This is my attempt to not repeat a dinner for the entirety of 2018! I’ll update this post to keep track of progress, share recipes and highlight my recommendations.
1 January: Fish taco bowl (quinoa, white fish cooked in spices, any toppings and sauce you’d put on a taco)
2/1: Barley salad with marmalade dressing. I didn’t have any leftover Christmas ham, so made a vego option with roasted pumpkin instead.
3/1: Vegetarian Bun (Vietnamese rice noodle salad).
4/1: Pappardelle with roast tomato pesto (chop and roast any tomatoes for 45 minutes, blend with parmesan, almonds and olive oil), mushrooms, balsamic red onion and ricotta.
5/1: Okra sweet and sour curry. I didn’t have fish, so bulked this out with extra veges – capsicum, broccoli, carrot – and added a hard boiled egg to each serve.
6/1: BBQ chicken chipolatas with rice vinegar slaw (shredded red cabbage, carrot, nashi pear, coriander, corn kernels, dollop of dijon mustard and rice wine vinegar to taste)
7/1: Mango glazed pumpkin, with crispy chick peas, paneer and cauliflower. I added the cauliflower in to bulk it out and served it with cashew rice.
8/1: Zucchini slice with roasted carrots.
9/1: Chicken drumsticks and mixed potato salad with pickled onion dressing.
10/1: Spaghetti with lentil bolognese.
11/1: Char siu eggplant on rice. Based on a pork recipe, this one has gone vego with eggplant instead and bulked out with extra broccoli and other veg.
12/1: Coconut and lime salmon with mango salad.
13/1: Grilled corn and quinoa salad
14/1: Chorizo and sweet potato salad
15/1: Spicy soy chicken
16/1: Teriyaki udon noodles
17/1: Kiwi, lime and chilli fish
18/1: Calamari, orange and hummus
19/1: Roast tomato pesto pasta (roast 8 – 10 tomatoes until they begin to char, cool then blitz with almonds, parmesan and olive oil)
20/1: 7 hour lamb and Cypriot grain salad
21/1: Pacos Tacos
22/1: Thai pork and basil
23/1: Chargrill vegetables, pearl cous cous and haloumi
24/1: Falafel and black rice tabbouleh
25/1: Tofu satay noodles
26/1: BRAT (bacon, rocket, avocado, tomato)
27/1: BBQ
28/1: Paprika chicken and salad
29/1: Ricotta pasta
30/1: Turkish zucchini and haloumi bake
31/1: Gazi (Greek feast)
1 February: Sesame chicken with cashew rice
2/2: Lemon butter garlic salmon
3/2: Cauliflower burgers
4/2: Warm lentil and paneer salad
5/2: Pineapple and tamarind pork
6/2: Hanoi style eggs
7/2: Wild rice, haloumi and grilled peach salad
8/2: Singapore noodles
9/2: Kangaroo steaks and crispy onions (adaption from this recipe)
10/2: Pulled pork udon noodles
11/2: Pumpkin and edamame cous cous
12/2: Vietnamese take out
13/2: Wild mushroom tortellini
14/2: Middle Eastern pearl cous cous
15/2: Cauliflower, chick pea and coconut curry
16/2: Salmon with miso soba
17/2: Flammkutchen
18/2: Crispy cabbage salad with haloumi
19/2: Holy Bowly with smokey tahini sauce (this one is really good)
20/2: Cavatelli pasta with octopus
21/2: X’ian style cold noodles
22/2: Spicy turmeric fish
23/2: Italian lentils with pork and chilli sausage
24/2: Stuffed mushrooms
25/2: Grilled capsicum, spicy cous cous & crispy haloumi
26/2: Orange and broccoli quinoa
27/2: Cayenne chicken on brown rice
28/2: Summer pumpkin dahl
