Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Menu Plan





Week 1
Monday: Nachos (beef/bean)
Tuesday: Teriakyi Salmon, sushi rice and green beans
Wednesday: Grandmas' for dinner
Thursday: Vegetable Soup
Friday: Lamb Chops and Roast Vegetables and feta
Saturday: Quiche
Sunday: Meat/Nut loaf







Week 2
Monday: Laksa
Tuesday: Enchiladas
Wednesday: Grandmas for dinner
Thursday: Pumpkin Risotto
Friday: Baked Potatoes with fridge fixings
Saturdy: Leftover
Sunday: Pad Siew takeaway

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Tasty Tuesday: Chinese Chicken Wings/Tofu and Fried Rice

I feel that this heading may be completely fraudulent as I'm not sure if the wings are Chinese and the rice isn't fried but that's what my Mum called these when I was little and the name has stuck.

My family has been eating chicken wings as long as I can remember - whenever there is a family thing on or someone needs to bring a plate to something these chicken wings get brought out.  I haven't ever seen a recipe for them either - I'm not sure if Mum made them up or they are from somewhere - maybe a luridly coloured 80's cookbook that my Mum still has somewhere (where all the food was harisprayed to make it shiny - yuck).

I make these chicken wings when people come over and I am unsure what they will like -everyone likes these (or the vegetarian version I have invented) and several poeple have asked for the recipe.  This meal is also pretty economical even for a crowd - I bought a kilo of chicken wings for $3 on special last week - and apart from the chicken I always have everything needed for them on hand.  I have given approximate weightings below but it is a bit about taste - some might not like the amount of sugar I used or would prefer to use all honey - so trust you eye and your taste.

The rice is my Mum's version of "fried" rice - basically steamed rice, seasoned with mixed veggies and omelette.  Again I haven't ever seen a recipe written down so I have kind of used the EDC method for cooking the rice and the veg and Quirky Cooking's method for the omlette all in the Thermomix - but it's easy to do without - just with a saucepan on the stove top with a steamer and a fry pan (for the omelette).

i make this meal also for my husband (carnivore), myself (pescetarian) and my todeleer.  I have included pictures dwn the bottom about how I served it out.

Chinese Chicken Wings

Ingredients
  • I kilo of chicken wings - jointed into 3 (freeze tips for stock or give them to your cat - you don't them for this recipe)
  • Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons
  • Chinese 5 Spice Powder - 2 teaspoons
  • Honey - 2 tablespoons
  • Raw Sugar - 2 tablespoons
  • Sesame Seeds - 2 teaspoons

Method
  • Place chicken wings in a roasting tray
  • Sprinkle over all the other ingredients
  • Use your hands to turn the chiken wings in the seasonings
  • Bake in a 180 degress oven for about 30 mins - turning them over half way
  • The sauce should be sticky and making the wings all glossy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese Tofu

Ingredients
  • I packet of firm tofu
  • 1 tin of water chestnts
  • Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons
  • Chinese 5 Spice Powder - 2 teaspoons
  • Honey - 2 tablespoons
  • Raw Sugar - 2 tablespoons
  • Sesame Seeds - 2 teaspoons




Method
  • Place tofu and water chestnuts wings in a roasting tray
  • Sprinkle over all the other ingredients
  • Use your hands to turn the tofu in the seasonings
  • Bake in a 180 degress oven for about 20 mins - turning over half way
  • The sauce should be sticky and making the tofu all glossy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Fried Rice



Ingredients
  • Jasmine Rice - 400 g
  • I carrot - sliced finely into coins
  • Red Cabbage - shredded - 1/2 cup
  • I zucchini sliced into coins
  • 1 ear of corn - cut into 3.
  • Soy Sauce - 2 teaspoons
  • Sesame Oil - 1 - 2 teaspoons
Omelette
  • 2 eggs
  • Soy Sauce - 1 teaspoon
  • White Pepper - to taste
  • Mirin - 1 teaspoon
  • Water - 1 teaspoon





