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This rather rustic looking dish is so full of flavour you will end up going back to steal spoonfuls of the delicious juices, or ripping off a big chunk of sourdough and mopping them up that way. Either or, I promise you that this will be a firm family favourite and will be on repeat quite frequently. This has been adapted from a recipe my lovely mother-in-law told me about, I have switched and changed a few things around as I do these days with just about any recipe! Always intrigued as to how this ingredient will go with that and the other. I have also used a whole chook, instead of buying either marylands or thighs which would work equally well. However, I love that by using the whole chook, you are then left with the carcass which I always use to make a lovely golden chicken stock out of. I then portion it up into 500ml containers and pop into the freezer. It all comes back to me trying to do my bit to reduce as much waste as possible. And, homemade stock is so much tastier than the shop-bought variety and it makes you feel really good to have made your own too. Serves 4 with a couple of side dishes. Or 2 hungry humans with leftovers for sandwich fillings the next day, which are delicious! 1 whole free-range chicken, organic if you like too. (reserve carcass for stock) 1 tbsp. paprika 1 brown onion, sliced 5 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup thickened cream 1/4 cup grated parmesan juice of 1 lemon splash of white wine 2 sprigs rosemary 2 handfuls spinach Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cut the chook into pieces, season each one with salt, pepper and paprika, rubbing all over. heat a large fry pan over medium high heat, add 2 tbsp. butter and wait until it has melted, add the chicken pieces, skin side down first and cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the skin is starting to turn a beautiful golden colour. Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove each piece into a medium sized baking dish. Add another 2 tbsp. butter to the pan and add the onion, cooking for about 3 minutes until starting to soften. Then add the broth, cream, parmesan, lemon juice, wine and rosemary. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for a couple of minutes, add the spinach and stir until wilted. Pour the sauce over the chicken, poking the spinach leaves, as best as you can in between the chicken, you can also add in the leftover lemon halves after juicing. Pop into the oven for 30 minutes. once its all done, just check to make sure its cooked through by piercing the largest piece with a knife, if the juices run clear then she's ready. Served very simply with steamed green beans and broccoli, tossed through extra virgin olive oil, chopped parsley and a scattering of salt and a grinding of pepper. Enjoy every mouthful.......and then some!

As I sit here on the couch, Love Actually is on the TV (yes, I know, I shouldn't be on the computer and watching tv at the same time right before bed, but that's what you have to do sometimes in order to get some things done!) and its only three sleeps until the most magical day of the year arrives, when children will wake frightfully early, eager to see what Santa has left them and families will come together to celebrate all that is merry and bright over a feast of edible delights. It really is the most wonderful time of the year! This year is in fact extra special as we now have our little man to join us in these festivities and that is the greatest gift of all. An added bonus also is the absolute joy that we can actually really fully relax over this time as its the first year that we don't have the stress of the café looming over our heads, we don't have to worry about staff, rosters, ordering and running around like headless chooks while the hoards of tourists and holiday makers flood into Rye and the surrounding areas. And that feels so GOOD! We actually get to have a holiday too! Every year I look so forward to all of the Christmas baking, especially creating these buttery, fruity little gems. As some of you may already know I have a great love for pastry, everything about it, from bringing all of those simple ingredients together to form a beautiful "vessel" that houses an array of flavour combinations to of course eating it! This recipe is very close to my heart as it has been handed down from my Grandma, my dad's mum, who used to make batches and batches of these like they were going out of fashion. She had to with a house full of boys. its no wonder that my dad absolutely loves them, not just for their flavour but for the memories they evoke of his beautiful mum baking away in her kitchen. Her hands busy bringing the dough together, flour drifting through the air and that heavenly smell of pastry baking away filling the house with the most festive of aromas. They are best enjoyed with a mug of something hot while watching a Christmas movie, just like I have been doing right now. Although, preferably not while typing away on the computer at the same time! I hope you enjoy them as much as we all do. They also make for wonderful edible gifts too. Makes around 30 pies 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups caster sugar 2 free-range eggs 4 cups plain flour, sifted 1-2 tbsp. milk 2 jars of Robertson's Fruit Mince Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Lightly