Recipe 1: Thai Coriander Chicken on Rice
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's quick! 2 - It's easy! 3 - It's healthy! 4 - It won't break the bank!
Hint: I like to buy chicken in bulk. Skinless and boneless, and for ease of use my personal preference is chicken breasts. I bring it home and cut off any fat, then I mince some of it, dice some of it, and leave the rest whole.
Extra hint: I freeze it in pre-weighed family-sized packs. I figure on 150g per adult (less for kids according to appetite). It doesn't look much, but when you cook it up and bulk it out with veges it's plenty.
Ingredients for TWO ADULT SERVINGS:
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed
300g minced chicken
1 small (hot!) red chilli, de-pipped and finely chopped
1 teaspoon red curry paste (Yes, this dish has a bit of a kick! Make it as hot or as mild as you like.)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
Juice and grated rind of 1 lime
your choice of stir-fry veges - eg carrot, courgette, green beans, brocolli, silver beet...
Fresh coriander, chopped (the more the tastier!)
Method:
1 Put the rice on to cook!
2 In a wok or shallow pan, fry the onion until soft, then add garlic and continue frying a moment longer. DON'T burn the garlic!
3 Add minced chicken and continue to fry, separating the mince as you fry.
4 When chicken is white (NB it doesn't take long to cook the chicken so don't panic, you're not going to give yourself food poisoning!), add chilli. (NB you can add the chilli at the start but I prefer to add here so it doesn't burn.) Stir in.
5 Add fish sauce and lime juice/rind. Stir and continue frying.
6 If it starts to stick on the bottom of the wok, add a little water. You'll probably want a bit of juice over the rice, anyway, so add a bit of water to juice it up.
7 Add coriander, stir in and fry for a moment or two longer to let the flavours seep through.
8 Serve on a bed of rice. DONE!
Cooking Time:
Approximately 15 minutes (I can put the rice on then cook the dish and both will be ready within a minute or two of each other)
Reader Rating: 10/10! Rate this recipe! Click here...
Recipe 2: Lemon Chicken Risotto
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's easy! 2 - It's unique! 3 - It won't break the bank!
Hint: Don't buy chicken stock in liquid form - it's expensive. Wait until you roast a chicken - then keep the carcass and make your own stock! Toss the carcass in a big pot, fill the pot with water - you want a good quantity of chicken stock, right? - then boil the bejeezus out of it. This ain't scientific, folks. Just boil it. Simmering for 15-20 minutes is plenty. Freeze the stock until you need it. (I usually split it into two containers because I won't use it all at once.) I use the stock for this recipe, and it's great for soup bases as well.
Hint: Make your risotto using Arborio rice. You'll find it next to the other rice in your supermarket. (In NZ it comes in a green bag). It doesn't have a good substitute. I know, I know, it's expensive - but it's worth it. You'll get a good few meals out of your packet - and no gluggy globules of failed rice-y muck.
Ingredients for TWO ADULT SERVINGS:
300g diced chicken (skinless, boneless)
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed
Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon
160g Arborio rice
Approx 750ml chicken stock (either the Real Deal - or you can mix some up using dried alternatives such as Maggi chicken stock or Oxo cubes)
Approx 50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Shredded rocket*
Fresh coriander, chopped (the more the tastier!)
Method:
1 Start by cooking the chicken. I do this by simply bringing a small pot of water to the boil, adding a decent squirt of soy sauce for flavouring, then boiling the chicken cubes for a few minutes. (NB the chicken cooks QUICKLY. Don't overcook! As soon as the chicken is white all the way through the cubes - it's cooked.)
2 While the chicken is cooking, if you're feeling like you can multi-task (!), gently fry the onions in a little olive oil (vegetable will do) until soft, then add the garlic and lemon rind and continuing frying a moment or two longer. (NB I do this in the wok - I'm a big wok fan.)
3 CHECK YOUR CHICKEN!!!
4 Stir in the Arborio rice so that it has a covering of oil from the pan, then add the chicken stock and stir to mix.
5 Bring stock to the boil, then turn it down as low as you can, cover with a lid, and simmer for approx 15 minutes.
6 While the risotto simmers, prepare any veges you plan to have with on the side.
7 Give the risotto a quick stir every five minutes or so, to make sure it's not sticking. NB BE CAREFUL AS YOU GET CLOSE TO THE 15 MINUTE MARK - YOU DON'T WANT IT TO STICK TO THE WOK BUT THE CLOSER YOU GET TO 15 MINUTES THE MORE LIKELY IT IS TO DO JUST THAT. If it starts to stick, add a little water.
8 Add some of your lemon juice, along with your chicken. Simmer a little while longer, but stir frequently to avoid it sticking to the wok.
9 When cooked, the risotto rice should be soft but still retain a bit of bite. Go on, taste it! How else will you know?
10 The risotto will probably want to stick to the wok at this late stage - don't worry. It happens. Just don't scrape any stuck mixture off the bottom because you'll taint the rest of the risotto. (Ask me how I know.)
11 Take the risotto off the heat. Risotto shouldn't be dry. It should be wet - ie sloppy-wet. Gently stir in the parmesan, rocket* and coriander. Taste it. If you want more lemon juice - add that as well.
* Confession: I've never remembered to buy rocket before making this dish! I hear it's tasty with the rocket included, but actually, I wouldn't know. I've made it with steamed silver beet, and that works fine. My advice, though: don't add anything extra the first time. Have your veges on the side instead - that way you'll know exactly how the risotto should taste, and you can decide what, if anything, you'll add in future.
Cooking Time:
Approximately 20 minutes (+5 if you have to chop the chicken)
Reader Rating: 9/10. Rate this recipe! Click here...
Recipe 3: Lemon and Basil Pasta
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's quick! 2 - It's easy! 3 - It tastes exotic! 4 - It's cheap!
Hint: Did you know that basil has some amazing anti-cold and anti-flu properties? I found out because I randomly ate leaves off a basil plant I'd just bought and, hey presto, my sore throat disappeared. Some google-searching confirmed what my body had just discovered. (How much to take? I have no idea! I just keep chomping on the leaves - about 6 a day - and a couple of days later my threatening cold has disappeared instead of getting worse.)
Ingredients* for TWO ADULT SERVINGS:
200g fresh taglietelle or fettucine (though I've done it with ravioli and penne pasta too)
1 heaped dessertspoon of sour cream*
approx ½ C natural yoghurt* (more will give you more sauce - yum yum!)
Juice and grated rind of ½-1 lemon (start with ½ and add more to taste if needed)
¼ C finely grated parmesan cheese + extra for the garnish
¼ C chopped basil leaves
Cracked pepper, to taste
* these measurements are very rough - personally, I go for a handful of this and a spoonful of that... <grins>
Method:
1 Cook the pasta. (Obviously, home-made is tastiest - but fresh pasta from the supermarket tastes very good as well.)
2 While the pasta cooks, prepare the other ingredients.
3 Drain the pasta and return to the pan.
4 Add the sour cream, yoghurt, lemon rind and juice, parmesan, basil and pepper. Toss to combine.
5 Place in bowls. If necessary, zap in microwave for 10-20 seconds to reheat. Garnish with parmesan. DONE! Lends itself to a side-salad accompaniment.
Meat-Lover's Variation (adds 5-10 minutes to your cooking time):
150g chicken breast, cooked and shredded
¼ C toasted pinenuts
Add these ingredients at number (4) above.
Cooking Time:
However long it takes to cook the pasta + 1 minute. (eg fresh fettucine = 4 minutes, fresh ravioli = 7 minutes... you won't be slaving over your stove for long, folks!)
Reader Rating: 10/10! Quotable Quote: "My hubby helped me make this one and he NEVER cooks."
Recipe 4: Chinese Honey Chicken on Rice
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's quick! 2 - It's easy! 3 - No fancy ingredients needed! (do you notice a few recurring themes here??)
Ingredients* for TWO ADULT SERVINGS:
your choice of stir-fry vegetables - with this recipe I personally prefer runner beans, carrots, courgettes, yams
300g chicken, cubed
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey (I prefer to use clover honey)
1 C tea (gumboot! ie plain black tea. ie English breakfast)
1 Tbsp cornflour
* I've tried to be reasonably accurate but, as always, these measures are only approximate because I cook to taste.
Method:
1 Boil the jug!
2 Julienne (ie cut lengthwise - there's a fancy word for you!) the vegetables for stir-frying. Set aside.
3 Put your rice on to cook.
4 Make a cup of tea! (and another for yourself if you want…) Leave the teabag in the cup.
5 Stir-fry the cubed chicken until it whitens.
6 Add roughly ½C tea, along with the soy sauce and honey. Stir in, turn the heat down and continue to simmer. Top up the cup of tea again.
(Hint: the first time you make this I would suggest you start by adding perhaps 1Tbsp soy sauce and 1Tbsp honey, then add more to taste.)
7 Add the veges and continue to simmer.
8 Keep an eye on the liquid level. If it starts to get low, add more tea. (You want to avoid it getting so low it sticks/burns. Funny that.)
