A Pretend Chef

I became addicted to chimichurri when I spent time in Argentina in 2009. The locals eat this sauce of finely chopped herbs with any kind of meat. Considering they eat meat with almost every meal, this is consumed in huge quantities. I love it. Every restaurant in Buenos Aires seems to have their own special recipe, however the common ingredients are parsley, garlic, onion, vinegar and olive oil. It's my favourite accompaniment to steak or any kind of sausage. I tend to make a batch every couple of weeks and it keeps in the refrigerator until I make my next batch when supplies run low. I've tried a few variations however this is my preferred recipe. You can hold off on the chilli if it's too hot. I like it hot. Ingredients 1 large bunch of continental parsley finely chopped 1 large bunch of oregano finely chopped 1 large bunch of coriander finely chopped 1 clove of garlic finely chopped 1 small red onion finely chopped 120ml red wine vinegar 200ml

Serves 4 This is a great BBQ combination. Everything works well together and the toasted bread in the fattoush salad is a very effective way to get my kids to enjoy a healthy salad.  I've experimented with various ways to make Hummus. It's dead easy and the below recipe will leave you with enough for other meals. It will last for a week in the fridge. Usually Hummus is made with raw garlic. I make mine with roasted garlic which imparts a subtle nutty sweetness to the paste and doesn't leave you with garlic breath. Ingredients 1kg lamb fillet cut into 2 cm cubes 1 tspn. each of cumin seeds, fennel seeds and coriander seeds 1/2 tspn. sea salt 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil For Hummus 1 whole head of garlic 2 x 400gm tins of chick peas (rinsed thoroughly and drained) 1/2 cup tahini 3/4 cup water Juice of 1 lemon 1 tspn. sea salt Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling  A pinch of smokey paprika or cumin for topping For Fattoush Salad 100gm Turkish or 

Serves 4 (with sides)   My kids go nuts over these stuffed chicken breasts. Serve them with a large salad, or if the weather is chillier, some roast vegetables. I have teamed them with a broad bean and herb salad as well as a simple rocket salad (Baby rocket mixed with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar). Ingredients 650 to 700gm of chicken breast fillets (2 to 3 fillets) 200gm sliced prosciutto (about 8 to 10 thin slices) 100gm baby spinach finely chopped 100gm Feta cheese 10 to 12 pitted black Kalamata olives, chopped Small handful, toasted pine nuts Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh oregano, finely chopped 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Pepper for seasoning stuffing Method Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan forced) Toast the pine nuts in a pan over a low heat. It’s important you keep stirring them and don’t let them burn. As soon as they start to brown lightly, pour them out into a bowl to cool. For the stuffing mix the spinach, oregano, olives,

There’s no need to buy packaged muesli off the supermarket shelf when you can make it in your own kitchen. This literally takes 5 minutes to make and is the healthiest way to start your day. I usually exercise every morning and this is the perfect breakfast to refuel after a workout and easily takes me through to lunch. All the ingredients listed are readily available at the local supermarket. Served with skim milk, low fat natural yoghurt and some fresh fruit and you have the perfectly balanced, healthy energy breakfast! This recipe makes more than enough muesli to last one person well over a week or more. Ingredients 1Kg x wholegrain rolled oats 70gm of dried blueberries (or large handful) ¼ cup of dried cranberries ¼ cup of dried, diced apricots ¼ cup of dried, diced prunes 1 small handful of dried goji berries 1 x small handful pepitas ¼ cup of linseeds 100gm of slivered or blanched sliced almonds ¼ cup of sunflower seeds 1 handful each of hazel

Serves 4 I prepare this salad as a dinner for my family during the week as it’s easy to do and is super heal thy. You can do so many variations on this with whatever happens to be in the fridge vegetable drawer. For instance I've added chopped capsicum, sprouts, spring onions etc. It’s a good recipe for experimentation. Leave the olives out if you are not a fan. I sprinkle mine with some dried chilli flakes to add some heat. Ingredients For Salad Mix 2 x free-range chicken breasts (approximately 600gms to 700gms) 1.5L chicken stock (or slightly salted water) 1 x 400gm tin of chickpeas (rinsed well and drained) 1 x large head of broccoli cut into small florets (use the main stem as well, cutting   away the hard outer skin and dicing the core) Handful of black, pitted Kalamata olives 1 tspn. cumin seeds 2 x cloves of garlic sliced 2 x tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 bunch continental parsley (finely chopped) 1 bunch coriander (finely chopped) 1 bunch mint