preference: Vegetarian
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Broccoli and Orecchiette with Yoghurt and Peas
A simple, generous pasta built around vegetables and a soft yoghurt dressing. Orecchiette, broccoli and peas are folded together while still warm, finished with basil, pine nuts and olive oil—an easy dish for sharing, from the wonderful Hetty Lui McKinnon.
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Mushroom and Miso Soup
A quiet, savoury soup built on mushrooms and light miso. Simple to make, gently warming, and deeply comforting — this is the kind of everyday dish that rewards patience rather than fuss.
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Mushroom stock
Mushroom stock is my favourite quiet kitchen habit: mushroom stems and a few pieces of kombu gently simmered for twenty minutes, then bottled and kept in the fridge. It’s not a bold broth—just an easy way to add a splash of umami to soups, grains, sauces, and anything that needs a little extra depth.
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Vegetable Tian with Caramelised Onions
A warmly spiced vegetable tian layered with caramelised onion, roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomato. Served hot, it’s a deeply savoury dish that lets simple vegetables shine.
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Kim’s Quinoa Stuffing
This is a dead easy gluten free stuffing for your roast chicken. Light, herb-filled and wonderfully nutty, Kim’s quinoa stuffing is a fresh twist to a classic side dish.
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Julia Child’s Ratatouille
Eggplant casserole with tomatoes, onions, peppers and zucchini. Ratatouille perfumes the kitchen with the essence of Provence and is certainly one of the great Mediterranean dishes. As it is strongly flavored it is best when it accompanies plain roast or broiled beef or lamb, pot-au-feu (boiled beef), or plain roast, broiled, or sautéed chicken. Equally…
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Stephanie Alexander’s Ratatouille
I’m more influenced by Stephane’s take on ratatouille, which is considerably less faffing about than Julia’s, and still manages to capture the magic of that combination of onions, eggplants, tomatoes and zucchinis.
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The Edmonds’ Scone
This is the base scone mix I’ve used since I first learned to cook. It’s from Edmonds and rightly acknowledged as a Kiwi staple.
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Mushroom Pie
The savoury pies I most enjoy making are essentially stews encased in pastry. The challenge is making a thick tasty “meaty” gravy and filling that I can serve to vegetarians.