Cous cous, roasted pumpkin and fetta salad

This is a great dish for those health conscious folk out there.  Super tasty, light but surprisingly filling with some yummy flavors to keep your tastebuds interested.

I used barley cous cous in this dish to boost the mouth feel and satisfaction and it really worked.  I tend to cook with the coarser, grainy cous cous more often but in this dish, the pearl cous cous really works.  I served it as a main course meal with some grilled chicken breast and a dollop of hummus on top... it bought all the flavors together and made a real meal of it.  My husband really enjoyed it!

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup Israeli 'pearl' cous cous 

1 butternut pumpkin ('squash' to my American friends!), diced and roasted
2 cloves garlic, smashed not crushed

greek style fetta, diced in cubes

fresh spinach leaves (as much as you like, approx 2 large handfuls per person)

3/4 cup chicken stock

2 chicken breast, grilled and sliced (optional)

1/3 cup hummus, to serve 

Dressing:

olive oil (or walnut olive oil would be nice)
1 tblspn white balsamic (or rice vinegar)
juice of half lime
1 fresh red chili pepper, finely diced
sea salt and pepper

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350'F 
• Dice the pumpkin into 1" cubes.  Roll in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt and pepper and smashed garlic.  Ensure all the pumpkin is coated with oil, then remove the garlic and place on a baking tray with parchment paper.  
• Roast in a hot oven for approx 20-25mins, until tender and the edges are slightly brown.
• Cook cous cous as per instructions on the packet (ie. simmer in chicken stock for approx 8-10mins, drain in cool water)
• Heat a pan and grill the chicken breast with a little salt and pepper to season. 
• Remove chicken and add the chili pepper to the pan, softening it for the dressing.  Cook until fragrant and soft. Remove and add it to all the other dressing ingredients, shake and set aside.
• Add the spinach to the same pan, with a few tablespoons of water to help wilt the spinach
• Now combine the cous cous, pumpkin, fetta, spinach in a bowl and add dressing to coat.
• Serve on individual plates or family style
• If using chicken, place chicken pieces on top of each serve with a dollop of hummus and a garnish with additional red chili peppers.

Thai Chicken legs with a sweet, salty and spicy marinade

I made these chicken legs following a recipe I found in a Food and Wine magazine and I was really surprised at how salty it all tasted as I was preparing it.  In the end, I made a few minor tweaks as I went along (which I have included in my recipe below) but it was still overwhelmingly salty for me and I didn't have highs hopes for this dish at all.  I was so shocked at how the cooking process brought out the freshness of all these flavors and the chicken was cooked to perfection.  Everything going on with the marinade and dipping sauce married together well in the end, and it was totally yummy.  A delicious chicken wing recipe for a lunch with friends or a casual evening at home.  It wasn't overly spicy but you could crank that up if you wanted by adding some chili to the marinade as well.

serves 4

Marinated chicken:
4 whole chicken legs, skinned
1/4 cup chopped coriander/cilantro
2 tblspn fish sauce
11/2 tspn ground pepper
2 tblspn lime juice
1 sml clove garlic
2 tspn sugar

Dipping sauce:
1/2 tspn tamarind concentrate (disolved in 1 tblspn water)
1/4 cup fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1 chili, seeded and minced (keep seeds for more heat)
2 tspn sugar
1 tblpsn water
1/2 cup coriander

Method:

• In a mini food processor or bamix, process the coriander, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lime and pepper to a course puree. 
• Rub and coat the chicken pieces in the marinade and let stand at room temperature for 20mins or refrigerate until needed, up to 6 hrs
• Prepare the dipping sauce - in a bowl mix all the ingredients together, except for the coriander and let sit
• Preheat the oven to 400'F.
• Heat a grill.  
• Rub the chicken with vegetable oil and rub the grill plate with the oil also.
• Cook the chicken over moderate heat, turning until charred - approx 10mins
• Transfer the chicken to a baking tray and continue to cook for 30mins, until cooked through
• Mix the coriander into the dipping sauce just prior to serving.
• Serve with the dipping sauce on the side as part of a BBQ meal with salad, noodles or rice. 

