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Get the machines to do the work (cause I’m guessing you’re pretty busy)

May 31, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, Vegetarian · Tagged cooking techniques, feeding the family, ideas, kids, mealtime, recipe, vegetables, vegetarian

The MACHINES will do my work!

Have you noticed a bit less Vegie Smugglers chatter lately? I’ve been a bit scarce, having just started back into magazine land, working on a 6 month, part-time contract. A two-day a week job doesn’t come along every day, and I would have been an idiot to say no. I should be able to do it and keep VS running as well, with no discernable difference to you guys (maybe a few more spelling miztakes).

Heading back into the traditional workforce means that my CV gets updated, there’s enough cash to get the gutters fixed, the kids finally get to join their friends at after-school care and I’m plonked back into the time-poor, stressed, parenting cycle.

I used to work three days a week, so two should be easy, right? Sigh. I’m slowly getting back into the swing of it, but getting everyone out of the house by 7am is stinging a little.

At least the kids are a bit older now and night-times aren’t the disaster zones that they used to be. There’s nothing quite as harrowing as picking up toddlers at 6pm (lets not even discuss how bad the guilt levels are when your child is the last one to be collected), getting them home (singing songs the whole way, so they don’t fall asleep in the car), washed (mid-tantrum) and somehow fed (banana, anyone?). These days I have a bit more time before their behaviour turns rancid, but without a hot, daycare-supplied lunch, I’m more on the hook for providing a decent dinner each night.

So I’m turning to my fabulous kitchen machines to help me out. I’ve just bought a slow-cooker (I never had the space to store one before I moved to a house) and so far I’ve made beef stew, Italian casserole, pulled pork, chicken mole and poached pears! I need to tweak these recipes, but will try to post one or two of the best soon. And I’ve had my rice cooker working overtime. With my love of rice, I’ve always found this gadget to be extremely worthwhile. I’ve got a slightly fancy one with a sauté function. If you do too, then HOORAY, this recipe is especially for you (although you can still make it without)…

Pilaf. Fun to say and good to eat.

Cauliflower and cashew pilaf

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, finely chopped into tiny bits
1 cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods (give them a smash with the back of a knife)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 carrot, peeled, grated
1/3 cup sultanas
2/3 cup cashews, roughly chopped

Heat oil in the rice cooker (on the sauté function, if it has one). Add the onion, stir then cover for two minutes. Add the cauliflower and spices; stir then cover for another two minutes.

Add in the rinsed, drained rice and the stock. Stir well, cover and leave the cooker to do its thing on the regular cook setting.

Once done, add in the carrot, sultanas and cashews, mix and leave on the warm setting for 5-10 minutes.

Cook this the day before work (cool quickly and refrigerate), and then you can reheat it (topped with frozen peas) and fry up a couple of cutlets to pop on top. Delish!

*NO RICE COOKER? Cook everything in a saucepan, as described. Cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid & is tender.

Comments (10) »

Weekly menu plan 3 – a ‘thank you’ plan

May 27, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, News · Tagged feeding the family, mealtime, menu plan, recipe, vegetables

Knowing how you love to be organised, here’s my third-ever plan, and as always, there’s a shopping list to download at the end. This one includes two recipes that you can prepare ahead and whip up quickly and two that come out of the freezer. And there’s a breakfast biscuit thrown in too, made from whatever cereal your kids like to eat. They’re perfect for these cold mornings when getting everyone out of bed is trickier and you may have to eat on the run.

Perhaps you’ll think I’m being mean because this plan uses recipes that you can only find in my books, not online. But actually I’m just saying thanks to all of you fabulous folk who have purchased the books. This plan is JUST for you guys…

SUNDAY (make fresh)

Warm up and get the house smelling great with this Easy chicken pilaf (VS2, page 126).

A bit of gentle spice to start the week.

While that’s cooking, whip up these Breakfast (on the go) biscuits (VS2, page 130) and pop them in once the oven is free (don’t forget to set the timer!)

The week will start off easily with a batch of these ready to go.

MONDAY (freezer friendly)

I do like a bit of vegetarian to start the week, so tuck into this Tomato & Vegetable soup (VS2, page 86). Crusty bread is essential to mop up the thick ‘tomato sauce’.

TUESDAY (prepare ahead)

Stir-fried pork with rice noodles (VS2, page 44) are really quick to make, especially if the ingredients are all chopped and sitting in the fridge waiting for you to get home from piano/ballet/soccer/swimming/badminton/chess club.

