I've got to be honest, we found the flavours of the ground cumin and coriander a bit overpowering in the vege dish. Far be it from me to think I know better than the great Curtis Stone, but if I were to make this again I would substitute the ginger for some crushed garlic, omit the ground spices and add a little fresh thyme. The chicken however was DELISH!
Homemade Cherry Tomato & Prosciutto Pizza with Garlic Bread
TIP: There is nearly 2 hours to wait for the dough to prove (rise), and about 20 minutes cooking time. I use this time to do other things like, put on a load of washing, vacuum, dust (or do nothing at all!) There is only about 30 minutes, if that, of active prep.
This is a Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals recipe. I am totally in love with this book and tend to include at least one or two of these recipes in each fortnight's meal plan. They don't take me 30 minutes, closer to 45 I think, but that is usually for a main, one or two side dishes and a dessert! I have omitted the cucumber side salad and the dessert tonight though.
TIP: When cooled completely, wrap individual servings in cling wrap, place in a large zip lock bag in the freezer. Take out as required each day to add to lunchboxes.
3. Mix together the remaining ingredients in a jug then add to the pot to thicken (about 5-10 minutes). Add the sausages back to the pan to heat through.
4. Serve with creamy mashed potato and steamed seasonal vegetables.
I will admit, that even with all the systems we now have in place at home, school mornings can be really hectic. So I am always looking for ways to cheat a little more time back.
Making school lunches can be a bit of a chore, so here's a little trick that my mum used when I was in primary school and my brother was a newborn.
MAKE AHEAD SANDWICHES
What you will need
Loaf of bread (I have two children and one loaf plus 1 or 2 slices is usually enough)
Butter
Toppings of choice (see below for suggestions)
Sandwich bags
What to Do
(I'm sure I really don't need to give instructions on how to make sandwiches ;) But here is what I do.)
1. Lay out enough"pairs" of pieces of bread for one week's worth of sanwiches
(for us that is 2 kids x 5 days x 2 pieces of bread = 20 slices)
2. Butter and fill with your choice of toppings. As you can see, polony and sauce is a favourite in our house.
3. Flip the "lids" on and cut into halves or quarters. Pop into sandwich bags and seal. I like to put them in a little storage basket.
4. Put in the freezer. Each morning just take out the number of sandwiches required and pop in the kids lunchboxes. They will be defrosted by the time lunch comes around. Alternatively you could take them out of the freezer the night before.
Suggested Toppings
Sandwich meats (polony, ham salami, roast beef etc)
Cheese
Spreads (Vegemite, honey, jam)
Condiments (mustard, mayo, relish etc)
Not Recommended
Lettuce, tomato, leafy veg etc.
I'm not too concerned with the nutritional implications of not having veges in the sandwiches as I always include chopped up veg and/or fruit in their lunchboxes (which can be prepared ahead of time also!).
I like to do this on a Saturday or Sunday when I have a few minutes. Imagine how much time could be saved on school mornings if there were three or four or five children in the family???
My grandmother used to make this for us by the bucket load.Very moreish and a great budget friendly snack.
I much prefer this to store-bought muesli bars as I know exactly what is in it.
Ingredients:
100grams unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup peanut butter* 2 cups rolled oats 1 cup shredded coconut 10 Weetbix, crushed 1/2 cup fruit medley (mixture of dried fruits found in the dried fruit section of your supermarket)
Directions:
Melt the butter, sugar, honey and peanut butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add this to the remaining ingredients and
combine.Press firmly into a lined retangular tin and cut when firm. *If someone in your family has a nut allergy, or your school is nut free, you can substitute the peanut butter for tahini. This is a paste made from sesame seeds and has a similar consistency to peanut butter. Tahini can be found in the health food aisle of most supermarkets.
Summary:
A family favourite (if your family eats tuna!) and straight from the pantry.
Ingredients:
425 gram Tuna, tinned
60 g unsalted butter
4 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
cayenne pepper & black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 stock cube or 1 teaspoon of stock powder
4 spring onions, chopped finely
1 cup corn kernels, (frozen or tinned are fine and easier)
2 cups milk
breadcrumbs
grated cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200℃.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Take the pan off the heat while you stir in the flour, peppers and mustard powder. Put the pan back on the heat and cook the flour and butter mixture for 1 minute, taking care not to burn it.
3. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and cover the top with breadcrumbs and grated cheese. Pop into the oven (uncovered) for 20-30 minutes until the onions are soft and the topping is crunchy. Serve with creamy mashed potato and steamed greens. Notes:
Other vegetables can be added to this. The sauce also makes a great base for other mornays, the chicken and asparagus variation is yummy!
Summary:
Great recipe from Donna Hay, though the chicken and mushrooms are our family's own addition.
Ingredients:
400 grams Fettuccine
200 grams chicken breast, cut into thin strips
6 rashers bacon, cut into thin strips
3 green onions, sliced
10 button mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 egg yolks*
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup parmesan
sea salt and cracked pepper
2 tbl chopped flat leaf parsley
Directions:
1. Cook the pasta until al dente. Keep warm. Must be kept warm as the heat from the pasta will cook the egg in the sauce.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken, bacon, mushrooms and green onions for 3-4 minutes until bacon is crisp and golden.
3. Place egg yolks, cream, parmesan, salt and pepper in bowl and whisk well to combine.
4. Toss the egg mixture through the hot pasta, coating well, then toss with bacon mixture and parsley and serve immediately.
Notes:
It pays to reserve a little pasta water, as this sauce can tend to be a bit thick. If needed, add just a couple of tablespoons at a time to the "sauced" pasta before adding the bacon mix until you get a consistency you like.
*Save your egg whites! Crack into a small takeaway container or zip-lick bag. Label with the number of egg whites and pop in the freezer. Next time you need egg whites, just defrost and away you go!
{WORKING MUM TIMESAVER TIP}:You can purchase your chicken, bacon and mushrooms already sliced. This will save a few precious minutes of prep time.
Directions:
1. Place the wine, vinegar and tarragon in a small saucepan over a high heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Remove the tarragon sprigs.
2. Add the egg yolks and whisk over a low heat for 40-50 seconds or until thick and foamy. Do not overcook or the eggs will scramble.
3. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the butter, whisking well until thick and creamy.
Notes:
My favourite wait to serve this to serve this over steak topped with sliced avocado. Yum!
Summary:
I first tried this when Meg made it for our cooking club. It was so delicious I had to get the recipe. The original recipe comes from taste.com.au, I have added the baby spinach to introduce some greens for a more balanced meal.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil
500 g chicken thigh, cubed
3 tablespoons Tandoori paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
375m l can lite evaporated milk
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
15 g butter
150g Baby Spinach, washed and drained
Steamed rice to serve
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a frying pan (with a lid), add chicken and cook for 5-8 minutes or until nicely browned. Add Tandoori paste and tomato paste and stir until chicken is coated.
2. Combine the evaporated milk, sugar and cornflour and pour over chicken, mixing well. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. Add butter and stir until melted.
3. Turn off the heat. Tip in the baby spinach and pop the lid on the pan. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. The residual heat from the pan should be enough to slightly wilt the spinach.
4. Stir through the spinach, garnish with flaked almonds. Serve with steamed basmati rice.
Notes:
The best tandoori paste I have found (and the one that Meg turned me on to) is "Maharaja's Choice" brand available from Coles. Sharwoods is also pretty nice :)
This is a pretty family friendly recipe. But you can adjust the heat by adding more or less Tandoori paste. eg 1 tablespoon = mild, 2 tablespoons = medium, 3tablespoons = hot (for little kiddies anyway). Our kids like to mix in some plain yoghurt to turn the heat down if needed.
{WORKING MUM TIMESAVER TIPS}:
Ask your butcher to dice the chicken thigh for you when you purchase it.
Some supermarkets (such as Woolworths) have pre-cooked rice in their ready meals section.
Try the pouches of microwaveable rice (such as Uncle Ben's or Sunrice). They cook in 90 seconds!
A good old fashioned one-pot family meal. Super quick and super healthy.
This does loosely resemble a meal that my grandmother used to make but this is, dare I say, a little more modern and colourful. The smell of an open tin of curry powder always transports me back to my grandmother's kitchen
Ingredients:
1/4 cabbage, shredded
250 g beans, sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 sticks celery, chopped
4 spring onion, sliced
500 g chicken or mince
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons rice, uncooked
1 packet chicken noodle soup (try to get salt reduced)
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups water
Salt & pepper, to taste Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil Directions:
1. Heat a little olive oil in a pan over a medium high heat. Brown the mince for 5-10. Season with a little salt and pepper.