grease three patty cake tins and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar for quite some time until its lovely and light and fluffy, I usually do this for about 5-8 minutes on high speed. add the eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. With the mixer on a lower speed carefully add the flour, this part can get a little messy! once the dough starts to come together add a little of the milk bit by bit until you have a smooth dough. Tip out onto a lightly floured bench and bring together. cut the dough in half and wrap in cling wrap and pop in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Roll out in between two pieces of baking paper, you don't want it too thin or too thick, you will know if its right when you pop them into the pans. use a larger circle cutter for the bottoms and a smaller one for the tops. spoon about a teaspoon of the fruit mince into each one and top with the lid. press down around the edges to create pretty indents. Pop them into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, I always check them a little before this and swap the pans around if some of the back ones are browning a little quicker than the front. But every oven is different so just keep an eye on them. Once they are baked to perfection take them out, let them cool a little in the pans and just give them a little twist and jiggle to loosen them. Place them onto a cooling rack to cool completely, or eat a couple straight away, while they are still warm!! They can be kept in an airtight container for quite some time at room temperature. Although they wont last that long, you may even find you need to make another batch sooner rather than later. This recipe can also very easily be halved if you don't want as many pies, but really can you ever have too many pies? I will leave it up to you. x

There is something so very comforting with the humble old roast chook. It has that wonderful aroma whilst it cooks away in the oven. That crispy chicken skin just sends my mouth into a watery mess and the satisfaction of pulling away those meaty, tender drumsticks......need I say more!? I think it also has that lovely shared family meal feel to it. Plonked right into the centre of the table, served straight from the roasting dish so that everyone can help themselves. And most probably fighting (the friendly variety) over who is going to have the legs, wings, breasts and that lovely moist little oyster bit! I usually use a mix of all those traditional flavours when roasting these delightful ladies, lemon, thyme, garlic and olive oil. However, wanting to mix it up a tad and having a mind that is always thinking about food and what flavours go with this and that. I thought to myself what if I was to do a satay inspired roast chook? After flicking through a few cookbooks, quite enjoyably, I came across one from the River Cottage cookbook, "light & easy" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall that ticked all the boxes! With this in hand I set about creating one of the yummiest roast chickens I have ever had the pleasure in eating. My chief taste tester, Ben, gave it a double thumbs up too! Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers for sandwich fillings (which are delish) 1.9kg free range chook, organic if you like too. 2 tbsp. crunchy peanut butter (I personally love Pics!) 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 red chilli, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, finely diced 2 tbsp. ginger, finely diced juice of 1 large lemon 2 tbsp. chopped coriander 1 tbsp. olive oil 400ml can coconut milk 1/2 can water 3 kaffir lime leaves Preheat your oven to 210 degrees. Rinse and pat dry the chook and make sure you get rid of that plastic pad from the bottom!! (don't laugh I have now done that on two separate occasions! not with chicken but with beef and lamb!!!) place onto some baking paper in a large baking dish. Mix together the rest of the ingredients, from the peanut butter to the olive oil, until it forms a smoothish paste. season with salt and pepper and taste. carefully separate the skin from the flesh from the neck and the bottom and gently push the paste in, pushing it down as you go. rub the remaining all over the outside. Drizzle with a little more oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place the chicken into the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour in the coconut milk, fill that can with 1/2 the amount of water and kaffir lime leaves. pop the lemon halves that you used for the juice in as well. Reduce the oven down to 180 and cook for another 45 minutes. Test to make sure she's cooked through, by piercing the thigh with a knife, if the juices run clear then she's ready! cover with foil to rest for about 10 minutes. And then spoon all of the juices in the bottom of the dish over the chook. I served this with steamed basmati rice and sautéed kale, spring onions and peas. (recipe below) A few stalks of kale, leaves stripped and chopped. 3 spring onions, sliced 1 cup of frozen peas sesame oil 1/2 tsp fish sauce 1/2 cup unsalted cashews juice of half a lemon Heat a little coconut oil in a pan, add the spring onions and cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the kale, peas, sesame oil, fish sauce, cashews and lemon. cook until the peas have turned bright green. taste and season to your liking.

