Birthday & Play Menu

Tuesday ~ Roasted Pumpkin & Spinach Pasta
Wednesday ~ Lentil & Vegetable Cottage Pie
Thursday ~ Pumpkin Noodles
Friday ~ Gnocchi Carbonara
Saturday ~ Greek Zucchini Pie
Sunday ~ Chicken, Silverbeet & Fennel Potato Pie
Monday ~ Pies, Potatoes, Peas
Tuesday ~ Fennel & Broad Bean Soup with Ricotta and Oregano Gnocchi (uses silverbeet)
Wednesday ~ Chicken, Zucchini & Feta Pilaf
Thursday ~ Chargrilled Pumpkin and Haloumi Salad
Friday ~ Beef Sausages 700g Cheesy Sausage Rolls
Saturday ~ Mushroom & Butter Bean Soup
Sunday ~ Pies, Potatoes, Peas
Monday ~ Pies, Potatoes, Peas

Swap recipes:  
Pumpkin, Zucchini & Feta Frittata
Zucchini, Feta & Dill Frittata, merged together
Cheesy Bacon & Pea Macaroni


soft drink party, tub of icing for devil's food cake, chips
Baking:  Banana Date Loaf

Success from last week:  Roasted Vegetable & Bacon Soup made from our left over vegetables except I stole the leeks from myself
Magic Bean Stew, or Soup with 4 Bean Mix  

Interesting recipes:  Pumpkin Fruit Cake
Haloumi French Toast with Chorizo & Mushroom
Braised Lentils & Italian Sausages

Carrot & Spice Teacake

Silverbeet & Zucchini Menu

Tuesday ~ Bacon & Pumpkin Pasta
Wednesday ~ Two bean Nachos with Guacamole
Thursday ~ Ham & Mushroom Homemade Pizza see below
Friday ~ Left Over Risotto
Saturday ~ Greek Zucchini Pie
Sunday ~ Chicken, Silverbeet & Fennel Potato Pie
Monday ~ Garden Frittata (uses dill, silverbeet & zucchinis)
Tuesday ~ Fennel & Broad Bean Soup with Ricotta and Oregano Gnocchi (uses silverbeet)
Wednesday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise
Thursday ~ Cheesy Broccoli Pasta
Friday ~ Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
Saturday ~ Vegetarian Japanese Pancakes
Sunday ~ Pide Hamburgers
Monday ~ Chicken, Zucchini & Feta Pilaf
Swap recipe:  Creamy Lentil & Split Pea Dhal with Coriander
Roasted Vegetable & Bacon Soup
Strozzapreti, Zucchini & Pesto Salad 
Magic Bean Stew, or Soup with 4 Bean Mix 

packet cake mixes and scones

Swap recipes last week:
Pork and Fennel Pizza adapted from Egg & Roast Capsicum Pizza
Warm Potato & Chorizo Salad

Success from last week:
Roasted Chestnut & Herb Pesto Pasta with Mushrooms
Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts with Lentils and mashed potato?

Interesting recipes:
Spaghetti in Cherry Tomato Sauce
Crispy Greek Style Pie 
Warm Lentil, Cherry Tomato and Haloumi Salad 
Greek Pasta Filo Pie (uses lamb mince and silverbeet)

Brussels Sprouts Main Recipe

Brussels Sprouts with Lentils

(Serves 4 as a side)
- 3-4 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in qtr
- 1 cup cooked French lentils  (1/2 cup dried lentils)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped mint
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt

For dressing:
- 2 tsp hot English mustard
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste

Cook dried lentils with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar for about 35 mins.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add brussell  sprouts and cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, until they become browned in some parts.  Cover and allow to cook on low heat until as soft   Stir in lentils and remove from heat. add dressing and chopped parsley, mix well to combine. Serve warm. (season as reqd).
.Mix dressing by shaking in a small jar.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Adapted from here.

A day out in town menu

I am extremely excited by having a great new site to find recipes.  I found a new to me Vegetable Japanese Pancakes.  The recipe we use, we use all the time when we have little money.  This is very exciting, this particular one uses sweet potato, the new one.  It is handy because they last so long in the pantry and are also a back stay, they just sit there until you are desperate in other words.  At the last minute I had to take out some cherry tomato dishes because of the price, I'm guessing because it is frosty now so harder to get.  I was able to get all the meat and beans I needed at the regional centre so that is good, just a couple of adjustments, but not the main recipes.

