Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Baked yams with miso butter

    Baked yams with miso butter

    A beguiling combination, this vegetarian recipe hits both flavoursome and satisfying notes. Miso butter offers a punchy, earthy, umami flavour that can be used widely in your cookery – make extra and keep it in the fridge so you have it on hand for other purposes. Miso is packed with probiotics which support immune function…

  • Pounded chicken breasts with mushroom sauce

    Pounded chicken breasts with mushroom sauce

    If you love butter this recipe is for you. Tad on the rich side, I warn you, but a perfect weekend meal to bring comfort. You could also use chicken thighs here, or even pork, pounded into a cutlet. A simple dredge in flour and some time in the oven is all it needs. Serve…

  • Multi-Pepper Pizza

    Multi-Pepper Pizza

    It is unfortunate that the Aussies call these vitamin-packed superfoods “capsicum.” Just the sound of that word ruins my appetite. No matter how long I live in Australia I will never call peppers THAT. Anyways, this great-looking pizza could have withstood a fourth whole sliced pepper to make it just that much over-the-top-peppery, but in…

  • Cilantro chicken meatballs in Thai-style broth

    Cilantro chicken meatballs in Thai-style broth

    When I found that this recipe in NYT Cooking had 12,000 5-star reviews I just had to try. It is a really tasty, home style recipe that can be made in under an hour. I doctored the broth to use up some cooked squash I had in the fridge but feel free to omit. Served…

  • Whole wheat Cruffins

    Whole wheat Cruffins

    One of my gripes, living in Gold Coast, is the lack of quality French bread, and the general incompetence of average Aussie bakeries. Crumpets however are an English bread invention that I have become totally addicted to. I hesitated to make crumpets due to not having a “crumpet ring” on hand. However, I discovered that…

  • Lamb & pine nut meat pies

    Lamb & pine nut meat pies

    An old-fashioned favourite, I remember how I loved eating these savoury pockets when my grandmother served them at family visits. Made with a no-frills yeasted dough, these savourytriangles get their flavours from lamb, allspice and pine nuts. Serve with labneh, hummus, tahini and pita bread salad. For the dough: 3 cups All purpose flour 1…

  • Cheesy Baked beans with Molasses

    Cheesy Baked beans with Molasses

    If you have some some canned butter beans in your pantry, try this tasty comforting dish that can be either a side or dish or a meal. Made in a cast iron skillet this dish is transferred to the oven easily for a final bake. Serve with franks or sausage or some runny boiled eggs…

  • Chicken Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce

    Chicken Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce

    If you have some extra time to fuss on the weekend try this dish which can be made with chicken thighs or breast. Add a glug of cream or Madeira for richness to the mushroom sauce. Serve alongside buttered noodles or roast veggies like I did. This is an Australian favourite and is what’s known…

  • Lamb skewers with mint-vinegar and tahini-yogurt sauce

    Lamb skewers with mint-vinegar and tahini-yogurt sauce

    This is quickly put together for a mid week meal and quite tasty with the addition of the sauces. I always love the addition of an “extra” sauce – it can be drizzled over meat, rice or be a dip for bread. Serve this easy meal with vermicelli-rice and a green salad. Ingredients: 750g boneless…

  • Roast Pork Loin with Balsamic Vinegar

    Roast Pork Loin with Balsamic Vinegar

    This is an amazing Jamie Oliver recipe which will surely blow you away and serve as another classic Sunday roast for your table. I was very impressed and overjoyed to find a fairly easy, but incredibly satisfying dish that everyone in the family can appreciate. Also: it’s not chicken!! This mom needed a break from…

  • Australian Pork Rolls

    Australian Pork Rolls

    This may not be a traditional take on these satisfying snacks but what can I say, I’ve still got a bit of Quebec in my blood, and crave tourtiere intermittently. For this reason, feel free to omit the nutmeg. The great thing about these rolls is they are very kid-friendly and can be packed in…

  • Stuffed Bell Peppers with Spiced Lamb

    Stuffed Bell Peppers with Spiced Lamb

    This is my go-to recipe when I am out of ideas and I want something comforting for dinner. It’s also packed with vitamins from bell peppers which, did you know have more Vitamin C than citrus fruits! Swap lamb for ground beef if you prefer or even use cooked brown rice or quinoa instead of…

  • Overcooked Green Beans with slivered almonds

    Overcooked Green Beans with slivered almonds

    This dish is always a hit in our house, which for a mum is double yay for the veggie dose it provides. The trick here is to go hard with the seasoning – that goes for all bean dishes. Also fresh beans need a lot more time in the sauté pan than you would expect.…

  • Pork Belly Tacos with Crackling

    Pork Belly Tacos with Crackling

    This is pretty much the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Pork belly was always something I tiptoed by in the supermarket, not wanting to force myself to experiment for fear I would waste time/money/ingredients on a sub par preparation. But when I came across Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Pork Belly tacos in a recipe book,…

  • Lamb leg with lemony garlic potatoes and rosemary

    Lamb leg with lemony garlic potatoes and rosemary

    This is such an easy home style preparation which takes very little effort to pull off. You just need to get your hands on some nice lamb. This meal was a bit of an Easter weekend treat for us, as a nice quality 2kg cut of lamb is pricey. But it does go a long…

Got any book recommendations?