Archive for News

Hang up your keyboards; I’m doing the searching for you

You never really know what’s going on in the back of people’s minds, do you? There you are chatting away about the weather and you have no idea where their subconscious is actually dwelling. Being fairly simple myself, I tend to take people at face value, but as I trawl through the Vegie Smugglers’ statistics, evidence is building that I’m terribly naive.

Amongst my search term records I get little glimpses of the strange urges that people hide in gentile society. For every bona fide, lovely mum typing ‘how to hide vegetables in meals’ into Google, there’s some weirdo lurking, typing ‘puff pastry toilet seat’. Quite how that search term directs them to my site is an interesting look at how Google jumbles posts together in odd ways. Sure, I’ve written about both ‘puff pastry’ and ‘toilet seats’, but I’m fairly sure not on the same day, and definitely not as ‘puff pastry toilet seat’.

Since this post, I get a lot of folks directed to me who have searched for ‘asses’ and ‘jeans’. And this post always ends up with those stoned teens folks wanting to know how to ‘smuggle shrooms’. I guess they’ve hit ‘I’m feeling lucky’ and are no doubt now quite confused and disappointed.

Sometimes though, there are clear winners amongst the search terms. So in the same way that Deadly 60 can create about 45 extra episodes of behind-the-scenes footage recut as ‘Scariest Sea Monsters’, while I’m off on holidays, this post is an edit of the recipes that get searched for the most.

This is my most searched for recipe - chicken sausage rolls!

This is still my most searched for recipe – ‘lentil sausage rolls’.

Tuna pasta bake recipe hiding corn, zucchini, carrot and capsicum

‘Tuna pasta bake’.

Chickpea cookies

‘Chickpea cookies’.

Vegie quesadillas

‘Quesadillas’.

Slow cooker chicken satay

‘Slow cooker chicken satay’.

Anzac Biscuits

‘Anzac Biscuits+treacle’.

slow cooker pea and ham soup

‘Slow cooker pea ham soup’

Start simple. Here.

‘Tinned spaghetti recipe’.

Malaysian food for kids

‘Malaysian food for kids’.

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The Youtube culinary institute…

Armed and (mildly) dangerous.

Armed and (mildly) dangerous.

I never hide the fact that I’m not a trained chef. Considering my recipes are all for everyday family life, I’ve actually considered my lack of formal training to be a bit of an advantage. It means that my cookbooks are full of recipes that can be cooked by anyone – I never make an assumption that you know how to make a roux or whip up pastry.

But as I’ve cooked more and more, I’ve obviously gotten pretty good in the kitchen and as I’ve built confidence, I’ve given myself more challenges. Whenever I want to tackle something I’m unsure of, I’ll just do a search online and find some instructional video that gives me the confidence to HAVE A GO (ya mug).

The quality of online videos varies wildly, from the great to the hideous, so in the interest of giving you a red hot go in the kitchen, here are some links to good videos showing you how to tackle some everyday kitchen skills…

The basis of nearly every dinner – how to dice an onion.

If you love making casseroles in your slow cooker, you might want to know how to cut up a raw chicken into eight pieces. If that makes you squeamish, you might prefer this video – how to carve a roast chicken, which is also handy (mine never look like this!).

Have a perfect ‘mom’ moment by knowing how to perfectly cream butter and sugar.

Then you might want to separate eggs. And then of course you’ll need to know how to beat eggwhites. (You can also watch this one in Italian, just for something a bit exotic).

Take your patisserie skills even further and learn how to make choux pastry. If you’re feeling like pickling some pickles or jamming some jam, you’ll need to know how to sterilise jars. And for the ultimate Donna-Hay-presentation-moment, here’s five ways to finish your pie crusts.

For a bit of celebrity, here Gordon Ramsey cooks a cheese sauce. And here Curtis Stone shows us when fish is cooked (and let’s face it, we’ll avidly watch pretty Curtis do pretty much anything).

For lovers of japanese food, here is how to cook perfect sushi rice. And finally, a wacky one from my favourite Youtube channel – Cook with Dog. How to make a bento box.

Happy learning!

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Social media etiquette and a simple breakfast idea

Let's keep in mind that we all love our kids and are all doing our best.

Let’s keep in mind that we all love our kids and are all doing our best.

Last week’s Facebook battle was a bit of a doozy. I won’t lie – I didn’t walk away from it unscathed. There’s no need to rehash the topic but it did make me realise two things.

