Hit 'n' Run traybaked chicken.

Chicken tray bakes. For a while I thought these would be the end of me but I have gotten to know my oven inside and out and I know what works and what doesn't.

Chicken tray bakes are easy mid week meals (note that this is a new revelation) which you can easily throw in the oven and then fluff around for an hour while the oven looks after everything. I love these kind of recipes where I can multi-task while knowing dinner is cooking away  and I can get on with other things. If you're a regular reader you'll know I'm more of a pasta girl than chicken and potatoes kinda girl. Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy chicken and potatoes but give me a big bowl of pasta any day!

Tristan on the other hand LOVES chicken and potatoes. I could spend hours making hand made pasta with a slow cooked ragu and ciabbatta made from scratch but chicken and potatoes would still win. Of course he would enjoy the hand made pasta and tell me that he loved it but I know all too well when he actually loves eating something... it's like when you're a kid and you get your favourite food and the excitement beams out as you try and shovel another mouthful in an already full mouth. That's Tristan, when I serve chicken and potatoes.

Every week when I ask him what he feels like for dinner this week, trying to get some inspiration, this is how the conversation normally goes...

'What do you want for dinner this week?'

'Can we have that chicken and potatoes tray thing you cooked last week again?' 

'Again?' 

'Yeh it was really good'

'Umm maybe...' *scrunches face*

'Well why did you ask me then?!?'

'Ok ok, we'll have a chicken tray bake but it'll be different than last time'

'I'm sure it'll still be amazing'

*rolls eyes at him*

The way to his heart is chicken and potatoes.

So of course I made a chicken tray bake this week. Sometimes it's what ever I can find in the fridge but this week I found a recipe called Hit 'n' Run traybaked chicken by Jamie Oliver from his cookbook Save with Jamie. It sounded perfect to me until I realised when I started throwing everything into the tray that there was no potatoes in it... uh oh I thought... do we even have any potatoes? Thankfully there were three potatoes floating around with the onions so I chopped them up small and added them to the tray with the chicken, tomatoes, onion, garlic, capsicum with the rest of the ingredients and threw it all in the oven. Ah ha done for an hour or so!

Time to throw my feet up and relax.. ha! If only there was that much time during the week :)

This recipe is really really tasty, I'll admit it's another recipe thats not going to win the pretty award but by golly it's good. The garlic cloves go all soft and sweet and the tomatoes almost slow roast and all the natural sugars come out and give the whole dish that humble slow roast taste.  

There is only one thing I can say is...

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!!

Hit 'n' Run traybaked chicken.

Serves 2 

(Recipe adapted from Save with Jamie by Jamie Oliver)

4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 red capsicum, chopped into 2 inch pieces

3 medium potatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks

4 cloves of garlic, skin on

2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 red onion, cut into wedges

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1 small handful of fresh oregano, leaves washed and picked

- Preheat your oven to 200C or 400 F.

- Throw everything (yes everything!) in a large baking tray (roughly 25cm x 30cm) and give it a good mix. Make sure it is all evenly spread out then bung it in the oven.

- Bake for 1 hour - 1hour 15 min. Check your potatoes and chicken are cooked through then serve with a simple green salad or some crusty fresh bread.

chorizo, chicken and seafood paella inspired by Jamie Oliver.

I hope everyone had a love-ly weekend...

I'm a romantic so I'm all for Valentines day. Now lets not get carried away though… My perfect Valentines day starts with avoiding all restaurants and cafes the entire day. Breakfast at home, a good coffee then ok maybe a single ruby red rose always makes me feel a little special :) Dinner is the same… avoid avoid avoid restaurants at all costs!!

Staying in for the night was clearly the only sane option and if we didn't want to wait hours for take-away to be delivered cooking was also the only sane option. I wanted to make something a little bit special so decided on paella with smoked chorizo, chicken and fresh seafood. I would have loved some mussels or pippis to go in it but our fish shop didn't have any so we decided on king prawns, squid and a few scallops.

Dessert was a no brainer. I know it's one of Tristan's favourites and I'm going to say it's probably my favourite dessert too. Creme Caramel. Every time I make this I am reminded why I love it so much… silky custard nested in a pool of caramel sauce flecked with vanilla bean… UM YUM! Plus they are really easy to make, don't require any heavy mixers and often the ingredients are always on hand (milk, sugar, eggs and vanilla) which makes them even better. I unfortunately didn't take any photos of the creme caramels this time around but I used the same recipe as last time. I used 4 slightly bigger ramekins this time and they took about 50 minutes to cook. This meant that we got to have them again the next night :) double win!

The paella recipe I used was from Jamie Oliver's book Jamie Does. I tweaked it a little bit to make it feed two but this easily fed 4 (we had leftovers for lunch the next day) and because I didn't have all the ingredients -  my planning wasn't so great but I don't think it mattered. It was so fresh and full of flavours, I can't wait to make it again and add mussels or pippis to it. The great thing about this recipe is that if you don't like all the seafood or can't get your hands on it you can easily substitute it for something you do like or if you're a total seafood hater leave it out altogether and add a little extra pork or chicken.

If you're looking for a recipe to impress or something a little special then this is a keeper and I recommend making the creme caramels for dessert too. They are a really great make-ahead dessert because once they're baked all you need to do it chill them in the fridge for 4 hours (you can even make them the day before) and flip them out onto a plate to serve. 

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentines day and got a little spoilt… even if it was treating themselves to that extra scoop of ice-cream! Valentines day is a day to indulge… no said on what :)

chorizo, chicken and seafood paella.

Serves 4
(recipe adapted from 'Jamie Does' by Jamie Oliver) 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 chorizo sausage, thinly sliced (I used a spicy smoked variety but any will do)
1 skinless chicken breast (approx. 200g), diced
1 red capsicum, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped, stems finely chopped
salt and pepper
a pinch of saffron threads
200g paella rice (I used aborio rice)
1/4 cup of jarred capsicum strips, drained
400g can chopped tomatoes
600ml vegetable or chicken stock
6 king prawns, peeled & deveined
150g calamari tube, rinsed and finely sliced
4-6 scallops (not in the shell)
8 mussels or equivalent amount in pippis, scrubbed and de-bearded (I didn't have these but will definitely add them next time)
1 cup frozen peas
1 lemon, cut into wedges

- Heat olive oil in a heavy based frying pan (or paella pan if you have one) and add the chorizo and chicken. Fry for about 5 minutes on medium heat until the fat starts to come out of the chorizo and the oil starts to take on the chorizo colour.

