Bloody Mary

This is a classic cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, piri piri sauce, beef consommé or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and celery salt. It has been called “the world's most complex cocktail”.

Fried Bacon and Cheese Meatloaf

Last nights leftover meatloaf is tonight’s stimulating and quick dinner with a few accompaniments.

Vanilla Matchsticks

This is a nice crispy sweet pastry simulating the look of matchsticks.

Chocolate and Zucchini Bread

In this moist chocolate bread I am using blueberry jam and zucchini with cocoa powder which results in a tender crumb with chocolate flavour.

Chicken Roulade with Kumara Mash

A roulade is a European dish consisting of a slice of meat rolled around a filling such as cheese, vegetables or other meats. In this dish I use a basil and almond mix as a filling.

Chocolate Tart

This chocolate tart is just the thing to enjoy at anytime of the year, especially if you like chocolate and it is easy to make ahead for your dinner party as a dessert or as a cake for afternoon tea.

Chicken and Asparagus with Penne Pasta

This is a marvelous chicken dish with a perfect blend of classic flavours, other starch can be used such as potatoes and rice.

Cold Lumumba Cocktail

A Lumumba is a long drink named after the Congolese politician Patrice Lumumba and consists of cacao, occasionally accompanied by cream and a shot of rum. Several alternative recipes replace the rum with amaretto or brandy. This is the version I grew up with and still like.

Chicken Chive and Corn fritters with Salad

Fritters are a great summer lunch dish and easy to make. They can even be used in a burger bun or as a sandwich.

Buttermilk Quick Loaf Bread

This sweet bread is easy to make with a crumb similar to a cake and is ideal for breakfast or morning tea.

Pumpkin Coriander and Cheese Scones

Pumpkin and cheese savoury scones are extremely popular as a starter, with soup or on its own with a bit of butter.

Pan Fried Barramundi with Ratatouille and Feta Gratin

This is a delicious white fish dinner with salad.

Buttermilk Apple and Cinnamon Nut Bread

This delightful moist sweet bread with classic flavours is excellent for breakfast or morning tea.

Baked Chicken and Shallot Risotto

This is an excellent tasty oven baked chicken risotto, easy to make and can be served on the table in the pot.

Arise My Love Cocktail

This is the classic green minty champagne cocktail and is also known as the Emerald Gem cocktail.

Irish Tea Brack

Tea Brack is a sort of cross between cake and a quick bread which by tradition is made and eaten at Halloween. It is very moist and delicious and will stay fresh for several days. Traditionally small items are mixed into the Tea Brack before it is baked, each with a message or prediction for the person who gets it in a slice. The items always include a ring, which predicts a wedding within the year, although any or all of the following are sometimes included, a coin for wealth, a small piece of cloth for poverty, a pea for plenty, a thimble for a spinster, a button for a bachelor or a matchstick to beat your husband/wife and if you are using any of these items, wrap them well in greaseproof paper before adding them to the mix.

Buttermilk and Oatmeal Bread

This very moist healthy bread combining the oats nutty and buttermilk acidic flavours and it is excellent for breakfast and lunch.

Coca Cola Caramel and Pecan Scones

This is excellent sweet scones for anyone liking caramel and cola. For more sweetness add crushed hard pecan caramel.

Bacon and Cheese Meatloaf

If you like bacon cheeseburgers, maybe you should make this meatloaf which is packed with bacon and cheese.

Irish Barm Brack

Traditional Irish Bairín breac regularly abbreviated to brack is spicy yeasted bread with added sultanas, currants and raisins. It is the most famous bakery product in Ireland and the name breac meaning speckled referring to fruit in the bread. The loaf is usually sold in flattened rounds and is frequently served toasted with butter along with a cup of tea in the afternoon. The dough is sweeter than sandwich bread, but not as rich as cake. Barmbrack is the bread of Irish Halloween practice and traditionally contained various objects baked into the bread such as a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin and a ring. The Barmbrack was used as a sort of fortune telling game and each item was supposed to carry a meaning to the person that received an item. The pea meant the person would not marry that year, the person receiving the stick would have an unhappy marriage, the person receiving the cloth would have bad luck or be poor, the person receiving the coin would enjoy good fortune or be rich and the person receiving the ring, would be wed within the year. There have been supplementary articles added to the bread such as a medallion usually with a picture of the Virgin Mary symbolizing going into the priesthood or to the Nuns, while this tradition is not widely continued in the present day.

Brenda’s Penne and Prawn Salad

I personally don’t cook or eat seafood however Brenda made this seafood salad for the other hungry guys. It is a magnificent salad for the warm summer day as a starter however if you want this for the main meal double the ingredients.

Caipirinha Cocktail

This is the national cocktail of Brazil made with Cachaça, sugar and lime, which is enjoyed throughout the country and has become popular all over the world. First class Cachaça is widely available in recent years outside of Brazil. Cachaça is Brazil's most widespread distilled alcoholic beverage. Both Rum and Cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived products.

Basic Plain Pancakes

Pancakes are the simple way to make quick bread using the same base for both sweet and savoury dishes.

Crusted Chicken Celery and Cheese Bake

The meat of the chicken is one of the most used and versatile meats in the world. With relatively low cost nearly all parts of the bird can be used for food and the meat can be cooked in many unique ways.

Buttermilk Chocolate and Sultana Scones

It is common to use buttermilk in scones and it actually tastes amazing when freshly cooked. If you can’t get buttermilk add some lemon juice or zest to normal milk.

Roast Duck with Pear and Dates

Roasted duck has always been a big part of Christmas Eve dinner for me as I was growing up in Denmark. A whole roasted duck with crispy golden skin is magnificent food and even more when stuffed with a healthy appetizing pear and date stuffing.

Chicken and vegetable pilaf

This is a hearty rice dish which makes an effortless midweek and pleasing meal.

Chocolate Tart for Valentine's Day

Published article Friday 1^st February 2013 featuring myself in the February/March issue of “Xcite” C.ex Group Magazine presenting my “Chocolate Tart” is displayed below with story and recipe.