1. I need a formal social media etiquette policy.

I love debating stuff. Being forced to defend my stance does help to cement my reasoning. And sometimes one of you will present a fabulous argument that makes me change my mind. When people are too fixed to consider the alternative views then it’s not really a debate or discussion, it’s an argument. And for some reason, arguments on the Internet are vicious and full of personal attacks. And that’s not fun for anyone. Which is why I’ve written this policy…
___________________

When I comment on Vegie Smugglers pages, I will try to…
* Be real & genuine

Please treat my blog and Facebook page like the real world. Despite the fact I post under a blog name, I am a real person and I’m venturing online with the same spirit with which I approach my whole life. I’m connecting with people, talking to them, forming friendships and having interesting conversations.

* Be open minded

Enjoy chatting to people here who are different to your regular circle of friends. Share information; feel free to passionately state your case in a considered and rational way. Then read and discover the other opinions. Foster empathy and understanding of others.

* Admit mistakes & be thoughtful
So if you wouldn’t say something in real life, don’t say it on my page. And if you do say nasty stuff then shame on you, apologise! If you do it more than once then you’re not welcome here and will be banned.

* Have fun

Please enjoy the Vegie Smugglers pages. Enjoy sharing your opinions in considered and passionate ways. Help each other, make friends and learn something new.
___________________

2. Now, the other thing that last week’s discussion did was strengthen my resolve around this whole vegie-smuggling thing.

The more I work on my business, the more passionate I get about helping people make little changes that will improve their lives.

For me, food is the foundation of everything. Good food enriches your soul. It leads to good health, which leads to positive behaviours, enthusiasm and motivation for life.

Perhaps it sounds silly but I really believe that introducing new ingredients and finding new healthy meals that your family can enjoy together will improve your life. By making good food choices you’ll feel better about yourself, you’ll improve the health outcomes and behaviour of your children and create a positive environment. And your life will just be that bit more interesting.

Regular readers will know that I am not even nearly fanatical about anything. A bit of white flour, sugar and wine can enrich our souls too. But I will always discourage consistently lazy eating habits. Considering that childhood obesity is still increasing, I’m committed to doing whatever I can to help families make good choices.

Here’s an example of what I mean. You can buy sachets of quick oats in the supermarket. They’re expensive and the flavourings taste a bit weird, but they’re easy. How about instead, buy the plain box of quick oats. They only take 30 seconds longer to cook. Then sprinkle this powder over the top. The result is an aroma that will make you swoon, some sneaky nutrition and a little bit of magic to make you smile first thing in the day. From soulless to spectacular with the minimum of fuss.

Magic powder to make your day awesome.

Magic powder to make your day awesome.


Magic Morning Powder

1/2 cup LSA mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix together and sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons over your steaming hot porridge.

Thanks for stopping by.

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Chunky vegetable & bean soup

So how am I going with the pressure cooker that Kambrook sent me? Well, it took a bit of courage to tackle but after some experimentation, I’m happy to report that I’m digging it.

The poor old slow cooker is gathering dust while I romance with its whizzy, fast cousin. They’re perfect for the same kind of dishes, but something that would cook for 8 hours in the slow cooker, is done in 20 minutes. Seriously. So while you do still have to do all the prep work (chopping, browning, sautéing etc), you’re not doing it at 8am when the smell of browning meat can be a little nauseating.

I rate it.

Here’s my first win – a vegetable and bean soup that borders on a stew. Always a sucker for a really chunky soup, I’ve kept the liquid minimal, but if you want it wetter, add an extra cup of stock.

Also, if you want to make this in the slow cooker, go ahead. I’ve not tested it myself, but think it would work using HIGH for 3-4 hours. (**If anyone wants to play recipe tester and let me know accurate timings, I’ll send you a free e-book of your choice.)

Soup + winter = cosy.

Soup + winter = cosy.



Chunky vegetable & bean soup (in the pressure cooker)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, peeled, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups sweet potato, peeled, cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 zucchini, diced
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can four-bean mix, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup fresh herbs (any or all of – parsley, chives, basil, thyme)
2 cups beef stock
1 cup frozen peas

Baguette & grated cheese (optional)

Set the pressure cooker to ‘sauté’. Add the oil and heat before dropping in the onion, carrot and celery. Stir regularly for several minutes until all are starting to soften and onion is starting to turn golden.

Pop in the garlic and cook for a minute until everything is fragrant. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the peas). Combine well. Lock on the lid, bring to pressure and cook for 20 minutes.

Carefully release pressure, remove lid and toss in the peas.

As an optional extra, top with slices of baguette with the cheese melted on top.

Optional: Make dippers with baguette slices topped with melted cheese.

Serves 2 adults and 4 kids.

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What are you raising money for?