- Add the capsicum, onion, garlic, parsley stalks, saffron and some salt and pepper. Fry that for a further 5-10 minutes until the vegetables soften.

- Add the rice and jarred capsicum and stir for a couple of minutes until the rice is coated in all the juices. Add the can of tomatoes and stock and bring everything to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and keep at a simmer.

- Make sure you come back and stir every minute. You want to make sure you give each grain of rice equal amounts of love :)

- After about 15 minutes the rice should be cooked but still have a but of a bite to it. Add your prawns, scallops, mussels/pippis and calamari tubes and give it a stir. Cook until the mussels/pippis start to open and the prawns turn pink. Add the frozen peas and cook for a further 5 minutes or so.

- Any mussels or pippis that haven't opened, discard now.

- Stir through the parsley and juice from half a lemon.

- Serve with lemon wedges and extra parsley on top.

Stuffed Cypriot Chicken from Jamie's 30 Minute Meals.

Does anyone else have the cookbook Jamie's 30 Minute Meals? The meals that are set out to make for a family of 4 or 6 are huge and there are so many components and the ingredient lists is HUGE! For two people this isn't really the book to use but if you are cooking a saturday night dinner for a group of friends or a mid week family dinner then I think it would be great. I always look through it though hoping for some inspiration and ideas and instead of making the entire meal I sometimes pick elements of the fast and choose them to cook with sometimes a simple salad or boiled potatoes. Doesn't sound too flashy but I do love a good boiled potato smothered in butter, pepper and salt.

I'm a huge pasta fan (I'm sure f you've read my posts you'd know by now) but Tristan is a huge chicken and potatoes fan. A bit of Ying and Yang... but thats not to say he doesn't like pasta or I don't like chicken and potatoes we just have our weaknesses that always bring us back for seconds.

I love the idea of stuffed chicken breasts. My Aunty used to make this delicious stuffed chicken breast with cream cheese and as many different herbs she could find then sprinkle the outside with some paprika. She was an absolutely AMAZING cook and she loved every minute of being in the kitchen and feeding her loved ones. So when I saw the stuffed cypriot chicken in Jamie's 30 minute meals I had to give it a go but the rest of the feast I have saved for another day or when I have more mouths to feed at my table.

For the stuffing I got the parsley, basil, sun dried tomatoes and garlic and placed them on a chopping board and gave everything a good chop. Crumbled over the feta and lemon zest and mixed everything through.

For the chicken I got two chicken breasts (I have adapted this recipe to feed two again) and on the underside of them I folded back the little flappy bit and cut a little pocket/slit into each one. It opened out kinda like a raw chicken book.

I then divided the filling between the two chicken breasts, folded the flap back over and pan fried them in olive oil, covering them in damp baking paper, towards the end I threw in some rosemary sprigs and cooked until they were cooked through. Yes I still have to cut my chicken breast in half to see if it's done or not so please don't worry if you have to to. I'd rather check then eat or serve raw chicken (and yes I have served raw chicken once before and I hope to never do it again) so if your unsure, check and don't stress!

I served this with a simple green side salad and boiled potatoes. Not very exciting but simple, delicious and really all this tasty chicken needs. It already has so many flavours in it and the lemon zest really keep it fresh tasting and zingy. I would definitely make this again and I think it would make a great dinner option for a few people because you could prep the chicken breasts in advance and leave them in the fridge until your guests get hear. Perfect dinner party food!

Stuffed Cypriot Chicken

serves 2
recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals cookbook

a handful of fresh parsley

a handful of fresh basil leaves

4 jarred sun dried tomatoes in oil

extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

2 small garlic cloves

60g feta cheese (approx.) 

zest of half a lemon

2 chicken breasts (I used skinless but you can used skin on if you like)

a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary

- Place your parsley, basil, sun dried tomatoes, 1 tsp oil, salt, pepper and garlic on a chopping board and give everything a really good chop, mixing it all together as you go. Crumble over feta and zest and mix it all through.

- Turn the chicken breasts skin side down (or the side that would have had the skin on it) and on the underside of them fold back the little flappy bit and cut a little pocket/slit into each one. It should open out kinda like a raw chicken book. Do this to both of them.

- Divide the filling between the two chicken breasts and fold over the flappy bit to incase all the goodies.

- Get a frying pan on medium heat and add a good glug of olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot place the chicken skin side down in the pan. Get a piece of baking paper and scrunch it under some water then place that over the top, like your tucking the chicken in to bed. 

- Cook for about 10 minutes or until golden on the side then carefully turn over using tongs. Add the rosemary to the pan and cook for about another 8-10 minutes. 

- Check your chicken is cooked through, you might need to cook it for a little longer if you have fat chicken breasts. Once cooked serve with a simple salad and boiled potatoes or the entire feast that Jamie serves it with (it does look pretty fancy and delicious).

Devil's Double Choc Malt Cookies from Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food.

Ok Just going to say it.

How good is my photo?!?

I can't take total credit for it. I had help from a lovely little one who is much better at this sort of thing than me and she supplied the flowers to cheer me up. How beautiful are they??? I love them.

Last week I was asked by my big sister to bake a cake for 30 people for Sunday lunch. Yes, I said 30. You read it correct the first time. Of course I said I'd do it... who can ever say no to their big sister?! If you're the youngest (like me) you adore your older sister from when you first sat outside her bedroom door watching her put her make-up on thinking that all you ever wanted to be when you grew up was exactly like her. So yes was an easy answer when she asked.

I'm sure you've all heard about my tiny oven so how was I meant to bake a cake for 30 people in it you ask? I had a plan to make two cakes. And my plan also consisted of a lovely little lady to come and help me bake all afternoon.

We made a dark chocolate mud cake and a white chocolate mud cake (I will blog about these cakes in a future post... I promise there is more to come and much more frequently). But it totally wasn't fair of us to bake all afternoon and not actually end up eat anything deliciously home-baked and naughty so it was a completely logical idea when we decided to make cookies.

Early that morning when I went to the supermarket to get ingredients (oh by the way... Chocolate is super expensive!?! Cadbury what happened!) I also added ingredients onto the list for these decadent cookies from Jamie Oliver's new book Comfort Food (by the way this book is BEAUTIFUL!) which I had been eye-ing off for a while and what better excuse than now to make them. I needed to pick up a few ingredients I'd never made cookies with before; Horlicks which is a powdered malt drink and condensed milk. I've used condensed milk a heap of times before but not in a cookies so I was super keen to see how these would turn out.

