In Morocco, the tea ceremony is sacred and there is quite an art form to the pouring of the tea. The higher the pour the better, which takes a bit of practice!

This is very refreshing tea. Perfect on a hot afternoon, after a meal or when you still have a ridiculous amount of mint growing in your garden, despite the cooler weather. This is certainly the case for us right now! I think my mint just wants to ‘do it’s th-ang’ right now, despite the cooler months! Enjoy anytime really!

Ingredient’s

Green tea
Fresh mint (try for a short leaf bunch, with less stem)
Sugar to taste

Place the tea in a tea pot (allow 3 tablespoons for a large tea pot about 5 to 6 glasses). Pour over ½ cup fresh boiling water. Allow the tea to steep (let stand) for 10 seconds only. This will rinse the green tea and allow the leaves to open up. Pour out the water.

Add all the mint and sugar to taste. Pour fresh boiling water onto mix to fill the pot.

Allow the tea to steep for a few minutes. (If you prefer your tea strong, you may bring the full tea pot to boil and let it stand for a couple more minutes).

Kick back and enjoy your little taste of Morocco!

The times we get together with my family are fabulous. They are always guaranteed to be full of gorgeous noise, way too much food, kids running around frantically (they seem to only have one speed when on mass), lots of wine, Mum’s beautiful home cooking and then there’s my Pop (my Dad’s father) – almost completely void of sight but ALWAYS sitting back in his chair smiling (& occasionally crying) at all the sounds that fill the room. It was Pop’s birthday last Friday.

Watching Pop get old is sad & yet such a privilege. I know we are lucky to have him around. He hasn’t been in great health for many years now and yet there he is, year after year, at all the family get together’s. This time it was his turn to blow out the candles!

As much as it is a rush & sometimes a struggle to catch up on a Friday night after a busy week with the kids and work, how great is life when you burst through your parents door and a glass of champagne and a ‘little something to eat’ is thrust in to your hands, along with a kiss and a “it’s so good to see you” embrace! Whilst the kids ran around the house to find their cousins and pick up where they left off, Mum cooked up a gorgeously simply Moroccan stew which we all later enjoyed with lashings of bread and way too much wine (it was a party after all!). Then came the cake! This cake was fabulous a) because of the short amount of time Mum had to throw it together after her own busy day at work and b) it was such a surprise. It looked so simple because it was so simple. It was a coconut and lime syrup cake which was poured on hot when served. Mmmmmmmmm! This humble piece of cake and getting to sit next to the birthday boy and listen to one of his yarns, was well, one amazing Friday night.

Try this cake the next time you feel like something a little lighter, are short on time or simply want to impress a gorgeous old fella who has sampled more Birthday cakes than he cares to remember!

Happy Birthday ‘ol man’ – We love you so! xx

Coconut cake with hot lime lime syrup

Serves 8-10

125g butter, chopped 

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup whole milk

¼ cup of natural yoghurt (or substitute for whole milk if you must)

1  ½ cups self raising flour, sifted

1  ¼ cups caster sugar

1 ¼ cups desiccated coconut

 Lime syrup

3-4 limes, rind finely shredded, juiced

¼ cup water

½ cup caster sugar

 Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line a 22cm springform cake pan.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Transfer to a bowl. Add eggs and milk and stir until combined.

Combine flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl. Add milk mixture. Stir to combine. Pour cake mixture into cake tin. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

To make the lime syrup, combine lime juice, water and sugar in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Bring to the boil. Quickly reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until syrupy. Stir in lime rind.

 Allow cake to cool in pan before releasing the sides of the cake tin. Place the cake on a platter, add some pretty candles & flowers, light candles, sing “for he’s a jolly good fellow”, birthday boy blows out candles, slice and serve. When serving, pour the hot lime syrup over warm cake.

Delicious with cream, yoghurt, ice cream or coconut sorbet.

If I think ‘Bolognese’, I think comfort. I think of a gorgeous night in with the family slurping up pasta with a delicious and hearty bolognese clinging so wonderfully to all that we slurp. I think of the kids with big bolognese grins holding their bowls to the big red cast iron pot for more. I always make more! You see, I make more, usually in the hope to freeze (it freezes so well) or to layer a delicious lasagna (flexible little number, isn’t it!) but then it is impossible for a Mother to resist the gorgeous pleading eyes and the big bolognese smile of my gorgeous girls?