Yes truly, a stir fry with mince – yum!

WEDNESDAY (freezer friendly)

Sounds a bit bogan, but this Sausage & tomato hotpot (VS1, page 101) will go down a treat and if you make a double batch and freeze half then you’ve got a dinner ready for next week too. You’ll possibly want to serve this with mash or pasta shells.

Always a crowd pleaser – fancy sausages!

THURSDAY (prepare ahead)

Salmon pies (VS1, page 42). Another delicious wintry dish, that uses tinned salmon (which still contains Omega 3s).

And a bit of pastry will keep them happy.

FRIDAY (quick!)

I don’t cook on Fridays, remember? But if you must, then what about these Tuna & corn pizza muffins (VS2, page 46).

Cooking, without really cooking.

So thanks to all of you who’ve bought the books – I hope you enjoy this plan. You can download the shopping list here.

And of course, if these recipes look yummy to you, you can buy the fabulous Vegie Smugglers books here…

And there are more of my recipes available this month in Practical Parenting Magazine. Don’t miss it!

Comments (7) »

Living dangerously (with added nuts)

May 21, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, News, Sweets & treats · Tagged brunch, freezer, fruit, lunchbox, parenting, recipe, treats

Every now and again I feel the need to live dangerously. Like last night, when I ate carbs (processed and white) at 8.15pm. Or last week, when I exited out of the carpark through the ENTRY driveway. Talk about crazy times. Not quite on par with some of the stunts from my earlier days but you know how it is – a couple of kids come along and suddenly life is being lived a little differently.

Pre-children I never gave nut allergies a care nor realised how dangerous they are (there’s a great info page here). Equipped with my new knowledge (and surrounded by my kid’s friends with these allergies) it’s hard to use nuts in a recipe without feeling like you’re being the most irresponsible parent in the world. Nuts in the hands of the wrong kids can be life-threatening. Although nuclear weapons in the hands of legendary nutter, George Bush, was also life-threatening, and yet we’ve all managed to live through that one.

Every now and then though, I break free and have a nut off. The thing is you see, that if you are in the 99% of us who are allergy free, then nuts are awesome. They offer you nutrition (lots of relevant info here) and flavour that just can’t be substituted with any other ‘safer’ ingredient. And this recipe (whilst not as full on ‘out there’ as my nut puff recipe) uses almonds in a really good way.

While not all schools are nut-free, the majority of them maintain a pretty strict policy on food. It was refreshing at our old school – which was small and had no anaphylactic kids – we could still pack peanut butter sandwiches. But I totally get that most schools are larger, and need to impose blanket bans to cover their own bums. It is interesting to note though, on this NSW Government policy PDF that ‘Banning of foods or food products is not recommended. There is a lack of evidence to suggest that banning a food from a school is helpful in reducing the risk of anaphylaxis.”

So while these muffins would be perfect in lunchboxes, you may need to pay heed to your school’s policy and most likely keep these for afternoon tea instead.

vegie smugglers choc chip almond and banana muffin

Mmmmm, I fancy one right now!

Choc chip, almond & banana muffins

Even better than the taste of these muffins is that you can measure out the whole recipe with one half cup measure! Ah the joys of no fuss baking.

1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup choc chips
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grape seed oil
2 eggs
3 overripe bananas

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 12 hole regular muffin tin.

In a large bowl combine the sifted flour, sugar, choc chips and almonds.

In a jug or smaller bowl, mix together the oil and eggs. Pour into the dry ingredients. Mix a bit then add the mashed bananas. Stir everything well but don’t overwork.

Divide evenly into the muffin holes. Bake for 25 minutes or so, until golden and cooked through.

Makes 12

Leftovers freeze well!

Comments (6) »

Do you cook with tubular herbs?

May 16, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, Chicken, News, Vegetarian · Tagged chicken, dinner, ideas, mealtime, parenting, recipe, vegetables

I don’t often do PR-type posts. It’s not my thing to run a food/parenting blog then suddenly start posting about the awesomeness of a chainsaw – how easy it is to use, the sexy ear muffs etc etc. It makes for boring reading.

But I was sent a bunch of herbs in tubes from Garden Gourmet, on the proviso that I use them in some recipes and post about it. I’m happy to join in a ‘blog off’ if the products are relevant.

