5 Minute Food Fix

Reece Hignell is known for his legendary sweets. During his time on Masterchef he famously drew inspiration from beautiful, handwritten recipes from his Nan. He talks about her Caramel Slice on this episode, and how it can help a starting chef learn some basics that they can then apply to more advanced baking. Find Reece's cookbook here . (And don't forget Yumi will be interviewing Palestinian chef and food writer Sami Tamimi at the Sydney Opera House when he visits Australia in October .) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Master baker and Newcastle royalty, Reece Hignell is guest host for the next few episodes! He came to national attention as a Masterchef contestant and now has a world-renowned bakery in Newcastle called Cakeboi , and is the author of my son's favourite cookbook ! But one of the things that made him famous was his ability to make brilliant, complex and nourishing curries. In this episode we talk about finishing a curry with a few flourishes that can elevate even something you made with paste from a tin, jar or a box. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ingredients (to make 2 big Okonomiyaki) 250 grams of dried yaki noodles or ramen noodles One cup of green cabbage, finally shredded 2 green onions, finely chopped One cup of snow peas washed and trimmed 6 thin slices of bacon 170 grams) 2 eggs 1 heaped tablespoon of potato or cornstarch 2/3 of a cup 80 grams of flour 1/3 of a cup plus one tablespoon of dashi broth or chicken stock PLUS Sunflower oil for cooking, Okonomiyaki sauce (yakisoba sauce also works) and Kewpie Mayo for serving Mix the flours, starch and dashi/chicken broth until you get a smooth consistency. Refrigerate. (Remember, Chrissie insists it need to be cold!) Meanwhile cook with the noodles in boiling water according to the package instructions. Wash and finally chop the cabbage and green onions. Oil the teppanyaki stainless steel with a paper towel and heat it over medium heat. Poor half of the batter, spreading it into a pan cake shape with a spatula. Top with half of the cabbage, green onions, snow peas, and 3 slices of bacon. Cook for 3 minutes And the same time, next to the pancakes spread half of the cooked noodles into a circle of the same size. Cook for three minutes then flip them. Crack one egg onto the griddle and spread it out with a spatula. Once it starts to set on top, place the noodles circle over it, then cover with the flipped pan cake so the noodles are now between the egg and the bacon flip everything again to the egg is on top and cook for another three minutes. Repeat the same process for each pancake and the remaining ingredients. To serve drizzle over the economyaki sauce and Japanese (Kewpie) mayonnaise. Eat immediately while dreaming about Japan. EVENTS: Yumi will be hosting a conversation with Sami Tamimi on Oct 4 at the Sydney Opera House. Find out more here . And I'll also be speaking with Elaine Castillo about her amazing book MODERATION on Thursday Oct 15. Find out more here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi and Chrissie were both there when politician Julie Bishop came on their show The Circle to talk her creamy herby chicken. It was years ago but the memory is VIVID for both of them! To the point where they both remember the recipe! Chrissie will also talk you through the 101 of the PERFECT BURGER. JULIE BISHOP'S CHICKEN Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 20–30 minutes Ingredients Chicken breast fillets (trimmed) Thick cream Parmesan cheese (grated) Fresh herbs Salt and pepper to taste Cooking oil or butter for pan-searing Instructions Sear the chicken: Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a little oil or butter. Season the chicken breast fillets with salt and pepper, then cook until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through. Make the creamy sauce: Reduce the heat and pour in the cream, allowing it to simmer and reduce slightly while picking up the pan juices. Add cheese and herbs: Stir through the grated parmesan cheese until melted and rich, then mix in the fresh herbs. Combine and serve: Return the chicken to the creamy herb sauce to coat thoroughly, then serve hot (traditionally paired with rice pilaf or steamed greens) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we go to air, SPRING has just sprung, but that doesn't mean it's too soon to be thinking about and planning for Christmas! Chrissie has some great ideas about how to stress less, enlist the uncles, keep seafood front and centre, and make the perfect, crunchy roasted potato. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chrissie Swan guest-hosts again on this episode that gets your head into the Christmas spirit! And no, it's not too early to be thinking about it! (IYKYK) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chrissie Swan joins Yumi again to discuss what contingency plans should be made to INDEMNIFY A SISTER against running out of dessert...! APPLE CRUMBLE: 2 cups of plain flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup brown sugar 250g butter Mix all the above in a food processor until just barely combined. Tumble on top of a baking dish with 4-5 cups of stewed apple down the bottom. Bake at 160C fan-forced for 45 mins. Serve with vanilla ice-cream. FOR TICKETS to the In-Conversation Sami Tamimi and Yumi Stynes, click here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chrissie Swan