Microwaved porridge

July-August, 2025

   

Getting a microwave in the past year has been handy for leftovers, heat packs, and the odd meal. It's also inspired me to circle back to porridge as a winter breakfast, after at least a decade's lapse. It's fast, it's filling, and it doesn't create a messy saucepan to clean up!

I also find it's a handy way to use up pantry odds and ends as toppings. This bowl included brown sugar syrup, chia seeds, chopped dried figs and walnuts. More recently I've switched to dried apricots and flaked almonds.

Microwaved porridge

(a recipe gleaned from some general online searching)

Use a mug to measure out your desired quantity of quick oats, and place them in a microwave-safe serving bowl. Fill the mug with a equal volume of liquid and stir it briefly into the oats (I use an even mix of milk and water). Microwave the mixture on a standard setting for 1:30 minutes. Stir the mixture, then return it to the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the porridge again.

Add your toppings. I drizzle over a sweet syrup, sprinkle on some seeds, often add some extra cold milk, and finish with dried fruit and nuts.

Some slice with some crunches

July 13, 2025 

   

On a mini weekend away in Castlemaine during July, I had the perfect piece of slice at Stak's Cafe. It was a bit biscuity but more chewy caramel, with big chocolate buttons melted into the top and lots of roasted peanuts. It made me want to bake something similarly chaotic and sweet and salty, so I pulled out a recipe for 'quadruple crunch bars' from Hungry & Frozen. It smashes together potato chips (ever heard of 'em?), rice bubbles, butterscotch lollies and chocolate into a biscuit slice base.

I have to admit up front that I let down this recipe before it let down me. I melted the butter instead of creaming it with the sugar because I'm lazy about using electric beaters, this is a slice, and I wasn't convinced that it was needed. Then I used a medium-large bowl that was way too small for all the dough and the gentle folding needed here. From there I think the recipe needs to take some responsibility: there was way too much mixture for a 25cm square baking tray, perhaps even too much for the 25 cm x 30 cm tray I tried after that. There was so much chocolate (complimentary) that it wasn't to be drizzled about playfully, but instead thickly spread across the entire slice.

Honestly, this was not quite the crunch-a-thon I was hoping for (although the height of the slice certainly did have it crashing into the roof of my mouth). I was surprised how much the potato chips, rice bubbles and butterscotch melded into the biscuit dough. The slice did get a bit crunchier after storage in the fridge. I think these were originally intended to be cookies and I'm tempted to backtrack to that version... rolling the biscuit dough into loose balls and shoving chunks of the crunchy ingredients (choc chips included) into it. This was a sweet, fun slice and yet I hold out hope that there is an even more brilliant recipe lurking within it. 

Some slice with some crunches

(slightly adapted from this recipe on Hungry & Frozen)

250g butter

300g brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

300g plain flour

2 tablespoons milk

150g plain salted, ruffled potato chips

60g rice bubbles

140g bag Werther's Originals butterscotch lollies

200g chocolate

Preheat an oven to 190°C. Line a walled baking tray with paper (at least 25 cm x 30 cm).

Melt the butter and place it in a very large bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, then the vanilla, then the bicarb soda and baking powder. Sift and stir in the flour and then the milk, mixing until well combined. 

Crush the potato chips and add 3/4 of them to the bowl, along with the rice bubbles. No need to stir them just yet!

Unwrap and roughly chop the Werther's butterscotch lollies and add them to the bowl. Now it's time to carefully fold the crunchy things through the dough, mixing until just combined.

Transfer the mixture to the baking tray and use the back of a spoon to spread it out as evenly as you can. Cut slices into the dough where you plan to portion it later. Bake the slice for 25-30 minutes, until golden on top. Allow the slice to cool.

Melt the chocolate using your preferred method and spread it over the slice - the original recipe suggested decorative drizzling but I had plenty for a full layer across the slice. Sprinkle over the remaining chips so that they're caught in the chocolate as it sets. Cut and serve the slice after the chocolate has set.

Cheesy scone wedges

June 29, 2025

   

I was not planning to blog this recipe. It was a spontaneous after-work thing, just a little something to eat with the potato and leek soup that Michael was planning and one quick, poorly composed photo for the groupchat. But these cheesy scone wedges, with a bit of leftover chopped chives thrown in, were so incredibly good that I don't want to forget them.

This might be the first time that I've stumbled upon achieving the flaky texture of an American scone. Even better, I achieved it with a food processor and minimal mess. I think the key is not overworking the dough, which keeps some little pockets of butter distinct from the flour. I have very little experience with RecipeTin's famous recipes since they're not vegetarian but these scones are clear evidence that they know what they're doing. 

Cheesy scone wedges

(slightly adapted from a recipe on RecipeTin Eats)

1 3/4 cups plain flour, plus a little extra for working the dough

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

100g butter, cold and diced

2 cups grated cheddar (I used Damona pecorino and it was brilliant)

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped (optional)

3/4 cup milk

Preheat an oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with paper.

Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a food processor. Pulse briefly to mix. Add the butter and pulse just a few times until it's down to pea-sized pieces (don't overdo it - I think is where the flakiness comes from). Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and the chives (if using) and pulse just once to partially mix. Gradually add the milk through the top tube and pulse intermittently, until the mixture just comes together.

Sprinkle a little flour onto a clean work surface and turn the dough onto it. Bring the dough together into a very thick disc (maybe 5 cm?). Slice the disc into 6 wedges and place them on the baking tray with a 2 cm gap between pieces. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the scone wedges and lightly press it in. Bake the scones for around 20 minutes, until they're cooked through and the cheese on top is golden.

Etta 5

June 25, 2025

   

When we visited Etta for Michael's birthday this year, owner Hannah excitedly shared that they'd be offering $30 laksa bowls very soon, including a veg*n option. We kept a keen eye on their social media and booked in a table for 4 as soon as we could.

Unsurprisingly, the standard advertised version of the laksa wasn't vegetarian at all but we were able to confirm vegetarian and vegan versions with a follow-up message. Instead of crispy prawn lok-lok, we were served skewers of mushroom. Us two vegetarians received the standard bowl of coconut curry laksa with rice and egg noodles, golden tofu, cucumber and bean sprouts, while our vegan companions skipped out on the egg noodles and received regular (not golden) tofu. It was complex, tasty and a fun little diversion on a weeknight - not the best of Etta's eating, but the best of their service (which never wavers).

_____________

You can read about one, two, three, four of our more elaborate previous visits.

_____________

Etta 

60 Lygon St, Brunswick 

9448 8233 

laksa on a Wednesday $30 

http://ettadining.com.au/ 

Accessibility: The entry is flat and there is one step up from the bar area to the dining area. Tables are moderately spaced and lighting is quite dim. We received full table service. Toilets are unisex and spacious, but we didn't notice handrails or other mobility aids.

Golden syrup potato dumplings

June 21, 2025

   

While the potato chip Florentines were fast and fun, this idea rattled around in my head for a while before I was ready to get a saucepan out. I don't have a history with golden syrup dumplings though I feel as if I should. They're surely a cousin to the self-saucing puddings I know, with the golden syrup hinting at a British-Aussie lineage, easy to imagine either of my grandmothers making even though I don't think they did! (There's a little more about golden syrup dumplings on Green Gourmet Giraffe.)

I was thinking about how gnocchi are dumplings, and initially imagined that I might simply cook gnocchi in a golden syrup sauce as a potato-themed tribute to golden syrup dumplings. Then I thought about the savoury potato dumplings we love atop this mushroom casserole and figured I could go a step further, making my own potato scone dough instead of buying vegan gnocchi. This called for a couple of test batches. The first round was pretty good, but a bit rubbery due to my use of gluten-free flour. The second wheat-flour batch was noticeably better, and I went ahead and doubled it on potluck day, preparing them at home, then microwaving them at our host's house after dinner.

As a golden syrup dumpling novice, I struggled to judge when they were ready. I was very worried that the ones I took to the potluck had completely disintegrated into the sauce and I'd just be ladling out lumpy caramel soup for dessert. Thankfully I was mistaken, there were spoonable dumplings still to be found, and everyone (non-coeliac) took them on with enthusiasm and a scoop of vanilla icecream. The mashed potato renders their texture a little less cakey and more fudgy than a traditional dumpling but it's a standard texture scale for brownies that I'm happy to transfer to another dessert.

Golden syrup potato dumplings

(a meld of this savoury potato dumpling recipe and this golden syrup dumpling recipe)

dumpling dough

1 medium potato, to make 1/2 cup mashed potato

1 1/2 tablespoons margarine

3/4 cup plain flour (can use gluten-free but the texture is more rubbery)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar 

1/4 cup water or milk

caramel sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup golden syrup

2 tablespoons margarine

1 1/2 cups water

Fill a saucepan with water and set it over medium-high heat. Peel and roughly chop the potato, and gently drop the pieces into the saucepan. Bring it all to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes but keep them in the saucepan. Mash the potatoes until there are no lumps, and stir in the margarine. Stir in the flour, baking powder and sugar, then the water/milk to make a dough.

Fill a larger saucepan with all of the sauce ingredients, stirring them together. Set the mixture over medium-high heat and bring it to the boil. Drop generous spoonfuls of the dough into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the saucepan, cooking the dumplings until they pass the skewer test, about 15-20 minutes. Serve two dumplings each to four people, accompanied by a scoop of icecream.

Potato chip Florentines

June 21, 2025

   

After the great success of my tomato potluck desserts, I enjoyed musing over the possibility of potato potluck desserts for several weeks. This idea came late and fast: substitute plain potato chips in for the usual flaked almonds in my favourite Florentine recipe. So simple to do, and still so tasty! The potato chips toasted to perfection under the syrupy binding mixture, and the dash of salt was welcome. If anything I would have liked more potato flavour here. There's definitely room to play around with different potato chip brands and thicknesses, as well as the quantity added to the recipe. What a fun, tasty process of refinement that would be.