2. Add the garlic, spring onion and uncooked rice and stir through until just fragrant (30 seconds to a minute). Add the rest of the vegetables then pour over the combined water, soup mix and curry powder.
3. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
{WORKING MUM TIMESAVER TIP}:
Substitute all the veges for a 400gpacket of prepared stir fry veges from the fruit and veg section of the supermarket. They cost about $5 but you will save precious minutes of prep time. You could also use frozen vegetables
Recipe By: Jamie Oliver
Serving Size: 4
Yield: 4 -6 (as a side dish)
Summary:
Delicious summer salad that is almost a whole meal on it's own. Just add some barbecued/grilled meat, chicken or fish and you're done.
The original recipe (from Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meals) is actually made with jarred red peppers, but on one occasion I had run out and so substituted with some olives. You could actually use a combination of both olives and peppers for a super flavour kick.
Ingredients:
1/2 ciabatta loaf, (or other loaf)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
a few sprigs oregano or rosemary
1 tablespoon small capers
2 anchovy fillet
a small bunch of fresh basil
10 Welly Boot table Olives, pitted
1 clove garlic
4 vines of cherry tomatoes, red and yellow preferably
3 large tomatoes
red wine vinegar
parmesan cheese, to cheese Seasonings Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Directions:
1. Tear the ciabatta into 2cm pieces. Put into a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and toss with the fennel seeds, a few sprigs oregano or rosemary and a pinch of salt. Mix so bread is coated then put under a high grill for 10 minutes or until golden.
2. Roughly chop together the capers and anchovies with most of the basil leaves and the olives.
3. Crush over the garlic clove. Add all of the tomatoes, roughly chopped. Put into a large bowl with a splash of red wine vinegar, a good drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the ciabatta then toss and squeeze the whole mixture together with your hands.
5. Top with the rest of the basil leaves and finely grated parmesan to serve.
{TIP} A great way to use up leftover bread bread. I have used ciabatta, baguettes, french sticks any nice loaf of bread really. It can be a couple of days old too!
Don't be scared! I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but if you are a keen cook, you will have quite a bit of this in your fridge/pantry already. See my timesaver tips below for some speedy ideas.
Believe me, your family will thank you. This has got to be our family favourite. If I am ever at a loss for dinner ideas (and doesn't that happen to all of us?) and I ask the family for ideas, NACHOS is always the answer.
Ingredients: For the Tortilla Chips 8mini flour tortillas, cut into eighths Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil, spray* For the Sauce 1brown onion, medium sized, finely diced 500gramsextra lean beef mince 2clovesgarlic, crushed 1tablespoonpaprika 1teaspoondried oregano ½teaspoonground cumin ½teaspoondried thyme ¼teaspoonchilli powder 1tablespoontomato paste 125gramssupersweet corn kernals, can ½cupsalt reduced beef stock For the Salsa 1clovegarlic, crushed ½long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped 5vine ripened tomatoes, deseeded, finely chopped juice of one lime 1handfulcoriander, roughly chopped For the Guacamole 1clovegarlic, crushed ½long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped 1spring onion, finely sliced ¼teaspoonground cumin juice of one lime 2avocado, large Seasonings sea salt freshly cracked black pepper Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Serving 1cupcheddar cheese, shredded lite sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 200℃. Place all salsa ingredients in a bowl, season with a pinch of salt and a splash of extra virgin olive oil, mix well and allow flavours to infuse to at room temperature.
2. Line a large shallow baking tray with baking paper. Place tortilla pieces in baking tray, spritz with extra virgin olive oil spray, sprinkle with a little sea salt, toss to coat and pop in the oven for 10 minutes or until just golden. Remove from the oven, they will crisp up as they cool.
3. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a large frypan over a medium/high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the beef mince and garlic to the pan. Cook until well browned and all juices have been absorbed. Break up any lumps with your spoon/spatula as you go. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add paprika, oregano, cumin, thyme and chilli, cook stirring until fragrant (around 30 seconds). Add tomato paste and combine well. Add the whole can of corn (liquid and all!). Add stock, reduce heat and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed.
