5 Minute Food Fix

IT'S SUMMER, so we're celebrating by warming up some of our favourite episodes from the past season.Here's one where Yumi is laughing so hard she has tears!It's all about this guy who went viral for his potatoes.THIS RECIPE IS YUMI'S VERSIONGet a large pot on the stove with 2cm water in, turn up hot.At the same time, put a full kettle on to boil.Quarter 700g potatoes.By the time you've finished cutting up the spuds, the water in the kettle and the small amount on the stove should both be boiling.Pour the kettle water into the pot on the stove.Tumble the potatoes in making sure they're not sticking together. Stir a little.Wait for the water to return to boiling then set a timer for 3 minutes.Once the timer has sounded, drain the potatoes really well so they're dry, and allow them to cool.To do the Ibiza method, pop the now-cool potatoes in the FREEZER for 35 mins.Preheat the oven to 200.Get a roasting tray on the hob and fill it with at least 2mm of olive oil. Be careful! Use the stove element to heat the oil and when it's spattering hot, carefully decant the potatoes into the oil. They will spatter. Use tongs to make sure each piece is cut-side down.Pop in the oven and roast for 30 mins before turning to the other cut side, and roast for another 20 mins. Serve when golden crunchy all over. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A RETURN TO THE TRADIE’S HANDBAGWith summer here, it’s time we remember that there are days when cooking can be all just a bit too hard. And that’s why we LOVE a rotisserie chicken. We talked about this ALL the way back in " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">episode 19 – in fact, but there is always more to be said on the subject. Recently, Simon has been getting a bit looser with his rotisserie chicken, cheating and using it as the base with utter shamelessness. And it’s this shortcut that he wants to bring to your attention today really – want to whip up a pie quickly? Rotisserie chicken! After a quick, amazing taco wrap? Rotisserie chicken! Here he’s injecting more flavour into it with a (pre-bought) red curry paste, lightened up with a greek yoghurt mix to make some crunchy Thai-style san choi bao. Because why not double up the cheats and keep hacking away? It may sound odd, but it’s really not, and the end results are delish. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium. Cook 3 tbsp red curry paste, stirring often, until fragrant and slightly darkened and beginning to stick to bottom of pan, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl and leave to cool, then stir in 1 cup greek yogurt, 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 tsp honey, and ½ tsp salt.Add ½ finely chopped medium red onion, 1 finely chopped celery stalk, 12 chopped cornichons, and a large handful of chopped coriander along with 400g shredded rotisserie chicken and toss well to coat. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Spoon the chicken mix into little gem lettuce leaves and top with chopped roasted peanuts and some more coriander leaves, if you like.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're going 'round and 'round on a very small carousel of kid's meals at our house.And I suspect we're not the only ones!Simon has a solution, or at least something definitely worth a try! It's a SPINACH and POTATO dish that can be a side to just about anything.Saag! (serves 4-6)Heat 1 tbsp ghee (or veg oil) in a large frying pan over medium and add 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds. Let them sizzle and crackle, then add 1 chopped onion, 3 sliced garlic cloves, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated and 1 teaspoon each of cumin seeds, turmeric powder and garam masala, cook for 4-5 minutes until the onion is going golden. Then transfer everything out of the pan with a slotted spoon. Add another 2 tbsp ghee to the pan with 600g waxy potatoes (chopped into 1.5cm pieces), stir to coat in all the lovely spices, then add 1/3 cup (80ml) water. Cover and cook for 5 mins until potato starts to soften, then remove lid and cook for a further 10-15 mins until a nice crust forms. Add the onion mixture back to the pan with 400g baby spinach leaves, giving everything a good stir until the spinach leaves have wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper and give it a squeeze of lemon if you like. Finished! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MEATBALLS, MEATBALLS EVERYWHERESimon: "I’ve just finished the shooting of a book that will be coming out next year that celebrates the delight that is the meatball. A whole book on meatballs? Well, yes! Why? Because, it turns out, pretty much every country and culture has a meatball dish that they hold dear, treasure and love. It turns out in this dumpster fire of a divided world that there are some things that unite us, and that one of those things is a love of the mighty meatball. Who’d have thought?"KOFTA W.QUINOA TABBOULEHAdd ½ cup quinoa to a full saucepan of boiling water. Cook for 20 mins until tender. Drain and set aside. While the quinoa is cooking, zest 1 lemon. Finely chop a garlic clove and add to a bowl with ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons water, 250g beef mince, the lemon zest, garlic and a good fat pinch of salt and a few big grinds of pepper. Shape