Last Minute Fried Rice

1 Family pack SunRice microwave brown rice (serves 4)

2 eggs - omelete

1 x 2 serve pack of frozen mixed veges - microwave and chop roughly

1 spanish onion - finely chopped

3 bacon rashers - diced

1 med can corn

soy sauce

Microwave rice for 2 1/2 minutes - set aside

make omelette - roll, fnely slice - set aside

Microwave frozen veges 2 minutes - set aside

fry onions and bacon until onions start to soften - add cooked veges, corn, rice and omelette

stir through soy sauce.

"Bush Lemon" Butter - microwave version

Place the following ingredients into glass heatproof bowl/jug:

250g caster sugar
250g butter, cut into 1cm cubes
juice of 3 bush lemons (approx 200mls)

Cook on High for 3 mintues, stir and repeat process twice or until butter has melted

Whisk in 4 beaten eggs

Cook on High for 2 minutes, without stirring or opening m/w door

Whisk well then allow to stand for 1 minute

Cook on High for 1 minute then whisk again

Pour into sterile glass jars

Store in fridge for up to 3 weeks

Yields approximately 4 cups

Bernie's Bean and Sausage hot pot

Ingredients:
10 thick beef sausages
olive oil
1 large onion - chopped
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 fresh chillies - finley chopped (or chilli powder to taste)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cans butter beans - rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parley

Method:
Cook sausages in pot of simmering water - drain well and set aside.
Heat dash of oil in pan and saute onion and garlic until transparent.
Add mustard and chilli paste and "toast" in flavours.
Add stock, tomatoes, soy sauce and seasonings. Simmer until thick.
Pan fry cooked sausages in dash of oil until browned.
Add sausages, butter beans and parsley to tomatoe mixture and warm through.
Check taste and add extra sprinkle of chilli if needed.

Lamb Shanks - slow cooker

6 large french trimmed lamb shanks - browned in pan
3 brown onions - diced
3 carrots - sliced
3 stalks of celery - sliced
3 cloves of garlic
2 tins crushed tomatoes
1 glass red wine
1 glass water
generous sprinke of cumin, tumeric, thyme and black pepper

Method:
place all of the above in large slow cooker - cover and cook on low approx 8 hours.

Remove as much liquid as possible and strain off any fat.
Place fat-free liquid in pan and thicken with a paste of 2 tabs gravox mixed with 2 tabs water. Stir until thickened and pour over lamb shanks and veges in slow cooker. Cover and leave 10 mins before serving over potato mash.

Serves 6 - 8. leftovers freeze well.

Chicken Pancetta Ragout

Serves 10

3 kg Chicken Thigh CUTLETS
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium brown onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes
80g tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
3 or 4 medium carrots, chopped coarsely
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.Remove and discard skin and excess fat from chicken.

2.Heat half of the oil in large heavy-based pot, cook chicken in 3 batches.

3.Cut Pancetta slices in half. Heat remaining oil in same pan; cook onion, garlic and pancetta, stirring until pancetta is browned.

4. Add undrained crushed tomatoes, paste, wine and stock; bring to boil. Add chicken.
Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add carrot; simmer about 30 minutes or until carrot is tender.

5. Stir parsley through before serving.

Freeze any leftovers.

Serve with chunky boiled spuds.

From WW - Meals from the freezer. 2000

New Potato, sundried tomato and olive salad

New Potato, sun-dried tomato and olive salad
Serves 8
(from Delicious Magazine 25/9/2007)
Takes 25 minutes to make, plus cooling

Ingredients
750g waxy new potatoes (if you can’t get “new” just make sure they are a “waxy” variety so they hold their shape)
Juice of 1 small lemon
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Bunch of fresh chives, snipped
6 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
15 pitted whole black olives
Seasoning (freshly milled salt and pepper works really well)

Method
Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 12-15 minutes, until just tender. Drain well, and leave until cool enough to handle. Halve lengthways (if still to big cut in half again)

Put the lemon juice, oi8l and chives and plenty of seasoning into a large bowl and whisk. Add the potatoes, toss and set aside to cool. Stir the tomatoes and olives through to serve.

Chinese squares

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
3/4 cup chopped fruit (dates)
1/2 cup walnuts
125 g butter
1 egg


Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Melt butter, beat egg well then add both to dry ingredients.
Mix well together then press into a greased swiss roll tin.
Bake in a moderate over (180 degrees for 30 minutes)
Cut into squares when cool.

Cinnamon Tea Cake

60 g butter
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg
vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour


Topping:
1 teaspoon butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon


Beat butter and sugar to a cream. Add vanilla.
Add the egg and beat well.
Sift flour and salt together and add to mixture alternately with milk.
Mix into a soft dough.
Pour into a greased and floured 18cm sponge sandwich tin.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes.
Turn onto a cooler, brush top with butter and sprinkle with amixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Helen's Chocolate Slice

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g butter
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients together.
Metl butter, beat eggs well. Add both to dry ingredients.
Mix well then press into a flat tin.
Bake approx 20 minutes in moderate oven.
Cut into squares.
When cool pour chocolate icing over top and leave to set. Divide squares.