Many know the dish as ‘Spaghetti Bolognese’ however the real thing is called Tagliatelle al Ragu’. This meaty sauce comes from Bologna in Emilia Romagna. The real deal is a mixture of at least two types of meat, such as lean beef and pork or veal. Use a deep heavy-based saucepan, pour yourself a glass of wine and picture yourself in Bologna (it makes it taste so much better so cruial that you don’t miss this step) as this hearty and beautiful sauce simmers away, just waiting to smack itself on to your loved ones ‘Bolognese smile!’
Buon Appetito!

Bolgnese Sauce

Olive oil
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 celery stalk, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
100g pancetta, diced
250g minced beef
250g minced pork
Murray River Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano (use dried if you don;t have fresh)
2-3 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste
1 large bay leaf
1 x 400g good quality Italian tinned tomatoes, chopped
300ml red wine
1 beef stock cube, crumbled
125ml water
Fresh basil, to serve & if not basil season, use plenty of chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and sauté onion for a few minutes to soften but not to colour. Add the celery, carrot, garlic and pancetta and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and smelling sweet.

Increase the heat and add the meat, in batches if need be, and brown well. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the oregano, tomato paste, bay leaf, tomatoes, wine, stock cube and water. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, with the lid slightly askew, for approximately 1 hour. Stir your sauce from time to time and do keep an eye on it. If it looks like it is drying out, add a a splash of water. Remove the lid and simmer for another 20-30 minutes. The colour of your sauce should be deeply rich and if not, you may want to cook for a touch longer.

Season bolognese to taste with sea salt and a good grinding of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve with drained pasta, fresh basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan (despite the fact that purisits like this dish without!).

On occasion, I tie some fresh rosemary to a wooden spoon and stir my sauce, every so often, with this. It infuses the sauce with a truly lovely flavour. Whatever you do, DO NOT, leave your rosemary spoon just sitting in the sauce whilst it cooks as the rosemary will completely dominate and your sauce loose all the balance and sweetness that it should have.

Thanks so much for stopping by. My name is Nellie and I love a good chat about all things food. I have a serious cookbook addiction and when I am not in the kitchen feeding my class guests, friends or family, you will find me engrossed in one of my cookbooks, testing recipes, tweaking to my tastes or simply to experiment. I confess that I have been known to weep like a mad woman at a well written ‘thank you’ at the back section of a few of my favourites.

I feel gob smacked that there are a small percentage of people out there who do not live and breathe food and who might not take great pleasure in talking for hours and hours on end about ingredients that rock them! I have started this blog so that I have my own place to rant and blather about food, a place to collate my recipes, tell their story, share myself with others as well as save my marriage! You see, I have the world’s greatest husband. He loves to eat (he has no choice), he is an amazing father, he irons, he makes the bed if he is the last one out (a rule he declares I knew about years ago), he can be handy with a vacuum should he feel so inclined and turns up without question to help pack up at the end of one of the many late night cooking classes I host each week. He is a keeper to say the least and so it is time that I create my little space here and gently release him from the burden he has carried for far too long. I think it is fair to say, he just wants to eat and I can’t begrudge him that!  

I’d love you to come back and visit from time to time and your feedback and comments are always very much appreciated. I can also be contacted via email, via the relish mama website, on facebook as well as twitter. Who would have thought one simple gal could become so tech savvy!

I hope my recipes and passion for all things food, in my blog, in our cooking classes and always around our table inspire you to want to cook and celebrate the pleasures of the kitchen and table. The pleasures truly are amazing!

Although the list could go on & on, here is my list of wonderful ‘essentials’for the kitchen. I admit that I use some more than others but most would get a work out every given week. Add gradually to your stocks & reap the rewards of having a kitchen resource that makes it easy to enjoy simple food, full of flavour, every day of the week.