Now I’m sorry Garden Gourmet, but generally I like my herbs fresh – you’ll never convince me that anything from the supermarket is better than something freshly picked from my garden. HOWEVER, I can see two definite benefits to the tubular stuff… 1. when you want to use a herb that’s out of season and 2. convenience. So I’ve tested them out on two recipes that fit these categories.

1. OUT OF SEASON

Basil is the perfect example of a herb that really disappears during winter and seeing as the dried stuff is a waste of everyone’s time and money, I’m happy to have a go and see if I can get a bit of summer-loving into my cold nights.

All summery tasting, even though its winter…

I’ve tweaked my vegie lasagne recipe, using the tube garlic and tube basil. It worked out great…

The best-ever vegetarian lasagne

Tomato sauce
800g can chopped tomatoes
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp tube garlic paste
¼ cup sliced black olives (optional)
2 cups finely diced vegies (try broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms and carrot)
3 tbsp tube basil
Salt & black pepper

Spinach layer
250g grated mozzarella
300g cottage cheese
150g other cheese of your choice (crumbled feta, grated cheddar, grated parmesan)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 bunch silverbeet, blanched and chopped or a frozen 200g box of spinach, thawed, with the excess liquid squeezed out

500g box instant lasagne sheets
Handful grated cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 180C. Spray a 5-litre lasagne dish with cooking spray.
For the tomato sauce, place all the ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the initial crunch is taken out of the vegies and onion. Everything gets baked later, so avoid overcooking at this stage.

For the spinach layer, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to get everything mixed through well.

Now you’re ready to begin layering. This is the order: enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the dish, then pasta (break sheets to cover entire layer), half the spinach, pasta, half the remaining tomato sauce, pasta, rest of the spinach, pasta, rest of the tomato sauce. Did you keep up?

Top with a little more grated cheese and bake for 45 minutes or until golden and YUM.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 4 KIDS
_________________________

2. CONVENIENCE

I was intrigued by the tube of Thai seasoning. With one squeeze I’ve got lemongrass, ginger, coriander & chilli. I can dig that. Here’s what I did with it…

Four herbs in one squeeze was pretty handy…

Asian chicken meatballs with udon noodles & vegies

2 slices wholemeal bread
1 zucchini
5 spring onions
1 egg
500g chicken mince
2-3 tbsp tube Thai seasoning (start with 2 if your kids are fussy)

Sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp tube garlic
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce

Serve with…
Udon noodles, beans & carrots. A sliced up spring onion for a garnish would be great.

For the sauce: Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes until syrupy. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

For the meatballs: Use a mini food processor (or stick blender, whatever you want to call them), to make breadcrumbs with the bread. Add it to a large bowl. Use the gadget to also quickly blitz up your spring onions and zucchini. Add them to the bowl, then add in the rest of the meatball ingredients and mix well. I use kitchen gloves to finish mixing by hand then roll out the meatballs.

Heat 2 tbsp peanut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning until golden all over and cooked through (takes about 10 minutes). Do this in batches rather than overcrowding the pan.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to packet directions. Leave the carrots & beans raw, or steam or microwave them slightly.

Pop everything in a bowl and you’re done. Somehow a splurt of coriander from a tube just doesn’t make a good garnish – next time I’ll make sure I have an extra spring onion to slice and scatter over to make it look pretty.

___________________

So yes, fresh herbs in plastic tubes are handy, and I’m looking forward to experimenting with them a bit more – at least until I can get my basil plant going again next summer.

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Supermarket memory games and Boston baked beans (TOOT TOOT)

May 15, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, Ham/pork, News, Red meat · Tagged feeding the family, freezer, parenting, recipe, vegetables

So lucky I write these things down…

I’ve developed this amazing memory game for forgetful mums like myself, in need of some intellectual challenge. It goes like this…

Spend about 30 minutes menu planning for the week, then writing out a comprehensive shopping list with every single thing you need, vaguely sorted into aisle order. This will make your grocery shop as simple as possible so that you can spend the entire time on autopilot, letting your brain drift off elsewhere, like a beach, with a handsome man giving you a foot rub and thoughtfully applying sunscreen. ANYWAY. Pack the lunchboxes, get everyone dressed and off to school. Drive to the supermarket, remembering the reusable bags. Find a parking spot near the entrance, grab your bags, grab a trolley, roll into the store and spend the next few minutes checking every pocket like a flapping idiot before clearly remembering that the list is sitting on the kitchen bench at home.