Spaghetti and meatballs

Meatballs are a great mid week special, particularly if you have a busy night ahead and need something that can go in the oven while you are busy finishing off homework.  I would always suggest you make double and freeze them uncooked for another time.  Be careful to use fresh meat if you are going to this. If you prefer, freeze the meatball mix in a lump and then make them up fresh when you need them but honestly once you start rolling balls, why not keep going and save yourself some time next time around. Freeze them on a baking tray uncovered and then bag them up into portion sizes for just the kids or the whole family.

I have only just recently started to use my oven timer and I don't understand why I never thought to use it before!  I have it set so things like this are cooked shortly after we are due home from after school activities so then it is simply a matter of fixing the sauce and boiling the kettle for the pasta.

serves 4-6 (32 meatballs)

Meatball mix:
pork and beef mix 500g
2 tblspn dijon mustard
salt and pepper
approx 1/3 cup breadcrumbs, (panko are good)
2 sprigs rosemary
2 tblspn fresh parsley
1 tspn oregano (or italian mix)
1/2 cup carrot purree (optional)

Tomato sauce:

olive oil
1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic
1/2 chilli (optional)
2 x 400g tins crushed tomatoes
2 tblspn balsamic vinegar

Parmesan for grating.

Method:

• Combine the meat in a bowl with the egg, mustard, breadcrumbs, carrot and herbs until well mixed.  
• Divide the mixture in half and then half again.  Each portion should make approx 8 meatballs
• Roll and keep refrigerated until needed, or freeze at this point
• Bake in a hot oven, 360'F (180'C) until brown and cooked through, approx 20mins
• Heat a pan with olive oil and add onion.  Cook until clear, add the garlic and chill and cook until aromatic.
• Pour in the tin tomatoes, add balsamic and let simmer until the sauce thickens up - approx 10-12mins
• Boil the water and cook the spaghetti
• Once cooked, drain the pasta and pour into sauce, add meatballs and serve with grated parmesan.

Herb crusted lamb rack

Lamb would have to be, by far my favorite meat.  Here in the States it is very difficult to find and it is imported from Australia when I do find it!  It makes it a more expensive dish but I splash out every now and again and buy the french trimmed lamb racks (from Costco of all places!) and the whole family enjoys them. The girls call them lollipop chops but for me, this is a great way to cook them to ensure they stay succulent and tender.  I always under-cook lamb to maintain the juices in the meat and then let them rest. This was one my good friend Teresa taught me, I'm not sure if I translated it exactly as she does it but it is so simple for having such a big effect on flavor.  It is also one where you can get the messy part done well before people arrive and then cook for 10-15mins when you are ready.

Ingredients:
lamb - french trimmed rack
parsley, big handful
lemon zest
breadcrumbs (freshly crumbed)
dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Method:

• combine the breadcrumbs, parsley and lemon for the crust
• cut the excess fat from the lamb rack
• season with salt and pepper and brush with oil
• pre-heat a non-stick pan, preferably an oven-proof dish
• sear the lamb on each side until browned and cooked for approx 3-4mins each side
• cut lamb rack into portion sizes
• let cool
• coat the exposed lamb with a thin layer of mustard and press into crust mix
• leave like this until you are ready to bake
• pre-heat oven to 350'C 
• bake lamb for approx 20mins until crust is nicely browned and the lamb is tender
• let it rest for 5-10mins before serving.

I served this with a smear of olive tapenade* on the plate under the lamb, scallop potatoes and french green beans.

*I'll give you my recipe for olive tapenade soon!

