Sunday, June 30, 2013

What's for dinner

The majority of this weeks recipes are from the July issue of recipes + magazine found here on Facebook and online

Thursday
Honey, Soy and Garlic Chicken Stir-fry
Update ~ I received this sachet to sample from Mouths of Moms and it was quite nice

Friday
Chinese Spaghetti
This was quite nice and light.  A recipe we would have again.  Found on page 59

Saturday
Garlic Coriander Pork
page 60

Sunday
Herb and Fetta Chicken
page 60

Monday
Meatball Stroganoff with Gnocchi
page 64
Update ~ we will definitely have this again.

Tuesday
Apricot Chicken
Thanks to lovely ready and fellow blogger Becci for this recipe.  Looking forward to trying her variation.
Update ~ the Dutch curry and rice soup mix in place of the usual French onion was a nice alternative.

Wednesday
Lamb and Bean Stew

Most of the recipes this week are new to us so I can't offer too many comments.  I'll come back and update when we've tried them and will share if we would cook them again.

As always feel free to link up, share your ideas or request recipes

Bon Appetit




Recipe ~ Chilli Con Carne

This recipe is featured on our menu plan quite often.  We have been using it for around 10 years so unfortunately I can't credit the author or link it.

Chilli Con Carne

Serves 4
Cooking time depends on how long you have and how intense you want the flavour.  I usually cook it for as long as the mince needs to be cooked through.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 stick celery, chopped
500g lean minced beef
1 teaspoon Mexican chilli powder
(the original recipe used chilli powder and cayenne pepper but we found it too hot)
1 teaspoon oregano
4 large tomatoes seeded and chopped
(we use 1 400g tin of diced tomatoes)
4 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
¼ cup red wine
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, crushed garlic and chopped celery.  Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add the minced beef and cook for 5 minutes until browned.  Add the chilli powder, cayenne pepper and oregano.  Cook and stir well for 2 minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and red wine.  Stir to combine, and simmer for 30 minutes (if time allows)

Add the sugar, vinegar and kidney beans.  Mix well and season with salt and pepper.  Heat through.

We serve with rice, grated cheese and garlic and parsley sour cream.

Enjoy x


Friday, June 21, 2013

What's for dinner this week

Another week, another menu plan.

We have been planning for over 5 years and we have never looked back.  It saves us time, money and our sanity.  There is also very little wastage as we buy only what we need. We share the cooking with hubby cooking Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

This week I have borrowed two recipes from lovely readers.  I'm looking forward to making this a regular feature on our plan.  Feel free to share your favourite recipe or link to your menu plan and I'll add two each week.

Thursday
Pumpkin soup leftovers
Hubby was away so this was a nice, easy and yummy option for me

Friday
Red Pork Curry

Saturday
Irish Stew
This features regularly during Winter and comes from a cookbook I bought hubby from Target called Winter Warmers.  From memory the book was less than $10.  The Red Pork Curry recipe is from the same book.

Sunday
Chilli Con Carne
This is a favourite in our house, it's not spicy but full of flavour.  Add some sour cream and yum!

Monday
Prosciutto Pasta
This yummy recipe is thanks to kirsten and co.

Tuesday
Sweet lamb chops with mash and beans
Thanks to one of my lovely readers who shared her recipe ~ thanks Leah

Wednesday
Hubby is away, I have a P&F meeting and Miss M is being looked after while I'm at the meeting so I'll make her a little smorgasbord plate for tea.

As always if you would like me to share a recipe let me know and I'll add it as a separate post.


Saturday, June 15, 2013

Recipe ~ Osso Bucco

There are quite a few recipes out there for Osso Bucco, our favourite is a Food Safari one which adds anchovies to the gremolata recipe found here.

This particular recipe is found in the latest issue of Woolworths Fresh

Osso Bucco

Serves 8
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 3½ hrs
 
2kg MSA Australian Beef Osso Bucco
¼ cup plain flour
¼ cup olive oil
2 brown onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 anchovies, chopped
¼ cup Homebrand Tomato Paste
1 cup white wine
2 cups Woolworths Select Beef Stock
  400g can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves

Gremolata
½ cup chopped parsley
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, crushed 

  1 Heat a large heatproof casserole pan over medium heat. Season osso bucco with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour. Add oil to pan and cook osso bucco, in batches, for 3 minutes each side or until well browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

2 Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic and anchovy. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft and anchovy dissolves. Stir in paste, wine, stock, tomato and bay leaves. Bring to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

3 Return the osso bucco to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2½ hours. Uncover and simmer for a further 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Transfer to serving bowl.

4 To make the gremolata, combine parsley, lemon rind and garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle over osso bucco. Serve.

