Chicken Curry Including the 5 A Day Vege

In the fridge was a big bag of Chicken tenderloins
What to do with them???
First thing that came to mind was Chicken Curry

These days we are blessed with wonderful packets of Curry Paste
Much easier  than making it yourself and very very tasty

I like to use Vegeta as seasoning, it is salty and packed full of flavour.
And if you are so inclined .
It's Gluten Free

The beauty of this particular Curry is the amount of Vegetables included
Pumpkin at the moment is at it's peak, beautiful colour. It Has to be good for you

 So you need for 6 generous servings

2 packets Curry Paste
Chicken tenderloins 1kg
I large onion peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
500 gm piece pumpkin, peeled and cut into cubes
1 carrot sliced
2 courgettes sliced
Vegeta seasoning
1 tin coconut milk
Handful green beans sliced
1/2 Lime or Lemon

Chop chicken into 2cm cubes (approx)
In a large pan, add curry paste  let bubble slightly
Add chicken and stir well

In another pan sauté onions and garlic
Add carrot and pumpkin
Stir and cook gently till vegetables are tender
Add courgettes
Season with 1 tablespoon of Vegeta

When the Vegetables start to gain some colour add to chicken
Deglaze Vegetable pan with 1 cup hot water
Add to chicken
Top up with extra water till chicken is just covered
Simmer till tender about 15 minutes
Add coconut milk
Simmer for another 10 mins

Meanwhile top and tail then slice the green beans into 2.5 pieces
Blanch in boiling salted water
Add  to chicken
Cook for another 5 minutes
Set aside
This dish improves with time
Let those flavours meld
So preferably  cook at least an hour before serving
Even better earlier in the day
Before serving add the Juice half lime or lemon

Serve over rice with coriander on top
Dinner is served
Good for lunch the next day
Perfect

Meatball Stroganoff - Another Fun Way with Mince

When I was a newly married person, I really hadn't cooked a lot
Just the baking in the school holiday
You know...bake a batch of Fairy Cakes and eat the lot,
My Mother was not too happy having me around her feet
So when at the tender of age of 19, I was on my own 2 feet (so to speak)
I did find that I had a love of cooking...and really enjoyed being in the kitchen
I branched out and made Beef Stroganoff, I was so impressed with myself
In the Best Recipes Website, they had a recipe for Meatball Stroganoff
Once again there was mince in the fridge so off we went

As this post is not as colourful as most... I thought this photo of some fresh Chilies and Parsley from the garden is a welcome relief. 
No chilies in this dish but they look so pretty, I had to share

500g beef mince
1 egg
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
 2 tbs tomato paste
1 pinch seasoning
1 tbs oil
2 tbs butter
2 onion sliced
1 tsp garlic minced
250g mushrooms chopped
2 tbs plain flour
2 cup chicken stock (liquid)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp chopped parsley

Combine mince, egg, breadcrumbs, tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste.
Form into meatballs

Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large frying pan and
cook meatballs until browned and cooked through.

Remove from pan.
Chop mushrooms

In same pan, heat remaining butter and saute onion,

garlic and mushrooms until soft.

Stir in flour.

Remove from heat and gradually stir in stock.

Heat until mixture thickens.
Return meatballs to pan and stir until heated through.

 Stir in sour cream and parsley.

Serve with cooked pasta or rice.

Middle Eastern Beef Mince Bowl - More Fun with Mince

Lately every time I look in the fridge, I see Mince
I looked on the internet and in the Australian Best Recipes Website
I spied "100 Things to do with Mince"
I shall slowly work my way around this site

So First up Middle Eastern Beef Mince Bowl 
When I went shopping for the other ingredients, it turns out that wholemeal couscous is made from Spelt wheat...Still not good for Coeliacs but maybe better for those keeping away from regular wheat
Also I used Ras El Hanout for the Middle Eastern Seasoning

I found the seasoning a little strong so I added a little sugar just to lift it a bit
Worked for me

500 g lean beef mince
Olive oil 
1 tbs Moroccan seasoning
1 tsp sugar 

1 red onion thinly sliced
350 g butternut pumpkin peeled cut into 2cm pieces
1/2 cauliflower cut into florets
2 Courgettes grated
80 g Baby Rocket