The cookie dough was a tough one to stir... my lovely helper ended up with a blister on her finger :( but totally worth it (I think) :) they were fudgy, rich, malty and just like every home baked cookie should be... chewy in the centre. They made you want a hot cup of tea or cold glass of milk. YUM. And they were a melt and mix recipe which I LOVE! it meant the hand held mixer didn't have to come out of the box and the clean up was super easy.

I defiantly recommend you give these a go - they have smashed up Maltesers inside them... how can these taste bad?! You can also freeze the raw cookie dough so you can bake them in small batches so you always have freshly baked cookies only 15 minutes away.

You will be super impressed with yourself after making these. Make ice cream sandwiches with them for a cheeky little dessert when you have friends over or just have them as a decadent afternoon tea treat. mmmm think I'll go and get myself one after all this talking about them.

And a quick but BIG THANKYOU to my little baking helper over the weekend! You are amazing!!

Devil's Double Choc Malt Cookies from Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food.

Makes 24

50g unsalted butter

200g quality dark chocolate (70%)

1 x 395g tin of condensed milk

25g ground almonds

2 heaped tsp Horlicks

200g self raising flour

100g Maltesers

50g white chocolate (chopped or chips)

- Melt together the butter and dark chocolate on a low heat until smooth.

- Remove from the heat and add the condensed milk, ground almonds and the Horlicks, mix well. Add the sifted flour and a pinch of salt and give it a good hard stir. This is where you'll need to give it a bit of elbow grease and use those tuck shop lady arms :)

- Place in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes (no longer!).

- While the mixture is still pliable, smash the Maltesers and add them to the mix along with your white chocolate. Mix it all together, making sure all the goodies are distributed evenly.

- Preheat your oven to 170 C or 325 F.

- Divide the mixture into 24 evenly sized balls - roughly a little bit smaller than a golf ball (we got 23 out of the mixture). Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and squash the tops (you can freeze them at this point if you want ).

- Bake cookies for about 12 minutes or until they are chewy in the centre and firm on the edges.

ENJOY! and make you self a lovely cuppa to have with them :)

Jamie Oliver's Beer Butt Chicken from Jamie's America.

Has anyone stuck a can of beer up a chickens bottom before?

Yes a chook you buy from the grocery store, not a live one. I hope no one has ever or will ever do it to a poor live chicken. I'm talking about BBQ Beer-Butt Chicken.

I had friends over the other week and it was the perfect excuse to give this ago. I always think that a whole chicken cooking for just two people is a little extravagant so when we have people over I get a little excited and cook too much food. I know that people will disagree with that statement because there is SOOO much you can do with left over chicken but thats just how I feel... or we leave it for a special occasion like a Sunday dinner.

It was a warm night when we decided to have visitors so cooking the chicken outside on the BBQ was perfect because it meant the oven didn't have to go on for a long period of time and bake us all in our tiny apartment. I chose to use a recipe from Jamie's America Cookbook (yes by Jamie Oliver - my weakness). It was super simple and didn't make that much mess (in the kitchen that is). You make a spice rub in a mortar and pestle and rub it all over the chicken then drink half of the can of beer (not hard to do) then stick it up its bottom and place it on a preheated BBQ. Cook for one and a half hours and yum!

And this time I didn't serve raw chicken. It was well and truly cooked. But... we were so hungry by the time it came to eat I got no photo's of the cooked chicken, just of it as I placed it on the BBQ. Sorry folks but it just means I have to do it again to get you that lovely picture.

I was worried the chicken would have been a little over cooked because it stayed on the BBQ a little longer than is should have but it was still yum. I was told by our dinner guests and Tristan that it wasn't dry at all but maybe they were being polite :) I also made two salads to go with the chicken but if I start on them too in the post I might be half way to a novel so I will save them for next time.

The only thing with the chicken was... I thought the can of beer would be empty when we took the chook off the BBQ but it was still half full. My thinking was that the BBQ heats the beer and it boils and evaporates into the chicken as it cooks and in the end all the beer is gone but it wasn't. I have never made this until then so I could be completely wrong. The recipe says nothing about the can being empty or full after so no idea if I actually did it right but it still worked if you ask me.

Mmmm. Chicken. Good.

Jamie Oliver's Beer Butt Chicken from Jamie's America.

Serves 4

1 large whole chicken (about 1.5kg)

1x 473ml larger (I used a can of Stella)

Spice rub:

1 heaped tsp fennel seeds

1 level tsp cumin seeds

1 level tsp smoked paprika

1 heaped tsp brown sugar

1 level tsp mild chilli powder (I used 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper instead)

Salt and Pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

- Preheat your BBQ to 200 C or 400 F.

- In a mortar and pestle smash up the fennel and cumin seeds. Add the paprika, brown sugar, chilli powder, salt and pepper and give it a good mix. Finally stir in the olive oil, you should have a nice paste now. Drizzle and rub this all over the chicken, giving it a good massage.

- Open your can of beer. Drink and enjoy half of it. Place the chicken on top of the can so it looks like it's sitting on it (Can look a little rude about now) then place it on the BBQ hot plate.

- I used a gas BBQ (please forgive me Dj Bbq) and had the grill side turned on but had the chicken on the hot plate side so there wasn't direct heat straight underneath but heat all around it.

- Cook it for 1 hour and 30 minutes until the meat pulls away from the bone and the juices run clear. 

- Once cooked, remove the can from it's bottom with tongs. Be careful because it's very hot!

- Serve with salads or roast veggies. Enjoy!

I served this with Donna Hay's Potato Salad from Classics 1 and a Quinoa and Butternut squash Salad from It's all Good By Gwyneth Paltrow. 

Meatballs from 'The Naked Chef'.

I'm a terrible blogger. I'm sorry.

Last week was full of birthday dinners, heart monitors and anxious thoughts that if I keep thinking about them too much I'll go crazy far sooner than a 25 year old should. So instead of worrying, I'm back to blogging.

Last Sunday I had one of my best friends over for dinner and I was super excited. I hadn't had anyone over for dinner in such a long time, it gave me an excuse to cook something that took a little bit longer and needed a little bit more labour of love put into it. And it was a Sunday night so shouldn't every Sunday dinner be a little special?

I picked out a Jamie Oliver book I hadn't blogged about yet. I'd made a few recipes maybe 2 years ago from it but then it was put back on the shelf and has gathered dust ever since. And thats not to say that it isn't a great book because let me tell you this. I LOVE YOUNG JAMIE OLIVER. He's so cheeky and happy and full of energy, there is almost a bounce in his step in his first TV show 'The Naked Chef' as he teaches people to cook for the first time in our lounge rooms and kitchens. But seriously, who doesn't have a soft spot for young Jamie and the now Dad Jamie who is still just as cheeky!?

