DINNER: KUMARA & SAUSAGE MEATLOAF

400 g sausage meat
400 g beef mince
1/2 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 t crushed garlic
1 egg, beaten
1 T each: dried breadcrumbs, chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups cooked mashed kumara
salt and pepper
1/4 c grated cheese

Preheat oven to 180oC and line loaf pan with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine the sausage meat, mince, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley and half a cup of mashed kumara.  Mix to combine well and season to taste.

Pack firmly into loaf tin and smooth top. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and top meatloaf with remaining kumara. Sprinkle with cheese and cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve with salad and tomato chutney.

* Can be made into mini loaves using smaller tins and cooking for slightly less after kumara is put on top

RECIPE FROM THE FOOD MAGAZINE

DINNER: THAI PORK MINCE ON RICE NOODLES

1 teaspoon oil
1 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T each: finely chopped lemongrass, grated fresh ginger
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
400 g lean pork mince
2 t each: mild curry paste, fish sauce, brown sugar
2 T lime juice
1 lebanese cucumber, deseeded and chopped
1/2 c Asian herbs, eg Thai basil or basil leaves, coriander leaves, mint
4 t sweet chilli sauce

Heat the oil in frying pan. Add the red onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chilli and stirfry over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion is soft.

Increase the heat to med-high, add the pork mince and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until brown.

Add the curry paste, fish sauce, brown suar and lime juice and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and divide the noodles between 4 serving bowls.

Top the noodles with pork mix, cucumber and herbs.  Drizzle with sweet chilli sauce.

HEALTH FACTS
ENERGY: 200kcal/serve
FAT: 3g/serve

Recipe from THE FOODTOWN MAGAZINE

DINNER: Asian Pork Subs

These were soooooo yummy! I definitely be making these again, they were fairly cheap too, 500g of Pork Mince was $6, the baguette $1.50, and the rest of the ingredients I already had in the pantry or garden.

SERVES 4
PREP TIME - 20 minutes
COOKING - 10 minutes

500g pork mince
1/4 c coriander, finely chopped
1 spring onion, sliced
1 egg
1 T fish sauce plus 1 T extra
2 t ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 c sweet chilli sauce
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
long french baguette, split 3/4 through
1 small butter lettuce, leave seperated
PICKLE
2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
1 Lebanese cucumer, peeled into ribbons (I just used telegraph)
2 T white vinegar
1 T white sugar

1. In a large bowl, combine mince, coriander, onion, egg, fish sauce, ginger and garlic. Roll Tablespoons into 16 balls.
2. Heat an oiled frying pan on high. Cook meatballs for 6-8 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through. 
3. PICKLE. Meanwhile, combine carrots, cucumber, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Cover and set aside. 
4. In a small bowl, mix sweet chilli, extra fish sauce and chilli together. 
5. Fill baguette evenly with lettuce, meatballs and pickle. Cut into 4 equal portions and drizzle with sauce to serve. 

Any leftover pickle can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

Recipe from Woman's Day.

Plymouth Pie Recipe

This is a Holy Moly yummo pie that is a definite fave on our meal list! It comes from Destitute Gourmet: Everyday Smart Food for the Family. I like to sneak in a few extra veges in there when available, like grated courgette or finely sliced silverbeet, and a large amount of veges on the side too! So here is the recipe:

1 T oil
1 onion, chopped
700g lean minced beef
1 T Worcestershire sauce
3 T plain flour
250 ml beef stock plus 1 beef stock cube
1 carrot, peeled and cut in fine dice
4 T tomato sauce
Pinch of mixed herbs
3/4 c peas
Salt and Pepper

Pie Crust
2 1/4 c plain flour
170 g butter
pinch of salt
1/2 c cold water
Egg for glazing

For the crust, mix the butter into the flour with the fingertips or in a food processor, add the salt and bring the mix together with col water.  Press the pastry into a ball and wrap in greaseproof paper/clingwrap. Rest in the fridge for half an hour.
To make the filling, heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion til soft. Add the beef to the pan and brown the meat.
Add the Worcestershire sauce and flour, mix well and stir in the stock and crumbled stock cube.  Add the carrot, tomato sauce and herbs then cover with a lid. Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the peas, season with salt and pepper and simmer another 3-5 minutes then set aside.
Divide the pastry in half and roll out. Line a 23-cm metal pie dish with pastry, fill with the cooled meat mix.  Cover with the remaining pastry, crimp the edges and brush with beaten egg.  Poke a couple of holes in the top to release steam and bake the pie at 190c for 30 minutes or until crisp and golden.

*We like cheese in this household, so I grated a cup of cheese on to the meat mix before putting the lid on the pie!

Dinner is served!!!

Oh and I hear that DG is working on a new cookbook with recipes $15 and under! Can't wait!

What's for Dinner Miss A???

Yesterday I was struggling to come up with something for dinner, feeling a bit blah and very uninspired, I asked Miss A what we should have for dinner. "Soup" she says!!!! Sounds good! So I start making a loaf of bread and off we go to the little shop around the corner for a pumpkin!!! $3.47 each! I really need to get a pumpkin vine in!!!

MUMMA'S EASY PUMPKIN SOUP

1 onion, diced
4 bacon slices, diced
2 T butter
Melt the butter in a large pot, fry onion and bacon until cooked.

1 pumpkin, peeled, seeded and chopped. Put all into the pot with 2 cups of chicken stock. Cover and simmer until the pumpkin is soft and mushy. Blitz with a stick mixer or in a processor. Season with salt and pepper, I also added a couple of pinches of nutmeg.

Just before serving, I stir in about 200ml of cream. Served with fresh bread!

There was plenty leftover too, some for the freezer and some for lunch today I think!

Yummy New Dinner!

Flicking through an old magazine I recently and came across this....

ONE-PAN CHICKEN BAKE
500 g baby tomatoes, skin on, sliced into chunks
8 cloves garlic, skin on
4 carrots, peeled and sliced (add other vege if you want, I used courgette and kumara as well)
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
1 large bunch of fresh basil
salt and peper
2 T olive oil
4 chicken Marylands (thigh and drum attached)

Preheat oven to 180c
Line a shallow baking tray with baking paper.
Scatter veges around the dish
Tear basil leaves and scatter over veges
Season and drizzile over the oil
Trim excess fat from the chicken, place skin side down on tp of the vege and season.
Bake for 45 minutes, turn the chicken pieces, skin side up. Bake for a further 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.
To serve, place veges on the plate, place the chicken on top and spoon over juices.