These two recipes are from Jamie Oliver, so forgive the frequent "handful" measurement.

Pork Chops With Thyme, Lemon & Pesto

Serves 4

1 handful thyme, leaves picked
sea salt & ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
4 two-rib pork chop loins, or regular chops
1 small jar store-bought pesto, or use 1 batch of the recipe below

Using a pestle & mortar pound, or very finely chop, thyme with 1 tsp salt.
When pulped, add garlic & 1 tsp black pepper & pound again.
Stir in lemon juice & zest & olive oil.
Smear mixture over chops & leave for at least 10 minutes.
Place chops on very hot griddle or in hot frying pan - make sure the fan is on, they tend to smoke.
Try to get each side nicely charred & golden, but take care & don't let them burn; if it looks like they are getting too much colour, turn the heat down as you really don't want to overcook them.
They take about 8 minutes to cook at medium-high heat.
Rest chops once cooked, then spoon some pesto over them.
Serve with mixed salad & mashed or jacket potatoes (rub with olive oil, roll in sea salt & bake), or basic risotto.

Pesto Sauce

Serves 4

1/4 clove garlic, chopped
3 good handfuls fresh basil, leaves picked
1 handful lightly roasted pine nuts, cooled
1 good handful grated parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & ground black pepper
small squeeze lemon juice (optional)

Put garlic into a mortar & pestle or food processor.
Pound or pulse with fresh basil leaves.
Add pine nuts to mixture & pound or pulse.
Turn out into bowl & add half the parmesan.
Gently stir in & add olive oil, just enough to bind sauce & get it to right consistency - semi-wet but firm.
Taste mixture, & add little salt & pepper & rest of cheese.
Add more oil & taste again.
Keep adding little bits of this & that till you get the flavour as you like it.
When you taste it for the last time, you might want to squeeze a bit of lemon juice to bring out the fragrance of the basil.

Mami's Bolognese

Serves 4-6

2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1kg minced beef
1 tbsp mixed herbs (or to taste)
2 sachets tomato paste
2 x 400g cans whole or chopped tomatoes
1 bottle tomato sauce (for pasta, not ketchup!)
2 bay leaves
sea salt & cracked black pepper
additional fresh herbs of your choice, eg flat-leaf parsley

Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat.
Add garlic & onion & cook for 3 minutes or until just soft.
Add mince & cook, stirring, until brown.
Add mixed herbs & tomato paste, stir till evenly dispersed & then stir through tomatoes.
Add tomato sauce, then fill bottle with water & add to sauce with bay leaves.
Simmer sauce for 1 hour or until thickened to your liking.
Stir through salt, pepper & extra herbs & serve over pasta or use in lasagne (below).
Note: if you have limited time, omit water & simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Lasagne

Serves 4

1 quantity bolognese sauce
500g fresh lasagne sheets
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
white sauce
80g butter
4 tbsp plain flour
4 cup milk
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
sea salt & cracked black pepper

Make bolognese sauce & set aside.
To make white sauce, place butter in saucepan over medium heat & allow to melt.
Add flour & stir to smooth paste.
Whisk in milk & stir until sauce has boiled & thickened.
Stir in parmesan & add salt & pepper.
Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 190ºC.
Grease 20cmx20cm square ovenproof dish & line with some of lasagne sheets.
Thinly spread over 1/4 of bolognese sauce, cover with more sheets, then spoon over 1/4 of white sauce.
Repeat layers, finishing with white sauce.
Sprinkle with mozzarella & bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown & cooked.

Minestrone

Serves 4-6

2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1 kg smoked ham hock, chopped (ask your butcher to cut hock into 4 pieces) [I just use 500g rindless bacon, diced, instead]
400g can peeled whole tomatoes
5 cups beef stock
1/4 cup small pasta, such as macaroni
150g broccoli, chopped
100g green beans, chopped
310g can cannellini beans, drained
sea salt & cracked black pepper
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook oil, onion, garlic & carrot in large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Remove skin & visible fat from ham hock then add to pan with tomatoes & stock.
Cover & simmer for 35 minutes.
Remove hock, cut ham from bone & dice.
Add to pan with pasta, broccoli, green & cannellini beans, salt & pepper.
Continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir through parsley, ladle into bowls & serve with shaved parmesan cheese & crusty Italian bread.

Banana Ice Cream

375ml milk or cream or a mixture of both (according to taste)
100g sugar
3 ripe bananas

Purée the bananas place in a mixing bowl.
Pour in the milk/cream and sugar, mixing in well as you do so.
Transfer the whole mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Sesame Chicken Salad

Serves 4

4 chicken breast fillets
1 egg white
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 small butter lettuces
4 green onions, shredded

dressing
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce

Lightly brush chicken with egg white & press both sides into sesame seeds.
Heat frying pan over medium-high heat.
Add oil & chicken to pan & cook ofor 1-2 minutes each side or until golden.
Reduce heat to low, cover & cook for 5-8 minutes or until cooked through.
To make dressing, combine honey & soy.
To serve, slice each chicken breast into four pieces.
Cut lettuces in half & top with onions, chicken & dressing.

Caramel Banana Tarte Tatin

Serves 4

80g butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp single cream
3 bananas, sliced lengthwise
1 sheet ready-prepared puff pastry

Preheat oven to 200ºC.
Place butter, sugar & cream in 22cm ovenproof frying pan.
Stir mixture over medium heat until sugar has melted & caramel is simmering.
Remove from heat & add bananas, cut side down, to fit over base of pan.
Cut out rough circle of pastry to fit on top of bananas, place over & bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed & golden.
Stand for 5 minutes before inverting onto serving plate.
Serve with thick (double) cream or ice-cream.

