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 

Hoovers Doovers

This recipe is an old family favourite from my childhood.  When Mum first made them,  Dad called them Hoovers Doovers as he thought that's how you pronounced hors d'oeuvres. As with most of my recipes,  you can make them your own by adding your favourite ingredients.  My inlaws like to add pineapple to theirs.


Bread - sandwich sliced of any type
Butter or margarine

Butter approximately 12 - 14 slices of bread and place onto large flat baking trays

In a bowl place -

1 1/2 large tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes finely diced
4 eggs
Diced ham or bacon - about 150 -200 grams
1 1/2 - 2 cups of grated cheese
2 teaspoons of dried onion flakes or 1/2 small onion finely diced
1 teaspoon of chives or parsley
Salt or garlic salt, pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together.  The mixture should be wet and thick. Add another egg if needed.
Spoon onto bread and spread to the edges with a fork.
Cook in the oven for 25 - 30 mins @ 200c until the bread is golden underneath.

Serve hot.  They are best eaten fresh but can be refridgerated  for two days but must be covered.  Can be frozen.

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 ?

Bulk Cooking

Bulk cooking is a great way to save time in the kitchen. For those of you who are new to this concept, it pretty much means exactly that. You cook multiple meals at the same time to store in the freezer. The benefits of bulk cooking are -

* It saves time in the kitchen at meal times.
* Saves on electricity / gas.
* Emergency meals on hand in the freezer
* Helps avoid the takeaway temptation.
* Meal preparation is simplified
* Older children can get tea ready for you if you are sick or faced with an emergency.
* Great for taking on holidays
* Unexpected visitors can be fed.
* Peace of mind
* Great for portion controlling the meat.
* Being prepared for sickness in the house
* Being ready for financial hardship.

The benefits I listed above really are wonderful.  Most importantly,  bulk cooking is about getting your house in order.  I cannot stress enough how important this is for you,  your family and your friends.  Here's a question for you to think about.  If an emergency came to your home,  would your family and friends have to feed you ?  Yes it's wonderful to have a meal offered to you,  but would you be relying on others to get you through a crisis or emergency ?

I've lost track of the amount of times I've been asked to provide meals for others.  I try to help when I can but often these requests come at a time when I'm away on holidays,  having a very busy week or I'm sick.  Also, to be honest my budget doesn't stretch to feed other families.  Then I feel a little guilty that I can't help. Then I worry that the person or family doesn't have food to eat.

We've had a few emergencies visit our family over the years.  Five years ago I was hospitalised for a kidney stone.  Thankfully my sister in law and her mother were able to take care of our girls at short notice.  Darren took food out of the freezer to bring into the hospital for him to eat while he sat at my bedside.  After I'd been home for a few days,  we remembered we had a visitor coming for lunch. This had been organised a week earlier.  Thankfully I had lots of soup and chocolate brownies in the freezer to serve.  The visitor didn't know I'd been in hospital a few days earlier.  She guessed something was up when I had to sit down while Darren and the girls organised lunch.

Both Darren and my Mum have been hospitalised right on Christmas a few years running.  During those times, I had to drop what I was doing to be with them.  Thankfully I had a menu plan and plenty of meals in the freezer to defrost and eat.  It was one less thing to worry about.

Most of the meals I bulk cook are made with beef mince or chicken.   I buy a couple of two kilo trays of mince at a time. I try to plan this when I have a couple of days off from work. I then weigh out the amount of raw meat I need for the multiple meals I plan to cook.  The other option is to cook a double amount of food when you are preparing dinner each night.

For spag bol I use 300g for the four of us. If I want to make four meals for us then I weigh out 300g x four meals = 1200g. I cook the mince in a large electric fry pan and add four tins of tomatoes, four serves of tomato paste and four times the amount of seasonings. Once cooled it is spooned into four containers and frozen.

I use 400g of mince to make pie meat. This is eventually made into a family sized pie that serves the four of us. If I want to make pie meat for four pies I weigh out 400g x four meals = 1600g. It is cooked, seasoned, thickened with gravy powder and corn flour. When cooled it is divided into four containers and frozen. When frozen I empty it out of the container and double wrap it, label and date it and pop it back in the freezer. When I want to make a pie, it's defrosted in the fridge overnight then spooned onto a pastry lined pie plate and topped with cubed potato. A pastry lid is placed on top then cooked in the oven.

I use 400g of mince to make a meatloaf. To make four meatloaves I weigh out 400g x four meals = 1600g. I need 3 tablespoons of uncooked rice x four meatloaves = 12 tablespoons. This is cooked and added to the raw mince with salt, pepper, onion, parsley, four eggs and large squirts of tomato sauce. Mix well and divide into four meatloaf / baking tins and cook at the same time in the oven. When cooled double wrap and place in the freezer.

I hope these recipe ideas give you inspiration to give bulk cooking a go. It only takes a few hours to have 15 - 20 family sized meals ready for the freezer.  It's a small sacrifice to make for your family's peace of mind in a crisis.

