Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a Melbourne-based cookbook author, Good Weekend columnist and host of Good Food Kitchen.

Quick & easy

Beef soboro don

Soboro don is pure comfort food and a real crowd-pleaser in my house. Soboro in Japanese means to crumble; here it refers to a protein – fish, meat, eggs or tofu – that’s cooked down to a crumbly texture. I’ve chosen beef mince, but chicken mince is a great alternative. While the traditional don (or bento) would commonly be served with scrambled eggs, I like the simplicity of half a soft-boiled egg. This sweet and salty dish loves the company of blanched vegetables, such as sugar snap peas or green beans. Serve with a leafy green of your choice: mizuna is nice, or shiso for extra flavour.

< 30 mins
Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Baking

Vanilla and ricotta cake with lemon icing

This is a super-simple cake that I like to make for my children’s birthdays since it’s delicious (of course!) but also stays very moist, thanks to the extra virgin olive oil and ricotta. I love the contrast of a light cake with zingy lemon icing; for topping, choose slivered pistachios, flaked almonds or celebratory sprinkles.

1-2 hrs
Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Baking

Mushroom, comte and mascarpone galette

A free-form tart with the flakiest pastry filled with a classic combination of mushrooms, thyme and cheese.

1-2 hrs
Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s zuppa frantoiana.

Winter warmer

Zuppa frantoiana (Tuscan bean and vegetable soup)

Seek out the most recently pressed local extra virgin olive oil you can find for this seasonal soup.

2 hrs +
Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Baharat-spiced, roasted lamb racks with burghul and tahini yoghurt.

Family meals

Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s lighter, brighter spin on your Sunday roast lamb

Baharat – a heady mix of spices –complements the lamb’s sweetness wonderfully. A tabbouleh-inspired salad and tahini yoghurt are the perfect accompaniments.