I have a huge love affair with breakfast, to the point where I get so excited about waking up so that I can fill my tummy with nourishing, wholesome goodness to kick start the day. I am always hungry for it, something that my mum just cant understand, and no matter what time I get up in the morning be it 4:30am (back in the day when we first started AMK) or later, my tummy is always ready for it! Lately I have been going crazy over porridge, I guess with the cooler mornings its that tummy warming goodness of creamy almond milk and oats that just hits the spot in so many good ways. However, every now and then, especially with the warmer months (hopefully) in front of us, I do like to indulge in the crunch of a good granola. Topped with a very generous dollop of either Greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt, which I am loving at the moment along with some sliced banana, kiwi fruit, a chopped date and a drizzle of honey. Full of all the good stuff and enough fuel to see me through until morning tea time. I find now that since the little man has arrived combined with breastfeeding my appetite, which was pretty good already, has definitely increased!! This Maple, tahini and almond granola is so simple to make, its easier and healthier than going down to the shops to buy one pre-made and you know exactly what goes into it. Once you have all the ingredients its a great one to re-stock when running low and it lasts for ages! That's if you don't go eating it all once it comes out of the oven! yes, I do have the tendency to reach for handfuls of the stuff as it cools down on the bench. Realising only too late that I probably shouldn't have taken those last couple! its just too good and the aroma it fills the house with just gets me every time! You'll understand when you make it. 3 cups rolled organic (if possible) oats 1/2 cup almonds 1/2 cup walnuts 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup shredded coconut 3 tbsp. coconut oil, melted 3 tbsp. maple syrup 3tbsp tahini pinch salt 1 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 170. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients, mix really well so that everything is combined. Lay a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray and pour the mix onto this, spread it all out. Pop into the oven and bake for 10 minutes, remove, give it a good stir and then pop back in for another 8 minutes. At this point you can take it out and give it another mix around, it may be ready or it may need a few more minutes to turn that lovely golden, toasty colour. Just keep a really good eye on it as it can easily go from being perfect to burnt! Remove from the oven, allow to cool (remember don't go eating too much while its on the bench, you will feel slightly sick!! haha) then place into a jar large enough to fit it all in, pop the lid on and ta-da! homemade granola. After it has cooled, you can also add the likes of goji berries, dates, apricots or figs if you so desire. just chop them all up and stir through.