into 6 koftas (patties), then cook in a frying pan for 5-6 minutes until golden brown on both sides. While the kofta are frying away, whip up a quick dressing for the tabouli by mixing the juice from the lemon together with another 1 tbsp olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar and some salt and pepper. And finely slice an eschalot/1/2 red onion and chop a tomato and lebanese cucumber into 1cm pieces. Combine all the tabouli ingredients in a bowl, tear over a bunch of mint leaves, pour over the dressing and toss together. Serve in bowls topped with the kofta and a few big dollops of…you guessed it… Greek yoghurt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I LOVE SAMBAL OELEK! It's a jarred chilli condiment from Indonesia that you can buy in every supermarket. Adding it to rudimentary weeknight foods can add energy - and it's not SUGARY like other chilli sauces.We also love AUDIENCE FEEDBACK!If you ever want to drop us a line, please DM our instagram (it's hard to get through if you don't follow the show bc the security settings = *HIGH*) or email [email protected] your tofu brick.Dredge the cubes in a mixture of 1/2 cup potato flour, 1.5tsp salt, LOTS of freshly ground pepper, a tsp of ground white pepper.Spray with cooking oil then air fry for 10 minutes. Turn, then cook for another 10 minutes. SAUCEIn a teeny tiny saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 3tbs each of rice vinegar and soy sauce, then cook to reduce slightly, about 5 mins. Take off the heat and stir through 1tsp of sambal oelek. SERVEIn a bowl, toss the tofu in the sauce, serve immediately garnished with snipped coriander or spring onion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All worn out from winning awards, Yumi kicks off with a Food Fix Christmas Gift Guide for people who are TIME POOR and can't get out of this obligation to give that we seem to confront at the Christmas time of year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recent news stories covered world-wide shortages of CUCUMBERS, in part because of the influence of food tik tokkers!How much can tik tok influence what we eat?And speaking of, do you want to try out Logan's (a successful food tik tok influencer) cucumber recipe? (He has many.)SMOKED SALMON AND AVOCADO CUCUMBER SALADSlice one whole cucumber and set aside.Make the dressing by mixing:3tbs whipped cream cheese2tbs chopped fresh dill50g capers and their juice1/4 red onion, finely sliced1 whole avocadoBagel "everything" seasoningpinch of MSG powderPour the dressing over the cucumber. Then add in 200g of smoked salmon, chopped loosely. Serve. Maybe on a bagel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon’s recent love affair with miso continues…. This time with a really simple but super delicious Miso, lime and sweet potato bake. It’s super easy - there’s only about a half dozen ingredients that you need and a few that are just a little out of the ordinary (lemongrass, Thai basil, limes) but really, nothing hard to find at all. The flavours though are absolutely spot on – it’s a ‘gratin with attitude’ as Anna Jones puts it and it is absolutely fantastic with beautiful bbq chicken or Yumi’s INFAMOUS vegetarian converter chicken wings. Start by making a saucePut a 400 ml tin of coconut milk in a blender with 100g cherry tomatoes and roughly chopped - 1 green chilli, a large thumb-sized piece of ginger, 3 garlic cloves, 2 lemongrass stalks and 2 tablespoons white miso paste. Blitz on high until you have a smooth, fragrant sauce. Prep your Sweet Potatoes and BAKEPreheat the oven to 180C. Slice 750g sweet potatoes (4 small/2 large) about ½ cm thick - by hand or MANDOLINE (!). Season with sea salt and layer into a 28cm oiled baking dish (about A4-sized). Layer them in overlapping rows. Pour over the sauce, cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes until the top is browned and the potatoes are cooked through. Take off the foil and bake for another 15 mins. Final finishGrate over the zest of 1 unwaxed lime. Scatter over the leaves of a small bunch of basil (Thai best but normal fine) and bake for a final 5 mins. Serve with 2 limes for squeezing over. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not a "humble brag" at all to come all up in our show notes and mention that my OTHER podcast - Ladies, We Need to Talk - won 2 awards in November. One for Best Podcast Sex and Relationships - and one for PODCAST OF THE YEAR! No, it's not humble at all. It's huge.As it is when your restaurant wins an award. It should be shouted from rooftops because basically, it's an accomplishment that no one can take away from you. Absolutely my podcast won't be PODCAST OF THE YEAR next year. But this year it was. And I'll keep that til I die.On today's show, we talk about what it means to win, and Simon describes the amazing experience of dining at this year's CHEF OF THE YEAR Award Winner, Jung Eun Chae's restaurant, Chae. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not every day you make a slice that's so yummy you should retire and just become a permanent cake maker, obviously growing EXTREMELY RICH in the process! Lol!Have you also noticed your fruit n veg getting cheaper? HMU at [email protected] SLICE750g - 1kg rhubarb, washed, dried and trimmed to a salad-like dice.225g room temp butter150g sugar2 eggs1 tsp vanilla paste or essence450g plain flour1.25 tsp baking powderbig pinch saltCombine the butter, sugar in a food processor, add in the vanilla, the eggs one at a time, and at the last minute, add in the flour, salt and baking powder but DON'T OVERMIX.Split the mix in 2, press half of the mix into a brownie tin, refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough.Mix the prepared rhubarb with 10g tapioca flour and 80 - 100g brown sugar. 1 tsp of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.Add that to the brownie tin, spreading evenly.Spread the remaining mixture over the top of the rhubarb.Bake for 40 mins at 180C, allow to cool then sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with strong, hot tea! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If it's not Moving House season, it's Gift Wrap season (*HELP!*), and Simon is getting amongst it by creating a really impressive but rather easy fish meal. Pre-heat the oven to 200CTrim and chop bok choy into (roughly) 4cm pieces, cut 1-2 spring onions into matchsticks, set aside.In a small bowl, 1tbs miso paste, 2tbs butter, and 1tbs mirin, mix to combine, set aside.Set out 4 pieces of 30cm baking paper.4 x 120g-150g white fish fillets, eg., Ling.Divide the fish pieces and 100g mushrooms (eg., shiitake) plus the prepared veg among the 4 pieces of paper.Drizzle with the miso dressing and 2 addition tablespoons of water.Wrap well. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Unwrap at the table with great theatricality and enjoy getting involuntary twinkle hands! (Top with more finely sliced spring onion if you want!)Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I sometimes forget that Simon's day job is commissioning and editing cookbooks. The man lives and breathes it.So we find out what he's been working on (Spoiler: Adam Liaw's latest) - - and then deviate into a favourite that is both simple and quick, but necessitates good ingredients and a deft, confident hand. Or a drunk hand! Either will do! Spaghetti Aglio, Olio & Pepperoncino100g spaghetti per person (best quality)6 tbs best olive oilhandful of red chillies or dried chilli flakes with good flavour4-6 cloves of fresh garlic, finely slicedoptional: grated parmesan (Simon doesn't) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fulfilling our remit to make delicious food achievable - THIS EPISODE DELIVERS!Yes, it is a tiring time to be alive in the world. Politics and world events are GRIM. And yet, one must eat. One must feed one's family.LOADED SWEET POTATO WITH BLACK BEANS AND CHEDDAR (thanks to NY TIMES COOKING)Preheat the oven to 200C.Wash and dry 2 medium sweet potatoes then halve them lengthways.Rub all over with 1tbs olive oil and sprinkle salt all over.Roast for 30-40 minutes, until smelling good.(*I found I didn't need this much time - Yumi)Turn them over so they now look like boats and use a fork to rough up the flat side.Top with 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese and 1 can rinsed and drained black beans, then another 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.Bake for 7 minutes until cheese has melted and the beans are hot.Serve with a wedge of lime, chili sauce, fresh coriander, and WHATEVER ELSE YOU WANT. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hetty McKinnon's cookbook 'Community' is an Aussie classic. I remember when women used to give this to each other as a cult gift - so good! Everything from this book is amazing and you can buy it via this link. The following recipe can also be found here. But listen to this episode STEP 1: Barbeque the following, well.2 heads (1kg) broccoli, cut into florets STEP 2: Make a dressing and heat on stove in a small pot combining these ingredients:125ml extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 80g capers, rinsed and drained 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced STEP 3: Combine the following in a big bowl and then dress with the warm oil/dressing:500g cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans) drained and rinsed1 cup baby spinach leaves 1 cup parsley, finely chopped 1 cup mint, leaves picked zest and juice of 1 lemon 80g Parmesan cheese, shaved 50g flaked almonds, toasted sea salt and black pepper Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having a food failure ISN'T unusual. It's part of being a cook.But there's something particularly painful when it's a whole cake that's ruined.I relive a recent Pear Cake fail and we talk through what can be done when things don't go to plan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dinosaur Spaghetti! - AKA Hipster Kale Pasta1 bunch of kale, leaves torn off the ribs, (ribs composted)Pop the leaves into a large pot of boiling, salted water.Cook 30 seconds then drain on a dry, clean tea towel. Allow to cool slightly. Lightly use hands to wring them out.Put the leaves in the food processor, with a handful of walnuts, 30g grated parmesan cheese, 3 tbs olive oil, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1/3 cup water, juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on wholemeal (!!) spaghetti topped with extra grated cheese. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi has some reflections after she cooked a bit of food for a friend's son's birthday bash.In short?There might always be a vomit or 2 if it's an 18th...Also -? Food that is good at 6pm needs to also be good at 2am. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you line the stomachs of the guests celebrating an 18th?Yumi and Simon both have ideas and experience with this! WHOSE WILL WIN OUT?If you want to know more about the inari Yumi mentioned, they look like this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our second special episode with RecipeTinEats's Nagi Maehashi! Her new book can be found here.On this episode, we talk cooking for your dog, where Nagi gets her cooking inspiration, excessive sweetness in Western food, and a beautiful whipped tahini that can be used on SO MANY THINGS - from eggs to eggplant, broccolini to white fish.WHIPPED TAHINI1 cup plain yogurt21/2 tbsp tahini11/2 tbsp lemon juice (substitute 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar)1 garlic clove, finely grated (Yumi would leave this out cos #allergic)1/4 tsp kosher salt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The legendary brains behind Recipe Tin Eats (- one of the world's most widely used cooking and recipe websites -) NAGI MAEHASHI - joins Yumi on today's 5 Minute Food Fix!They talk about recipe testing, her new cookbook, which you can order here, and how to make the simplest, yummiest thing:WHIPPED RICOTTA1 cup (8 oz) full-fat, good-quality ricotta, at room temperature1/2 tightly packed cup finely grated parmesan*2–3 tsp milk, if requiredMETHODMix the ricotta and parmesan in a small food processor, or a bowl using a hand-held electric beater or even a hand-held whisk!Beat until smooth. If the mix seems a bit too stiff and thick (which will depend on the ricotta you’re using), dilute with 1 teaspoonof milk at a time until it’s spreadable like whipped cream.Excerpted from Delicious Tonight © 2024 by Nagi Maehashi, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not everyone listens to each episode as they drop but if you're here in October, now is the time to start thinking about Christmas. Sorry!One of my favourite pudding recipes comes from Dan Lepard. I love his use of grated carrot and dark ale beer in this! It's also dead-easy and reliable. I always chuck in a few extra things my Mum likes - dried figs and those repulsive red cherries. Serve with tons of custard, the best vanilla ice-cream you can afford and cream too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our cookbook, which you can buy here, I have a recipe for 'Wedding Guest Croutons' - theory being that the perfect crouton should be like the perfect wedding guest: Immaculately behaved and never overshadowing the real stars of the show ( - the bride, the mother-of-the-bride, the flower girls and the SALAD or the PASTA ON WHICH IT SITS). Phew!Being low-key obsessed with croutons, I had to share this recipe for Anchovy Croutons which I'm making ALL THE TIME.ANCHOVY CROUTONS1/2 loaf of sliced, good-quality sourdough bread, stale is ok1/3 cup olive oil100g jar or tin of anchovies, including the oilMETHODCombine the oil with the anchovies in a tiny saucepan. Meanwhile warm the oven to 140C and prepare a couple of baking sheets.When the anchovies start to "melt", encourage their disintegration with a wooden spoon until they form a muddy riverbed silt. Lightly brush this mixture over one side of each piece of sourdough bread until it's all used up.Cut the bread into cubes. (I like mine slightly bigger than 1cm but don't overthink it. Just cut.)Mop up any leftover anchovy mixture with cubes of bread then spread them over the 2 baking sheets, and bake for 10 - 15 mins.Turn them well, bringing to corner croutons into the middle of the pan and rotating the middle-pan ones out to the edges.Cook for another 15 until the croutons are smelling toasty, changing colour to golden, and are crunchy when you try them.Allow them to cool before storing in an airtight jar.Serve on salad, with burrata, or atop a red spaghetti. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Asparagus really is the KING of Vegetable. It has such a short season, is so flavourful and healthy, and best of all, requires the very barest of intervention to make it taste good.If you're interested, the restaurant where Simon had the best asparagus of his life is St Peter in Paddington, Sydney, and it's extraordinary by all accounts!But to make Simon's King Asparagus Salad, do this:Find the freshest asparagus you can.Trim the ends, then slice 3 bunches into tiny coins.Dress with the juice of a lemon, salt and pepper, and a generous drizzle of your best olive oil.Arrange on a beautiful, showoffy platter and top with shavings of parmesan.Serve as part of a lunch spread with crusty bread and smashed minty broad beans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've talked about Simon's 'Fully Loaded Banana Bread' on this podcast before... but today Yumi arrives in studio with a massive fail of this tried-and-tested recipe.Here, we try to unpack what went wrong...And then we head into the real reason we wanted to talk - which was the concern that we are not making the most out of the wonderfully non-perishable fruit that is the GRAPEFRUIT.How can we expand our uses of this marvel? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazingly, Simon and I are up to 299 episodes of the 5 Minute Food Fix! Here's what to do with an excess of blueberries. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

