It's true that we "eat with our eyes".

Most cooks consider the appeal of contrasting (and bright) colours when putting together a meal.

Simon gets deep today, asking, "Is there a place for grey food?"

Yes, if you count oysters as a grey food!

What else?

Listen here...

Tomato Tonnato recipe

Arrange 5-6 big chunky vine tomatoes (about 900g), sliced on a gorgeous platter.

In a blender

5 tbs olive oil

85g tin of tuna in oil

2 anchovy fillets

2tsp drained capers

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 garlic clove

a few basil leaves

Whizz until creamy. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Spoon the sauce over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper and more basil leaves. Serve with crunchy bread.

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We can't nail every meal!

Especially when we're cooking in someone else's kitchen!

On today's episode, Yumi and Simon both get pod therapy about their most recent disasters, and Simon does a do-over on a delicious Baba Ganoush.

DO-OVER BABA GANOUSH

2-3 eggplants, pricked with a skewer or fork (if you don't want to live dangerously)

Cook the eggplants WELL on the BBQ. Like, REALLY WELL, so they're blackened and blistered and completely yield.

Allow them to cool and sweat a bit on a plate, then rub off the skin, cut off the heads, and with the remaining soft cooked flesh, chop in up on a big board with a big knife.

In a big bowl, season with salt (but not too much), a good glug of olive oil, the juice of at least 1 lemon, and some spoons of tahini. Greek yoggut *could* be deployed here but is optional.

Serve with crusty bread or on the side with lamb. Yum.

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On today's episode Simon and Yumi reminisce about when they first started recording the podcast more than 280 episodes ago - in the KiiS Sydney studios, using Kyle Sandilands's diamond-encrusted microphone.

It's been an incredibly fun and delicious ride since then and today's a bit of a full-circle moment as Simon builds on that first ever episode's food suggestion - try grating a tomato on your box grater. Add olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, garlic if you want (don't have to), and then spoon this simple mixture onto sourdough toast. Unbelievable!

So what now? Cook it? Add seafood? You'll have to listen! And share the podcast with your people!

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When I worked at a café I was often elbows-deep in salad. This tuna salad was SO POPULAR that I’ve included it in our cookbook, The Food Fix (OUT THIS WEEK!). It’s a great one to make in advance and use to fill your sandwiches all week. Surprisingly delicious, filling and healthy. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS 
1 small red capsicum 
3 spring onions (green tops only) 
150g celery stalks and leaves, washed and dried 
4 tbs finely chopped parsley 
425g tinned tuna, well drained 
½ cup (120g) mayo (I use Golden Soya Mayo for this recipe) 

METHOD 
Cut all the vegetables including the celery leaves to a 5mm dice. Add the tuna and mayo and mix gently. Refridgerate immediately and use within 1 week.  

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Low-stakes, high reward recipes don't get much better than this! 

An unexpectedly brilliant and nourishing salad dressing that takes 2 minutes to make, contains 5 simple ingredients and can turn your humble iceberg lettuce into a meal?

Halfway through this I suddenly got real with myself and went. "You're going to want more." So this recipe is for the larger amount - it's easy to scale up and down, customise with chilli, etc, and I recommend croutons! (Even 4 is enough.) @simonpdavis @yumichild @iheartradioau @gourmetgarden_aus #gourmetgarden #freshfor4weeks #sponsored 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipes 

ZESTY HUMMUS DRESSING
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs Gourmet Gardens Zesty Lemon Paste

4 tbs shop-bought hummus

1 tsp ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small jar, mix well, then pour over salad leaves, eg., iceberg lettuce, and croutons, and enjoy!

Fresh and zesty red sauce

Serves 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, halved and sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon puréed lemon zest OR zest of 1 large lemon

6–8 tomatoes, finely chopped (or 1 x 400g tin chopped plum tomatoes)

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup water, plus extra if necessary

a small handful of black olives, torn

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

Method: 

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion and cook stirring, for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened, then add the garlic, lemon zest and olives and cook for a further minute.

Add the tomatoes to the pan, season with a generous pinch of salt and a good few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and started to release their liquid. Add the water and continue to cook, bubbling away, for 10–15 minutes, stirring as necessary and adding a splash or two of extra water if it looks like things might dry out. When the sauce is thickened and glossy and the tomatoes have broken down completely, remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary and you’re sauce is good to go.

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Here’s your reminder that polenta is excellent and maybe deserves a place on your table tonight?! A cheesy, warm, unctuous polenta is one of the most delectable luxuries to enjoy in cold weather. It’s got a bit of stigma as something you have to stir and stir, but honestly, it only takes about 10 minutes!! 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

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Personally, I ADORE the challenge of unexpected guests because I'm a prepper - for food emergencies! HOWEVER, if I didn't already have a freezer bursting with emergency gnocchi, I'd send out for sausages, chicken fillets, more milk, more bread, (check to see if you need) more tomato sauce, and I'd also order in a couple of butter lettuce.

The trick? Make that beautiful dressed lettuce leaf salad LIKE A CHEF. Which is to say, confident, elegant, and not over-fussed. Lettuce, done well and on its own = 👌. And then spaced out generously on an oversized platter? Heaven.

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe

Here's one of our favourite, most simple and elegant salad dressing recipes EVER.

40ml white balsamic vinegar

80ml Australian olive oil

1 tsp seeded mustard

1 tsp honey

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 clove finely grated garlic

Combine everything in a small, clean jar and shake well to combine. 

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Cabbage lasts forEVER but it’s better to USE it than have it sitting in the fridge taking up real estate! In this recipe we talk you through a DELICIOUS cabbage salad that uses up that cabbage and is zingy, delicious and NOT AT ALL TRICKY TO MAKE. A peanut satay saucy dressing is a keeper FOR LIFE, and it’ll use up your cabbage beautifully, as long as you listen to us and HOLD YOUR NERVE! Find the full recipe with pictures in our new cookbook, The Food Fix! Which is out this month in all good bookstores. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

DRESSING 
100g peanut butter (use whatever peanut butter you have – I use crunchy) 
juice of 1 lime (save the lime halves) 
2 tbs sesame oil 
2 tbs rice vinegar 
1 tbs plain oil (eg., grapeseed) 
1 tsp finely grated ginger 
salt, to taste 

SALAD 
¼ white cabbage 
¼ purple cabbage 
2 green apples 
1 ½ cups roasted peanuts 
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks (I use a V-slicer or specialised peeler for this) 
large handful of mint leaves, chopped 

METHOD 
Combine all the dressing ingredients! It should taste really good already so give it a taste. 
Shave the cabbage as thinly as possible. Core and slice the apples and give the pieces a little rub with the lime halves to stop them going brown. 
Crush the peanuts a little by either bashing them in a mortar and pestle, giving them a quick whizz in the food processor or chopping them with a knife. (I prefer the food processor.)  
Combine the cabbage, apple, peanuts, carrot and mint and toss well before adding the dressing. 
This salad lasts well for office/uni lunches – as others might be allergic, be mindful of the peanuts!  