and your food fix host Yumi Stynes used to eat a lot of weekend lunches together when they lived in the same city. Back then it was crunchy, chewy bread, butter and maybe a burrata . But that was 15 years ago. What now? MAYBE, it's a foccacia. There's a great Karen Martini recipe here - ignore all the toppings and just use the foccacia basic as a template - it's excellent and you don't need to "rice" the cooked potato. Mashing it with a fork will be fine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chrissie Swan is guest co-host again and she is absolutely FLUENT in Bolognese. Here are the hacks, by Chrissie: As I mentioned - with bolognaise every single batch is different. Here’s my base: 2 onions 8 cloves of garlic 2 carrots, peeled and quartered 3 celery stalks, quartered 1kg coarsely minced chuck steak from the butcher 1 heaped teaspoon of flaked sea salt 3 chicken stock cubes 500g tomato paste 2 x 800g tins of tomatoes thyme bay leaves 1 sprig rosemary 200ml milk or cream ...but on the day we recorded this episode I had added literally everyone’s secret ingredient plus about 400grams of Xmas ham Added in: Parmesan rinds Milk Anchovies Loads of parsley Oxtail Vegemite Rosé Finely ground up leftover ham can take the place of bacon (or speck). Be generous! Cook it in some sort of electric frypan or oven situation that doesn't require your ongoing attention so you can set it and forget it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi is delighted to be joined by her old The Circle co-host, Chrissie Swan. Chrissie is a Logie Award-winning TV presenter and host of The Chrissie Swan show on NOVA, mum of 3, fantastic cook, and all-round legend! The two catch up and talk through the two internet food fads Chrissie has tried and loved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon has been booked to be a guest on a cooking show, shooting soon. So... what to cook? It can be agony to decide, but Simon's first impulse is to make his famous and delicious FISH FINGER SANDWICH. The legendary sando is easy AND supremely yummy, so is there a problem? POSSIBLY! Warning! This episode contains contagious LoLs! Stay til the end! FISH FINGER SANDWICH - serves 2 Pre-heat the oven to 220C Spread out 10 fish fingers on a baking tray and cook for 15-20 mins, turning halfway through. Meanwhile, prepare your cheat's tartare by combining 8-10 chopped cornichons with 130g Greek yoghurt, juice of 1/2 lemon and a pinch of salt. Lightly toast your humble sliced bread *nothing fancy. Slather each slice with a generous amount of your tartare. Top with 4 fish fingers and leave a bonus one to the side. Add on top - lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes and quick pickled onions, the recipe for which can be found in Simon and Yumi's cookbook . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi and Simon ask some age old questions about why some cooks are hectic and they come up with some theories... A chef who is completely NOT hectic but calm and delightful is Marion Grasby and Yumi has been fun cooking a few recipes from her website, including today's Chicken Lemon and Orzo , that you can whip up in a LEGIT 30 mins. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no convincing Yumi that garlic deserves to be eaten. HOWEVER, she does have memories of loving garlic bread and that is because it is, in fact, Very Yummy (if you are not a vampire or FODMAP ). Simon's ULTIMATE Garlic Bread: Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Get a good-looking baguette and slice it but not all the way to the bottom, leaving the base intact. 100g softened butter and 4-5 garlic cloves grated on the side of a box grater Wrap the baguette in al foil. Pop in the oven for 12-15 mins. Semi-undress the garlic bread from its foil. Return it to the oven for another 8-9 mins. Serve IMMEDIATELY. NO LEFTOVERS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COME TO YUMI'S 'WELCOME TO FRIENDSHIP' book launch! Saturday 8 August, 2026. 2pm at Gleebooks in Sydney. On today's episode, Simon is excited and psyched about a book called 'SMOKE, RICE, WATER' by Kishwar Chowdhury. From it, he's recommending as a starter dish, the Pumpkin with Nigella Seeds. METHOD: Prepare 500g butternut pumpkin by peeling and cutting into cubes heat 3tbs oil over a medium heat then add in 1tsp Nigella Seeds until they crackle add in a diced onion and 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic and cook over that medium heat Once it's softened and translucent, add in the pumpkin with a teaspoon of ground turmeric and a generous pinch of salt. Toss and then cover the pan with a lid. Once it's tender remove the lid, taste and ramp up the heat, adjust the seasoning. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped spring onion. Serve. Delicious as a side, fantastic on rice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do some recipes fall out of rotation? And how good is it when they come back, like a beloved friend? OTTOLENGHI'S PRAWN, ORZO and MARINATED FETTA recipe can be found here . (Yumi leaves out the garlic and uses a whole 500g bag of frozen prawns, defrosted in a sieve over a bowl overnight in the fridge, and it's perfectly great.) The whole cookbook SIMPLE by OTTOLENGHI can be found everywhere, including here . Fill out our listener survey here , gracias. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi is deep in book promo at the moment - with WELCOME TO FRIENDSHIP - the long-awaited fifth book in the 'Welcome to' series, due for wide release July 28, 2026. (FYI you can pre-order and get yourself a set of free badges by uploading your receipt to this website . Not to hustle but you need to do it TODAY! because eligibility expires 27/07/2026) Also, it wouldn't suck if you could please fill out this survey ! Won't take long and helps us make better shows. TURMERIC CAULIFLOWER Pre-heat the oven to a nice and hot 200C. Break up the head of a large cauliflower by using a sharp knife to cut out the core and then using a combo of hands and knife to break it up into nugget-sized pieces. Tumble the cauli into a pre-heated, oven-safe frypan with 3-4tbs oil. Coat in a mixture of: 1tbs paprika 1tbs sumac 1/2tsp turmeric generous amounts of salt and pepper zest and juice of 1 lemon Fry for 10 mins, mixing and stirring. Relocate the pan to the oven and leave it for 30 mins or until charred and sweet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Packet gnocchi, but make it useful A message from Simon: Today’s fix is packet gnocchi. And I want you to not boil it. I know the packet tells you to boil it. Ignore the packet. The packet does not know your life. The best thing to do with shelf-stable gnocchi is roast it. Straight onto a tray. Olive oil. Tomatoes. Garlic. Lemon zest. Olives. Into a hot oven. Done. What happens is the gnocchi goes golden and a little bit crisp on the outside, but stays soft and chewy inside. Which is frankly much more interesting than boiled gnocchi, which can sometimes have the texture of tiny damp pillows. This version has cherry tomatoes, olives, bocconcini, lemon zest and basil. Very easy. Very pretty. Very “I have made dinner” for someone who has mostly just tipped things onto a tray. The lemon zest matters because gnocchi can go a bit beige and heavy. Lemon wakes it up. The bocconcini goes in at the end so it softens, but doesn’t totally vanish. And basil goes on last because cooked basil is a crime. You can add zucchini, capsicum, eggplant, chilli, rocket, parmesan, leftover roast veg, whatever. This is not a recipe that wants you to go to three shops. The fix is: roast the gnocchi. Don’t boil it. It’s faster, better and involves one tray, which is spiritually important. RECIPE: Lemony olive and bocconcini gnocchi traybake Serves 3–4 Preheat the oven to 220°C. Tip a 500 g packet of shelf-stable potato gnocchi onto a large baking tray. Add 250 g halved cherry tomatoes, one sliced zucchini or one chopped red capsicum, half a cup of pitted or torn olives, and two finely sliced garlic cloves. Add three tablespoons of olive oil, the finely grated zest of one lemon, salt and black pepper, then toss everything together really well. Spread it out so the gnocchi has space to crisp. Roast for 20–25 minutes, tossing once, until the gnocchi is golden and the tomatoes have collapsed. Tear over 150 g bocconcini and return the tray to the oven for 3–5 minutes, just until the cheese softens. Finish with a handful of basil leaves, more lemon zest if you like, and chilli flakes or parmesan if you want them. Serve straight from the tray and feel smug about the lack of washing up. PLEASE FILL IN OUR SURVEY HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Impressing friends with one's cooking skills is truly one of life's joys. Yumi has found a new way that is super easy and you probably have 90% of the ingredients already. BELINDA JEFFEREY's CHEESE BISCUITS Combine all the dry ingredients: 300g plain flour, 50g Self-raising flour and a teaspoon of salt. Add in 2tsp mild chilli flakes. Mix well in the food processor. Add 40g freshly grated parmesan and a whole grated block of Mersey Valley (250g). Add 250g cold, cubed butter, whizz the mixture. It will look crumbly and quite dry. While it's whizzing, add in the juice of 1 lemon. It will come together. Halve the dough. Fashion each half into logs about the width (girth?) of a 50c piece. Wrap in baking paper and chill until needed. When you're ready to cook them, pre-heat to oven to 180C. Slice 4-5mm pieces off the log and spread them out on a baking tray. Top with sesame seeds or nigella seeds and bake for about 14 minutes. Serve with beverages and olives! PRE-ORDER WELCOME TO FRIENDSHIP HERE . UPLOAD YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE HERE for free friendship badges! Bored? Please fill in our survey HERE . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi organised an adult playdate for HERSELF with a friend for some cooking fun. It didn't work out exactly to plan but they *did* get to make this amazing gnocchi from Ottolenghi's ' SIMPLE '. You can find a full version of it in this article - and Simon's recommendation is that you roast up a sweet tomato sauce alongside the gnocchi and then serve with a rocket salad lightly dressed with lemon juice and good quality olive oil. And here is the SURVEY that we'd like you to please fill out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to fancy up your humble piece of fried salmon with a recipe from a cookbook that's a couple of years old but Yumi dusted it off and has been cooking from it quite a bit in the past weeks. It's - OTTOLENGHI's 'SIMPLE' . Simon has good news if you're a fan of the cookbook and its author... And you can find the salsa and salmon recipe here . Do you feel like filling out a survey for us? Will help us make better shows. Click here xx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.