Spinach, yoghurt & chickpea salad

For 4 serves:

3/4 cup Greek yoghurt

1/4 cup EVO oil

1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

1/2 clove garlic, grated

Zest & juice of a lemon

Pinch salt

2 tins chickpeas, washed & drained

Bag of baby spinach

2 handfuls flaked almonds, toasted

Mix yoghurt, oil, garlic, onion, lemon juice & zest, pinch of salt. Stir in chickpeas. Lay onto spinach bed, sprinkle with almonds & drizzle with extra EVO oil.

Jeff's BBQ spiced lamb leg

1 leg lamb
6 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp baharat
4 lemons, halved crosswise

Combine rosemary, garlic, spices and oil and season well. Rub marinade over the surface of the lamb and place in a ceramic bowl and cover. Marinate at room temp for 2 hours or as long as you’ve got (if longer than 2 hours best to refrigerate and remove a couple of hours before cooking).

Heat a BBQ until very hot. Cook lamb for 3mins each side and place lemon halves cut side down. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 10 to 15 mins or until cooked to your liking. Remove lemons when slightly charred and keep warm. When meat is cooked, wrap in foil and allow to rest for at least 15 mins before carving. Serve with bbq lemon halves alongside.

Broccoli & parmesan soup

2 heads broccoli, chopped including tender stalks
1 small piece of parmesan rind, optional, + shaved parmesan to serve
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Bring 2 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Add broccoli, parmesan rind, if using and soy sauce.
3. Cover and simmer rapidly for about 8 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
4. Puree in the saucepan with a stick blender until smoothish.
5. Taste and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve with extra parmesan sprinkled over the top or stir through & pop a fried egg on top.

Cabbage & yoghurt salad

6 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 small clove garlic very finely chopped
1/4 small white cabbage

1. Whisk together yoghurt, garlic and lemon. Season generously.
2. Remove outer leaves from the cabbage and slice the remaining cabbage as finely as possible.
3. Toss cabbage in the dressing. Serve now or keep in the fridge until you’re ready.

Would go really well with a rich tomatoey curry.

Amazeballs meatballs

For the balls:

2 slices white bread, soaked in

60ml milk

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1 small onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 egg

60g grated Parmesan

For the sauce:
Passata
Black olives
Capers

Cornbread muffins

For 6:

1/4 cup polenta
3/4 cup self-raising flour
scant 1/4 cup caster sugar
pinch of salt
75 g butter, melted
1 egg
1.5 tsp psyllium husk, with 3 tsp water
1/2 cup creamed corn
1/2 cup milk

Oven to 180C & grease muffin tray. Whisk dry ingredients together, whisk wet ingredient together. Mix together, spoon into muffin tray & bake 20 minutes or so.

Jeff's Middle Eastern lentils

Serves 4:
6 tbsp olive oil
6 onions, halved and finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
5 cups water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, washed and drained
1 cup rice, washed and drained
1 cup plain yoghurt
Fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add one onion, garlic, cumin, cinnamon and allspice and saute for four minutes until onion is softened and lightly coloured.

Add water (or stock) and lentils and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in rice, return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook until liquid has been absorbed and rice and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.

Season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in pan and cook remaining onions until soft, well coloured and beginning to caramelise and blacken at the edges, about 30 minutes.

Arrange rice and lentils on a platter and sprinkle with caramelised onion. Serve with yoghurt and mint.

Vietnamese chicken salad

For 4 serves:

1 crappy (or 1/2 good) Chinese cabbage, sliced

2 carrots, grated

2 big handfuls coriander, chopped

1 big handful mint, chopped

Handful toasted peanuts, chopped

4 spring onions, chopped & fried

Poached chicken

Blitz:

1 chilli

3 cloves garlic

Small knob of ginger

2 spring onions

2 Tbsp (15ml) brown sugar

3 Tbsp EVO oil

Stir through:

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

Spicy Aussie pork burgers

6 burgers:
750g pork mince

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 egg

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup desiccated coconut

3 garlic cloves

Salt

Mix, shape into 6 big flat patties and BBQ or fry.

Serve with well-cooked onion and grilled pineapple.

Blueberry cheesecake french toast

For 4 sandwiches:
8 slices day old brioche (or white bread)
150g cream cheese
2 Tbsp (20ml) caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 tsp cinnamon
Butter for frying
Icing sugar, maple syrup and fresh blueberries to serve

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Stir through blueberries and spread on half the bread. Top with the other half.

Heat a frying pan with a knob of butter. Beat milk, cream, egg and cinnamon together. Rest each side of the sandwiches in the mixture for about 30 seconds. Fry about 4 minutes each side until golden brown.

If using, garnish with fresh berries. Dust with icing sugar & drizzle with maple syrup.