Creamy purple yam pudding, also called ube jam, ube pudding, and ube halaya, is one of the coolest desserts you’ll ever make! At once striking, delicious and versatile, this is definitely one to make when you want the wow factor. A traditional Filipino dessert, ube halaya is a sweet, creamy pudding dessert that is made
There’s nothing more disheartening than seeing your carefully nurtured harvest fall prey to animal predators. After investing time in preparing the soil, growing from seed, nurturing plants to maturity, and witnessing the fruit’s development, it’s heart-breaking to have it all disappear overnight due to ‘unwanted visitors’. Combatting sizeable pests poses a significant challenge for home
Spicy chicken wings are one of the ultimate party foods; great for sharing, fantastic finger food, and easy to make. Whether it’s a birthday, Christmas, or a big bbq, Old bay crispy chicken with ranch dressing might just be the new & unique taste you’re looking for. If you’re Australian, you may not be familiar
These stuffed artichokes are more than just a meal—they connect me to my heritage and are a reminder of big family dinners at my grandmothers house. A traditional Sicilian dish, this is one that Nana would cook only occasionally, which made it all the more special. Sicilian food is like the tortoise of the culinary
Introducing mulching to your vegetable garden beds can be a game-changer for the health and productivity of your crops. Mulch, a protective layer of material spread over the soil surface, offers a myriad of benefits that extend beyond mere aesthetics. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, you’ll find that mulching serves as a
Nut creams are a fresh, nutrient-rich alternative to traditional dairy cream, so can be eaten by vegetarians, vegans and carnivores alike. As the name indicates, nut creams are a cream made from nuts- and they really are creamy! If you’ve never made a nut cream before, I guarantee you’ll be delighted by the smooth, dairy-like
This recipe for vegan strawberry mylk and the bonus recipe for strawberry lemon mylkshake are cooling, creamy, fresh, sweet and sour. The perfect summer drinks if you ask me. As a child we used to get strawberry milk (or pink milk, as we called it) as a treat. We loved it! The colour, the taste,
There’s nothing like creating a gourmet food product from your own backyard. Not only can you laugh at those big grocery store prices, but you can make a better product as well. With cherry tomatoes being so easy to grow and a prolific fruiter (especially if you live in seQLD like me), it makes sense
Cake is the most delicious way to showcase fresh fruit from your own backyard- and when mulberries are in season, there’s never a shortage! This mulberry & lime zest drizzle cake is our take on the traditional lemon drizzle cake. It’s more substantial, incredibly moist, and has a perfect balance between sweet & zingy fruit.
Whether you need a snack on the go or are having friends over for a quick lunch, this delightfully tasty mushroom & thyme tart with rocket topping will hit the spot! Perfect to make when your rocket and herbs are at their best (for me in subtropical QLD, that’s winter), you just need to grab
There’s nothing like showcasing your favourite home-grown produce, and this simple braise does exactly that. Featuring the simple flavours of your organic tomatoes and fresh green beans, this tomato and green bean chicken braise is easy to make with your freshly-picked produce and a few pantry staples. There’s no point aiming for self-sufficiency if you
There’s nothing better than a low-calorie, quick, one-pot soup for a weeknight dinner…& it’s even better when you can pick most of the ingredients from your own backyard! Blessed with a big crop of leeks that were ready for harvest, I devised this hearty, filling soup that is super-simple and quick to make. A perfect
This oven-poached tarragon chicken is perfect in so many ways! It’s low-calorie, quick to make (hello weeknight dinners), heart-smart and very nutritious. Simple yet rich in flavour, it takes little more than popping a few ingredients in a dish and putting it in the oven. Based on home-made chicken stock with its wonderful comfort and
Meet dragon fruit- a truly wonderful, delicious and exotic-looking tropical fruit that is easy to grow at home. With the texture of kiwifruit and the taste of lemonade, dragon fruit is a delightful addition to drinks and desserts (like our dragon fruit & finger lime sorbet), and of course, is fantastic eaten on its own.
The melt-in-your-mouth texture of a sorbet is all the more delicious when you’ve made it from fresh home-grown fruit. Pretty enough for a dinner party and good enough for every day, this dragonfruit and finger lime sorbet makes a great guilt-free snack. Quick and easy to whip up after school, it’s a nice summer treat
While okra isn’t exactly the new kid on the block, most Australians are only fairly recently learning to grow and cook with it. Okra is versatile in the kitchen and can be cooked as a side dish, a main, or a snack. Here we give you a recipe for each of these options. Okra has
What is Okra? Technically, okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a fruit, but is perceived and eaten as a vegetable. The colour changes with the variety, and ranges from pale green to pink to dark maroon. A heat-loving, low-care crop that thrives in strong sun and humidity, okra does best in subtropical and tropical gardens (if you’re
There are certain foods eaten while on holiday overseas that were so good, we never forget them. For me, it’s chicken skewers with peanut satay sauce. A mainstay of my street food-based diet on numerous trips to Thailand, the punchy flavours never disappointed. Or, if I’m honest, it was more like me fist-pumping the air
No matter where you live, as a gardener you always have some sort of constraints. Whether it’s climate, space, time, energy or just plain personal preference, we can’t do everything. There are literally hundreds of different herbs you can try growing, but realistically we all have to make choices about what to grow and what
There’s nothing like a big Christmas dinner with all the trimmings- and stuffing is always high on the trimmings list! Whether it’s vegan, vegetarian or contains meat, is cooked inside meat or on its own, there’s a stuffing to please everyone. Here are 3 of my favourites; sage & onion, thyme & parsley, and cranberry
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
