Chop Suey - Aussie Style

 Chop suey was one of the first recipes I learn to make as a newly wed.  It's cheap,  easy and quite good for you..  It's full of flavour and full of veggies.

250 - 300 grams of mince beef
2 cups of frozen beans, corn, peas ( combined )
1 stick celery finely sliced
3 - 4 mushrooms sliced
Broccoli and cauliflower florets cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt, pepper and chives / parsley to taste
2 handfuls of cabbage,  spinach or silverbeet finely chopped
1/2 pack 2 min noodles
1/2 packet of chicken noodle soup
Dried onion flakes and garlic granules ( or fresh )
I medium carrot,  peeled and finely sliced 

Cut all veggies and place in microwave veggie steamer and cook in microwave on high for 8 mins. 

While the veggies are cooking, cook the mince in large electric frypan.  

Put the chicken noodle soup into a measuring jug and add 1 cup of boiling water and stir. Add to the meat  

When veggies are cooked, add them to the meat. Add curry powder and seasonings to taste. Stir well. 

Add cabbage / silverbeet / spinach on top of the meat and veggies and place the lid on for 5 mins. Stir everything together and add extra water if needed. 

Add cooked and drained 2 min noodles just before serving. 

Serve with a dash of soy sauce and  rice or mashed potato on the side.  

Serves 4 - 5 people  

*  Yummy as leftovers on toast 

*  Can be made with chicken and bacon as an alternative - known as Chop Chicken 

*  Leftovers can be frozen 

*  You can use any veggies you want and as many as you want 

Running Out Of Groceries Or Grocery Money

Running out of food can be a scary situation to be faced with. What to do ? What to do ? I guess the first question you need to ask yourself is " Have I really run out of food or do I have food but don't know what to cook ? " If you have run out of food just because you didn't buy enough,  then it's time for a new plan of attack. Writing a menu plan for the week might be a good place to start. Then write your shopping list from the menu plan. Don't forget to include breakfasts, lunches and snacks as well as the main meal.    Once you've mastered shopping for a week then you could try fortnightly or monthly shopping.

You might be in the situation where you haven't run out of food but feel like the food you do have isn't going to make great meals. This is the perfect time for experimentation. Grab your cookbooks or use the internet to try something different. There are websites where you can search for recipes with certain ingredients. This could be the making of a new family favourite recipe.

If you have run out of grocery money for whatever reason, you have a few options. Can you make meals out of the food you DO have ? Can you find some extra money from another area of your budget ? I'm not talking about hundreds of dollars. $20 or $30 could last a week or two with a carefully planned shopping list if you have basic ingredients on hand like herbs, spices and a few baking ingredients like flour and sugar

Once again a menu plan will help you through a tough time until money becomes available again. A packet of quick oats will give you a filling breakfast for a week. Two loaves of bread will be enough for lunches. Buying one piece of the cheapest fruit available per person could be a snack. In Winter apples, pears and citrus fruits are very cheap. In Summer it could be stone fruit or grapes.

Dinner doesn't have to be fancy if money is tight. Here are some cheap meal ideas -

* Boiled potato with steamed veggies, seasonings and a little grated cheese on top is very yummy and cheap.
* 300 grams of mince can be bulked out with rice, rolled oats and cheaper vegetables like beans, cabbage or carrots.
* Eggs, baked beans or spaghetti on toast
* Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese
* Pasta with a tin of tomatoes and grated vegetables
* Fried rice without any meat.
* Pancakes

Remember,  water is free ( or almost free ) so drink lots of it.  If you are after a hot drink,  then tea is cheaper than coffee.

Have you ever run out of grocery money or groceries ?  What did you do in this situation ?

Planning A Christmas Menu On A Budget

With Christmas just around the corner, I'm sure you have all been very busy decorating your home and Christmas tree with special ornaments. Table runners, candles and Christmas lights can also bring the festive feeling to your home.   A couple of months ago I  started planning my Christmas Day menu too. Although I want this special day to be perfect, it is so easy to go overboard with the food.

Providing two meats, a couple of salads or roast veggies and two or three desserts is all that is needed to satisfy the hungry souls at your table. The more you have to choose from, the harder it is for the eaters to choose. How to fit it all on the plate ? There is only so much you can eat at one meal and many people travel from table to table ( family home to family home ) in one day.