Exciting news for those of you who want to raise money for your daycare centre, playgroup, school or charity but don’t want to sell chocolate. How about selling a bit of healthy living instead?

You can now raise money by selling Vegie Smugglers cookbooks AND the e-books too! Find out all the details in my new information sheet…

Click the pic to download full details.

Click the pic to download full details.

Each e-book bundle you sell for $30 raises $15! Each iPad pack sold for $22 raises $10! And it’s so easy. Here’s how you do it [cue infomercial soundtrack]…

1. Email me at vegiesmugglers@gmail.com and I’ll email you the e-kit with all the files and instructions.

2. Email the PDF order form to your group’s mailing list. Collect orders & money (do this online and you won’t have to even touch a single piece of paper).

3. Place your order and I send everyone download links for their e-books!

And what would you expect to pay for such a GREAT DEAL?

NOTHING! THAT’S RIGHT, NOTHING! Vegie Smugglers fundraising has no hidden costs or charges.

Ahhhhhhh, selling over. But seriously, it is a great opportunity to raise a bit of money, promote healthy living and do something positive for your community with a simple, easy fundraiser. I hope to hear from you soon.

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Just like heaven, only not

On paper, being a member of the VS household looks awesome. There’s the constant smorgasbord of tasty treats, my hilarious jokes and lots of wine good times – it must be great to live with me!

You’ll be surprised to hear that my kids would strongly disagree with the greatness of their situation. And on days when he’s feeling brave, Mr VS might too. You see, most days, I’m experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes. And results can be mixed. Rarely is there a disaster (there hasn’t been anything inedible for a while), but it can definitely take a few goes before I create a concoction that is truly delicious. Being helpful, my kids and Mr VS often give their input along the way. We’ll dissect the flavour profile of a meal and discuss in detail how successful it is. Luckily my skin is quite thick as their feedback can be brutal.

Finally though, I’ll crack a recipe, or cook something that hugely tickles their fancy. Success! Hurrah! But the joy is fleeting. No sooner has Mr VS declared, “Oh my god, this is so good, I could eat this every week”, than I’ve snapped a photo, posted the recipe and moved on to something else.

So here Mr VS is that coleslaw that you really, really, really liked, but probably will never get to eat again.

Just chopping, no cooking. Love.

Just chopping, no cooking. Love.


Winter coleslaw


This is great with pork or chicken.

1 crispy red apple (royal gala is perfect), cored and thinly sliced
1/2 lemon
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1 carrot, peeled, shredded or grated
2 sticks celery, finely sliced

Dressing
3 tbsp grape seed oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Put the apple into a medium-sized salad bowl. Squeeze the lemon over it and coat the apple well in the juice (to stop it browning).

Throw in the rest of the salad ingredients, combine the dressing ingredients in either a bowl or jug and pour over. Toss well.

Serves 2 adults and 3 kids as a side dish.

__________________________

Like this? Why not try my Crispy noodle & cabbage coleslaw.
Or, for something tangier, try this noodle salad. My kids adore both!

Want a pulled pork recipe to go with this? You'll find one in my new e-book!

Want a pulled pork recipe to go with this? You’ll find one in my new e-book!

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May giveaway time

Quinoa salad, made Mr M&P friendly with SAUSAGE.

Quinoa salad, made Mr M&P-friendly with SAUSAGE.

Forget the bowlo meat raffle – this month my giveaway PUTS IT TO SHAME. The Peppercorn Food Company are giving one Vegie Smugglers reader the chance to have the ultimate meat-fest with a prize pack crammed full of their sausages, rissoles and meatloaves.

They sent me a pack a few weeks back and it was good to remember that sometimes beef sausages taste like beef and pork ones taste like pork etc etc. I baked a beef meatloaf and we ate it sliced thin and cold on sandwiches, the pork one was cut up and chucked through fried rice. Some of the sausages were yummy on my quinoa salad (pic above, but I’m still tweaking the salad recipe) and the Italian ones were great in this sausage goulash. Don’t be scared of such a daggy sounding dish – it was a huge hit with the kids and anything that cooks in one pot is always a huge hit with me, too.

To enter, just comment below and let us know how you like to cook sausages for your family. Make sure you’re a Vegie Smugglers subscriber and also swing by the Peppercorn Food Facebook page (tell them I sent you).

Please note, that since the prize is perishable and needs careful refrigeration, the winner needs to lives in the Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth metro areas. Entries close 8pm AST, Sunday May 26. ***CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER DABECS! NICE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT A GREAT SAUSAGE & PASTA RECIPE. HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR MEGA MEAT TRAY!

Not too daggy for hungry kids.

