Author: Bunny Eats Design

Lamb and Kamo Kamo Curry

Published by

This six ingredient lamb and kamo kamo curry was created as part of a collection of six ingredient recipes. Kamo kamo is a New Zealand squash. If unavailable, use courgettes (zucchini) as a substitute. Serve with basmati rice or roti/naan. This recipe makes a generous portion and any extras taste fantastic the next day. Lamb and Kamo Kamo Curry 15 mins prep | 1 hour 15 mins cookDifficulty: Easy | Serves 6-8 INGREDIENTS2 onions, diced1.2kg lamb rump, cut into bite size pieces500g rogan josh sauce or korma sauce1kg kamo kamo or courgettes, cut into bite size chunks1 cup plain or Greek yoghurtSERVE WITH: Basmati rice, roti or naanOPTIONAL GARNISH: a handful of fresh coriander, sliced red onion FROM THE PANTRYSalt and pepper1 Tbsp cooking oil PREPARATION This recipe was created for Greenlea Butcher Shop.

Beef Pho with rich beef broth and rib eye

Published by

This beef pho is a cheat’s version of pho using a rich beef broth and my favourite cut of beef, scotch fillet (rib eye). Freeze the steaks for 40 minutes so they firm up a little for easy slicing. The steak slices are placed in bowls before serving and hot broth ladled over the top to cook the slices instantly. Perfect for cool weather. Beef Pho with rich beef broth and rib eye 20 mins prep | 40 minutes freeze | 1 hour cookDifficulty: Medium | Serves 4 INGREDIENTS2 onions, peeled and quartered1 thumb size piece of ginger, thickly sliced600g scotch steak (rib eye)2 cinnamon sticks4 whole star anise2 tsp coriander seeds1 tsp black peppercorns1 tsp cloves1 L beef broth1 L water2 carrots, cut into large chunks2 tbs fish sauce1 tbs brown sugar1 tsp salt (to taste)375g dried rice noodles, soaked and drainedToppings to serve: fresh bean sprouts, sliced spring onion, coriander, mint, red onion, lime wedges, Sriracha PREPARATION This recipe was created for Greenlea Butcher Shop.

Hot Cross Bun Pudding with Berry Yoghurt Custard

Published by

This beautiful dessert is perfect for your Easter feasting. A play on bread and butter pudding, I added berries to give this rich pudding some bursts of brightness. Serve with yoghurt or ice cream. Hot Cross Bun Pudding with Berry Yoghurt Custard 30 mins prep | 20 mins cookDifficulty: Easy | Serves 6 INGREDIENTS1 cup berry yoghurt1 cup full cream½ cup soft brown sugar4 egg yolks1 tablespoon cornflour1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 teaspoon butter, softened6 hot cross buns½ cup chocolate buttons/drops or mini Easter eggs1 cup frozen mixed berries1 tablespoon icing sugar for dusting PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. 2. Take a jug or bowl and add berry yoghurt, cream, soft brown sugar, egg yolks, cornflour and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Reserve. 3. Take a rectangle baking dish (35x20cm) and rub the bottom and sides of the dish with butter. 4. Place a hot cross bun on its side on a chopping board. Cut into thirds, so you have a top third with cross, a middle third and a bottom third. Like a Big …

Mushroom and Mince Larb Lettuce Cups

Published by

I fell in love with larb when traveling through Laos. Known as a “meat salad”, larb is the national dish of Laos and also popular throughout Thailand. I have visted Laos twice and I ate larb almost every day. I was completely smitten. Inspired by this quick cooking, bright tasting dish, I’ve adapted this recipe to feature a blend of free range chicken or pork mince and button mushrooms. Served in lettuce cups, these are great for varying appetites. Let everyone assemble their own for delicious interactive dining. Mushroom and Mince Larb Lettuce Cups 15 mins prep | 20 mins cookDifficulty: Easy | Serves 4 INGREDIENTS400g white button mushrooms1 Tbsp cooking oil400 grams chicken or pork mince4 cloves garlic, minced2 Tbsp lemongrass paste2 tsp sugar1 chilli, thinly sliced2 petite cos lettuces3 Tbsp lemon/lime juice3 Tbsp fish sauce1/2 a red onion, diced1 cup diced cucumberA big handful of roughly chopped or torn herbs: mint, coriander, Thai basil PREPARATION This recipe was created for Meadow Mushrooms.