Essential dry goods
Extra virgin olive oil (Cobram Estate is a fabulous all rounder)
Vegetable or Canola oil
Sesame oil (keep refrigerated for longevity)
Fish sauce (three crab brand for the best)
Oyster sauce
Murray River Salt flakes
Verjuice
Aceto Balsamic (authentic aged balsamic)
Red wine vinegar
White vinegar
White wine vinegar
Rice wine vinegar
Dark soy sauce
Light soy sauce
Shao Xing chinese wine
Wasabi
Miso
Sugo or Passata
Tomato paste
Italian diced tomatoes, tinned (lots of & for mine, La Gina is the best)
Great quality dried pasta (Martelli for the best or De Cecco for an affordable all rounder)
Polenta
Burghul
Quinoa
Risotto
Brown rice
Jasmine rice
Persian red lentils
Green lentils
Dried chickpeas
Canned chickpeas
Canned butterbeans
Canned cannellini beans
Small jars or tins of good quality anchovies
Salted capers
Dried currants
Dried raisans

Fried red shallots
Rose water
Orange blossom water
S/R flour
Pizza flour
Plain flour
Ground almonds
Preserved olives, in jars from Mount Zero
Caster sugar
70% Dark chocolate
Raw sugar
Palm sugar
Brown sugar
Pure dutch cocoa
Dried or preserved figs

Spices
Cinnamon sticks
Vanilla beans, paste & extract
Whole nutmeg
Dried Oregano
Peppercorns – black & white
Saffron threads
Ground turmeric
Cumin seeds
Dried chilli flakes
Ground ginger
Ground cinnamon
Whole cloves
Yellow mustard seeds
Spanish Paprika
Cayenne pepper
Dried coriander
All Spice

Refrigerator & or freezer

Nuts – Sesame seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, peanuts
Frozen peas
Unsalted butter
Preserved lemons
Frozen raspberries
Good quality Vanilla bean ice cream
‘Relish Mama’ Beetroot & aceto balsamic Relish
Sour cream
Cream
Haloumi
Parmesan
Cheddar
Sugar syrup (made weekly & stored in the fridge)
Whole egg mayonnaise
Whole milk

It has only just dawned on me that you would not be silly for thinking I am Vegetarian. In recipe 1, there was cauliflower fritters and in recipe 2, I confessed to the world that I am an avid Brussel Sprouts lover!
I am going to knock you down with a feather right here, right now. I am not vegetarian!!! This fact now on the table and I am still truly desperate to share this next recipe with you! I have cooked it so much of late & I simply love it so much. This week we have been donning the apron for ……drumroll………….yes, all non vegetarian’s favourite (eh hem), Spiced red lentil and carrot soup! Don’t jump ship guys. This is awesome and we will soon move on to meatier dishes (I promise).

I had a farmer attend one of my Vegetarian cooking classes last year. We only run this class a couple of times a year & this is the one class out of all of them that his girlfriend (bless her cotton socks) booked him in to. Apparently this guy has never had a day without meat! Talk about pressure & he was a big burly lad too. Needless to say, I was a wee bit afraid! Reading through the menu with him of what we were to cook this particular night, I thought he was going to a) run and b) practice his left hook right between my eyes as he read the word ‘lentil’. He lived through the trauma of adding lentils to the pan & I kid you not, he raved about the final result (even though he did add that it could be improved with a touch of lamb!!)

This soup makes me feel so ‘good’. This is big praise for food I think. Delicious & that you can feel it doing you ‘good’. This makes me one happy girl! Oh…and a little word of advice – you just have to try the toasted bread with the goats cheese (with or without the soup). Many of you know already know the avid affection I hold for ‘Meredith Dairy’ fabulous goats cheese. I like to hold a fairly large supply in our massive fridge & have been know to get the shakes if we go below 6 jars! Therapy anyone?

4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
250g Persian Red lentils, washed and drained
A pinch of dried chilli flakes or 1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1.5 litres of water (or can use half water and half chicken stock for even
moregoodness & more flavour)
100ml natural yoghurt
Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

To serve, drizzle with olive oil and top with freshly and finely chopped parsley or
coriander.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery
and Cook, stirring gently for 5-10 minutes. Add the red lentils, ground coriander,
ground cumin and stir to combine. Cover with 1.5 litres of water (or stock) and bring
to the boil. Turn heat down, season to taste, cover saucepan and simmer for 30-40
minutes.

