Chicken with Garlic, Capers and Anchovies

Posted on 21 January 2026 by Linda Peek

Compared with Mediterranean countries, where they feature regularly on the menu, anchovies are somewhat underrated in Australia.

Incorporated into a dish they become almost undetectable. Even people who say they hate them can be converted. I think you will be sold on this easy dressing for Caesar Salad.

Variations of today’s chicken recipe kept popping up on my phone, so I thought it was time to give it a try. It makes a very tasty and quick mid-week dinner.

800g – 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6-8 pieces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup olive oil
5-6 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 Tbs drained capers
¼ tsp chilli flakes
Juice of 1 lemon
Chopped parsley to garnish

Trim chicken of any excess fat then season on both sides with salt and pepper. If liked you can cut each thigh in half – I didn’t. Go easy on the salt as the anchovies are salty. Heat olive oil in a large deep frying pan with a lid.. Add chicken pieces and cook for 5-7 minutes each side, or until nicely browned. Remove from the pan.

To the pan add 5 of the garlic cloves, crushed or smashed and chopped, the anchovies, capers and chilli flakes. Cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes then return the chicken to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, turning them over to coat them with the sauce halfway through.

Remove chicken from the pan. Add lemon juice and remaining clove of garlic, smashed and chopped, to the pan. Cook, stirring, over high heat until thickened and starting to get sticky around the edges. Return chicken to the pan, spoon some sauce over each piece, garnish with parsley and serve.

Serves 6

Queen Elizabeth’s Favourite Chocolate Biscuit Cake

Posted on 14 January 2026 by Linda Peek

According to Royal chef Darren McGrady, this was the late Queen Elizabeth’s favourite cake.

McGrady cooked for the royal family for fifteen years and said that the Queen liked to have a slice of this cake with a cup of tea every afternoon. “If there was any left when we moved from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle we took it with us, so she could finish it there”, he explained. “I use to travel on the train from London to Windsor Castle with the half-eaten cake in a tin on my knees.”

Make it in a six inch (15 cm) cake tin if you have one, so it’s nice and deep. For a larger tin you could double the recipe. If preferred you could use a loaf tin.

A cake that’s good enough for a Queen is definitely worth trying. We thought it was delicious.

Cake:
1 packet plain sweet biscuits such as Rich Tea or Marie (about 250g)
150g dark chocolate
150g butter at room temp
150g caster sugar
1 egg
Chocolate Icing:
250g dark chocolate

Spray cake pan with oil and line with baking paper. A small six inch (15cm) pan will result in a deeper cake but you can use an eight inch (20cm) pan if you like. A tin with removable sides or a cake ring makes it easier to remove the cake.

Break the biscuits with your hands into pieces a bit larger than almonds and place them in a large mixing bowl. Don’t crush them completely. See photo for how big. Melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric beaters until light and fluffy, then mix in the egg and lastly the melted chocolate. Scrape the chocolate mixture into the bowl containing the broken biscuits and mix well so that all the biscuit pieces are covered in chocolate.

Scrape into the cake tin, pressing down so that you have a flat top and there are no air pockets. A flat-bottomed glass is useful for pushing the mixture down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next day, remove the cake from the pan and remove the paper. Place it on a rack over a sheet of baking paper. For the icing, melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Slowly pour the the icing over the top and sides of the cake, using a spatula to smooth it out. Use most of the icing but leave a small amount. Allow the cake to set at room temperature.

Reheat the remaining chocolate icing (and any you can scrape up from below the cake rack) and put it into a piping bag. Pipe this over the cake, back and forth in a zig-zag pattern. When set, carefully remove the cake from the rack and place it onto a serving plate. Serve with a cup of tea and some whipped or thick pouring cream, if you’re feeling really decadent!

Serves 12

Note: if preferred, use a small amount (25g) of white or milk chocolate to do the zig-zag pattern on the cake, so you get more of a contrast.

Mango Cheesecake

Posted on 31 December 2025 by Linda Peek

Looking for a dessert to serve on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day that can be made ahead, doesn’t involve turning on the oven and uses seasonal fruit? This recipe meets all the criteria.