Bolognese Pies

Published by

Hearty and delicious. This is a magical fusion of two of my favourite comfort foods: Spaghetti bolognese and mince and cheese pies. Bolognese Pies 30 mins prep  |  50 mins cookDifficulty: Medium  | Serves 4 INGREDIENTS2 beef stock cubes1 Tbsp cooking oil½ onion, diced500 grams beef mince2 cloves garlic, chopped¼ cup tomato paste2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce2 Tbsp flour1 tsp dried oregano1 tsp sugarBlack pepper4 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawedCooking spray4 slices cheddar cheese1 egg PREPARATION This recipe was created for OXO.

Satay Chicken Burgers

Published by

My husband and I, and our rabbits moved from Auckland to Whanganui into our first home a few days before lockdown. Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand looks quite different than isolation in other countries. For starters, all hospitality was shut down. Yes, that includes restaurants, fast food, bars and cafes. All of them. Even drive-through and delivery. All classed as non-esssential. Level 3 lockdown included takeout and delivery. Level 2 included dining out but with many restrictions in place. Obviously, I haven’t had much of chance to explore where to eat in our new city during lockdown, but so far I’ve been missing Auckland’s large selection of very excellent fried chicken. My favourite fried chicken in Auckland is at Lowbrow and when fried chicken guru, chef Kyle Street recently shared his fried chicken tips on Instagram, I was intrigued. I’ve combined his tips with an “11 herbs & spices” recipe and the result is bangin’. I’ve combined this into a burger with a local wonder sauce. Sone’s Satay Sauce is a dreamy mix of …

Venison, mushroom and red wine pies

Published by

“I love cooking with wine. Sometimes, I even put it in the food.” There’s a chill in the air. The days are getting shorter. Winter is coming. Comfort food is calling. This venison pie is great with some green vegetables or mash. Extra gravy too if that is your thing. Venison, mushroom and red wine pies Makes 4 pies INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons cooking oil 500 grams venison mince 1 onion, diced A knob of butter 100 grams thinly sliced button mushrooms 2 tablespoons plain flour 1 cup red wine 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 cup beef stock 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper Cooking spray (or butter) 4 sheets frozen puff pastry 1 egg yolk, beaten FILLING Place a sauté or non-stick frying pan on medium high heat. Add cooking oil. Once hot, add venison mince and onion, breaking up the venison with a wooden spoon and stirring as you go. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat until venison is browned. Add a knob* of butter, mushrooms and flour and cook for 2 minutes …

Rainbow Bowl: Sweet soy ginger braised pork belly

Published by

I‘m not a salad kind of girl but I love a good rainbow bowl. Sweet soy ginger braised pork belly on rice with a perfectly gooey free range egg, sauerkraut, cucumber, carrot, capsicum, spring onion and a dollop of my favourite mayo. Garlic furikake and wild Korengo seaweed for texture and flavour. I could eat this breakfast, lunch or dinner. This pork belly braise uses black vinegar. Also known as Chinkiang Vinegar, this can be found at Asian grocers. Delicious for dipping steamed or fried dumplings into. You can use balsamic vinegar as a substitute. Sweet soy ginger braised pork belly Makes 4 portions INGREDIENTS 500 grams ( 1 lb) pork belly, cut into large cubes 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3 slices ginger 3 cloves garlic, smashed 2 star anise 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes 2 tablespoons black vinegar 2 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce 2 cups hot water PREPARATION Heat a non-stick frying pan and add pork belly. Fry on medium heat for 5 …

Hong Kong Macaroni Soup

Published by

Today I’m sharing a humble dish that is perfect for when it is starting to get cold: HK macaroni soup. A popular breakfast dish in Hong Kong. It’s not glamorous so it doesn’t get international recognition. It won’t have traveled far and wide to any restaurant or dinner party. It’s just not that kind of a dish. This breakfast soup is found at every no-frills diner/cafe in Hong Kong. Featuring a sunny side up egg, with ham or SPAM. It is so popular it is even served in Hong Kong McDonalds. Not as a limited edition menu item, but as part of their regular breakfast menu. Yes, you can get a combo with macaroni soup, coffee and a hash brown. Macca’s version features their sausage patty. I have fond memories eating this at McDonald’s in Hong Kong in the wintertime and it’s super easy to recreate at home. HK MACARONI SOUP 5 mins prep  |  15 mins cook Difficulty: Easy  | Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 1L chicken stock 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar …

Pork and prawn wontons

Published by

The wonton. The less glamorous sister to the dumpling. Wontons are my ultimate comfort food but I’ve served these a little different to how we ate them growing up. This recipe makes 50 wontons and freeze well. So enjoy some now and freeze the rest for later. Wonton wrappers often come in packs of 100 so just double the recipe, or freeze half the wrappers. If you want to make the full 100 wontons, you might want to employ an extra pair of hands or put on your favourite podcast and settle in. Pork and prawn wontons Makes 50 INGREDIENTS 500g (1 lb) pork mince 250g (1/2 lb) shelled prawns, chopped 1 cup finely chopped cabbage 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon five spice powder 50 wonton wrappers PREPARATION Place the filling ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well. Take 1 wonton wrapper and place a heaped teaspoon of filling …

