JUSTIN CHARLES, FORMER RICHMOND AND WESTERN BULLDOGS AFL PLAYER
FB: How do you rate yourself as a cook?
JC: I rate my cooking skills as “experienced intermediate”. I have been out of home since I was a teenager, so I had to pick up something along the way, otherwise I’d have been broke getting takeaways all the time!
FB: What is your signature dish?
JC: Spaghetti bol, but I am deft at following recipes (anal retentive when it comes to following instructions, haha), so I can make even a new dish edible!
FB: If you could only have one more meal, what would it be?
JC: My wife is Korean, so my last meal would be her chicken curry, beef and black bean, Korean boneless fried chicken, homemade fried rice and kimchi.
FB: What is your favourite TV food show and who is your favourite TV food person?
JC: Don’t really have a favourite TV show, but Gordon Ramsay is by far and away my favourite TV food personality … funniest sprays of all time.
FB: What is your favourite food?
JC: Ummm … toss up between Korean and Mexican.
FB: What is your favourite drink?
JC: Beer.
FB: Which five people would you most like to invite to dinner?
JC: Dave Chappelle (comedian), Joe Rogan (UFC commentator), Joe Maddon (Chicago Cubs manager), Gal Gadot (actress who plays Wonder Woman) and Richard Branson.
FB: Do you have a kitchen tip for us?
JC: Do the dishes as soon as you finish eating (it is demoralising to wake up to dirty dishes at breakfast).
MEATY VEGETABLES
I’m a regular meat eater and I’m the first to admit that a medium rare rib eye straight off the barbie is foodie nirvana for me. But I also eat vegetarian meals on a regular basis and feel equally satisfied when I do. Often I’ll switch to a meat-free alternative. When my hubby makes pizzas in the portable pizza oven he calls the Starship Enterprise, he’ll whip me up one with a vegetarian topping. When we eat hamburgers, I sometimes like to substitute the meat patty for a grilled portobello mushroom. I used to have a preconceived notion that meals without meat were somehow less satisfying. Then I discovered cauliflower! Like mushrooms, cauliflowers have a “meaty” texture. For me they are the most versatile veggie of the lot. If you’ve never tried a cauliflower steak before, I highly recommend giving it a go. This recipe comes courtesy of Nourish Every Day – Healthy Recipes and Nutrition.
GARLIC MUSTARD CAULIFLOWER STEAKS
1 small-to-medium cauliflower
1 and a half tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 180C. Line a tray with baking paper. Slice the cauliflower into “steaks’ (about 1.5-centimetres thick) to create about three steaks. Mix other ingredients into a paste. Rub paste over the steaks and lay them on the tray. Roast for about 30 minutes, flipping at the 15-minute mark, or until softened and browning at the edges. Serve with chips, salad or a side of your choice.