Tuesday ~Egg & Vegetable Curry
Wednesday ~ Smoky Pork and Black Turtle Bean Tacos (uses black beans and pork mince)
Thursday ~ Black Bean Chilli
Friday ~ French Sausage and Black Lentil Casserole (uses pork sausages)
Saturday ~ Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts with Lentils
Sunday ~ Warm Mexican Rice Salad with Borlotti Beans and Avocado Salsa
Monday ~ Roasted Chestnut & Herb Pesto Pasta with Mushrooms
Tuesday ~ Cheesy Broccoli Pasta Bake
Wednesday ~ Japanese Vegetable Pancakes (uses sweet potato)
Thursday ~ Crispy Greek Style Pie
Friday ~ Sausage & Bean Casserole (uses chorizo, adzuki beans & pork sausages)
Saturday ~ Penne Puttanesca
Sunday ~ Dried Fava Bean & Fennel Soup
Monday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise

Egg and Roast Capsicum Pizza Recipe

Egg and roast capsicum pizza

Ingredients (serves4)
* 1 cup tomato passata (sugo)
* ½ cup tomato paste
* 1 capsicum sliced thin
* ½ onion sliced thin
* 1 cup grated pizza cheese (or use a mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
* 1 egg for each person 4 or 5.
* 1 tsp Oregano
BASE
1 1/3 cups plain flour
 1 tsp yeast
Pinch salt, pinch sugar
160 to 170 ml warm water
Method
BASE
Put ingredients in a microwave proof bowl and mix together , mix to be slightly damp
Put mix in microwave for 15 sec on high, 5 mins off and another 15 secs on high
Knead the dough. Roll out on floured surface and put on large pizza dish

Grill onion and capsicum
Cut onion and capsicum into thin slices mix with salt and oil in a flat aluminium dish.
Put under high grill until cooked well

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Spread the pizza base with passata paste mix, then scatter with capsicum and onion
3.  Bake for 5 minutes, then remove the pizza from the oven and use the back of a tablespoon to make 3 indents in the pizza. Crack an egg into each indent, season. Add herbs then cheese.
4. Bake the pizza for a further 5-6 minutes until eggs are just set, cheese is melted and base is golden.
5. Slice and serve.

Menu

Tuesday ~ Left over soup
Wednesday ~ Pumpkin & Bacon Pasta
Thursday ~Lentil & Olive Spaghetti
Friday ~ Papperadele with Pumpkin & Thyme
Saturday ~ Spiced Lentil & Pumpkin Soup

Sunday ~ Chorizo Frittata
Monday ~ Chow Mein
Tuesday ~ Taco Salad
Wednesday ~ Left Overs
Thursday ~Egg & Roast Capsicum Pizza made with microwave pizza dough
Friday ~ left overs
Saturday ~ Vegetarian Japanese Pancakes
Sunday ~ Middle Eastern Salad with Lemon Dressing (uses felafel mix and haloumi)
Monday ~ Boxing Day Soup (uses brussels sprouts)

Interesting Recipes:

Roast Pumpkin with Chorizo & Chives
Greek Pumpkin Pie
Penne with Fennel, Brussels Sprouts & Pancetta
Char Siu Pork with Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts
Pork & Bean Sprout Stir-fry (goes with plum sauce)
Black Turtle Bean & Ham Soup
Chorizo, Corn & Black Bean Salad with Tortillas
Bean & Rocket Salad (uses four bean mix)
Lentil, Pumpkin & Bean Dhal

Budget Menu

Tuesday ~ Lentil & Olive Spaghetti (uses canned lentils) (uses parmesan)
Wednesday ~ Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca
Thursday ~ Pea & Ham Soup with Kranskys
Friday ~ Rigatoni Milano (uses Italian Sausages)
Saturday ~ Pies (swapped with pasta dish, anchovies)
Sunday ~ Smokey Sausages & Beans served with mash (uses Beef Sausages)
Monday ~ Beef & Broccolini Noodle Stir-fry
Tuesday ~ Macaroni Cheese (uses leek)
Wednesday ~ Stir-fried Beef & Vegetable Chow Mein
Thursday ~ Pepperoni Soup
Friday ~ Pumpkin & Pasta Bake
Saturday ~ Tortellini with Bacon & Roasted Tomatoes
Sunday ~ Cauliflower, Potato & Chickpea Curry
Monday ~Horseradish Potato Salad with Fish Fingers

Success from last week:
Fried Haloumi with Chorizo & Cherry Tomato Salsa

Lunch:
Vegie Lavash Spirals

Interesting recipes:
Midweek Quick Roast Dinner (uses chipolatas)
Sausage Minestrone withBroccolini and Celeriac (uses beef sausages)
Greek Zucchini Pie gorgeous, have to try this, zucchini very expensive atm
Torta Pasqualina (uses silverbeet)

Easter Menu

Here I am finishing my menu on Good Friday. Yesterday I went to the regional centre, it took all day to pick up some fire bricks for the heater for winter. It was a very warm day yesterday though, which is lovely, typical of the North East for Easter, just beautiful, and the scenery closer to home was the best, coming back.

We found a bulk Asian/Health Food shop there which is fantastic. They had split dried fava beans. It may help offset the price of LPG to drive there in the future.

We shopped at Coles and got some meat, however their mince was expensive this time. Did I buy any interesting food items while I was down there? Only harissa, which is good because I have come across it lately.

I was able to get this menu out using the vegetables with have and using some up, it is great, very happy. Bought some more black lentils (beluga). I based the menu on the meat I bought at Coles, which was loosely based around the vegetables and the fact our grown daughter is visiting and loves Sausage Casserole. We didn't have a vegetable delivery because of Easter, and luckily we had enough bread, because my husband and one daughter were away helping the others shift house, and I bought two loaves knowing about the Easter delivery.