Scallop potatoes...the perfect side

Potatoes are great aren't they?!  I love them mashed, boiled and rolled in butter and parsley, or done on the BBQ but one of my favorites is scallop potatoes done in single serve portions to accompany so many of my best dishes.  Great for dinner parties as it presents well on the plate and is an easy way to manage portion control rather than scooping it out of a larger dish. Give them a go!

Ingredients:
potatoes
heavy (whipping) cream
garlic
salt and pepper

Method:

• prepare your muffin trays by coating with butter or spray with oil and then placing some folded parchment paper across each one so the sides sit up - to be used as tabs to pull the potatoes out when they're cooked.
• slice the potatoes using a mandolin.  (If you're not going to cook them straight away remember to leave them soaking, fully covered in water).
• wash and drain the potatoes.
• in a large bowl add the cream to the potatoes, crushed garlic clove and season.  
• using your hands (I love this part or if you're game, let your kids do it) mix the cream over each slice so the potatoes are well covered.
• layer the potatoes into the prepared muffin trays to reach the top and pour a little of the cream over so it fills just the bottom of each pan. 

Pre-heat your oven to 350'F.

Cook in the oven for approx 20- 25mins or until the potatoes are soft and the tops are golden brown.
Remove by pulling up on the parchment paper and serve either family style in the middle of the table on a large platter or onto individual plates.

Aussie Sausage Rolls

These are a traditional 'tuck shop' item you can buy in all schools, bakery's or takeaway stores back home. I've always made them for my children's birthday parties and even sometimes as an appetizer for adult get togethers.  I have hidden a number of different vegetables in them in the past like sweet potato, zucchini, apple and carrot but these are the more traditional ones using just carrot. It is worthwhile making a large batch and freezing some, uncooked, so they are on hand when you need them.

Makes approx 60 pieces

Ingredients:
400g / 0.8lb pork sausage (plain or not too heavily seasoned)
3/4 cup pureed carrot*
handful freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of Italian herb mix (oregano/basil/rosemeary type mix)
salt and pepper
1 tspn soy sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (fresh are best)
puff pastry sheets, approx 5

Method:

• Mix together all the ingredients with a fork in a bowl until combined.  
• Adjust consistency if necessary, adding more breadcrumbs if too moist, you want it to stick together but be able to hold its shape.
• Defrost the pastry sheets, on a floured countertop.
• Cut the pastry sheet in half across the sheet for small sausage rolls.
• Lay the mixture all the way across the middle of each section of pastry molding into a log about 1 inch square.
• Prick the top edge of the section with a fork and brush with a little milk to help seal the edges. Roll the front edge of the pastry over the mixture and seal.  Roll back and forth to promote a nice log shape.
• Cut the logs into approx 6 pieces each.  Clean your knife as you go for a sharp edge.  To make larger ones, cut into 3 sections only (good size for hubby's lunch at work).
• You can freeze them at this point and then bag together once frozen.
• When ready to cook, pre-heat oven to about 360'F.  Lay the sausage rolls on parchment paper with a little gap between.  Brush with egg wash before baking for approx 25mins or until golden brown and cooked through.  
• Serve with tomato sauce (tomato ketchup).

* pureed carrot:  I have pureed carrot (and pumpkin and cauliflower) in my freezer at all times.  I make it up whenever I run out and freeze them in ice cube trays and then bag them.  I hide them as many dishes I can; spaghetti bolognase, mac and cheese, other pasta dishes and even under the tomato sauce on a pizza.  The girls never notice and it helps boost their vegetable consumption.  It's a hangover from the baby days but it is almost impossible to detect and is a natural sweetener so it's a good alternative to adding something more sinister.

