Get the kids to help you make these during the holidays, then add them to the regular lunchbox rotation come back-to-school time. If you’re reading this and have children then, according to recent research, there’s a 50% chance they aren’t consuming their recommended daily serving of vegetables. Walk through your local supermarket and it’s little … Read more
Covering Climate Now: There’s a range of dairy-free ice creams available these days, but it’s a fair bet none will be as delicious – or satisfying – as making your own. The Spinoff’s participation in Covering Climate Now is made possible thanks to Spinoff Members. Join us here! If the latest stats are anything to … Read more
Got a surplus of lemons? Make these and you’ll be thanking yourself in those months when they’re few and far between. Like little rays of sunshine, lemons are such a fantastically versatile fruit suited perfectly to both sweet and savoury dishes. Their flavour is equally wonderful on its own as it is married with other … Read more
When you crave fresh, bright flavours but summer veges seem far away, throw together this simple salad. Growing up we often ate this salad, or one very similar to it. My mum is a fantastic cook and this dish is one she still makes to this day – though I must confess her version is … Read more
Good on their own, even better with cheese – these crisp, moreish crackers are destined to become your new go-to savoury snack. These crackers have been on high rotation in our household – they’ve filled lunchboxes, accompanied fine cheeses on evening platters and been eaten by the fistful straight from the jar. They are thin and … Read more
Don’t chuck those lovely feathery green carrot tops in the compost bin – make this instead! We live in a little town in rural Taranaki. This semi-rural lifestyle has countless benefits, but one high on the list is the ready access to fresh, locally grown produce. There are two vegetable farmers no more than 15km … Read more
Pumpkin and blue cheese is one of the most comforting flavour combos of our time, so make a big pot of this and dive in (literally, if you want – we won’t judge). There is something wonderful about the combination of sweet, deep orange pumpkin and salty, sharp blue cheese. Even better when served alongside … Read more
A little bit of effort and a few weeks of patience will reward you with a secret weapon that’ll jazz up all manner of dishes. This pickle packs a serious flavour punch and if you’re anything like me, it will fast become a staple on your pantry shelves. It has a wonderful lime scent, is … Read more
For when toast or cereal just doesn’t cut it, but you don’t have the time or inclination to do any actual cooking, try this. If I ever cook rice (or grains of any kind) for dinner, I often make extra to turn into breakfast the following morning. The recipe that follows is a riff on … Read more
Ah, the tamarillo, another curiously New Zealand fruit that’s not actually a New Zealand fruit. But who cares when these tart, egg-shaped beauties make for as good a pud as this. We have a tamarillo tree that grows behind a row of feijoa trees up against our old shed down the back of our garden. … Read more
So thick, so luscious, so versatile. Yes, it’s strained yoghurt, but readers, it’s so much more. Something wonderful happens when you put a sieve of yoghurt over a bowl and sit back and wait. Don’t hurry it: the more patient you are, the more you will be rewarded. As the whey slowly drips from the … Read more
A slice of this slathered in butter makes for the perfect savoury snack. This loaf provides a wonderful burst of flavour that will brighten up any lunchbox. Make it as a loaf or in muffin tins for handy snacks. And as with the banana bread I shared last week, it’s always better with a generous … Read more
A one-pot energy boost that’s as good for breakfast as it is afternoon tea. I find packing lunches a challenge so am always on the hunt for inspiration to keep the kids’ lunchboxes both interesting and nourishing. What I love about this recipe is that it’s all made in one pot – fewer dishes once … Read more
A Taranaki couple threw in their high-flying careers to bring people together through the joys of good baking. Tucked down an alleyway off New Plymouth’s main street, just a stone’s throw from the famous Len Lye Centre, you’ll find Billow Bakery in its new home on the ground floor of Quarter Bank, a new development … Read more
