Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Cannelloni with herbed beef and béchamel
Some weekends provide the opportunity for cookery projects. Cannelloni has been on my “must try” list for many years, and I ran into a quality package of the tubes just last week so I had to give it a whirl. I wanted a meaty dish, so I chose a hybrid combination of recipes I found…
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Hoagie!!!
There’s something about the word hoagie that demands exclamation points. Probably because hoagies are just fun to eat and satisfy most palates. A hoagie on a freshly-baked roll is the sandwich equivalent of pizza. My 7-year-old with most of his baby teeth was the only one having a tough time. This recipe uses 100% bread…
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Moroccan Chicken Nuggets with Tahini dipping sauce
Unlike traditional nuggets these lightly-spiced, juicy bites are not deep fried. Instead they are drizzled with a layer of olive oil and placed in a hot oven for 20 minutes. The result is a crunchy, tasty and speedy mid-week meal that is not boring. I adore tahini spread, and to many people’s surprise, it’s not…
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Baked Salmon with Turmeric-spiced Tomato-Squash Bisque and Coconut Rice
I love recipes that combine multiple side dishes together into a more complex main dish. Like this one, where a sweet jasmine rice cooked with coconut milk is topped with a lightly spiced vegetable stew then topped with a simple filet of baked salmon. I had some kale so I added that for extra colour.…
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Caramelised Onion Pizza with Brie & Bacon
I got sucked into making this beast of a pizza after seeing an Instagram reel of the very same. His was focaccia but really what’s the difference? Use the dough recipe from BBQ Chicken Sheetpan Pizza with Jalapeños but do not divide the dough. This will result in a hulking, crunchy, soft base that holds…
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BBQ Chicken Sheetpan Pizza with Jalapeños
Every Friday, we treat ourselves to homemade sheetpan pizza. Now that it’s a routine I can practically make the dough with my eyes closed. I always ensure I have ‘OO’ bread flour in my house so I never have to panic about ingredients. While you can make the dough with 100% AP it is a…
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Honey-spiced Pork Tenderloin Nuggets
Pork tenderloin is made incredibly tender by a quick brine in some spiced salt rub and then is pan-seared. Honey added to the pan right at the end adds a warm flavour that everyone can appreciate. Serve with tortillas, over rice and beans or thrown into a wrap, this dish lends itself to re-invention. Serves…
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Creamy leek linguine with chicken and prawn
There is nothing more satisfying than creamy pasta dishes, especially with the cool and rainy Aussie “winter” we are having. The addition of extra protein by way of chicken tenders that I browned in the pan before making the sauce, makes this dish carb-wise. Leeks add a creamy essence that pairs well with tender prawns.…
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Apple Cake Muffins
I converted this classic NYT recipe for apple cake into a more manageable apple muffins recipe. Who makes apple cakes anymore with 2 cups of sugar? Unless you have a household of 6 a full cake would likely sit on the counter waiting to get mouldy. Try this recipe for a quick lunchbox snack for…
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Baked Potato Bar
I had completely forgotten about baked potatoes and how they can be an empty canvas for your creativity. You can make them vegan, crunchy, meaty, saucy, and they are an affordable meal that kids enjoy. Since I’m on a crunchy chick pea kick, I added them as a topping, with homemade bacon bits, freshly shucked…
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Creamy Kale Salad with Croutons, Squash and Crispy Chickpeas
I could eat this salad all day everyday. I would hire someone just to keep a rotating version of this recipe on hand at all times – which is to say, there is a decent amount of prep work with this recipe. It is both a winter and summer affair and works as either a…
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Bacon-cheese mini-Quiches
Not every morning is a wake-up-and-make-quiche-kind-of-morning, but when you do arise, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I hope you remember this recipe. I’ve learned, over the years, to keep a stash of puff pastry in the freezer so impromptu quiches, pork rolls, apple turnovers and the like, can get whipped up in a jiffy to everyone’s delight.…
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Traybake Prawns with Olives and Feta
This easy and elegant dish features frozen wild prawns and comes together in under 30 minutes. Serve alongside some blanched broccolini for a low carb weeknight meal. Or carb it up with a side of rice or sourdough bread. Ingredients: 1 kg frozen wild prawns (uncooked) 150g marinated olives 200g smooth feta (Danish Feta) 1…
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Beet Soup with Bacon
Most people would know this soup as borsch, however I did not properly consult numerous traditional recipes before creating this soup so I did not feel comfortable calling it that. While this may not be everyone’s favourite, beets are rich in folate and manganese which plays a role in brain function. So get your beets…
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Paella of the Land & Sea
I accidentally mastered this recipe the other night. I had no intention of posting it, but it turned out so perfectly with a mind-blowing “socarrat” (the name for the crispy flavoursome crust that forms on the bottom of the pan). Serve with a generous sprinkling of parsley and lemon wedges. While it seems intimidating, paella…
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Allspice & Olive 