Potbelly Pot Pie!

I can't believe this isn't up here yet!! But we love a good pot pie for a quick mid-week meal when you are tempted for something a bit glutinous for dinner and nothing quite does trick like a hearty stew hidden under a goldeny crunchy lid of puff pastry.

Using left over roast - gravied up with veg, wine and tomatoes! this was on of those after-work dinners that was so much better then just heating up last nights roast! and that's some crusty homemade bread on the side too!

A Petersham potbelly favourite!

Yogurt Pancakes with Banana Berry Sauce.

These pancakes were a bit of a fluke really. Gambled that yogurt can replace buttermilk in Bill's pancake recipe - and after a bit of a struggle to get the lumps out...these were awesome!

Hannah whipped up a great hot sauce by heating mixed berries in pan with a bit of water and then added banana. So good!

Pan Roast Duck with red wine gravy and Roast Pumpkin

I Have found duck breasts in the supermarket lately at a more affordable price than free range chicken and these were great.

Very easy to cook. Browned the duck - skin side down til nice and crisp in a pan with olive oil, then threw in some chunks of onion, garlic and thyme til roast with the duck in the oven (for about 15min for medium).

Also roasted some jap pumpkin earlier - skin on with fennel seeds.

When the duck was resting - drained off the fat, but held onto the stickyness and roasted onions, garlic and thyme - through in some red wine to make a gravy and thickened it up a little with flour.

This was a great simple but special dinners because it was duck - that really took no time at all...well just a little thyme.

2010 A Bread Odyssey.

2010 has definitely been the year for bread baking and I must say I am loving it. Here are some samples of the regular loaves being baked. A spelt fruit loaf - using mixed spices (cinnamon, allspice, clove and nutmeg) dried apple, fig, cranberry and walnuts. Delicious and a great museli replacement for brekky!


Tried Pizza dough and few times and it has come out great! Kept the base on the thin, but not to thin size as I like a bit of crust. These were great!


Also tried baguettes - which were great. I think the dough recipe I am using (Jamie's Basic) is most suited to these actually.

This herbed knotted roll and dinner rolls were made with some left over dough and they were great!

We haven't bought bread in months now! Nothing beats fresh bread!