Method


  • Cook rice according to the method you would like to use.  For the Thermomix - it's rinse the rice in the basket, measure in 900g water and place the basket inside the bowl.  Cook on Varoma/16 minutes/Speed 2.
  • Place veggies in a steamer/Varoma basket and cook on top of the rice (I put them on at the same time as I wanted them quite soft for the toddler).
  • When rice has about 7 minutes to go, make the omelette (mix eggs, mirin, black pepper and water - line the Varoma tray with wet, crumpled baking paper and let the omelette steam).  When cooked slice into strips
  • When the rice is cooked turn into a dish Thermoserver and season with the sesame oil and soy sauce, then add the veggies and the omelette - or arrange all the elements separately for new eaters.




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serving Suggestions

 

The Meat Eater

 

The Vegetarian

 

The Toddler

 

The Toddler - the reality

He saw the bread rolls on the kitchen bench and was so not interested in what we had made (in his meal above I also offered a zucchini and cheese puff)

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Menu Plan

Back from a swim
I have been menu planning all year long - I just forget to type them up - so here is lasdt weeks and this week's:


Monday: Involtini (based on Nigella Lawson's from Feast) and Salad
Tuesday: Chicken/Tempeh enchilada's
Wednesday: Grandmas for dinner
Thursday: Spiced Moroccan Lentil Soup (from the Thermomix EDC)
Friday: Chinese Chicken Wings/Tofu and "fried rice" (My Mum's recipe - will share soon)
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Pizza

Un-baked Pasta Bake

Monday: Meatloaf/Nutloaf - I have to remember to soak the nuts this time!


Carrot and Almond soup

Tuesday: Pasta Bake
Wednesday: Grandmas
Thursday: Carrot and Almond Soup - based on a Dr Gillian recipe
Friday: Burritos (meat and bean)
Saturday: Risotto (using the leftover soup as the stock - an idea I am stealing fro Nigel Slater)
Sunday: leftovers.







The first haircut

The extras I will make this week are:
  • homemade yoghurt (the first time I will try it without the sachet but still in the easy-yo)
  • Cream cheese - from the yoghurt
  • Tomato sauce - again from the EDC with tweaks
  • Cheese Puffs
  • Apricot biscuits
  • Sun dried tomato dip from the EDC (using the cream cheese I will have made)

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Other Peoples Fridges

I know that this is a weird heading but don't you just love seeing how other people keep their fridge (or not).  I think it's very personal and telling about how someone lives.  I thought I would gather up some pictures of fridges that I find interesting or from people I admire.  Hope fully it will inspire me to clean and tidy my own - and finish replacing all the old number-filled products with home made ones (any good jam recipes without the sugar?)


The Glamorous Housewife

Yes, we all know I love her - the front of her fridge is almost as good as how it looks inside - click on here to visit her post.  My favourite part is the flowers in her fridge!  I managed to find similar baskets to hers but not in lovely colours - mine are maroon.




The Daily Connoisseur

Surely if there is someone with a grown up, perfect fridge it's Jennifer.  As the oracle on all things Frenchy-chic here is hers (its a video).



 A Bowl Full of Lemons
Have you seen how organised this lady is - OMG.  She has fridge coasters - I hadn't even heard of them before but they do certainly encourage you to keep your fridge clean.  You can find the post here.



The Pioneer Woman
Recently the Food channel has been playing episodes of the Pioneer Woman and she has two kitchens - one in her house and one in the lodge (where guests stay) - so that means two spaces to put food!  I would be in heaven.  Here is a post about how she stocks her fridge.


Here are some vintage fridges (all from here) that just look amazing and almost as full as mine.  I have been trying to clear out my top shelf of condiments (all those Asian jars you buy because they look good and then use once because you don;t know what else to make with it).  I am also trying to use my Thermomix to make everything that I might buy from scratch (which is pretty easy) but I cannot bring myself to trow anything away so it's taking awhile!







And finally the fridge that looks like it belongs on a ship.  One side is a fridge and the other is a temperature controlled pantry - apparently Nigella like them.  From here.



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