House full of blokes

My lovely boys love flavours from all around the world.  As I am supporting them to learn to cook they want to replicate some of their favourite dishes - these aren't always things that are already part of my repertoire and it takes a bit of research to find recipes that are simple enough to do with beginner cooks and that contain ingredients that are available in small town NZ.  I figure if I can get them here they are probably available in every other conceivable corner of the world. The dumplings we ended up with were fragrant and delicious with great texture contrasts in the tasty parcel.  These were simple to make - although took a wee while to assemble and steam (a larger bamboo steamer is on my wish list the next time I'm in a town with an Asian grocery store).  We will definitely be making them again and I can see quite a few variations to try - including different cooking methods and dipping sauces. We chose to serve these in a chicken broth with gin...

Butter chicken is a favourite curry - it is usually reasonably mild, but rich in flavour. This is a straight forward recipe for making butter chicken from scratch for a quick, delicious family meal.  Lummox number two made this for our dinner last night for his Thursday cooking slot - it was fabulous! Ingredients For the curry for 4 people 500g chicken thigh 2 cloves garlic 1 inch piece ginger 1 1/2 tsp turmeric  1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 tsp cumin 1 tsp garam masala Chili to your taste. We used one medium dried chili - but you could use fresh, chili flakes or chili powder for the amount of heat you like.  140g pot tomato paste 1 small pot natural unsweetened yoghurt 1 onion finely chopped 50g butter 1 cup fresh cream Large handful chopped fresh coriander For raita to serve with the curry 20cm piece cucumber Large handful fresh mint finely chopped 1 small pot natural unsweetened yoghurt Salt & pepper to season Method Ch...

I tried a product sample at the supermarket of a Spanish spicy bean soup.  I liked it so I bought a pouch to feed 2-4 people for lunch. The senior bloke at my house polished it off all by himself and I felt a little ripped off.  I looked at a couple of recipes on line and thought about the flavour profile and decided I could do it better myself.  This is the result.  I've made this soup about 4 times now and the family love it.  The recipe can be tinkered with a bit by omitting the chorizo or by including red capsicum with the other vegetables (expensive here in the winter). This is a rich, spicy, delicious soup. The beans and vegies make it a hearty meal. I love it with the addition of chorizo - but it's great as a vegetarian meal too. Ingredients 2 sticks celery chopped into small dice Medium red onion finely chopped 2 carrots chopped into small dice   200 grams chorizo chopped into small pieces (optional) 1-2 cloves garlic crushed ...

No New Zealand celebration would be complete without a pavlova.  This recipe makes a large pavlova, crisp on the outside and marshmallow through the centre.  It is cooked for 5 minutes only - but needs to cool in the oven overnight or until completely cold - so best made the day before.  I whip it up as the last thing before going to bed the day before a celebration. Ingredients 5 egg whites 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon vinegar (I use white vinegar, but malt is fine) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon cornflour Toppings 500ml fresh cream for whipping Your choice of berries or seasonal fruit - the picture shows a berry compote made with mixed berries and brown sugar. Method Preheat the oven to 180C Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl with the water Beat until egg whites form stiff peaks (an electric beater is best for this job - make sure everything is really clean as the whites will not beat properly if ...

Cupboard love is always alive and well in my home when lasagne is on the menu. This family fave is tasty and filling and always hits the mark - particularly good for feeding a crowd. Serves 6 For the bolognaise sauce 1kg beef mince Olive oil  1 medium onion diced  1 clove garlic crushed 140g tub tomato paste Can tomatoes in juice 1 tsp Italian herb mix 1tsp beef stick powder or 1 stock cube Salt and pepper to season Optional - diced mushroom & capsicum Cook onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pan until soft (5-7 minutes) Increase heat and fry off mince until it is browned and separated (Add mushroom & diced capsicum if using).  Add tomato paste and fry with mince.  Add canned tomatoes (chop if needed) Add herbs and seasoning, mix through and simmer stirring occasionally for 15-20 mins while you make the white sauce.  For the white sauce 50g butter 1/4 cup plain white flour 1 tsp chicken sto...