Also, the more you provide, the more likely you are to be left with leftovers for a week. To avoid gastro,  food should be refridgerated between courses and consumed within 2 - 3 days of cooking. You are less likely to forget what is left in the fridge if it is consumed within a small time frame.

I've cooked traditional and casual Christmas lunches in the past. Here's what I've provided for my guests

TRADITIONAL

roast lamb served in gravy
roast chicken
roast potatoes, pumpkin and carrots
cauliflower and broccoli with white sauce and cheese on top
mint sauce
sticky date puddings in muffin size with caramel sauce, cream and icecream

CASUAL ( BBQ )

rissoles
bbq steaks ( cut into smaller pieces )
sausages
mushrooms and onions
bread stick
green tossed salad
potato salad
pasta salad
plum pudding ( no name ) with home made custard, cream and icecream
mini pavlovas ( home made ) with cream and berries


Both have been hugely successful and everyone is full and satisfied. The casual meal had a lot more leftovers. We just ate salads and sausages for the next two days. The best thing about these meals is that I have most of the ingredients on hand already so there are no grocery blowouts. The only extra expense is the meat and a few veggies / salad things.

Here are some handy hints for cutting costs

*  Grow your own lettuce and salad things.  Lettuce grows all year round in pots or the ground.

*  Buy your leg of lamb in Spring when it's about $6.99 a kilo.

*  Keep a look out for bbq meats on sale at the butcher.  Freeze ahead of time in smaller portions.  It's so easy to pull out the exact amount of meat needed from the freezer.  Less waste and quite often dinner guest numbers are not known until a couple of days before.

*  Spread the workload around and ask guests to bring a plate / dish.  Most people are happy to help.

*  Not everyone likes plum pudding.  Single serve puddings might be your answer to reducing costs and left overs.  I've found no name/ generic brands to be mild in flavour and well received by guests. Making your own could be another option.

*  Buy your bon bons on  Boxing Day at half price.  I always buy enough for a couple of years.  A cheaper option is to make your own from wrapping paper tubes,  wrapping paper,  ribbon,  your own printed jokes and a trinket / lolly.  Making your own costs next to nothing.

*  Snacks like nuts,  dried fruit,  chocolates,  chips,  soft drinks and lollies should be bought ahead of time.  Most of these items are on sale from week to week.  Just check out my grocery specials post every Wednesday.

With some forward planning you can have a fabulous Christmas Day full of delicious food without blowing your budget.

Have you started planning your Christmas Day menu ?

How I Freeze Food

A couple of weeks ago I showed you what was in my freezers and gave you the list.

This week I thought I'd explain how I store the food to avoid spoilage and waste.

Here's what I use -

*  Plastic containers of all sizes.

*  Takeaway food containers

*  Cling wrap

*  Foil

*  Freezer bags,  large and small

*  Cereal packets cut up into squares are used as go between to stop cut of meat or soup sticking together.

*  Masking tape and permanent markers for labels

*  Recycled plastic fruit and veg bags

*  Recycled bread bags
 

When I make soup,  I always make a big pot to save time and energy.  As yummy as it is,  we can't eat it quick enough.  So I always make sure I freeze some.  I have small flat containers that I use for this purpose.  They are the Starmaid brand but I don't think they are sold any more.  I fill up each container as this represents one single serve.  Once cooled in the fridge,  the lids are put on and frozen in a stack.  Once frozen,  I pop the soup out of the container.  I slip a piece of cereal packet on top of the soup and pop another soup serve on top.  Then they are double wrapped in freezer bags and placed back in the freezer.  If I have multiple types of soup in the freezer,  I label the soups and date them.

I pop the soups out of their containers because even though I have lots of containers,  I very quickly run out.

Lamb chops are taken off their trays and portioned into meal sizes which is usually one chop per person.  Once again I slip a piece of cereal packet between each chop then double wrap in freezer bags.

Mince is portioned into 300 gram and 400 gram serves.  300 grams is for chop suey and spag bol, 3 x 300 gram does lasagne.  $00 grams is used for meat pie,  meatloaf and cassroles.  Each portion is wrapped in cling wrap.  Then a few portions are put into large freezer bags and labelled and dated.

