OCEAN TROUT WITH PUY LENTILS AND WARM CABBAGE SALAD

If I haven't already communicated that ocean trout is my favourite fish, I'm doing it now. Yes, I like tuna. Yes, I like mahi mahi. Yes, I like barramundi. Yes, I like coral trout. Yes, I like red emperor. Yes, I like whiting, flounder, flathead, garfish, sweet lip, bar cod ... well pretty much anything except mullet, tailor, trevally and a few others. But ocean trout rocks my boat - not literally, the way a whale does. But it rocks it all the same.

OCEAN TROUT WITH PUY LENTILS AND WARM CABBAGE SALAD

PUMPKIN AND SAFFRON RISOTTO

Back from another trip to Sydney last night. Something simple on the menu - like this Italian comfort food. Good home made chicken stock, vermouth, pumpkin from our neighbours, strands of Spanish saffron and carnaroli rice ... heaven

PUMPKIN AND SAFFRON RISOTTO

BARRAMUNDI WITH SWEET POTATO AND BABY ASPARAGUS

Big fat fillets of barramundi from up the coast, cooked with the skin on and served on discs of roasted sweet potato and knitting needle-thin spears of asparagus.

BARRAMUNDI WITH SWEET POTATO AND BABY ASPARAGUS

MUJADARAH WITH SPICED PUMPKIN AND CARAMELISED ONIONS

Not true mujaradah. This is faux mujadarah. Or demi mujaradah. The true stuff would have lentils along with the rice. This version is rice and rice. Otherwise the spices are the same as the Lebanese classic. I spiced some pumpkin with coarsely crushed cumin seeds and ras el hanout before roasting. A dish so satisfyingly complete that I (almost) didn't wish there was some meat to go with it - some braised or roasted goat, maybe. Or beef, pork, camel, elk, buffalo, lamb, roadkill ... No, I didn't miss it at all.

MUJADARAH WITH SPICED PUMPKIN AND CARAMELISED ONIONS

FARRO FETTUCCINE WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, EGGPLANTS AND SHEEP'S MILK CHEESE

We once spent a week in the Umbrian town of Trevi. Apark from being porcini and truffle seasons (with the result that we were offered both at virtually every meal), the one or two trattorie in the town served pasta dishes made from farro (spelt) - a local speciality (and when I say local, it wasn't in evidence in Montefalco, just 15 kilometres to the west nor Assisi to the north). Anyway, as part of this detox diet, we're not allowed wheat, but can have spelt - hence this dish.

FARRO FETTUCCINE WITH CHERRY TOMATOES, EGGPLANTS AND SHEEP'S MILK CHEESE

RED THROATED EMPEROR WITH GARLIC MASH AND WILTED SPINACH

We had our dear neighbours Tom and Wyn (and their Australian silky terrier Ben) to dinner. Tom's has just turned 80, so this was a belated birthday dinner. The detox diet ruled out meat, and Tom's not a fancy diner, so this simple grilled fish and two veg seemed perfect. There is some great spinach around right now - peak of the season. I bought two huge bunches at the markets.

RED THROATED EMPEROR WITH GARLIC MASH AND WILTED SPINACH

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH SPINACH PUREE

Another of life's mysteries - how come purple carrots dye this soup purple and yet orange carrots don't dye a soup orange? There'll be an answer somewhere. But I don't have it. So, while I wait for someone more knowledgable than me to provide an answer, I'll tell you about this soup - carrots, pumpkin, potato, buckwheat and cabbage with a purée of spinach, salt and olive oil added after plating up. Very simple - and acceptable food according to this detox diet we're on.

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH SPINACH PUREE

SALAD OF HOT SMOKED SALMON, WATERCRESS, AVOCADO & SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES

A mild day, so a salad seemed like a reasonable way to meet the stringent restrictions of this detox diet. I must have had an inkling that we were going to start this thing because I bought lots of fruit and veg at the markets - including this watercress, avocado and coriander. Two days down, five to go.

SALAD OF HOT SMOKED SALMON, WATERCRESS, AVOCADO & SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES

BUCKWHEAT WITH MUSHROOMS AND SHEEP'S MILK CHEESE

OK, so I am having another go at detox. The first attempt was a disaster - restricted to gallons of unpalatable liquid and nothing else. No wonder I had a headache after 24 hours. This time around, it's much more civilised. At least food is allowed, if not good things like meat, dairy and coffee. So here's the first night's effort. I wouldn't want to make a habit of this, but so far so good.

BUCKWHEAT WITH MUSHROOMS AND SHEEP'S MILK CHEESE

GARFISH WITH BRAISED ARTICHOKES

When I was a young sprog, we'd go to Port Macquarie on the New South Wales north coast for most May school holidays. And most days we'd go fish on the Hastings River.  We'd usually fish for flathead or bream. occasionally we'd fish for whiting and once or twice for garfish, which we'd often see in the shallows of the river near Hibberd ferry. You need to catch a lot of garfish to make a meal for 5. They are skinny little buggers. I have no idea if that spear on their snout serves any purpose. I bet there have been some accidents at times with careless garfish impaling a submerged object and getting stuck fast. I was reminded of those holidays when I saw garfish in the local fishmonger's. I bought these artichokes from the greengrocer next door to the fishmonger and braised them in chicken stock, lemon juice, white wine and garlic.

GARFISH WITH BRAISED ARTICHOKES

OCEAN TROUT CONFIT, WILTED SPINACH, SPECK & AIOLI

In the freezer there is a container of olive oil enhanced with lemon peel, coriander seeds and other goodies. I use it exclusively for cooking ocean trout. I marinate the fish for several hours in the thawed oil, then basically just warm it for an hour at just 80C. It is spectacularly rich, maintaining the deep orange of the raw fish, but with added complexity from its bath and heating in the spiced oil. Some huge bunches of beautiful spinach picked yesterday and bought at this morning's market. Some slices of wood-smoked speck roasted to crisp. a squeeze of ultra sweet lemon juice - heaven

OCEAN TROUT CONFIT, WILTED SPINACH, SPECK & AIOLI

WAGYU RIB FILLET, SPICED PUMPKIN PUREE, KASHMIRI DAL

I was inspired to make this dal (or dhal or dahl - you see it anglicised all 3 ways) by a recipe from Chris Manfield. It worked really well with the pumpkin flavoured with fresh ginger and coriander juice. The wagyu was a nice piece of purebred meat with about 7+ marbling. Super succulent, tender and with that unidentifiable something extra that wagyu seems to have.

WAGYU RIB FILLET, SPICED PUMPKIN PUREE, KASHMIRI DAL