You all know I'm a Jamie Oliver junkie and I wouldn't be a true junkie if I didn't have his very first book 'The Naked Chef'. In his first books its all about honest food and cooking for people you love, weather its a for a few people or a date night. I chose Meatballs because I wanted a safe, affordable recipe that I couldn't stuff up.

These were so delicious. Best yet! I did read the recipe wrong again and not all the way through first but that step was optional anyway so it was all good.

Also it does help that they were baked so I could do a quick spruce around the apartment before my dinner date came round and then all I had to do was cook some tagliatelle pasta when she was here. Easy Peasy dinner idea, and it can also feed more than three... We had leftovers for the next day and two lunches frozen for later in the week, so its great for a small crowd.

Give this recipe a go, you wont regret it! I promise!

The Naked Chef's Meatballs.

Serves 4-6

(recipe adapted slightly)

For the Meatballs: 

1kg beef mince

2 slices of bread whizzed into bread crumbs

2 level tbsp dried oregano

1/4 level tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

1 egg yolk

1 level tsp salt 

a good 2 pinches of freshly cracked pepper

- Place all ingredients in a bowl and give it a good mix with a fork or get into it with clean hands.

- Shape into balls (what ever size you feel like - I did big meatballs because they had time to cook in the oven but you can do any size you like - just remember the bigger they are, the longer they take to cook!) I made these tennis ball sized.

- Place on a plate and store in the fridge while you get on with the tomato sauce (see below).

Basic Tomato Pasta Sauce:

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp dried oregano

3 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 small handful of fresh basil

salt and pepper

- Gently fry the garlic with the olive oil but don't let it colour. Add the chilli, oregano and tomatoes. Stir everything together. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 - 45 minutes.

- Add the vinegar and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper and taste.

Putting it all together:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 handfuls of fresh basil

120g mozzarella cheese, in chunks

60g finely grated parmesan

400g pasta of your choice (optional)

- Preheat your oven to 200 C or 400 F

- Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom casserole pan on a medium heat (make sure it can also go in the oven) and add your meatballs. Fry them until they are brown all over but be gentle so you don't break them up.

- Turn the heat down and add all of the basic tomato pasta sauce. Cover and place in a preheated oven.

(Remember the bigger your balls the longer they'll need to cook. I baked mine for about 20 minutes, covered.)

- If serving with pasta, cook pasta according to packet instructions now so everything is ready together.

- Scatter the mozzarella, parmesan and basil over the top and bake for another 15 min or until the cheese is oozy and golden. Serve.

Queen Victoria Sponge from Jamie's Great Britain.

My Mum is the easiest to please when it comes to birthday cakes. She likes a plain sponge cake. Super easy and it's always nice having a forgotten favourite now and again. Sponge cake is never something I think of often when I want to bake something sweet but every time I make it I always think, why don't I make this more often. They are great afternoon tea cakes and you can dress them up or down and fill them with anything you want. They make a lovely birthday cake too, letting you experiment with fillings, flavoured oils, icings and syrups. It's like a blank canvas for you to make your own!

There are probably thousands of sponge cake recipes and I know the sponge cake I made at TAFE was completely different to this recipe. This one is much more of a pound cake but I think these are a little tastier and have a bit more guts to them. And the fact that to make a traditional sponge you need to whisk the eggs for about 10 minutes... there is that 'I don't have a stand mixer' problem again. So I went with this recipe from Jamie Oliver's Great Britain cookbook. It was quite fitting since Mum's an Essex girl originally but I think she's a true blue Auzzie now, being here more than 40 years.

I made this during the madness of Spiderman cupcakes and finished it off at my mum's place where we celebrated her birthday. Every time I walk into mum mum's kitchen I just wish it was mine. It's so lovely and new with large, wide benches that aren't blue and ... a dishwasher!! Luxury!

I split the mixture into two sandwich tins and baked them for easily 40 minutes but please don't go by this time. The oven I have is from the 60's and bakes things odd if you haven't already read about my oven disasters. I will put the time Jamie's uses below and go from that as a guide.

When they were cool I put whipped vanilla cream in the centre and fresh strawberries. Jamie says to add rose essence and orange zest to the cake but I knew Mum wouldn't be a fan of that and raspberry jam and fresh raspberries in the centre but the raspberries were $9 a punnet and the strawberries were $1.50 a punnet so I went with more strawberries over a tiny amount of raspberries.

I did try and crystallise rose petals but they turned out terrible and went straight in the bin. The reason... I don't have a pastry brush at home. I will try them again another time and let you know how they go and put a better description than brush egg white on them, dust in sugar and bake. Hmmm there has to be more to it or everyone would do it all the time. I will get back to you on this.

So some simple dusting of icing sugar over the top and a strawberry in the middle was my final touch and boy oh boy ... YUM.

Happy Birthday for last Friday Mama. I hope you had a wonderful day, love you x

Queen Victoria Sponge from Jamie's Great Britain.

serves 10

(recipe below adapted -  find original recipe here.)

250g unsalted butter, softened

250g raw (golden) caster sugar

4 large eggs

250g self raising flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

250mL pure cream

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

300g strawberries, washed and halved

To make the cake - 

- Pre-heat your oven to 190 C or 375 F.

- Grease two 20cm cake tins with butter, line the bases then dust with flour. Make sure you line and make your cake tin non-stick properly. It's so disappointing to put all that effort in then have your cake stick and not come out of the tin.

- Cream butter and sugar together until pale and creamy with electric hand held beaters (or by hand - there is nothing wrong with a bowl and wooden spoon). Add vanilla and combine well.

- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

- Fold the flour through by hand half at a time until it is all incorporated.

- If you mixture is really thick at this point (mine was) add 2 tbsp of milk and mix it in to loosen it up.

- Spoon the mixture evenly into the two prepared tins and spread with a pallette knife or the back of a spoon to even out the surface.

- Bake for 20 - 25 minutes (mine baked for 40 - so make sure you kinda know your oven).

- The cake should be cooked when a skewer is inserted and comes out clean. Allow to cool in tins slightly then turn out onto a cooling rack.

To decorate the cake - 

- Once your cakes are completely cool you can assemble them.

- Whisk cream, sugar and vanilla together until fluffy peaks (you don't want to create butter so be careful).