Diced beef is portioned into 500 gram lots for stew.  I pack it into a snap lock bag,  flatten and label.

Roast beef and silverside is always cut in half as it's way to big for the four of us.  I wrap it in cling warp, label and date then wrap in a freezer bag.

Sausages are portioned into meal sizes which is six for us.  I wrap in cling wrap then multiple portions are put into a large freezer bag.

Single serves of leftovers are put into the flat takeaway food containers.  They are dated and labelled.

For chicken fillets,  I take the skin off,  trim the sinues off  and place individually into frezer bags.  Multiple fillets are then placed into a larger freezer bag.  It's easy to grab the amount of fillets needed when they are single.

Hamburger patties are stacked on top of each other with the cereal bag squares put inbetween.  We only have one atty per person and they are double wrapped.

Lemon ice cubes are placed either in snaplock bags or takeaway food containers.  Same with tomato paste.

Any baking is double wrapped.  Cakes are dated and labelled so I know what the flavour is.

Final notes -

*  Bread bags are used  for the outer wrapping for many items
*  I always rotate all meat,  baking and meals to avoid food being frozen for too long.
*  I delegate one shelf for each type of meat where possible.  All beef mince and hamburgers on one shelf,  all chicken on one shelf,  all roasts on one shelf,  all soup on one shelf,  leftovers in one drawaer etc etc,
*. I label meat with masking tape on the first layer of plastic then wrap again.  It prevents the label falling off.
*  I don't have glass containers in my freezer because they are too expensive and I'd need so many.
*  It sounds like I use a lot of plastic bags and wrap but I try to recycle where I can.  I bought a big roll of large freezer bags from Tasman Meats a couple of years ago.  This has saved a lot of money and I reuse them..
* I use everything within one year. 


I think that's explained most of the ways I freeze things.  I guess the most important things to do is to double wrap,  rotate and label.

If you have any questions,  please feel free to ask.

Freezer meals - free food

Chicken curry ready for the freezer

Pasta sauce in meal sizes

One of my freezers

Freezer equipment

Starmaid containers

Takeaway food containers given to us.

Cobbler Dessert

This is a wonderful Winter warming dessert.  I originally heard about this dessert on the Oprah show years ago when she popped into her neighbour's house unannounced.  They were having this dessert with their meal that night.  So I googled it and came up with my version of this American favourite. 

1 x 410 gram tin of fruit in juice or stewed fruit
1 cup of SR flour
1/3 of a cup of sugar ( white or raw )
About 1  1/2 cups of milk - enough to make it a slightly runny batter

optional extras - 
chopped walnuts
cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on top,
sultanas or other dried fruit.

Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.

Empty slightly drained tin of fruit into a casserole dish, cutting up any large pieces.
In a mixing bowl mix the flour, sugar and milk until it's a smooth, slightly runny batter.
Pour evenly over fruit and sprinkle with nuts,  cinnamon and sugar.
Bake on 180 degree Celsius for 40 mins. Serve with cream,  ice cream or custard.

NOTES -

*  A couple of weeks ago I made a cobbler using stewed apple from the freezer.  It was a big hit with the family.  Darren said it tasted like apple pie.

*  Other fruit I've used with success are plums ( make sure you take the stone out ), peaches,  apricots and pears.

*  This dessert can be cooked 2 - 3 days ahead of time and reheated as needed.

*  If you don't have any tinned fruit,  grab a couple of apples ( even the wrinkly ones ),  peel,  cut and slice into a casserole dish.  Cover with cling wrap and cook in the microwave on high for about three minutes.  Then pour the batter over the top.

Chicken Flan

This is a wonderful all year round recipe.  In Summer,  served with a side of salad.  In Winter some crusty bread or steamed veggies make it a hearty meal.

4 eggs
1/2 C plain flour
1/2 C grated cheese
1 small chicken fillet cubed and cooked or 1 cup of leftover chicken
1 onion finely diced or 2 teaspoons of dried onion flakes
1 medium tomato finely cubed
Zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 3/4C milk
Dried or fresh parsley

Small sprinkling of garlic powder or granules

2 – 3 leaves of Silverbeet finely chopped – optional

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celscius

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well

Pour into a greased quiche dish and sprinkle with a little extra cheese..

