

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia" - Charles M. Schulz I have fallen off the wagon this past week.  It was largely down to my own complacency - I started to let myself think that I had this healthy eating thing down and that, without any actual planning, shopping or thought I would just be able to whip up some wonderfully tasty ...

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Cinco de Mayo – Tequila & Tacos

"Why did the Mexican push his wife off the cliff? Tequila!" Yes, I do write my own material and yes, I am here all week (try the veal) etc. Anyway, it's 5 May! And because 90% of you reading this are European, that will mean absolutely nothing whatsoever! It's just the day after Star Wars Day, right? But those of you in the US, or unbashed Americophiles like me, will know ...

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Zuni Café Roast Chicken & Bread Salad

“Los Angeles? That’s just a big parking lot where you buy a hamburger for the trip to San Francisco” – John Lennon Why am I telling you about a roast chicken?  BORING! Well, we are having this chat for three reasons as it happens. First, this really is the ultimate home-cooked roast chicken - perfectly tender meat, brown crispy skin - the best us mere mortals can achieve unless we have a brick oven in the ...

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Pippa Middleton’s Smoked Chicken Salad

"It is a bit startling to achieve global recognition (if that’s the right word) before the age of 30 on account of your sister, your brother-in-law and your bottom" - Pippa Middleton Sunshine! Quick! Stick a salad recipe up before they take it away again!  This one is almost topical too what with all the hoopla going on down under with K-Mid and HRH Baby Prince George.  I also said hello to Father Middleton ...

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Chicken Satay Brown Rice Bowl

"Is this chicken, what I have, or is this fish? I know it's tuna, but it says "Chicken of the Sea" - Jessica Simpson I really can't think of anything to say about these wise words from Jessica (what is there to say?) so let's get straight down to business today. Bowls of brown rice with something stuck on the top have become quite a regular feature in our house, principally ...

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Baharat Lamb & Tabbouleh

"Eating what stands on one leg is better than eating what stands on two legs, which is better than eating what stands on four legs" - Chinese Proverb I came across this little bit of traditional Chinese wisdom in Michael Pollan's brilliant book Food Rules (which I have been meaning to do a proper post on and will do soon, but in the meantime buy it and read it. It is ...

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Nigella’s Soy & Tahini Pork

"The only reason why we ask other people how their weekend was is so we can tell them about our own weekend” -  Chuck Palahniuk (Invisible Monster) One of the real highlights of this healthier eating lark is that we eat pretty much whatever we want at the weekend. OK, we don't spend (every) Saturday slinging back KFC Zinger Tower burgers, but the weekend is when I tend to indulge my pastry ...

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