Potato chip Florentines

(adapted from this recipe by Meera Sodha)

60g pistachios, finely chopped 

90g thick/ruffled plain salted potato chips, crushed

50g hazelnuts, chopped 

100g dried cranberries (or other sour berries) 

2 tablespoons plain flour (can be gluten-free)

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

75g margarine 

50g brown sugar 

2 1/2 tablespoons golden syrup

200g dark chocolate

Heat an oven to 200°C. Line a large baking tray with paper.

Chop and crush all the ingredients that need it. Stir together all the nuts, chips and dried fruits in a large bowl. Stir through the flour, salt and cinnamon until combined.

Place the margarine, sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook the mixture, stirring, until everything has melted together and become smooth. (You can also heat in the microwave and stir together.) Take it off the heat and pour it over the nut mixture in the bowl. Stir it all together to combine, then pour the mixture out onto the baking tray. Form a large rectangle about 1 cm thick; mine was about 30 cm x 22 cm.

Bake the Florentine slab for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown - keep a close eye on it to avoid burning! Allow it to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate using your favourite method and pour it over the flattest side of the Florentine rectangle. Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature. Slice the Florentine slab into rectangles or diamonds to serve.  

Salt 'n' pepper gems

June 21, 2025

   

We've been getting the old potluck crew together again a bit this year and it's been so great. After the success of the tomato-themed evening earlier in the year, we regathered in June for a potato-focussed event. Potatoes offer up so many possibilities, but I've been eyeing off this very simple but very exciting-looking recipe in Hetty Lui McKinnon's Tenderheart since we first flicked through it. Potato gems are spectacular on their own, but this recipe really takes them to new heights. It's so, so easy and the return on investment is incredible - it was one of the hits of a very high quality potluck. Stop reading this, go and buy some gems and then come back and cook this up, trust me.

Salt and pepper potato gems

(from Hetty Lui McKinnon's Tenderheart)

800g frozen potato gems (one bag)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 red chilli, finely sliced

3 green onions, finely chopped

seasoning

2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice

Preheat an oven to 220°C and then bake the gems for half an hour, until they're golden and crispy - don't be afraid to give them more if they're not golden. 

Combine all the seasoning ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 

Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat and add the oil. Once it's nice and hot throw in the chilli and green onions and stir-fry for a minute. Throw in the gems and stir-fry for another couple of minutes until everything is nicely combined. 

Kill the heat and stir through the seasoning. Serve immediately. 

Cauliflower & eggplant, both with hoisin

June 7, 2025

   

While Michael was away on a work trip, I set about making myself a large, vege-full set of dishes that I could spin out over many meals. These two recipes from Tenderheart had a complementary way about them - the eggplant's marinade includes hoisin sauce and it's served over rice, while the cauliflower recipe involves making one's own hoisin and includes jointly cooking white rice, brown rice and quinoa.

Since I'm not fond of McKinnon's recommended green onion and coriander garnishes for these dishes, my rendition ended up looking very beige and brown. I went a little light on the hoisin for the cauliflower and had plenty leftover to lend to the eggplant marinade. I really enjoyed the mixed grains and would repeat that process to serve alongside any number of recipes.

Meanwhile, the eggplant didn't quite live up to the glossy image in the book. It was pleasantly salty and savoury, very tender; neither flawed nor quite what I was hoping for in a 'char siu' dish. Once I'd managed my expectations this was a very good meal that packed nicely for work lunches. Little garnishes like peanuts and sesame seeds make all the difference to me!

Hoisin-glazed cauliflower with mixed grains & peanuts

(slightly adapted from Hetty Lui McKinnon's Tenderheart)

1 head cauliflower

olive oil

salt and pepper

1/3 cup roasted peanuts

hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoons tahini

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

pepper

2 teaspoons miso

mixed grains

1 cup brown rice

1/2 cup white rice

1/4 cup quinoa

salt

Preheat an oven to 200°C.

Place the rices and the quinoa in a sieve and rinse them. Transfer them to a medium-large saucepan with 2 1/2 cups of water and a generous pinch of salt. Set the saucepan over high heat, bring it all to the boil and then turn the heat down to low. Cook the grains for 30-35 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Turn off the heat but leave the lid on the saucepan.

While the grains are cooking, make the hoisin sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Chop the cauliflower into big, chunky florets. Place them in a baking tray and stir through olive oil, salt and pepper, and several tablespoons of the hoisin sauce. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.

To serve, load plates up with grains, then cauliflower, spoon over extra hoisin and then sprinkle over the peanuts.

Eggplant, 'char siu' style

(slightly adapted from Hetty Lui McKinnon's Tenderheart)

2 large eggplants, sliced into 1cm thick rounds

white sesame seeds, to garnish

marinade

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon golden syrup

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Arrange the eggplant slices in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over them. Allow the eggplants to soak up the marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Turn them over and/or relayer them in the dish along the way, for more even flavouring, if you're marinating them for a longer period.

Preheat an oven to 200°C. Line 1-2 baking trays with paper.

Arrange the eggplant slices in one layer across the baking trays and bake them for 15 minutes. Retrieve the trays, flip the eggplant slices, and spoon some of the remaining marinade over them. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes of baking. 

Serve the eggplant slices with more marinade spooned over the top, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.