Cook for one hour until golden on top.

Slice and serve with veggies or salad.

Freezes well.

NOTES -

*  Any leftover meat can be added instead of chicken.  I've used roast beef and lamb with great success.

*  Leftover roast veggies can be added instead of the tomato and lemon zest..

*  This can be made in muffin tins as a lunchbox treat

With crusty cheesy bread made by Megan

Straight out of the oven

Tuna Pasta Bake

This recipe has become a recent family favourite.  Our mouths are drooling when it's cooking and leftovers are fought over.   The recipe below is very budget friendly.   Another alternative to this recipe is to combine one tin of tomatoes with one jar of the Aldi brand Remano Pasta Sauce ( chunky garden vegetable ) omitting only the sugar .  Mix well and use half the mixture in this recipe and freeze the other half for a future meal.

1 x 425 gram tin of tuna in brine or spring water.

1 x 420 gram tin of diced tomatoes

½ cup of cream

2 teaspoons of dried basil

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of onion flakes

1 teaspoon of garlic powder or dried garlic granules

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

350 grams of spiral or penne pasta

1 cup of grated cheese

Cook the pasta for 10 minutes or as directed.

While the pasta is cooking,  in a large bowl add the drained tuna,  cream,  tomatoes,  basil,  oregano,  salt,  pepper,  garlic,  onion flakes,  sugar and tomato paste.

Drain the pasta and add to the tuna mixture.  Pour into a large casserole dish and top with the grated cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned.  Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4 - 6 people and can be frozen.

Notes – grated carrot,  zucchini or finely shredded silverbeet can be added to the pasta bake before cooking.

Pasta bake ready to eat

Straight from the oven and piping hot - how Darren likes it.

Chunky Roast Beef And Vegetable Soup.

This soup is a great way to stretch a couple of leftover slices of roast beef.  I cook my beef in the slow cooker with beef stock and half a packet of french onion soup mix.  I always keep the leftover liquid to make this soup.  

2-3 slices of roast beef cut into very small pieces
reserved beef and French onion stock from slow cooker approx 600 - 800 mls
3/4 cup of soup mix rinsed well
4 large potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes
2 large carrots peeled and cut into small cubes
5 or 6 button mushrooms sliced
1 stalk of celery cubed
1 broccoli stalk. Remove outer layer and dice the remaining stalk
1 small onion diced or use dried onion flakes
2/3 cup of small shell pasta
parsley and pepper to taste
Boiled water
Beef stock powder - maybe 1 tablespoon if needed to enhance flavour.

Place all ingredients into a large saucepan. Top up with boiled water until everything is just covered. Bring to the boil then simmer for 1 hour or until carrots and potato are soft.

Serve with buttered bread or toast or have it on it's own.

I'm sorry,  I forgot to take a photo of it cooking.  This photo was taken when it had been frozen.

NOTES -

*  As always,  you can chop and change the vegetables to suit what you have on hand.  If you need more potatoes to make it thick,  then add more.

*  If roast lamb is what you have,  then use that.

Homemade Pizza

There is nothing like the taste of homemade pizza.  The smell,  the crispy base and the delicious toppings.  Yum,  yum.  Yes,  I've had many pizzas over the years.  Darren's first job after we were married was as a delivery driver for a well known pizza chain.  He was there for five years eventually becoming a store manager.

As you can imagine,  we went off pizza for many years.  We'd just eaten too many during those five years.  When we tried the takeaway pizzas again about two years ago ,  we were disappointed.  The topping were scarce,  you now pay extra for pineapple and no matter how quickly you pick them up,  they are lukewarm by the time you eat them.