- If you're cakes have domed alot you may want to trim the top so you can stack them on top of each other. Choose which one will be the base and which one will be the top.

- On the base, cover the top with about half of the whipped cream then scatter the strawberries on top (you may not need all of them, just use enough to cover the top). Add the rest of the cream then place the second cake on top.

- Dust the top with icing sugar in a sieve and the most beautiful strawberry you can find.

- Store in the fridge if not eating straight away, otherwise... DIG IN!

Jamie Oliver's Calzone recipe from Delicious. magazine - September 2014 - Issue 141.

This weeks meal planning took me a while. I thought it was all done and dusted and was pretty impressed with myself then looked at what I'd planned to make this week and to be honest... none of recipes felt like a little challenge or something new. They were the things I would make before I started this blog, recipes I would make with no recipe to follow and get to the end of dinner and be a little disappointed at myself for not branching out. I had also chosen books from my shelf that I had cooked out of and blogged from already so I wasn't showing you a new sneak peek into my cookbook obsession. SCRAP IT! I thought and started again by choosing books/magazines I hadn't cooked from or blogged about yet and chose a recipe out of each to make this week.

It started off with Jamie Oliver's Calzones from the latest Delicious. magazine this month (September 2014 - Issue 141). I wanted a little challenge and this is exactly what I felt like. I adapted the recipe slightly because our local supermarket isn't very good with ingredients that are a little out of the ordinary or specialised.

I'll be honest. I was a little hesitant about making this but thought that if it fails completely it's only Tristan and myself who I'm feeding and we can always have pasta with cheese on if its terrible. So on that note, I had nothing to loose.

I started with the dough and quartered the recipe that Jamie gives in the magazine. For the Calzone recipe you are meant to half the recipe but then that makes six calzones. Six is a little much for two of us no matter how greedy we are sometimes so I halved it again, quartering the original recipe. I had to scale out 2g of dried yeast... that was a little tricky since my scales are very tempremental. I had planned on seeing how many teaspoons 7g was then quartering it by eye but went with the rough 2g measurement instead... and it worked! YAY!

I kneading the dough on my lovely blue bench top for 5 minutes then let it rest. The recipe says to rest it for 1 hour... I didn't have one hour. My stomach was eating itself even with just the thought home made Calzones. This step is good for tuck-shop lady arms.

For the filling I boiled two small potatoes, pan-fried some mushrooms, roughly chopped some baby rocket and then quartered bocconcini balls. The original recipe says use Taleggio cheese which is a strong soft italian cheese. When I worked in the restaurant it was on the cheese platter and it was a stinky one! I have nothing against smelly cheeses and I would have probably used Talleggio but like I've said above, our supermarket stocks a large brand variety of basics. And I have an obsession with bocconcini at the moment... mmm those soft little round milk stringy balls of cheese...

After I got over my day dreaming of cheese, cheese and more cheese. I divided the dough into three, rolled the out to roughly about 5mm thick. Divided the filling between the three and folded one side over sealing the edges, pinching the sides over each other. Scored the tops and baked them in a very hot oven for 20 minutes. YUM YUM YUM.

(Ok I'll admit something... I was meant to add a spoonful of creme fraise or sour cream to the filling but I got so excited that they were coming together and it was working and I wasn't pulling my hair out in frustration that I completely forgot to add it. But can confirm they are delicious with or without the cream fraise... I might add a couple of cherry tomatoes halved next time to make it a little more juicy. Who knows... maybe if I'd added the creme fraise I wouldn't be thinking nest time to add cherry tomatoes?!?)

Anyway... the verdict... it was scrumptious and I was pleased that I had gone outside my boundaries and made Calzones on a week night and not saved them for a weekend when I plan to make a more special meal and everything goes down the drain because something crops up. If your organised enough (not like me) you can even make the pizza dough the night before and leave it in the fridge so all you have to do it roll it out, fill them and bake them. How easy is that?!!

Let me know what you think... there are a few steps in here that are hard to explain... would a little video help?? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Click here for a different Calzone recipe by Jamie Oliver or make my version below :)

Calzone from Delicious. magazine September 2014 issue by Jamie Oliver.

Serves 2 hungry people or 3 with a side salad.

(recipe adapted)

Pizza Dough - 

250g 00 Flour (or strong white flour)

2g dried instand yeast (or 1/4 of a 7g sachet)

1 tsp caster sugar

15mL olive oil

Filling -

180g potatoes, halved

1 tsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 thyme sprigs, leaves removed

200g button mushrooms

1 garlic clove, crushed

pinch of chilli flakes

1 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream

150g bocconcini balls, quartered

1/2 cup baby rocket, roughly chopped

**Pre-heat your oven to 220 C or 420 F. **

Start by making the pizza dough: 

- Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a large bowl or onto your bench. Make a well in the centre.

- In a jug mix 160mL of warm water, dried yeast, caster sugar and olive oil together and let sit for a couple of minutes. (You are waking the yeast up in the step so it can make your dough rise later)

- Using a fork, pour the liquid into the well in the flour and start working it together gradually from the centre until all the flour has been incorporated. Don't worry if it looks like a shaggy mess at the moment. Turn it out onto your bench if you have used a bowl and start kneading it with the heel of your hand on a floured surface.

- The amount of extra flour you will need to add will depend on the weather and the type of flour you have used. You want an almost tacky dough. Not so sticky that it's sticking to your hands every time you knead it but you defiantly don't want it too dry. The more you knead it, the better it will come together. If you're unsure about adding too much flour start by adding a little at a time as you work the dough. Knead it for 5-10 minutes or until smooth and stretchy.

- Place the dough in a floured bowl and cover with a damp tea towel somewhere warm for 1 hour or until it's doubled in size. While your dough is resting, start your filling.

For the filling:

- Boil your potatoes for 12-14 minutes or until cooked through, drain and then slice into 1.5cm pieces. Allow to cook a little.

- Pan fry your mushrooms with the butter, olive oil and thyme until all the liquid has been absorbed and they start to colour. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another minute. Allow to cool a little.

- In a bowl add the bocconcini, baby rocket, potatoes, mushrooms and creme fraiche (or sour cream) and mix together.

Constructing your Calzone:

- Knock back your dough by punching it down in the bowl then roughly knead it for a minute or so. (It's at this point you can cling wrap your dough and refrigerate it for 24 hours ready to use straight from the fridge). Divide it into 3 pieces.

- Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick and circle in diameter as possible.

- Divide the filling up between the three rolled out pieces of dough.

