Great Lunch Box Idea - Veggie Tortilla Pinwheels, found this on the Disney website out of all places looking for healthy teen party food, you can buy similar ones at Costco, but with meat in them. No good for my vegetarian daughter! click here for link.

Baked filled capsicum

Preparation time: 30 min
Baking time: 40 min

1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 vegetable bouillon
2 cups cooked brown or white rice
Fresh parsley, cut fine
1 can of corn kernels or 2 cobs of fresh cooked corn
4 red capsicums, in a shape that will stand up by itself
1 courgette, washed and sliced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese


You can practically add any vegetables you like or have ready in the fridge.

Spinach and minced meat also go well together...
Peeled, quartered and fried eggplant is a delicous addition, as are fried mushrooms. You can also add pine nuts for a little crunch.
The choices are endless...


Wash the capsicums and carefully cut off the tops. Take out all the seeds and salt the insides of the capsicums.
Place them into an ovenproof dish and stand them up, ready to be filled.

Heat a large saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the courgette and bouillon and fry for 5 minutes. If it gets too dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper and add all other ingredients. Mix well together and spoon the filling into the capsicums.  I put about 200 ml of vegetable broth in the bottom of the dish to prevent it from drying out too much.

Put the previously cut off capsicum  lids  back onto the capsicums and bake for 40 minutes.

You can serve the baked capsicums as they are or with a tomato sauce on the side.

Cherry Berry Cake

Preparation Time: 20 min
Baking Time: 40 min

680 g Cherries or mixed berries ( frozen, fresh or canned)
50 g butter or Nuttelex
100 g sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla concentrate
11/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs ( separated)
100g self raising flour
125 ml milk
120g semolina

Preheat oven to 175 C.
Mix butter or nuttelex with sugar, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer until foamy. Then add egg yolks

Add flour, semolina and milk to the egg mixture.

Beat egg whites in dry, clean bowl and carefully fold under the mixture

Pour dough into a greased dish and add the berries on top.

Put into hot oven and bake for about 35-45 minutes.

Take 2 tablespoon of icing sugar and sieve onto warm cake.




This is a German recipe and a family favourite!

Rice Salad

2 cups cooked rice ( brown or white)

2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons  mustard seeds

3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup unsalted cashews, cut into small pieces
2 large carrots, grated
1/2 red capsicum, cut into small pieces
2 apples, grated
1/4 cup parsley, cut finely
1/4 cup mango chutney

1 cup flaked almonds
1 tablespoon butter

1 cup mayonnaise (low fat yogurt can also be used but won't give the same result)
1 small tin apricots, cut into small pieces


Preparation time: 30 minutes

Heat the oil and fry onion, garlic, curry powder and seeds until soft.
Heat the butter and gently roast the flaked almonds on low heat for 2 minutes.

Bring all ingredients together and you have a wonderful, healthy salad as a side dish or ideal for lunch boxes!

Gulasch ( beef casserole)

This makes a warming, family winter dish all in one pot and tastes best if you prepare a few hours before serving. The flavours come out even better the next day!

This recipe is the Hungarian version, which is where gulasch comes from.

Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 1-2 hours


500 g beef, buy pieces with sinew as they are most suited for slow cooking and will release juices and break down into soft pieces that melt in your mouth, it often comes cut up already and mentions "suitable for casserole", cut into small pieces if not already done so. Chuck, blade, shin and shank are all good affordable cuts.


2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons mild paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon cayennepepper
2 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1 beef bouillon
1 tablespoon tomato paste6 tablespoon cream
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon mixed italian herbs
100 ml red wine
500 ml beef stock


1 red onion, peeled and cut into rings
1 red capsicum, washed, seeds removed and cut into strips

1 green capsicum washed, seeds removed and cut into strips

2 medium carrots, sliced

5 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

400g tomatoes, I prefer tinned tomatoes, they are cheaper and more tasty, I buy the diced ones to save time


Heat a large casserole and add the oil. Fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the beef pieces and fry for 2 minutes. Then add all other ingredients. Bring to boil and gently simmer for 2 hours. 1 hour is ok if you run out of time.


Once cooked, remove bay leaves and add the cream. Adjust seasoning.