Smoky bacon with mint and peas

This is so incredibly quick and delicious, it will easily become one of your go-to meals for those crazy mid week nights.  I found it on Jamie's Ministry of Food website and used it for the first time when we were away on holidays recently and had limited ingredients on hand.  It has a wonderful fresh flavor and is the perfect way to get your littlies eating a lot of peas.  If your kids are anything like mine, they loooove bacon so anything mixed in with that is hard to complain about.  They now scoop up the peas with gusto and can't wait for dessert!
It was hard for me not to start with onion and garlic, but this recipe doesn't need it... the lemon and mint compliment the salty bacon so nicely, it's the simplicity of this dish that I love.  That, and the fact it literally takes 8mins to cook from start to finish.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
10 strips of smoky bacon or prosciutto
olive oil
300g frozen peas
130g freshly shaved parmesan
1 handful of mint leaves
juice of 1 lemon and a couple of shaves of zest
2 tblspn creme fraiche (or heavy/whipping cream is fine)
knob of butter
mini shell pasta, enough for 4
salt

Method:

• boil your water for the pasta, salt and add pasta when ready
• cut your bacon in thin slices, and add to hot pan with a touch of oil
• fry your bacon until it's crispy and brown, drain excess fat from the pan as you go if needed to stop it going limp.  This takes the majority of the time, about 5mins to get it nice and cripsy and full of flavour 
• add your frozen peas and stir in mint and lemon zest and juice - not too long, peas should be just tender.
• drain your pasta, keeping aside some of the pasta water
• add your cooked pasta and a little of the water - 2-3tblspns and stir
• add parmesan, butter and cream
• stir until the pasta is coated and has a lovely silky, glossy texture and you have created a little milky sauce moving around in the pan, use a little more pasta water if needed.

Serve immediately with a little extra parmesan on top and a fresh salad on the side.

Curry Puffs

The long awaited Curry Puff recipe!  It is probably one of my best kept secrets but it's time I shared it. My best friends' mum has been making these curry puffs for as long as I can remember and they never fail to impress.  Sue is now world famous in my circle of friends!  Sue is Thai and so these are Thai inspired made with puff pastry as opposed to an Indian samosa's which uses a more dense pastry.  I'm sure you could do what you like with the contents once you learn the technique of pressing, twisting and rolling.  It is this technique that makes me want to get into teaching cooking... let's see what my followers say. Hopefully I have given you enough instruction to make them work for you too. These are incredibly popular with the dipping sauce suggested, I find sweet chili sauce a little thick on its own but the flavor is perfect if you don't want to muck around with it anymore.  You can easily make these kid friendly and healthy by using any combination of mash vegetables and mince meat, chicken or pork with a little less curry.

makes approx 54

Ingredients:

Curry Puff

400g mince/ground beef

4 medium potatoes - mashed

3 spring onions, diced

1 tblspn brown sugar, to taste

salt, to taste

2-3 tblpsn curry powder

1/2 small onion finely diced

vegetable oil

6 sheets of puff pastry

Dipping sauce:

1/3 cup asian sweet chili sauce

1 tblspn white vinegar

1 tblspn asian fish sauce

1 tblspn water

Method:

• peel and boil the potatoes in salty water.  mash when cooked.  let cool.
• defrost the puff pastry sheets, 2 or 3 at a time.
• heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion until soft.
• add the meat and brown well.
• add the curry powder, sugar and salt to taste. adjust seasoning and curry powder to your liking
• add the spring onions last and mix through.  let meat cool
• combine meat and potato.
• cut the pastry sheets into 9 even squares. Remove any dry ends of the pastry sheet before dividing.
• place a teaspoon of mixture in the centre of the square, fold into a triangle and begin to pinch, roll and twist the edges until fully sealed.  The ends usually have a little extra which can be tucked behind or pinched off.  
• continue this process until the mixture is finished.
• Curry puffs can then either be frozen for future use at this point or deep fried that day.  Freeze each puff on a tray and then bag together.  
• Curry puffs are best deep fried in vegetable oil but you can bake in a hot oven.  If baking, brush with a little egg wash. 

tip:  If cooking these for a party, I suggest deep frying them during the day and then warming again in the oven for 10-15mins when needed.  They will crisp back up no problem. 

