Fresh and ground coriander really adds to this flavoursome and healthy soup which served with cheese and bread can really warm you up on a Winters day.

INGREDIENTS:

3 courgettes, sliced
350g penne pasta
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested
bunch of basil and mint
150g ricotta cheese

PREPARATION:

1. Griddle courgettes until golden, with griddle marks.
2. Cook the pasta according to the packet's instructions.
3. Mix courgettes and pasta together with olive oil, the garlic, lemon zest and roughly torn basil and mint.
4. Dot with ricotta cheese.

This recipe packs a punch with contrasting flavours and textures.

Fragrant from the herbs, crunchy from the almonds, soft and savoury from the onion and potato, salty and sharp from the olives and hot and spicy from the chilli.

Give this picturesque bake a go and enjoy the beautiful flavours and fragrances.

INGREDIENTS:

100g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
100g pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1 bunch continental parsley, chopped
1 bunch basil, chopped
1 green chilli
a little extra virgin olive oil
4 chicken marylands (or drumsticks)
1 long red chilli
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 – 5 large potatoes, skin on, sliced
2 brown onions, peeled and sliced into rings
125mL white wine

PREPARATION

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. First make your green herb marinade. In a bowl combine the almonds, olives, parsley, basil, green chilli, salt’n'pepper and a little olive oil to combine. Set aside.
3. Next make your red/yellow marinade. Combine the red chilli, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and zest. Coat your chicken pieces in the red/yellow marinade and set aside for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile in the bottom of a baking tray, lay your slices of potato and onion. Season with salt and pepper and lightly coat in a little olive oil.
5. Heat a frying pan with a little oil and brown your chicken pieces.
6. Place the browned chicken pieces on top of the potato and onion mixture. Top the chicken with the green herb marinade.
7. Pour the white wine into the tray to moisten the potato and onion mix.
8. Cover the tray with foil and bake for 25 minutes. After this time, remove the foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until brown and cooked through

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce
1 tbs honey
1 tbs sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
2kg piece beef eye fillet (centre cut), trimmed of all sinew
1 tbs sunflower oil
1/3 cup (80ml) sweet chilli sauce
Shiso cress or other Asian baby herbs, to garnish (optional)
1 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped

PREPARATION:

1. Combine soy, honey, sesame, garlic and ginger in a shallow dish.
2. Add beef and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Preheat oven to 190°C. Remove beef from dish, discarding marinade, and pat dry with paper towel.
4. Heat sunflower oil in a large roasting pan over medium high heat.
5. Add the beef and sear on all sides. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes for medium-rare (or until cooked to your liking). Set aside to cool.
6. Just before serving, spread chopped herbs on a large sheet of baking paper.
7. Brush beef with sweet chilli and roll in herbs, pressing to coat.
8. Serve thickly sliced, and garnish with shiso if desired.

INGREDIENTS:

1 french rack of lamb, 8 chops in total
1 cup chopped fresh herbs (mint, parsley, thyme, chives) + extra for garnish
5 cloves of garlic
juice and zest of 2 lemons + plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

olive oil
2 shallots or 1 large shallot finely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups chicken or beef stock
1 heaping tablespoon crème fraîche
fresh chopped parsley
salt and black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:

1. To make the crust: in a food processor, combine the herbs with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, capers, walnuts, flour, salt and pepper. Pulse lightly until everything is crumbly yet a little sticky.
2. Salt and pepper the rack of lamb and then cover both sides with the crust and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
3. Before baking preheat the oven to 425 degrees and bake the lamb in an oven-safe pan or dish for 25 minutes. If you like your meat cooked well-done, add another 7-10 minutes.
4. While the lamb is roasting, prepare the sauce. In a saute pan, add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan on medium heat and once it comes to temperature, add in the shallots and cook until translucent and on the verge of turning light brown.
5. At this point, add in the Dijon mustard, chicken or beef stock, salt, black pepper and allow it to reduce.
6. Once reduced to your liking, add in the crème fraîche and parsley.
7. Once the lamb is cooked, let it rest outside the oven covered in aluminium foil for 15 minutes. Serve the lamb with the sauce and garnish with some fresh lemon and chopped herbs.
8. I also added some asparagus in the pan with the lamb, towards the end of cooking.  I served the lamb with a sunchoke mash as well.

A simple, yet classic, Spaghetti Carbonarra.

INGREDIENTS

400g/14oz dried spaghetti
175g/6¼oz piece smoked pancetta, rind removed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
handful flatleaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
3 large free-range eggs, beaten
50g/1¾oz pecorino sardo maturo (mature Sardinian pecorino), finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

1. Bring 4.5 litres/8 pints water to the boil in a large saucepan with eight teaspoons salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for nine minutes, or until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, cut the pancetta into lardons (short little strips), about 6mm/1¼in wide.

3. Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and the pancetta and fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Drain the spaghetti well, tip into the frying pan with the pancetta, garlic and parsley, add the beaten eggs and half the grated pecorino cheese and toss together well.

5. Season to taste with a little salt and black pepper. The heat from the spaghetti will be sufficient to partly cook the egg, but still leave it moist and creamy. Take to the table and serve in warmed pasta bowls, sprinkled with the rest of the cheese.

Takes 40 mins to 1 hour
Makes 6 large burgers

INGREDIENTS:

500g minced pork
2 sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped coriander
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
25g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon ground paprika
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (ground is fine too)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
90g dark chocolate (min 60% cocoa solids) broken into pieces

PREPARATION:

1. Put the minced pork, sage, coriander, thyme in a bowl.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan and sauté the red onion chilli peppers, ginger and garlic until soft, but not browned. Add the spices to the sautéed mixture while it is still hot. Cook together for a few minutes to release the flavor of the spices.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, suspended over a saucepan of barely simmering water. (Or microwave in 30 second bursts).
4. Add the onion and spice mixture and the melted chocolate to the bowl of pork and mix together well, seasoning with a good dash of salt and pepper.
5. But in a blender or food processor and mix (but not too long or it will lose all texture).
6. Shape the mix into 6 burgers and leave to chill the in the fridge overnight.
7. To cook, heat a little oil in a large frying pan until smoking, add the burgers and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown all over. Transfer to a baking tray and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the juices run clear when they are pierced in the middle with a skewer and the meat is cooked through.

You will need to start this recipe 1 day ahead.

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick lemongrass, roughly chopped
4cm piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
4 coriander roots, chopped
2 tbsp smooth tamarind paste
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1kg pork fillet, diced into 4cm cubes
4 wooden skewers
1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
100g cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1/2 red capsicum, finely sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, plus extra to serve
2cm piece ginger, finely grated
1/4 cup granulated peanuts

PREPARATION:

1. Using either a pestle and mortar or food processor, grind together lemongrass, ginger, garlic and coriander roots.
2. Add the tamarind, fish sauce and brown sugar and continue mixing until you have a smooth paste.
3. Pour marinade over pork and cover. Leave to marinade overnight. Soak skewers in water for a few hours or overnight to prevent them burning.
4. When you are ready to cook, preheat top oven element.
5. Once pork is ready, thread pieces evenly onto skewers. Cook under a hot grill for 5 minutes either side, or until beginning to char. Alternatively, you can cook these on the BBQ.
6. Serve warm with salad and extra sweet chilli sauce.
7. For salad, combine parsley, mint, coriander, tomatoes, red onion and capsicum in a bowl. Whisk together lemon juice, sweet chilli and ginger and pour over salad.
8. Transfer to a plate and scatter with peanuts.