We started off making our own pizzas years ago using pita bread as the base.  They are cheap and ready made.  As our girls got older we needed something more filling.  I went to a demonstration class at a local shop called The Mixing Bowl where I learnt to make bread,  rolls,  hot cross buns and pizza bases from scratch.  Here's Anne's recipe from The Mixing Bowl -

2 teaspoons of dry yeast
450 grams of unbleached bread flour - I use no name plain flour
2 teaspoons of bread improver
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
300 - 310 mls of warm water
2 teaspoons of olive oil.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl or with a mixer
Add the warm water and oil and mix until combined
Tip the dough onto a floured bench / board and knead for 30 seconds to a minute.
Place back into a bowl and cover with a plastic bag. 
Put the bowl in a warm place until it has risen and doubled in size.
While the dough is rising,  prepare the toppings
Tip the dough onto a floured surface and divide into two.
Roll out into a circle keeping it floured and place onto a lightly greased pizza tray.  Press the dough out to the edges of the tray.
Put your sauce and toppings on.
Cook for approx 20 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius until brown underneath.

NOTES -

*  I make two double batches of the dough which gives me dough for eight pizzas.  Six are frozen for future use

*  Dough can be frozen after the first rising.  Cool the dough down first then wrap in cling wrap and freeze

*  My girls and I like a mixture of tomato and bbq sauce on the base with mixed herbs,  cooked chicken,  cheese,  tomato,  pineapple and cheese.  Darren likes capsicum,  chilies,  mushrooms,  chicken and cheese.

*  When we see ham at a cheap price,  we freeze into 300 gram lots in snap lock bags.

*  Pizza trays with lots of holes in the base are excellent for a crispy base.

The finished product

Mixing the dough

Letting it rise

The dough has doubled in size

Curried Sausage Casserole

Darren loves curried sausages and had been asking me for years to make some.  I didn't have a recipe so after doing some research I made up my own to suit our tastes.  I love using my slow cooker for this recipe as it's quick and easy to make.

1 x 420 g tin of diced tomatoes
1/2 packet of french onion soup mix
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 stick of celery, finely diced ( can be from the freezer )
1 - 2 carrots peeled and sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups of frozen beans
6 small mushrooms sliced
season to taste with salt, pepper, onion flakes ( or fresh ), dried parsley ( or fresh )
2 cups of water
6 sausages
cornflour and 1/4 cup of water

Place tomatoes, veggies, curry, soup mix and seasonings into the slow cooker.
Cover ingredients with the 2 cups of water and mix together.
Cook on high for 4 - 6 hours or medium for 6 - 8 hours.
Half an hour before serving, cook the sausages under the grill, in a fry pan or on the bbq until dark brown ( good flavour ). 
Cut the sausages into approx. 1 cm slices and place in the slow cooker.  Give it a good stir.
Thicken with the cornflour and 1/4 cup of cold water.  
Serve with mash or on toast.

Serves 4 - 5 people.

NOTES -

*  Six sausages is plenty for this recipe as they stretch a long way when thinly sliced.

*  The casserole can be frozen.

*  Other vegetables can be added or deleted to suit your tastes and what you have on hand.

Megan made the sausage casserole in this photo.  She likes to add chunks of potato to the slow cooker at the beginning of the cooking process.

Krispy Fried Chicken Drumsticks

Serve in the middle of Summer with salad or during Winter with lots of veggies.  However you present this dish it will quickly become a family favourite.

2/3 cup of plain flour
1 egg
2/3 cup of milk
Dried seasoned bread crumbs - approx. 1 cup
1 - 2 drumsticks per person.
olive oil for cooking

To coat the drumsticks you need three large bowls or trays with sides.
Place the flour in the first bowl
In the second bowl whisk the egg and milk together.
In the third bowl place the seasoned bread crumbs.

Roll the drumsticks in the flour making sure all the chicken is coated well.  Then gently roll the drumsticks in the egg / milk mixture.  Finally coat the drumsticks in the seasoned bread crumbs making sure everything is coated well.  I firmly push the bread crumbs onto the drumsticks so that they stick well.

In a large fry pan drizzle a good amount of olive oil and heat on a medium heat.
When the oil is hot gently place the drumsticks in the oil. 
Turn the drumsticks after a few minutes to lightly brown all sides.  Check your temperature as the coating can burn very quickly.

Once the drumsticks have browned,  place them on a metal rack.  I use a biscuit cooling rack.  Place this over an oven dish that is slightly larger.  This will collect all the drips from the drumsticks.

Cook in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Serve with sauce or relish ( my favourite ) or have on their own with salad or hot veggies on the side.  