And here... this is my husband, Mark, enjoying them one day after coming home from a long day at work.  He is always surprised and super excited when I make them for him!  (He's going to love that I included that photo!)

Two nut chocolate torte

I'm not a huge fan of desserts and don't often cook them...  I would prefer a bowl of lemon sorbet any day but having said that, I do like this one.  It's simple and honest tasting. One of Jamie Oliver's of course. It's flour less and uses very little sugar, so I can pretend that it's better for me than it is.  Jamie suggests crumbling it over ice-cream and pouring some espresso over the top when it starts to go a little stale but I have always just warmed it up in the microwave and enjoyed it for a week!  Eat it with some double cream, some good ice cream or creme fraiche.

Ingredients:
150g peeled almonds
150g walnuts, chopped
300g/11oz best quality cooking chocolate
1 heaped tspn cocoa powder
255g/9oz butter
100g/3 1/2oz caster sugar
6 large eggs, separated
salt



Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190'C/375'F. Line the bottom of a 20 or 25cm/ 8-10 inch tin with a piece of greaseproof paper before buttering the bottom and sides then dusting with flour.  
• Place the nuts into a processor and blitz then up until finely ground. 
• Add the chocolate and cocoa and blitz for 30 seconds to break up the chocolate.
• Put to one side in a separate bowl.
• Add the butter and sugar to the food processor and beat until pale and fluffy
• At this point add the egg yo;ls one at a time then mix together with the chocolate and nuts
• In another bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks.
• Gently fold the egg whites in the chocolate, butter and nut mix. 
• Pour all the mixture into the tin.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven for about an hour or until a knife comes out clean.
• Sometimes I find it browns before it's cooked, so you may need to place some foil over the top until it's finished cooking.

Grilled Pork Banh Mi

Now this is my idea of a hamburger!  I saw it in the Food & Wine Magazine.  Grilled pork, with the freshness and crunch of cucumber and coriander.  The sriarcha chile sauce is for die hard chili fans and absolutely tops off this dish but if you are planning on sharing it with the whole family, then leave that out and just use the hoisin on it's own.  The marinade is subtle and flavorful and really worthwhile doing a few hours ahead.  This is your perfect dish for a fun Saturday evening with friends over a few cold beers, so simple and very quick to prepare.  My husband gave me top points for this one, he was complaining he hadn't had anything spicy enough lately!

serves 6

Ingredients:
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tblspn honey
2 tblspn sugar
1 tspn freshly ground pepper
6 spring onions, thinly sliced, white and tender green parts only
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
Six 8" lengths of baguette/crunchy long rolls
hoisin sauce and sriarcha chile sauce
vegetable oil, for grilling
1/2 seedless cucumber, sliced into 1/2" matchstick length pieces
1 large handful of coriander sprigs

Method:

• To make the marinade, blitz together the garlic, scallions, honey, sugar, fish sauce and pepper.
• Transfer the marinade to a bowl and add the sliced pork.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
• Thread the pork onto 12 bamboo skewers
• Lightly toast the roll if preferred, spread the rolls with hoisin and sriracha.
• Light the grill, or grill plate and heat to a high temp.
• Brush the pork with vegetable oil and grill over high heat, turning, until just cooked, 4 minutes
• Place 2 skewers in each roll, close and pull out the skewers.
• Top with the cucumber and cilantro and serve.

Carrot Cake

Do you have leftover carrots from Easter?  We bought a big bunch to lure our Easter Bunny this year... it seemed to work, the girls were left some lovely little treats! I wanted to use the remainder up with a good hearty carrot cake.  I have been meaning to bake one for some time now, so I searched my trusty hand written recipe book and found this.  No idea where it originally came but it was probably one handed down to me from Mum.   After the success of this - I can't rate it highly enough.  I love how moist and high it got and it wasn't overly sweet or too strongly spiced either.  It's not carrot cake to me unless it has cream cheese icing so if you are ready to indulge then paste it on generously and enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups self-raising flour, sifted
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tspn salt
2 tspn baking powder
2 cups (blitzed) carrot
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tspn vanilla essence
1 cup chopped walnuts
juice of 1 orange
1 tblspn grated lemon rind
1/2 tspn nutmeg
1/2 tspn cinnamon