I have to admit, it was quite difficult to choose the very first recipe that I would share with you, there are just so, so many! But, seeing as my goal here is to provide meals that require minimal fuss, are easy enough to prepare and are quick and super delicious I thought that these mussels would fit the bill perfectly. I am lucky enough to have a mother-in-law who also loves to cook, eat and create. our conversations flow in and out on the topic of food amongst other things and I was full of so much excitement when she handed me a jar full of this most wonderful smelling spice blend which I had never heard of before, Vadouvan. Its the French version of the Indian curry blend, Masala. It has the likes of cumin, cardamom, cloves and turmeric amongst other delightful flavours and the aroma is incredible! So, as you can imagine, my mind was spinning with ideas on how to incorporate this into a dish. Ben and I are huge fans of these shelled gems and we are very fortunate to have fresh Mount Martha mussels available to us, plump and juicy morsels they are. I normally just cook them in a tomato, red wine based sauce, so I thought what if I was to add this spice blend into the mix? I gave it a try and we both scooped our portions straight out of the pan onto our plates, popped them into our mouths, looked at each other and said, "YUM!" needless to say we polished off the whole lot. Thank goodness for crusty bread, as we needed this to mop up every last drop! I have made a note in my little notebook which I have come across just now as I read over the recipe that mentions this.... This was created on a night where the afternoon at A Mini Kitchen was slightly hellish! There may have been tears and a bit of a meltdown. Just another bump in the road of running a café. Just as well I have my happy place at home to dive deep into my kitchen meditation! Serves 2 hungry humans as a main, or 4 as a starter 1kg mussels, debearded and scrubbed if necessary. (I use local, Mount Martha mussels) 1 leek, sliced 1 garlic clove, finely diced 2 sticks celery, finely sliced 1 tsp vadouvan spice mix 1 long red chilli, finely diced (I always keep the seeds in, but you can take out if you prefer) 400g can diced tomatoes (I like to use the better quality cans as I have found they produce the loveliest flavour) 1/4 cup white wine salt & pepper a really good handful of spinach, chopped a handful of coriander, chopped Heat about 2 tbsp. light olive oil in a large pan, with a lid, over a medium-low heat. add the leek, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir again. Then add the celery and chilli and cook until the leek and celery are starting to soften and turn slightly golden. Add the spice and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and wine and then cook for about 8 minutes then add the mussels. cover with the lid and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Stir through the spinach and coriander, salt and pepper and taste to check if it doesn't need any more seasoning or perhaps a squeeze of lemon juice. serve with thick slices of crusty bread to mop up all of those deliciously moreish juices.

I have been meaning to create a Blog for so long now, the more I think about it I should have started this quite a few years ago as I feel like I have so much that I want to share!! even if it is only for my records. I have a great love for writing and have many journals and notebooks with scribbled words, ideas and just random thoughts that flow from my head. For me, putting pen to paper brings me so much joy, that simple act of writing, which is very quickly disappearing as technology overtakes. Even now, for me to be typing this out seems very strange, I find the words flow so much easier when writing. Anyway, that's enough about that, lets get on with why I am really here! After being inspired by so many beautiful blogs, I had that niggling little self doubt pop into my head. you know the one that says, "but I cant create something as beautiful as that" "what if no one wants to follow me" "where do I even start?" But, here I am now, actually doing this, and you know what, it feels really good! Just making this step, to actually begin has got me all excited for the journey ahead. And, as I said before I feel like I have so much that I want to share. From leaving home and moving over to Western Australia without even knowing how to boil an egg (yes, its true) and, I probably should mention that my husband, Ben, did teach me a thing or two in the kitchen back in the early days of our love story! To opening up my very own café on the Mornington Peninsula where I got to cook and bake to my hearts content, to then creating celebration cakes for Birthdays, engagements and Weddings!! To then selling that same café 4 years later and welcoming our little man, Beau into our lives. Taking us from none to one, which, let me tell you, had me completely overwhelmed to say the least! I thought running a business was hard work! This will be a space where I share my love of cooking and creating, as I feel that this is one of life's greatest pleasures, to share, to inspire and for others to realise that cooking shouldn't have to be a chore. I love using simple ingredients to create delicious, wholesome meals to be shared with family and friends. For me, food brings people together, so many memories are created around the dinner table, conversations and laughter embedded in the walls of homes right around the world. It will also be a space for other bits and bobs along the way. Including what it's really like to have your own café. From starting it all up and realising that dream, the challenges, the tears, the laughs and the stories that alone could fill an entire book! My thoughts on what its like to go from feeling so completely and utterly overwhelmed by stress and anxiousness to feeling the happiest and healthiest I have felt, EVER! The importance of slowing down and to appreciate the little things in life, because most of the time these turn out to be the big things. I am looking so forward to filling these pages with things that I hope will be inspiring, make you laugh and more importantly make you happy. Because life is far too short for anything less. "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did." - Twain