1 March: Chilli, zucchini and lemon spaghetti
2/3: Crepes (Breizoz French Creperie)
3/3: Birthday noodle bar
4/3: Gourmet snags and various salads
5/3: Italian feast (Riserva)
6/3: Lentils and mushrooms
7/3: Roast vegetable quiche
8/3: Antipasto bowls
9/3: Zucchini pitas
10/3: Salmon and coconut wraps
11/3: Hotdogs
12/3: Quinoa vegetable fritters
13/3: Vegetarian Pad See Ew
14/3: Greek noodle salad
15/3: Japanese lamb meatballs with miso glazed pumpkin
16/3: Pea, mozzarella and mint pasta
17/3: Flake and chips
18/3: Pesto chicken kiev
19/3: Nothern Thai chicken and noodle curry
20/3: Summer greens tomato and basil frittata
21/3: Broccoli, green chilli and smoked almond spaghetti
22/3: Middle Eastern zucchini rice with soft boiled egg
23/3: Chicken salsa tacos
24/3: Chicken meatloaf
25/3: Curry leaf prawns
26/3: Baked suco gnocchi
27/3: Lamb and coriander kofta
28/3: Japanese noodle and vegetable bowls
29/3: Orecchiette, lentils and kale
30/3: White fish with spice crunch
31/3: Beef cheek pizza (Pizza Religion)
1 April: Roast pork (Easter lunch)
2/4: Corn fritters and poached eggs
3/4: Grilled roo with macadamia salad
4/4: French mushroom tagliatelle
5/4: Roast pumpkin and cauliflower quiche
6/4: Pad Thai
7/4: Massaman curry
8/4: Spinach and ricotta rolls with tzatziki
9/4: Orecchiette with Italian sausage
10/4: Cauli-bitsy bowl
11/4: Coconut chicken wai wai
12/4: Pumpkin and grain salad
13/4: Korean fried rice
14/4: +39
15/4: Roast beef
16/4: Chicken, cabbage and egg noodle stir fry
17/4: Eggplant and ricotta
18/4: Roo and six veg
19/4: Pork and egg dan dan
20/4: Dumplings
21/4: Mushroom and goat’s cheese tart
22/4: Honey popped tofu
23/4: Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
24/4: Mushroom omelette
25/4: Spicy pork, refried beans and quinoa
26/4: Hummus bros. with veges
27/4: Indian spuds on flatbread
28/4: Honey glazed pumpkin and enoki on brown rice
29/4: Sticky ginger roast chicken
30/4: Pulled pork ramen
1 May: Farro and veges
2/5: Spicy dahl with tomatoes and naan
3/5: Sausage, lentils, pear and rocket
4/5: Vegetarian lasagne
5/5: Haloumi tacos, with avocado, tomato and mango
6/5: Spicy chorizo enchiladas
7/5: Tofu and mushroom poke bowl
8/5: Vietnamese pulled pork rice noodles
9/5: Israeli chicken and cardamom rice
10/5: Pumpkin pesto orecchiette
11/5: Riversdale Thai
12/5: Cheese board, meat and olives
13/5: Mango pumpkin, cauliflower and coconut rice
14/5: Crispy tofu laksa
15/5: Eggplant agrodolce
16/5: Farro with chicken and loads of greens
17/5: Roo with mash, kale, carrots and zucchini
18/5: Bolognese pie
19/5: Healesville pub
20/5: Pumpkin soup with roast cauliflower
21/5: Roo rendang
22/5: Mushroom and baked polenta bowls
23/5: Tagliatelle with chorizo, pumpkin and tomato ragu
24/5: Chicken, broccoli and cashew stir fry
25/5: Mushroom and potato pizza
26/5: Okonomiyaki
27/5: Carrot soup with chorizo cornbread
28/5: Oven roasted meatballs
29/5: Egg noodles with Asian greens and egg
30/5: Roasted gnocchi and vegetable bake
31/5: Lentil lasagne
1 June: Mac & cheese
2/6: Cocktails… (no dinner)
3/6: Breakfast burritos
4/6: Chicken, fennel and rice soup
5/6: Crunchy quinoa, pumpkin, cauliflower, feta and nuts
