Herbed rissoles are a meal from my childhood, a real comfort food. Back then herbed rissoles were regularly served for dinner with creamy mashed potato and steamed greens, or as beef burger patties with salad, cheese and tomato sauce on a crunchy bread roll.

Herbed rissoles traditionally have bread soaked in milk added to the mix to fill them out and help keep them moist when cooked. They are also usually lightly dusted in plain flour before frying to help develop a golden brown crust on the outside. Now that we’re trying to eat less gluten this is a no–no so I’ve played around with the herbed rissole recipe and managed to reinvent a really tasty mix. I actually think it’s better than the original.

The secret of perfect herbed rissoles, or any burger patties, is in how vigorously you combine the ingredients. It’s important that the mixture holds together when cooked and to achieve that you need to massage the ingredients into each other so that they bind together thoroughly. The salt and milk help by acting as a kind of glue that binds the rissoles. As you work the ingredients together with your hands you’ll feel the texture of the minced beef change. Once it starts to get sticky it’s ready for the pan and won’t fall apart while cooking.

Cooked over medium heat, the resulting herbed rissoles are golden brown on the outside and dense but tender and juicy on the inside. I like to use a mix of fresh and dried herbs—the fresh herbs add lovely subtle leafy green flavours, the dried herbs pack a bit more intensity into the meat. Here’s how to make my herbed rissoles:

Ingredients

30g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
¾ cup mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1kg lean minced beef
½ cup milk
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tbs olive oil

Method

Melt the butter on low–medium heat and fry the onion until it’s soft and golden, approximately 10 minutes.

For the fresh herbs I use a mix of parsley, oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary. I choose whatever is looking the best from my herb garden—sometimes it’s all five, other times not. By trying different combinations you’ll find one that best suits your tastes. My favourite is parsley, basil and oregano. The dried herb blends then supplement the fresh ones with some additional flavours and a much stronger taste. Note: if you’re not able to find good quality fresh herbs, you could use only dried herbs (approximately 1–2 tbs).

When the onion is cooked, combine it with the fresh and dried herbs, salt, pepper, milk and minced beef. Mix the meat together using your hands and combine it until the texture become sticky. Shape the mixture into patties that are about 2cm thick and set aside. Note: This raw mixture freezes well in zip lock bags if you want to separate some for cooking later.

Heat the olive oil in a large frypan over medium heat. When the frypan is hot add the herbed rissoles and cook through, turning occasionally, for approximately 8 minutes. To test they are done, cut into the centre of one and ensure the meat is no longer pink. Serve immediately.

As a parent trying to feed fussy eaters, chicken nuggets are often a go-to food to give to children. Parmesan crumbed chicken is a healthier alternative to store-bought chicken nuggets. It is so tasty—thanks to the umami from the parmesan cheese—that adults and even the fussiest of children will love them. Parmesan crumbed chicken also eliminates all the unnecessary salt, sugar, flavours and thickeners found in frozen chicken nuggets.

Parmesan crumbed chicken does take a little bit of preparation but once you taste those crispy golden brown chicken pieces you’ll realise it was all worth it.

Ingredients

1kg chicken breast
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup dried wholemeal breadcrumbs
Olive oil (approximately 1–2 tbs)
2 tsp butter (optional)

Method

Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese together so they are well combined. Cut the chicken breast into smaller portions (five or more pieces depending on the size and thickness of the chicken). Dip each chicken portion into the egg, then into the crumb mixture and pat firmly to coat the chicken thoroughly. Set aside.

Heat olive oil (and butter) over medium heat in a large non-stick frypan. Add the crumbed chicken pieces in a single layer and fry until golden brown and cooked through. I find that putting a lid on the frypan helps ensure that the chicken is cooked through and stays tender.

Serve with chips and salad, mashed potato and steamed vegetables, or for a lighter meal coleslaw.

Who doesn’t love crumbed calamari? When the calamari is fresh and soft, and the crumbs are delicate but crunchy, it makes a sensational lunch with some hand-cut potato chips or my favourite combination is with orange and fennel salad. It’s really quite easy to make. Just be sure to remove the skin from the squid tubes before crumbing them, otherwise they’ll turn out tough and chewy when cooked.

You’ll need:

Fresh squid tubes (ones that have already been cleaned)
Peanut oil
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
Zest of 1 lemon
2 cups dried breadcrumbs (or panko breadcrumbs if you want more crunch)

Rinse the squid tubes under cold running water. Remove the thin film from the outside of the tube. To do this, make a break in the film and work you fingers up between the film and the flesh of the squid. This can take a bit of time to do but is worth the effort for soft, rather than chewy, calamari.

Cut the tubes into rings. Dust them in flour, then coat in egg that’s been seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon zest. Spread the breadcrumbs onto a flat tray and toss the calamari to coat it. This crumbing technique can also be used for prawns and scallops.

