ROBERTA Muir, Moree on a Plate’s celebrity presenter at this year’s food and wine festival, says adopting a basic approach to cooking will go a long way to mastering the kitchen.
Her back-to-basics recipes include homemade cheese and breads, herb and spice blends, and fresh pasta.
“Making your own stocks and Asian basics – like curry pastes, deep-fried shallots and roasted rice powder – will lift your cooking to the next level,” Roberta said.
Roberta’s vast menu lists more than a dozen herb and spice blends including Advieh, a Persian spice blend; fresh fruit with spicy Thai salt; Gravlax; Lebanese seven-spice or Baharat; and Prickly Ash, a Chinese salt and pepper seasoning.
Roberta explains how to create dried ginger powder, dried galangal powder, roasted chilli powder, and dried turmeric powder as well as preparing saffron and tempering spices.
“Almost every cuisine has its secret blend of herbs and spices that adds a defining touch to dishes,” Roberta said.
Go to Roberta’s Herb and Spice Blends to discover how easy it is.
Print-friendly, PDF versions of all recipes are available as well, for those home chefs who prefer the instructions laid out on the kitchen bench-top the old-fashioned way.
How to temper spices
Tempering is a technique used throughout the Indian sub-continent in which whole spices – and sometimes ingredients like curry leaves and dried chillies – are quickly fried in oil or ghee.
“The frying releases essential oils and so enhances their aroma and flavour. In the case of ingredients like curry leaves and chillies, it also crisps them up,” Roberta said.
“The tempered spice mixture and flavoured oil is then poured over a dish such as dhal or stirred through rice.”
For the full recipe and how-to video, go to How to Temper Spices. Videos explaining Roberta’s other herb and spice blend techniques are also available.
Roberta’s extensive list of basic recipes includes pickles and pastes, sauces and spreads, homemade cheeses, breads, rice dishes, and pasta and dumpling recipes.
Feed the man meat
Roberta’s Italian, French, Asian and Aussie meat recipes won’t disappoint and her menu covers all cuts, including beef, veal, lamb, goat and pork.
“With all the different cuts of beef, veal, lamb, goat and pork, both fresh and cured, there’s a lot to discover in the world of meat cookery,” Roberta said.
From a simple steak dressed up with an easy sauce to a complex braise or casserole; in soups, salads and sandwiches; for special occasions, picnics or late night snacks, go to Roberta’s Meat Recipes to discover the seemingly infinite ways these favourite cuts can be transformed into mouthwatering meals.
Lamb loin chops with garlic oregano marinade
“Lamb chops were a fixture on the menu when I was a kid and I’d forgotten how good they are until I noticed them recently at the butcher’s, and thought I’d give them another try,” Roberta said.
Ingredients
Eight lamb loin chops (about 1kg);
One-third cup extra virgin olive oil;
Two tablespoons oregano leaves, roughly chopped;
One clove garlic, crushed;
Salt flakes, to taste;
Rosemary potatoes, for serving; and
Green salad, for serving.
Method
Toss chops with oil, oregano, garlic and salt and set aside for an hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for a few hours (bring back to room temperature before cooking).
Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan on high.
Cook chops for a couple of minutes on their fatty edge with the fat stretched out in contact with the pan to crisp it up.
Roll the fat strip back around the chops and cook for about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking.
Remove from heat and set aside in a warm place for a few minutes.
Serve with Rosemary Potatoes and salad.
A print-friendly version of this recipe is available here: https://beinspired.au/recipes/lamb-loin-chops/
Moree on a Plate Food and Wine Festival
When: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Where: Moree racecourse
Time: 10am until 4pm
Cost: Gold coin donation
Website: https://www.moreeonaplate.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoreeOnAPlate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moree_on_a_plate/?hl=en
Contact: moreeonaplate@outlook.com
To read more about Roberta, go to: Roberta Muir named Moree on a Plate celebrity presenter
To read more about Moree on a Plate, go to: Moree prepares to plate up at Moree on a Plate