Chocolate Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
vanilla
hot water

Sift icing sugar into a bowl.
Blend cocoa with a little hot water.
Add to icing sugar with enough water to make a thin paste.
Flovour with vanilla.

Digger's Rice Pudding with stewed prunes

In heavy based pan combine the following:
1 cup medium grain rice
2 tablespoons sugar
dob of butter
2 litres of full cream milk

Cook over low/medium heat for 30 minutes - stir constantly or it will catch

When rice is "soft" add 1 teaspoon vanilla

Allow to cool - IT WILL THICKEN ON STANDING

Stewed Prunes:

Combine
375 g prunes
2 cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar

simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.

The ultimate comfort pudding!

Enid's Piklets

In a bowl whisk together:
2 eggs
1 drop vanilla essence
1 tablespoon golden syrup

gradually add (in the following order)
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup self raising flour
milk (enough to make mix "creamy")
1/2 cup self raising flour

Stand mixutre for 10 minutes before cooking

Betty's Easy Pudding

Sift the following ingredients into mixing bowl:

2 cups self-raising flour
1 dessertspoon mixed spice
2 tablespoons icing sugar
pinch of salt

"rub in" 2 tablespoons butter
then stir in handful of sultanas

Slowly add enough water to make "sticky mix" batter

Place batter into ovenproof dish

Mix together 1 cup of boiling water and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Pour "syrup" over batter and cook until done

(you wind up with a "cake" on top of thick sauce)

Norma's Garlic Cream Prawns

Melt 60 g butter
Blend in - 2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cloves garlic (minimum)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Stir over heat until thickened

gradually incorporate
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cream
2 tablespoons white wine

add 1 kg peeled green prawns and cook over low/medium heat until prawns "pink"

Serve with rice

Connie's Chocolate Cake (melt and mix)

Sift into bowl of mixer:
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspons bi-carb soda

In seperate bowl combine 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar - let stand to sour (10mins?)

Melt 185g (6 oz) margarine (will not work if you use butter)

Crack 3 eggs into seperate bowl and beat well.

Pour marg and milk mixtures over dry ingredients.
Beat by hand until incorporated.
Add well beaten eggs.
Mix with electric mixer for about 6 minutes.
Mixture should be VERY runny.

Bake in 2 x 8" tins for 35 minutes at 180 degrees

Louise's Beef Casserole

500 g beef steak, diced large
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 litre vegetable stock
800 g kumara, peeled, diced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves

Method A:
Saute onion, garlic, carrot, cook until onion is soft.
Stir in flour, cook 1 minute. Set aside

Add meat in batches and "seal". Set aside

Add sweet potato, parsley and bay leaf.
Combine all and add stock, bring to simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.

Method B:
After sealing meat and softening vegetables put the whole lot into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 5 hours.

Kumara Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 brown onions - chopped
2 kumara (orange sweet potato) - peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes
1 litre chicken stock

Method:
Heat heavy based pan - add oil, onions and kumara and cook 2 to 3 minutes.
add stock, bring to boil and cook 12 - 15 minutes or until tender.
Using a hand-held stick blender - blend until smooth.

Variations:
Add curry pasts to taste
Add herbs to taste
Whatever..

Betty's Sweet Pie Pastry

250 g butter
250 g sugar
2 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
1/4 cup cornflour

Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs
Gradually add sifted flours

Aileen's Basic Biscuit Recipe

250 g butter or marg
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
few drops of vanilla

Method:
Cream butter and sugar until pale
Add eggs and vanilla
Mix in flour - 1/2 cup at a time - do not overmix or biscuits will toughen
Spoon walnut sized balls of dough onto greased tray
Bake on tray at 180 degrees for approx 20 minutes

Variations:
Jam Drops - make indentation in uncooked biscuit and place 1/4 teaspoon of jam in middle
Corn Flakes - roll uncooked biscuit in corn flakes
Choc Chip - add 250 g choc chips to mix

Aileen's Meatloaf

1 kilo best mince
500g pork sausage mince
2 onions - finely chopped
3 slices bread - crumbed
1/2 cup milk
2 raw eggs
1 teaspoon curry
salt and pepper

Combine the above and shape into 2 "loaves".
Lightly flour loaves and place side by side in baking dish.
Bake at 180 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Sauce:
1 cup water
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 tablespoons black sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 dessertspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons coffee
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Combine sauce ingredients in medium saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.

Pour sauce over meatloaf and cook until done - approximately 30 minutes extra.

Generously serves 6 - 8 .
Half quantities for 4.

Cheat's Rissotto "base"

40 g butter (melt in heavy based pan)
1 - 2 cloves crushed garlic (fry 30 seconds)
1 onion finely chopped (cook until starts to soften)
Add I cup of Arborio Rice (stir over heat, continuously for 2 minutes)
Add stock (2 cups of hot water with 2 teaspoons stock powder - chicken or vegetable)
Return to boil - cover - gently simmer 10 minutes or until just cooked through

Stir in grated parmesan and serve.

Extras

• add 1/2 diced bacon with the onion and continue
• or towards end of cooking time add either mushrooms/shallots/corn kernels/capsicum/asparagus cuts etc.

..or if you have time to spend add the stock ladel by ladel and stir until absorbed.