Notes about Recipes in this book

• Grilled corn salad

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    This salad hits all the right notes of sweet, spicy and tangy. It’s at its best with fresh summer corn, but still quite tasty made with defrosted niblets charred on a stove top grill pan. I substituted lime juice for the rice vinegar.

• Tabbouleh salad with fresh herbs

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    A particularly refreshing variation because of the quantity of herbs. Best made in summer with garden fresh vegetables and herbs but still good in winter made with hot house sweet cherry tomatoes.

• Portobello mushroom burgers with roasted garlic mayonnaise

  • Zosia on May 17, 2018

    There are quite a few components to this but they're worth the effort to make as the end result is incredibly flavourful and satisfying.

• Salmon baked in parchment with parsley pesto

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    This has lots of flavour courtesy of the pesto, where the basil is more prominent than the parsley, and capers which add a nice zing. The recipe works well with white fish fillets also with slight adjustments to baking time based on thickness.

• Twist and shout chicken drumsticks

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    Intended as a replacement for “Shake ‘n’ Bake” chicken, it’s as easy to make but far superior in flavour and like the original product, produces moist chicken with a crisp crust. I reduce the sugar in the coating to 1 tsp as it’s just a little too sweet for family as written.

• Chicken burgers with herbed yogurt sauce

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    Good family friendly meal: the burger was moist and flavourful (the lemon zest was a nice addition) and the sauce a tangy accompaniment whose heat level could easily be adjusted to taste. I used half the amount of breadcrumbs and made only 4 burgers. Next time, I'll make a half recipe of the sauce.

• Asian chicken thighs

  • Zosia on December 20, 2017

    This is a good, basic marinade that provides lots of flavour with few ingredients.

• Pork tenderloin with hoisin

  • Zosia on October 06, 2021

    Very easy and flavourful. I left the tenderloin whole and roasted it after marinating overnight.

• Sautéed greens

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    This is a very nice variation of a standard recipe that’s flavoured with wine. I used Swiss chard and cooked the stems for 5 minutes before adding the leaves.

• Roasted fennel with tomatoes

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    A classic flavour combination makes this a hit every time. I like it best at room temperature, with basil, when the sweetness of the fennel comes through and the vinegar seems a little mellower

• Roasted "French fried" potatoes

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    Though the recipe calls for baking potatoes, I’ve had more success with Yukon gold which require an extra 15 minutes to cook, time that allows the cornstarch coating to develop into a crisp golden crust.

• Wild rice blueberry pancakes

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    The pancakes had a subtle nutty flavour and chewy texture provided by the wild rice but seemed a little too tender. After I mangled the first one, I gave up trying to make them 20cm - the pancake was just too fragile to flip easily - and made them 10cm with the remaining batter. I would add more flour and berries if I were to make them again. I used oil in place of margarine.

• Lemon polenta waffles

  • Zosia on July 09, 2019

    These were quite eggy with very moist interiors and the crisp exterior created in the waffle iron didn't last long. I tried crisping them in the oven but that didn't have a lasting effect. Regardless, everyone enjoyed the light lemon flavour and crunch from the cornmeal so this recipe will be made again, perhaps cooked as pancakes as suggested in the headnotes.

• Rhubarb cinnamon muffins

  • Zosia on February 15, 2016

    Fruity and delicious with a butterscotch flavoured cake. The crunchy cinnamon sugar topping was a nice textural contrast but I would have liked a bit of cinnamon in the batter as well. They were best freshly baked but the rhubarb kept them quite moist so they were still good on the second day refreshed in the microwave for a few seconds. I used oil in place of margarine and added a bit of salt.

• Banana bread

  • janeths on January 31, 2026

    I made these as muffins and they worked perfectly. Some chocolate chips may have fallen into the bowl too.

• Rhubarb strawberry strudel

  • Zosia on June 05, 2019

    We loved this. The filling wasn't overly sweet and there was a good amount of it in relation to the crisp pastry. Bonus was that it was also very easy to make. The only thing I would change is to add less cinnamon, or replace it with orange zest. I used 450g rhubarb, trimmed and 600g frozen strawberries, thawed and drained.