Mangoes are at their cheapest and best in Australia at this time of year. Choose ones which are not over-ripe as they’re easier to slice thinly and curve for the decoration. If you’re in the northern hemisphere the recipe can be adapted to use strawberries or perhaps tinned peaches instead of mangoes.

To enhance the flavour of the mango and provide colour contrast, serve each slice with some fresh passionfruit pulp spooned over (not shown in photo). Or maybe instead of passionfruit serve the cheesecake with some raspberry coulis spooned over.

200g fresh mango flesh, puréed in food processor
¼ cup glucose syrup (also known as Corn Syrup)
1¼ cups plain sweet biscuits made into crumbs in food processor
75g butter, melted
500g cream cheese at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbs grated lemon rind
2 tsp gelatine dissolved in
¼ cup boiling water, cooled
220g white chocolate, melted and cooled
1 cup cream, softly whipped
To serve:
2 mangoes extra, thinly sliced
Pulp from 2 passionfruit (optional)
Thick cream to serve

Place mango purée in a saucepan with glucose syrup. Cook, stirring over a medium heat for 15 minutes or until thickened and reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

Combine biscuit crumbs and butter and press evenly over the base of a 20-22 cm springform pan. In food processor or by hand beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon rind until smooth. Mix in gelatine mixture and melted chocolate, then fold in the whipped cream. Pour filling over biscuit base. Spoon over mango mixture and swirl through the white mixture using the tip of a knife, smoothing the top. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Serve decorated with fresh mango slices and, if liked, some passionfruit pulp. Serve thick pouring cream separately.

Serves 12

Variations: use peaches, apricots or berries instead of the mangoes. Pulp in the filling and sliced fruit or whole berries to decorate. For a Ginger Mango Cheesecake use ginger nut biscuits for the crust and mix 2-3 Tbs finely chopped crystallised ginger into the filling.

Festive Dipping Oil

Posted on 17 December 2025 by Linda Peek

Served with warm crusty bread this recipe is a real crowd pleaser, perfect for the holiday season. And it takes less than ten minutes to make.

Leftovers can be served on grilled salmon or chicken and it also makes a delicious topping for scrambled eggs. Crispy chill oil, an optional addition, comes in a jar and can be found in most Australian supermarkets. I reckon you’ll be making double the recipe next time.

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs dried cranberries, chopped
1 Tbs dried apricots, chopped
2 Tbs pistachios, chopped
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs rosemary leaves, chopped
1 Tbs sage leaves, chopped
1 Tbs crispy chilli oil, or to taste (optional)
Grated rind of 1 orange
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
A good pinch of salt
To serve:
Warm crusty bread such as focaccia (photo shows toasted Turkish bread)

Mix all the ingredients together, then spread out on a shallow serving dish and surround with fresh or toasted bread.

Any leftover will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Hobz biz-zejt

Posted on 3 December 2025 by Linda Peek

This recipe comes from Maltese-Australian chef Mark Mizzi whose restaurant and wedding venue Nanna’s Place has been serving delicious Mediterranean dishes since it opened in South Melbourne in 2018.

Hobz biz-zejt is a traditional Maltese sandwich which translates as bread with oil. But it’s much more than that. Indeed, there are so many ingredients, that when it’s ready to serve it looks more like a “burger with the lot” than a sandwich. For this reason, I haven’t put quantities: it’s basically a question of what you can fit in! An optional extra is to mash a clove of garlic into the olive oil. Sun-dried tomatoes and local cheese are also sometimes added.

Nanna’s bake their own traditional Maltese bread called Ftira, but any fresh bread – preferably sourdough – can be used. Going to Malta on holiday? This satisfying snack can be enjoyed all over the island.

1 large, crusty bread roll (size of a burger bun) or 10-15cm of baguette
Extra virgin olive oil
Tomato paste
Canned tuna, drained
Anchovies in oil drained (optional)
Diced or sliced raw onion
Diced or sliced tomatoes
Chopped parsley
Capers
Sliced pitted olives
A few canned white beans, drained (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut the roll or piece of baguette in two, horizontally. Drizzle both sides with olive oil then spread a thin layer of tomato paste on both halves. Add the remaining ingredients in layers. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil. Place the lid on top, cut the sandwich in two and stick a toothpick with a whole pitted olive in the top of each half, as decoration.