School holidays can be a rough time for parents! Yumi and Simon have a food-related activity you could do with your kids?Make preserved lemons! (it's easier than you'd think. The hard part is figuring out what to do with the preserved lemons once you've made them tbh.)Well lucky you're here because Simon has a weeknight recipe he likes that uses preserved lemons.CHICKEN WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND TOMATOStart with 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, patted dry and seasoned.Heat 2tbs olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken until lovely and golden brown, about 5 mins per side.Remove from the pan and set aside.In the same pan, add 500g cherry tomatoes. Cook until they start blistering, squash them with the back of a spoon. Add in 1tbs of finely chopped preserved lemon and 4 finely sliced garlic cloves. When it's all combined and looking good, add in 2tbs tomato paste and a good pinch of Turkish chilli flakes. Cook and stir for a couple of minutes before adding 1.5cups of water, bring to a simmer then allow to reduce. Add in fresh oregano, then add in the chicken breasts and mix through, allow to cook for 10 mins. Finally, add in a good squeeze of fresh lemon. Serve with cous cous!PS. The Basque Cheesecake episode can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MIRACLE CABBAGE AND CHICKENWARNING: This episode contains instances of making each other laugh like astronauts on a space station where they've run out of oxygen and have no choice but to start pumping in pure happy gas. Unfettered lunacy I tell you!TO MAKE THIS MIRACLE:In a medium bowl, whisk together 1tbs each of soy sauce, honey and olive oil.Add in 4 x skinless boneless chicken thighsSeason with salt and pepper, toss to coat.Put a rack in the middle of the oven and put the grill up to highFind that gigantic half a purple or white cabbage that's taking up all the fridge space, and cut it into (roughly) 6 wedgesArrange the wedges and 350g of trimmed green beans on a baking sheet.Drizzle over 2-3 tbs olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then space the chicken on the tray next to the cabbage and beans and set under the hot grill for 19 minutes.The cabbage should have lovely blackened charred bits.Remove and allow to sit for 5 - 10 mins.WHILE THIS IS COOKING...Make the dressing by whisking together in a small bowl or jug:1/4 cup rice vinegar2 tbs sesame oil1 tbs chilli sauce1 finely grated garlic clove2 tbs soy sauce1 tbs honeytaste and season with more salt if needed.Roughly chop the cooked cabbage and finely shred the chickenAdd it to a big bowl with the cooked beans. Add a few finely slices spring onions and half a cup of chopped parsley. Dress with the dressing, season with salt and pepper, and serve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not gonna lie, Yumi still sounds sick on this episode and mercifully Simon runs the show to talk through the uses of nut butter, in particular peanut butter!PEANUT NOODLE SALAD YOU'LL MAKE WEEKLY:Dressing140g peanut butterjuice of 2 limes1/4 cup soy sauce2 tbs sesame oil2 tbs maple syrup1/4 cup water2 tsp grated ginger2 finely grated garlic clovesNOODLES:200g Udon noodles, cooked in boiling water according to the packet instructions then rinsed in cold water.1/4 cup of dressing3-4 finely sliced Lebanese cucumbers4 sliced spring onions1 cup of coriander leavesoptional: 1/2 cup peanutsMETHOD:Toss, taste and if necessary, add more dressing.Eat immediately and love it sick! Leftover dressing will last long enough for you to make this again,*Yumi recommends this with chopped red chilli.This recipe can be found in our cookbook - The Food FixAnd email us any time! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's always* fun when you go viral, especially for an article you've written about bodily functions!One thing I didn't include in the article was a tip from my pelvic floor physio about what to eat for exceptional digestion! She really, REALLY wanted me to eat this food on the reg, so I did, and it's actually been pretty life changing!But how can you make it yummy? And not food = medicine?The trick might be adding it to this granola:TEMPLATE GRANOLA:750g rolled oats100g coconut fat100g honey or maple syrup3tbs ground cinnamon1/2 tsp ground cardomonpinch saltTHAT'S THE TEMPLATEThen add in non-sweet things, eg.Pepitasroasted peanutssunflower seedspecanswalnutsshredded coconutMETHODToss everything together then roast in a low, 140C oven for 10 minutes.Add in the sweet things, eg.crystallised gingerraisinssultanasdried cranberriesdried blueberries...toss everything around, then back in the oven for another ten minutes until it's clumping together, smelling aromatic, sweet and nutty, and is starting to go golden.Allow it to cool before storing away in airtight containers.Serve with diced whole kiwi fruit (SKIN ON!), yogurt and ground flaxseeds.*not always Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We just did an episode about capers and I was fired up to talk about Smoked Salmon Bagels, given that they're a classic and I have eaten PLENTY.So what are some of the elements of the perfect Smoked Salmon Bagel?As usual, Simon knows a gobsmacking amount about a niche food (Caperberries and boiled bagels, in this case), and we leave you with a completed episode and a rumbling tummy. Is that you immediately heading out for supplies for tonight's dinner? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Yumi is still sore of throat and there's an alarming revelation about the waste of money that is cough medicine!But Simon has energy around the delicious ingredient - CAPERS.What the heck are capers?They're actually the unripened berried from a prickly caper bush and food-wise, they're probably best-known as the thing you find atop of a smoked salmon bagel.On today's episode, Simon talks us through what they're commonly used for, how to maximise their punch in your day-to-day cooking, and then a brilliant recipe from his favourite cookbook (so far) of 2024, Anna Jones - EASY WINS.Cauliflower Caponata:Heat your oven up to 220C.Break up 1 cauliflower into big florets directly onto a big oven tray.Cut up 3 onions into wedges and chop up 3 sticks of celery, add them to the tray then toss through 1tbs olive oil, 2tbs white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.Cook for 25 mins until charred and softened.Remove from oven. Turn the oven down to 200C.Add in 2 tins of plum tomatoes, 100g of good quality pitted olives, 3tbs of a star ingredient CAPERS, and 50g of raisins. Mix them all together, mashing the veg a little with a fork as you do.Back in the oven for another 40 minutes.Take out the tray and while it's cooling add another tablespoon of vinegar and some chopped parsley.Serve immediately while still warm or jar it up to last at least a week, finishing with olive oil. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we near our 300th episode, Simon and I review our reasons for doing a food podcast. Is it because we love the sound of our own voices? Not so much! (Maybe!)It's because even the BEST cooks struggle to feed their families every day, especially when running households, multiple jobs, parenting, and all the other things we're doing just surviving.So one thing you can do is prepare a few things when you DO have time - like a daal that can be frozen, sweet potato croutons that can be used on a soup one day and then to plump out a salad the next. Find out more by subscribing to your favourite food podcast! DAILY DAALCube a couple of sweet potatoes, toss in 2-3 tbs of oil, shake over some salt, pepper and cumin seeds, then roast until soft, about 20mins at 180C,MEANWHILE... fry up some onion in a deep, wide saucepan or frying pan. Add in 2 cloves of garlic and a hearty knob of ginger, and fry out. Add in half a packet of Herbie's Daal Spice Mix and cook to release the aromas. When ready, add in a tin of tomatoes, the same tin again but filled with water, a tin of coconut milk or cream, and crumble in a stock cube. Allow to cook for 20 mins, stirring, then check for doneness. At cooked, add in a squeeze of lemon. Freeze what you don't need for later. To serve: Add another squeeze of lemon. Top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, some fresh coriander leaves and those delicious sweet potato croutons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The science does NOT back turmeric as anything other than a brightly coloured tuber... but having it with ginger in SHOT form can certainly enliven the feeling in the back of your throat, make you feel like you're at least TRYING to feel better - and it's kind of delicious! It certainly worked for Simon - who reports that this is a MASSIVE retail fad back in the UK - and after recording Yumi also gave it a go. Didn't cure her hayfever, but it was YUMMY, used up some ginger and turmeric and was a bit of a morning heart-starter!In a high-speed blender combine:400ml fresh apple juice60g loosely chopped ginger20g turmeric (powdered or fresh)juice of 1/2 a lemonspoon of black pepper (optional!)BLEND FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. Then strain the mixture through a Chux in a sieve or through a good, old-fashioned tea-strainer. Serve cold in 50ml shots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 recipeArrange 5-6 big chunky vine tomatoes (about 900g), sliced on a gorgeous platter.In a blender5 tbs olive oil85g tin of tuna in oil2 anchovy fillets2tsp drained capers1/4 cup of mayonnaisejuice of 1/2 a lemon1 garlic clovea few basil leavesWhizz 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 GANOUSH2-3 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All green, raw food does not have to flee from your kitchen just because it's cold.Yes, the weather definitely affects what you feel like eating but salad can still comfort and nurture you even when you're putting an electric blanket on the couch. (Try this! It's excellent!)On today's episode Yumi revisits one of the GOAT salads. The classic. Rocket, Pear and Walnut. It appears in her cookbook Endless Summer. But she's giving it a rejig to make it more weather-appropriate. THE SALAD240g rocket leaves2 firm pears, sliced into chips3/4 cup of walnuts, refreshed by being toasted under the grill for 2-3 minutesbetween 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmesan CheeseTHE DRESSING (enough for 3 salads, so only use a third of this!)40ml White Balsamic Vinegar80ml of your best olive oil1tsp honey3/4tsp salt2tbs tahini Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yes, it's been a big and exciting couple