RIPE - Raw Energy Salad

When I cook, it can be a bit messy.  I start out with an idea and it evolves throughout the cooking process as I add in extra ingredients to change the flavour and texture in an attempt to reach the elusive perfection I can see and taste in my head.  I struggle to make the exact same thing twice as every time I cook something it is a slight variation of how I did it the last time and I'm a bit of a shocker when it comes to measuring!  For this reason I have always been more of a 'cook' than a 'baker' and find baking quite hard work.

Spinach, Ricotta and Feta Stuffed Conchiglioni with Fresh Tomato Sauce

As the calendar ticked over from February to March the weather also made an abrupt overnight change from summer to autumn that has left me feeling very annoyed that summer might be over for another year - it never seems to be long enough!! But I hold out hope that we might get another few weeks of warmer weather before winter sets in, like last year; and we have invited workmates for a barby on Friday so fingers crossed for sun at the least and maybe just a bit of warmth.

But the one good thing about the cooler weather is Comfort Food!! This stuffed pasta dish was the perfect way to segue from light summer fare to stodgy winter comfort food - not at all heavy but still full of flavour and lovely comforting cheese!

The Great Sunday Bake Off

It has been a week of stunning disbelief and horror, incredible fear and gut-wrenching sadness.  I say this, writing from the safety and security of a clean, whole and solid Wellington (oh the irony).

I cannot begin to imagine what the people of Christchurch have been through, and are still going through.  Although the clean-up is just beginning, basic services still being restored and many families are still without confirmation of whether their loved ones are alive or not, the spirit of Canterbury remains strong and I wonder if the people of any other province in New Zealand could pull themselves back together, in the way that I know that Cantabs can and will.

And although Cantabrians may not yet be aware of it, the whole of NZ is behind them and willing to help in any way possible.  The problem is, that unless you happen to be a nurse, doctor, engineer or some other trained specialist currently in high demand, it's really bloody hard to do anything to help.  Cold hard cash is most beneficial and I'm sure that most people who are able to, have given to one of the many funds that have been set up, however it doesn't make you feel any better.

And so, we baked.

It's not going to change lives, reconnect water or rebuild a city, but when the lovely people behind The Great Sunday Bake Off put the word out, it felt like I could finally do something tangible to help the people of Christchurch - if only in the form of a bit of nourishment (or a sugar hit, at least).

I made Gingernuts, Chocolate Chips and Banana Loaf with lots of love.  But in the end, hundreds of people have (likely) died, and I baked a few biscuits so I don't really real any better at all.

Crayfish, Watermelon and Feta Salad

This is a recipe from an old Cuisine magazine (Issue 103 March 2004) that I have made several times and every time we eat it we are WOW-ed all over again at the perfect brilliance of the flavour combination... sweet, salty and fresh.

It is super fast and easy to make which is great as I had my first ever yoga class after work tonight!  When I got home I was hungry but didn't feel like a big heavy meal.  This salad hit the spot with light, fresh flavours and a protein hit from the crayfish.

This is one of the few perfect recipes in the world that I don't alter at all from the original... an amazing feat for me as I usually cannot resist adding my own twist to a recipe.

Crayfish, Watermelon and Feta Salad - the recipe can be found here.

Special mention should also go to the monster cray who gave his life for our dinner...