1 cup wholemeal couscous
1 1/2 cups well flavoured stock  (I use a powdered stock, Chicken, rather than Beef in this case)

To Serve
1 bunch coriander
1 handful toasted pine nuts
Lemon wedges 

Preheat oven to 180C
Prepare Cauliflower and Butternut, season with Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Sprinkle with Olive Oil 
Roast until Butternut is tender

In a dry frypan toast pine nuts  until they become fragrant and start to turn golden
Keep an eye on them
They are so oily they burn quickly

Heat half the oil in a large wok or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. 
Add mince and cook for 4-5 minutes or until browned.
Add Moroccan seasoning, sugar and a little water if it is looking too dry

 Meanwhile

Bring the chicken stock to the boil
Sprinkle couscous over the top
Stir
Cover and leave for 5 minutes
Remove cover and fluff up with a fork
Place in a serving bowl

In another pan add 1 tablespoon oil
Add onion,

Cook till softened, then add the grated courgette

 Stir around for about 3-4 minutes

 Mix the mince and courgette mixture together with the rocket leaves and spread over the
cous cous along with the roasted cauliflower and butternut

Sprinkle over the toasted Pine nuts and Coriander 

Voila
Dinner is served

Afghans A Family Favourite - White Sugar Free

It seems, if you wish for your sugar intake to be healthier, use Coconut Sugar, or Date Paste
Certainly not the cheaper option but what's a few dollars when you are thinking about your health!!!

I'm not sure about this...I think personally,  just cut back your intake
Probably better for you
BUT let's not cut out all treats
So with the "Slight" Health Benefit in mind, I made this family favourite
I used Date Paste for the substitute in the cookies
and popped the Coconut Sugar into the blender to get to the consistency of Icing Sugar
It worked, just a more expensive option
For a cheaper option, Just use same quantities of sugar and ordinary icing sugar

The Date Paste should be available in any good supermarket

For the cookies

200 gms butter

1/2 cup Date Paste

1 1/4 cups Standard Plain Flour

1/4 cup Cocoa

2 cups Cornflakes

Chocolate Icing 

1 cup Icing Sugar or Substitute Coconut Sugar

1/2 Tablespoon Cocoa 

Knob of butter

1 tablespoon  (approx) Hot Water 

Few drops Vanilla Essence 

Chopped Walnuts (Optional)

Cream Butter and Date paste until light and fluffy

Sift Flour and Cocoa

Stir into creamed mixture

Fold in cornflakes

Spoon mounds of mixture onto a greased oven tray

gently pressing down with a fork

Bake at 180C for 15 - 20 minutes or until set

When cold ice with chocolate icing and decorate with chopped walnuts if desired

Recipe says Makes around 20 - 24
I got 16 so allow for that

For the Icing

We made the icing using coconut sugar

Just pop the coconut sugar into your Blender to get to the consistency of icing sugar 

Just mix all the ingredients together to the consistency that works for you 
Probably have to sift the sugar like you do with Icing sugar but not mandatory !

Sprinkle chopped walnuts on top

Voila

Beautiful

It's Feijoa Season - Make a Loaf

It’s Feijoa Season
There are Feijoas everywhere you look

We had a bunch of them, so there was no way Granddaughter Cleo could eat all of them so I made Feijoa Loaf

Found this recipe on The Chelsea Sugar Website
If you don’t have any self raising flour
Just replace with 2 cups plain flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup peeled and chopped feijoas
1 cup boiling water
1 cup Chelsea White Sugar
50 gms butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking Soda
2 cups self raising flour


Grease and flour loaf container
I like to line the bottom with some baking paper
Pre heat oven to 180C

Place feijoas , boiling water, sugar and butter into a pot
Simmer for 5 minutes

Cool slightly, then beat in the egg, flour and baking Soda

Pour into prepared loaf container and bake for 45-50 minutes
I like to check after 30 minutes

Cool on a rack in the container it was baked in
Tip out
Slice and slather some butter on it

Beautiful