Main courses

Mini Meatloaf Recipe (hide the veges)

SAMSUNG CSCGetting anything green into my son is a battle.  He puts on a fuss if we introduce anything new to his eating repertoire and, if really pushed to give new things a go will gag at the dinner table. Heavens forbid we try to feed him veges. It does my head in but we solider on. I needed to share that, thanks: I feel better now.

So, with my Bachelor  of Mummihood, majoring in trickery, I’ve become a master at hiding vegetables in his food.  This recipe below for meatloaf with a tomato saucey topping is a family favourite that always gets groans of delight from the little fella, as well as the big fella.  It doesn’t have a tonne of vegetables in it, but enough to ease me off my hobby horse and polish my halo that the kid has had something that’s nutritionally sound!  This is also a good weeknight meal that you can have on the table in half an hour.  I make these in large muffin tins: You don’t have to. Whack it in a loaf baking tin if you prefer (like a gingerbread loaf) and bake it for 30-35 minutes. Easy. (more…)

Captain Country Chicken

captain country chicken recipeHere’s a super yummy recipe that has long since been a favourite of mine. Why? Because: It’s inexpensive to make; It’s fuss free enough to have mid week;  Everyone gobbles it up without fuss (there’s a picky eater in my house whom I love dearly, but who makes me tear my hair out);  It can feed the masses (I cooked it once for a family gathering of 20 people, no worries), or if you don’t feed the masses, it’s even more delicious the next day as leftovers for lunch, or better still, dinner (I love a leftover friendly meal that means I can have a night off cooking). Convinced that you should have it for dinner one night this week yet? (more…)

Ultimate Lentil Loaf Recipe

Lentil loaf recipe

I made this lentil loaf during the week and, mid forkful, Hot hubby turned to me and asked, with wide eyes, “have you blogged this recipe?” Opps.  This has been a favourite in our home, as well as the family I used to nanny and cook for, for well over a decade. I can’t believe I haven’t shared it! (more…)

Ramen Noodle Soup with Crispy Salmon

salmon ramen recipe
Ramen noodle soup with crispy salmon

Ramen is a delicious Japanese soup dish that is made with noodles served in a broth that’soften flavoured with soy sauce or miso. You can add any toppings you like to the broth: Sliced meat, dried seaweed or spring onions are all popular. However my favourite is pan fried crispy salmon and I can’t get enough of it! This recipe is (loosely) inspired a ramen dish that blew my mind at Wellington’s Wagamama restaurant.  Shamlessly I have attempted to rip theirs off whilst putting my own spin on it!

This recipe serves two, simply as this isn’t something my fussy seven year old eats (his eating preferences are the bain of my life), so it’s just Hot Hubby and I that scoff this back!

Note, this isn’t a good meal to serve friends, or eat on a first date: It’s pretty noisy!  (more…)

Roasted Cabbage Recipe – Better than it sounds!

roast cabbage recipeThis roasted cabbage recipe is one that’s definitely worth a go:  The result is a side dish that will impress… It’s absolutely scrummy.  Talk about taking the humble cabbage to a whole new level!

You can get creative with this recipe – I’ve made lots of variations now, including adding a touch of grated parmesan, using different herbs and spices (any of the Masterfood seasonings are great, i.e. Moroccan Seasoning or Tuscan Seasoning), or roasting it simply with olive oil and drizzling it with balsamic cream at the end. Our favourite version is below. Quietly, I’m high-fiving myself at finding a vegetable recipe that Hubby requests.  Give it a go – I reckon roasted cabbage is one of the most surprising vegetable dishes ever!

 

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Cauliflower Rice Recipe – A game changer for carb lovers

cauliflower rice recipeI love carbs and stodge. There it is, I’ve said it. Very un-PC of me, I know. Bread, potatoes (including hot chips), crackers, kumara, couscous, pasta, rice… Oh yes, rice. I love all stodge: It makes my heart sing. Unfortunately stodge also make my bum large and my jeans shrink. Don’t worry, this isn’t another blog post where I’m going to rant about my weight and vow to drop to a size 10 before spring (and subsequently commence blogging my weight loss journey and exercise regime). I am a curvy girl, I happen to like most of my curves, I just wish last winter’s jeans fit – and dammit, they will be worn again someday soon! So why have my jeans shrunk? Simple case of more ‘input than output’. I take responsibility – I know my love of stodge is partly to blame!

Hang on, I can hear you thinking, where do carbs and shrinking jeans fit in with a recipe for Cauliflower Rice? That’s easy! I’ve been trying to cut down on carbs (particularly at night time) in a quest to reclaim my shrinking jeans. Being a lover of pasta and meat in a sauce, I was really struggling with relinquishing these, but then my Aunty Angie, who has lost a truckload of weight recently, asked me if I’d tried “cauliflower rice” as she partly attributes her weight-loss to knocking carbs on the head at dinner time. That was enough to motivate me to go and buy a cauliflower and get in the kitchen and started playing. It turns out that I might have been living under a rock: I’ve since been hearing about cauliflower in the place of rice/couscous everywhere! It’s hugely popular with the Paleo way of eating. Anyhow, I’m now really happy to share with you this gem of a recipe that has seen us eating, with gusto, this guilt-free rice-like substitute. Cauliflower rice is easy, delicious and, importantly, it’s a great way to consume more veges and add bulk and density to a dish, without the calories. I hope you enjoy! (more…)

Spice Roasted Chicken with Pumpkin and Pomegranate Molasses

Spice roasted chicken recipeSpice Roasted Chicken with Pumpkin and Pomegranate Molasses… *Contented sigh*. This Middle Eastern inspired recipe, from NZ’s delightful Dish magazine, is totally dinner party worthy and will knock the socks off your guests, or your family: Don’t feel you need to save it up!

The combination of the sweet/sour pomegranate dressing with crunch almonds, which is spooned over the chicken after cooked, makes it something oh-so-special. When I made this I doubled the recipe and we had it on salad the next night. I love leftovers…. A night off cooking = more time for blogging! (more…)

Zucchini Slice

Zucchini sliceI love hearing about recipes that get passed down  through generations. This savoury slice of goodness was made for me by my friend Emma, who whipped this up for dinner when I was staying with her recently. This recipe has been in her family for ‘donkey’s years’ and she and her sisters all make it, with their own unique twist on the recipe.  

Bugger changing the recipe, I’m sticking to what’s below: It was fantastic and talk about easy.  (Hmmm, then again, this would be good post Christmas to use up my leftover Christmas Ham!).

 Anyhow,  as a full-time working Mum I’m a big fan of ‘biff it all together and cook it’ type food, especially when there’s likely to be leftovers for lunch.   We had this for dinner with roast chicken, homemade wedges and salad.   Guess what Emma served on the side as an accompaniment?  My Chilli Jam.  That made me smile!   (more…)