6/6: Chilli con roo
7/6: Butter chicken
8/6: Garlic eggplant soba noodles
9/6: Bao and dumplings (Box Hill)
10/6: Baked chicken and Middle Eastern pilaf
11/6: Thai pumpkin curry soup
12/6: Coconut and chilli poached chicken
13/6: Creamy artichoke gnocchi (blue cheese)
14/6: Roo with cauliflower and cannellini beans mash
15/6: Char sui pork on egg noodles with egg
16/6 – 23/7: Canada
24 July: Quinoa with roast and fresh veges
25/7: Orecchiette with crummy eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta
26/7: Spiced chicken and roasted peppers with hummus and veges
27/7: Pork shoulder with pear, fennel and potato salad
28/7: Eggwhite omelette with goat’s cheese
29/7: Potato and leek soup
30/7: Soba noodles with tofu and greens
31/7: Eggplant and capsicum casserole with polenta
1 August: Roo meatballs
2/8: Baked spinach gnocchi with veges
3/8: Eggplant parmas with sweet potato chips
4/8: Pumpkin and artichoke quiche
5/8: Cauliflower soup with lentils, haloumi and sprouts
6/8: Greek chicken, lemon and potatoes
7/8: Asian omelette and rice noodles
8/8: Mexican tofu, black rice and beans
9/8: Roo pies & green bean salad
10/8: Gypsy eggs
11/8: Salami pizza
12/8: Carrot and lentil soup
13/8: Malaysian chicken laksa
14/8: Mushroom, blue cheese and pear spaghetti
15/8: Okonomi-bowl (no pancake)
16/8: Chermoula with roasted orange veges
17/8: Pad Grapow
18/8: Lamb larb
19/8: Pumpkin and parsnip soup with prawns
20/8: Ten veg bowl
21/8: Mushroom and paneer curry
22/8: Lamb biryani
23/8: Freekeh and beets
24/8: Avocado, smashed edamame and sprouts with poached egg
25/8: Mimis
26/8: Chicken and tomatoes with garlic bread
27/8: Pad see ew with tofu
28/8: Pulled pork burgers with fennel slaw and potatoes
29/8: Eggplant katsundi
30/8: Pumpkin and pomegranate cous cous
31/8: Rigatoni with artichoke, lemon and peas
1 September: Mexican bowls
2/9: Spring greens minestrone
3/9: Sticky lemongrass chicken
4/9: Mushroom and pumpkin risotto
5/9: Bangers and mash
6/9: Mujadarra with lamb and yogurt
7/9: Egg noodles and eggs two ways
8/9: Lamburgers
9/9: Lemon roast chook
10/9: Mexican soup with capsicum, tomatoes and beans
11/9: Hummus, grains and greens with egg
12/9: Spinach, garlic and pesto gnocchi
13/9: Carrot tart and fennel salad
14/9: Snags, pumpkin and cous cous
15/9: Sweet potato pancake
16/9: Harira
17/9: Thai green curry with chicken
18/9: Pork ball vermicelli
19/9: Miso eggplant soba
20/9: Roo, smashed peas, pumpkin and asparagus
21/9: Black bean jacked up nachos
22/9: Korean feast
23/9: Indian vege and chick pea bowls with crispy curry leaves
24/9: Mixed lentil dahl with cucumber and peas
25/9: Tofu and mushroom katsu
26/9: Chicken rice paper rolls
27/9: Broccoli and anchovy spaghetti with lemon breadcrumbs
28/9: Bridge Road Brewers
29/9: Press Room – tapas
30/9: Indian in Benalla
1 October: Ricotta, broccoli and pea risotto
2/10: Tuscan bean soup
3/10: Rioja chicken with saffron rice
4/10: Pumpkin, spinach, ricotta and lentil lasagne
5/10: Fish burrito (Fonda)
6/10: Pulled pork tacos
7/10: Creamy mushroom medley pasta
8/10: Apricot lamb
9/10: Legume salad with haloumi and potato
