One-pot lamb chops with white beans & tomatoes Brown lamb chops and set aside. Fry onion and garlic in the same pan, add some chopped sage, thyme or oregano then add a punnet or two of cherry tomatoes and cook until they just begin to burst. Add a couple of tins of drained white beans and bring to a gentle simmer, adding a little water or chicken stock if necessary. Return the lamb to the pot and heat until cooked to your liking. Serve with a side of rocket.
Beetroot, yoghurt & salmon Roast wedges of beetroot with thyme and balsamic vinegar. Toss with bitter greens such as watercress or rocket and top with seared salmon and some yoghurt spiked with capers, dill and spring onion.
Chicken pasta Fry sliced chicken (thighs or breast) until lightly browned. Add a sliced leek, chicken stock and simmer until the chicken is cooked. Cook pasta and in the last few minutes add sliced beans, asparagus or frozen peas to the cooking water. Toss through the chicken, add a dollop of pesto and some grated parmesan. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and serve.
Pork chops with grapes & cubed potatoes Chop potato into cubes, toss with unpeeled cloves of garlic, olive oil and bay leaves, season and roast for 20-30 minutes until golden. Meanwhile rub pork chops with thyme and oil, then pan fry on each side. Add grapes to the pan, then a dash of wine or chicken stock and finish in the oven for approximately 10 minutes depending on thickness. Rest for 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad.
Venison with asparagus & orange Marinate venison medallions in olive oil with mashed garlic, some grated orange zest and chopped thyme. Pan fry for a few minutes on each side and then allow to rest. Make a pan sauce by adding a spoonful of redcurrant jelly to the pan with some chicken stock and reduce by half until slightly thickened. Cook asparagus spears and toss with orange segments and serve alongside. Excellent with some boiled new potatoes.
Beef carpaccio with shaved asparagus Sear a piece of beef fillet or sirloin, then chill. Slice very thinly and arrange on a serving platter, season generously with sea salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Serve with a salad of thinly shaved asparagus, some slices of roasted red peppers and parmesan.
Seared sirloin with smashed chickpeas, silverbeet & chilli Marinate sirloin steaks in garlic mashed with oregano and olive oil. Grill to medium rare, then rest and slice. Warm the chickpeas then mash roughly, and toss with silverbeet that has been blanched then braised with garlic and chilli flakes and plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
Iceberg wedge salad with anchovy & eggs Hard boil some eggs and chop roughly. Warm extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add slivers of garlic and anchovy fillets and heat gently until melted. Add a dash of vinegar, then blitz together in a blender to form a cream adding more vinegar or olive oil until it emulsifies. Chop iceberg lettuce into wedges, scatter with the egg, chopped parsley and the anchovy sauce.