We're on one income so the list of ingredients tends to be not too fancy/expensive.
Short for a dinner idea? Grab one of these :
*I'll be adding to this page daily*
Real gravy for roast Chicken
Everyone who eats roast chook at our house comments on the fact that i make real gravy and that they wish they knew how- i hadnt realised that gravy making was becoming a lost art...its so easy! Heres how...
Plain flour
Chicken stock (approx 1- 1 1/2 cups)
Vegemite
Roast your chicken on a rack over a metal roasting dish (with NO cooking bag!) .When cooked remove chicken to your serving plate and place roasting dish on the stove on low heat.Sprinkle enough flour over the drippings to make a paste consistancy when mixed together (start with less flour,mix and then add more if you need to)- i usually use a couple of decent Tablespoons but it depends on the size of the chicken.
Stir until bubbling,then add half your stock and approx 1 small teaspoon of vegemite.Stir well,almost bringing up to the boil.Keep adding small amounts of stock and letting the gravy boil and thicken before adding more if needed.If you like runny gravy,add more stock- if you like thick gravy,dont!
Its that easy! Pour into a gravy boat and give the rosting dish to the dogs to lick and then everyone will be happy :-)
Chicken Legs in mustard sauce
4 chicken legs
olive oil
colmans powdered mustard
colmans english mustard
salt and pepper
150ml cream
3-4 cloves garlic
preheat the oven to 190. Fit the chicken into a roasting dish,as tight fitting as possible (but still in one layer). Rub the chicken with 2-3 teaspoons of powdered mustard (sprinkled over the chicken) ,rosemary sprigs and olive oil. Pop in the oven and bake for 45-50mins.Baste with oil once during cooking.
When chicken is about 5 mins from being ready,gently tip the baking juices into a small pot (chicken can then return to the oven),crush in garlic and bring to the boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for approx 5 mins,add cream and heat through.Remove from the heat and Stir English mustard into the sauce.
Take chicken from roasting dish and place on a serving plate (with sides),pour sauce over the top.
Yummmmmmm........
Grilled Grouper
Grouper fillets (however many you need for your family)
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup grated tasty cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
3-4 tablespoon mayo
salt and pepper to taste
Place fish on baking tray and grill under preheated grill for 4-6 mins,flip gently and grill reverse side for another 3-4 mins (depending on thickness of fillet). While fish is cooking combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. When fish is just cooked,remove from oven and cover top side liberally with cheese mix.Grill untill bubbling and browning.
We have ours with rice and veges
Salmon cakes
These take a little longer than 30 mins but you can prep the potato in advance,plus its a great recipe for little hands to get stuck into (be prepared for some mess if they do!!)
1 kg potato ,mashed
2x 210g cans pink/red salmon,drained
1 small onion,finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 lemon,juice and 1 teaspoon grated rind
3 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup wholemeal breadcrumbs (i wizz 3-4 slices of toast slice grain bread in the food processor )
Cooking oil spray
remove salmon skin and bones. Add onion, salmon, parsley, lemon juice and rind to potato. Mix well. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 190.
With lightly floured hands, shape mixture into cakes. In a small bowl, beat egg and some milk together. Dip each cake in egg mixture, then dip in breadcrumbs, ensuring an even coating.
Place fish cakes on baking tray lined with baking paper and spray with oil. Bake for 25 minutes. Halfway through cooking, turn over and spray with a bit more oil. Bake until golden. Serve with a mixed salad.
Chicken Mexico
This recipe takes nearly 8 hours in the slow cooker but only a few mins to prepare.Dont be put off by the longish list of ingredients- its all pretty basic stuff
1.5kg whole chicken
40g butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions,sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green capsicum,sliced
1 teaspoon dill seeds
200g canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
150ml chicken stock
2 ears fresh corn,corn cut from the cob
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh parsley,chopped
in a slow cooker on low,mix all ingredients except sour cream and parsley.