If preferred, divide the filling between the two sides and make open sandwiches. They’re a bit easier to eat.

Serves one

Rice Paper and Nori Crisps with Gravlax

Posted on 26 November 2025 by Linda Peek

These homemade rice paper and nori two-bite crisps are the perfect way to serve gravlax, smoked salmon or trout. They’re also quite tasty as a snack on their own. Easy peasy to make and so light.

4 sheets rice paper spring roll sheets
4 sheets nori (the ones used to wrap sushi)
Vegetable oil to fry
Gravlax (bought or home made) or smoked salmon or trout
Sour cream
Fresh parsley or coriander

Place rice paper sheets on a kitchen surface. Spray all over with water then lay a sheet of nori on top of each one so they stick together. Use scissors to cut each one into four. Heat 2-3cm oil in a small frying pan. Fry each square of rice paper/nori in the oil, rice paper side down and turning to cook the other side. They will cook in just a few seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels. If serving the crisps on their own, you might like to sprinkle them with some sea salt at this stage.

Cut gravlax or smoked salmon or trout into small pieces and arrange on the crisps. Top with a blob of sour cream and some parsley or coriander to garnish.

Makes 16

Roast Pumpkin with Miso & Ginger

Posted on 12 November 2025 by Linda Peek

Miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning.

Miso paste is produced by mixing fermented soybeans with salt and a fungus called Koji. Sometimes rice, parsley, seaweed or other ingredients are added. It can be used in sauces, dips, soups and other dishes to produce a rich “umami” intensity of flavour.

Miso paste is usually salty, but its flavour and aroma depend on the ingredients and fermentation process. It comes in either white or red, with the latter having a slightly stronger flavour. Use whichever one you have or can find in your local supermarket or Asian grocery store. Once opened it keeps for ages in the fridge.

Today’s recipe was inspired by a dish we were served at Raku restaurant in Canberra.

1 kg pumpkin
2 Tbs olive oil
Miso sauce:
¼ cup Miso paste
1 Tbs grated ginger
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs runny honey
1 Tbs water
2 tsp rice vinegar (or any other vinegar)
1 tsp chilli paste or sauce
To garnish:
1 Tbs sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Fresh coriander leaves

Preheat oven to 180°C. Leave skin on the pumpkin, remove seeds and cut into wedges about 2cm thick. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, in a single layer. Brush pumpkin with the olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven, turn pumpkin wedges over and brush them with the remaining olive oil. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile mix all ingredients for the Miso sauce in a food processor. Spoon over the pumpkin. Return to the oven for 10 minutes, or until starting to brown. It might need 15 mins. Turn the wedges over and coat them with remaining Miso sauce. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes or until nicely glazed as in the photo.

Garnish with sesame seeds and coriander. Serve hot or at room temperature either alone or with steamed rice, or as a side dish with salmon, chicken or beef.

Serves 4-6

Shakshuka

Posted on 3 November 2025 by Linda Peek

Shakshuka originated in north Africa and is now popular all over the Middle East.

Serve with toasted sourdough or Turkish bread for brunch, lunch or Sunday evening supper. You probably have all the ingredients in the pantry. We had to nip out to buy one red capsicum from the corner shop.

2 Tbs olive oil
1 red capsicum (pepper)
1 onion
2 Tbs harissa, or to taste
1 tsp chilli paste, or to taste
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
4 eggs
1 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
4 Tbs thick Greek yoghurt
1 Tbs chopped fresh coriander

Thinly slice the capsicum and onion. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized deep non-stick frying pan and cook the capsicum and onion over medium to high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until soft and starting to caramelise. Add harissa and chilli paste to taste and cook, stirring for one minute. Add the tomatoes and sugar and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes are reduced by half, stirring often.

Season to taste, turn heat down to a simmer, then make four indents in the mixture and break an egg into each. Cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Test by pressing with your finger.

Garnish with dollops of yoghurt and the coriander. Serve with toasted sourdough or Turkish bread.

Serves 4 as a snack, 2 as a meal

Lamb with Spicy Labneh and Carrot Salad

Posted on 22 October 2025 by Linda Peek

This recipe was inspired by a dish I was served at the annual lunch of the International Women’s Club which was held at the Marion restaurant in Canberra in late August.