10/10: Sundried tomato pesto rolled chicken with pancetta
11/10: Chilli bean pork and eggplant
12/10: Lemongrass chicken and roti (Penang Coffee House)
13/10: Smashed avo and eggs
14/10: Stuffed Indian tomatoes with naan and paneer
15/10: Snags and caramelised potato and onion
16/10: Fesenjan
17/10: Stroganoff pasta bake
18/10: Meatballs and risoni
19/10: Green shakshuka
20/10: Haloumi, fried beans and guoc
21/10: Tandoori pumpkin, chick peas and cauliflower
22/10: Walnut chicken and chips
23/10: Lemon spaghetti with roo mince
24/10: Fried pumpkin gnocchi
25/10: Gooey eggplant and capsicum stir fry
26/10: Green curry rice with salmon
27/10: Buttermilk chicken burger (Burger Burger)
28/10: Eggplant flatbreads
29/10: Ricotta, spinach and pumpkin rotolo
30/10: Lemon, garlic and herb chicken with potatoes and greens
31/10: Spinach pesto fried gnocchi with artichokes
1 November: Lamb and coriander balls with lentils, beetroot, tomatoes, zuc and tzatziki
2/11: Tapas at Theatre Place
3/11: Smoked salmon, green veg and pearl cous cous
4/11: Feta and bacon frittata with cucumber salad
5/11: Charred drumsticks with carrot noodle salad
6/11: Zucchini and bean rolls in tomato ragu
7/11: Roo chow mein
8/11: Chicken skewers
9/11: Almond crumbed pork with slaw
10/11: Pad mee
11/11: Grilled cheese with mushrooms
12/11: Hoisin chicken
13/11: Spicy prawn, spinach and mushroom egg noodles
14/11: Salmon Buddha bowls
15/11: Black bean pork and noodles
16/11: Beer and vodka battered ling and chips
17/11: Meze – fried sesame feta and friends
18/11: Sweet potato noodles bowl
19/11: Haloumi bowls with quinoa
20/11: Baked taco pull apart
21/11: Prawn dumpling noodle bowl
22/11: Meatball and rigatoni bake
23/11: Pork ball subs (banh mi)
24/11: Bibimbap (at Queenscliff MF)
25/11: Pearl cous cous with edamame, beets and feta
26/11: Roast chicken thighs w sage, rosemary potatoes and tomatoes
27/11: Lamb and hummus
28/11: Salmon, pumpkin and ginger soba noodles
29/11: Tamarind pulled pork rolls
30/11: Carrot and cashew pasta
1 December: Cypriot salad with haloumi
2/12: Dahl with eggplant, peas, asparagus, spinach and snow peas
3/12: Orecchiette with pumpkin, tomatoes, zucchini, capers and artichoke
4/12: Cous cous with potato, sweet potato, cauli, avo, celery and tahini mayo
5/12: Quinoa with corn, lentils, red cabbage, cap, red onion and snow peas
6/12: Party pies
7/12: Cheesy vego burritos
8/12: Chinese five spice noodles with bok choy, carrot, spring onions, broc
9/12: Soba noodles with pumpkin, carrot, raddish, snap peas and miso dressing
10/12: Lamb and almond kofta
11/12: Chicken, chorizo and chips
12/12: BBQ pork + various salads
13/12: Zuc and polenta slice with broc pesto
14/12: Xmas party
15/12: White bean korma with brown rice and haloumi
16/12: Tuna nicoise
17/12: Quinoa, mozzarella, avo and tomatoes
18/12: Indian pilaf with pumpkin, chick peas and paneer
19/12: Chicken singapore noodles
20/12: Cheesy lamb patties on eggplant and roast carrots
21/12: Gingerboy (AVRMBC)
22/12: Friendmas (HB Cheesus)
23/12: Christmas ham sambos
24/12:
25/12:
26/12:
27/12:
28/12:
29/12:
30/12:
31/12:
And all of that produces a word map of 2018’s foods that looks a little like this: