Silverbeet!

To use up some of the huge bunch of silverbeet, I made this recipe which came from the clever ladies at Tomatoes for Breakfast

~Silverbeet & Chickpeas with Chorizo~
2 chorizo sausages sliced (or 4 rashers bacon)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tin tomatoes, crushed
1 tsp mixed dried herbs
1 tin chickpeas, drained
1/2 tsp sugar
about 6 stems of silverbeet, stalks removed and shredded (or 3 stems, leaves shredded and stems finely diced)

Heat a heavy based pan and fry off chorizo over low-med heat, until crispy. Remove and rest.

Add onion and cook till soft and golden, then add garlic and cook a bit longer. (At this point add silverbeet stalks if using, and cook a little longer.) Stir through paprika and allow to fry off until fragrant.

Add all ingredients except silverbeet leaves, and simmer until it thickens.

Add silverbeet and stir through until wilted, then add back in the chorizo or bacon. Serve with toasted pide or fresh crusty bread.


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It was delicious! The fussiest son, number 3, only really ate the chick peas which he picked out of the dish. The other 2 ate it all, but 1 thought the chorizo was a bit spicy. I did use the stems, but it did not really use enough of my big bunch of silverbeet. I think this recipe could have used a bit more. I think I will investigate a silverbeet soup next.

Feeding Boys

I am the mother of 3 sons, who eat fairly well now, and I know they are going to eat more as they get older.

I am always looking for healthy, economical ways to feed them, especially snacks, as it is too easy to give them unhealthy, pre-packaged, expensive stuff.

I have found this Choice article quite useful, also these links
http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/infopages/2035.html

http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/document/NHF/esps_snacks_breakfast_drinks.pdf

http://www.chw.edu.au/parents/factsheets/fosnackj.htm

http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/pdf/easylunch.pdf

Fruit and Veg

I have my fruit and vegetables and also milk bread and eggs delivered by this company http://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/
They deliver a selection of seasonal fruit and veggies, which varies every week depending on what is available. It requires creativity to use what is delivered, but I enjoy it and it is better than eating the same old thing all the time. This week I have an enormous bunch of silver beet to use.
Not sure about that one yet....

Easy Pineapple Cake

Some friends came over on the weekend and brought this cake. It was very yummy and sounds super simple.

2 cups self raising flour
1 cup sugar
440g can crushed pineapple

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a cake tin and bake at 180C for about 40 minutes.

Some Favourites

These are some of my favourite recipes from Taste. I wanted to put them here because some good recipes have disappeared from that site.

Chocolate and raspberry baked ricotta cake

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 3/4 cup (165g) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 100g butter, melted
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup frozen raspberries

• Raspberry sauce

• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup frozen raspberries

Method

1. Place ricotta in a sieve over a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight, if time permits (this allows excess moisture to drain from ricotta).
2. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line base and sides of a 6.5cm-deep, 22cm (base) round cake pan with baking paper.
3. Sift flour and cocoa into a bowl. Add sugar, butter, water and ricotta. Mix well. Gently fold through raspberries. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Turn onto wire rack to cool.
4. Make raspberry sauce: Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons cold water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Add raspberries. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes.
5. Cut cake into wedges. Place on plates. Spoon over raspberry sauce. Serve.

Source

Super Food Ideas - October 2006, Page 90

Recipe by Kirrily La Rosa

standardrose added this comment at 05:52pm Sun 29th June, 2008

5 out of 5

Made this last night for some friends, it was great. I had a bit less than 250g of ricotta that I wanted to use, so I added it all without any problems. The cake was a bit dense down the bottom, but it actually looked very similar to the photo, and was delicious. Also I did not drain the ricotta. Also it when checked after 1hr 20 mins cooking the skewer came out clean - perfect timing. I'll definitely make it again.

Orange self-saucing pudding

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 orange, rind finely grated
• 60g butter, melted, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 egg
• ice-cream, to serve

• Sauce

• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

Method

1. Lightly grease an 8cm deep, 6-cup capacity, heatproof, microwave-safe dish.
2. Combine flour, sugar and orange rind in a bowl. Whisk together butter, juice and egg. Stir into flour mixture until well combined. Spoon into prepared dish. Smooth surface.
3. Make sauce: Place sugar and orange juice into a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl or jug. Cook on MEDIUM (50%) power for 3 minutes, stirring every minute, or until sugar dissolves. Cook on HIGH (100%) power for 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce comes to the boil. Pour hot sauce over the back of a large metal spoon to evenly cover pudding.
4. Place pudding onto a microwave-safe rack or upturned dinner plate. Cook, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50%) power for 8 to 9 minutes or until a skewer inserted around edges comes out clean but centre is still a little sticky. Cover tightly with foil. Stand for 5 minutes or until centre is no longer sticky. Serve with ice-cream.

Source

Super Food Ideas - July 2004, Page 82

Recipe by Alison Roberts

standardrose added this comment at 08:53pm Sun 15th June, 2008

5 out of 5

Very yummy! It was quite sweet, but this would depend on the sweetness of the oranges. Easy to make. The part that took the longest was juicing the oranges. I doubled the mixture so I used 6 and a half oranges, but that was good as I have an orange glut! I cooked it for 17 minutes, but then found it needed another 5 minutes. My family raved about it!

Beef and cabbage stir-fry

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 sticks celery, finely diced
• 750g lean beef mince or pork mince
• 45g packet chicken noodle soup
• 1/2 cup long-grain rice, raw
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 mini cabbage, core removed and finely shredded (see variation)
• Chinese fried noodles (optional)

Method

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add mince and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add soup, rice, curry powder, chicken stock and water. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well-combined. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
3. Remove lid and place shredded cabbage over top of mince mixture. Cook, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir through cabbage and serve immediately, topped with Chinese fried noodles.

Notes & tips

• Variation: Replace the mini cabbage with one quarter of a large common green cabbage if preferred.

Source

Super Food Ideas - July 2003, Page 17

Recipe by Dixie Elliott

This is a weeknight favourite in our house. Sometimes, rather than cook it with the rice I will use some microwave brown rice.

Chicken tagine with couscous

Cooking Time

25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 (180g each) chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, halved
• 1 brown onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Moroccan spice mix
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
• 1 zucchini, halved, cut into
• 1cm pieces
• 1 1/2 cups couscous
• coriander leaves, to serve

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over high heat. Add chicken. Cook for 2 minutes each side or until light golden. Remove to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add spice mix. Cook for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
3. Return chicken to pan. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and zucchini. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, place 11/2 cups cold water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat. Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in couscous. Cover and stand for 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Stir couscous with a fork to separate grains.
5. Spoon couscous onto plates. Spoon over chicken tagine. Sprinkle with coriander. Serve.

Source

Super Food Ideas - September 2007, Page 74

Recipe by Annette Forrest and Jenny Fanshaw

standardrose added this comment at 09:29pm Sun 20th April, 2008

4 out of 5

Easy and yummy!

Spaghetti bolognaise

Preparation Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

100 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1tbs olive oil
• 2 large chopped onions
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 100g chopped pancetta
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 500g spaghetti

Method

1. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook 2 large chopped onions, 3 large garlic cloves, crushed, and 100g chopped pancetta for 4-5 mins. Increase heat to high, gradually add 1kg beef mince and cook until well browned.
2. Add 2 cups beef stock, 1 cup red wine, 3 x 400g cans diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup tomato paste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook 500g spaghetti in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain. Serve half the bolognaise with the pasta and freeze the remaining sauce for later. Serve with grated parmesan, if desired.

Source

Fresh Living - June 2005, Page 35

Recipe by Rebecca Truda

standardrose added this comment at 12:11am Sun 13th July, 2008

5 out of 5

Very yummy! Kept my husband and I and 6 kids content. One of the boys who is quite particular had 5 serves! Good to get going and let it bubble away on a winters afternoon.

Bacon & cauliflower soup with parmesan crisps

Preparation Time

10 minutes

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 500g bacon bones, cut into pieces
• 1 (700g) cauliflower, trimmed
• into florettes
• 1 litre water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup lite cream, optional
• 1/2 tsp horseradish cream
• Salt & white pepper
• 1 tbs snipped chives

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Saute the onion and bacon bones over the heat for 5 mins. Add the cauliflower, water and bay leaves and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer the soup for 15 mins. Remove the saucepan from the heat, set aside to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bacon bones and bay leaves and process the soup in a food processor in two batches until smooth.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place tablespoons of parmesan cheese onto baking trays, spread out to form 6cm rounds, bake in batches for 5-7 minutes mins or until crisp and golden. Working quickly lift the parmesan crisps from the tray and set aside on a cooling rack.
4. Return the soup to a saucepan and warm gently, add cream and horseradish and season. Sprinkle with the chives and serve with the parmesan crisps.

Source

Fresh Living - June 2005, Page 39

Recipe by Michelle Noerianto

standardrose added this comment at 11:03pm Tue 5th August, 2008

5 out of 5

Very easy to make. I didn't add cream and just a little horseradish. Still very creamy and delicious!

The Start!

I thought it might be useful to blog recipes and ideas for winning dinners. We'll see how it goes. Maybe it will help with the chore that meal planning can be in a busy life. Tonight, Sunday night, we had lovely leftovers. Nothing like some leftovers that are easy to prepare. We also had a good amount and enough variety to keep everyone happy!