Chocolate brownies from the freezer

Single serves for the freezer

Hamburger patties in bulk

Trays of zucchini slice ready to portion and freeze

Soup for the soul and freezer.

Do you bulk cook for your family ?  How has bulk cooking helped you in a crisis ?

Fish Cooked In Foil

Back in the day when my girls were doing swimming lessons,  I had to find simple things to cook on swimming night.  There was no point in cooking a roast as time was scarce.  After watching a few cooking shows,  I came up with this recipe that ticks all my boxes - simple,  tasty, can be prepared earlier and very quick to put together.

I've used a few difference types of fish for this recipe with Blue Grenadier being the cheapest to buy on most occasions.  Here's what you need -

Aluminium foil
Baking paper ( not waxed )
Canola or olive oil spray
Long oven tray
Fish
Butter
2 lemons - one sliced, one juiced
Seasoning to taste.  I use salt,  pepper,  garlic,  paprika and  parsley

Tear off a long piece of foil and lay flat on the baking tray.
Tear off a slightly smaller piece of baking paper and lay on top of the foil.
Lightly spray the baking paper with canola or olive oil.
Lay the fish in the middle of the baking paper length ways
Drizzle the lemon juice over the fish
Season the fish to taste with your choice of seasonings
Add a couple of knobs of butter to each piece of fish
Lay the sliced lemon on top of the butter.
Bring the long sides of the foil and baking paper together in the middle and fold over a couple of times.
Then fold the short ends of the foil to form a sealed parcel.
Bake in the oven on 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes then check to see if the fish is cooked.
Serve with rice,  steamed vegetables or a salad.
Use some of the juices from the fish to pour over the fish or rice when serving.

Zucchini Slice

This zucchini slice recipe is wonderful to eat all year round.  In Summer I serve it with salad,  a baked potato and fish.  In Winter it's served with rice,  steamed veggies and any meat.  My girls don't like zucchini as a vegetable but they'll happily eat my zucchini slice.  I think it's the cheese on top that makes it appealing.

2 large zucchinis,
1 large carrot,
1 large potato
A couple of pieces of pumpkin ( optional ).
2 eggs
2/3 cup of plain flour
Salt,  pepper,  garlic granules or powder to taste
1 tablespoon of chives or parsley ( dried or fresh )
1 tablespoon of onion flakes or 1/2 a finely diced fresh onion

Grate the zucchini,  carrot,  potato and pumpkin.
Squeeze all the juice from the grated veggies
Place all the grated veggies into a large bowl and mix together.
Add the eggs,  flour and seasonings and mix well
Place into a large greased oven / casserole dish and pat down with your hand..
Top with grated cheese and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.

NOTES -

*  This recipe is interchangeable. Any veggie listed can be increased or deleted depending on what you have on hand

*  Using a food processor makes light work of all the grating.

*  This recipe is easy to double or triple if you have an abundance of zucchinis.

*  I sometimes add ham or bacon but this does increase the cost of the slice..

*  Can be frozen.  I cut up into portion sizes, and place squares of cut up cereal packet between each slice.  Then cling wrap and place in a freezer bag.

*  Keeps for up to one year in the freezer or 48 hours in the fridge.   

Slabs of zucchini slice

Honey Soy Chicken

Once upon a time I was one of those people who bought sauces to pour over chicken to make a tasty meal.  This recipe was one of the first I attempted to make from scratch so I could save a little money and reduce our consumption of preservatives.  Once cooked,  the chicken is tasty,  sticky and worthy of licking your fingers.  

3 tablespoon of plain flour 

2 tablespoons of honey

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

Dried onion flakes

Dried chives

Pepper to taste

Garlic powder or granules

Chicken pieces – any piece will do.

Aprox. 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Coat the chicken pieces in flour.

Brown the chicken in a fry pan with the olive oil.  Transfer to an oven dish.

Melt the honey in the microwave for 20 seconds until runny.  

Add the soy sauce and stir.  

Using a pastry brush,  brush the sauce over the chicken pieces 

Sprinkle the seasonings over the chicken.

Cook covered in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius   
Turn the chicken over,  baste with the juices and cook for another 20 minutes uncovered. . 

Serve with rice or mash and vegetables.

Ready to eat

Browned and seasoned

Half way through cooking in the oven.

 

Spaghetti Bolognaise

300 grams of minced beef

Salt,  pepper,  onion flakes,  oregano,  basil and garlic granules

1 x 420g tin of chopped or crushed tomatoes

1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste

350 grams of pasta

Grated cheese

Place the pasta in salted boiling water and cook as per instructions.

Brown the mince in a medium fry pan.  Drain any fat. 

Add all the seasonings to taste and toast for one minute with the meat.  

Add the tinned tomatoes and stir until combined.  

Simmer for 5 minutes then add the tomato paste and stir well.

Drain the pasta and serve in bowls.  

Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Serves 4 people.

NOTES -

*  Grated carrot,  zucchini or shredded silverbeet can be added to boost the family's vegetable intake.

