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Tag: recipe

  • SHED: How to make gravy… with Paul Kelly

    SHED: How to make gravy… with Paul Kelly

    gravy recipeTHERE’S one thing I’m thankful for when it comes to this blog. Sure, it may take up far too much of my wife’s time, but it’s come in rather handy for storing our fave recipes. Kel’s uploaded what she calls her ultimate dish – Smoked Salmon and Tomato Pasta – and I’ve got my Choccie Hot Cross Bun and Butter Pudding. Yep, I’m a hit in the house with that one.

    One of my new favourite recipes is gravy. How To Make Gravy was a sensational song by one of my all-time favourite artists Paul Kelly. The recipe inside the song was quite involved. I’m sure it would have been delicious though.

    There’s nothing more I love than a gravy built using the juices from the pan, but when you want an easy gravy for a once-a-week steak night and either don’t want or don’t have any gravy powder, this is a recipe I stumbled upon.

    Every time I want to make it, I can’t seem to find it again. So, here it is. Forever etched in the pages of this blog.

    PS. It’s surprisingly delicious.

    Ingredients

    1 large onion (cut into thinly sliced onion rings)
    1 tsp salt (more to taste if wish)
    1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
    1/4 cup cooking oil
    3 tbs flour
    2 1/2 cups water
    1 tbs tomato paste
    Chopped chilli to taste could be added (if you were eating without the kids).

     

    Method:

    Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat and when hot add the flour. Make sure flour is well mixed.

    Add the onions. Cook till the onions are golden brown (not black) and coated in the now crusty flour-oil mixture. Might take five or so minutes.

    Reduce heat to medium. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste and mix well for a 15-20 seconds (if you want chilli, add it now too).

    Now add water, salt, pepper. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer.

    Simmer, stirring regularly until you reach your own desired consistency. Add more salt if required. Drain the contents of the pan through a sieve into a bowl, dispose of the onions and there you have it. Or keep the onions in it and you have onion gravy (Princess Ella is not a huge fan of onions yet though).

    We’ve even substituted barbecue sauce for the tomato paste when out of the latter with similarly delicious results (just up the quantity a little though).

    This easily serves four or five. If feeding more just up the quantities. Enjoy.

    gravy recipe

    What’s your favourite recipe? Do you make your own gravy from scratch?

    Linking up with the lovely Kate Says Stuff’s Thankful Thursday. Click on the link to find out what others are thankful for this week.

  • RECIPE: Smoked salmon and tomato pasta

    RECIPE: Smoked salmon and tomato pasta

    Smoked Salmon and Tomato Pasta

    IN THE midst of trying to find what I was Thankful For so I could be part of Kate Says Stuff’s meme for the first time, I discovered this Smoked Salmon and Tomato Pasta recipe in the archives. I previously used it as a guest post for the lovely Dannie from A Dose of Dannie some months back. However, I can’t help but want to share it on my blog too, with just a little bit of a change.

    There are a few reasons I’m thankful for this, my all-time favourite dish:

    • It gives me a pick me up every time I eat it.
    • It uses Tasmania’s finest export – salmon. This is why I love this State.
    • As I said previously, it’s devoured by our three-year-old faster than bikini bottoms on Kirstie Alley. Who created the child with expensive taste?

    So, without further ado, here’s the recipe. You’ll be thankful you follow the blog after this one. *wink wink*

    Smoked Salmon and Tomato Pasta

    INGREDIENTS:

    100g sliced Tasmanian smoked salmon

    1 Tablespoon mixed herbs

    Juice from one lemon

    Olive oil

    1 onion, finely chopped

    1 garlic clove

    400g tinned diced tomatoes

    Pepper

    2 teaspoons sugar

    375g angel hair spaghetti

    METHOD:

    Cut the salmon into strips and mix with herbs and lemon juice. Saute the garlic and onion in olive oil. Add tomatoes, sugar and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

    Meanwhile, cook pasta and drain. Mix pasta into the tomato sauce with half the smoked salmon. Garnish the top of the dish with the remaining salmon.

    Note: Pre-kids we added a little chilli to give it some spice, but it works just as well without.

    What dish are you thankful for? Which one gives you a pick me up?

    Linking up with the lovely Kate Says Stuff’s Thankful Thursday. Click on the link to find out what others are thankful for this week.

  • FEATURE: First Foods I Fed My Frills ebook review

    FEATURE: First Foods I Fed My Frills ebook review

    WE’VE been blessed with two girls who rarely turn up their noses to new foods. We’ve always credited three-year-old Ella’s wide and varied tastebuds to trying all manner of foods when she was starting out. She now loves olives, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes (sometimes) and eggplant (if it’s on homemade pizza). We’re hoping to strive for the same outcome with Baby Holly. (Me? Well, that’s a different story. I just cannot do olives.)

    With Holly reaching eight months, sometimes I need a bit of recipe inspiration, especially when I like to cook everything myself. Holly’s already started on the finger food. Vol-au-vents and canapes, of course. Although, I’m learning again how there’s a fine line between learning to feed yourself and just throwing the food down like it’s going out of fashion. Talk about a choking hazard.

    As an avid reader of the Frills In the Hills blog, I was more than a little excited to hear Liss had released the ebook First Foods I Fed My Frills. I was secretly hoping there might be an opportunity to review it and there was. Although, to be honest, at a rather affordable $5 I would have been more than happy to pay for it.

    What I like is that mum-to-three Liss doesn’t preach hard and fast rules. It’s more about what’s possible at certain stages and letting parents know each child is different. This I can vouch for. There are also some wonderful resources at the end, a list of equipment (including one rather ingenious invention) and some handy snack food ideas.

    Holly in her high chair ready to eat.

    The most appealing part of the book for me though was the recipes for the whole family. I’m not into doing different meals for different family members, so it was here I needed the most inspiration. And I got it. The book is written in Liss’ usual conversational tone and is well worth a look for mums navigating their way through introducing their bubs to solids and the six months beyond that.

    I’ve signed on as an affiliate for Liss, so you can buy the book by clicking on the picture in my sidebar there. Well worth the $5 investment.

    What solids did your bub enjoy when starting out?

    **DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of First Foods I Fed My Frills for review. All opinions expressed are purely my own.

  • RECIPE: Choccie hot cross bun and butter pudding

    RECIPE: Choccie hot cross bun and butter pudding

    The “naughty'' ingredients

    THE Bloke in The Shed and Princess Ella donned aprons yesterday to put together this Eastery take on the humble bread and butter pudding. Comfort food to the extreme.

    If this doesn’t get you in the Easter mood, then nothing will. Except for probably Cadbury’s Roses, a cake of blackforest chocolate, Turkish Delish, oh, and maybe a few Ferreros. (*hint hint*).

    • One packet of choc chip hot cross buns (Either minis or regular size. Minis allow for better serving portions).
    • 30g butter, softened
    • 125g roughly chopped dark chocolate
    • If you want to be fancy 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped or just a few drops of vanilla essence.
    • Zest of one orange
    • 600mL thin cream
    • 600mL thickened cream
    • 4 eggs
    • 170g caster sugar
    • Icing sugar, to dust (after cooking).

    1. Split the hot cross buns and butter each half. Lay the bases, butter side down in a baking dish, sprinkle with the chopped dark chocolate, then place the bun tops on the bases, again butter side down with the crosses to the top.
    2. Place the vanilla in the saucepan with the creams and zest, and heat over low heat until just simmering. Remove from the heat.
    3. Beat the eggs and sugar until just combined, then pour into the warm cream, stirring continuously. Strain the custard over the buns and set the pudding aside for 30 minutes for the buns to soak up some of the custard. (The pudding can be prepared to this stage several hours in advance and refrigerated – just bring to room temperature before baking.). I found I had too much custard, but that’s OK because I stuck it in a bowl and put it in the fridge for another yummy dessert.
    4. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 170°C.
    5. Place the pudding dish in a large roasting pan and pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the pudding dish. Place in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the custard is set. Dust with icing sugar and serve with extra cream if desired.
    Leftover custard
    Hmmm, probably not a good idea to put icing sugar on before they go in the oven!
    Not the prettiest picture, but oh so yummy!

    What’s your favourite Easter dish?