Good game? I love it. I play it ALL THE TIME.

Yes, I know, there are apps to sort out this aspect of my life, but I’m old fashioned and find the act of writing lists surprisingly soothing. And generally the act of writing a word sticks it into my memory, which is handy, considering I’m now going to shop for a full week’s food without MY LIST.

Perhaps I should be pleased that my pass rate on this game is about 96%. The fun ‘marking’ bit of the game is when you get home, check through the list and realize that you‘ve only forgotten two things. FUCK FUCK FUCK. Almost always crucial items, which entails shifting meals around so that Tuesday’s dinner now becomes Monday’s, and Tuesday’s entertainment will be heading back to the supermarket for two missing items.

The silver lining is that today is only Tuesday and yet in a feat of time travelling mastery, I’m able to post a meal that I planned for Tuesday, since I had to make it on Monday. The fish sauce, which I needed for Monday night’s dinner will be procured today and used to make Tuesday night extra tasty.

Thankfully, this dish was a huge hit last night, which surprised me considering my kids are not big fans of tinned baked beans. Even better, the recipe uses treacle & mustard powder, items located but rarely used in my kitchen. I always feel good-homemaker-virtuous when I manage to run out of an ingredient before it reaches it’s use-by date.

Easy to make, freezes well, kids (and adults) love it.

Boston baked beans (with bacon & sausage)

4 sausages (tomato & onion flavoured ones are good)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, peeled, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
150g bacon, excess fat removed, finely diced
2 tbsp treacle
2 tsp mustard powder (or 1 tbsp Dijon mustard would be nice, but I forgot to buy it)
400g can crushed tomatoes
400g can borlotti beans (rinsed & drained)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Bake the sausages for 25 minutes (turn once halfway through cooking) while you prepare everything else.

You need a covered casserole dish for this recipe – save time & washing up by using a stove to oven dish. Otherwise, fry everything off in a frying pan and transfer to an ovenproof dish…

Heat the dish/frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Chuck in the onion, carrot, celery and bacon and fry, stirring fairly often for 8-10 minutes until soft.

Add the treacle and mustard powder and combine well. Pour over the tomatoes, add in the drained beans, cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, let the cooked sausage cool enough to handle, then slice up.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid. Mix in the sausage and return the uncovered dish to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until thick and delicious.

Serve with green salad & a nice sourdough bread.

FEEDS 2 ADULTS & 2-3 KIDS.
__________________________________

If your kids like sausages don’t miss my sausage fried rice.

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From the suburbs to the world in just over an hour

May 8, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, Fish, Food experiences, News, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged cooking techniques, feeding the family, fish, parenting, recipe, vegetables

I’ve got yet another awesome parenting moment to share with you (I do like to make you all feel better about your own efforts)… I went to pick up my daughter from her friend’s house at 3pm on Sunday afternoon. Was offered champagne. Had to admit that not only would I love one, but that I’d already had a couple, whilst on a playdate with my son, which had started at 10am. Bad look? Much?

It’s been nearly 8 months since THE MOVE and I’m having trouble keeping up with the partying pace of the suburbs, but I must say I’m having a great time and I’m wondering why I struggled raising kids in apartments for so long when there were spacious blocks, sunshine, beer (and champagne) fridges and HOBBIES to be enjoyed out here.

Still, with highs come lows, and Monday did roll around. Not only was the washing not done, but neither was the shopping, the nurofen box was empty and the kids were HUNGRY since all we’d managed for dinner the night before was boiled eggs.

I’m still trying to catch up, which is why it’s taken so long to post up this congee recipe. Over on facebook, some were intrigued and unfamiliar with congee, which is eaten by over 2 billion people throughout China, Asia & India. Basically it’s a rice soup, affordable to make and fantastic comfort food. The name, texture and additions change depending on the region.

In Japan it’s called Okayu, served thick, with eggs & grilled fish. Koreans eat juk, of course served with kimchi and the Indians call it kanji, a runnier version, served with lentils and chutney. Throughout all of these cultures, it’s commonly given as a first food to babies. Pretty similar to rice cereal after all, but a hell of a lot tastier.

My version is a cultural hybrid, quite thick, and cooked until the rice is breaking down but still has some texture. I use it as a carrier for small cubes of fish. But if your kids will fuss over that, then shredded cooked chicken (even a BBQ chicken) will be a fantastic variation.

Perfect for babies, the elderly, the sick (and hungover).

Fish & corn congee

¾ cup short-grain rice
6 cups good-quality chicken stock
3 tbsp shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine)
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
125g can creamed corn
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
White pepper
300g boneless skinless firm white fish fillets, diced
¼ red capsicum, seeded
125g can corn kernels

Sliced spring onions and coriander sprigs, to serve

Rinse the rice well under running water, drain and add to a saucepan with the stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 50–60 minutes until the rice is soft and breaking down. Stir regularly to avoid sticking.

Add the shaoxing wine, soy and oyster sauces, creamed corn and ginger. Add white pepper to taste.

When this is nice and hot, add the fish and vegies and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until the fish is just cooked through.

Serve the congee topped with spring onion and coriander.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 2 KIDS

Vegie Smugglers complete lunchbox planner

You can now buy the complete VS lunchbox planner for just $9.95!

Have you all seen that I’ve updated the Vegie Smugglers shop? And newly available is The Complete Vegie Smugglers lunchbox planner – which is a snazzy 92 page e-book, combining all of the term planners into one place for a bargain price of $9.95. Unlike my cookbooks, which only ship in Australia, you can buy my e-books worldwide! Click here to grab one.

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Romance is dead – long live romance

May 1, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, Chicken, News · Tagged chicken, parenting, recipe, vegetables

My husband and I both forgot that today is our wedding anniversary. We’d spent last night discussing April-month-end issues without either of us tweaking to the fact that the next day would be May 1, the anniversary of our glorious wedded bliss. It wasn’t until this morning that it dawned on me that if yesterday was April 30, then that made today… THE MOST ROMANTIC DAY OF OUR MARITAL YEAR. Shame then, that I hadn’t had a shower or brushed my teeth and that Mr VS had just a minute to kiss me goodbye before heading out to hunt, gather, collect yams, kill oxen, run websites and do other manly things that support our family.

I yelled after his retreating back, “I LOVE YOU… AND I PROMISE TO HAVE A SHOWER BY THE TIME YOU GET HOME…”

I might even stop by the boozer to pick up a bottle of something fizzy. And I might even spend more than $10.

Older couples assure me that romance picks up again once the kids leave home. But considering how late we leave it to have babies these days, I’m not sure if I’ll have any working parts left by the time I hit 65 (apparently menopause will leave me shriveled and unwelcoming). So best to grab whatever romantic moments I can along the way, which means tonight I’m going all out. I’m going to put on my newest bonds undies, my best tracksuit pants and whisper really lovely things in my partner’s ear (but only during the ad breaks of The Voice).

Is romance dead when you’ve got children under 10? What do you think? How do you try to keep things a bit lovely at your place? I could use a few tips.

Now I know I promised either congee or rice paper rolls this week, but best if I post a recipe up that is one of Mr VS’s favourites – this chicken & udon soup from VS1 is always devoured with gusto and finished with proclamations of eternal love. But am I actually making this tonight for my beloved? Well… er… no. I don’t have any of the ingredients. But at least posting this, he’ll see my good intentions.

Happy Anniversary my love.

Not quite oysters & champagne - but chicken & udon soup instead.

Udon soup

2 chicken stock cubes
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
1 tsp crushed ginger (fresh is best but bottled is OK)
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1 star anise (optional, but highly recommended)
500g chicken thigh
fillets, fat trimmed
¾ cup frozen peas
1 small carrot, peeled, cut into long matchsticks (just for fun)
½ green capsicum, deseeded, finely diced
Corn kernels from 2 ears of corn, rusks removed, kernels sliced off
400g packet udon noodles

Pour 6 cups water into a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Add the stock cubes, soy, mirin, ginger, sugar, pepper and star anise (if using). Bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat, add the chicken and cover. Leave chicken to poach 10-15 minutes until just cooked through.

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool slightly. Once it is cool enough to handle, slice the chicken into thin pieces.

Return the pan to a low heat and bring to a simmer. Add all of the vegetables and chicken and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
Meanwhile, prepare the udon noodles according to packet directions. Usually soaking them in boiling water for a minute is enough to loosen them. Divide between the bowls and pour soup over.

SERVES 2 ADULTS & 2 KIDS

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My second ever weekly meal plan – with an even prettier shopping list!

April 24, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, News, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged mealtime, menu plan, recipe, vegetables, vegetarian

Ask and ye shall receive.