NOTES -

*  If you are low on seasoned bread crumbs,  add a couple of handfuls of crushed corn flakes or wheat bix.

*  Add foil to the oven dish to catch the drips and make cleaning up much easier.

*  I buy the drumsticks on sale for $1.99 a kilo.  The cost for the meat works out to be under $2 for a meal for four people.

Krispy Fried Chicken Drumsticks with homemade tomato relish

Browning in the fry pan with olive oil.

On a biscuit rack with oven tray underneath .  Oven ready.

My Menu Plan

Oops,  I'm a bit late with my menu  plan.  Here's what we will be eating for the next four weeks -

Mon 23rd -  Chop suey and brown rice
Tues 24th - Sausage casserole in the slow cooker with mash
Wed 25th - Roast beef in the slow cooker with roast potato,  pumpkin,  carrots and steamed veg
Thurs 26th - Tuna pasta bake
Fri 27th - Honey mustard chicken and rice
Sat 28th -  Homemade hamburgers and wedges
Sun 29th -  Get your own but feed me

Mon 30th -  Tacos and a baked dessert of some description
Tues 31st -  Beef stew in the slow cooker with mash
Wed 1st -  Roast chicken with roast veg and steamed veg
Thurs 2nd -  Fish portions,  rice,  zucchini slice and steamed veg
Fri 3rd - Spag bol
Sat 4th - Chops,  mash and steamed veg
Sun 5th -  Get your own but feed me

Mon 6th - Homemade meat pie and steamed veg
Tues 7th -  Homemade KFC drumsticks with mash and steamed veg
Wed 8th -  Silverside in the slow cooker with roast veg and steamed veg
Thurs 9th -  Tuna casserole and greens
Fri 10th -  Freezer bits and pieces that need using up
Sat 11th - Chicken schnitzel,  mash and steamed veg
Sun 12th - Homemade pizzas

Mon 13th -  Meatloaf and gravy with mash and steamed veg
Tues 14th -  Chicken flan with herb /garlic bread
Wed 15th   Roast leg of lamb with roast veg and steamed veg
Thurs 16th -  Salmon patties with brown rice and steamed veg
Fri 17th -  Shepherd's pie with herb bread
Sat 18th -  Freezer meals
Sun 19th - Family over for lunch so maybe leftovers for tea.

Homemade Hawaiian pizza

Roast veggies

Homemade hamburgers and wedges

Krispy Fried Chicken

Hamburgers At Home

The cheapest takeaway meal I can make is homemade hamburgers and wedges. I make the hamburger patties in bulk and freeze them into lots of four for future quick meals. The rolls are made ahead of time using my wholemeal bread recipe and frozen as well. In Summer we grow our own lettuce and tomatoes so this reduces the cost as well. Here are the ingredients and costs for the most delicious hamburgers.

Patties - Start off with one kilo of regular beef mince ( $5 per kg )
seasonings of pepper, garlic, seasoned bread crumbs ( homemade ), tomato sauce, soy sauce , onion, parsley. I use dried onion and herbs.  The seasonings cost about 5 cents per patty  I use a good shake or squirt of everything and combine it well with my electric mixer.
Use your electric scales to weigh out 80 grams per patty.  The cost per patty with the seasonings is approx 45 cents.


Bread rolls cost 10 cents each to make .

Cheese, lettuce and tomato ( if you grow your own ) the cost is approx 10 cents for the cheese. If you need to buy all these allow about 30 cents.

Tomato sauce or mayo about 5 cents

Homemade wedges - potatoes cost about $2.99 for five kilos.  I use my Nicer Dicer to cut the potatoes into wedges.  I spray them lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with Season All.  Cook for about an hour at 200 degrees Celsius.  For a single serve of wedges with seasoning the cost would be 20 cents.

Total cost for a single hamburger and serve of wedges is $0.90.

If rolls and patties are made and frozen ahead of time, it takes about 15 minutes to make the hamburgers.  Occasionally Darren adds an egg to his hamburger. We have chickens to supply us with eggs so it doesn't cost us anything to add an egg. This meal is filling, , far more filling than what you can buy at the shops.

Next time you have a craving for takeaway, have a go at making your own. It's healthier, cheaper, tastier and far more satisfying to make it yourself.