  • Menu Plan Monday #2 + Slow cooker beef casserole

    Menu Plan Monday #2 + Slow cooker beef casserole

    Garlic from our garden

    THE garden is still rewarding us with vegies. This week it produced some rather tiny looking beetroot. Let’s call them baby beets. After Ella’s quite humorous response to eating beetroot, we roasted and then added them to homemade veggie pizza and suddenly they’re her favourite food.

    We were also fortunate this week to have Mum bring a large bag of spuds, two shopping bags full of green beans and a large bag of onions. The beauty of being connected to farmers.

    To top that off, my uncle gave us two large swedes, grown in Circular Head, which boasts the world’s purest air. So excuse us if there’s an overload of vegies on the menu this week.

    Monday: Slow cooker beef casserole (recipe below) with mashed potato

    Tuesday:  Atlantic salmon with vegetables

    Wednesday: Veggie soup with crusty bread + Chocolate Brownies (for dessert)

    Thursday: Leftovers (Julian not home)

    Friday: Tacos

    Saturday: Chicken and mushroom risotto

    Sunday: Pork medallions with zucchini slice

    I’m linking up with OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday and Ask Ms Recipe‘s Marvellous Menus. You find some more menu inspiration there.

    Here’s the recipe for Slow cooker beef casserole, which Julian cooked last night and will be leftovers tonight. How much do we love our slow cooker!

    • onions, courtesy of Mum

      1 large onion

    • 1kg blade or rump steak with fat trimmed
    • 2 large carrots
    • ½ swede
    • ½ zucchini
    • 2 cups beans
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 3 Tb tomato sauce
    • 2 Tb soy sauce
    • 2 tsp Wistershire sauce
    • 3 tsp of mango chutney
    • ½ cup beef stock or red wine
    • Mushrooms (optional)
    • Italian herbs
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 3 tsp cornflour (optional)

    Cut steak into strips or chunks and add to slow cooker. Pre cooking the meat is unnecessary and saves on cleaning.

    Dice all vegetables and add to slow cooker. Add herbs, sauces and garlic and mix. Put lid on. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Make a paste with cornflour and water and add to casserole to thicken, if necessary. Alternatively, you can take the liquid out, put into a separate pot and reduce by boiling.

    Add salt and pepper to season. Serve with mashed potato.

    What’s your favourite kitchen utensil? Does your slow cooker get a good work out?

  • Menu Plan Monday #1

    Menu Plan Monday #1

    Zucchini fritters

    OUR garden is mass producing zucchinis, to the point we just can’t keep up. And not just your average sized zucchinis – these look like they’ve been on steroids.

    Having eaten enough zucchini sliced onto pizza, chopped into soup and grated into Bolognese, slice and muffins, this week we’re returning to Julian’s Zucchini Fritters recipe. The beauty of these is they can be frozen, so you’re not eating them for the rest of the week.

    You’ll notice the menu also has an overdose of salad, due to the garden also spurting out an abundance of cos lettuces and cucumbers. Funny thing is, we’re not even very good gardeners.

    Monday: Gourmet beef pies with salad

    Tuesday:  Easy crumbed chicken strips (using fresh lemon and pepper) with zucchini fritters

    Wednesday: Smoked salmon and tomato pasta (recipe to come)

    Thursday: Leftovers (Julian not home)

    Friday: Scotch fillet steak with homemade chips and salad

    Saturday: Homemade vegetarian pizza

    Sunday: Roast pork and vegetables

    For the first time, I’m linking up with OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday and hope this will become a regular. You’ll find some more menu inspiration there.

    Here’s the recipe for:

    Zucchini Fritters

    • 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
    • 1 cup milk
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 large corn cobs, kernels removed
    • 1 zucchini, grated
    • 1 Tb olive oil
    • 1 clove garlic, chopped
    • 150g bacon, diced
    • 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
    • 50g ricotta cheese

    Lightly fry garlic and bacon. Whisk milk and eggs together. Pour into bowl with flour and stir until smooth. Add zucchini, corn, garlic, mixed herbs, ricotta, garlic and bacon and combine.

    Add oil to large frying pan. Spoon mixture (about ¼ cups worth) into pan, being careful not to overload the pan. Cook for three to four minutes each. Serve.

    Do you plan your menu in advance? What’s for dinner at your house this week?