- Fold one side over and bring the edge to meet the other edge. Seal it by pinching and turning the edges over on each other then giving the final end a good pinch. Do the same to all of them.

- Score the top then place in the oven for 20 minutes. I had to rotate my trays so get even baking so make sure you keep an eye on them when your oven is up this high.

Jamie Oliver's Trapani-Style Rigatoni from 30 minute Meals.

This dish I cooked for dinner should have been called 'Trapaneeeeasy-style Rigatoni'...

hehe get it!?

Ok I'm lame but maybe it's a little funny.... just a little?

If you didn't get my terrible joke, this was a very easy dinner to make which suited a grocery shop night perfectly. It meant we saved $50 on takeaway, it was super healthy and tasted way better than anything we could have ordered or ready made meal we could have picked up from the supermarket.

Earlier this week I made Jamie Oliver's Trapani-Style Rigatoni from 30 minute Meals. Jamie Oliver's 30 minute Meals cookbook has huge, three course meals in it which feed a family of 4 -6... not a small team of two. So instead of making the whole kit and caboodle which according to Jamie only takes 30 Minutes... I have my suspicions let me tell you. I think you'd have to be a crazy chicken to achieve it in 30 minutes. I only make one component of the meal which was plenty for the two of us and a green iceberg salad. But please, if anyone actually has cooked one of his big 30 minute meal dinners in the given time frame or at all please comment below and tell me how you went. I do feel a challenge coming on for a blog post in the future which includes this book and my iphone stopwatch... hmmmm.

I would have loved the entire meal - Trapani-Style Rigatoni, Grilled Chicory salad, Rocket and Parmesan salad and a Limoncello kinda Trifle - but I think I'd need a second stomach to fit it all in, not to mention a washing up wench to work over time! So the Trapani-Style Rigatoni by its lonesome it was. This pasta served with a simple green salad would easily serve four people for dinner.

Growing up I used to love mums pesto she made in her food processor called 'osca'. It was spicy from the raw garlic but cheesy and creamy from all the parmesan cheese and pine nuts. The colour was vibrant green and herby from the basil and turned the olive oil green that slicked my lips afterwards as I wiped my plate clean with a slice of bread after I'd demolished a huge bowl of spaghetti. It was always a bit of a treat to have because mum wouldn't be as keen as dad and I were on the raw garlic she put in it. We loved it! It was even better when she used the home grown basil in the height of summer when its at its most fragrant. She always served it with a tomato salad dressed in balsamic vinegar and fresh oregano. One of my favourites in summer to end a meal, the vinegar cutting through the olive oil and finishing it of lovely.

The Trapani-Style sauce is kind of like a lighter, sweeter pesto sauce. You don't have to cook it so it only take as long as the pasta does to cook which is a great mid-week meal. And If you have any left I think it would be great on some crusty bread with some cold meat and salad... mmm I'm already wishing I'd made extra for this weeks lunches! It uses almonds instead of pine nuts and also has cherry tomatoes through it which gives it that sweetness and lightness. The basil wasn't the best that I bought but in summer when the bunches are huge and smell like what I'd imagine an Italian summer garden to smell like I think this dish could be a real winner. It does use anchovies too... turn your nose down! I can see you turning your nose up from here!! I can't stand the smell of anchovies, or the way they make your fingers smell but when you add them to things as a seasoning rather than a flavour... its like a salty magic. I will admit I used only 2 fillets instead of 4 like the recipe says... I was too chicken.... but I couldn't taste them at all. I was almost disappointed that I didn't man up and add the 4 like Jamie said to. Next time I'll add the four like recipe says.

I can already tell that this pasta will become a staple in the summer. Easy, quick, fresh and minimal mess because everything gets bunged into a food processor and whizzed! Also when its stinking hot in our apartment and anything more than one stove element on is too much to handle this will be a perfect dinner.

If you want to give the entire meal a go, please let me know how you go otherwise I strongly recommend the rigatoni.

Jamie Oliver's Trapani-Style Rigatoni from 30 minute Meals cookbook.

Serves 4

500g rigatoni pasta

40g parmesan cheese

100g whole blanched almonds (my packet of almonds said 110g... I used the whole packet)

2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1-2 red chilli's, stalk removed
2 large bunches of fresh basil
4 anchovy fillets in oil
450g cherry tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil

- Add the rigatoni to salted boiling water and cook according to packet instructions or al dente.

- While the pasta is cooking, make the Trapaneeeeeasy sauce :)

- Trapaneeeeesy sauce: Put the almonds, parmesan, garlic and chilli's into the food processor (using the bowl blade) and blitz until fine. Next add your anchovies, two thirds of your tomatoes and 1 1/2 bunches of basil and keep blitzing until it becomes a paste. Add about 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, taste then season with some salt and pepper.

- Half your remaining tomatoes and pick the leaves off the 1/2 a bunch of basil left and set aside (I forgot to do this step...).

- When your pasta is cooked to perfection, reserve a little cooking water and add the pasta and sauce back to the hot pan, mix well and add a little splash of the cooking water if it looks a little dry to loosen it up. Toss the remaining tomatoes and basil in and serve immediately.

Enjoy your meal with the relief that there is hardly any washing up.

Jamie Oliver's Baked Pasta with Tomatoes & Mozzarella from Jamie's Italy cookbook.

Who doesn't love a good pasta bake? Pasta bake to me is complete comfort food and makes the most amazing leftovers, cold or reheated.

It was a stable food when I was in high school and had my girlfriends over on a friday night when my parents were out. Although the one we used to make in high school came from a jar and made very little mess but as 16 year olds the kitchen was covered in pasta sauce by the end of it. You added a whole packet of dried pasta, the contents of the jar, a few cups of water and baked it until the pasta had soaked up all the liquid and then topped it with grated frozen cheddar cheese or cheese slices (it depended on what was in the cheese drawer... yes my mum had a drawer just for cheese in the fridge) until it was bubbling and crunchy around the edges. I would eat so much of it until I was belly popping full and then go back for more when it had cooled down.

I'll let you in on a secret... When I go past the jarred pasta sauce isles in the super market every week I still look for the jar of sauce we used back then but unfortunately they no longer make it. Or maybe its fortunate that they don't make it anymore or I'd still be eating the same pasta bake 9 years later. I will probably still look this week like always for the sauce and will come back empty handed.

