This is a gourmet version of the traditional cottage pie, inspired by my sister in Ireland because I always miss her during the holiday season! We use cubed top grade grain-fed sirloin instead of mince for flavour, tenderness and leanness. The sirloin is braised with a classic medley of carrots, peas, mushrooms & onions in a Guinness gravy which imparts a grown-up flavour, deep, mellow and slightly bitter. This aromatic stew is then topped with champ, a traditional Irish potato recipe that combines creamy mash with zippy spring onions.

The cottage pie was actually the very first recipe I ever wanted to feature, but it's so dear to my heart I've spent weeks tweaking the recipe until I feel like I really have something to call Mother's Favourite!

The result is a hearty, delicious, comforting meal for 2 people and would go perfectly with a side of Broccoli & Almonds.

Serving for 2 as a main $22.40              [go to recipe] 

October/November always makes me think of pumpkins, specifically - what happens to all those pumpkins after they've been taken down off the windowsill for Halloween? Someone's carved a face on them, you can't just throw it in the trash! It's SMILING at you.

Our very, very favourite of all pumpkins is the kabocha (or Japanese pumpkin). It has tonnes of amazing nurtritional benefits and is the sweetest and most flavourful of all pumpkins. Read all about it in GastroGeek here.

Since the kabocha is so meaty and flavourful, we complement it with a sweet & fragrant Carrot & Coriander soup. Our recipe is based on the AMAZING Carrot & Coriander classic from New Covent Garden Soup Co, then garnished with crispy bacon & greek yoghurt.

2 pumpkin halves with soup $15.10                [go to recipe]

Except that mushrooms (like eggplant) are a sponge for oil and I feel so queasy after eating a basketful. We've made a much healthier, but no less tasty baked option. It actually works incredibly well because roasting really concentrates the 'shroomy flavour. The stems are removed and chopped and mixed with a garlicky cheese & chive mixture, then stuffed back into the mushroom cap, topped with Parmesan and a toasty walnut for crunch & texture.

8 mushrooms $6.65     [go to recipe]

Everyone needs a sidekick.  Batman has Robin.  Scooby-Doo has Scrappy. 

Han Solo has Chewbacca.  Dr Evil has Mini Me (everyone pause to ).

Good dishes need sidekicks too, and although we usually suggest our favourite accompaniments to go with our recipes, you might want something extra.  So say HELLO to our new Sidekick category.  Servings are for 1, but are a little larger than the portions that come with our other recipes.  Good for sharing.  We'll add more recipes as days go by, but at the moment we have:

Classic Mashed Potato @ $2.75 (but of COURSE)

Rocket & Parmesan Salad @ $5.00

Mesclun & Citrus Vinaigrette @ $4.25

Roma Tomato & Coriander Salad   @ $4.70  

We've also moved our Sweet Treats into the main recipe section to make it easier for you to find them.  So go ahead, indulge!!