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We’re always charging to get pasta into little ones. Why? Well, it goes down extremely easily, the whole family can have it and enjoy it and that means job done for the night/easy win. But are we forgetting how good ‘grown up’ pasta can be?  

This recipe is very much a grown-up pasta, leaning into the aniseedy flavours of fennel and dill to give you something sophisticated, moreish and (if you’ve made up your own fresh noodles) out of this world outrageously good.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

THE RECIPE 

Prawn and fennel tagliatelle 

Slice 2 medium-sized fennel bulbs in half and then into thin slices. Melt 30g of butter and warm in a deep-sided shallow pan with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add the fennel and the juice from half a lemon. Cover with a lid and leave to cook over a low to moderate heat, stirring ocassionally for a good 20 minutes, until the fennel is soft and translucent (this slow cooking is important).  

Roughly chop a handful of dill. Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil. Peel and very finely slice 2 cloves of garlic (optional), then add them to the fennel after 15 minutes. Rinse and dry 6-8 large prawns, then add them to the fennel. Let the prawns steam for 3-4 minutes. They are done once their shells have turned pink. 

Drop 150g of fettuccine or tagliatelle into the boiling salted water. ***OPTIONAL Pour 250ml of pure cream into the fennel and stir gently, removing from the heat as soon as it is hot. ***OPTIONAL*** Drain the pasta and toss with the fennel, prawns and cream. Divide between 2 plates, finishing the dish with a fine grating of lemon zest, the dill and a grinding of black pepper. 

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We talk about that SMUG feeling a bit on this podcast and we simply ADORE the smug feeling of having chicken marinating in the fridge! It’s like having money in the bank - you know it’s sitting there waiting to be GORGEOUS. And chicken is a bit of a BLANK CANVAS (like tofu) and you need to put your art into it to turn it into something wonderful - what better way than with a marinade?  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

2 tbs tikka masala curry paste 

+ 2 cloves of garlic 

2 tbs ginger 

2 chillies 

Cumin seeds, ground 

Lime juice 

Tsp salt 

1 can coconut cream 

Oven at 190C. Cook for 50 minutes. Serve on rice. 

(I use chicken marylands, a whole butterflied chicken or chicken thigh cutlets. The cooking time will vary depending on which cut you use.) 

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What's not to love about stone fruit any time of the year? A good-sized plum, or finely sliced nectarine can round out a classy cheeseboard in a way that we underestimate! Try it! Also on today's episode WHAT IS A RUSTIC COBBLER and more to the point WHAT'S A COBBLER WE CAN MAKE TONIGHT? 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

FRUIT
1kg mixture of Californian stone fruit, eg., plums/nectarines/peaches

100g sugar

100g butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

Peel the skin from your peaches, then chop all the fruit into chunky, slightly-bigger than mouth-sized pieces. In a medium saucepan, combine all the 'FRUIT' ingredients and cook for 25 - 30 minutes depending on how soft you like your fruit (I like mine a bit toothsome). Set aside.

DOUGH:
Mix 100ml of milk whisked with 1 egg

280g SR Flour

140g cold butter, cut into cubes

140g caster sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Get the flour and butter into a bowl and use your fingertips to combine the two until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, cinnamon and (optional) pinch of salt, mix again. Pour in the egg/milk mixture and use a large spoon to gently stir into a shaggy, rustic dough. Don't overmix.

For the one in the pictures, I did this step the night before I cooked it.

When you're ready to cook your cobbler, pre-heat the oven to 170C (fan).

Pour the fruit into the bottom of an oval baking dish. Cover with hockey-puck sized discs of dough in an overlapping cobblestone pattern. (The dough is much firmer and easier to handle if left overnight in the fridge.) 

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then serve with whipped cream or regular pouring cream. ENJOY!

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This is a quick fish pie that delivers all the notes you want! The difference? It employs some BRILLIANT hacks to get it on the table with minimum turnaround. Simon credits it with transforming fish pie from once-in-a-blue moon effort to mid-week wonder.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

THE RECIPE

(SERVES 4) 

8 sheets (about 165 g) filo pastry 

100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly 

lemon wedges, to serve 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). 

Combine 1 cup (250 ml) milk, 2 lightly beaten eggs, ½ cup (130 g) Greek-style yoghurt, a handful of roughly chopped parsley or dill, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (if you like), if using, in a bowl and mix well. 

Combine 20 large raw peeled prawns, 2 hot-smoked trout or salmon fillets or 1 whole one, 1 cup frozen peas and 1 finely sliced fennel bulb in a large bowl, then spoon into an 8 cup (2 litre) baking dish, then pour milk mixture over the top. 

Brush the one side of each filo sheet all over with the melted butter and place them in a pile. Gently scrunch up the pastry and lay it on top of the pie filling to cover it completely. Bake for 25–30 minutes in the middle of the oven until the pastry is golden and crisp. Leave to cool slightly, then serve with the lemon wedges. A nice green salad or some of Yumi’s Burnished Broccoli would go very well with this, too.    

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You know how there are some brands of clothes that you just KNOW the size is right and the fit will be good on you? Yumi feels that same sort of simpatico relationship with the recipes of Belinda Jeffery. She inspired the Tomato Pie recipe we talked about earlier and that actually appears in our cookbook. She also has this recipe for Snail Scones that is SO GOOD. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE 

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour 

pinch salt 

1 tablespoon caster sugar 

75g cold unsalted butter, cut into little chunks 

¾ – 1 cup (180 – 250ml) milk 

1 egg yolk, whisked with 2 teaspoons of water or milk to make an egg wash 

icing sugar, for dusting 

More jam, softly whipped cream and fresh strawberries (optional, to serve) 

Strawberry butter: 

60g unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1/4 cup (80g) good quality strawberry (or raspberry) ja 

Line a shallow baking tray with baking paper. then set it aside.  

1. Put the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and whiz them together to combine.  Add the butter and process the mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, then tip it into a bowl. (You can also do this by hand in a large bowl. Simply rub the butter chunks into the flour mixture with your fingertips.) Pour in the milk and mix it in lightly with a fork. You will have to adjust the milk a little – you need just enough to make a soft, slightly flaky dough. 
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it gently until it’s fairly smooth. Then roll (or pat it out with your hands), into a rectangle about 30cm x 20cm. 
3. For the strawberry butter, put the butter and jam into the food processor and whiz them together until they’re thoroughly mixed. Otherwise, just cream them together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Spread this strawberry butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1cm wide strip uncovered on the long side that is furthest away from you. Brush a thin layer of egg wash on the strip of dough that is uncovered. Starting at the long side nearest you, roll the dough up like a jam roll, pressing down gently on the final roll to help seal the egg-washed edge to the roll. Carefully transfer the log to the prepared baking tray and chill it for at least an hour (you can safely leave it for 2 – 3 hours, if you like). When I’ve been pushed for time, I’ve made these without chilling the log first, just cutting then baking the scones, and they’re still delicious but tend to open out a little. 
4. Preheat your oven to 200C. 
5. Remove the tray from the fridge and gently transfer the log to a cutting board. Use a lightly floured knife to cut the log into 3cm-thick slices. (The dough may be a bit soft and squashy to cut but I find if you use a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion it works well.) 
6. Sit the resulting snails, cut side-down, on the lined tray, leaving a gap between each one to allow them to spread. 
7. Just before putting the scones in the oven, brush very lightly around the sides of each one with the egg wash to give them a golden glaze as they bake.  Bake them for 15-20 minutes or until the scones are light golden. 
8. When they’re ready, remove them from the oven, dust them with icing sugar and pop them into a serving basket lined with a clean cloth or tea towel to keep them warm. Serve them straight way with jam, cream and fresh strawberries. 