This Italian dark leafy green comes into its own in the cooler months, and makes a delicious autumn/winter salad with apple and sunflower seeds. Now that the weather has cooled and the white butterflies have finally disappeared, my cavolo nero has bounced back to life and is producing more green-blue leaves than we know what … Read more
Is there anything better than pasta with meatballs in tomato sauce? The answer is no. Pasta has to be the ultimate comfort food – and if it’s accompanied by meatballs and sauce, then even better. I tend to get stuck in a meatball-making rut, so my family really only ever eats the same version, time … Read more
Still got a ton of feijoas to work through? Blend ’em up for a killer smoothie. I love how cooking changes to suit the seasons. Making the most of what little left you might have in your garden of one thing, and embracing the abundance you might have of another. This recipe celebrates the thousands … Read more
Drowning in feijoas, or can’t get enough of them? Either way, this is a delicious way to deal with a glut. We have 30 feijoa trees. Nine fewer than we had this time last year, and yet still far more than we know what to do with! At the peak of the season we collect … Read more
A treat for a chilly autumn evening. Lusciously smooth and velvety, bittersweet and spiked with orange, this is the perfect drink to sip while curled in your favourite chair by the fire. I’m a fan of dark chocolate so I haven’t added any sugar to this recipe. If you have a sweeter tooth then add … Read more
An autumnal tipple to warm the cockles. Right on cue, the weather gets cooler, the clocks go back and autumn is well and truly here. Should you still be clutching onto summer and tall glasses of crisp apple cider, then let this be your panacea. Full of warming spices and zesty orange, it warms the … Read more
Another delicious reason to get hold of some sourdough starter ASAP. Sourdough crumpets are wonderful for when you have excess starter you need to use up, or if the bread-making boat has sailed for the day but you’re in need of something bread-like! I often make these in the morning before school for the kids … Read more
Taking the time to make pasta by hand is a soothing, restorative experience, as is making sourdough bread. Combining the two, then, is a recipe for a very zen afternoon – not to mention a delicious dinner. I’ll never forget the first time I made pasta. I was 13 or 14 and we lived in … Read more
Switch up the flavour combination to suit your mood, or the contents of your pantry. Everyone needs a good staple biscuit recipe and I think this one is a winner. Packed with nutrient-dense oats, hazelnuts and coconut, it has texture and flavour with the addition of the figs, and the ginger lends a lovely earthy, … Read more
A simple, well-executed tomato pasta is a thing of beauty. This recipe is for those days when culinary inspiration just won’t strike, and if you’ve got a garden full of ripe tomatoes, it’s a great way to use them up (if not, a couple of tins of tomatoes work well too). With few ingredients, the … Read more
If you need a little help getting yourself out of bed during these chilly autumnal mornings, this should do the trick. With an abundance of blackberries in our freezer, and being rather partial to oats for breakfast, I dreamt this recipe up to add a little variety to the morning staples. It is amazing how … Read more
Easy baking to celebrate the best of late-summer fruit. This week and next, I’m sharing two recipes inspired by wild blackberries. Having grown up in the suburbs of Auckland, blackberry bushes were rather hard to come by, but now I find myself living a semi-rural lifestyle in the regions, blackberry bushes are rather hard to … Read more
Resist the call of the vending machine by having a batch of these tucked away for afternoon cravings. There’s nothing like having something nutritious and delicious on hand for when the afternoon cravings strike and you need an instant fix. The recipes that follow are quick and easy and make a generous batch of toasted … Read more
Reboot your school lunch repertoire – or your office lunch repertoire, for that matter – with a delicious new sandwich filling. I feel as though the school holidays were over even before they started, despite my initial feelings of trepidation at the thought of making it through six long weeks with three kids under six! … Read more
When it’s too hot to do more than throw a few ingredients together, this simple, elegant salad fits the bill perfectly. This salad is a celebration of summer and quality ingredients. The star of the show is without a doubt the peach: golden, sweet and slightly perfumed. When paired with the bite of the red … Read more