Frittata of baby spinach, pumpkin, feta & jamon

I began this dish thinking I was going to make spanokopita. But having no filo pastry, I added a few eggs to turn it into a frittata. I also decided to throw in some thinly sliced pumpkin to bulk it up and a few slices of jamon because, well pork products make everything better. Obviously you could leave it out if you wanted to keep it vegetarian.

Sate babi bumbu kecap: Indonesian pork sate

This dish was inspired by a recipe from RasaMalaysia and adapted for the Thermomix, with which I am obsessed. Of course, you can make it using a blender and saucepan too. It reminds me of the sate sticks my dad used to cook for us when I was little, on a teeny tiny charcoal barbecue in our backyard. I adored smothering huge bowls of rice with the peanut sauce. Heavenly!

Easy egg-based breakfast bites

For me, the hardest time eating low-carb/low-GI is at breakfast. My usual breakfast involves leftovers of some kind, but occasionally I need something a bit more traditional. These little breakfast ‘bites’ are really simple to make and keep well for a few days once cooked.

A ‘recipe’ as such isn’t really needed. You just need a non-stick muffin/cupcake tin, one egg per hole, and something to make them taste delicious…

Green Palace Vegetarian Restaurant, Newtown

Green Palace is one of many, many Thai restaurants on Newtown’s King St strip. However, it stands out from others because of three things: it’s vegan, it’s cheap, and it’s really REALLY delicious. I know, it surprised me too!

Chinese twice-cooked pork

When I was growing up, my mum often used to make this dish for a weeknight dinner. As a child I was never quite sure why it was called twice-cooked, and I’m still not sure if she actually did both steps of the cooking, but I find it the perfect way to use up any leftover pork belly. The other night I made dinner of pork belly stewed in orange, soy and spices but there was loads leftover, so tonight I used the it to make this delicious stir-fry.

Pork belly & ribs stewed in orange, soy and spices

This is my mum’s best classic, comforting winter dinner dish and a firm family favourite. It fills the house with an incredibly enticing, warming fragrance from the star anise, cinnamon and orange, and reminds me of the happiest moments of my childhood. The pork is stewed until incredibly tender, so that the fat just melts in the mouth and the meat is worthy of ‘pulling’ pork status. The ribs are a treat for those who aren’t into pork fat (i.e. crazy people, and my sister).

Yen For Viet, Marrickville – Take 2

Mr Black and I first visited Yen For Viet when it was brand new (see my first post here). Since then we’ve been back a few times – when we can get a table! Even on a weeknight they’re pretty busy, and deservedly so. Their food is excellent quality and, while not as cheap a most places on the Illawarra Rd strip, is still fantastic value. They are both BYO and licenced, which is great because there are no bottle shops anywhere nearby!

Zheng Hao Chinese Restaurant, Enmore

Mr Black and I LOVE our dumplings. I have spent many an hour beating sticky, cold pork mince by hand to achieve just the correct consistency of filling. I even dedicated six gruelling hours of my precious holiday time in Hong Kong to learn from the dumpling master mistress, Martha Sherpa, how to make the perfect xiao long bao, potstickers and other delicacies.

Minh Vietnamese, Dulwich Hill

Minh is our local Vietnamese joint. It’s closer than (but not quite as good as) the Viet places in Marrickville and makes for a decent low-key meal. Plus, they are licensed and BYO and serve a decent glass of house wine as well as a few old favourites by the bottle such as Oyster Bay sav blanc.

Pork and eggplant adobo

This is one of my absolute favourite comfort dishes. It’s perfect for when you have no fresh vegies, and are feeling unwell or tired, and need something warming and hearty. (Tick, tick and tick!) The ingredients might not sound exciting, but trust me, this dish is more than the sum of its parts!