*  I like to make this in bulk by quadrupling the recipe and freezing the sauce in take away food containers.  This makes a handy and very quick meal for those busy nights.  If planning ahead,  defrost the sauce in the fridge for 1 - 2 days to save on microwave time. 

Ready to eat

Cooking the pasta sauce.

You can never have too much grated cheese

My Menu Plan 16th August - 15th September 2015.

After a few months of not having a menu plan,  it's wonderful to get back into the routine.  My mind is a ease and the family just loves to see what's on the menu for tea each night.

Here's the long awaited menu plan for the Gower's -

Sun 16th   -  lunch at Cath's place after arriving home from the workshop.  Get Your Own that night.

Mon 17th  -  KFC drumsticks with tomato relish,  wedges and salad
Tues 18th  -  Tuna Pasta Bake with greens
Wed 19th  -  Meals out of the freezer
Thurs 20th  -  Fish in foil,  rice and steamed veg
Fri 21st  -  Homemade hamburgers and wedges
Sat 22nd  -  Veggie soup and toast
Sun 23rd  -  Get your own but feed me 

Mon 24th  -  KFC drumsticks ( we have lots in the freezer ), mash and steamed veg
Tues 25th  -  Homemade meat pie with steamed veg
Wed 26th  -  Meat pie leftovers and anything from the freezer
Thurs 27th  -  Roast chicken with roast veg and cauliflower and white cheese sauce
Fri 28th -  Spag bol with garlic and herb toast
Sat 29th  -  Chicken curry with rice
Sun 30th  -  Get your own but feed me.

Mon 31st  -  Honey soy drumsticks with mash and steamed veg
Tues 1st  -  Beef stew and mash
Wed 2nd  -  Wedding Anniversary so maybe out for tea
Thurs 3rd  -  Fish in foil,  wedges and steamed veg
Fri 4th  -  Rissole casserole with mash
Sat 5th  -  Chops,  mash and steamed veg
Sun 6th  -  Father's Day.  Might cook something special at home

Mon 7th  -  Saucy chicken drumsticks with rice and steamed veg
Tues 8th  -  Chop suey and mash
Wed 9th  -  Roast leg of lamb with roast veg and steamed veg
Thurs  10th  -  Tuna casserole and greens
Fri 11th  -  Shepherds pie made with left over lamb
Sat 12th  -  Homemade meat pie with steamed veg
Sun 13th  -  Get your own but feed me

Mon 14th  -  KFC drumsticks with mash and steamed veg
Tues 15th  -  Homemade lasagne with steamed veg

NOTES

*  I don't cook on Sundays.  We are generally busy with church or family get togethers.  I cook six nights a week for my family so Sunday night is their turn to serve me.  It also gives them a chance to learn new skills in the kitchen.

*  The menu plan is not set in stone.  If something comes up I just swap it around.

*  I always defrost the meat in the fridge as it's the safest way I know.  If something comes up and we can't eat it that night,  it's safe for another day.

*   The veggies we eat are the cheapest in season I can find.  We also have lots of blanched veggies in the freezer.  Someone commented on an earlier menu saying we eat a lot of potato.  As I said,  the menu isn't set in stone.  Some nights I look at the menu and might change the mash to rice.

*  We don't have any special dietary requirement in my family.

* We rarely have dessert as the main meals are enough.

*  Left overs are frozen that night and written into the menu plan as a free / freezer meal.

lasagne and streamed veg

chicken curry in the slow cooker

Family meat pie

Hamburgers and wedges at home

fish in foil

Rissole Casserole

This is another one of my made up recipes.  I love a good casserole and mash and this one ticks all the boxes.  I'm the best Mum ever when I make this for my family.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

500 grams of beef mince

1 medium carrot peeled and diced

2 – 3 medium mushrooms sliced

½ a zucchini diced

1 cup of frozen or fresh beans

1 stick of celery diced

1 tin of tomato soup

Salt and pepper to taste

Good shake of dried oregano,  basil,  onion flakes and garlic

500 - 700 ml of water

1 cup of uncooked shell or 1 1/2 cups of spiral pasta

Roll mince into small balls. 

Place into a large oblong casserole dish. 

Add carrot,  celery,  mushrooms,  beans and zucchini over the top. 

Sprinkle on the seasonings.  

Mix the soup with 500 - 700 ml of water and pour over everything..
Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius 

Take out of oven,  remove the foil and add the pasta.  

Push the pasta under the liquid so that it cooks.  Replace the foil.  

Return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until the pasta has cooked through. 
Serve with mash and crusty bread.  

Serves 4 – 6 people. 

Freezes well.

NOTES -

*  If you have the time,  brown the rissoles in a fry pan first then add to the casserole dish.

*  I'm all for budget ingredients but this is a dish that needs a good quality tomato soup.  The Aldi brand is strong in flavour and dilutes well without loosing too much taste. Please don't use a generic brand unless you add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for extra flavour..

*  This is a recipe where you can add any vegetables you have on hand. 

*  Left overs are great on toast.

Winter comfort food.

Browned rissoles with added carrot.

Adding silverbeet - because I can.

Ready to serve.

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