Caramalised Lime Fish

Serves 4

1kg firm white fish fillets, skin removed
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes
3 small cucumbers, sliced into ribbons (ie lengthways)
1/2 cup coriander leaves
4 green onions, sliced

Cut fish into large pieces.
Heat non-stick frying pan over high heat.
Add oil & fish & cook for 1 minute on each side or until brown & sealed.
Combine lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, soy & chilli, add to pan & cook, turning fish once, for 4 minutes or until fish is just cooked through & sauce has reduced & is sticky.
To serve, place cucumbers, coriander & onions on plates & top with fish.
Spoon over pan sauce & serve.

Variations

Scallops - Replace fish with 16 scallops. Cook sauce first for 4 minutes, then add scallops & cook for 1 minute each side. Replace cucumber salad with 2 sliced celery sticks, 1 cup mint & 4 sliced green onions.

Salmon - Replace white fish with 4 x 200g skinless salmon fillets, cooking for 2 minutes each side before adding sauce to pan. Replace cucumber salad with 400g trimmed blanched asparagus & leaves of a baby cos lettuce.

Prawns - Replace fish with 32 green (raw) shelled prawns. Replace cucumber salad with 100g baby rocket leaves & 2 small sliced avocados.

Chocolate Dessert Cakes

Serves 4

185g butter, melted
1 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup cocoa
vanilla bean ice-cream or thick cream to serve

Preheat oven to 160ºC.
Place butter, sugars & eggs in bowl & mix until combined.
Sift over flour, baking powder & cocoa & mix until combined.
Place in 4 x 1 cup capacity overnproof tea or coffee cups & bake for 20 minutes or until fudgy.
Serve warm or cold in cups topped with ice-cream or cream.

Lord Help Us

With thanks to the barman at the Lord Robert cocktail bar.

Makes 1

60ml vodka
10 mint leaves
2cm piece lemongrass
2 thin slices fresh ginger
30ml sugar water (or more to taste)
1/2 lime, cut into 2-3 wedges
ice

Put vodka, mint, lemongrass, ginger & sugar water together in a cocktail shaker.
Squeeze juice of lime wedges into shaker then drop wedges in.
Muddle for ~30 seconds.
Add ice & shake well.
Strain into a cocktail glass & enjoy.

Pineapple & Lychee Spearmint Colada

To get you in the summery spirit, regardless of the weather.

Serves 6-8

200ml vodka
750ml pineapple juice
500g canned lychees
2 tbsp spearmint leaves
2 cups chopped pinapple
125ml coconut cream
crushed ice

Put vodka, pineapple juice, lychees & their juice, spearmint & pineapple in blender & mix until smooth.
Add coconut cream & ice & blend until thick & smooth.
Serve immediately.

Papas a la Huancaína (Potatoes, Huancayo Style)

Serves 4-6

sauce
2 cups cottage cheese
3 hard-boiled egg yolks
4 hot red chillies (for hotter sauce, use more, to tase)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup evaporated milk
few drops of lemon juice
1/4 cup Spanish (red) onion, finely chopped

10 desiree potatoes, peeled
5 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
10 black olives
1 hot red chilli, extra, finely sliced
lettuce leaves, to serve

Chop chillies using a blender, adding a little of the oil for smoothness if necessary.
In a bowl, mash together cottage cheese & egg yolks with fork.
Add chillies, salt & pepper to taste & mix well.
Pour in oil a little at a time while stirring.
Add evaporated milk & lemon juice, beating well.
Lastly add onion & mix.
Set sauce aside.
Peel potatoes, halve & cook in boiling water.
Drain & arrange on a plate.
Cover potatoes with sauce & garnish with remaining ingredients.
Serve as an entrée or light meal.

Banana Cake

This recipe works well for cupcakes as well (cook for 20-25 min) & you can use a lemon icing to decorate, if you want.

60g butter, softened
2 over-ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 small tub (~100g) natural yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Blend butter, bananas & sugar until smooth.
Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition.
Add yoghurt & blend again.
Add vanilla & flour, blending once more.
Pour into a lined baking tin or muffin tray & bake for 50 minutes or until cooked.
Cool in tin, then turn onto a wire rack before serving.

Variations:
Add 1/2 cup choc chips for a sweeter treat.
Add 1 small can of passionfruit pulp for a tropical flavour.

Recipe for a Good House Party

1. Lights
Fairy lights and/or candles are best. Mix them up with some dim, coloured lamps if you have them too for a nice chilled effect.

2. Music
The most important thing is not to have the music loud. It needs to fill the background without dominating so that people can still talk. I like more chilled sounds of Late Night Mix CDs and Cafe Del Mar, but anything works as long as it's not to loud. Also try to mix in less popular but still great tracks with well-known music for that perfect cool blend and so that people can pick out favourites even in the background.

3. Food
A balance of sweet and savoury, hot and room temperature, vego and not is the best way to make sure everyone has something they can munch on. I like having bowls of lollies scattered around the place, plus chips & dips and cheese & biscuits for general munching. Then I do the oven-baked party pies, cheese triangles, wedges and other assorted warm goodness which are really popular and are very much appreciated by all in attendence. Of course, if you want low effort, just go with the lollies and room temp stuff. Oh, and fairy bread is also really popular and yummy if you have the time to prep it.

4. People
Invite all your friends! I do not hold with all this "different groups" crap. Just invite everyone - they're all your friends, so they'll have at least one thing in common - they'll meet new people and sort themselves out. Hell, I had two completely different "sets" of people exchanging phone numbers by the end of one party.

Have fun and enjoy!