Broccoli or Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri & Broad Bean Purée

Broccoli or Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri & Broad Bean Purée

Ingredients

Brassica Steaks (choose one):

• 1 large head of broccoli or cauliflower

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper

• Optional: a pinch of smoked paprika or cumin

Chimichurri:

• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

• 1–2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)

• ½ tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice

• ¼–½ cup olive oil (adjust to desired consistency)

• Salt & black pepper to taste

Broad Bean Base:

• 1½ cups cooked and peeled broad beans (frozen is fine) or in my case a can or two of broad beans (cannellini or butter beans in a can will do as well)

• 1 garlic clove

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2–3 tbsp water (to loosen)

• Salt & pepper

• Optional: 1 tbsp tahini or Greek yoghurt for creaminess

 Method

1. Prep the Brassica Steaks:

• Trim the stem and cut the head into 1.5–2 cm thick slices (“steaks”), keeping the core intact to hold it together.

• Brush both sides with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and (optionally) smoked paprika or cumin.

Cook one of two ways:

• Roast: Bake at 220°C fan for 20–25 mins, flipping halfway, until golden and tender.

• Pan-sear + finish in oven: Sear in a hot cast iron pan for 2–3 minutes per side for colour, then finish in a 200°C oven for 10–15 minutes.

2. Make the Chimichurri:

• In a bowl, combine parsley, garlic, oregano, chilli flakes, and vinegar or lemon.

• Stir in the olive oil gradually until you reach a loose, spoonable sauce. Season to taste.

• Let it sit at room temp for at least 15 minutes to develop flavour.

3. Broad Bean Purée:

• Blend the beans, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and water until smooth-ish.

• Add tahini or yoghurt if using, for added creaminess.

• Season well with salt and pepper.

• If too thick, add more water or olive oil a spoonful at a time.

4. Assemble:

• Spoon a generous base of warm broad bean purée onto each plate.

• Place the hot steaks on top.

• Spoon chimichurri generously over everything — don't be shy.

Optional garnishes:

• Toasted seeds or nuts (e.g. dukkah or crushed almonds)

• Pickled onion or chilli

• Shaved pecorino or feta if not keeping it vegan

Variations

• Use romesco or harissa yoghurt instead of chimichurri for a different direction.

• Add lentils or beneath the broad bean layer for a more filling bowl.

• If you're feeling fancy: char-grill lemon halves and squeeze over the top just before serving.

Enjoy :)

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce and Spiced Butter

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce and Spiced Butter

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower:

• 1 large head of cauliflower

• 2–3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• Sea salt, to taste

For the Tahini Sauce:

• 1/3 cup unhulled tahini

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup ice water (ice removed before mixing)

For the Spiced Butter:

• 70g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)

• Salt, to taste

Optional Garnishes:

• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

• Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

• Pomegranate seeds

• Za'atar spice blend

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven:

   • Set your oven to 210°C (410°F) fan-forced.

2. Prepare the Cauliflower:

   • Remove the outer leaves and trim the base of the cauliflower so it sits flat.

   • Steam the whole cauliflower in a large saucepan with about an inch of water for 10 minutes. This helps to soften it slightly before roasting.

3. Season the Cauliflower:

   • Place the steamed cauliflower on a prepared baking tray.

   • Drizzle with olive oil and rub with turmeric and sea salt.

   • Sprinkle cumin seeds over the top, ensuring the entire head is evenly coated.

4. Roasting the Cauliflower
1. Roast in the preheated oven for 40–50 minutes, or until the cauliflower is golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife. Baste with the Spiced butter from time to time as it cooks.

5. Prepare the Tahini Sauce:

   • In a mixing bowl, combine tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

   • Gradually add ice water, whisking continuously until the sauce is smooth and has a pourable consistency.(nicoleoneil.com)

6. Prepare the Spiced Butter:

   • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.

   • Stir in olive oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.

   • Cook for 1–2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.

7. Assemble the Dish:

   • Spread half the tahini sauce on the platter with some of the garnish (if using). I also tend to use a bed of rocket (arugula) as a peppery alternative.

   • Place the roasted cauliflower on a serving platter.

   • Drizzle the tahini sauce over the top.

   • Garnish with chopped parsley, toasted pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, and a sprinkle of za'atar, if desired.

This dish serves as a stunning centrepiece, combining the earthy flavours of roasted cauliflower with the richness of tahini and the warmth of spiced butter. It's versatile enough to be a main course or a hearty side. 

Use any leftover cauli if you like in the slow cooked bacon hock and cauliflower soup.

Slow Cooked Bacon Hock & Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I love soups in the wintertime and this one is a great example of one that uses the basics to make something yummy. You can freeze this soup too so its handy when you have no time and just want a winter warmer on hand.

Slow Cooked Bacon Hock & Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

For the soup base:

• 1 large smoked bacon hock (~800g–1kg)

• 1 brown onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)

• 5–6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (low sodium)

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the roasted cauliflower:

• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets - note I have another option for the cauli which you can have as a side the night before and then use the leftover for the soup. Check out my whole roasted cauli with spiced butter recipe. 

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp ground cumin (optional, for depth)

• Salt and pepper

For finishing:

• ½ cup cream or coconut cream (optional for richness)

• Fresh parsley or chives, chopped (for garnish)

• Crusty bread (to serve)

Instructions

1. Roast the Cauliflower

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).

2. Toss cauliflower florets in olive oil, cumin (if using), salt, and pepper.

3. Roast on a lined tray for 25–30 minutes, flipping once, until golden and slightly crisp.

2. Prepare the Hock Broth (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)

Slow Cooker Method:

1. Place bacon hock, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and stock into a slow cooker.

2. Cook on low for 8–10 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.

Stovetop Method:

1. In a large pot, combine all broth ingredients.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.

3. Cover and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the hock is tender.

3. Shred the Hock

1. Remove hock and let it cool slightly.

2. Discard skin and bones, shred the meat, and set aside.

4. Blend the Soup

1. Remove the bay leaf.

2. Add roasted cauliflower to the broth.

3. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, or transfer to a blender in batches.

4. Stir in cream or coconut cream (if using), and adjust salt and pepper.

5. Add the Bacon

1. Stir shredded bacon hock meat into the soup. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes to meld flavours. Enjoy :)

Slow cooker keto chicken baby!

 This recipe is easy and soo yummy. Put all the ingredients by lunch time and its ready for dinner. 

Ingredients

• 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (
• 1 packet or low carb/sugar ranch seasoning mix or ranch dressing (I used 362 Grill House Bacon ranch dressing)
• 1 onion diced
• 1/2 a red capsicum diced
• 500 gms cream cheese
• 6-8 slices bacon (sliced, cooked and drained)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 cup of baby spinach

Pull out your slow cooker and lightly spray the bottom with non stick spray - I use the light olive oil one or an avocado one.

Place the whole thighs at the bottom of the slow cooker in one layer. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning if using or lightly pour over the dressing. sprinkle over the onion and capsicum. Dollop on the cream cheese. Dont mix it in just put it on top. Put the cooker on high for 4 hours if thats all the time you have or 6 hours on low if you have it. Leave it to do its thing.

At the 2 hour mark for high and 4 hour mark for low just open and check it. The chicken should have produced the liquid needed, if worried that its too dry put in a cup of hot chicken stock and close it up and leave. At the 4 or 6 hour mark you should have a yummy liquid with the cream cheese still melting on top. The chicken should b e meltingly cooked.

At that point you can shred the chicken in the cooker if you like that texture. My husband doesnt so I pull the chicken out and cut it up into 1 inch wide slices. Meantime I cook the bacon in a big pan. If you want to finish in the slow cooker add the bacon, green onions, spinach into it and give everything a good stir. Put the lid on put the cooker on warm and let the chicken melt. Season and enjoy

My other way of doing it is to add the chicken strips into the big pan with the bacon and let it sizzle a little. Then add the remaining sauce and ingredients into the pan and stir. I do this if Im thinking the sauce wont thicken in the slow cooker enough. I then add a little arrowroot in water (corn flour is ok if not keto fussy like me) and thicken. I sometimes when I want a bake type meal with a salad will put some more cheese on top and pop under the grill. Its lovely with a crunchy salad. Otherwise its fine without the baking. I season and enjoy. If not on keto it makes a ridiculous chowder with some crusty bread. 

Enjoy

                                                        

Mac n Cheese and oh baby

 Hi everyone 

I love cooking a smoky brisket accompanied by a creamy mac n cheese. I do tend to amp my pasta up so will be committing sacrilege for the traditionalists. But here you go:

• 2 cups of uncooked elbow or penne pasta
• 1 red or white onion diced
• 4 rashers of bacon or prosciutto diced
• ▢1/2 cup butter 
• ▢1/2 cup all purpose flour
• ▢1 1/2 cups cream
• ▢2 1/2 cups full fat milk
• ▢4 cups shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese 
• 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese 
• ▢salt and pepper to taste
• ▢black pepper
• ▢1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and grease a big baking dish if you want or if lazy like me pull out a high sided oven proof fry pan :)  
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente.  Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep from sticking.
• While water is coming up to a boil, 
• - fry onion and bacon/prosciutto in a dash of butter in separate pan and then drain on a paper towel
• - shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles.  Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 1/2 cups for the inner layer, and 1 1/2 cups for the topping.
• Melt butter in a large saucepan over med heat.  Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine.  Mixture will look like very wet sand. Make sure you give it a good 1 minute at least to let the flour cook out otherwise thats all you will taste in the sauce. It's important to do that and stay and stir it otherwise the roux will burn and you will have to start again ..bc burnt roux will just mean burnt tasting sauce if you use it. 
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• Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk and cream, while whisking constantly, until smooth.  Slowly pour in the remaining milk and cream, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.

• Continue to heat over med heat, whisking often, until thickened to a very thick consistency.  It should almost be the consistency of a semi thinned out condensed soup.

• Remove from the heat and stir in spices, onion and bacon and 1 1/2 cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine.  Taste and season
• In a bowl combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully.  
• Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish or back into the high sided frying pan if using.  Top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
• Sprinkle the top with the last 1 1/2 cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheesy is bubbly and lightly golden brown. 

                                                                

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Religious about monkfish

 Hi everyone

I admit before this Id never cooked with monkfish. Now Im a convert. Its not a strong fishy tasting fish and google tells me its the poor mans lobster (not sure that google has paid food prices in NZ lately). But it was fresh and reasonably priced and Im trying to move to more of a white meat diet so we gave it a go. This recipe includes a ratatouille that I make from the veges I have in our fridge. You could call it a fish stew of sorts. 

Ingredients

500gm to 1kg of monkfish fillets

4 rashers of cooked and diced bacon 

4-5 garlic cloves whole peeled

a handful of capers rinsed

2 capsicums green or red 

1 eggplant sliced

2 large onions sliced 

2 zuchinis sliced

a handful of small brown mushrooms sliced

a tin of diced tomatos in juice

6-7 cherry tomatos

a teaspoon of dried oregano

a few sprigs of fresh thyme or half a teaspoon of dried thyme

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

 

How to:

I start with the ratatouille. Basically I pre heat the oven to 170C and meanwhile put a deep roasting or casserole dish that has a lid on the oven and set the element to medium heat. I toss a good glug of olive oil in the dish and start by adding the onion and garlic. I stir for a few minutes and then add the sliced capsicums, zucchini and eggplant and the oregano. cook stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes. Then add the thyme, mushrooms, bacon, capers, and tomatoes. Stir until boiling, season and put in the oven uncovered for 20 mins.

Once the ratatouille is in the oven oil and season the fish and put on a rack under a hot grill for 5 minutes each side depending on the size. If the fillets are small reduce the time between turning over. You want some browning on each side but dont dry the fish out you want it just cooked or a little under as its going into the oven to finish off. Once ready take the fish out and rest until the ratatouille has been in the oven long enough. Then take it out of the oven and give the veges a light stir ensuring you don't break the zucchini or eggplant up. Place the fish on top and pop the lid on the dish and put it back in the oven for another 10 mins. This will steam the fish. 

Once the times up pull it out and you can serve it with the fish sitting on top or do as I did and gently fold it into the ratatouille letting the juice change the fish colur to a delicious red gold. Check seasoning and enjoy. 

Just a note I have replaced the bacon with cooked and diced mild chorizo sausage or speck. Each provides that smoky element that goes so well with the fish. 

                                                    

Old School Summer Chicken Pasta Salad

 Hi Everyone

I call this pasta old school because its one of the earliest recipes I created when roaming around in the old motorhome to dog shows. Those recipes (like most of mine) were very much a case of combining what was to hand. I actually made it again yesterday and was so nostalgic. So thought it was time to add it to my blog. 

Ingredients

A smoked chicken breast sliced or chopped up (preference is yours)

250-400gm of small pasta - spiral, penne or shell Ive used all of them to good effect in this dish

1 tablespoon of masterfoods moroccan spice mix

1/2 a cup of good quality mayo - I've used best foods or japanese mayo for example

1/4 cup of aioli (more if you like the flavour more then mayo

1 tablespoon of basil pesto (fresh is best but Ive used store bought no problem)

1 red capsicum diced (I often use the store bought charred red capsicums if I don't have fresh)

2 spring onions finely sliced

1 red onion finely sliced

1 avocado sliced or diced

a handful of cherry tomatos halved 

Garnish

couple fo tablespoons of pinenuts roasted

1/2 cup op chopped parsley or rocket leaves 

How to:

If you don't have smoked chicken you can bake a couple of chicken breasts coated in three tablespoons of the spice mix at 180 deg C for 25 minutes or until cooked.  Let cool slightly and the slice or chop. 

Cook the pasta until el dente I then empty into a colander and run the pasta under cold water to cool it down. Drain.

Combine all the veges ingredients in a bowl. Note I use whatever I have around (crisp raw small florets of broccoli are nice in this salad too) but I do think the capsicums and spring onions are essential. 

In a separate bowl combine the spice, mayo, aioli and pesto. You can add the juice of half a lemon if you prefer a thinner dressing. 

Combine all together and toss gently to combine. Taste and season as needed. I usually add the rocket in with the toss if using. If just parsley I garnish on top with the pinenuts at the end.

Enjoy with smoked meats or on its own :)