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Some great info in today's episode about why some foods burn while we're cooking them EVEN WHEN WE'RE RIGHT THERE WATCHING.

It's all about SUGAR content!

Whether in a bolognese sauce or the fancy toast you keep burning, WHY? And what to do about it?

PLUS - try this brilliant Teriyaki Sauce recipe that is TOO EASY to believe!

TERIYUMMY CHICKEN

500g chicken thigh fillet, cut into plus-size nuggets, dusted in plain flour

2-3 tbs plain oil, eg., grapeseed, peanut or canola

TERIYAKI SAUCE

2 tbs Kikkoman soy sauce

2 tbs mirin (a sweet wine)

1 tsp honey

Preheat the oil in a heavy-based frypan. When it's hot to sizzle, tumble in the dusted chicken pieces. Fry until burnished, then when pretty cooked, pour in the combined teriyaki sauce ingredients. Cook, stirring to coat the chicken and reduce a little, then remove from the heat and serve immediately on hot rice. Optional: top with a handful of roasted cashews.

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EVERYONE has a Bolognese recipe, but guaranteed they all make you have a gassy bottom, and frankly, life’s too short to want to kick YOUR OWN SELF OUT OF YOUR OWN BED. If you’re a bit allergic to onions or don’t like the farts they create, try subbing it out for fennel. Fennel actually has ANTI-fart qualities! 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

Ingredients  

½ fennel bulb 

1 carrot 

2 zucchinis 

1-2 anchovy 

3 tbs olive oil 

Method 

Fry up. Give it a good go, say 10 mins on medium. Remove from the pan and then allow the pan to get properly hot again before adding the meat. 500g of pork or 500g of pork-beef combo. Brown the meat off. When cooked, add back in the veg + 2 cans of chopped tomatoes. Cook to reduce - a good hour or so. Add in 2 tbs of tomato paste, season with salt and pepper and add any herbs that your kids don’t find disgusting, eg parsley, oregano, basil. 

I’m getting so good at waste reduction in my house that I know by weight exactly how much to portion and freeze so that I have 2 serves per portion. 

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We’ve talked stews a bit in our slow-cooker episode, but here they are taking CENTRE STAGE. Why? Because when done well, they are amazing things. Nutritious, warming, economical, easy to scale up, make brilliant leftovers. What more could you want?  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

This stew is a classic Greek stifado - and is characterised by its use of tiny little onions (yes, mini grenades for your guts Yumi, but delicious for others). It’s all cooked in the one pot, tastes fantastic, and is best made in a big cast-iron pot.  

2 tbsp olive oil 30 ml 

900 g stewing beef cut into 2.5cm cubes 

1 large onion chopped 

4 garlic cloves finely chopped 

125 ml (½ cup) red wine  

125 ml (½ cup) beef or chicken stock  

60 ml (1/4 cup) red wine vinegar  

5 tablespoons tomato paste  

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/4 tsp ground cloves 

1 fresh (2 small dry) bay leaf  

20 medium pearl onions 

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Add 900g stewing beef (cut into 2.5cm chunks) and 1 large chopped onion and cook until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion is lightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes. 

Bung in all the other ingredients (4 finely chopped garlic cloves, ½ cup red wine, ½ cup beef or chicken stock, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 5 tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 fresh (2 small dry) bay leaf) and bring to a boil. 

Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer until the beef is tender, about 90 minutes. Add the pearl onions and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Job done. 

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It’s soup weather, and you’ve probably got a few ideas of what to make (if not, go back and find my excellent recipe for orzo and sweet potato chicken soup). But what about REALLY making it a “moment” with some homemade bread?  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Potato Bread recipe  

200g chopped potato 

100g self-raising flour 

2 tbs cream or sour cream 

1 tbs finely chopped parsley 

1 tbs finely chopped spring onion/chives 

Boil the potato for 10 mins. Drain and mash then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Form a little log with it (about 15cm X 7cm), brush the top with milk and a sprinkle of salt, and bake in hot oven (220C) for 16 - 18 mins. Serve hot with butter. 

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Simon LOVES sweet potato at this time of year. Why? It’s plentiful! It lasts for ages on the counter! It makes a nice change from potato! It’s also really good for you – tons of vitamin A, vitamin C, fibre and lots of other bits. And when the kids are being unruly it makes for a great weapon to threaten them with! The problem is, it can do with livening up – it’s just too sweet and doesn’t change mouthful to mouthful.  

LOVE SWEET POTATO FOR WHAT IT IS - don’t try to bend it to your will.  

It’s NOT toast. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe

SWEET POTATO NACHOS 

Serves 4 

Cut 750 g sweet potato into thin rounds (5mm), toss in oil, lay on a baking sheet and cook in oven for 30 mins until caramelised and soft.  

At the same time, make up a batch of quick pickled red onion by finely slicing 1 red onion, covering in juice of 1 lime (or a splash of red wine vinegar and leaving to sit).  

Heat your grill to high. Top sweet pots with 1 tin drained black beans, 200g good jarred tom salsa, and a mix of crushed tortilla chips and grated cheddar (2 large handfuls and 100g cheese). Cook for 6-8 minutes until golden and bubbling.  

Take tray to table, serve with 1 cubed avo, tossed together with lime juice and zest.  

Job. Done. 

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Gnocchi is truly a sensory delight. And you CAN make it from scratch pretty easily. Or not - just buy a packet. The good thing about if you DO make it from scratch is that it freezes fantastically and you can reap the rewards for months after you make it. The meditative quality of this type of food prep is immensely rewarding… And this recipe is IDIOT PROOF, we promise! 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

Ingredients  

500 g fresh ricotta cheese  

150 g finely grated Grana Padano cheese  

2 eggs  

1 egg yolk  

1 tsp salt 

pepper, to taste  

2-3 whispers of freshly grated nutmeg 

250g – 300g strong (‘00’) flour 

Method 

1. Drain any watery liquid off the ricotta so that it’s as dry as possible. Combine all ingredients except the flour in a large bowl and mmix well.  
2. Clear a good amount of clean bench space and make sure the flour is close to hand. Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to the boil.  
3. Add 200g flour to the ricotta mixture and combine. Mix it with your hands, feeling for whether it could be rolled and hold its shape. You want to perform minimal mixing while using minimal extra flour. If you're unsure, plop a sample ball into the boiling water and see if it holds its shape – wait until the gnocchi floats, then try it. (It may withstand the boiling but not, say, being skewered by a fork.)  
4. When the dough feels right, cut it into four, then roll each quarter into a long sausage. Cut into gnocchi-sized pieces. Allow 100g gnocchi per person. Lay any remaining uncooked gnocchi on a baking tray and pop into the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to airtight containers or snap lock bags and freeze for up to 3 months (they can be cooked from frozen).  
5. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water: they will float when cooked (2-3 minutes). Stand by with a slotted spoon ready to scoop them out.  
6. Serve them with a simple sauce: butter and sage, pesto (store-bought is fine!!) or blue cheese, pine nuts and cream.  