Stir in the yoghurt and check again for seasoning.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnished with the freshly chopped parsley or
coriander.

In addition, I love to serve this (or any soup) with some thinly sliced olive bread,
drizzled with olive oil and chargrilled. Whilst hot, I spread with a layer of ‘Meredith
dairy’ goats cheese. If I have some caramelised onions in the fridge, some of these
on top of ‘Meredith Dairy’ goats cheese is, well ‘heaven on a plate’ for me!

My preferred way to caramelise onions : Heat a large pan over low heat. Add 2 or
more finely sliced brown onions & cook for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring
occasionally until very soft. Add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of
balsamic vinegar (it is this extra touch that makes all the difference to your
everyday caramelised onions), pinch of salt & some pepper & cook for 5 minutes
longer until the onions are caramelized.
Remove from the heat & leave to cool.

I just love putting brussel sprouts on the menu! Not that I am a spiteful person but it is always funny to watch everyones faces when they arrive on the table – I do think they seem to mess with everyones heads!
Brussel Sprouts cop such a bad wrap, in my opinion. You are either a lover or loather. For the loathers, I hope this recipe can convince you that if cooked properly, they are a vegetable fit for a queen & a worthy addition to any gorgeous spread. I adore them & get so excited when they start to ‘sprout’ each winter.

24 small brussel sprouts
A good glug of extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good knob of unsalted butter plus another reserved for later
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
A good handful of finely chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons of slivered or chopped almonds, toasted

Wash the brussel sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves.
Blanch the brussel sprouts briefly in boiling salted water. Remove & drain.
Cut in half from stem to top and gently toss them in a bowl with a good glug of olive oil.

Heat a good knob of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Don’t overheat the pan or the outsides of the brussel sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussel sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and cook for roughly 5 minutes. The bottom of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Taste one of the sprouts & check for tenderness. If not cooked enough, cover and cook for a few minutes more.

Once just tender, turn up the heat, and cook until slightly caramelized. Add the reserved butter, season with a little more salt as well as a few grinds of pepper. Add the brown sugar and toss gently. Once the sugar has dissolved, and the parsley & toss the almonds through the dish.

Brussel sprouts really must be served immediately for best enjoyment & man, are they enjoyable!

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

It’s getting cold outside which causes me to live like a hermit, wax way less often than one should
and the inevitable struggle to get the kids out of bed. The good news is, it also means wonderful,
wonderful cauliflower (does this make up for hairy legs??!!).
This dish is delightfully simple and has ‘comfort’ written all over it for me. Make bite size versions for a
wonderful starter / great party food or make larger ones and serve for dinner with a big green salad
and a glass of wine. Is this not the perfect Sunday night?

½ cauliflower
300g (2 cups) self raising flower
125g (1 ¼ cups) grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons of Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of chives, finely chopped
Sea salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Olive oil

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Break or cut the cauliflower in to
quite small pieces. Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and cook for a couple of
minutes, until soft (you should be able to pierce the cauliflower stem with a knife with ease if cooked
through). Drain & cool.

Combine the flour, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, chives, salt and pepper and then mix
with the cauliflower. Add the lightly beaten eggs and mix again. Add a little of the milk, if
needed, to bring the mixture together.

Add enough olive oil to cover the base of a frying pan and heat over medium heat. When
the pan is hot, add tablespoons of the mixture and cook on the first side until golden. Turn
each fritter over and flatten slightly with the back of a spatula. Cook on the second side until
golden and cooked through.

Serve these warm but not hot to enjoy their maximum flavour or at room temperature.

Makes approx 18 small fritters

I always serve these fritters with my ‘beetroot & aceto balsamic relish’. They are so perfect together!
Alternatively, you could make your own spicy dipping sauce to make these tasty gems even tastier!
Using a blender, combine 4 tomatoes with some dried chilli flakes (or fresh chilli), a few drops of
balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped.

I hope my recipes and passion for all things food, in my blog, in our cooking classes and always around our table inspire you to want to cook and celebrate the pleasures of the kitchen and table. The pleasures truly are amazing!