Was very lucky I had a Hamper King Easter delivery of chocolate eggs.

Tuesday ~ Pies
Wednesday ~ Chow Mein
Thursday ~ Tuna Casserole
Friday ~ Sausage Casserole
Saturday ~ Chorizo Potato Salad
Sunday ~ Japanese Pancakes
Sunday ~ left over Chow Mein & noodles
Monday ~ Pork Mince Stroganoff
Tuesday ~ Rigatoni Milano (uses Italian Sausages)
Wednesday ~ Pork Sausage & Leek Tart
Thursday ~ Fried Haloumi with Chorizo & Cherry Tomato Salsa
Friday ~ Pumpkin & Pasta Bake
Saturday ~ Stir-fried Beef & Vegetable Chow Mein
Sunday ~ Beluga Lentil Salad
Monday ~ Zucchini & Corn Pancakes (to use dill) love these

Swap recipes:

Adzuki Burgers
Pork Meatballs in Creamy Mushroom Sauce (uses pork sausages)
Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca

Interesting recipes:

Dried Fava Bean & Fennel Soup
Sausages with Potato Rosti Bake (uses chipolatas)
Sausage Pasta Salad (uses chipolatas)
Lentil & Lima Bean Salad
Chorizo, Zucchini & Feta Rigatoni
Sausage & Pea Pie (uses pork sausages, ricotta)

Menu

Tuesday ~ Fettucine Carbonara
Wednesday ~ Curried Red Lentil Soup with Toasted Mountain Bread
Thursday ~ Kranksy Soup
Friday ~ Honey Chicken Stir Fry
Saturday ~ Zucchini & Haloumi Fritters
Sunday ~ Pumpkin & Bacon Pasta
Monday ~ Tuna Pasta with Rocket & Lemon Pesto
Tuesday ~ Continental Franks with Slaw
Wednesday ~ Pumpkin Lemon & Broccoli Risotto
Thursday ~ Tuna & Potato Salad
Friday ~ Pies
Saturday ~ Pies
Sunday ~ Pies
Monday ~ Pies
green beans

Interesting recipes:
Spiral Spinach Pie
Creamy Bacon, Pea & Parmesan Fettucine
Pappardelle with Rocket Pesto
Pumpkin, Rocket & Mustard Terrine
Rocket Salsa Verde Linguine (with chicken)
Rocket Pesto & Chicken Spaghetti
Cabbage with Goat's Cheese Filo Pie
Carrot, Cabbage & Tahini Salad
Pumpkin & Date Scones
Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread

Baking:
Beer Cake

Success from last week:
Corn Fritter with Chilli Dressing
Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup (we used thyme instead of oregano)
Aduki & Pumpkin Rissoles made with dried adzuki beans, adapted recipe coming I think

Green Split Pea & Vegetable Soup

Better than some minestrones. We made it by accident, we forgot to buy lentils, or rather couldn't in the end.

Greek green pea (lentil) Soup

Ingredients
1 cup split dried green peas
2 litres of water
1 large onion, med diced
1 cup celery and the leaves, med diced
3 small carrots, med diced
1 med zucchini, med diced
½ red capsicum, finely diced
1 400g can chopped tomatoes (whole OK)
5 garlic cloves, med diced
1 cup parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chicken stock pwdr + 3 tsp veg stock pwder

Method
Begin by sautéing onion, then carrot, celery, capsicum and after a while the garlic, add salt now.
After about 10 mins add zucchini, parsley then split peas. Mix for a while then add 2 litres of water (boiled in kettle). Finally add the tomatoes and bay leaves, oregano and pepper.
Bring your stock and water to a simmer and add stock powders.
Let it simmer for 30 minutes then use masher to break up tomatoes. Cook for about 50 mins, by then the peas will be nearly tender.
Nice with crusty bread or even white with marg.

Adzuki and Pumpkin Burgers

Adzuki and Pumpkin Rissoles

Ingredients

400g can adzuki beans, rinsed and drained
<< about ¾ cup dried beans soaked overnight, drained and cooked in a
pot for about 30 mins with a tsp of salt, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp
chopped dried chillies. Drained and blitzed to a pulp >>
1 onion, diced
½ tbls ginger, grated
2 clove garlic, crushed
2 to 3 cups pumpkin, peeled and steamed, then blitzed
A pinch of arame, soaked until soft then drained << not used, sub Kombu
<< a piece of Kombu, soaked for 5 mins and chopped into small pieces >>
2 tbls chives, finely chopped << not used..
½ cup coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp tamari
½ tsp sesame oil << not used
Cup brown rice flour << not used
Used about 1 cup plain flour.
1 teaspoon beef stock powder

Method
Put the chopped onions, chopped Kombu, coriander, garlic, blitzed
beans and pumpkin in a bowl. Mix. Then add the flour and mix well, if
a little to wet add a bit more flour. Can be soft but not runny..
Don’t bother making patties, use a spoon and ladle mixture in pattie
size into a med to hot frypan. Flatten with the back of the spoon.
Allow to cook and turn over a few times to ensure complete cooking.

Serve with wedges done in oven.
Makes 12

Adapted from Janella's recipe.