Note ~ You can omit the anchovies but it usually means you don't need to season & the sauce doesn't taste fishy

Recipe ~ Moroccan lamb shank and lentil soup

At the request of a lovely reader I'm sharing this hearty winter recipe

Moroccan lamb shank and lentil soup

Serves 4
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 2 hours 30 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, trimmed, finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons Moroccan spice mix (this is a Masterfoods blend)
1 cup tomato passata
1 litre salt-reduced chicken stock
1 ½ cups dried soup mix, rinsed (this can be found in the lentil, split pea section)
Chopped parsley leaves and crusty bread to serve

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium to high heat.  Cook lamb in batches for five minutes or until browned.  Transfer to a plate. 
I chose to use lamb steaks instead to make it meatier and go further

2. Reduce heat to medium.  Add onion, carrot and celery.  Cook, stirring occasionally for five minutes or until soft.  Add spice mix.  Stir to combine.  Add passata, stock and 2 cups of cold water.  Return lamb and any juices to the pan.  Bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook, covered for 1 hour.

3. Add soup mix and 1 cup cold water to pan.  Cook covered for 1 hour or until lamb is tender.  Remove shanks.  Remove and discard bones and fat.  Roughly chop meat.  Return to soup.  Cook, stirring often for 15 minutes or until heated through.  Sprinkle soup with parsley.  Serve with crusty bread.

recipe from Super Food Ideas July issue page 42

The magazine says $5.22 per serve but wonder if that's due to the cost of the shanks.  Using mutton or lamb steaks would probably bring down the cost.  I also bought an organic passata which was also cheaper than the 'brand' name ones.  The parsley for us is free as we grow our own. 


 

Friday, June 14, 2013

What's for dinner this week?

This week we have some super easy meals on the menu.  Hubby may be working away and because I'm not sure when I've made meals which are easy to switch from one day to the next. 

I still have all the ingredients but if he's away I generally eat pretty simple.  The beauty of the menu plan is I can still take what I need out of the freezer the morning of.

Thursday
Souvlaki and jacket potatoes
Woolworths have a really nice butterflied lamb souvlaki which is vac packed.  We pop it on the oven and we're done.

Friday
Chilli Lemongrass Chicken
Thanks to the fish oil our house smells a little like feet!  But this is sooo yum!  And the best part?  I only have to buy chicken thigh as we have the rest of the ingredients in our garden.

Saturday
Osso Bucco
Of course this is a Winter staple and hubby usually begs for the marrow from my serve.  Slow cooked and we add anchovies.  Yum!  Oh and don't forget the creamy mash.

Sunday
Creamy Chicken Bake
Look familiar?  Yep this is from last weeks plan.  I was a little lazy and substituted in last weeks menu.

Monday
Sticky Ribs with rice and bok choy
These are vac packed ribs from Coles, they were on special last week and I put them away for this week.  We already have left over bok choy so we're set.

Tuesday
Moroccan Lamb Shank & Lentil Soup
I've taken this from the latest issue of Super Food Ideas magazine and I just know hubby will love it.

Wednesday
Pumpkin soup served in bread bowls
This is a really simple and effective way to serve soup.  Get a nice dense roll from the bakery, hollow out the inside keeping the 'scraps' aside for croutons.  Place the bowls in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up.  Then you can add the soup to the toasted bowl, top with the croutons and serve.

If you'd like any of the above recipes please comment below and I'll be happy to type them up to share

xx Bec

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Menu plan and link up

This weeks menu is inspired by the cooler weather.  There is nothing better than having something yummy and warm in your tummy to keep the chills at bay.

I do our shopping on a Thursday so our plan is Thursday to Wednesday.

Thursday
Chicken, corn and risoni soup
~ This is a favourite in our home and Matilda loves it.  I add either bbq chicken or two diced thighs.
recipe can be found here

Friday
Oven baked mince and cheese risotto
page 67
This serves 8 so we'll either have it for lunches or freeze it.

Saturday
Lamb tagine with pearl couscous
Pearl couscous is my absolute favourite.  It has a lovely texture and they're like little bubbles of pasta.

Sunday
Beef Carbonnade, mash & steam vege
page 43

Monday
Cider braised beans and lamb chops
page 57
I have a feeling that this will be a favourite with hubby

Tuesday
Creamy chicken bake
page 28

Wednesday
Spaghetti and meatballs
I bought the meatballs last week when they were on special, froze them, knowing I could use them in this weeks plan.

Most of this weeks recipes are from the July issue of Super Food Ideas magazine

 
Super Food Ideas magazine can be found on Facebook and on the web
 
 
Bloggers and friends feel free to add your recipes or links here.  

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Menu linkup Thursday (oops it's Sunday)

Soooo I'm a little late with this weeks Menu and link up.

Thursday ~ Sweet mince curry with rice
I shared it here earlier

Friday ~ Creamy chicken pesto pasta
another super easy meal

Saturday ~ Steak, smash and mushroom sauce

Sunday ~ Maggie Beer's Spag Bog
recipe found here minus the livers

image courtesy of maggiebeer.com.au

Monday ~ Lamb chops with roast vegies
this is a super simple tray bake ~ add the chops, vegies, some herbs and pop in the oven

Tuesday ~ Beef and bean pots
in this months Recipes + magazine page 37 "Tempt the kids" and I'll be adding some grated vegies into the mix

Wednesday ~ Chicken, camembert and cranberry toasties

Bloggers feel free to link up.  Friends feel free to share your recipe ideas

Bec x