Not too daggy for hungry kids.


Sausage goulash (no truly)

Usually in these saucy dishes, I’ll grate the carrot and zucchini, but I don’t recommend it here as it makes the texture a bit weird.

8 Peppercorn Food Italian sausages, thickly sliced (or if slicing raw sausage grosses you out, cook them whole and slice afterwards – takes longer but same result).
1 brown onion, diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
1 large carrot, peeled, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 button mushrooms, very finely diced
1 zucchini, finely diced (peeled first if your kids hate green bits)
1/2 red capsicum, finely diced
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
800g can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp brown sugar
Handful green beans, top & tailed & cut into 3cm lengths

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook, stirring regularly for 10 minutes or so until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Add in the onion, carrot and celery and saute for a few minutes, stirring regularly. Add in the garlic for another minute then also add the mushrooms, zucchini and capsicum. Cook the vegies, stirring constantly for another couple of minutes until they are all softening down nicely.

Scatter over the paprika. Stir and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Return the sausages to the pan then carefully pour over the tomatoes. Rinse out the can with about 1/4 cup of water and add that along with the sugar. Stir well. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat to low, cover and leave simmering away for about 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, add the beans. Taste and add pepper if you fancy it. Simmer for another couple of minutes then serve on pasta.

Serves 2 adults and 4 kids.

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Help! I’m scared of my new appliance!

If Johnny Depp were an appliance, he'd be a pressure cooker.

If ‘Game of Thrones’ was an appliance, it’d be a pressure cooker.

I’ve never actually been scared of an appliance before.

There’s no shortage of gadgets in my kitchen. It’s an occupational hazard that I already own a fair few of them and usually I’m into them in a jiffy and using them for as many things as I can think of within minutes.

But ever since Kambrook sent me a pressure cooker to try out, I’ve had a half-unpacked box in the corner of my kitchen just looking a bit ominous and scary. Sure, my slow cooker is heavy, and my food processor is sharp, but neither of them have a reputation for EXPLODING the way that pressure cookers do. Not easing my nerves, most of the web pages dealing with these contraptions start with reassuring lines like “These days pressure cookers are safe and easy to use…” then off they go offering poetic descriptions of the hours of joy that await me.

Also alarming is the instruction booklet, which is 50 pages of info and recipes, but with some pages covered in more ‘WARNING’ panels than instructional text.

Yeah, sure, reassuring...

Yeah, sure, reassuring…

So tell me, do you use one? What are your pressure cooker staples and what recipes should I start with? This ‘Dummies’ cheat sheet seems a have a bunch of good basic information on using them and A Perfect Pantry has a good list of recipes – I’m thinking the beef ragu might be good (with a stack more vegies). And this pulled pork recipe looks good and cooks about 7 hours more quickly than my slow-cooker version.

I know many people are big fans of these contraptions, so if you can steer me in the right direction, I’d love to hear from you.

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Five things we don’t want this mother’s day

No. We don't want this.

No. We don’t want this.

Dear husbands/ partners,
With Mother’s Day approaching and an entire letterbox jammed with catalogues covered in slogans like ‘Make Mum Smile’, I thought I’d jot down some warnings about what it is we DON’T want this mother’s day. Because heaven forbid you glance through the Big W catalogue and be swayed by what you find in there.

1. EARLY MORNING CELEBRATIONS
We’re happy it’s Mother’s Day. Stoked. Can’t get enough of being reminded that we’re mothers, because, actually, SO MANY days go by where we forget.

No, I’m being jaded. We do like Mother’s Day and the special status that the day brings, but we don’t need our specialness to start too early. IN FACT, we’d be really, really, really happy if you’d pop off to the park with the kids for a bit and maybe we can start the ‘yay, me’ thing around 9am. And perhaps you can pick up a few pastries on the way home.

2. POO
Since it is our special day. We will not deal with poo in any form, in any location for the entire day. Not in nappies, on walls or smeared inside trousers. Not from children, dogs or cats. It’s your entire domain today. Actually you can deal with any wee and vomit, too.

3. KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN
An ex-KFC employee assures me that Mother’s Day is that restaurant’s busiest day of the year. Because it’s a well known fact that mums don’t cook on mother’s day, so apparently you’re going to get us a takeaway from there. Call me crazy, but I reckon, husband/partner, rather than gifting me a greasy bucket of lard, you’d be a hell of a lot sexier when you’re arm deep in home-made pancake batter or a roast. Don’t worry, we’ll have the patience to admire and appreciate your efforts, since we won’t be busy stressing about how many dishes you’re dirtying (that’s your job today, too).

4. MUSIC
We like music but please don’t get inspiration from the catalogues on the kitchen table. Because we don’t like Andre Rieu. That’s for your mother, not us. I’ll pop Michael Buble, Anthony Callea and Rod Steward into that category too, although others may disagree. At the end of the day though, what we really want is the chance to listen to something other than ‘Hi-5’, without interruption. Maybe in the bath, with a glass of bubbles, while you’re back at the park taking the kids for their afternoon run.

5. STORE-BOUGHT CARDS

And luckily for us, we probably won’t get them. We’ll get some half-torn, scrunched up bit of cardboard with glitter that falls straight onto the carpet and throughout our beds. Inside will be a drawing of us with a moustache or over-emphasised wrinkles. And we’ll love it, because in a few short years, the cards WILL be store bought, probably from the service station, which means that the kids forgot/don’t give a toss.

And if all this seems too much? Remember to look forward to that little father’s day thing in September, when you’re welcome to present your own list of requests.

And just in case you need help with what to cook us today, try one of these…

Oaty pancakes with strawberries

Pancake batter looks good on you, sexy husband.

Just five ingredients between you and a biscuit. I'll go pop the kettle on...

A biscuit and a cup of tea will SCREAM ‘special’.

Roast chicken is always a winner.

Roast chicken is always a winner.

Adam's bolognaise

And a pot of this will save us from the kitchen for another couple of days.

But don’t forget, most mums will be happiest, with something from the Vegie Smuggler’s shop. Of course, hardcopy books might not arrive in time, but the e-books can be bought and downloaded instantly.

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Mouse in the house

Crumbs for cutlets, not mice.

Crumbs for cutlets, not mice.

I found myself standing on a chair recently, squealing like a girl as a mouse that the cat had brought in scurried about. Luckily for me, my 8-year old daughter was home and could save me.

Fearless with creatures, she was onto it with such courage that even a nip to her finger from the pesky critter didn’t deter her from dispatching it outside. She’s also handy at rescuing penny lizards, cuddling guinea pigs and smothering her walls with posters of cute puppies and kittens.

She is so different to me that she’s sometimes a stranger. I gaze at her and am in awe of this growing and evolving person who is such a force of personality.

Perhaps it’s partly because they don’t look much like me, but I’ve never considered my kids to me ‘mini-me’s’. And there’s no chance that I’ll ever be one of those parents who pushes their own ambitions onto their kids – my ambitions wouldn’t suit them at all. I’ll just be happy if I can get to know them for who they are and get to share in the lives that they create for themselves.

The one thing however, that everyone in the family has in common is crumbed cutlets, which were a childhood favourite of mine and are just as popular with my kids now. It seems fitting to make them in this ANZAC week. It’s an important day and the weight of it is never lost of me. It seems like a good day to gather close those you love and feed them food that tastes like home.

Wishing you a happy week.

Yum, and easier cooked in the oven.

Yum, and easier cooked in the oven.


Oven-baked crumbed cutlets


This recipe coats about 7 cutlets, depending on size.

Oil spray (canola or olive)
2 slices stale bread (grain or wholemeal is good)
1 tbsp LSA mix (optional)
20g parmesan cheese (the block stuff, not the powder)
2 tbsp fresh herbs (I like a parsley/chives mix)
1 egg, lightly whisked
Just under 1/4 cup plain flour

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a tray with foil and spray generously with the oil.

In a mini food processor, blitz together the bread, LSA, cheese and herbs until you’ve got nice breadcrumbs. Place in a large bowl.

Pop your egg in a separate bowl and the flour in another. Season the flour generously.

Dust your cutlet in the flour, shake off excess, then dip in the egg until coated. Drain off the excess of that before placing it into the bowl of crumbs. Press over crumbs until totally coated then place onto your tray. Repeat with the rest. Spray them with oil spray then bake for 20 minutes. Remove, turn over carefully with tongs. Spray with more oil if they look dry and bake for another 10-15 minutes until cooked to your liking.

Cooks tip: don’t make this on the day you’ve mopped the kitchen floor – the crumbs do go everywhere, especially if the kids are helping.

Ready and waiting for you, in the VS shop.

Ready and waiting for you, in the VS shop.

PS. Did you see that my shop has had a rejig?

I’ve launched my new “10 quickbakes plus 10 sandwich spreads” e-book, which you can pick up for a mere $6.95. If you’ve never bought any of the e-books, check out my new bundles – there’s a complete pack with the deluxe multi-format meal planner or iPad users may prefer the special pack just for them – download the titles all straight to your device and read them in iBooks. Too easy! Visit the shop.

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