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The other cheese (and to Simon’s mind, the far superior option to the mac ‘n’ cheese that Yumi loves so much she’s put it in TWO of her books). Why  is it better? Well, veg makes it SO much more nutritious/delicious/interesting; however, it can be made very, very badly. And a bad cauli cheese is a horrible thing – often watery, sulphurous and just generally repulsive.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

THE RECIPE 

Main tips: AVOID WATERY CAULI AT ALL COSTS! The problem is, the cauli needs a bit of pre-cooking before it hits its doona of silky cheese sauce and bubbles in the oven, or else it will be crunchy (and that’s almost as bad). The secret. DON’T PARBOIL AS PER TRAD RECIPES. Instead roast. Why? You’ll reduce the water content, up the veg’s sweetness and even introduce those elements of char. SD has taken this to extremes and cooked it in the wood-fired oven, but a normal oven at 200-220 for 20 mins or so will do. You just want it nicely charred and starting to soften.  

What then? Make a roux. Not hard, just add a few tbsp of flour and butter to a pan and melt together to form a bubbly paste. Then pour in a little milk, add a bit more and more, getting it a bit thicker, then add a good few handfuls of grated cheese (tasty/cheddar) and maybe a bit of mustard for a little kick. When it’s nice and bubbly and molten and fondue-y, you’re good to go. 

Now arrange the cauli florets in a baking tray. Add a few extra ingredients if you like at this point (I like torn olives, a few small cherry tomatoes sometimes, a few handfuls of spinach, maybe some leftover cooked french style lentils or homemade baked beans) then spoon over the sauce to cover. Shower with a few generous handfuls of grated parmesan, scatter over some breadcrumbs if you like for added crunch then slide into the oven at 180-200 and cook for 20–30 minutes until bubbling, deep mahogany and majestic. Eat. 

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When you need something GREEN and GREAT in your life, why not set aside the salads and make this soup? Chances are you’ll have all the ingredients you need in already and it’s one of the easiest things you’ll ever cook. Dress it up with a swirl of pesto and a big old handful of croutons like this (search back through our archive for Yumi’s killer recipes for these, if you like, or pick them up from the shops), dollop in a little yoghurt or cream and you’re away.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

Serves 4–6

2 tablespoons butter 

1 onion, finely chopped 

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (water and a stock cube is fine) 

500 g frozen baby peas 

1 teaspoon sea salt 

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

3 tablespoons pesto (Yumi’s or a good jarred one)  

Greek yoghurt, sour cream or crème fraîche, to serve 

olive oil, for drizzling 

croutons, to serve 

Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook over medium–low heat for 5–10 minutes, until the onion is soft. Add the stock, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat and add the salt and pepper. 

To purée the soup in batches, place 1 cup (250 ml) soup in a blender, place the lid on top, and purée on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is puréed (or use a hand-held blender and blitz the soup in the pan in one go).  

Stir through the pesto, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with dollops of yoghurt or cream, a drizzle of olive oil and a hefty scattering of croutons. 

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Apples and cheese. A FANTASTIC combination… but in a pie?  

Turns out, it’s a thing, and one that’s got Simon very excited. This easy pie makes use of ready-bought puff to keep things simple, while still delivering the goods on the flavour front. Eat it, marvel at it, go back for more. You’ll never look at another apple pie in the same way again. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

Serves 4–6 

vegetable oil or cooking oil spray, for greasing 

8 cooking apples  

2/3 cup caster sugar 

¼ cup self-raising flour 

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

pinch of sea salt flakes 

2 sheets frozen puff pastry 

4 handfuls grated mature cheddar cheese 

2 tablespoons butter 

custard or vanilla ice cream, to serve 

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease a 23 cm pie tin with oil. 

Peel and core the apples and cut into 5 mm (¼ inch) slices. 

Mix the sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl. Add the apples and stir to coat. 

Lay a puff pastry sheet on the benchtop, scatter half the grated cheddar over, then fold in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 5 mm thick with a rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry sheet and cheese. Use one sheet of the pastry to line the prepared pie tin. 

Spoon the apple mixture into the lined pie tin and dot with the butter. Cover with the remaining puff pastry sheet and seal the edges. Cut slits in the top (to allow the steam to escape and prevent the pastry going soggy). 

Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the juices are bubbling through the slits. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving with custard or vanilla ice cream. 

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You know how there are some clothing brands that you just KNOW will fit you? Well, I’m a huge fan of food writer Belinda Jefferey and just KNOW that her recipes fit me! This is one of her most beloved creations – it's a crusty, trusty, cheesy TOMATO PIE.  

You can find the full recipe in our new cookbook, THE FOOD FIX, which is out in all good bookstores now! 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

INGREDIENTS  
800g tinned tomatoes (I look for one of those massive tins) 
1 ½ cups (225g) of SR flour 
1 tsp mustard powder 
1 tsp salt 
½ tsp ground white pepper 
1 cup (100g) finely grated Grana Padano cheese or Parmesan 
½ cup (50g) coarsely grated sharp/crumbly cheddar cheese (I use Mersey Valley) 
125g cold butter, cubed 
2 eggs 
½ cup (80ml) milk 
a squirt of sriracha  
6-8 ripe tomatoes, sliced into rounds 

METHOD 
Preheat the oven to 180C and line the base of a 26cm springform cake tin with baking paper. 
Drain the tin of tomatoes into a sieve, sitting over a bowl, and give them a stir every now and then to try to release as much of the liquid as possible (save this for stock). 
Measure the flour, salt, pepper, mustard powder into your food processor and whizz to combine. Add the cheeses then give a short blast to combine again. Finally, add the butter and whizz one more time until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  
Decant the mixture into a bowl. 
In a medium jug, whisk together the milk, eggs and sriracha, then pour the wet mixture into your flour-cheese bowl. Mix until it forms a shaggy dough. 
Arrange the tomato slices in a pattern on the base of the cake tin. Spoon the drained tomato pulp over the top and spread it out evenly. 
Scrape spoonfuls of the cheesy dough on top and use your clean fingers to spread it out evenly. (It doesn’t have to be perfect.) 
Bake for 35 minutes. Check if it’s cooked then remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with fresh basil and a salad. 