Icing:
400g cream cheese
1 tspn butter
200g icing sugar
2 tblspns grated orange rind

Method:

• Heat the oven to 330'F/160'C.  Coat a large ring tin with butter.
• Using a hand beater or mixer, beat together the sugar and eggs, until combined.  
• Add all other ingredients gradually to the sugar and eggs.  Alternate the flour and juice/oil last.
• Bake for 50mins or until a knife comes out clean. 
• Allow to cool.
• You can slice the cake in half and use some icing across the middle or put it just on top.  I do on top only.  You could sprinkle a little additional walnuts on the top for presentation.

Sesame Seared Salmon on Asian Coleslaw

I love this dish.   My good friend Mel saw this recipe on a cooking channel one day while feeding her, then newborn son, and lucky for me I was coming up to see her that evening for dinner!  What a winner. There is a little bit to it but the beauty of this one is that you can make the coleslaw in advance, and hold off adding the dressing, and then have it ready in about 5 mins when you need it.

It's a little bit flash so keep it up your sleeve for a special occasion or your next dinner party.  It is totally perfect for a spring lunch with friends, very light and healthy.


Sesame Seared Salmon on Asian Coleslaw with Wasabi Mayo

makes enough for 4-6 people

Ingredients:
Coleslaw
1/2 red cabbage, shredded
6 radishes, shredded
1 cup grated carrot
1 small apple, shredded
1/2 spanish onion, finely diced
3 tblspn sliced pickled ginger, (drained and diced)
good handful of each: fresh, mint, coriander and basil

Coleslaw dressing - (amounts can vary, so be your own judge and tweak if necessary)
2 tblspn ketjap manis*
2 tblspn lemon juice
2 tblspn lime juice
1 tblspn peanut oil
2 tblspn sesame oil
1 tblspn juice from pickled ginger
2 tblspn fish sauce

Wasabi Mayonnaise:
1 tspn wasabi paste
1/2 cup japanese mayonnaise
1-2 tspn pickled ginger juice
1-2 tspn lime juice

Use the freshest salmon fillets you can buy.  Cut approx 1 inch thick.
Use 1 per person if its for lunch and perhaps 2 per person if it is your main meal.

Method:

• Shred/slice all the coleslaw ingredients into an air tight container.  Set aside until needed.  Could be store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  
• Mix all the dressing ingredients into a container, taste and adjust as needed.
• Heat oil in pan.  Turn the oven on to 350'F or 180'C
• Season the salmon with salt and pepper, coat with sesame seeds (regular light brown) on both top and bottom sides. 
• Sear the salmon in the pan for 1-2 minutes on each side to brown the seeds.  You want the salmon a little rare inside with the edges slightly pink.
• Dress the coleslaw and mix through.

To serve:

Place the coleslaw on the plate, top with the salmon.  Drizzle the mayo across the salmon in an artistic way and then zig-zag  ketjap manis to garnish. 

* If you are one of my American friends, you may struggle to find ketjap manis in the usual places.  Woodmans have it or else you can make it easily enough using:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 soy sauce
1/2 tspn freshly grated ginger
4 tblspn mollasses
1/4 tspn ground coriander
1/4 tspn ground pepper


dissolve sugar in water, and bring to boil (for approx 5 mins) then add all the other ingredients and turn down to simmer for 3-5mins.  This will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for 2-3months.

Chilli Con Carne

Chilli Con Carne

A long time staple in our house and absolutely one of our favorites.  (ok, I'll give up trying to override the spell checker now, sorry for those Aussie readers!)