Homemade hamburger and chips

Homemade wholemeal rolls.

Hamburger and wedges 

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey mustard chicken must be one of my favourite dishes.  I'll confess,  I used to buy the sauce in a jar.  I thought I liked it until I started making my own sauce.  Now I couldn't go back to the mass produced sugar and salt laden variety.  My recipe is very easy to make and is tasty.  My daughter Jessica isn't overly keen on cooking but she does a fabulous job of making this without me watching her.  The first time she made it she took a photo,  posted it on social media and her friends couldn't believe it could be made at home from scratch.  In other words,  they too have only known of the store bought variety.  Jessica was very proud of herself.

When I first wanted to make this from scratch I googled lots of recipes.  As usual the recipes didn't have vegetables included or they used way too much cream and sour cream.  So I made up my own recipe and tweaked it a few times until I got the balance of flavours right.  Here's my recipe -


2 small chicken breasts, diced and cooked
2/3 cup of cream
 2 - 3 tablespoons of honey
1 heaped dessert spoon of Dijon mustard
1 heaped dessert spoon of whole grain mustard
onion flakes, salt, pepper, chives, garlic powder / granules etc to taste.
1 cup of beans, cooked
1 large sliced carrot, cooked

Mix cream, honey, mustards and seasoning in a medium fry pan and heat.
Add cooked diced chicken, cooked sliced carrot and beans.
Mix well and serve with rice.

This serves four people.

Silver beet or spinach can be shredded finely and added to the sauce and meat as it's heating up..

My Menu Plan Friday 20th February - Friday 20th March 2015

Here is my latest menu plan.  It looks like we won't be getting too much hot weather in the next few weeks so I've changed some of the meals accordingly.  I've introduced some cooler weather meals as we transition into Autumn.  Of course,  my menu plan is not set in stone.  I'm sure outing will crop up and there might be days when we don't feel like eating the meal on the plan.  That ok.  We have plenty of food in the house so we won't starve.

Fri 20th - Homemade hamburgers and wedges
Sat 21st - Salad and fish cooked in foil

Sun 22nd - Get your own but feed me
Mon 23rd - Salad and crumbed fish portions and smashed potatoes
Tues 24th - Roast chicken ( on BBQ ) with potato / pumpkin mash and veggies
Wed 25th - Homemade hamburgers - we were given rolls that couldn't be frozen.
Thurs 26th - Tuna pasta bake and greens
Fri 27th - KFC chicken drumsticks and salad
Sat 28th - Freezer meals

Sun 1st March  Get your own but feed me
Mon 2nd - Tacos and a dessert of some description
Tues 3rd - Leg of lamb and roast veggies
Wed 4th - Shepherds pie with leftover lamb
Thurs 5th - Fish potions,  rice,  zuc slice and veggies
Fri 6th - Salad and chicken strips
Sat 7th - Chops and salad ( or veggies )

Sun 8th -  Homemade pizza
Mon 9th - Rissoles,  salad and baked potatoes
Tues 10th - Chicken curry in slow cooker with rice
Wed 11th - Homemade meat pie with veggies
Thurs 12th - Fish cooked in foil with mash and veggies
Fri 13th - Chicken hamburgers with wedges
Sat 14th - Honey mustard chicken with rice

Sun 15th - Toasted sandwiches
Mon 16th - Spag bol
Tues 17th - Beef stew in slow cooker with mash
Wed 18th - Roast chicken with roast veggies
Thurs 19th - Salmon patties with baked potatoes and salad
Fri 20th - Freezer meals

A roast meal

Chicken curry in the slow cooker

Homemade meat pie

Honey mustard chicken made from scratch.

Creamy Pasta Salad

This creamy pasta salad recipe is a lovely addition to a cold meal during Summer.  I serve it up as a side dish with a green garden salad,  sliced meat and maybe a baked potato or potato salad.  My girls get very excited when they find out I've made pasta salad.

350 g uncooked spiral or shell pasta
1 medium sized carrot grated
1 stick celery finely chopped
1 medium spring onion finely chopped
1/2 red capsicum diced
2/3 cup grated tasty cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
1 x 300 ml bottle ready made coleslaw dressing or mayonnaise

½ cup of water

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta as per instructions with a little salt

As the pasta is cooking prepare the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Drain the pasta well.  When cool,  add to the dressing and mix well.  Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

You can add or delete the spring onion,  capsicum or celery to suit your tastes

Serves 6 – 8 people as a side dish.