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Our book is jam packed with ideas for quick and easy dinners, but it’s also got a great section on condiments. Why? Because these can really take your food from meh to wow in seconds. Simon recently made Yumi’s SWEET CHILLI SAUCE and is OBSESSED.  
The full recipe can be found in our brand-new cookbook, THE FOOD FIX! It’s out in all good bookstores this week. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

Sweet chilli sauce (makes 1 bottle) 

Shove ½ cup rice wine vinegar, 1 cup each of water and white sugar, 1 tbsp sake, 1 cup finely l chopped long red chillies (w. seeds) ½ clove finely grated garlic and 1 teaspoon soy sauce into a small saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the cornflour slurry (1 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp water) and stir until thickened and glossy then pour into a sterilised jar or bottle.   

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On today's episode I take care to explain exactly what is meant by the Very Online term, 'Girl Dinner'... and I have a girl dinner of my own to share, based on this recipe - but not much like it at all.

YUMI'S GIRL DINNER FLATBREAD

1 x small, round za'atar flatbread, shop bought

about 150g of halloumi cheese, grated

1 x medium zucchini, shaved into ribbons

salt, pepper, a drizzle of honey (optional), fresh oregano (optional)

Pre-heat the grill to HOT.

Top the flatbread with grated halloumi and then arrange the ribbons of zucchini artfully around on top. Season with salt and pepper then pop under the hot grill for about 5 mins. (Keep an eye on it - your grill is different to mine, and how close your tray is to the heating element makes a huge difference to how long it will need. You want the bread hot and steamy, the zucchini cooked and the cheese melted.)

Pull out, pop on a plate, drizzle with honey and oregano if you can stump up that much energy, then serve with an opened tin of sardines on the side. If you want. I mean Simon audibly gagged when I suggested this so you figure it out!

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Need an easy win? This chocolate "crack" recipe went viral for a reason!

As far as effort goes, it's low output for EXTREMELY high reward!

Main ingredient? Biscuits from the shop that you cover in caramel (easier than it sounds), top with your favourite things (chocolate and nuts) and then once cooled, makes a satisfying "CRACK" sound when you snap a bit off to eat!

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

Ingredients  

1 box Salada (wholemeal = ok)   

225g unsalted butter 

1 cup brown sugar  

1 large pinch salt  

1 tsp vanilla extract  

225 g your favourite chocolate, run through the food processor to be a fine crumb or chop 

1.5 cups of toasted nuts, seeds + fruit, eg, in the photo I used pecans, pepitas, and sour cherries, in the podcast I used peanuts, smoked almonds and crystallised ginger 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 175°C and cover your baking tray with baking paper. 2. Cover the baking tray with a layer of Saladas. 
2. Melt butter and sugar in a small saucepan. Add vanilla and salt and boil for 3 minutes. 
3. While it's still hot and bubbling, pour the caramel over Saladas, using a rubber spatula to spread evenly. 
4. Pop the tray/s in the oven for 15 minutes. 
5. Make sure you have your chocolate and nuts mix standing by,
6. Remove now-caramelised Saladas from the oven and sprinkle chocolate across the surface, spreading it with your rubber spatula. 
7. Judiciously sprinkle your nuts/fruit mix over the top, pressing them in a bit if you can be bothered and it leave to cool. Snap bits off, take it to work, eat it while driving, etc. Store in an airtight container. WARNING: This is dangerously morish. 

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This is one that blasts Simon straight back to childhood (and he’s not afraid to admit he’d still eat it cold straight from the tin). Yes when it’s bad it can be very, very bad BUT this slow-cooker rice pud takes all the pain out of making it and ensures the whole business is not only guaranteed to be delicious, but it’s also extreeeemely simple.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Simon’s fancy pants rice pud  

Serves 8–10 

11/2 cups risotto (long-grain/medium grain) rice 

2 litres milk 

1 cup granulated sugar 

⅓ teaspoon ground cinnamon  

a little freshly grated nutmeg (or maybe a bit of crushed cardamom) 

scraped inside of a vanilla pod 

a handful or two of sultanas or those tiny currants 

a pinch of pink salt flakes 

a few tablespoons cubed butter 

Method: 

In a colander, rinse rice thoroughly under cold water. 

Put into a lightly greased slow cooker. 

Add remaining ingredients, except for butter and stir to combine. 

Sprinkle butter over rice mixture. 

Cover and cook on high for 2½-3 hours, until rice has absorbed the liquid. Serve warm. 

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I was fully onboard when, as a nation, we all got suddenly much more "curry literate". Understanding SPICES, grinding your own, using a mortar and pestle to bash the flavours alive - it was fun! 

The problem is, my new found literacy put me off. I can't be doing all that work for a simple weeknight curry! No way. 

So now I am full circle back to a traditional, trustworthy curry powder. I spent ages experimenting to discover the PERFECT chicken curry recipe - that can be thrown together without going overboard with additional flavours, spices and prep. I just want something reliable and easy. 

Well, after much research, this is it. A beautiful, tasty, super super nourishing chicken curry that isn't going to make you dread cooking.

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 tbs neutral oil (I used grapeseed)

1 medium-sized onion, diced

2 tbs grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, finely grated
750g chicken thigh fillets

2 1/2 tbs KEENS curry powder

500ml chicken or veg stock (I used stock powder dissolved in a jug of warm water)

1 can coconut milk

1 cup frozen peas

fresh coriander (optional)

METHOD
Warm the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Add the chopped onion and set a timer for 3 minutes, stirring while it cooks. (Make sure it caramelises, not burns!) After 3 minutes, add the garlic and ginger, give it a stir to incorporate it and warm it through, then add in the chicken. Cook until the chicken goes from pink to white. Add in the curry powder, stir well to coat the chicken, then set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, add in the stock and coconut milk. Bring the whole lot back to the boil then set a timer for 10 minutes. After the timer sounds, add in the frozen peas and salt. Give it a couple of minutes to cook through then taste for more salt/chilli. 

Serve on rice, delicious flat bread or on potato with a generous handful of coriander. 

Makes fantastic leftovers.

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Ever feel like you’re teetering on the brink of a cold? A healing, hydrating chicken soup can bring you back from the brink! And it doesn’t have to be complicated. My belief is that you should NOT overstuff your soup. You need the broth to have space. A tiny pasta? Yes! (My fave is risoni or those tiny stars.) A little carrot? Yes, and maybe some celery. Squeeze of lemon to finish it off and not only are you feeling fed, you’re feeling like your Mum just popped over and left you a hot pot of love.

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

Ingredients:  

2 carrots, chopped 

2 sticks of celery 

1 small onion, finely chopped (optional) 

herbs like thyme, a bay leaf, turmeric, salt and pepper 

2 litres of your favourite chicken stock (stock cube, powdered stock or homemade = all ok!) 

