my easy peasy winter lamb shanks in white wine with fresh veg and herbs

Winter is upon us yes dread o dread i love the cold months hearty meals like this but most of them are so time consuming this takes 30 minutes to prepare and then you just cook in oven till ready

4 small potatoes skin on cut in half 1 medium brown onion thickly sliced 6 big cloves of garlic just smashed with your hand/fist and husk off 1 medium carrot thickly sliced

1 tblsn fresh tyme and rosemary add salt cracked pepper to these

season shanks with salt pepper lay all of these into baking dish splash a bit of dry white wine

and olive oil cover with at least 2 layers of foil heat oven to max when really hot add dish for 20 minutes then lower oven to 180c cook for 2 hours check check check turn oven OFF leave in for another hour!

serve with your drooooolin mouth or gob as we sometimes say here in oz!
salt pepper again to suit your personal taste
enjoy as jennifer says!

mexico city grilled rockling.

this is my recipe get a great fresh bit o thick fish i like rockling for this
the picture is an ungrilled one i want you to see it as it should be before grilling in a pan

mix 2 tbsn olive oil with fresh coriander leaves 1 clove garlic finely chopped

add green tabasco to taste salt pepper 1 tspn smoky paprika and some funky lime or lemon zest thin slices

spread all over fish i cut some slits on top of the great thick steak so marinate will go through

leave covered room temp for an hour no more

heat pan till high heat sear both sides till slightly golden never ever over cook fish

never!

serve with a crisp salad

my secret thai roughly diced fish paste.

i love a coconut thai curry but i love leaving the milk! out sort of like malay cooking much more dry a curry hence less coconut milk i love it this way well heres a thai fish dish with no coconut milk at all its very spicy easy to make sorta but very easy to cook so a bit of karma

2 large cloves garlic a bit of ginger thats about as big as a biggish clove of garlic

2 small birds eye chillis seeds half removed 1 big red chilli finley diced 3 big kafirr leaves (thanks janice from her garden) a tight handful of coriander leaves and roots if you like and very very finely chopped lemongrass 2 tspns

finely chop these all together to the rough thai paste pictured

in between a blender and a morter/pestle try it its a fantastic texture that goes with the fish so well

add some peanut oil (1 tablespoon) water (2 tablespoons) fish sauce (1 teaspoon or to taste) well everything in fact also add a sprinkle of ground white pepper and 1 tspn of really good sweet chilli sauce

spoon over you fave fish i like flathead tails cover with foil bake 180c for 20 minutes or so check check check

make this dish your own

also makes your bench a mess but its worth it!

tapas idea #7,891

any idea you get in your head for an easy snack make it

TAPAS

invent away my foodie professors great baguette from a frenchy place

tuna slices with the oil it comes with top with chilled avocado spanish onions finely sliced

add some fruity chilli sauce like my fave 'encona west indian hot pepper sauce'

BEWARE

this sauce is hot but o so fruity not sweet but fruity use with caution!
if you cant find this sauce green tabasco works well with this

just a few drops all to taste as ive always said

top with fresh parsley

and enjoy.

old fashion british style lamb chops very yum yum!

get some lovely lamb chops but not too thin 1 inch thickness is best for this recipe as you can sear them fast and it still remains pink and juicy in the middle

leave chops till room temp add pepper salt heat olive oil in pan till hot add chops sear both sides till golden then add 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce to hot pan and turn chops once or twice while reducing sauce boil off till chops are glossy but a bit dry not too much check with my photo its very accurate as it should look add more salt pepper if you like all to taste

as jennifer from the 2 fat ladies says nobody knows your taste than yourself

make this dish your own!

easy but exotic nachos!

who does not love a nachos this is my speedy gonzales dish for a wonderful but easy snack to make you can add homemade avocado dip (recipe pending) sour cream fresh chillis your fave hot chilli sauces etc as ive always said make this dish your own this is the start of the idea!

layer natural corn chips you know what i mean not flavoured ones

add your favourite tasty cheese (full fat please as jennifer would have insisted upon)

sprinkle with some smoky paprika and ground chillis to taste add some finely sliced shallots

oven bake covered 180c heat till still gooey dont let the cheese dry out so check after 15 mins

serve with some chilled spanish onion bread and a crispy salada

you know speedy gonzales was a carpet layer hence his cry 'underlay underlay'

bad joke i know.

Bon Apetite

TAPAS IDEA #769a

this is my tapas idea and you can dream up any tapas you like the flavors must work together!

slice a great baguette into one inch slices drop into a pan with olive oil turn turn turn till crispy

add great cheese of your choice i like italian provalone its close to spanish cheeses

let melt add at the last turn of the bread cracked pepper and if you are feeling hungry a bit of shaved parma ham on top with a little drizzle of warm olive oil lemon juice diced capers and parsley

more to come i love tapas so easy and a smorgasboard of tastes

where does that word smorgas well you know the one come from?

smorgasbord |ˈsmôrgəsˌbôrd|
noun
a buffet offering a variety of hot and cold meats, salads, hors d'oeuvres, etc.
• figurative a wide range of something; a variety : the album is a smorgasbord of different musical styles.
ORIGIN Swedish, from smörgås ‘(slice of) bread and butter’ (from smör ‘butter’ + gås ‘goose, lump of butter’ ) + bord ‘table.’

there you go!