My Menu Plan Monday 19th January - Thursday 19th February 2015

Having a menu plan is a great way to save lots of time and money.  It eliminates meal time stress and gives you a chance to plan ahead.  Over the last month I've been a little slack with my menu plan.  For a few weeks I didn't have one as such but I always have a fully stocked pantry,  fridge and freezers.  It was no big deal as such as we didn't spend any extra money.  It just felt a little weird not having a plan.

Here's the long awaited new menu plan -

Mon 19th -   Roast chicken,  mash and veg
Tues 20th -  Slice meat,  pasta salad,  potato salad and green salad - Megan's birthday request.
Wed 21st -  Same as yesterday as I made double.
Thurs 22nd -  Tuna casserole and greens
Fri 23rd -  Bits and pieces from the fridge.
Sat 24th -  BBQ sausages,  rissoles and ribs with salad. - we had visitors
Sun 25th - Leftovers from yesterday.
Mon 26th -  Homemade hamburgers and wedges.
Tues 27th -  Soup made with Christmas ham bone,  potato,  carrots and corn
Wed 28th - Leftover soup and bread rolls
Thurs 29th - Fish portions,  wedges and salad.
Fri 30th -  Freezer meals ( leftovers I've frozen )
Sat 31st -  Homemade KFC chicken drumsticks and salad
Sun 1st Feb - Tacos
Mon 2nd -  BBQ sausages,  ribs and green salad
Tues 3rd - Spag bol
Wed 4th -  Homemade pizzas made with frozen Christmas ham
Thurs 5th - Salmon patties and salad
Fri 6th -  Chicken schnitzels and salad
Sat 7th -  Megan's party so it could be bought pizzas for the girls
Sun 8th - Get your own but feed me
Mon 9th -  BBQ rissoles,  potato slices and salad
Tues 10th -  Meatloaf,  salad, and baked potatoes
Wed 11th -  Homemade meat pie and greens
Thurs 12th - Tuna pasta bake
Fri 13th -   Homemade hamburgers
Sat 14th -  Chicken and salad
Sun 15th - Get your own but feed me
Mon 16th -  BBQ chops and salad
Tues 17th -  Honey mustard chicken and rice
Wed 18th -  Lasagne and greens
Thurs 19th -  Fish potions,  zuc slice and vegies. 

As always, the menu can change at any time depending on the weather.

Everything is made from scratch including sauces.  The only exception is the fish portions.  Fish is so expensive and the portions are a cheap way to have a little fish.

A roast dinner

Pizza subs - one of the many ways we make pizzas.

Honey mustard chicken

Family Meat Pie

2 sheets of puff pastry
400 grams of beef mince
3 tablespoons of gravy powder
3 teaspoons of onion flakes or one small onion diced
Salt, pepper and parsley to taste
2 tablespoons of corn flour
1 1/4 cup of water
2 medium / large potatoes peeled and diced into small cubes
1 egg beaten

Cook mince and drain off any fat. Add onion, salt, pepper and parsley. Sprinkle gravy powder over meat and mix in well In a cup mix the corn flour and water. Add to the mince and stir until meat thickens. Let the meat cool.

Place one sheet of puff pastry into a greased round pie plate. Cut the corners off the second pastry sheet and place these triangles onto the edges of the first sheet to give it a more rounded look. Spoon the meat onto the pastry pushing down and evening it out. Place cubed potato on top. Add the pastry lid and roll and fold the edges down. Brush the top with egg and spike the lid with a skewer. Cook in an oven at 190 degrees celcius for one hour.

Serves 4 people with vegies on the side. Can be frozen if fresh meat is used and cooked.

The meat for the pie can be made in bulk ahead of time and frozen into portion sizes.

 

Pie straight out of the oven

Meat I'd already cooked ,  frozen and defrosted

Cutting the potato into small cubes

Please take note of the pastry for the bottom.

Ready for the oven

It is really filling

A close up.  Sorry,  there was lots of steam.