So with no jarred sauce in hand I made Jamie Oliver's Pasta al Forno con Pomodori e Mozzarella (Baked pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella) from Jamie's Italy cookbook. This recipe called for dried orecchiette (little ears) pasta, it definitely could work with any pasta but I will take any excuse to try a new pasta shape and I will probably tell you that every pasta shape is good because lets be honest, I love every kind of pasta. These ones were thicker then other dried pasta I've had before and held all the sauce in the little curve making it a very hearty pasta bake. Great for sitting on the couch, curled up on a winters night with a big steaming bowl of rich tomatoey pasta bake. Mmmmmmm

There is probably hundreds of pasta bake recipes and I can tell you this will not be the only one I post about. I absolutely love them. Not only are they a comfort food to me, they are a dish that you can prepare, bung it in the oven then go and have a shower or do some of the washing up (or if your super lucky, load the dishwasher) so the kitchen doesn't look like a bomb has gone off in it and you can sit and enjoy dinner knowing that most of the cleaning is already done.

The kitchen definitely looked like a bomb had gone off in it after I made this. Jamie tells you to add some of the sauce to the pasta then layer the sauce, pasta and cheese in three lots so its all evenly throughout the baking dish. What a mess I made!! I feel I wasn't very organised when I made this but it could be less messy if you are more organised. I was scared to go back into the kitchen after we had finished eating... but it was worth it. It was so yummy! rich and tomatoey and they you got little pockets of stringy mozzarella.... mmmm so tasty!

Jamie Oliver's Pasta al Forno con Pomodori e Mozzarella from Jamie's Italy.

(Baked Pasta with Tomatoes & Mozzarella.) 

recipe adapted - original recipe here.

serves 4

1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

extra virgin olive oil (I used about 3 tbsp)

1 or 2 dried chillies, crumbled (I used chilli flakes, about 1/2 tsp)

3 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes (I used regular canned chopped tomatoes)

a large handful of fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp red wine vinegar (Jamie says this is optional but I used it)

400g dried orecchiette pasta

4 big handfuls of parmesan cheese, freshly grated

3 x 150g balls of fresh mozzarella (I used little balls of bocconcini mozzarella)

- Preheat your oven to 200 C or 400 F.

- Fry the onion, garlic and chilli in the olive oil over a medium heat until softened. Add your tomatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Tear you basil leaves into the sauce and add the red wine vinegar (if using) then place back on the heat to keep warm. Taste and then season with salt and pepper.

- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain.

- Add half the sauce to the pasta and mix together with a handful of parmesan.

- Layer a third of the pasta in a baking tray, then some sauce, a ball of mozzarella torn up and a handful or parmesan. Keep layering in that order until all the ingredients are used up making sure you finish with a topping of cheese.

- Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until its golden, crispy edges and bubbling. Jamie says to eat this at room temperature but I had it piping hot from the oven then snacked on it when it was at room temperature and it was delicious both ways.

Jamie Oliver's Shepherd's Pie vs Milkman's Pie from Jamie's Great Britain.

I don't think I'm having a good cooking week this week and it's only Tuesday.... I will explain in tomorrow's post... #dinnerpartynightmares eeekkk

Last nights dinner was Slop pie... sorry I mean Shepherds Pie. My mum always made Shepherds pie when I was a kid and used her recipe of beef bolognese sauce and added mash potato on top. I was never a huge fan of mash, my dad always says potatoes give him a headache even though we all know he just doesn't like them, where as mum, LOVES mash potatoes. To her horror I would smother the entire shepherd pie in tomato sauce (ketchup) and sit there wishing I was having pasta for dinner.

It is cold and rainy at the moment in Sydney so I wanted something that meant the oven got to stay on for a while to warm the place up but also something that was cozy and homey.  Choosing from a book I haven't yet blogged about I went to trusty Jamie Oliver. I love his recipes and books! But I think you already guessed that one. I can't wait to make the honey and lavender shortbread from the book!

I thought... cold and rainy.... England is cold and rainy. (Sorry UK readers... I've only ever been to the UK in winter and thats all my mum ever says about England... She got rained out and moved to Australia and never looked back) But I do love a rainy night when you can hear the pitter patter on the roof as you drift off to sleep all rugged up in woollen blankets and sock tucked into your pants. So thats how I chose a recipe from Jamie's Great Britain. Shepherd's Pie vs Milkman's Pie. It was very different to what I would normally call a Shepherd's pie but in a good way. It was creamy and meaty with the soft mash potato on top and a surprise cheesy layer in the middle. Even better for lunch the next day reheated.

But let me explain the slop pie... this is not dissing Jamie at all. When it was time to dollop the mash potato on top I hadn't let it reduce enough so the lovely creamy dollop of mash potato started to sink into the saucy filling which was then starting to rise and flow over the edges of my pie dish. I proceeded to continue dolloping the mash on top thinking it would be ok until it started to look like an upside down shepherd's pie on the verge of over flowing if I didn't stop what I was doing and pour some of the sauce out. As I poured some out, some of the potato came out with it, I had melted stringy cheese over the edges, sauce down the side of the dish, sauce slopped and splashed over the bench.... It was a HUGE MESS. A delicious mess but still huge and a lot of washing up. Given all that I still scraped the pan to not waste any and ate it as entree while my Slop... sorry Shepherd's/Milkman's Pie was cooking in the over.

If I've got any tips.... Let it reduce properly... don't be impatient like me (I blame hunger) and get your self a dishwasher or washing up wench. My wench is still in a sling so he's only a bench wiper at the moment.

I would definitely make this again but would maybe rethink my pots and pans situation...hmmm...

Jamie Oliver's Shepherd's Pie vs Milkman's Pie from Jamie's Great Britain.

serves 6
(recipe adapted slightly)

2 onions, roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
olive oil
50g butter
salt and white pepper
8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
2 bay leaves (I used dry but it says fresh)
500g veal mince
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
1 lemon, zest only
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
110mL Bitter (I used VB)
800g potatoes, peeled and quarted
splash of milk
150g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
200mL pure cream
50 cheddar cheese, grated

- Fry the onions, carrots, bay leaves, thyme, some salt and pepper in a pan with the olive oil and butter until vegetables have softened. Make sure you stir often so they don't catch and burn.

- Add the veal mince and break up with a wooden spoon while browning it. Add flour once the meat is broken up and the zest of the lemon. Cook it until the liquid which came out of the meat has cooked away.

- Once it it frying again, add the bitter and just enough water to cover the meat (don't add too much here.. I think this is also where I went wrong and added maybe a little too much water). Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer with the lid half on for 1 hour on a low heat.

