My mum’s a great cook and every year since I can remember she has made a Christmas cake or two! It is always a big event - the soaking of the fruit a few days before, hours in the oven on baking day, the rum poured over it as soon as it comes out of the oven, and then the hours it must spend cooling down, to be wrapped and stored! This is her recipe.
Read MoreA sweet, fragrant soup, vibrant in colour and taste. Plain old pumpkin never tasted this good!
Read MoreMy Easter buns are filled with spice, dried fruit and a little rosemary from my neighbour Kerry’s herb garden. Best served straight from the oven, deliciously warm, smothered with lots and lots of butter.
Read MoreLasagne is the ultimate in comfort food. It must be moist, with soft pasta, a rich meaty sauce, silken, creamy white sauce and stringy golden melted cheese.
Read MoreTwo tasty sides here; I began to introduce more legumes and pulses into my diet a few years back. This mash with its combination of flavours makes a nice change from rice or potatoes accompanying every dish. As a child one of my favourite things to eat was hot chips with lots of salt! Times have changed and most hot chips are not what they used to be. These wedges offer me a homemade alternative, and the golden crunch and fluffy potato bring back great memories.
Read MorePiccalilli is a relish made from chopped vegetables, mustard, vinegar and hot spices, also known as a yellow mustard pickle. It is an English interpretation of an Indian pickle, and is a vital addition dolloped onto a cold meat and vintage cheddar cheese sandwich, or on a Ploughman’s plate.
Read MoreAsparagus remains one of the few great examples of real seasonal eating. Spring time comes round and it means that fresh asparagus is on its way. Plus this is my take on the delicious potatoes Lesley from Kurrawong Organics cooked for me with her freshly dug, new season potato crop.
Read MoreIf you are not familiar with cooking with lentils, this is a great recipe to start with.
You will enjoy the flavour and nutrition of these served as a patty with a salad or steamed vegetables, or on a bun as a family-friendly burger. If you don’t want to bbq, you could cook them in a large frying pan on the stove.
Spring is the perfect time for making, baking and eating scones. It is also a perfect time for taking an abundance of seasonal fruit and making your own jam, to put on your scone.
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In my opinion fresh green beans are best just eaten raw, but that doesn’t really qualify as ‘a recipe’ for a cookbook! In this dish the beans are lightly steamed, then served cold, with sweet balsamic vinegar and a crunchy nut crumble. A perfect side dish for the warmer months of the year.
serves 6
V GF
what you need
1/4 cup (40g) whole raw almonds, roasted
500g green beans
handful of mint leaves
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
drizzle of caramelised balsamic vinegar
what you do
1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (140⁰C fan forced). Place the almonds onto a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes. Cool.
2. Cook the beans in a steamer for 3-5 minutes, until just tender and bright green. Meanwhile prepare a large bowl of iced water.
3. Remove from the steamer and plunge into the iced water to stop the cooking process (this ensures the beans will be crunchy and vibrantly coloured). Drain immediately and pat dry with paper towel.
4. Place the almonds into a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add the mint and process until finely chopped and evenly combined.
5. Place the beans onto a serving plate, and drizzle with oil and caramelised balsamic. Finish by sprinkling with the almond and mint crumble mixture.
© Jane Grover - NAKED FOOD - the way food was meant to be
Come join me for a Cooking Classes or 'Afternoon Tea with an Author' event in my Palm Beach Kitchen, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
