You can go your own way

I love hamburgers and pizza, but I don't really digest them so well. Bloated is not my friend. I feel better if I make my own version of the stuff you get from a classic American diner. And when you cook it yourself, you tend to eat slower, enjoy the whole experience more. Here are a few ideas for DIY double-cheese delish...

* In a casserole dish, place chopped up organic Italian sausages, (or pork and fennel), a tin of diced tomatoes, wedges of yellow capsicum, plenty of olives, herbs and seasoning. Bake in the oven for about 40 mins on 180C, or until sausages are cooked all the way through. Meanwhile, toast slices of baguette under the grill with raclette, tilsit or parmesan cheese and serve with hot mustard.

* Make hamburger patties from organic beef, a raw organic egg, sourdough bread crumbs, loads of parsley, a tspn of Dijon mustard and seasoning. Brush with oil and chuck on a grill pan until cooked through. Meanwhile, saute sliced mushrooms and red onion in butter until soft, crack open a can of sliced beetroot, thinly slice a tomato and get out the good cheese. Whack it all on a thick slice of toasted sourdough and hello open-burger heaven.

* Grab your fave pizza toppings - tomato paste, ham, proscuitto, bocconcini, olives and basil are a good start - load them up on some Lebanese bread and pop in the oven until cheese is melted and base is crisp, about 5 - 10 mins. Eat them, make a mess, go back for more.

Pic is of my niece with a hotdog at her school fete. Start 'em young amigos.