Heat the peanut oil in a deep saucepan to 180°C. The oil should be 6cm deep for frying. Add your calamari pieces in batches, depending on the size of your pot. Cook each batch of calamari for 1 minute, then remove and drain on paper towel. Make sure your oil is back up to 180°C before adding the next batch of calamari.

Arrange the calamari on a platter and squeeze lemon juice over the top to serve.

Beef mince is the base but there are plenty of other flavours going on—sweetness from celery and capsicum, savoury from tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, and acidity from lemon pepper. Wrap this in pastry and you have a grown up version of a sausage roll.

I recalled this dish as something that Mum used to make for my sisters and I when we were little. While I hadn’t made it myself for years, I decided to give it a whirl as potentially something to add to my kid-friendly repertoire.

Success! And the best bit—it’s full of vegetables but, because the pieces are so small, all fussy eaters see is an oversized sausage roll.

Ingredients:

500g lean beef mince
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 small green capsicum, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 tsp beef stock (powder only)
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs tomato paste
½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 sheet puff pastry
1 beaten egg for glazing

Combine the beef mince, breadcrumbs, vegetables, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, lemon pepper and parsley; mix well.

Mould the mixture into a log shape and arrange on the pastry. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and fold over the top and sides, ensuring you seal the edges. Place in a greased baking dish and glaze with the beaten egg. Bake in a hot oven (approximately 200°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve with creamy mashed potato and steamed green beans.

My preference is to cook these on the barbecue. They are absolutely fantastic—the haloumi gets all brown and crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside; the saltiness of the cheese works perfectly with tender pieces of lamb…oh, so succulent and juicy.

You’ll need:

2 tbs oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
300–400g lamb back strap (fillet), trimmed of any sinew and fat
200g haloumi, cut into 3cm pieces

Combine oil, lemon juice, herbs and garlic in a large glass bowl. Cut lamb into 3cm pieces, add to the bowl and allow marinate for 30 minutes.

On kitchen skewers, thread a piece of lamb then a piece of haloumi, leaving a slight gap between them (just a few millimetres), and repeat until your skewers are full (remember to leave a couple of centimetres free on either end of each skewer). Brush the skewers with the marinade and cook over medium heat on the barbecue (grill or frypan), turning frequently, until the lamb is done to your liking.

To accompany it, we lightly toast flatbread and mix together a green salad with a similar dressing to the marinade ingredients.

When entertaining, this is an ideal dish to include as part of a Mediterranean feast.

N.B. For a more herby flavour you could also add parsley and thyme to the marinade.

The key for me is always plenty of vegetables in any main meal and with tacos this is really easy to do. We went all out to make a range of sides that would suit everyone’s tastes.

We had beef tacos served with guacamole, refried beans, sour cream, tomato salsa, lettuce, corn kernels, tomatoes, grated carrot, grated cheese and sliced black olives. And don’t forget the Tabasco sauce for those who like it hot.

To make the meat filling:

1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500g beef mince
400g tin diced tomatoes
400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup beef stock
¼ cup red wine (optional)
2 tbs tomato paste
3 tsp Mexican style chilli powder (this is a blend of paprika, chilli, cumin, oregano, pepper and garlic)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft. Turn up the heat to medium-high and fry the beef mince until browned. Once the meat is cooked, add the tomatoes, kidney beans, stock, wine, tomato paste and chilli powder; stir and simmer until the sauce has reduced to the point where it is quite thick (a really wet sauce will make your taco shells go soggy).

To make the guacamole:

1 avocado
1 tbs lemon juice
½ clove garlic, crushed
¼ onion, finely grated
sprinkle of hot chilli powder

Scoop out the avocado flesh and mash lightly with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

What else you’ll need:

Taco shells—hard or soft depending on your preference
400g tin refried beans, heated through in a saucepan
200g sour cream
1 jar tomato salsa—mild, medium or hot depending on your taste
½ head of lettuce, shredded
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
250g tinned corn kernels, drained
cheese, grated
10 kalamata olives, sliced
Tabasco sauce

Arrange everything on platters or in bowls on the table so it’s easy for people to serve themselves.

It’s definitely a messy meal but everyone, young and old, enjoys it.

The chicken comes out moist and tender, and the flavoursome crumbs are light and crunchy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

¾ cup breadcrumbs (dried, panko or fresh)
1 cup parmesan, finely grated
2 shallots, finely chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tbs butter, melted
freshly ground salt and pepper
4 chicken breast fillets, cut into large pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, shallots, lemon zest, melted butter, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Lay the chicken pieces out in a baking dish and cover with an even layer of the breadcrumb mixture.

Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle lemon juice (to your taste; we like a lot of lemon so we use all the juice) and parsley over the top then serve.

This dish is great served with creamy mashed potato and lots of steamed greens.