Stelle Home Kitchen

Chicken Cassoluet Slow Cooker Chicken Cassoulet. On a recent trip to France, I savored Chicken Cassoulet, a quintessential French dish at La Brasserie Bordelaise on Rue Saint-Remi, Bordeaux Old Town. The dish has medieval origins and was nothing short of fabulous. At its heart, Cassoulet is a slow-cooked stew of Chicken, Toulouse pork sausage, Duck, white beans, vermouth liqueur, bacon, tomato paste, and topped with breadcrumbs and baked. The importance of the strong flavors in Cassoulet like pork and duck is that they also flavor the beans, which themselves have no flavor, and the addition of the Vermouth which truly adds a special herbaceous flavor. In New Zealand, duck and Toulouse sausage aren't readily available in supermarkets, expensive if they are, and artisan butcheries are few and far between these days. What's one to do when not in France but want to cook and enjoy a Cassoulet? Adapt, of course. Adaptations include swappi...

Wild New Zealand Venison Hotpot — Inspired by Lancashire Hotpot

Casseroles and stews have been around for as long as people have been cooking — the kind of meal where whatever’s on hand goes into a pot to simmer together and meld its flavours. They’re unfussy, honest food, and using wild New Zealand venison paired with thyme gives this twist on classic Lancashire Hotpot a depth and earthiness that suits our cooler months perfectly. Wild venison is lean, organic, and full of flavour, and it works beautifully with the classic trio of onions, carrots, and parsnip. I use wild venison in most of my red‑meat cooking because my family are hunters and that's what’s usually in my freezer, but lamb or beef will work just as well. Browning the meat and onion first adds flavour, then everything softens together in a light thyme‑scented beef stock, and the potatoes on top soak up just enough of the juices while turning golden at the edges. It’s the sort of dish that feels right on a cold evening when you’ve come home tired and hungry, with a handful of si...

Chicken & Feijoa Casserole with White‑Wine Jus and Rice (French‑Bistro Vibes)

Chicken & Feijoa Casserole with White‑Wine Jus on White Rice When I first made this casserole, it struck me as having warm French‑bistro vibes - simple, flavoursome fare that tastes as though it’s been slowly cooked for hours. The white‑wine jus softens and balances the fruit so neither flavour overpowers, and finishing the sauce with a little pouring cream in the final 10–15 minutes gently enriches and rounds out the flavours. If feijoas aren't available you could swap with fresh or canned apricots or pears (peeled, drained, diced). Always choose the cheapest wine for cooking and save the good bottles for drinking. I usually reach for a budget cleanskin (unbranded) sauvignon blanc or pinot gris - they’re bright, light, and perfect for this kind of dish. Chicken drums can be swapped for thighs or other cuts of chicken such as spatchcock or butterflied if you prefer. Choose what fits your budget best. I’ve used fresh rosemary for its aromatic lift because that’s what was in the...

Homemade Sweet Chestnut Paste (Crème de Marrons): A Luxurious Autumn Treat

Sweet Chestnut Paste ( Creme de Marrons ) I was thrilled to be given several large bags of sweet chestnuts recently. I’d never prepared or cooked them before, and my only real experiences of tasting them were a paper cone of roasted chestnuts from a London street vendor years ago, and more recently in delicate French pastries near Bordeaux in 2025. There’s something wonderfully olde‑world about chestnuts - almost a medieval luxury - the kind of ingredient that seems straight from medieval European markets and times gone by. In New Zealand, sweet chestnuts are unusual but can be found at rural or lifestyle properties. They tend to appear at farmers’ markets and specialty grocers from late March through May. They’re often overlooked simply because people aren’t quite sure what to do with them - they sure were a learning curve for me, too! But once you know how to prepare them, chestnuts become a fascinating ingredient forming the basis for both sweet and savory dishes. A quick but...

Black Bean and Tofu Stew with Brown Rice and Mango Salsa

Black Bean and Tofu Stew with Brown Rice and Mango Salsa This recipe is GLP‑1 friendly, high‑protein, high‑fibre, and naturally satisfying in smaller portions. Some meals feel instantly authentic and satisfying at the same time. The kind that nourish you deeply without being heavy, and bring together simple ingredients in a way that feels both comforting and vibrant. This Black Bean and Tofu Stew is exactly that: a high‑protein, high‑fibre bowl that’s hearty enough for cooler evenings yet brightened with a fresh mango salsa that lifts the whole dish. The base of the dish is a rich, savoury stew built from black beans and gently simmered tofu. The tofu softens into the sauce, soaking up the spices and adding extra protein without weighing the dish down. Black beans bring their own earthy depth and a generous amount of fibre, making the stew naturally satisfying in smaller portions - ideal for anyone whose appetite has shifted on GLP‑1 medications, and equally perfect for f...

Rustic Kibbled Rye Bread (Wholemeal, No‑Knead, GLP‑1 & Family Friendly)

Moist Kibbled Rye Bread (Wholemeal, No‑Knead, GLP‑1 & Family Friendly) This rustic kibbled rye loaf is a hearty, sliceable bread made with wholemeal flour, rye flour, seeds, and kibbled rye. It’s a simple no‑knead batter bread that bakes beautifully in a standard 23 × 13 × 7 cm tin, producing a moist crumb dotted with little tunnels and flecks of seeds and nutty kibbled rye. While not a traditional Swiss‑style loaf or a German Pumpernickel, it sits somewhere between the two: lighter and more open than dense Pumpernickel, yet still carrying the moist, high‑hydration character often found in Swiss mixed‑flour breads. GLP‑1 friendly and family friendly, this recipe uses a small amount of optional instant coffee for colour, vinegar for structure, and a little oil for tenderness. Isn't there something deeply satisfying about making any kind of bread at home? It’s grounding, a little magical, and always feels like an achievement - especially when you don’t need a bread maker or pri...