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Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/76572
friend's recipes that focused on nutrition, cost and ease." Soon Claire had compiled a messy but extensive scrapbook of recipes that she would show off with enthusiasm to family and friends. When her mum, a nutritionist, said she should start up a blog about what she was learning Claire jumped at the opportunity. "I learnt food wasn't complicated and I wanted other people learning to cook to see what I was doing and get inspired. Most of my posts were about ingredients to avoid and things I didn't like. Another focus was on the cost of meals. I tried to keep them as cost effective as possible. For example, in seafood chowder you usually use a cup of cream, but I substituted that for a cup of mashed potato. You get the same consistency but it's much better for you." After three months of steady growth with the blog Claire received an unexpected call. Penguin Publishers had caught wind of the youth's growing social media popularity and expressed great interest in working with her on her very own cookbook. Seven months of repetitive kitchen tests and photographing later Who's Cooking Tonight was completed just before Claire's 16th Christmas. "It never dawned on me that what I was doing would eventuate into a book," she insists. "I jumped in with both feet without knowing what it would require and how hard it would be. Every recipe had to be tested at least 10 times and every step had to be photographed. I know these recipes inside out now." The project secured sponsorship from Bosch, Potatoes New Zealand and Beef and Lamb, and during the process the Gourleys even received a new kitchen. "We had decided to do all the photography in my kitchen and we had recently moved into a new house, which happened to be decked out with Bosch appliances. We had the idea to approach Bosch for sponsorship as we couldn't help but promote their product in our photos. It was a bit of a long shot but they came on board … with one condition - the appliances were all oldish so they insisted only their best stuff should be promoted … so we got a new kitchen!" In the background Claire continued to populate her website with YouTube videos and recipes: she made an e-book, hosted an online cooking holiday programme and secured television work including co-hosting a cooking show with Richard Kahui in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup 2011. Her business model even made an appearance in a National NZQA Level 1 Home Economics exam paper. Now half-way through her first year of university Claire is adjusting to 'halls of residence catering' (cooking sprees on weekend trips home are her happy place) and when she's not studying you can find her preparing to run an ultra-marathon, sourcing recipes for her second cookbook, or practicing dialogue for her next YouTube post or speaking engagement (she'll soon be heading to South Africa to speak at a potato conference). "My initial intention was purely selfish … to get myself sorted before I left home. Regardless of what you think you will do with your goals when you set them, often opportunities arise that you never thought would." With ambitions to travel Claire aims to merge her degrees together to pursue a career in international trade, but for now she's learning vital skills to grow her successful cooking business. www.itsmyturntocooktonight.com Honey Roasted Veges and Beef Salad Time to prep – 10 minutes Time to cook – 45 minutes Serves 4 WHAT YOU NEED: 2 onions, peeled and cut into wedges 4 baking or roasting potatoes, unpeeled and cut into small chunks 12 button mushrooms, whole 2 peppers, deseeded and cut into chunky wedges 3 courgettes or 1 medium egg plant, in 1cm thick slices or slabs ¼ cup oil ¼ cup honey or brown sugar ¼ cup lemon juice or white vinegar 300-400g lean beef steak e.g. fillet, rump, sirloin, or schnitzel green leaves to serve on – like rocket, watercress and baby spinach Since I have been away at university this is definitely a favourite – it always was, but this is the sort of succulent vegetable and meat I really miss! This is a 'chop it up', 'chuck it in', 'come back later' sort of meal. Once you have mastered this recipe experiment with different combinations of vegetables – onions, peppers, yams, sweet potatoes, beetroot or carrots – even greens, like beans or asparagus, taste superb. Try something new... ROAST THE VEGETABLES Place the prepared vegetables in a baking dish. Blend the oil, honey and lemon juice together. Pour over the vegetables and mix well. Bake uncovered at 200°C for 35-45 minutes or until the potato is golden and tender. Turn over a couple of times during cooking. COOK THE STEAK When the vegetables are almost cooked, heat a pan and cook the steak. Slice the cooked steak into thin strips. See my YouTube video how to cook a steak. ASSEMBLE Place the rocket on the serving plate. Top with the roasted vegetables and sliced steak. Pour ¼ cup boiling water into the roasting pan, stir to loosen the cooking juices. Pour over the salad. www.hermagazine.co.nz | 107