in the kitchen April 2016

Pizza Night! I love making pizza's on Friday nights or the weekends. Accompanied with red wine and kitchen tunes, standing (and dancing) in the kitchen all evening serving them as they come out of the oven and popping the next one in. Family favourites: Pumpkin, caramelized onions, feta and sage; Chorizo and roasted vegetables; Roasted zucchini, eggplant, red capsicum and caramelized onions; Tomatoes, black olives and fresh mozzarella; Ham and Pineapple (not mum's favourite at all!)

These pizzas were made several weeks after surgery and I almost collapsed after making them. There was definitely no wine drinking and I made them early in the day. My wild and free pizza making and wine drinking kitchen days are sadly over or at least for a year.

Sea Shepherd Pie. I'm making lots more vegetarian dinner meals (again) since my health issue. This one has french lentils, mushrooms, leek, carrot, celery and nutritional yeast flakes. Recipe here.

Chicken and Mayo Rolls. Left over roasted free range chicken drumsticks. Chopped up with parsley, squeeze of lemon and pepper on fresh bakery rolls. The kids enjoyed these the next day.

Lebanese Picnic for the kids while the big peeps enjoyed stuffed zucchinis. Kafta sausages are made with lean beef or lamb mince, cumin, shallots, parsley and white pepper. Here's how to do it. I make the wraps using my old faithful recipe, Flour Tortillas from The Waldorf Book of Breads. I think these days everyone knows how to make Hoummous but just in case Jamie Oliver's hoummous is pretty authentic.

Stuffed Vegetarian Zucchini. Brown Rice with Chia, a chopped tomato, fresh coriander, parsley and mint. Cumin, coriander, hot chilli, salt and pepper spices and tomato paste and water. Growing up this dish was known around my house as Kousa Mahshi and was made with minced beef. Recipe for the traditional dish can be found here including a video episode showing you exactly how to make it from Food Safari.

To make Kousa Mahshi (stuffed zucchini) you need a Manakra tool to core and scrape out the flesh of the zucchinis. I bought mine from a Lebanese grocery store.

Cheesy Broc Frits. From the Lunch Lady Mag Issue 1. Made with loads of broccoli, a bit of flour, an egg and parmesan to bind. Scrumptious! Pretty much been making these every second or third night.

Keen-wah and Carrot Patties. Another one from the Lunch Lady Mag issue 1. Alternating between these and Brocoli patties above. I can't stop making them!

Bacon and Zucchini Cashew Cream Penne. A packet of organic penne, one zucchini, footpath growing thyme, all natural ingredients bacon, local garlic, a supermarket bought onion and a cup of raw cashews loved by all three males in the house. For this dish I always whiz up a cup of cashews and a cup of water in my Froothie and add it to the cooked pasta, then I add the rest of the sauteed ingredients that is bursting with strong flavours.

So cooking friends, what have you been making?