It appears you all like it when I’m bossy. Weird. But I hear that some people also like whips and to dress in odd leather outfits. Not my thing, but you all go for it.

Anyway, I am an eager-to-please personality type, so against my better judgement, I’m answering the requests for dominance and here I offer you another weekly meal plan. If you missed the first one, you can revisit it here.

Knowing that I’m a bit lucky and at home more than most mums, I put out a call for a guinea pig to share their schedule so that I can create a plan that will be achievable in real-life situations.

It was interesting to get two identical pleas for help from mums who both have the problem of working evening shifts. One works Wed/Fri/Sat nights and the other Thurs/Fri/Sat. Now, not saying that men are crap (since there’s been a huge shift in the numbers of them now being the primary carer), but in the majority of households, it seems that the menfolk need to keep things simple. If they’re looking after the kids, then quite likely, rustling up a complicated meal at the same time is too tricky. So with this plan, I’m answering the question of “what can I cook ahead and have ready for my hubby to heat up and feed my starving darlings?”. So let’s go…

SUNDAY

A chance for family time, and one time in the week where you can cook and eat sequentially (how quaint)…

If you’re having breakfast or brunch, let’s have these oven-baked hash browns…

Perfect on Sunday mornings – home-made hashbrowns.

For dinner that night, roast a chook and have this cous cous salad. Of course, if your kids are too fussy to face that, they might prefer the vegie mash instead – which you can cook and freeze in suitable portions. The good thing of course, if that both the chicken and cous cous leftovers are great for lunchboxes on Monday.

Roast chicken is always a winner.

MONDAY

Let’s enjoy Autumnal flavours and take part in meat-free Monday with this Corn & Lentil soup.

vegie smugglers pumpkin and lentil soup recipe

Food alchemy.

TUESDAY

At the opposite end of the scale, swing back to meat with this pink meatloaf.

Pink enough to interest meat-phobic girls.

WEDNESDAY (Make ahead/freeze)

Leftover meatloaf can be used up in toasties or in baked potatoes. If you don’t have quite enough leftover, make a batch of these individual meatloaves. Use what you need and freeze the rest – then next week you’ll already have a dinner ready to go.

My kids love these so much, they don't care about what's inside.

THURSDAY (Make ahead)
An easy dinner to make is this Chicken & tarragon one-pot. If you do a double batch, then you can freeze half and you’ve got ANOTHER meal ready for next week (you go girlfriend!).

chicken and tarragon one pot winter warmer by vegie smuggers

Chicken, tick; pasta, tick; one pot, tick.

FRIDAY (Make ahead)

If you’ve got beetroot leftover from the meatloaf, why not whip up a weekend treat – these beetroot brownies.

I just can't help myself, I've even got a fresh root in here.

For dinner, you might want something end-of-the-week simple to eat. These tuna, rice & zucchini puffs are perfect. All dad has to do is reheat them. Microwave is ok, but under the grill or in the oven is best.

Remind dad - no metal cases in the microwave.

SATURDAY

By Saturday night, I think you can have a rest. Everyone has eaten well this week and surely dad can cobble up a toastie, noodles or boiled eggs. Perhaps he might want to whip up some okonomiyake. Super easy, and he can sound tres internationale as he expertly pronounces the Japanese name (remember, equal emphasis on all syllables).

Sneak cabbage and carrot in with this super-quick dish.

If you’ve got leftover cabbage, then tomorrow, whip up the crispy noodle salad and put hubbie to work on the BBQ. And there you have it – not just a week but 8 days of meals!

Here’s the shopping list for this week to download. As always, there’s a useful key, to help simplify your life.

So get to it [insert whip crack here].

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Because ANZAC biscuits solve everything

April 16, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, News, Sweets & treats · Tagged brunch, feeding the family, ideas, lunchbox, recipe, treats

Thank you to my Queensland friends who have brought it to my attention that you all started back into Term 2 this week.

And where is the long-promised term 2 planner? Ummmmm… well… creative differences with my team (i.e. I’ve been a bit lazy, but arguing strenuously with myself about the ongoing procrastination) have seen a slight delay. I’m hoping that it will be available from Thursday. You’d think I’d be super keen to complete the set, but alas, I do find thinking about 50 lunchboxes all at once to be a challenge. I’m sure you can feel my pain and appreciate the measures I go to, to keep your lives running smoothly.

