Winter warmers

  • This rolled beef dish is easy enough to serve for a mid-week meal and pretty enough to present at a dinner party. Steak is rolled with pesto and steamed in the Varoma over stock, which is then the base for a mustard sauce.
  • In its most simple form, this is a yoghurt soup that’s thickened with rice. In the traditional version, chickpeas are incorporated into the soup - I’ve turned them into a golden topping instead, brightened with kale and chilli. I get really excited about reworking simple ingredients for new pleasures. The components of this dish are humble and modest but each finds new potential in this recipe, and thus new opportunity for diner pleasure.
  • This apple, pear and mandarin mulled wine also includes Australian pepperberries. You can also make it with regular peppercorns and it's just as delicious!
  • Succulent lamb shanks, the goodness of barley, root veg and greens, and the bright zing of dill oil add up to a sustaining and satisfying casserole.
  • I first made this soup for a friend who wasn’t well and needed a chicken soup cure! I can’t promise this soup will cure all ills but it is simple and nourishing with comforting tones and a cheery promise of sunshine. These flavours and textures remind me of suburban Chinese restaurants, though I don’t at all pretend my version is traditional. I make my own creamed corn but you can also use tinned. As with all homemade dishes, the quality of the ingredients shines through. Great chicken and stock will make a big difference to the end result.
  • When I think ‘vegetables’ and ‘comfort’ it’s not long before I think of creamed corn. Once heated, the starches in corn kernels thicken, turning the mixture into a creamy yellow custard. It’s delicious by itself with butter, as a side dish for sausages or grilled meats, and as a comfy bed for roasted or steamed vegetables.
  • Fall-apart spiced meat, a tart and zesty salsa, grilled greens all tucked into a taco - this dish is a winner! It's great for a family meal but I've also served it for casual gatherings with all the fixings laid out for people to make their own tacos. The flavours are brilliant! Thanks to Hagen's Organics for the inspiration! The video is from when I made this dish on Justine Schofield's Everyday Gourmet.
  • subscribe dani valent
    This is the final piece of the puzzle in my dosa and uttapam collection. I started with lentil sambar, kicked on with uttapam and now here’s a potato masala that is great to eat with these other south Indian lovelies, or fine to eat as a meal on its own. This could even be your new potato salad for barbecues!
  • Sambar is a south Indian dish, made with yellow lentils, tamarind and vegetables. It can be served with rice but it’s also a traditional accompaniment for dosa, rice and lentil pancakes made with fermented batter.