Meals - Week 1

Monday: Spaghetti Bolognaise

Always a family favourite & has been for as long as I can remember. It's my Mum's signature dish & when she returned to work when we were in high school we'd often get 'Spag Bol' twice a week! My Brother & I can both make a mean Spaghetti Bolognaise & it's something ALL the kids will eat so it's been a recipe well worth learning ~ thanks Mum :)

What You Will Need (serves 6-8 hungry people)
1kg of Beef Mince (you can vary it with pork or Chicken etc)
1 tin of whole peeled tomatoes
1 x 750g jar of Tomato based spaghetti sauce
1 x packet of fettuccine or pasta of choice (Hubby & I have rice)
4 x Mushrooms
2 x small onions
Handful of Kalamata olives
Salt & Pepper
BBQ Sauce
Sugar
Grated Carrot
Grated Zucchini (or diced but this way the kids don't see it!)
Grated cheese or Parmesan cheese for serving :)
Garlic Bread if you would like it to stretch even further.

Start by browning the mince & onion in a frying pan over a medium heat. While this is happening you can pop the pasta & or rice in to cook & preheat the oven for the garlic bread.

When the mince & onion is browned, add the grated carrot, zucchini & mushroom & stir in until cooked. (pop the garlic bread in to cook @ this point)

Add the tinned tomatoes & crushed tomatoes & stir well. Sprinkle over the sugar & season with the salt, pepper & BBQ sauce.

Add the olives. Turn the heat down & allow it to simmer for 1/2 hour until all the wonderful flavours have combined.

Serve with the pasta or rice & add grated or Parmesan cheese to the top :) Yummo!

Great to freeze & use for work lunches or those nights you just couldn't be bothered cooking! :)

Slow cooker chicken soup without veggies. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup:

This meal is great if you need to set & forget something in the morning. It is cheap & cheerful & is a family hit in our home. I love it warmed up the next day as like any good soup or stew I love how they taste so much better the day after.. All thick & flavoursome! You can cook this in a stock pot or large saucepan if you prefer.

What you will need:

Slow Cooker chicken soup with veggies. 

8 Chicken Drumsticks (1.5kg?)
Chicken stock cubes or liquid stock
4 washed potatoes, skin optional - cut into chunky quarters.
1/4 Kent Pumpkin diced
2 onions
2 sticks of celery
3 carrots
6-8 whole mushrooms (you can cut them up)
Salt and Pepper
Cornflour to thicken
Mixed veggies such as peas, corn, broccoli etc.

Add the chicken drumsticks to the slow cooker, pop in 2 quartered onions & fill with water til the drumsticks are just covered. Add the potatoes, pumpkin, celery & carrots. Set & forget ( I use the auto setting)

After a little while the smell will drive you insane, at this point go & check on the progress & add the stock cubes, sprinkle approx 3-4 over the soup. Add your salt & pepper, mushrooms & mixed veggies.

Once again leave it to its own devices.. About 1/2 hour before serving shred the chicken meat from the drumsticks, it should come away very easily. Mind you take out all the bones & end bits etc. you can pull it apart as chunky or as fine as you like.

Add the cornflour & allow it to sit for a further 1/2 hour until thick.

Serve.. Tastes great with crusty bread & butter! Also a great winter comfort food!


Chicken, Tomato & Olive Bake

We had this dinner tonight & it was truly amazing.. So amazingly delicious I forgot to take its picture! I have a great cast iron baking dish which we used to create this yummy dish & it was perfect for oven baking this dish. A Pyrex dish or casserole dish would serve the same purpose & it could also be slow cooked!

You will need;
4 whole chicken breast without skin.
Tin of whole peeled tomatoes
2 onions
Cup of Kalamata Olives
8 whole mushrooms
Jar of tomato cooking sauce or pasta sauce etc.
Rice or pasta to serve.

You can start by browning your chicken & onion in a frying pan, particularly if you are time poor, however, if you have time on your side, you are able to add them to the pot uncooked. Add a little oil & pop this in the oven at 200 degrees & cook until browned. When the chicken & onion is cooking through nicely, add the tinned tomatoes & the mushrooms/olives & return the dish to the oven at 180 to cook through. When all the ingredients are cooked add the tomato cooking sauce, salt and pepper to taste & pop on your pasta/rice or garlic bread to accompany your meal. Allow the dish to simmer until you can no longer stand the smell anymore & you just HAVE to eat it! Serve with the pasta / rice & enjoy!

I'll take a piccy of this next week I promise ;)