Colourful Pasta Salad - How can you resist this?

I'm still on the 'use up the food in your fridge' before you go shopping, kick
How about an Orzo Salad, packed full of flavour.
Colourful and a perfect light dinner. All the food groups covered.

Hot Smoked Salmon, Vege, Pasta and good Olive Oil, a touch of cider vinegar. 
Can't get much better than that.
It's really not a recipe, just some ideas
Use any amounts you like, it's up to you

In the fridge I found, mushrooms, half a red capsicum, some spring onions and parsley.
Perfect for marinated mushrooms, the start of my salad
Best to make this in advance, to get the flavours established

Slice up the vege
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss well in some French Dressing

Easiest French Dressing  
To make 300 mls
(I like to make it in a jar)
100 mls vinegar, I like to use Cider vinegar, it has a touch of sweetness
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Sea salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Shake well to emulsify
Start adding 200 mls Olive oil
Keep stirring with a fork
Set aside, all ready

Next step, I fossicked around in the fridge and found
Some Hot Smoked Peri Peri Salmon, You could use a Tin of Tuna

Some cooked asparagus and radishes
Slice them up set aside
I had some Tomatoes which I chopped and seasoned with S & P

I cooked the Orzo as per the manufacturers instructions
Toss with a couple of tablespoons of French Dressing and set aside
1 cup uncooked pasta will feed 2

Now to assemble
Orzo, Marinated Mushrooms, Asparagus and radishes

Drizzle with some more French Dressing, to your own taste
Toss and add Smoked Salmon

Gently stir, Plate
and garnish with Chopped seasoned Tomatoes

All that colour has to be good for you

Cheap and Cheerful Meat Loaf - Kid Friendly Dinner

It’s Thursday at Grandma’s and I decided to cook from the freezer and the pantry
I had a packet of Lamb and Rosemary Sausages in there.
450 gms on special at $8.00, gluten free, but I have added breadcrumbs to the loaf so  that's not applicable

While Grandma gets dinner ready, the kids are swimming. Bit chilly for me, but they didn't care

I got out the Trusty Triple Tested Cookbook, to get some ideas, this is a perfect cookbook for old fashioned cooking, things kids and old people like.
There is a Glazed Meat Loaf recipe which I have adapted.
It actually called for mince but I used the sausages instead 
I’ve added some extra vege. Corn and spinach in fact.

So ingredients
450 gms sausage meat/or hamburger mince
1 small onion finely chopped
3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped frozen and thawed spinach
1/2 cup frozen corn
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Glaze
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1 1/2 tsp golden syrup
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Combine ingredients and mix well
Pack into a greased loaf tin and bake in 175C oven for 30 minutes
You can do this earlier in the day and glaze just before you are ready to eat

Turn onto baking sheet and pour glaze over
Return to over and bake for 15 minutes
Slice and I brushed the excess glaze on the cut slices, that goes down well with the kids.
Serve with yummy mashed potatoes and in this case a crunchy coleslaw
Cabbage, Capsicum, Cucumber, Spring Onions all tossed in Homemade Mayo

And for Dessert. Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Pineapple, served with some whipped cream

Easy peasy, just melt the chocolate, either over a water bath, or in the Microwave
Make sure the fruit is well dried and then dip into warm chocolate
Leave to set on baking paper or foil.

Mince and Cheese Pie - A Old Fashioned Family Favourite

We were going out for a picnic, Daily outings for the beloved, these days
Thought I would swap the usual delicious fresh homemade sandwiches,
for Homemade Mince and Cheese Pies

For this dish I went back to the traditional Grandma’s (as in My Mum) tasty mince
None of your Italian herby, lots of vege, tomatoey Mince that you use for Lasagne, Spag Bol etc
No back to basics for this dish

1 large onion Chopped
600 gms mince
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
Ground Black Pepper
4 tablespoons Tomato Ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Beef Stock Cube dissolved in 2 cups hot water
Just enough to cover the mince2-3 tbs flour
3 tbs water enough to make a paste
Sauté the onions in  Olive Oil till soft but not brown
Add the mince and brown