Chicken meat (optional) 

Dried pasta (orzo, pastina, tiny shells, anything small) 

Squeeze of lemon 

Method:  

Chop the veg and fry off in a tbsp olive oil, adding the herbs after three minutes and frying for another five minutes.  

Add in your favourite chicken stock.  

Now’s the time to add your chicken meat, if using. Can be from a supermarket chook or some fillets from the supermarket. Add in and cook through - cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces. 

Finally, add in the pasta of your choice, no more than half a cup of, for example, orzo, pastina, tiny shells, anything small. Cook until the pasta is al dente, then serve with a squeeze of lemon. 

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Another stew! Ok, it’s not really a stew, but this is Simon’s absolute go-to winter dal recipe. It has all the lovely rich, warming vibes that a stew does (thanks very much to the coconut cream for that), and TONS of nutrition in it thanks to the spinach and the cumin-spiked sweet potatoes on top (which are a total GAME CHANGER). Find the full recipe with pictures in our brand new cookbook, which is out July 4 2023! 

Main tip: Give those onions a good deep bronze and don’t be tempted to add the spices early.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe  

Ingredients  

Serves 6–8 

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes 

2 tablespoons cumin seeds 

vegetable oil (or another neutral-tasting oil, e.g. grapeseed, sunflower) 

salt and pepper 

1 onion, thinly sliced 

2 garlic cloves, finely grated 

1 thumb-sized piece (about 5 cm/2 inches) fresh ginger, finely grated 

1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped (optional) 

1 teaspoon turmeric powder 

1 teaspoon ground coriander 

1 teaspoon garam masala 

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dried red lentils 

400 g (14 oz) tinned coconut cream 

2 cups (500 ml) boiling water, plus extra as needed 

1 vegetable stock (bouillon) cube 

2 2/3 cups (120 g) baby spinach 

juice of 1 lemon 

Greek-style yoghurt or Glorious Garlic Raita (page XXX), to serve 

toasted flatbreads, to serve 

Method 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). 

Arrange the sweet potato pieces on a baking tray in a single layer. Scatter half the cumin seeds over, drizzle a little oil over, season with salt and pepper and roast for 20–25 minutes until golden. Set aside. 

Heat a thin layer of oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium–high heat. Add the onion and the remaining cumin seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes, until the onion is a deep golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another 1 minute, then add the remaining spices and cook for a further 1 minute, stirring constantly, until your whole kitchen smells amazing. 

Add the lentils and cook for 1 minute, stirring well to coat them in all that lovely goodness, then pour in the coconut cream and boiling water. Crumble in the stock cube and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally and topping up with a few extra splashes of water as needed, until the lentils are soft and the ‘stew’ has the consistency of a thick, creamy soup. Stir in the baby spinach and cook for a further 1 minute until wilted, then remove from the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Ladle into bowls, top with the sweet potato pieces and a dollop of Greek-style yoghurt or (better still) a little garlic raita, and serve with toasted flatbreads for dipping. Heaven. 

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Poached fruit is warming, bloody delicious and extremely ridiculously easy to make good. It’s also the PERFECT WINTER DESSERT w. custard cream or…whipped greek yoghurt, or this INSANSELY good CRUMBLE.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Killer Crumble 

Serves 4–6 

600 g–800 g poached fruit (use whatever’s in season – apples, pears, quinces or stonefruit such as peaches, nectarines or plums all work well) 

CRUMBLE TOPPING  

100 g crisp amaretti biscuits 

150 g plain flour 

80 g caster sugar 

80 g light muscovado sugar 

1/4 cup rolled oats 

150 g butter, melted 

For the crumble topping, put the amaretti biscuits in a snapback bag and bash with the rolling pin until finely crushed (or pulse them briefly in a food processor), then tip into a medium bowl and stir in the flour, sugars and rolled oats. Add the butter and combine with the dry ingredients to form a crumble.  

Spoon the poached fruit out over the base of a medium-sized baking dish, scatter over the crumble topping and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and bubbling. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. 

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WINTER GINGER TEA is one of the great soothers for people either fighting off a winter cold or just loving a hot drink in freezing weather. ❄️

For me? A ginger tea definitely helps, comforts and soothes...but I would *never* use a ginger "teabag". (They're dusty-tasting and no good 😊.)

Brewing a real tea is easy - you just need some ginger, lemon, honey and if you don't mind the caffeine, a strong loose leaf black tea. (If you don't want caffeine? Leave out the tea leaves.)

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe 

Ingredients  

1 tsp Honey  

A nub of fresh ginger 

A slice of lemon  

Method  

In a small-medium teapot, combine 1 tsp of honey (if you have some Manuka Honey lying around and want to use it up, use it here, you deserve it!) 

A nub of fresh ginger, supercharged with flavour and good for you, grated on the wide setting of your box grater or finely sliced (my preference), then bashed with the back of your knife to help the flavour release. 

Finally, a slice of lemon into the actual cup you're drinking from. (Optional: we don't all have slices of lemon lying about.) 

TIP: Allow the tea to brew longer than usual to really release those healing properties! 

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Are kitchen gadgets NECESSARY? NO! Really, a good kitchen doesn’t need much to make it great, which we go into in our book. Treat yourself to these things (like a good knife – which doesn’t have to be expensive! – pots and pans that do the job and a nice wooden spoon) and you’ll be fine.  

HOWEVER: Simon’s gone slightly gadget mad recently - he’s got himself a stand mixer (and is knocking out perfect pavs, American Angel food cakes and wood-fired pizza like some demented cross between Maggie Beer, Martha Stewart and the late, great Antonio Carluccio). 

Still looking for a recipe?? Fine - here’s one that uses a gadget and is insanely easy and delicious – stand-mixer whipped Greek Yoghurt. YUM! (Spoiler, you can also make this with a stick blender). 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Serves 2–4 (depending on size, appetite and what you top it with) 

2 cups Greek Yoghurt  

100 ml whipping cream  

Honey, to taste  

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment added, add Greek yoghurt, cream and honey to taste. Crank up the speed to max and whisk for 2–3 minutes until you have a light, fluffy pillowy cloud of yoghurty deliciousness. If you don’t have a stand mixer, throw the lot in a large bowl and use a stick blender or hand-held whisk instead. 

To serve, spoon into ramekins and add toppings of your choice. A few chopped strawberries and a scattering of nuts (or fancy granola) are nice... or if you’ve been getting into the wintery cooked fruit groove then try topping with poached rhubarb or quinces. Finish with a drizzle more honey. 

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When I was a kid, my mum used to have to bring udon noodles back from Japan. Now they’re available in the supermarket, which is AWESOME, but I think some people are scared to cook them. SO, in this episode we’re going to tell you how to get it right, including the CHEAT’S way to make the SAUCE...  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS 
Packet udon noodles 

SAUCE 
Udon Sauce (bottled), diluted with water, then cooked to a gentle boil 

TOPPINGS 
A fried prawn, snipped spring onions, a boiled egg, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds 

METHOD 
Open the packet of noodles separate the cake of noodles by scrunching gently apart with hands in cold water. Plunge into a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes (check packet instructions for exact times, don’t overdo it.) Rinse the cooked noodles with cold water through a mesh sieve. Serve with the sauce immediately and add toppings. Delicious! 

