Gare - Delicious Every Day: Mostly healthy, always tasty

Lifes just too short not to celebrate with moments and tastes that make you close your eyes and smile. I live in the real world, though. I know that sometimes tyres go flat, but only when youre running late and wearing white; that work can feel like the wrong kind of Magic Pudding; and that even though we can send probes to Mars, I still cant fold a fitted sheet. But with food, it can be delicious every day! In writing this book I wanted to share with you the dishes I go to when I need a little delicious in my day. Weve all got them: those trusted recipes we can knock out with one hand tied behind our back; those simple, yummy family favourites that dont leave you with a pile of dishes threatening to collapse the north side of your house. Ive been obsessed with food for a long, long time.

As a toddler I made mud pies in the sandpit. It wasnt long before I graduated to the kitchen. My mum happily handed it over to me at a young age. She was no kitchen whiz and often blamed her stubborn old stove for her culinary disasters. When we finally got her a new one with self-ignition, she used it all the time as a cigarette lighter. I consider myself lucky to have a mother who wasnt territorial about her kitchen because it became my playground and creative space.

Pretty soon I was cooking for the school canteen. Later, as a teenager touring in a rock band, I poached asparagus in hotel-room kettles and cooked salmon on the ironing board with waxed paper and the iron. Since then Ive run a catering business, cooked on TV, been a presenter at festivals and found myself championing some of Western Australias greatest food regions the Swan Valley and Margaret River, and my new home in the Great Southern region. Over the years I have collected more than my share of delicious everyday meals. For this book I have narrowed them down to my hundred or so favourites. Most of these recipes have been created by my desire to eat good healthy food that is preservative and additive free.

Some are tweaks on dishes that my family has brought to Christmas lunches. Others have been inspired by those moments of bliss you experience at good restaurants or when someone else feeds you. And some of the best recipes are created from the only ingredients left in the fridge. Youll find that there are recipes for every occasion and from just about every corner of the globe. I cant put borders around my taste so youll find dishes in here inspired by Malaysia, Mexico, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, to name a few. What they have in common is big flavours that make your tastebuds do a little interpretive dance, and a deep respect for good produce; plus they are full of colour and have that little extra something that makes you go back for more.

The techniques are simple and the guesswork has been taken out thanks to years of repetition in my kitchen. The ingredients are nutritious and usually easy to find, but if there are a few things you arent familiar with, dont be scared, they can be found with just a little bit of looking. Believe me, your tastebuds will thank you for it. Enjoy this book, and heres to making every day delicious.

If you are a dancer, then you will want something your body will respond to; if youre a yogi, then something a bit lighter and more balanced might do the trick. If youre going hang gliding, eat whatever you want because it might be your last meal!

Bacon & egg frittata SERVES 4 The great thing about frittata at breakfast time is that you can colour it up with any leftover vegies from last nights dinner. Below is my delicious old-faithful version, guaranteed to set you up for a big day ahead or, perhaps, to help you recover from a big night before. Either way, its a great way to start the day. 250 g (9 oz) rindless bacon slices olive oil, for frying 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced 10 eggs 200 ml (7 fl oz) thin (pouring) cream 2 teaspoons finely grated parmesan cheese 1 large handful of English spinach leaves 8 cherry tomatoes, halved 70 g (2 oz) Danish feta cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and/or sunflower seeds flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, to serve PREHEAT the oven to 180C (350F). DICE half the bacon slices finely and saut in a 20 cm (8 inch) nonstick ovenproof frying pan with a dash of olive oil, until golden.

ADD the garlic and spring onions and fry for 1 minute to just soften. WHISK 6 of the eggs in a bowl with the cream and parmesan and season with salt and pepper, then add the spinach leaves. POUR the egg mixture into the pan with the bacon mixture and gently cook over medium heat without stirring for a few minutes. REMOVE the pan from the heat, lay the remaining bacon rashers on top and crack in the remaining eggs. Scatter cherry tomatoes, feta and seeds over the top. BAKE until the egg mixture is just firm and the eggs on top are still a little soft.