Season with Ground black pepper
Add the Tomato Ketchup and Worcestershire Sauce
Stir well

Add beef stock so that the mince is just covered
Bring to boil and simmer for about 30 minutes

Mix the flour and water together to make a thick slurry

Take mince off the heat
Stir in flour,
Back on the stove and cook gently
Just light simmer, till Mince is nice and thick
Continue gently cooking, stirring regularly to cook out the flour
Careful, it can catch at this stage

Remove and cool, ready to put in your pastry cases

I had some help in the kitchen today, from my Grand daughter Cleo
She was very helpful
She grated the cheese that goes on top of the mince

So to make the pies
I use the frozen puff pastry sheets
So easy and cheap too
You also need some grated cheese and egg wash, to help give the pies, a nice golden glaze
Egg wash easy, just beat an egg with a few drops of water

So Lightly grease the pie tins
Roll the pastry to make a bottom and top

After you have prepared the pastry in the tins
Let it sit in the fridge, for about 20 minutes
It needs to rest a little, after all you have been giving it a hard time
Take it out, prick the bottom with a fork

Fill the case with mince
Sprinkle with Grated cheese
Place the lid on top
Press down the sides and crimp
Make a little steam hole
Brush with egg wash

C for Cleo on top
Into 200C oven and bake for 20-30 minutes
Till golden and crisp

Lunch is served
Of course, can't waste the trimmings
The Queen of hearts, she made some tarts
Jam Tarts in fact

She kindly let Dale have one, she has demolished 4
The rest are going home with her

Spring, Autumn - Food for Season Change - Orange Beef Casserole Covers Both

Daylight saving started here in New Zealand just a couple of weeks ago. Earlier than normal, but arranged around the School Vacation. Give the kids a chance to settle in.
Of course, it is the real start of the Spring Equinox, in my mind. 

The days are getting longer, it is warming up and it's the last of the winter type meals
Of course for those in the Northern hemisphere, it is all reversed.
This dish will cover both.

Cross cut blade steak, browned, gently simmered with root vegetables. Loads of flavour infused with the addition of Orange Chili Oil

Al Brown, makes this delicious Orange Chili Oil.
I guess someone else will supply it in other countries.
If not just use a Chili Oil and some grated zest of an orange.



Make your own Stock
I never waste the trimmings of the meat and vege
Just pop them into pot with a couple beef stock cubes and about 500 mls water
Simmer for about 30 minutes
Strain and reserve
Added flavour for your stew

For 3-4 people
Ingredients
700 gms Cross Cut Blade steak, fat trimmed off and cut into chunks
1/2 cup flour seasoned with Sea salt and Black pepper
3 Tablespoons Orange and Chili Olive Oi, if the oil is too hot for you break it down with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Large Knob of butter
1 large onion, segmented
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
1 large parsnip, cut into chunks
1 green mild chili de-seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper 
1 large orange juiced and zested
Beef Stock enough to cover meat and vege

Garnish
Grated Orange Zest and handful chopped Parsley
Plus a drizzle of the Orange Chili Oil

I like to flour and brown the meat. More flavour,
Toss the chopped meat in the seasoned flour, shake and reserve the flour

Into a medium hot pan,
Add chili orange oil,
throw in your meat, do not overcrowd the pan
You may have to do this in batches
Brown on all sides
Remove and place into casserole dish

Add onions to pan with the knob of butter
Cook gently till soft
Add carrots, parsnip, chili and garlic
Toss around and cook about 4-5 minutes
Add slosh of white wine to deglaze the pan
Cook down, till absorbed
add the remainder of the flour
Cook out the flour for about 3-4 mins
Add strained stock, see above, enough to cover the meat and vege
Bring to the boil, stirring and simmer till it has thickened

Add to the meat in the casserole

Meanwhile Preheat the oven to 175C 
Slowly cook for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours till thickened and meat is tender

Serve with some chopped parsley and grated orange zest
Finish off with a drizzle of the Orange Chili Oil

Delicious on its own, but even better with some mashed potatoes and some greens