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When the cold sets in, it’s not a bad idea to load up on garlic. First up, while it’s cooking it makes your house smell AMAZING, and second, it wards off colds and vampires! It's also very good cooled and used as a condiment. I took some on a winter picnic the other day and we stuffed the tomatoes into sourdough baguette with ham and cheese. Delicious, easy, made me look like a genius cook! Leftovers will last for DAYS in the fridge.

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe 

Ingredients  

2 x punnets cherry tomatoes, washed 

4-8 whole cloves of garlic 

1-2 cups olive oil (depending on the size of your ramekins) 

optional: A snip of thyme, a bay leaf, oregano or rosemary 

To serve:  

Sourdough Toast 

Ricotta or feta 

Method 

METHOD: Fill a ramekin with cherry tomatoes and 1 -2 cloves of unpeeled garlic. A hearty snip of thyme from the garden, or a bay leaf, or some oregano, rosemary.  

Pour over enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes. Set the ramekins on a tray and then in a pre-heated oven 110-130C for 1 hour+. 

Serve slightly cooled by smooshing the garlic and tomatoes onto sourdough toast.  

Simon suggests ricotta cheese but in the pic, I used fetta. 

Use the leftover cooking oil in salad dressing or pour it over cauliflower florets prior to roasting. Your garlic tomato smoosh will last ages in the fridge if covered in the oil and can be used on pasta, is salads or on crackers. 

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It's no secret that Simon Davis LOVES Greek yoghurt as an ingredient.

But has he ever been this excited about Greek yoghurt as he is today?

Listen for a fantastic rave about Anna Jones's new cookbook 'Easy Wins' - an exasperated take on mayo - and this fantastic recipe:

Frizzled Spring Onion and Olive Oil Dip

150g good Greek yoghurt, strained if you can be bothered

1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped

100ml olive oil

1 tsp pul biber Turkish chilli flakes

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

zest and juice of 2 limes

salt and pepper

Over a low-medium heat, fry the spring onion and pul biber chilli flakes in the olive oil until crisping and charring on the edges, veritably sizzling and frizzling - around 10 minutes.

At the 9th minute, add the sugar and turmeric.

Remove from heat, add salt and pepper then set aside and allow to cool

Juice and zest the limes into the yoghurt, mix through, add salt to taste.

Opulently dress the yoghurt with the yellow onion and oil mixture. Mix through or leave it on top.

Serve with bread, chips, roast chicken, lamb chops, whatever you want! It's amazing!

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The beautiful ancient symbol of fidelity and remembrance, rosemary can be divisive. It's very strong, very aromatic, and can be very overpowering! Simon has a real love for rosemary and in today's episode, talks us through making rosemary freakin’ GREAT in your cooking. 

*TIP* go back in our feed and look for 20 Minute Potatoes, which is UNREAL and also uses this gorgeous herb. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

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Japanese cooking can be a little intimidating but Nasu no Dengaku is achievable! Trust me! Just remember: a timer is your FRIEND when you’re cooking your eggplants, use your powers of observation, and make a glaze using my recipe below. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe 

Ingredients  

4 medium eggplants, halved 

2 tbs mirin (a sweet Japanese cooking rice wine) 

2 tbs saké 

1 tbs sugar 

2 tbs "white" miso paste 

Method 

1. If you have a BBQ, turn on your BBQ. Otherwise, heat up your grill hot plate.  

1. While the oven is heating up, prepare the eggplant. Cut in half lengthways. If you want to be really fancy, you can use a knife to score the flesh, creating a crosshatch patten. Brush the eggplant in olive or grapeseed oil and season with a little salt. Start skin side down and barbeque for eight minutes (set you timer!) Then, flip it over and keep it covered for another eight minutes.  

1. While the eggplant is cooking, mix together the ingredients for the glaze and set aside until needed (you can make this in advance if you have a tendency towards distraction).  

1. When the eggplant is looking cooked, and close to being down, flip it back to skin side down and brush the glaze over the cut side of the eggplant then give it another 3 minutes.  

1. To serve, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Oiishii! 

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This episode is a 101 of making really good pancakes!  

And who doesn't love a pancake? Simon and I agree that eating pancakes leaves us feeling GOOD, which means that (scientifically) THEY MUST BE GOOD FOR YOU. Getting them right requires you to understand a few basic principles, which we set out for you. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe

Ingredients 

Dry ingredients (use fresh!)

2 cups self-raising flour

1/3 cup caster sugar

Wet ingredients

1 3/4 cup milk 

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

Squeeze of lemon

Method

1. Preheat your oven or have your family ready to ea
2. Have your sides ready (whipped cream, banana, maple syrup, etc.)
3. Mix the dry ingredients together.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (don't over stir!)
5. You can rest the mixture overnight (but don't stress) 
6. Warm your pan. Once warm, spray with oil, and place a spoonful of wet mixture to pan. 
7. Once for the bubbles to start to form, then put the lid on the frypan to even out the cooking process. Once top is fully cooked, flip pancake and leave lid off to crisp up the pancake.  

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One thing listeners constantly hit us up about is HOW TO FEED FUSSY KIDS. 

Luckily, Simon and I *both* have fussy eating kids and - lucky or not, we both have immense experience in trying to feed them! We feel your pain!  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] 

Need to rethink that jar of Almond Butter you bought in a fit of do-good resolve? I can relate to LOVING the look of an expensive jar of nut butter while in the shops but once trying (and failing) to spread it on toast you realise it's stiffer than a rock of half-baked clay and... quite... goddamn... dry! 

Forget nut "butter" - it's a misnomer, and repurpose that minced nut gravel into delicious, decadent, nutty choc cookies. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe 

Ingredients  

250g cashew or almond butter (1 cup) 

150g dark chocolate 

1/3 cup olive, grapeseed or coconut oil  

1/4 milk or nut milk 

1 cup of brown sugar 

2 tbs vanilla extract 

1 egg 

1/2 tsp bicarb soda 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1 cup macadamia nuts,  

1/2 cup choc chips (optional, make em good if you can) 

1 1/2 cups plain, wholemeal flour. 

Method 

1. Melt nut butter, dark chocolate, oil and milk together (you can use a microwave or a mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water).  Once melted, add brown sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.  

1. Add an egg, 1/2 tsp bicarb soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder. (It'll be stiff as buggery, don't worry). Then add macadamia nuts and choc chips (if using) and stir until just combined, before adding in the flour. 

1. Chill the dough for a couple of hours.  

1. Then roll out 8 cookies 

1. Bake at 180C for 15 mins 

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Listen to this pod because CROISSANTS are "having a moment"! 

HOT TIP FROM YOUR HOSTS: Never, ever, try to make croissants yourself! Let the expert bakers do that!  