4. While the sauce is simmering, to another bowl add garlic, chilli, spring onion, cumin and lime juice. Mix well. Halve and de-seed the avocado and scoop the flesh into the bowl and roughly mash with a fork, mixing with the other ingredients. Season with a little salt and pepper.
5. Serving
Remove the sauce from the heat and divide between four serving bowls and add a handful of chips to each bowl. Top with grated cheddar, then layer with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Dig in!
(Serves 4)
{COOK'S TIPS}
•Adjust the heat to suit your family’s taste buds, by increasing or decreasing the amount of fresh and powdered chilli.
•Allow mince to come to room temperature before cooking. This reduces the amount of lumps to break up in the pan.
•Beef mince can be substituted with chicken mince, or halve the amount of meat and add a can of drained and rinsed kidney beans for an even healthier alternative.
*Oil spray pumps can be purchased from your local kitchen store and are a great way to use less oil in your cooking. Just decant your favourite oil into the spray bottle and away you go!
{WORKING MUM'S TIMESAVER TIPS}
•Substitute homemade tortilla chips for store bought corn chips. Plain, no added salt are best as they don’t overpower the other flavours in the meal.
•Make your mexi-spice mix up in bulk ahead of time. Mix together 3 tbs Paprika, 3 tsp Dried Oregano, 1 ½ tsp Cumin, 1 ½ tsp Thyme and ¾ tsp Chilli powder and store in an airtight container. Use 2 tbs of the premade mix when the recipe calls to add the spices.
•Make the meat mixture up to three days ahead. Refrigerate in an airtight container. Warm through before serving.
This recipe is adapted from the Donna Hay Modern Classics version of Ceaser Salad. I have reduced the amount of bread and bacon and the addition of chicken and a poached egg, although not entirely original, is by me :) Serve either for lunch or light dinner.
Ingredients:
6-8chicken tenderloins 4rashersbacon 2baby cos lettuce 4eggs sea salt freshly cracked black pepper ¼cupparmesan, shaved Croutons ½baguette, thinly sliced (20 sliced) Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil ½clovegarlic Dressing 1egg yolk 2teaspoonsdijon mustard 1clovegarlic, crushed 2tablespoonslemon juice 3anchovy fillet, roughly chopped ¼cupparmesan, finely grated ½cupWelly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (medium or delicate)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F). Put a medium sized saucepan ¾ full of water on a medium/high heat. Heat the barbecue OR place a large frypan on a medium/high heat.
2. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill on the barbecue or in a hot frying pan for 5 minutes each side. Remove to a plate, cover with foil and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, to make the croutons. Place the baguette slices on a baking tray, brush with the olive oil and bake for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Rub each slice with the cut garlic and set aside.
4. Place the bacon on a baking tray and cook under a hot grill (broiler) until crisp. When cooled, tear into large pieces. Trim the lettuce leaves, reserving the smaller inner leaves and roughly chopping the larger ones.
5. When the water in the saucepan boils, reduce heat so that it is only gently bubbling. Poach eggs using these instructions. Set aside until ready to serve.
6. To make the dressing, process the egg yolk, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, anchovies and parmesan in a food processor until combined. With the motor running, gradually add the oil in a thin stream and process until smooth and creamy.
To serve, toss together the lettuce, two-thirds of the dressing, the bacon, croutons, salt and pepper. Heap into four individual serving bowls. Spoon over the remaining dressing and top with sliced chicken, a poached egg each and the shaved parmesan.
(Serves 4)
{WORKING MUM TIMESAVER TIP}: Use a good quality store bought ceaser dressing (Paul Newman's is quite nice).
But do try making your own. It doesn't take too long, and freshly made really does taste best.
Do you Meal Plan? Weekly, fortnightly or monthly? In a later blog post I will expand on the virtues I have found of meal planning. The benefits (especially for working mums) range from budget to time, reducing waste and more. But for now, here is what we are having (or have had) this week. Please check back as I will be adding recipe links and photos over the next few days.
475gmashed potato, (store bought, freshly made or leftover)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200℃. Place a medium sized saucepan on a low heat. Season the fish on both sides with salt & pepper and add to the pan.