- Meanwhile preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius and boil your potatoes until soft and almost falling apart. Drain the potatoes and allow to sit for a couple of minutes so that can steam off any excess liquid. I mashed them with a hand masher with a splash of milk, a dollop of butter and a generous serving of salt and pepper. For someone who doesn't like mash... mmmm mmm yum!

- Let mash sit until your sauce has had its 1 hour cooking then add your mushrooms and cream and simmer until the sauce has thicken considerably.

- Once it is no longer swimming in sauce, pour it into a baking dish and sprinkle over the grated cheddar cheese. Dollop your mash potato on top or use a fork to squash it down and as Jamie puts it - "make squiffs and quiffs".

- Place it in the oven for about 40 minutes or until golden on top and serve with some steamed broccoli or buttered peas.

So so tasty!!

Jamie Oliver's Pork Meatloaf and Spaghetti sauce from Save with Jamie.

A little too hungry for our own good...I wasn't too sure if I should write about this recipe purely for the fact that we'd eaten nearly the entire dinner before I realised I hadn't taken a single photo. Ooops! Is it even worth taking a photo of half eaten dinner?? I wasn't sure but did anyway.

I love meatloaf and I love spaghetti so there wasn't anything not to love about Jamie Oliver's Pork Meatloaf with Spaghetti sauce from Save with Jamie. It was super easy too with not too many dishes at the end to clean up and the chilli's in it were great. As Jamie puts it 'The chillies add great depth to this sauce...' and they do. It's a nice surprise of heat when you think you've got a carrot and its half a chilli. I used the larger red chilli's, not the small birds eye... they might be a little too hot for my liking.

This was a recipe that didn't require the entire kitchen cupboard contents plus the kitchen sink in the ingredient list like some of Jamie Oliver's recipes do. It was simple and easy, like his Naked Chef days. There was no funny ingredients, just good old weeknight cooking. Now I say 'good old' but lets be honest. This was not your average meatloaf and not your average spaghetti sauce. This was a kick ass recipe I would definitely do again and again. I added double the amount of feta, by accident because I'm starting to think I might need glasses but it worked and I would probably add double the amount again when I make it another time.

It would be a great meal to have everything ready to go if you have people over. It wont break the bank and it's a little different take on a couple of classics. If someone served me this up, I'd be well chuffed - as Mr Oliver would put it.

This recipe can be found on JamieOliver.com -
Jamie Oliver's Pork Meatloaf with Spaghetti Sauce from Save with Jamie.

Spicy Meat Gumbo from Jamie's America.

I'm writing this after watching a disturbing episode of Sons of Anarchy where someone bites their own tongue off. Have a completely grossed you out too? It's just like the awful fight scene in Game of Thrones where someones head get completely crushed and you get to see the whole thing. I saw that scene over and over for a couple of days in my head and I covered my eyes for half of it and now I'm having thought-mares again about the last thing I just watched. I want to re-watch something else that is all sunshine and rainbows and chocolate cake. So instead I'm going to try and think of cooking and food and Jamie's America cookbook.

This book has so many recipes I want to cook... deep-pan pizza...NYC Cheesecake...Velvet Cupcakes... Fiery Dan Dan Noodles (awesome name, right?)... Sher Ping Pancakes... Jewish Penicillin... Veal Parmigiana... NYC Vodka Arrabbiata... A killer mac 'n' Cheese... And thats just the New York chapter!!?! These recipes don't sound very adventurous compared to others in the book... Wild West Rice...Mountain Meatballs...Beer Butt Chicken...Hush Puppies...La Brea Salad...the list could go on. There are a few ingredients in this book I might find it hard to get a hold of in Australia such as Alligator and Cactus but Jamie does suggest other things instead. There is a couple of spices that I've never heard of as well but this allows me to do a little google research and online shopping. Who doesn't love online shopping?

Here's the thing, I find I am still cooking inside my comfort zone when it comes to choosing recipes each week. I'm avoiding doughs and dumplings and home-made pasta... I'm avoiding the raw meats and fish (I don't trust any butchers or fish shops in my area at the moment though) and I'm looking at the ingredient lists and if it looks overwhelming I'm flipping the page or if the amount of pots looks like too many then cya later to that recipe. I'm going to have to man up next week and branch out. Stretch my wings and attempt to fly... I guess it doesn't matter if I fail miserably. The local birds can always end up with my un-risen bread or Tristan can add a cracked egg to any disastrous dinners and have it for breakfast.

Last nights dinner was not a miserable disaster though, it was fantastic! With three types of meat in it, Tristan was in his element. I'd never had a Gumbo before but heard people talk about them and before I'd ever cooked one or eaten one they were this mystical american dish that was going to blow my mind. This was the first time cooking and eating and I was well impressed.

Smokey sausage and bacon with chicken shredded throughout, sweet potato falling apart and thickening the sauce, making it all come together nicely. It was kind of like a stew but not frumpy like some stews can get. This had fresh flavours and spices with the sweet potato flooding the entire dish with a subtle sweetness but enough spices that it was spicy and savory. There was nothing frumpy about this dinner!

Jamie Oliver's Spicy Meat Gumbo from Jamie's America.

serves 6-8

4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
1 tsp paprika
1tsp cayenne pepper
olive oil
400g smoked sausage, thickly sliced (I used fresh chorizo sausages)
4 rashes streaky smoked bacon, roughly chopped
1 large onion, finely diced
1 green capsicum, deseeded and chopped
1 yellow capsicum, deseeded and chopped
4 sticks of celery, finely diced
3 heaped tbsp plain flour
6 gloves garlic, finely chopped
1kg sweet potato, peeled and roughy chopped
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
4 bay leaves
1.5L hot chicken stock
a small handful of fresh curly parsley, finely chopped
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

- Combine chicken pieces, paprika cayenne pepper and olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Fry in a large pot along with the bacon and smoked sausage and cook for about 15 minutes until everything is browned all over. Remove from pan.

- Cook your onion, celery and capsicum in the pan with all the meat juices and oil until softened.

- Add the flour next and make sure you keep stirring. This roux is the important part of making a gumbo. Keep cooking the roux until it gets 'peanut butter' colour.

- Next add your garlic, sweet potato, thyme, bay leaves and browned meat then finely pour in the chicken stock. Bring everything to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes or until chicken falls apart.

- Remove the chicken from the pan and shred the meat off the bones and remove the skin. Add chicken back in pan and season with salt and pepper.

- Serve the gumbo on rice with the fresh spring onions and fresh parsley on top.

YUM YUM YUM YUM.