2020 Manifesto

Published by

2020 manifesto. Instead of having a New Year’s resolution, the past 8 years, I’ve been living by these lists of MORE and LESS. 2019 was an adventure. Being a freelancer has allowed me flexibility which I am truly grateful for. We spent a month in the Philippines where we learned to SCUBA with friends. We swam, snorkelled and dived with sea turtles. We island hopped and visited countless beaches and waterfalls. There, we celebrated 10 years of marriage. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Genie @ Bunny Eats Design (@bunnyeatsdesign) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Genie @ Bunny Eats Design (@bunnyeatsdesign) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Genie @ Bunny Eats Design (@bunnyeatsdesign) When we got back, we adopted two rabbits from the SPCA. Both were found in different parts of Auckland and surrendered to the SPCA where they fell in love. Two very different personalities but super sweet in their own way. Kobe and Bento give us so much happiness. A worthwhile investment. View …

Super Sensational Spicy Chicken

Published by

    A dish by many names: Big Plate Chicken, Sensational Spicy Chicken, XinJiang Style Chicken, or Hot and Spicy Chicken. I first met this fiery chicken, potato and capsicum stew at Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle on Dominion Road. At Shaolin, this dish comes in two sizes, large $48 or small $38. Served with their famous hand pulled noodles which are toothsome and filling, a large will feed an army and a small will push two adults into a food coma. Since I first ate this dish, it has been popping up all over the Dom Road as this style of cuisine becomes more common. While I love the flavours in this dish, I have a some issues with it. I’ve made a few tweaks to make this a bit more eater-friendly. The authentic dish has a one or two giant noodles served on the side or placed on top. This is fine if you are a giant who loves a metre-long noodle. Giant noodles look cool (and symbolise long life) but are a bitch …

Top 5 for Restaurant Month – $25 edition

Published by

Love to dine out? Bank balance says “No”? I *could* spend an embarrassing amount of money dining out. But for the last wee while I’ve been to sticking to a self-imposed budget. $50 a pop. It’s not a super tight budget and I still dine out regularly, I just politely decline the $50+ invitations. With American Express Restaurant Month coming up in a couple of weeks, I was little nervous about what my bank account would look like…but never fear! The $25 menu is here. I’ve had a good squiz at the $25 menus and I’m pretty excited. This is my shortlist for the month, all $25 a pop, most with options and some even come with a glass of wine. I’m going to need some dining companions so hit me up and let’s make a date. Genie’s Top 5 for American Express Restaurant Month THE $25 EDITION (in no particular order) 1. BEAST & BUTTERFLIES – Quay Street $25 for 2 course lunch with options. ENTRÉE OPTIONS: Market fish ceviche: Pickled ginger gel, coconut, …

Arroz Caldo for two.

Published by

It’s been a month since we got back from the Philippines and winter has landed heavily on New Zealand. I’ve pulled out my old winter coat and I’m wrapped in my biggest scarf. I’m contemplating new slippers. Is two pairs of slippers really enough? All I want is comfort food. I love comfort food. If I could figure out how to make a living devouring the world’s comfort foods, I would be in heaven. One comfort food that I grew up with is congee. Rice porridge. Placed somewhere between soup and risotto, it’s a bowl of steaming goodness. My Cantonese parents made congee when we were sick or just needed comfort. Congee was brought to the Philippines by Chinese migrants, where the locals tweaked it and gave it a Spanish name: Arroz Caldo. ARROZ is “rice”, CALDO is “hot” and this tricked up relative to congee was on my list of dishes to try. Many parts of the Philippines serve a yellow-hued Arroz Caldo (coloured with safflower) however, we visited the Visayas where they serve …

Beer battered oyster sliders

Published by

This post was made possible thanks to the good folks at Stella Artois.  Dear friends, we are living in the future. Right now, I can prod at my phone and summon a dozen cold Stella Artois and a dozen freshly shucked oysters to be delivered to my doorstep. The future is awesome. Beer and oysters are a stunning couple. These oysters come from Te Kouma Bay in the Coromandel and are shucked the morning of delivery. Available in Auckland, only on Fridays until the end of June. Find out how to summon your own tasty dozen by visiting the LK website here. Would also make a great birthday gift or a classy work shout. Inspired by this lovely beer and oyster pairing, I made these epic beer battered oyster sliders with special sauce. I’ve used brioche slider buns here because they are very soft and a little sweet, contrasting beautifully with the crispy battered oyster. The special sauce is a must for any burger lover. I love this sauce and the human guinea pigs that …

One thing I would absolutely eat again and one thing I would not.