of days for Stynes with her book with Dr Melissa Kang 'WELCOME TO SEX' being nominated for a Prime Minister's Literary Award... but we WILL talk about food. Yumi's been busy going through the cookbook she co-wrote with Simon. Partly because she loves Simon's recipes but also because she can't remember her own! It's incredibly handy having them written down - and you can find the book here if you're interested.SIMON'S FULLY LOADED BANANA BREADMelt 100g of butter and set aside to cool slightly.Preheat the oven to 180C.Line a loaf tin with baking paper.Activate 1tsp of bicarb in 1 cup of Greek yoghurt. Allow it to sit for 5 mins to fluff up and activate.Add to the yoghurt mixture the butter, 1 cup of caster sugar and 2 eggs, and mix.Now add in 250g plain flour, 1tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon - and mix but don't overmix. Finally, add in 400g of very ripe, very mashed banana.Pour it into the prepared tin and cook it for 1.5 hours, trying not to doubt the cook time.Cool on a wire rack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are NO MORE EXCUSES if your roasted potatoes aren't perfect!Also, why is Yumi laughing so hard she has tears?It's all about this guy who went viral for his potatoes. THIS RECIPE IS YUMI'S VERSIONGet a large pot on the stove with 2cm water in, turn up hot.At the same time, put a full kettle on to boil.Quarter 700g potatoes.By the time you've finished cutting up the spuds, the water in the kettle and the small amount on the stove should both be boiling.Pour the kettle water into the pot on the stove.Tumble the potatoes in making sure they're not sticking together. Stir a little. Wait for the water to return to boiling then set a timer for 3 minutes.Once the timer has sounded, drain the potatoes really well so they're dry, and allow them to cool.To do the Ibiza method, pop the now-cool potatoes in the FREEZER for 35 mins.Preheat the oven to 200.Get a roasting tray on the hob and fill it with at least 2mm of olive oil. Be careful! Use the stove element to heat the oil and when it's spattering hot, carefully decant the potatoes into the oil. They will spatter. Use tongs to make sure each piece is cut-side down.Pop in the oven and roast for 30 mins before turning to the other cut side, and roast for another 20 mins. Serve when golden crunchy all over. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Freshly returned from his old stomping grounds in London, Simon is full of fresh inspiration and ideas. One of the places he's loved in the past is the legendary Peckham produce store, Persepolis. We hear about its owner and creative force, Sally Butcher, aka Sally in Peckham, and Simon talks us through one of her recipes, which you can find here or below:CAULIFLOWER AND PICKLE PIEINGREDIENTS1 cauliflower, cut into florets1 chopped onion1 cubed zucchini50g raisins1 tin drained and rinsed chickpeas1/2 jar of pickled turmeric (which you can buy here)Oil, for cookingfilo pastryMETHODPre-heat the oven to 190C.In a large tray, spread out all the veg, and rub and coat them with pickle and a few tablespoons of oil. Cover the tray with foil and bake for 30 mins. It is here Simon says you can stop and enjoy this with rice! Or continue on to make a pie:Lightly oil a 26cm X 36cm baking tray.Brush layers of filo pastry lightly with oil and layer them in the bottom of the tray until you have used half of the packet of filo.Now add the cauli-pickle filling.Repeat the filo brush-with-oil layering for the remaining sheets of pastry.Bake at 180C for 20 mins. Serve immediately with a side salad or enjoy later as leftovers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You're in the minority if a lurgie hasn't waylaid you this past month!Here's a ginger tea to heal your roughed-up throat.Cook up 15g ginger, grated in 500ml water.While it's warming, make a slurry of 1/2tbs of potato or corn starch dissolved in 1tbs cold water.When the ginger-water tea is hot, use a whisk to stir in the slurry and bring the mixture to the boil. You should see your tea thicken - just slightly - and grow a little cloudy.Take it off the heat and stir through 2tbs of your best honey. Manuka is good here. Squeeze in some lemon if you have. Drink one cup immediately and save the other for bedtime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Davis is freshly returned from a month in his home country and the delightful dining experiences he had in England have invigorated and enlivened his appreciation of food.On today's episode we find out what is Simon's FAVOURITE RESTAURANT...? And we talk through one of the simplest desserts that is so good, I have to "cook" it this afternoon (no actual cooking required).BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES1 punnet of strawberries, washed, hulled and halved1 tbs of your best balsamic vinegar2 tbs of white sugarCoat the strawberries in the vinegar and sugar, then leave them in the fridge to macerate for a couple of hours. Serve plain, alongside cake, or with dollops of cream, crème fraiche, or ice cream! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A couple of listeners have asked us to talk you through Tapioca Pudding. It's the sort of thing you can buy in the fridge section of health food stores and at specialty Thai Dessert Takeaway places - but unlike it's spiritual sister Bubble Tea, this is pretty easy to make!Boil 3 cups of waterAdd in 1/2 cup of tapioca pearlsStir and keep an eye on it. The pearls will go from opaque white to translucent and glassy.Don't overcook it. Take it off the heat when there's still a white nucleus.Srain and rinse in cold water, stirring with clean hands.In a seperate small saucepan, cook up1 cup of coconut milk,1/2 cup sugar,1 knotted pandan leafWarm the coconut sauce on the stove to thoroughly dissolve the sugar.Once warmed through, add back in the cooked tapioca. Stir gently. Spoon or pour out into serving cups and top with sour mango or regular mango, and if mango is out of season, top with any fruit such as paw paw, melon, tinned mandarin, pomegranate, etc. Leave to set in the fridge or eat still warm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss the utter absence of cooking with cactus in our lives (!) and a cookbook which I have loved by Nik Sharma called VEG-TABLE.To make the recipe, you need500g Orecchiette (thus named because the tiny scooped pieces look like a baby's ear 285g frozen peas11/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle4 cloves of garlic, grated1 tsp red pepper flakes, eg., Aleppo, Maras or Urfa.2-3tbs white miso paste (I use 3, Nik Sharma says 2)lots of grated Parmesan or Grana Padano (I use a cup+)snipped chives from the gardenBoil the pasta in generously salted rolling boiling water a minute or 2 less than the amount of time recommended on the packet. In the last 2 minutes, add the peas to the pot. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Dress the cooked pasta/peas with 1tbs of olive oil. Set aside and then:Warm 3 tbs good olive oil then add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Fry for less than 1 minute until releasing their aromas. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes.Dissolve the miso paste in 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Add this to the fried spices then add the peas and crush them a little so they're less intact and more prepared to integrate with the sauce.Use a big slotted spoon to fold the cooked pasta into the spice mixture, adding in about 1/4 cup of cheese. Feel free to add a bit more pasta water to make the final version brothy. Taste. It may need more salt. Serve with more cheese on top and some generous snips of chives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 CHICKEN500g chicken thigh fillet, cut into plus-size nuggets, dusted in plain flour2-3 tbs plain oil, eg., grapeseed, peanut or canolaTERIYAKI SAUCE2 tbs Kikkoman soy sauce2 tbs mirin (a sweet wine)1 tsp honeyPreheat 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 FLATBREAD1 x small, round za'atar flatbread, shop boughtabout 150g of halloumi cheese, grated1 x medium zucchini, shaved into ribbonssalt, 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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Dip150g good Greek yoghurt, strained if you can be bothered1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped100ml olive oil1 tsp pul biber Turkish chilli flakes 1 tsp sugar1/2 tsp ground turmericzest and juice of 2 limessalt and pepperOver 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 coolJuice 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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making bread takes a bit of effort so you really want it to pay off!On today's episode, Simon and I discuss YEAST and a book that I am a huge fan of - - Karen Martini's COOK (- which I manage to mis-name as "Food" - my apologies!). There's so much in there, it's basically an encyclopaedia OF FOOD. I even bought a second copy to give to my kid who lives out of home.And I'm still discovering cool new recipes inside. Like this one:POTATO BREADCombine 300g still-warm mashed potato with 500g plain flour then add to the mixing bowl of your stand mixer.Add 375ml of warm water which has already had 7g dried yeast added to it and dissolved. Mix using the dough hook for about 6 minutes.Allow the dough to prove in a warm place (not hot!) until double in size. Could take an hour? Could take longer.Tip the dough into a metal baking tray. Drizzle it with oil and stretch it to fit the pan. Cover and leave it for 45 mins.Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 190C.When your bread looks big and puffy, gooshje your fingers deeply into the dough to create many delightful indentations. Top with your choice of yummies. (I use fresh rosemary and flaky salt.) Karen Martini suggests 250g cherry tomatoes, 80g pitted and torn black olives, Greek oregano, 1 tbs red-wine vinegar, 1 tsp caster sugar and 5 anchovies.Bake for 40 mins until well puffed and golden. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's funny to realise just how inevitable it is that when you first get a mandolin slicer (also known as a 'V-Slicer'), you are likely to cut your fingertips or knuckles a few times before giving the gadget the respect (and caution) it deserves!Simon has a couple of golden rules for staying safe when using it... and a beautiful salad that makes the most of your amazing mandolin.Fennel and Radish Salad1 fennel bulb, trimmed and halved1 bunch of washed and trimmed radishparmesan cheeseLemony dressing:Juice of 1 lemon6 - 8 tbs of your best olive oilsalt1/2 tsp mustard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.