I usually serve this with rice and a salad, but it can be re-invented later in the week rolled up in a burrito or taco, dolloped over a gourmet spread of taco chips with fresh coriander and cherry tomatoes or piled high in a bowl and eaten with fresh bread.  So I would definitely suggest you double the recipe and freeze some in smaller containers for another day.  It is also a good one to transfer to the slow cooker before an evening of harried after school activities so you can dish up as soon as you come in.  Make it as spicy (or not) as you need so the kids can enjoy it as well.

Ingredients:

2 x 400g/14oz tins of tomatoes

1 x 400g/14oz tin of red kidney beans, drained

455g/1lb chuck steak, minced or roughly ground

1 large onion, diced (or blitz them in a food processor/bamix)

1 clove of garlic

extra virgin olive oil

2 tspns chilli powder

1 fresh red chill, deseeded and finely chopped

1 heaped tspn of ground cumin

1/2 stick of cinnamon

200g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, (blitzed) or 1 tin of tomato paste

sea salt and ground pepper

If you want to be a little 'deceptively delicious' you could also add a good amount of pureed carrot and/or finely grated zucchini to this to give it a vegetable content.

Method:

I like to cook this in the pan to brown the meat and get the juices going and then transfer it to a slow cooker to let the flavor intensify and also to benefit me at the end of the day by having the meal ready to dish up.

• In a non-stick pan, eat the oil and add the onions, fry until soft. 
• Add the garlic, then chilli powder, fresh chill, cumin and a little seasoning.
• Add the beef and cook until it's browned.
• Add the sun-dried tomatoes or tomato paste, (using sun dried tomatoes makes it incredible!) tin tomatoes and cinnamon stick and a good glass of water.
• Transfer to the slow cooker at this point and continue to cook on low for 6+hours or on high for 3-4hrs.
• Ideally, add the kidney beans approx 30mins before you want to eat so they don't get too mashed up, they are cooked already so they just need to be warmed through.

one serving suggestion:  'gourmet' nacho's are great for a friday night casual dinner or when friends drop in!

how we eat it most times... with a drop of sour cream and some fresh coriander on top, rice mountain on the side and a great big salad!  

perhaps the beginning of something big

Welcome to my blog.  People have been suggesting I get this started for some time now so here it goes... my attempt to create some enthusiasm and excitement around cooking.  I  moved to Milwaukee from Australia with my family last year and am really starting to feel settled here in our new American life.  It is different to my old world in many ways but life goes on wherever you are and people need to eat, go to school, washing needs to be done and so on, so for me things haven't changed too much.  One of the biggest differences I have noticed however is despite the food network and gluttony of cooking shows, people opt for convenience almost every time.  And with the level of convenience here, it's hard not to.  Carrots come pre-peeled, and miniature so you can snack right out of the bag!  Some of these conveniences have changed my life but others are trying to lure me to the dark side and make me lazy and worse still, unsure of what I'm eating.  I want to resist those and keep the art of cooking alive for my little ones.  Packet cakes are great for an emergency but lets get out our mixers and start something from scratch today!

I would like this blog to be a place to share recipes, culinary secrets and short cuts and most importantly generate a love of food to inspire you to keep cooking.  Teach your children the skills they will need to properly prepare a good wholesome meal.   Talk with them about the importance of making healthy choices and above all show them how to have fun in kitchen.  Understanding where food comes from and the joy of putting it all together to create a wonderful meal for your family or friends to marvel at and enjoy, that what's cooking is all about for me.

I hope this blog to helps people as well.  As the title suggests, sometimes I want to cringe when I hear the first murmur of 'whats for dinner mum?'... I feel like yelling, 'its 9am honey, who cares what we're having for dinner.'  I want to get up, have a coffee, enjoy my day and maybe by 4:30 I'll have an inkling into what it might be.   I'll tell you this, it WILL have vegetables in it, and you ARE eating it all if you want dessert... how's that?!  Tough love but hey, it forces me to be creative and stay true to my values.  I'll stop harping on now and here's to my first recipe share: