Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake with Spinach & Semi-Dried Tomatoes

from Taste.com.au

Serves 4

Get This -

• 250g dried pasta
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped 
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• 300ml light thickened cream
• 3/4 cup semi-dried tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a 5cm-deep, 20cm x 28cm (base), 8-cup capacity baking dish.
2. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 10 minutes or until tender.
3. Drain pasta and return to saucepan. Add chicken, spinach, cream, tomatoes and 1 cup parmesan. Toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon mixture into prepared dish. Top with mozzarella and remaining parmesan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Spoon pasta bake onto serving plates. Serve.

Recipe from Taste.com.au

Crispy-topped Cottage Pie

from Taste.com.au

Serves 4

Get This -

• olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 750g beef mince
• 1 cup beef stock
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons plain flour 
• 2 carrots, peeled, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 500g Desiree potatoes, thinly sliced
• 100g tasty cheese, finely grated

Do This -

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 8 minutes or until soft. Add tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Increase heat to high. Add mince. Cook, stirring, for 8 minutes or until browned. Add stock, water and tomatoes. Bring to the boil. Stir in flour and carrots. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add peas.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 10-cup capacity ovenproof dish. Spoon in mince.
4. Combine potatoes, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper. Arrange one-third potatoes over mince. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat layers, finishing with potatoes. Drizzle with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Increase heat to 230°C. Remove foil. Bake for a further 20 minutes or until golden. Serve.

Note - to hide the vegetables from Miss 4, I grated the carrot and swapped frozen peas for grated zucchini.

This recipe is from Taste.com.au

Carrot Cake

This morning my Miss 4 saw Timmy from Timmy Time baking a carrot cake.

So of course she wanted to bake one, too.
I hate to bake, but she is very persuasive, so I went to my go-to recipe website, Taste.com.au and found this recipe. By some miracle I had every ingredient needed (but only 1/2 the amount of cream cheese for the icing).

So, we baked it.


She looks so cute in the apron I made for her



The best thing about baking...licking the bowl!

And it fell to bits when I tried to get it out of the tin. Next time I won't skip the baking paper lining!!

It still tasted amazing!

From Taste.com.au
Ours did not look this good
(as you will see below)

Serves 12

Get This -

Olive oil, to grease

2 (about 300g) carrots

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

1/2 cup (75g) plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar

3/4 cup (185ml) oil

1/2 cup (125ml) golden syrup

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

Icing

250g spreadable cream cheese

1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Do This -

1. Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm (base) round cake pan lightly with oil, and line with non-stick baking paper. Peel and grate the carrots, and set aside. Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon into a large bowl.
2. Put the brown sugar, oil, golden syrup, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix until combined.
3. Pour the oil mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir gently until just combined. Stir in the grated carrot.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 1 hour. Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make the icing, place the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to mix until well combined.
6. Spread the icing over the cake.

This is our cake.
The icing is green because she likes green.
And it's not her birthday, but really, what is a cake without candles?

Spaghetti Bolognese

I know the really simple way to make this is to brown some mince, add a jar of prepared sauce and add to pasta, but it's so easy to make your own. It tastes heaps better and you know exactly what you're eating, too.

With illnesses, ailments and disorders on the rise I have to wonder if it has something to do with the mountains of processed foods we eat with all the additives, preservatives & chemicals. I don't like to use any bottled sauce bases anymore.

Serves 4

Get This -

500g beef mince
1 brown onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cans diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 beef stock cubes
a shake of dried oregano
a shake of dried thyme
a shake of dried tarragon
a pinch of cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
1/4 red lentils
1/2 to 1 cup vegetables, eg carrot, zucchini, cauliflower, capsicum
1/2 cup water (I swish out a can of tomatoes & use that)
salt & pepper
fresh parmesan, shaved/finely grated
fresh basil
spaghetti or other pasta

Do This -

• Heat oil in large pot.  Saute onions & garlic until translucent.
• Add vegetables, stock cubes & herbs.
• Add mince and stir until browned.
• Add tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute.
• Add all other ingredients and simmer.
• Sauce will be ready in about 20 minutes, but I love it after a few hours of gentle simmering...much tastier! 
• Just before you're ready to serve, cook pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
• Drain pasta, serve in bowls with the bolognese sauce on top and finish with fresh shaved parmesan and chopped basil.

Rice Paper Rolls

This recipe is from Taste.com.au and tweaked a little.

From Taste.com.au

Makes 12

Get This -

• 1 cup shredded barbecued chicken
• 1 lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup beansprouts, trimmed
• 1/3 cup fresh vietnamese mint leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 12 x 22cm rice paper rounds (see note)
• sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Do This -

1. Combine chicken, cucumber, carrot, beansprouts, mint, coriander, lime juice and fish sauce in a large bowl.
2. Place 1 rice paper round in a medium bowl of lukewarm water for 15 seconds or until just soft. Place on a clean tea towel or paper towel.
3. Arrange 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture along the centre of rice paper round. Fold ends in and roll up firmly to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining rice paper rounds and filling. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Parmesan, and Prosciutto

Serves 4

Get This - 

1 teaspoon olive oil
100g thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips (or 4 finely chopped bacon rashers)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup pure cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper
500g fettuccine
2 bunches of asparagus trimmed and cut into pieces
1 cup grated parmesan
¾ cup chopped fresh basil

Do This -

1. Cook fettuccine as per instructions on the pack.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick pan over medium heat until just smoking.  Cook prosciutto until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.
3. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in cream and lemon juice and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add asparagus to the pot of pasta with 4 minutes left of cooking time.  Reserve 1 cup cooking water, drain pasta and asparagus, and return to pot.
5. Add sauce, ½ cup reserved cooking water, parmesan, and basil to pot and toss to combine, adding remaining cooking water as needed.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle portions with crispy prosciutto.  Serve.

Waldorf Salad

This is my new favourite salad for lunch.

Get This -

• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 celery stalk, trimmed, chopped
• 1 granny smith apple, cored, chopped (or any apple will do, I like Fuji apple) 
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)

Do This -

1. Mix mayonnaise and lemon juice in a bowl.
2. Mix all other ingredients in a serving bow.
3. Add mayonnaise dressing and toss.
4. Top with nuts

Today I've also added tinned salmon, fetta and coriander.
It's also good with cooked chicken and basil.

Lamb Massaman Curry

This recipe is from the Australian Women's Weekly.

I love how easy a lovely curry is!
And the longer it's cooked, the better.
So my favourite thing to do is put it on in the early afternoon and walk away.
Then when dinner time comes...it's done!


From the Australian Women's Weekly

Serves 4

Get This -

1kg lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm cubes
100g diced onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
210g jar Valcom massaman curry paste
2 x tins quality coconut cream
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons palm sugar (or 2 tablespoons brown sugar)
200g potato cubes (2cm)
fresh coriander roughly chopped

Do This - 

1. In a deep pan (5 litre with heavy base ideal) heat oil and cook onions until they change colour to a light caramel colour. Add curry paste and stir for several minutes on medium heat. Add half-cup coconut cream and stir.
2. Bring to the boil and add fish sauce. Bring back to the boil again, add lime juice, salt and sugar.
3. Pour in remaining coconut cream and bring to nearly boiling then add lamb and potato. Stir occasionally. Simmer on very low heat without lid for 90 minutes or until meat is tender.
4. Garnish with coriander. Serve with steamed rice.

Beef and Black Bean Noodle Stir-Fry

Another recipe from Taste.com.au

This is what I call cheating...opening packets and bottles. But this is pretty good cheating, don't you think?

It's not the tastiest meal I've ever had. But it's not bad for something quick and easy.

From Taste.com.au

Serves 4

Get This -

• 1 x 400g pkt hokkien noodles
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 400g beef stir-fry strips
• 1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 x 500g pkt Woolworths Fresh Family Vegetable Stir-Fry
• 80ml (1/3 cup) water
• 1 x 300g btl Asia at Home Black Bean Stir Fry Sauce
• 1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves

Do This -

1. Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok over high heat. Add half the beef and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with 1 teaspoon of oil and the remaining beef.
3. Heat the remaining oil in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until the onion softens. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender crisp.
4. Use a fork to separate the noodles. Add the noodles and black bean sauce to the wok, and toss to coat. Add the remaining water to the sauce bottle and seal. Shake until well combined. Pour into the wok. Add the beef and toss to combine.
5. Divide the stir-fry among serving plates. Top with the coriander to serve.

Rissoles

Not my photo, I always forget to take photos, too busy eating!

Makes 16 small rissoles

Get This -

250g beef mince
1/2 carrot, grated
1/2 zucchini, grated
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
1 egg
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
2 slices grain bread, crusts removed and broken up into small pieces

Do This -

1. Mix everything together well (with your hands, of course) in a mixing bowl.
2. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
3. Roll into small balls, sausage shapes or patties.
4. Shallow fry until browned all over and cooked through.

My friend Julie makes gravy with her rissoles and this is how she does it.

2 tbspns flour, 2 cups chicken stock, 1 tbspn tomato paste, mixed together in the pan the rissoles were cooked in. It's my new favourite thing! I love gravy!!