While I tinker away, getting my mezze plate looking just so, I’m keen to get you all started, so below is the recipe and here is the link to download the menu planner for week 1.

Forging an even greater respect for one of our most meaningful of holidays, these ANZAC biscuits are guaranteed to grab the kid’s attention and imprint a childhood memory that links respect for the past with autumnal leaves, crisp days and compulsive urges to eat way too many biscuits in one go.

Most recipes for ANZACs are similar. No need to meddle with perfection. However for my batch, I’ve used treacle instead of golden syrup. I like the sharper flavour – and besides, I’ve a massive tub of it clogging up my fridge ever since I made ginger bread biscuits at Christmas. Feel free to use whichever is lurking at your place. Both are spectacular. In fact I think these are my favourite biscuits of all time. Yours too?

These biscuits are history – all eaten within hours of leaving the oven.

ANZAC biscuits

1 cup plain flour
1 cup traditional oats
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp treacle (or golden syrup)
125g butter
1 tsp bicarb soda + 1 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 170C. Line two biscuits trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl sift the flour and mix in the oats, sugar and coconut.

In a small saucepan melt the butter and stir in the treacle. Mix in the combined bicarb & water. Stir well (mix might froth slightly). Pour into the dry ingredients. Combine well, roll into balls, place on trays and bake for 12-15 minutes until as chewy or crunchy as you like.

MAKES 32ish.

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April 2013 update: Since this post, I’ve gotten it together and you can now buy the Complete Lunchbox Planner here.

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Fifty shades of red (the best way to smuggle… raw tomato)

April 12, 2012 · Filed under All recipes, News, The best way to smuggle..., Vegetarian, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged cooking techniques, feeding the family, recipe, salads, vegetables

There are some current trends that I’m managing to avoid. One Direction, orange jeans, and MKR have been easy to skip. The Fifty Shades of Grey e-book though, piqued my interest as soon as I heard it classified as ‘mummy porn’. Realising that I’m their target market and determined to do my best to stay up with the trends I downloaded it IMMEDIATELY. Admittedly around page 40 when first introduced to the ‘playroom’ I had second thoughts. I don’t want to seem like a prude but I’m a bit of an Elizabeth/Mr Darcy kind of a girl and 480 pages of bondage wasn’t quite what I’d had in mind. Still I’ve done my best and have gallantly just finished book 2. I’ve stuck with Grey and Annnnaasssttaaaaassssssia through romps in bed, in the boathouse, on boats and in the playroom (eeewwwwwww).

As a way to spend some time, it’s somehow reminding me of a sexed up, book version of ‘Escape to the Country’ – I’m glued with promises of the next scene, the next escapist fantasy, a new reception room (where of course they will stop for a dalliance). Basically a bunch of absorbing snippets that compile to make a vaguely dissatisfying whole. At the end I’m feeling slightly hoodwinked and not sure why I’m spending any of my life consuming it.

Anyway despite posts on porn film food, and an admission that I had inadvertently introduced my toddler to internet nudity, this blog is supposedly about good food, not erotica and the real point of today’s post is to tackle a tricky ‘best way to smuggle’ – raw tomato.

Unlike other vegies that are easy to sneak into gorgeous meals (like spinach, mushrooms & cauliflower), raw tomato with its high acid content is pretty tricky to hide. While the kids like a mushed up raw tomato pasta sauce, gazpacho isn’t quite floating their boats just yet. And hiding it raw can be tricky, so my best option is to dress is up, Fifty Shades style, with a delectably kinky dressing.

My hubbie concocted this quick salad and my kids LOVE it. Dolloped into wraps, and onto burgers – it’s been a real success. And yes, before you email me with outrage, I know that it has SUGAR in it (the irony is not lost on me that porn will make none of you irate, but sugar is akin to the devil). It melds with the balsamic and cuts through the acid. I have no qualms about the sweet content – anything that gets mouthfuls of vitamin rich, raw tomato into my children’s tummies is just fine with me.

Laters…

Dressed up, with somewhere to go.

Adam’s ‘dressed up’ tomato salad

8 roma tomatoes (or equivalent quantities of cherry, grapes or vine tomatoes)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
Salt & pepper (be generous – they are essential to balance out the sweet/salty combo)

For the adults: chopped parsley.

Chop the tomatoes finely, pour over the vinegar, sprinkle the sugar, season generously and stir. Garnish with parsley if you like.

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