As a well-seasoned cookbook editor ought, Simon finds a way to use the word "carapace" in today's episode, where he and Yumi go head-to-head over what really does make the best croissant. Embarrassingly, both hosts reveal themselves to be lousy at queueing, but Yumi, as usual is preparing for a lockdown, nuclear war or siege-type situation where she needs to feed her children using just what she prepared and left in the freezer. Tips ensue. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] 

Your word-loving, food-adoring podcast hosts Yumi and Simon send themselves into paroxysms of delight by both talking about Basque food and Pintxos (!!), and finding for YOU, dear listener, the perfect way to describe an Anchovy Soldier.

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Ingredients 

Recipe 

1 tin Ortiz Sardines (they're expensive, I know, but it's a treat!)

8 little soldiers made out of sourdough bread

Butter

Method

Toast the soldiers, slather them in butter, and lay the sardines on top of the butter. Simple and delicious! 

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] 

Simon and I LOVE granola. But we don’t love paying $18 for what’s essentially a bag of OATS (and don’t get me started on café prices...) Luckily, I used to work in a café where I picked up a few tips on how to make DELICIOUS, HEALTHY and CHEAP!!! granola, which I’m very excited to share with you in this episode.   

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe  

Ingredients  

4 cups of whole rolled oats 

1 tsp salt 

cinnamon (optional) 

1.5 cups of whole nuts eg., pecans, pepitas, almonds, etc. 

Method 

TOSS all this around. Turn oven on to 175C and get out your biggest baking tray out 

MIX 1/2 cup oil (eg., firm coconut oil), 1/2 cup honey, 1 tsp vanilla essence or paste - combine these ingredients in a bowl and melt lightly in the microwave 

Pour over the oats, add everything to the baking tray, and roast for about 10 minutes. Toss and if necessary, bake for another 3-5 mins. When browned and releasing delightful aromas, remove, add in a cup of dried fruit, including (if you want), dried ginger sliced finely. Serve with yoghurt and fancy berries. 

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] I had a massive fail with pumpkin, which I'll tell you about in this episode. And many of us have had fails with pumpkin, mostly because we're overwhelmed by the prospect of taking a knife and trying to hack into these massive vegetables.  

Simon has a hack (!!) for overcoming our reluctance to hack into the pumpkin (and it actually works) and I will share my tip for making it tasty as heck with minimal effort. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe   

1/4 of a Jap pumpkin, cut into wedges 

harissa paste, brushed over the wedges, about 2 tbs. 

oil, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 mins, in 180C oven, keeping an eye on it because it can go from rock hard to incinerated 

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] 

A contender for the national dish of Australia is Salt and Pepper Squid. Dearly loved and actually affordable, this is a dish you *can* learn to cook at home.  

Also, if you would like to nominate Yumi and Simon for an OAM for managing to marry the image of squid with the image of Cinderella in this episode, please drop a line to the Governor General.  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe  

Ingredients  

Dry off your squid tubes really well. 

Season with salt. 

Dredge the pieces in a 1/2 - 1/2 mixture of rice flour and plain flour. Set to one side then make up your salt and pepper mixture: 

1 tbs salt  

2 tbs freshly ground pepper  

1 tsp smashed or ground up fennel seeds 

1 tsp chili powder 

*if there's anything you really love, e.g., Kashmiri chili, Sichuan Pepper, add that too! There's a fair bit of wriggle room for creativity and you should also taste as you go. 

Method 

Deep fry the dredged squid in piping hot oil for about 2.5 mins. Drain well then dust lightly in the S+P mixture. Taste to check and be careful not to over-season. Drain the oil but use a little of what remains to fry up 2 tbs chopped red bullet chilies and 2 tbs fresh chopped garlic (be careful, the chili will release fumes that will make your eyes water). Tumble the fried chili/garlic mixture on top of the calamari, serve immediately with fat wedges of lemon. 

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On Yumi and Simon's top-rating food podcast, we unpack the mysterious giant vegetable that is the Daikon.

What are some of the uses?

What can I do if I've foolishly bought one?

Help!

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] Got a few tins of beans in the cupboard? Chili is a weekly staple in Simon's house. He knows his stuff so I am keen to hear what he does in HIS house because it's guaranteed to be good. You'll have to listen to the episode to hear his serving suggestions. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe 

Ingredients  

2 finely chopped carrots 

2 x capsicum, de-seeded and diced 

1 onion, finely chopped 

garlic clove x 1 

1 tsp sweet paprika 

1 tbs of - - THE MYSTERY INGREDIENT: Mexican spice mix!! (Whuuut?? Does this exist. Answer: yup.) 

1 finely chopped sweet potato 

1 tin chopped tomatoes 

2 tins drained and rinsed black beans 

1 stock cube 

Method 

Sauté onion, carrots, and capsicum. Add garlic, paprika and Mexican spice mix and cook for two minutes, stirring. Add in tomatoes, beans, sweet potato and capsicum and cook for 15 - 20 mins. Finish with a tablespoon of butter  

Optional, to serve: Coriander, sour cream, Greek "yoghurt", guacamole. 

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] Here's my amazing recipe for Banana and Coconut muffins!  

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Ingredients  

220g sugar 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

4 manky as heck bananas 

1/2 tsp salt 

200ml oil (eg., grapeseed or coconut oil) 

150ml milk 

1 egg 

2 tsp vanilla 

1/4 cup desiccated coconut 

optional cinnamon or nutmeg 

380g SR flour 

Method 

Line 2 x 6-hole muffin trays with cupcake patties. Pre-heat your oven to 180C.  

Put ALL the ingredients below (except the flour and coconut) into the food processor and whizz until smooth. 

In a separate bowl, sift the flour. 

If you don't like lumps of banana (I quite like them but lumps make my kids gag), pour the wet mixture through the sieve, into the flour. Smoosh the last dreggy bits through. Add the coconut to the bowl. Mix everything with a large metal spoon until just combined. Divvy it all up into the cupcake patties. (The whole mix should fit into 12 muffins.) Bake for 25 - 30 mins. Allow to cool before storing them in a sealed, ziploc bag in the freezer. Pull out as needed (eg, when preparing school lunches of a morning!) 

25 - 30 mins, 180C. 

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[RECIPE IN SHOW NOTES] Listen to this episode because it does have some game-changing info about how to get the most out of a piece of fish. Game changing! (Not exaggerating.) 

If you have some salmon, freezer, fridge, supermarket OR bougie fishmongers, we'll tell you what to do with it. 

Want more food tips? Check out the 5 Minute Food Fix Instagram. 

Recipe 

Ingredients  

Skin-on salmon 

Salt 

Flour 

Oil (I use grapeseed or coconut) 

Method 

Dry off the salmon pieces really well with a few pieces of kitchen towel or (more eco option) a super-clean cotton tea towel. 

Pre-heat the oil in a frypan. Lightly season all sides of the fish with salt, then dust it lightly with flour. 

Fry your fish at a time on a medium-high heat and never stop watching it for done-ness - but roughly 3 mins per side. 

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