Grandma Smith's Slow Cooked Sweet Beef Curry

Recipe By: Grandma Smith
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
500 g chuck steak, cubed
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 brown onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 green apple, diced
1 tablespoon sultanas
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
500 milliliters beef stock

Directions:
1. Place the flour, curry powder and salt and pepper in a large zip lock bag and shake to combine. Pop the beef pieces in the bag and shake until the beef is coated in the seasoned flour. Set aside

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over a medium heat add the beef (reserving any excess flour) and fry until lightly browned.

3. Add carrot, apple and onion. Cook for about five minutes or until softened. Add sultanas, sugar, lemon juice and stock. Cook for a few minutes until pan is deglazed (all the brown bits come up off the bottom). Add any left over flour to the liquid, stir to combine.

4. Tip all of the mixture into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender. Serve with steamed rice.

Meal Plan Monday

MONDAY

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Roast Chicken with Honey Glazed Carrots, Potatoes & Silverbeet

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!

TUESDAY

Curried Sausages, Creamy Mash & Steamed Seasonal Vegetables

WEDNESDAY

Nachos Supreme - YES, AGAIN!

THURSDAY

Chicken Skewers with Satay Sauce and Stir Fried Vegetables

FRIDAY

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Beef Schnitzels, home made chips & salad

SATURDAY

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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.

SUNDAY

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Thai Red Curry Prawns & Jasmine Rice

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.

LUNCHBOX

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Chocolate Slice

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.

Curried Sausages

Recipe By: Food.com
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
1 kg sausage
2 brown onions, finely sliced
2 1/2 cups Beef Stock, salt reduced
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
1 tablespoon malt vinegar

Directions:
1. Cook the sausages in a large frying pan over a medium low heat, turning frequently. When cooked through, slice and set aside.

2. In the same pan the sausages were cooked in, sauté the onions until soft and slightly transparent. And the flour and stir for around 30 seconds or until combined and slightly brown.

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.

Muesli Bar Slice

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.

Bearnaise Sauce

Recipe By: Donna Hay Modern Classics
Yield: 3/4 Cup

Ingredients:
100 milliliters white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh tarragon sprigs
3 egg yolks
125 grams butter, melted

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!

Tandoori Butter Chicken

Serving Size: 4

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 :)

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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! 

Grandma Smith's Hai Tai Minh

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

Recipe By: Pippa
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 6

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 400g packet 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

Chicken Ceasar Salad

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:

6-8 chicken tenderloins
4 rashers bacon
2 baby cos lettuce
4 eggs
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup parmesan, shaved
Croutons
½ baguette, thinly sliced (20 sliced)
Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ clove garlic
Dressing
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 anchovy fillet, roughly chopped
¼ cup parmesan, finely grated
½ cup Welly 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.

{Poachies available from Woolworths}

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. 

Individual Creamy Chowder Pies

Ingredients:

• 500 g Freshwater Bassa Fillets
• 1 leek
• 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups milk
• 1 carrot
• 30 g butter
• ⅓ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
• 125 g corn kernels, can
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped
• 475 g mashed 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.

(Serves 4)

Download Printable Version

Mashed Potato Master Class

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.

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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.

4. Ricing, Not Mashing

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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.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Perfect Mashed Potato

Ingredients:

• 1kg cream delight potatoes, unpeeled
• 100g unsalted butter, chopped
• 200 ml milk, hot
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

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 Olive Oil Mash - Replace the butter with 1/3 cup Welly Boot Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Mustard & Sour Cream Mash - add 1/3 cup sour cream and 1 tbs Dijon mustard with the butter and milk Feta & Oregano Mash - Stir 100g crumbled feta, grated rind 1 lemon and 3 tsp dried oregano into the mash after the butter and milk have been mixed in. Download Printable Version

Recipe Share - Banana Cake

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Recipe By: Pippa
Serving Size: 10
Yield: 10 slices

Summary:

This seems to be our family's stand by for using up over-ripe bananas. In fact I suspect that some bananas get left to go bad just so that I have to make this :) The original recipe for the cake comes from Donna Hay Modern Classics 2. The cream cheese frosting is my own addition, and a rework on an old classic. The inclusion of vanilla makes this extra special and irresistible.

Ingredients:

For the Cake
125 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup roughly mashed banana
For the Frosting
60 g Cream cheese, softened
30 g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup icing sugar
1-2 teaspoon lemon juice
lemon zest

Directions:

1. For the Cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy.

2. Gradually add the eggs and beat well.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture. Add the cinnamon, sour cream and banana and stir to combine.

4. Spoon the mixture into a greased 26cm (10 in) fluted ring tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool on a wire rack.


5. For the Frosting
In a small bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and well combined. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well between additions. Add enough lemon juice to bring the mixture to a smooth, but firm consistency. Spread generously over the cooled cake, sprinkle with lemon zest and just try to resist!