Published by

I just spent three and a half weeks in the Philippines. I ate balut on the first day. It was completely unplanned. I promise. Yeah, OK, it was on my list of things to eat. Way, waaay down, at the bottom. Past lechon (pig on a spit), adobo (chicken or pork vinegar soy stew), sisig (sizzling chopped pigs head and chicken liver), arroz caldo (chicken rice soup), kare kare (peanut sauce stew). Even past dinuguan (that’s pork blood stew if you were wondering). Like, if we seriously ran of things to do, I *might* eat a duck fetus for shits and giggles. But that is not what happened.  We arrived in Mactan on a Friday morning and met up with our dear old friend Adam. We started on the local beers fairly early in the day and later enjoyed a jolly dinner with his Mactan crew. There was local BBQ (marinated meat on sticks) tacos and of course, local beer. The subject of balut was brought up I mentioned I was interested in trying it…at …

Coriander Chimichurri

Published by

I am obsessed with polarising flavours and ingredients. “What is your favourite food?” is such a common question but I think, “What is your least favourite food?” is far more interesting. My own list of hated foods have evolved over the years and I imagine yours is ever evolving too. If we were meeting for the first time – making conversation – I might ask you, “What food do you hate?” and you might answer, “Coriander” (or cilantro). Known as coriander in most parts of the world but known as cilantro in Spanish (and in the US). Fresh and leafy, the entire plant: leaves, stem, root and seed are used in cooking. The root and seed taste notably different and should not be substituted in place of the green parts. Probably the most polarising herb in the world, those who dislike it call it foul, soapy or grassy. Those who love it describe it as fresh or citrus-y. I don’t taste citrus but it goes beautifully with lemon and lime IMO. Buy coriander in a …

Vietnamese Shaking Beef

Published by

It’s been a minute since The Koala and I visited Vietnam. We visited in January 2011, completely unprepared for the winter. We got off the plane in the early, early hours of the morning, were accosted by motorcycle drivers, dropped our bags off at our hotel and went in search for our first meal on foot. We happened upon a little noodle shop that was packed first thing in the morning. We figured that any place that was packed with locals for breakfast would be a good bet. Once we were seated, we realised the shop only sold eel. Options included fried eel, eel soup, eel noodles or eel porridge. Every item on the menu was under $2NZ. And that’s how we ended up eating eel for our first meal in Vietnam. We couldn’t speak a lick of Vietnamese but we got through our trip by pointing and our drawing skills helped us out more than once. Still, we made some incredible food memories and I still think fondly upon the Vietnamese way of cooking and eating. …

2019 Manifesto (and 2018 in review)

Published by

Happy New Year. It’s been a while since my last entry. 2018 was a good year. Last year’s motives were: More: Improvisation, uni-tasking, shared meals, vegetables, steps Less: Comparison, waste, hoarding, screen time, carelessness I have been really conscious about improvisation, hoarding, waste and carelessness this year. Taking time off social media when I feel myself comparing to others, taking up new hobbies to remove myself from my computer. I took my steps seriously, wearing my Fitbit 24/7. My goal was an ambitious 70,000 steps every week and I hit this 33 out of 52 weeks. This year I finally I got my restricted license. At age 35. Yep. I’m a late bloomer. This new-found freedom meant that I drove more and walked less. We bought a Mazda Axela a few months ago and it’s super fun to drive. I’ve now been freelancing for over 2 years and I love being my own boss. My main income is through graphic design though this year my photography/styling work has surpassed my blogging. I had over 80 …

10 dishes I’m dying to try…

Published by

…at Taste of Auckland presented by Electrolux (PLUS A GIVEAWAY) Taste of Auckland  presented by Electrolux turns 10 this year and I have a double pass to give away. For entry details, scroll to the bottom of this post. So Taste. I am a long time fan girl. I’ve been to every Taste since they started way, way back pre-blog. Haven’t missed one yet. It’s my favourite food festival and the last few years, I’ve been going to multiple sessions so I can sample even more of the restaurant menu offerings. There will be cooking demonstrations, countless artisan and food stalls, bars and villages, live entertainment (including Holly Smith – Duo, Laughton Kora, Sola Rosa Sound System). If you’re interested, check out some of my previous festival review posts here, here and here. I adore Taste. It’s a casual, build your own walking feast. You mosey about and eat all the dishes that you like the sound of. Heaven. Bring a friend or two and double or triple your quota. Held over 6 sessions, this year Taste …