Cook seven and a half hours.
warm oven on low.Carefully (it will try to fall apart on you!) transfer chicken to oven proof serving dish and keep warm.Turn slow cooker to high,simmer sauce for 20 min,add sour cream and parsley and pour over chicken.
serve with rice
Sweet corn pie
A great recipe to make a little bit of chicken go a long way. It can also be made in individual bowls, it just needs a bit more bread.
450g can creamed corn
3 eggs
parsley
grated cheese
1 onion
2 rashers bacon,chopped
1 boneless chicken thigh or breast
White bread (toast slice)
paprika
Preheat oven to 190
remove skin from chicken,cut into small cubes. Slice onion and bacon,fry chicken,onion and bacon together.Remove from heat.
Line a large casserole dish with buttered bread,crusts removed.Place the buttered side TO the dish.
Mix corn,beaten eggs and chopped parsley in a bowl.Season with salt and pepper,add chicken mix.
Pour into lined casserole dish.sprinkle with a good layer of cheese and some ground paprika
Cook in 190 oven for 3/4 an hour.
Rice cakes
A great recipe for using up leftovers from the night before.We eat a lot of rice and i find its worth it to cook an extra cup to make an easy dinner of fried rice or crunchy rice cakes the next night.
2 cups leftover cooked rice
3 eggs
1/4 cup grated cheese (tasty or fresh parmesan is my preference)
185g can tuna,cooked onion,cooked bacon or chicken,cooked veges -optional
handful fresh herbs ( parsley and basil or any to your preference)
salt and pepper, to season
oil
Combine all ingredients except oil in a large bowl and stir with a spoon.
Heat a pan over a high heat with oil. With clean hands, shape rice mixture into palm-sized patties. Place into the hot pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden and cooked through. Serve with salad for a main, or if you make them without meat or fish, serve them as a side dish.
Super simple chicken marinade
Simple,cheap and delicious
8 chicken thighs
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt,fresh ground if possible
Remove skin from chicken; place in bowl. Add oil, garlic and salt,stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for 4 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
Preheat oven to 180.Place chicken in oven proof cooking dish (in one layer) and bake 35-40 mins (pierce with a skewer if youre unsure,you want clear juice to come out- no red stuff!),basting with oil or cooking juices several times during cooking.
*our families favourite version of this is as follows: 3 chicken thigh cutlets and lots of potatoes (in smallish chunks with jackets on) and 2 whole garlic BULBS with the tip end cut off (place cut end down in dish) in a large ceramic baking dish. Add a decent amount of olive oil,lots of fresh ground salt and pepper and fresh rosemary (if it takes your fancy but is also good without),combine well.
Bake in preheated 190 oven for approx 35-45 mins turning once.Serve with fresh bread and greens - the garlic cloves are soft and sweet when cooked and a perfect companion to the chicken and potatoes.
I've been making my way through Jamie Olivers book 'Jamies 30 minute meals' one recipe at a time.I love his rustic style and the flavours that he uses,although i often find his ingredients out of our price range these days. The next couple of recipes are his (and no doubt there will be more in the future! )- i adapt them to fit what i can afford at the time,tasty for parmesan,dried herbs for fresh etc etc.
The recipes are fabulous guidelines,just work with what you've got.
Dauphinoise (creamy potato bake)
a handy,filling vege dish thats quick to prepare and leaves ample time to get the rest of dinner sorted as it cooks
1 red onion
1 kg maris piper potatoes
1 nutmeg
2 cloves garlic
1x 300ml cream
4 anchovies in oil (optional)
parmesan cheese
2 bay leaves
a very small bunch of fresh thyme
olive oil
fresh ground salt and pepper
Peel and halve the onion.wash potatoes (leave their skins on),and slice in the food processor with the onion.
Tip into a large sturdy metal roasting tray approx 35x25cm, and season with salt and pepper.
Grate over 1/4 of the nutmeg,crush in garlic and pour in 225 ml cream.
Tear in the anchovies and grate over a large handful of parmesan. Add the bay leaves,pick the leaves from a few thyme sprigs and add a good drizzle of olive oil.
Use clean hands to mix well then put tray over med heat on the stove.Pour in 200ml boiled water,cover tightly with tin foil and leave on the heat.
Preheat oven to 220
Leave pan on the heat for approx 20 mins shaking regularly so nothing catches.
Remove tin foil.Grate over a layer of parmesan.Scatter the remaining thyme sprigs on top and drizzle with olive oil.
Put into oven on the top shelf to cook for 15 mins or until golden brown and bubbling.
serve (yum yum)
Chicken Pie
We just love this pie! The creme fraiche makes it a bit of a special occasion but it only uses 1 tablespoon so i just ensure that i make other recipes using it during the following week. Jamie uses a pre rolled sheet of puff pastry but i buy a plain brand pastry block from the supermarket for $1.70 and roll it myself- the 3 yr old always gets the off cuts and happily creates a mad pile of pastry related mess while i'm getting the pie ready.
4x 180g skinless chicken breasts
a knob of butter
a bunch of spring onions ( i generally just use finely chopped baby onions)
150g button mushrooms
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour,plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons English mustard
1 heaped tablespoon creme fraiche
300ml chicken stock
a few sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 of a nutmeg,for grating
1 sheet pre rolled puff pastry
1 egg
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 200
Slice chicken into 1cm strips.Put a lug of olive oil and the knob of butter into a large wide pan,on medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 3 mins or so.Meanwhile quickly trim the spring onions and wash the mushrooms,then slice together in the food processor with a thick slicer disc attachment.
Add to the pan with 1 heaped tablespoon of flour and stir. Add mustard,creme fraiche and stock and stir well. Pick the thyme leaves and stir into the pan with a few fine gratings of nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for approx 15 min.
Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and unroll the sheet of pastry.Use a small knife to lightly crisscross and score it.
Tip the chicken into an ovenproof baking dish slightly smaller than the sheet of pastry (approx 30x25cm). Cover the filling with the pastry sheet,tucking and bunching the edges inside the dish (rather than trimming them off).
Quickly beat the egg ,then brush over the top of the pie. Put it into the top shelf in the oven and cook for approx 15 min or until golden and gorgeous.
Preheat oven to 180.Place chicken in oven proof cooking dish (in one layer) and bake 35-40 mins (pierce with a skewer if youre unsure,you want clear juice to come out- no red stuff!),basting with oil or cooking juices several times during cooking.
*our families favourite version of this is as follows: 3 chicken thigh cutlets and lots of potatoes (in smallish chunks with jackets on) and 2 whole garlic BULBS with the tip end cut off (place cut end down in dish) in a large ceramic baking dish. Add a decent amount of olive oil,lots of fresh ground salt and pepper and fresh rosemary (if it takes your fancy but is also good without),combine well.
Bake in preheated 190 oven for approx 35-45 mins turning once.Serve with fresh bread and greens - the garlic cloves are soft and sweet when cooked and a perfect companion to the chicken and potatoes.
I've been making my way through Jamie Olivers book 'Jamies 30 minute meals' one recipe at a time.I love his rustic style and the flavours that he uses,although i often find his ingredients out of our price range these days. The next couple of recipes are his (and no doubt there will be more in the future! )- i adapt them to fit what i can afford at the time,tasty for parmesan,dried herbs for fresh etc etc.
The recipes are fabulous guidelines,just work with what you've got.
Dauphinoise (creamy potato bake)
a handy,filling vege dish thats quick to prepare and leaves ample time to get the rest of dinner sorted as it cooks
1 red onion
1 kg maris piper potatoes
1 nutmeg
2 cloves garlic
1x 300ml cream
4 anchovies in oil (optional)
parmesan cheese
2 bay leaves
a very small bunch of fresh thyme
olive oil
fresh ground salt and pepper
Peel and halve the onion.wash potatoes (leave their skins on),and slice in the food processor with the onion.
Tip into a large sturdy metal roasting tray approx 35x25cm, and season with salt and pepper.
Grate over 1/4 of the nutmeg,crush in garlic and pour in 225 ml cream.
Tear in the anchovies and grate over a large handful of parmesan. Add the bay leaves,pick the leaves from a few thyme sprigs and add a good drizzle of olive oil.
Use clean hands to mix well then put tray over med heat on the stove.Pour in 200ml boiled water,cover tightly with tin foil and leave on the heat.
Preheat oven to 220
Leave pan on the heat for approx 20 mins shaking regularly so nothing catches.
Remove tin foil.Grate over a layer of parmesan.Scatter the remaining thyme sprigs on top and drizzle with olive oil.
Put into oven on the top shelf to cook for 15 mins or until golden brown and bubbling.
serve (yum yum)
Chicken Pie
We just love this pie! The creme fraiche makes it a bit of a special occasion but it only uses 1 tablespoon so i just ensure that i make other recipes using it during the following week. Jamie uses a pre rolled sheet of puff pastry but i buy a plain brand pastry block from the supermarket for $1.70 and roll it myself- the 3 yr old always gets the off cuts and happily creates a mad pile of pastry related mess while i'm getting the pie ready.
4x 180g skinless chicken breasts
a knob of butter
a bunch of spring onions ( i generally just use finely chopped baby onions)
150g button mushrooms
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour,plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons English mustard
1 heaped tablespoon creme fraiche
300ml chicken stock
a few sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 of a nutmeg,for grating
1 sheet pre rolled puff pastry
1 egg
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 200
Slice chicken into 1cm strips.Put a lug of olive oil and the knob of butter into a large wide pan,on medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 3 mins or so.Meanwhile quickly trim the spring onions and wash the mushrooms,then slice together in the food processor with a thick slicer disc attachment.
Add to the pan with 1 heaped tablespoon of flour and stir. Add mustard,creme fraiche and stock and stir well. Pick the thyme leaves and stir into the pan with a few fine gratings of nutmeg and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Leave to simmer for approx 15 min.
Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and unroll the sheet of pastry.Use a small knife to lightly crisscross and score it.
Tip the chicken into an ovenproof baking dish slightly smaller than the sheet of pastry (approx 30x25cm). Cover the filling with the pastry sheet,tucking and bunching the edges inside the dish (rather than trimming them off).
Quickly beat the egg ,then brush over the top of the pie. Put it into the top shelf in the oven and cook for approx 15 min or until golden and gorgeous.
Cheese and ham pin wheels
These are gorgeous,easy and delicious afternoon tea goodies.They can rest in the fridge for a couple of hours without the egg and cheese topping. Then just glaze,add cheese and pop them in a preheated oven 15 mins before you need them
4 sheets puff pastry
1 large beaten egg
salt and pepper to taste
200g diced ham
1 large spring onion ,chopped (use the whole spring onion)
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
Place the 4 pastry sheets on a bench.Brush lightly with beaten egg,season with salt and pepper. Scatter the ham,spring onion and 1 cup of the grated cheese over the pastry.
Take care to leave 2mm free of topping on each side.Roll up like a swiss roll and press to seal.Trim the edges.Cut each sheet into 6 pieces approx 4mm each. Lie each piece on its side and press flat.Place on greased tray.Brush with egg and scatter remaining cheese over pin wheels.
Rest 15-20 mins in the frige.Preheat oven to 220.
Bake 15-20 mins in preheated oven or until golden
Recipe by NZ chef Annabelle White
Fresh tomato sauce
I make this in bulk in summer when tomatoes are cheap and then freeze it in meal sized batches.Its great for adding an extra homemade flavour to mince dishes plus saves the expense of pasta sauces etc
1 chopped onion
olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons parsley
2-3 teaspoons basil,fresh if poss- otherwise 1 teaspoon dried
6 whole tomatoes,chopped but not skinned
1 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons tomato paste
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
Saute onions in olive oil in a large saucepan.Add garlic,bay leaf,parsley,basil,tomatoes and chicken stock.
Simmer 1 hour with the lid on.Add tomato paste and sugar.Season.
Strain through a sieve to remove the bay leaf and tomato skins.
Annabelle white