There were 180 women seated at tables for 10 and the food and service were both excellent. The main course was an alternate serve, where half had salmon with baked Jerusalem artichokes and half had sliced lamb rump on a bed of spicy labneh, with a shredded carrot salad.

This is my interpretation, but I have used lamb cutlets instead of rump. The carrot salad is delicious on it’s own or as a filler for sandwiches or wraps, or as part of a buffet.

2 cups thick Greek-style plain yoghurt
2 tsp harissa paste (or to taste)
8 lamb cutlets, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Paprika
Carrot Salad:
500g carrots, cut into thin julienne or very coarsely grated
1/3 cup dried currants
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Juice of half a lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp each cinnamon, cumin and paprika
2 tsp honey (or more to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To garnish:
Chopped parsley or another green herb
Balsamic Glaze (optional)

To make Labneh, strain yoghurt for a few hours or overnight in a sieve lined with muslin or a man’s handkerchief, in the fridge. Discard the liquid and mix in the harissa.

Place currants in a small bowl and add just enough warm water to cover. Leave to plump up for half an hour.

Place all ingredients for the carrot salad in a frying pan, including the currants and water, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the dressing has thickened a bit. The carrots should remain fairly crunchy. Meanwhile season the cutlets with salt, pepper and paprika and cook them on a hot griddle, barbecue or in an air fryer, until they are cooked the way you like them – about 3-4 minutes each side.

Divide the labneh between 4 serving places and spread into a circle. Top with some carrot salad (you will probably have leftovers) and two cutlets per person. Garnish with chopped parsley and, if liked, a drizzle of balsamic glaze around the edge of the plate.

Serves 4

Variations: if you don’t have harissa paste, any chilli paste will do.

Potato Fritters with Smoked Salmon & Poached Eggs

Posted on 15 October 2025 by Linda Peek

This recipe comes from Bill Granger, a Sydney-based chef who sadly died far too young in 2023 of cancer.

Bill is credited with inventing avocado toast, a breakfast or brunch dish which has become popular not only in Australia, but around the world. My Chilean son-in-law says he’s been eating avocado toast for breakfast all his life and that it’s always been popular in Chile, so maybe Granger didn’t actually invent it. However, he certainly introduced it to Australians.

Bill was a self-taught cook who became a celebrated global restaurateur and food writer with a career spanning over 30 years. Together with his partner Natalie, they built a thriving business that today counts 19 restaurants across Australia, Japan, South Korea and the UK. He wrote 14 cookbooks, selling over one million copies,

Today’s recipe is one of Bill’s signature dishes. Easy, tasty, quick and healthy. What more could you want?

Any leftover potato mixture will keep in the fridge for 24 hours or so. The second photo shows a larger fritter I made the following day. I put the eggs on top and broke them open. In the first photo the eggs are hiding below the smoked salmon.

Fritters:
2 medium to large starchy potatoes (eg Desiree)
1 very small onion or half a larger one
1 egg
1 Tbs chopped mint
2 Tbs crumbled feta cheese (optional)
2 Tbs plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbs vegetable oil to fry the fritters
Dill oil:
1 cup loosely packed dill, finely chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice and some grated zest
To serve:
4 eggs
2 Tbs sour cream
2 tsp ground sumac
4 slices smoked salmon or trout
Lemon wedges

Peel and coarsely grate the potatoes and onion and place in a colander. Add a good pinch of salt, mix and leave to drain for 20-30 mins. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can with your hands. Mix in remaining ingredients apart from the oil.

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan. Make fritters using 2-3 heaped tablespoons potato mixture for each one and spreading them out to make each fritter into an oval about 7cm long. At the same time poach the eggs and mix all ingredients for the dill oil.

Serve one fritter per person, topped with two poached eggs, two slices of smoked salmon or trout, a dollop of sour cream and a drizzle of dill oil. Top with a sprinkle of sumac and garnish with a couple of lemon wedges.

Serves 2

Note: if you don’t have sumac – a Middle Eastern spice – use coarsely ground black pepper.

Café Cat

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