Vegetable Risotto

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: about 30 - 40 minutes












2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed or 1 tablespoon from a jar
350g arborio rice
pinch of saffron ( if you can afford it)
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon each of mild paprika, turmeric, curry powder
100ml white wine
700ml vegetable stock
500g vegetables, (I used 200g pumpkin, and 100g courgettes, but you can practically use any vegetables you like or that are avaiable in the fridge)
2 tablespoons of fresh herbs e.g. parsley, thyme, rosemary or basil.
50g parmesan

Melt the butter and oil in a large pot and gently fry the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft.
Add the rice, saffron (optional) and salt and pepper. Keep stiring the rice, it will burn easily. The more you stir, the creamier it will get. Add the wine and enough stock to cover the rice. Stir. Add the vegetables so they cook together with the rice. As soon as the rice looks dry, keep adding stock, a little at a time.
Keep stiring and adding stock until the rice is tender, it will take approximately 30 minutes. Taste the rice, you may need to add more spices, salt and pepper. I like adding mild paprika, turmeric and a little curry if it tastes too bland. It depends a little which stock you use to how tasty it will be.

If you want a really creamy risotto, you can add 125 ml of cream in the end. Do not boil the risotto once you have added the cream!

Sprinkle the finished risotto with parmesan, fresh herbs and freshly ground pepper!


Delicious...

Pumpkin Pie

Preparation time: 20 min
Baking time: 40 min

450g cooked pumpkin
250ml whipping cream
2 eggs
115 brown sugar
4 tablespoons golden syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pastry

170g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
100g butter, cold and cut up into pieces
30g nuttelex
3-4 tablespoons iced water


Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and nuttelex and rub into the flour with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the cold water and shape into dough. Put dough into cling foil and put in fridge for 30 minutes.

Put baking paper into a 23cm pie tin. Sprinkle a little flour onto bench and roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin. Put the dough into the pie tin and trim excess off the sides.

Heat the oven to 180C.

Filling


Beat together the pumpkin, cream, eggs, sugar, golden syrup and spices.
Pour into the pastry into the pie tin and bake for about 40 minutes or until set.


A great afternoon tea treat!

Mushroom and Chickpea Curry

Mushroom and Chickpea Curry

Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 20 min

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
250 gram mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons of curry paste
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can coconut milk

Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Once soft, add the mushrooms and fry another 3 minutes. Then add all other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not boil, just gentle heat!


Rice
Put 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water in saucepan and heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and gently simmer for 20 minutes.

Handy Hints

• You can substitute 1 stock cube and 400 ml of water for the coconut milk
• Add other vegetables and pulses to the curry depending what you like and what is in the fridge, e.g. carrots, courgettes, peas, red kidney beans

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Preparation time: 20 min
Baking Time: 90 min

1 cup Canola Oil
11/3 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups coarsely grated carrot ( about 3 medium carrots)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
21/2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon


Heat oven to 180C. Grease a 15cm x 25cm loaf pan and line with baking paper. Beat oil, sugar and eggs with electric mixer until thick and creamy.

Stir in carrots, nuts and raisins, then sifted dry ingredients.
Pour mixture into prepared pan,  and bake for 45 min. Then cover loosely with foil and bake another 40 minutes. Check with wooden skewer whether it is cooked. If still moist, cook a little longer.
After 5 minutes transfer onto wire rack to cool.


Cream Cheese Frosting

30 g butter

80 g cream cheese

1 teaspoon greated lemon rind

1 tablespoon lemon juice

11/2 cups icing sugar

Beat all ingredients except icing sugar until light and fluffy. Then beat icing sugar in gradually.
I always put the frosting in the fridge before I use it to make it more spreadable.

Of course you can omit the frosting to keep it more healthy.

Top cool cake with frosting and enjoy!

Kids could not wait to eat it, hence the frosting was runny because it was still warm!

Apple Crumble Recipe

Apple crumble

Preparation time: 20 min
Baking time: 1 hour

About 1kg green apples ( green apples are best for baking)

¼ cup Lemon Juice ( stops the apples from browning and adds Vit C)

½  cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup flour

½ cup butter, cold and cut into small pieces

Heat oven to 180 C.

Peel apples and cut into fine slices. Arrange them in a large, flat, buttered casserole dish and cover with lemon juice.

Mix together all other dry ingredients and work the butter with your fingers into the dry ingredients until it  resembles breadcrumbs.

Put in oven, covered with aluminium foil for 30 minutes, then bake another 30 minutes without foil.