Yummiest Cottage Pie!

I created this tonite after trawling online for a recipe on Cottage Pie. I guess we know that Shepherds Pie has lamb while Cottage Pie has beef, right?

Anyhow, we just loved it - I did some tweaking in the recipe which came from numerous sources online.

From Food Box
2 small onions, finely chopped
6 small carrots, chopped
4 med potatoes, peeled and cut
1 large orange sweet potato, peeled and cut
handful of mushrooms, chopped

From Pantry
1 beef stock cube in 1 cup hot water
Olive oil
salt & pepper
1 small satchel of tomato paste
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of oregano

From Fridge
500g beef mince (ground beef)
1 teaspoon of garlic 
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of Djion mustard
Butter
Milk
cheese (I used parmesan)
Frozen peas (I used about a cup)


To create
Potatoes and sweet potato in pot and bring to boil.
Heat oil in pan and saute in onion, carrot, mushrooms and garlic till all are soft.
Add mince and brown it.
Pour in stock, worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, cinnamon, and oregano.
Stir and add frozen peas, salt and pepper to taste.
Stir until all are combined.
Leave it simmer until the potato mash is done.
Mash both potatoes in until all blended.
Add warmed milk (I used less than 1/4 cup) and beat till smooth.
Add dollops of butter (to taste) and djion mustard.
Stir to combine.
Spray olive oil in casserole dish.
Pour in the mince mix and level it.
Put potato mash on top, do section by section so all are covered evenly.
Sprinkle cheese on top and add a couple of butter dollops.
Bake for half hour (30 mins) at 200 degrees C.
Serve and eat!

Carrot & Macadamia Cake

I baked this cake a few times and each time it's so delicious. Just watch it to ensure it doesn't burn!

From pantry

1 cup wholemeal plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup sultanas 

2 eggs
1/2 cup macadamia oil
 

From Food box

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrot, firmly packed

To create

Sift together into a bowl the wholemeal flour, cinnamon and baking soda.
Add the chopped macadamias, raw sugar, sultanas and grated carrot.
Lightly beat together the eggs with the macadamia oil and then add it to the cake mixture.
Stir all ingredients together and pour into a well greased or lined cake tin.
Bake for 45 minutes at 180'C.
Depending on the moisture content of the carrot, it may take longer than 45 minutes. Simply cover with foil and cook further 10-20 minutes (skewer will come out clean when ready).
Serve by simply dusting with icing sugar or a cream cheese frosting.

YUUUMMMMYYYY!! 

From Lorne Valley Macadamia Farm

Delicious Vegie Sauce with Pasta

Tonite I threw in a pile of vegies in and toss with pasta. Family loved it...

From Food box

2 Leeks, sliced

A bagful of Mushies, sliced (mushrooms)

1 Zucchini, sliced

2 Carrots, sliced

A handful of green beans, ends snipped off

A handful of Kale, shredded

From pantry

1 teaspoon of garlic

Olive Oil

1 bottle of pasta sauce (I used Brothers' Summer Basil)

A pot full of cooked pasta (I used penne pasta)

To create

Cook both leeks and mushies with olive oil till they're soft n brown, add zucchini and stir for a while in a deep based pan. Put aside in a bowl n keep warm.

Cook carrots in bit of olive oil then add sauce and bring to boil. Stir in the Leek mix in this sauce, until all's mixed well. Throw in green beans and kale and when the kale softens, stir in garlic.

Let it simmer for a few minutes then mix thoroughly with the pasta and serve!

Enjoy!

Darls' Stew

Tonite we had a delicious stew cooked by a slow cooker!

From Food box

5 carrots, peeled and cut thick

7 'small' potatoes, peeled and cut thick cubes

1 large onion, sliced thinly

2 cloves of garlic (I love garlic! so adjust to your taste)

From butcher

600 g chuck steak, cut in thick cubes

From fridge

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of TB sauce

3/4 cup of vegie stock

From pantry

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons of tomato paste

1 can of chopped tomatoes (I used a flavoured one - herb and garlic)

olive oil to brown the onion and meat

To create

1. Brown both onion (with garlic) and meat then put in the slow cooker

2. Sprinkle the cubed potatoes on top

3. Sprinkle the chopped carrots over ensure its all distributed evenly

4. In a large measuring cup, mix stock, sauces, salt and pepper, tin of tomatoes and tomato paste

5. Pour the liquid over the top of carrots, ensure its covered everywhere

6. Put slow cooker at high for 5 to 6 hours or at medium for 6 to 7 hours

7. At 30 mins before done, stir through the stew and put in thawed frozen peas in.

8. Serve straight away with some bread (too much carbs I know, but it soaks up lovely!)

There were some leftovers, so I've freezed them for future meals.

Happy chowing!

Dirty Fried Rice

Last nite I made a dish that I called "Dirty Fried Rice" - it's a hit with my family. Any vegetables that is nearly its end are good for this dish...

From Food box

1 clove garlic

2 large flat mushrooms

1 carrot

1 zucchini

From pantry

1 and half cup of brown and white rices

soy sauce

oil

boiled eggs (I used both chook and quails eggs as we have them here)

To create

1. Put brown rice on, boil for 15 minutes approx.

2. Using hand food processor, chop mushrooms, carrot and zucchini

3. Put oil and garlic in deep frypan, heat then add mushroom pieces and stir until its cooked enough

4. Add the carrot and zucchini and stir for another 10 minutes

5. In meanwhile, add white rice to the pot of brown rice (usually only need 15 minutes cooking)

6. Drain and rinse rice then add rice to the frypan and combine together

7. Give it a dose of soy sauce and stir quickly

8. Add chopped eggs and fold gently before serve.

Let me know how you go with this one, or if you've got a better improvisation...

Happy chowing!