9 Your meal is cooked when the veges are done to your satisfaction. (I prefer them to have a bit of crunch still in them.)
10 In a small cup or bowl, mix 1Tbsp cornflour with a little leftover tea. (You want the cornflour dissolved into a paste that's more liquid than solid.) Add to the chicken mixture, stirring continuously so the cornflour mixes in smoothly. Allow to reheat a minute or so, stirring gently until the juice thickens. Add more water/tea if you want more juice. (Pretty much a given in our household!)
11 Serve on a bed of rice.
Cooking Time:
Approximately 15 minutes (I can put the rice on then cook the dish and both will be ready within a minute or two of each other).
Reader Rating: 10/10! Quotable Quote: "My hubby says do you want to come and live with us?"
Recipe 5: Spicy Pork Stir-Fry
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's quick! 2 - It's easy! 3 - It's cheap!
Hint: I buy fresh ginger and freeze it. Then, when a recipe calls for it, I grate it straight from the freezer. It grates more easily when it's frozen and is just as tasty - and it doesn't go off when you store it in the freezer so it makes good economic sense, too!
Ingredients* for TWO ADULT SERVINGS:
300g pork steak, cut into thin strips*
2 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp plum sauce
3 Tbsp sweet thai chilli sauce
2 Tbsp (I like ginger!) fresh ginger, finely grated
Extra water to bulk out the sauce if necessary
Your choice of side vegetables - with this recipe I enjoy runner beans
* My supermarket (NZ readers: yep, it's good old Pak'n'Save) sells amazingly flavoursome pork steaks which I prefer to use with this recipe. They're called "king steaks" and are teriyaki-flavoured. The result is amazingly tender with these marinated steaks.
Method:
1 Put your rice on to cook.
2 Stir-fry the pork until it whitens. (This won't take long.)
3 Add the soy sauce, plum sauce, sweet thai chilli sauce and ginger. Keep frying on a low heat for a couple more minutes and you're done!
4 Turn the heat off while you wait for the rice to finish cooking. This minimises any chance of the pork overcooking and going tough. (Now is a good time to do your side veges. Keep 'em crispy!)
5 Just before serving, reheat the pork mixture. At this stage add a little extra water to bulk out the sauce.
6 Serve on a bed of rice.
Cooking Time:
Approximately 15 minutes (ie however long it takes to cook your rice).
Reader Rating: 10/10! Rate this recipe! Click here...
Recipe 6: Vegetarian Lasagne
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's yummy! 2 - It's easy! 3 - It's healthy!
Hint: I buy fresh lasagne and freeze it in several smaller packs, depending on how much I tend to use at a time. (There's always WAY more lasagne sheets than I'll use in one lasagne. Maybe it's the dish I use...) When I'm ready to make a lasagne I simply take out a pack. By the time I've layered it with the mixture below, which is still hot, the pasta's thawed!
Hint: If you're going to use dry lasagne it will still taste just fine - but pre-cook it if you want this meal to cook in the same time indicated below.
Ingredients* for TWO ADULT SERVINGS plus BONUS LEFTOVERS FOR LUNCH!
½ onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can chilli beans (I prefer hot!)
1 can tomatoes, diced (or fresh tomatoes, diced, if you prefer)
Your choice of vegetables, chopped into bite-sized pieces (pushed for time? chop the veges that take the longest to cook first; the quick-cooking veges can be chopped as you stir-fry the others)
A couple of shakes (!!) of Worcestershire sauce
A sprinkle of chilli powder (sorry, can't be any more precise than that!!)
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
Approx. 150g cottage cheese or grated cheese
... and for the Cheese sauce:
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp flour
Approx. 1C milk (hey, I'm seriously just guessing the quantity! you may need more...)
Approx. 1C grated cheese (ditto)
Method:
1 Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2 In a wok (that's my choice, anyway) add a little oil and at a medium heat fry onions. Add garlic, keep frying.
3 Add chilli beans and tomatoes, stir-fry.
4 Add vegetables (this can be pretty much anything - I use whatever I've got... brocolli, cauliflower, silver beet, brussel sprouts, carrots, parsnip, mushrooms, beans, courgettes... anything!). Keep stir-frying.
5 Add Worcestershire sauce and chilli powder to taste, along with basil and oregano. Keep stir-frying.
6 Layer up your lasagne. Start with 1/3 vege mix, then a layer of lasagne sheets (cut to size so it's just one thickness), then dollops of cottage cheese or sprinkle grated cheese over. Then vege mix, lasagne sheets, cheese. Finish with vege mix.
7 Make cheese sauce: in a microwave dish, melt the butter. Add flour and mix to make a paste. Add a little milk (say, 1-2 Tbsp) and stir into the paste. Add a little more milk, stir again. Add more milk (around 1/3C this time), stir again, microwave 30s. Stir. Repeat until milk is absorbed into the mixture and the mixture begins to thicken (any lumps should disappear as the sauce thickens). Add more milk and repeat the heat/stir process until you have enough sauce to cover the final layer of veges. Add grated cheese at end. TASTE!!! Does it taste cheesy? If not, add more cheese until it does!
8 Pour cheese sauce over final layer of veges.
9 Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese topping begins to brown up. (Remember - everything in this recipe is already cooked so, really, you're just finishing it off.)
10 Enjoy!
Cooking Time:
Approximately 20 minutes' preparation (chopping the veges takes the longest) plus 20 minutes' cooking.
Reader Rating: 10/10! Quotable Quote: "Another great meal - many thanks!"
Recipe 7: Des' Teriyaki Steaks
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's easy! 2 - It's yummy! 3 - It's healthy!
Ingredients* for TWO ADULT SERVINGS plus BONUS LEFTOVERS FOR LUNCH!
1 pork fillet (minimum 300g - any larger and you have bonus leftovers!)
1 tsp cornflour
and for the Marinade:
¼ C sherry
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp beef stock powder
½ C water
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 Dsp brown sugar
Method:
1 Cut whole pork fillet across the grain into 2cm-wide slices. One fillet will be sufficient for two people, and probably leftovers as well.
2 Combine marinade ingredients.
3 Marinate mini-steaks for ten minutes.
4 Prepare side-salad (or alternatively chop vegetables ready to cook).
5 Turn mini-steaks and marinate the other side for ten minutes.
6 Put on the rice to cook
7 Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Lift mini-steaks out of marinade and fry for 60 seconds each side.
8 Mix cornflour into the marinade, then add marinade to pan (where it will thicken).
9 Cook mini-steaks for three more minutes on each side.
10 Having vegetables with this dish? Then put them on to cook while you finish the mini-steaks.
11 Add a little water to the sauce if it boils away. (Note: I used most of this sauce for two servings, even though "officially" this quantity is intended for four servings.)
12 Serve on rice with a crunchy green side-salad. Voila!
Cooking Time:
Approximately 30 minutes.
Reader Rating: 11/10! Quotable Quote: "This is the best ever recipe. I've tried it four times and each time it has been excellent! Many many thanks for sharing."
Recipe 8: Ravioli With Spicy Tomato Sauce
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's ultra-quick! 2 - It's yummy! 3 - It's cheap!
Hint: If a recipe calls for boiling water (eg the ravioli in this recipe), I find it is far quicker to simply boil the jug, then add the water to the pot afterwards.
Ingredients* for TWO ADULT SERVINGS
250-300g fresh ravioli (I'm talking supermarket packets - they're quick and easy!) (My personal favourites are the vegetarian options - spinach-based.)
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 400g tin of tomatoes (either chopped or whole, whichever is nearest to hand)
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Approx ½ tsp oregano
Approx ½ tsp basil
Dash of chilli powder
Parmesan cheese, finely grated, to garnish
and some Optional Extra's:
A dollop of natural unsweetened yoghurt
Bacon pieces, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces
Approx 1 Tbsp blue vein cheese, grated/crumbled
Your choice of vegetables, if you want to bulk it out
Method:
1 Boil the jug!
2 Meatlover's option: chop and fry your bacon. (Try it! The bacon adds a yummy extra zing to the sauce.)
3 Chop your onion and garlic (as the bacon fries, if you're doing the meatlover's option).
4 Add the ravioli to a pot of boiling water, and cook as per the manufacturer's instructions. If it is a supermarket-purchased pack of fresh ravioli, it will probably take about 7 minutes to cook. No problem! Your meal will be ready by then!
5 Heat a little oil in your frying pan or wok. Add the onions and fry until soft. Add the garlic and fry a smidgeon longer. (Meatlover's option: slightly undercook your bacon, then add the onions and garlic to the bacon and continue frying)
6 Add the tin of tomatoes and keep frying. (If the tomatoes are whole, cut them into bite-sized chunks once they're in the pan.)
7 Add a few shakes (sorry! can't be any more specific than that!) of Worcestershire sauce. (My favourite brand: Lea & Perrins). Also add the oregano, basil and chilli powder. If you're not sure how much chilli to add, start with just a dash and add more after you taste-test! Keep frying.
8 Do the taste-test! Adjust spices as necessary.
9 Garnish with finely-grated parmesan cheese. Lashings of it!
10 Serve with garlic bread or, for the more health-conscious, a yummy green salad. (Yeah, my vote's with garlic bread, too!)
Optional Extras:
9A For a creamier texture, add a dollop of yoghurt at the end (give the sauce time to cool slightly, otherwise the yoghurt will curdle when it hits the sauce)
9B For a sharper taste, add blue vein cheese at then end and stir to melt into the sauce.
9C Add vegetables and fry the sauce for slightly longer if you want to bulk out your sauce. (For this option, delay cooking your ravioli until you have chopped all your veges. Fresh pasta needs to be eaten immediately to prevent it going gluggy.) NOTE: because you are frying for longer, you may need to add a little water to prevent the sauce drying out too much.
Cooking Time:
Vegetarian option: approximately 8 minutes.
Meatlover's option: approximately 10 minutes.
With additional veges: approximately 15 minutes.
Reader Rating: 10/10! Quotable Quote: "There was enough for two nights' dinner here for me and The Boss."
Maggie's Comment: "No way would this last two nights at our house. We must be big eaters!"
Recipe 9: Chicken Paillardes with Mustard and Tarragon Sauce
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's a great stress-release! 2 - It's yummy! 3 - It's so, so tasty!
Ingredients for TWO ADULT SERVINGS
2 boneless chicken breast fillets, pounded thin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ C dry white wine
½ C heavy cream (I used thickened cream, though I'm sure it would work just fine with standard cream)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried tarragon (OR 1 Tbsp fresh tarragon)
Method:
1 Prepare a nice leafy garden salad or crunchy winter greens to accompany your meal, and your choice of potato side. (I went for sauteed, but really, anything that will be good to soak up excess sauce is great!) (NB with the likes of sauteed potatoes, you need to be a bit careful about your time management, because you want everything to be ready at the same time if at all possible.)
2 Place the chicken breasts, one at a time, in a sealable plastic bag (or between two pieces of cling-film, or any other suitable not-easily-rippable-but-easily-seen-through substitute) and beat** the living daylights out of it!!! :)
2A Feels good, eh! I told you this recipe was a great stress-release!
3 Sprinkle each breast with ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Turn and repeat on the other side.
4 Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute chicken until cooked through - around 3-4 minutes' cooking time each side. As soon as the chicken is white all the way through - STOP COOKING! You don't want tough chicken. My advice: make a small slice in the middle of your fillet after 3 minutes on each side and check the colour.
5 When cooked, transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm in warming drawer or low-heat oven. NB DON'T use a handy-towel to soak up the juices - you need those juices!
6 Next: prepare the sauce. Pour wine into skillet to deglaze the pan and cook, stirring to scrape up the brown bits, until wine is reduced by half. This should take around 1 minute.
7 Whisk in cream, mustard, and tarragon. Cook for another 2-ish minutes until the sauce is thickened. (NB Although I'm sure fresh tarragon is nicer, the sauce still tasted DIVINE when I used the dried version.)
8 Add any juices that have accumulated on the chicken plate. Stir.
9 Place chicken fillets on plates. Top with the mustard and tarragon sauce - no, folks, we are NOT just drizzling the sauce! We are lamping it on! Finish with potatoes and salad (or crunchy winter greens will do the job nicely, too).
** NB: Beat "carefully" to avoid tearing the flesh or turning it into a messy pulp. You're aiming to flatten the fillets out to "quite thin" - as in, maybe around double the area they started off as (serious guesstimate). Don't fret if you haven't got a meat pounder: I used a hammer (I kid you not) and it worked just fine!
Cooking Time (excluding accompaniments):
Assuming you have to cook the breast fillets one at a time: Approximately 25 minutes. (Yep, it's one of my more time-consuming recipes - but it's worth it, I promise!)
Reader Rating: 10/10! Quotable Quote: "A wicked, wonderfully rich dish."
Recipe 10: Salmon Souffle
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's easy! 2 - It's yummy! 3 - Everyone in the family loves it! (which is no mean feat when you have a 13-month-old and a fussy eater at the table.)
Ingredients for THREE ADULT SERVINGS
1 C milk, heated
1 Tbsp butter
1 C fresh breadcrumbs
1 C grated cheese
1 210g tin salmon, drained of its juice
2 beaten eggs
Method:
1 Pre-heat oven to 180ºC.
2 Prepare an accompaniment for the souffle. For example, a green salad and fresh bread.
3 Grease a medium-sized oven dish.
4 Heat the milk until it is warm enough to melt the butter. Transfer milk to a bowl that is large enough to hold all the ingredients.
5 Add the butter to the milk and wait until melted. (Give an extra zap in the microwave if necessary.) Stir in the breadcrumbs.
6 Add grated cheese, drained salmon (I always remove the chunky bones), and eggs. Stir to mix in.
7 Place in greased oven dish and cook for 40 minutes. (Souffle should be a golden colour on top and should look solid.)
Cooking Time (excluding accompaniments):
Approximately 10 minutes' preparation time plus 40 minutes' cooking time.
Reader Rating: 9½/10!
Recipe 11: Beef* Satay
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's yummy! 2 - It's quick! 3 - It tastes authentic!
* This recipe works just as well with chicken and, although I haven't tried it, I'm sure would be great as a vegetarian dish, too.
Ingredients for TWO ADULT SERVINGS
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp ground coriander
300g beef suitable for frying, cut into long thin slices (schnitzel works brilliantly for this)
Peanut oil (or, if you don't have it, whatever you normally use for frying meat)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder (if you're not into spicy food, make it a bit less)
1 rounded spoonful of peanut butter (ie to taste!)
1 tsp brown sugar
(your choice of veges - either on the side or added to the satay meal)
Method:
1 Prepare a marinade by mixing the soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, cumin, turmeric and coriander in a large bowl.
2 Add the sliced beef and stir well to coat the meat with the marinade.
3 Cover with clingfilm and stand in a refrigerator for an hour (though preferably overnight)
4 When you're ready to start cooking: boil the jug!
5 Put your rice on to cook.
6 Heat the peanut (or frying) oil in a pan. Add the onion and fry until softened. Mid-cooking, add the chilli powder.
7 Drain the beef and reserve the marinade for later. Add the beef to the pan and fry until browned (this won't take long).
8 Add vegetables to the pan and fry a couple more minutes. (Or, if you're having a side-dish instead - do your normal thing with the veges.)
9 Add the marinade, peanut butter and brown sugar to the pan. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the ingredients are well blended.
9 Sauce too thick? Add a little hot water and continue heating as you stir it in.
10 Done! Ditto for the rice. Serve it up, quick, and eat. :)
Cooking Time (excluding vege preparation):
Marinating time: 1 hour minimum (well, actually, you'll get away with less - but the longer you marinate your meat the tastier/more tender it'll be)
Other prep/cooking time: 15 minutes (the time it takes to cook your rice)
Reader Rating: 10/10! Quotable Quote: "Another brilliant recipe, Maggie."
Recipe 12: Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's a whole different take on meatballs! 2 - It's quick! 3 - It's easy!
* This recipe works just as well with chicken and, although I haven't tried it, I'm sure would be great as a vegetarian dish, too.
Ingredients for FOUR ADULT SERVINGS (ie freeze two for another night!)
600g lean minced beef or pork (I personally prefer the pork)
3 Tbsp fresh breadcrumbs (wholemeal works best)
1 egg
½ onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated (okay, I love fresh ginger so I tend to be heavy-handed - so the tablespoon measure is "give-or-take"; make it the way you like it!)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp soy sauce (I always use light rather than dark)
and for the Sauce:
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp cornflour
½ tsp instant beef stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce
¼ C malt vinegar
1 C water
225g can unsweetened pineapple pieces in pineapple juice (I tend to buy the 420g tin and halve it - but remember to also measure out then halve the juice)
1 green pepper, sliced
Brocolli florets and/or carrot sticks, blanched (for four servings, remember)
Optional garnish: spring onions, sliced
Method:
1 Lightly grease a low-sided tray.
2 Chop your veges (ie green pepper, brocolli, carrots).
3 In a large bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, egg, onion, ginger, garlic and soy sauce.
4 Boil the jug! (For the rice.)
5 Add the minced beef and stir well to combine. With wet hands, roll mixture into walnut-sized balls. Place on tray and grill meatballs until browned on top. (Depending on your oven you may need to turn the meatballs halfway through.)
6 Meanwhile... put your rice on to cook.
7 Keep an eye on the meatballs. Don't let them burn!
8 To make the sauce: combine brown sugar, cornflour and beef stock in a saucepan. Add soy sauce, vinegar, water and pineapple juice.
9 The meatballs! Don't forget the meatballs!
10 Blanch brocolli and carrots.
11 Bring sauce to the boil, stirring. Add pineapple pieces, pepper, blanched vegetables. Heat through.
12 Make sure the meatballs are still warm. If they're not, give them a quick zap in the microwave or grill - but don't over-zap!
13 Serve meatballs on a bed of rice, then drizzle with sauce and veges. Sprinkle with spring onions to garnish.
14 Enjoy!
Cooking Time:
Approx 35 minutes (but remember, you're getting TWO nights' worth of meals for that - bargain!)
Reader Rating: 9½/10! Quotable Quote: "Hubby would have awarded 10/10 but I let the meatballs get a bit cool - my fault, not yours!"
Recipe 13: Salmon Pasta
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's divine! 2 - It's quick! 3 - It's easy!
Hint: if you've got a spray-guard (for using when frying) you'll find it quite useful with this recipe.
Ingredients for TWO ADULT SERVINGS
250g fresh salmon fillet (and I find I can even get away with 200g and it'll still taste great)
A little oil for frying (I use extra virgin olive oil because I like the taste)
125g sour cream
125g plain unsweetened yoghurt
1½ tsp whole seed mustard (and possibly more - taste it and see!)
salt and pepper
Lemon juice (start with 2 tsp and add according to taste)
Fresh pasta (I use tagliatelle or fettucine)
Garnishing options: chives, sundried tomatoes, grated fresh parmesan.
Note re Ingredients:
Above is what I do as a more "healthy" alternative to the original recipe. But if you want to serve this as a rich dinner-party-type dish, the original recipe calls for 250g sour cream and "a little" cream to make the sauce more runny. Up to you!
Method:
1 Prepare whatever your side dish will be. Hot bread and a side salad go brilliantly, but it's your choice.
2 Boil the jug! (You'll need hot water to cook your pasta.)
3 Heat a little oil in a frying pan and begin frying the salmon fillet, skin-side down. NOTE: The way you're meant to fry salmon is skin-side down until it's almost (but not quite) cooked through. Once you take it off the heat the salmon will complete its cooking when you add it to the pasta. BUT!!!! Personally, I prefer to cook it skin-side down and then, when I'm sick of waiting, I flip the salmon and cook it briefly on the second side, being sure not to let it cook completely through.
4 While the salmon fillet is frying, take a large microwave-safe bowl and add the sour cream. Microwave a little to soften the sour cream. Add the yoghurt, chives, mustard, salt and pepper (don't be too heavy-handed with the pepper), and lemon juice. Mix well.
5 Check the salmon!
6 TASTE TEST the sauce!!! Then add extra of whatever-you-fancy to get it the way you want it, be it mustard, lemon juice, sour cream or yoghurt.
7 When the salmon is cooked (ie still slightly undercooked in the middle), transfer it to a plate.
8 Begin cooking the fresh pasta. NB this should only take 3 minutes so you're in fast-work mode now! If you don't think you're up to the task - delay cooking the pasta until AFTER you've done (9), below.
9 Flake the salmon fillet. ie here you are going to remove the salmon flesh from the skin, gently breaking it up with your fingers. You're NOT going for a "mashed fish" effect!! You're going for chunky bite-sized flakes, though it's okay if they end up smaller. BUT you MUST check very very carefully for bones as you do this, because salmon fillets are notorious for having sneaky little choke-material bones hiding in them. (They always end up on my plate!)
10 Drain the pasta.
11 Give the sauce a quick zap in the microwave to warm it. Add salmon flakes and gently stir in.
12 Add the pasta to the sauce and gently toss to combine. (OR forget etiquette! Throw the pasta on the eating plates and dollop the sauce on top - this is what I do because it's easier!)
13 Garnish with sundried tomatoes, chives, and/or grated fresh parmesan. YAY FOR PARMESAN!
Cooking Time:
Approx 15 minutes + side-dish preparation
Reader Rating: 10/10! (Special thanks to Liz and Errol for being such loyal recipe reviewers. Hugs from me!)
Recipe 14: Gnocchi With Pesto Sauce
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's quick! 2 - It's easy! 3 - It's delicious!
Background to this recipe: when my Beloved and I travelled around Italy pre-kids, we stopped at a village supermarket to buy that evening's meal. The guy serving in the deli told us, "You want Italian? You must cook this." He gave us gnocchi, along with a few other ingredients, and told us how to make the accompanying sauce. My God. That meal was divine. Back in New Zealand I've had to recreate the taste using different ingredients because our shops don't seem to stock all the sauce ingredients. However, I think you'll find this recipe works just fine. :)
Hint: gnocchi are basically little balls of potato and are cooked in the same manner as fresh pasta. They only take a couple of minutes to cook. You'll find them with the fresh pasta in your supermarket.
Ingredients for TWO ADULT SERVINGS
400g pack of fresh gnocchi
2 rounded Tbsp cream cheese*
2 rounded Tbsp plain unsweetened yoghurt*
2 rounded Tbsp fresh basil pesto* (I cheated and bought mine - feel free to make it if you prefer)
Fresh grated parmesan to garnish
* If you like lashings of sauce - perhaps add a little more of each ingredient (oink! oink!)
Method:
1 Prepare whatever your side dish will be. This is quite a rich dish, so a side salad would be a good anti-heart-attack strategy!
2 Boil the jug! (You'll need hot water to cook your gnocchi.)
3 Place cream cheese in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Heat until cream cheese is soft enough to stir.
4 Add yoghurt and pesto. Stir well to mix. Your sauce is basically done! (See? I told you it was easy!) TASTE TEST the sauce. If you feel you need a little more of one particular ingredient - go ahead!
5 Place gnocchi in a saucepan. Add hot water and boil gnocchi for approximately two minutes. You'll know the gnocchi are cooked when they pop up to the surface of the water. Taste one to make sure it's cooked al dente (ie soft but with a little bite - much like pasta). BE CAREFUL: don't overcook the gnocchi or they'll end up tough. Similarly, don't undercook them or they'll be tough.
6 Drain the gnocchi. While you're doing this, reheat your sauce.
7 Serve the gnocchi. Top with sauce. Garnish with fresh grated parmesan. (Don't forget your side-dish!)
8 Eat. Enjoy.
Cooking Time:
Approx 5 minutes + side-dish preparation
Reader Rating: 12/10! Quotable Quote: "This recipe definitely rates a 12 for flavour, nutrition, and ease and speed of cooking. Well done!"
Recipe 15: Shahjahani-Style Chicken
Why I love this recipe: 1 - It's quick! 2 - It's exotic! 3 - It's to-die-for!
This recipe is an adaptation of Fish Shahjahani. I've substituted yoghurt in place of cream and chicken in place of fish, and it seemed to work quite well. Try it and see what you think - if you prefer something even richer, put the cream back in (but I'm pretty confident you'll be happy with the yoghurt).
Hint: If you're not really a huge fan of curry - try this recipe without the chilli. And remember, you can always vary the strength of your curry by adding/removing the chilli seeds, and changing the chilli quantity up or down.
Ingredients for TWO ADULT SERVINGS
300g chicken, cubed (or minced)
45g cashew nuts
60ml plain unsweetened yoghurt
30g unsalted butter
1 onion, finely sliced/chopped
1-inch piece of cinnamon stick, broken up into rough pieces (not too small - you have to pick them out at the end!)
2 cardamom pods, split open at the top of each pod
1 whole clove
1 fresh chilli (I used red, but the original recipe called for green), sliced lengthways (I de-seeded mine.)
½ tsp ground turmeric
90ml warm water
½ tsp salt
½ Tbsp lemon juice
Your choice of stir-fry vegetables to add
Method:
1 Boil the jug!
2 Chop your choice of stir-fry vegetables. (I love using beans with this recipe.)
3 Put your rice on to cook.
4 Roast the cashew nuts by placing in a shallow dish and grilling. Be very watchful as, once they start to cook, they burn easily.
5 Crush the cashew nuts. This is easiest with a mortar and pestle, but if you don't have one simply put in a clear bag and use a rolling pin to crush.
6 Combine the cashew nuts and yoghurt in a small bowl. Mix well to blend. (OR blend them together in a liquidiser - in place of 5 and 6.)
7 In a wok (or suitable frying pan) melt the butter over a medium heat. Fry the onions, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and chilli until the onions are lightly browned.
8 Stir in the turmeric.
9 Add the chicken cubes and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the sides are whitened.
10 Add the vegetables and fry for a further minute, stirring constantly.
11 Add the water and salt. Bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer for two minutes.
12 Add the cashew/yoghurt mixture and stir until well mixed. Cover the pan again and simmer for a further minute or until your chicken is cooked. (Test it! Remove a larger cube, split it and check - is the flesh white all the way through? If so, it's cooked.) Try to avoid over-cooking the chicken.
13 Remove from the heat and gently stir in the lemon juice.
14 Remove cinnamon pieces, clove and cadamoms before serving. (Or, if you're like me and too desperate to eat, warn your guests and tuck in!)
15 Serve on a bed of rice. Enjoy!
Cooking Time:
Approx 20 minutes + chopping of vegetables
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