{season fish}
2. Cut the leek in half lengthways and wash to remove any grit. Roughly chop the green part only and add it to the saucepan.
{slice leek in half legthways}
{grit}
{roughly chop green part only}
3. Roughly chop 1 STALK of celery and add to the pan with the parsley stalks and bay leaf. Pour the milk over the fish and slowly bring to the bool. Simmer for three minutes, cover and remove from heat. Cool for 5 minutes.
{celery, parsly leek and bay}
4. Meanwhile, finely chop the white part of the leek, remaining celery and the carrot. (I did this in the food processor). Using a slotted spoon, remove the fish from the milk to a large plate and roughly flake, discarding any bones. Cover and set aside. Strain milk into a glass jug and discard cooked vegetables. Rinse pot and return it to the stove.
5. Melt butter over a medium/high heat add the chopped vegetables. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the milk. Bring to the boil and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in fish, corn & parsley.
6. Spoon fish mixture into four ovenproof serving dishes. Top with mashed potato and bake for 10 minutes until potato is golden and heated through.
Personally I think the humble mashed potato is one of the most underrated side dishes going around. When done properly, they add such a lot of flavour (and dare I say pleasure) to many dishes. Mash is also a perfect carrier for gravies and sauces. Mmmmm, mouth is watering judt think about it :)
The sad fact of the matter is that many of us do a pretty poor job of it. Hand on heart I have been one of the worst offenders serving up watery, tasteless, lumpy mush. But I have seen the error of my ways and I am on a mission to rid the dinner tables of the world of boring, icky mash.
Let me share with you some tips I have gathered to make irresistible mash.
1. Pick the Right Spud
It really does matter which variety of potato you use. Basically you are looking for a spud that has These days I like to use Cream Delight from Woolworths.
If in doubt, check the signs/packaging, this usually gives you a clue.
2. No Cutting
Cutting the potatoes before boiling them allows the flavour to escape into the cooking water (which gets poured down the sink). Also the potatoes will absorb a lot of water rendering them fairly flavourless. So, they do take a little longer to cook but the extra flavour is worth it. If you are in a hurry try the baby size (if you can get them) as they are smaller and will cook faster.
3. Just Cooked
Boil your potatoes until they are just cooked i.e. When a knife is inserted into the potato, they should slide off without breaking apart.
I like to use a ricer. This fantastic little piece of kitchen gadgetry forces the cooked potato through little holes at the bottom giving you a smooth evenly textured consistency (in other words NO LUMPS). You can pick one up from a kitchen store for around $30. I would use mine at least once a week. My favourite thing about using the ricer is NO PEELING! That's right, just put the whole cooked spud in, push it through and the skin is left behind, just like magic!
5. Butter Is Not Evil
(Or fat = flavour). OK so it's not the healthiest mantra going around, but butter definitely makes it better. The more the better and as Peter Russell Clarke told us in the 80's "It's only Natural". Hey, if it's good enough for the French, it's good enough for me. And if you are not eating mash every night, then there's no harm right??? Enough justification? For a health conscious alternative see my variations below.
6. Cold Butter, Warm Milk
Enough said? Butter straight from the fridge creates a little steam to make things all light and fluffy. A little warm milk helps everything stick together. Adjust the quantities to suit your own tastes. Some people like a stiff consistency while others like a smoother "not quite a soup" thickness. Just a
7. Now Beat it!
Take your wooden spoon and BEAT IT. Take out all the days frustrations and beat the living daylights out of those spuds. Light, creamy, fluffy mash will ensue. I promise :)
Alternatively, place the potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment fitted. Beat in the butter and milk on a low speed until combined. Increase to high speed for a few minutes until creamy.
1. Place the whole potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water. Cover and bring to the boil over high heat. Remove the lid, reduce heat to medium-high. Boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when tested with a skewer.
2. Drain the water from the pan using a colander. Use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes back into the pan. Add the butter and milk and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve piping hot.
(Serves 4 as a side)
Cooks tip: To heat milk, pour into a microwave-safe jug or cup. Heat, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes on HIGH power or until hot.
Variations: Parmesan Mash - Add 50g finely grated parmesan cheese with the butter and milk
