Curried, tomato cauliflower

This is a quick and easy vege dish  so long as you don't do what I did, and try and grate cheese with the food processor!
(I usually have a stash of frozen, grated cheese for such recipes as this, but had run out, so decided to do some more - took forever, and made a huge mess and only got two and a half bags of cheese from my efforts!)

500g Cauli (about half a big one)
1 tin tomatoes (Preferably with a flavour - like savoury)
2T butter
1t curry pdr
2T flour
1/2 - 1 C grated cheese




Cook chopped up cauli till just tender.


While cauli is cooking, in another saucepan melt the butter and curry pdr together till bubbling, add the flour, then add the tomatos. Stir well until boiling. (add a little water to thin if necessary).


Put cooked cauli into lightly buttered dish, one layer thick.


Pour the tomato sauce evenly over cauli. Then sprinkle grated cheese over. 


Cook at 180 till cheese is melted and cauli heats through.


Enjoy!!!


(This photo is of uncooked mixture. Preparing now, so I have my evening free to do homework with kids, and prepare tomorrow nights dinner!)

Something a little different - Zucchini vege thing

500g zucchini, sliced thinly
1/4 to 1/2 c water
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp each chicken and green herb stock (or 1/2 tsp salt)
1tsp cornflour
1T cold water
1/8C chopped parsley
Black pepper




Slice or shred zucchini. Cook for two to 5 mins depending on thickness, with the water and garlic.


Just before serving add stock powders and enough cornflour and water (mixed to a paste) to thicken juices. Sprinkle generously with parsely and black pepper.


I used 1 carrot and 1 big zucchini - adding the zucchini when the carrot was nearly cooked. I recommend adding parsley a little at a time as it could overpower the flavours if you use too much...


Enjoy!

Easy Afghans - one pot!

In a pot large enough for all ingredients melt 125g butter
Then add...
1C sugar
3T cocoa
1t vanilla essence
1 large egg
Mix well with a fork.

Then add...
1C self raising flour (or 1C flour, 1t baking powder)
1.5c malted cornflakes ( I used 6 weet-bix)
Mix well.

Spoon teaspoons of mixture onto baking tray and cook for about 8 mins.

Ice if you want! (I had run out of icing sugar, so these were left plain)

Ginger creams - worth a little effort!

This was the only one left after I went for coffee at a friends....

Cream the following..
150g butter
150g sugar (about 3/4 cup)
1 T golden syrup

Then add...
1.5 C self raising flour (or 1.5 C flour and 1tsp baking powder)
1t ginger
1t cinnamon
1T warm milk with 1t baking soda mixed in

Mix well, roll into balls, gently press down with a fork and bake at 180 for about 10 mins. Watch closely!

Then, when cool, join together with icing made from.....
2C icing sugar
50g butter
2T custard powder


Enjoy - before they are all eaten!

Pork.... stir-fry thingy

So, we have a pig in our freezer. And now I get a chance to use some pork recipes (as I don't buy pork at supermarket!)

This is a stirfry recipe I found, which we had on rice last night, and leftovers are being turned into a pie tonight!

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3tsp oil
500-600g pork mince
3T soy sauce
3T sherry (or, I had no sherry so used white wine!)
1T brown sugar
2T sweet chilli sauce
1C water
2 stalks celery
4 carrots
1 red pepper (yellow was my option!)
1 green pepper
200g green beans, or 1 can drained corn
200g cauli, and 200g cabbage (I only had brocolli, so used 400g of that)
1T cornflour
1/4C water

Brown onion and garlic in pan, raise heat and add mince. Stir, without breaking up mince too much, cook until mince has lost its raw look.
Add next 5 ingredients (soy, sherry, sugar, sauce, water)

Cover pan. Chop celery and carrots and add to pan. Cover. Slice peppers and beans and add these to pan.

Break cauli up, and chop cabbage coarsely. Stir into meat mixture. Cook about 5 mins more.

Mix cornflour and water together stir in about half, then add rest if necessary to glaze veges.

Serve on white rice - or noodles, or whatever takes your fancy...!

I think this needed more flavour, so would add more chilli sauce next time. Hope its okay as a pie!!

Hot Cross Buns... yum!

Sorry - no photo, all eaten before I could say ''Smile!''

Recipe for Hot Cross Buns

In breadmaker - add ingredients as your machine specifies...
1 large egg, plus luke warm water to equal 1 cup
3T soft butter
3 1/4 cups high grade flour (minus 1T flour)
1/2tsp each ground allspice, mixed spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg
2T milk powder
1 1/2 T soft brown sugar
4tsp surebake yeast (Edmonds)

Set to dough cycle.
When cycle is finished remove from machine, add 1 cup mixed fruit and form into about 12 balls. Space evenly and allow to rise.

For the crosses - Combine 1/2C flour with 1/4tsp baking powder, then add enough milk to make a batter that can easily be piped onto buns.

Bake at 190 for 20-15 mins - keep an eye on this though!

The 'World's Best Cake' Pudding

Master Apprentice loved this - and would easily be able to make it... quick - microwaveable, and few ingredients... Miss Apprentice liked it too - and she doesn't do cake usually!

Topping 
1 can (425g) peaches or pears
1T butter
1t custard powder
1T juice from canned fruit
2T golden syrup

Cake
50g butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1 egg
1C flour
2T cocoa
1/2t baking soda
juice from canned fruit

Drain fruit in sieve, and save juice.

Melt butter for topping in lightly sprayed microwave ring pan. Stir in custard powder, golden syrup and juice. Microwave on high for 40-50 seconds until mixture boils and thickens slightly.
Arrange fruit around dish (on topping liquid).

To make cake soften butter and beat with sugar and egg (with fork, electric beaters or food processor). Sift dry ingredients into thi smixture. Add about 2T reserved juice, and mix until batter is soft enough to drop from spoon. (I used nearly all reserved juice).
Drop spoonfuls of batter onto fruit and topping liquid. Don't worry if it isn't even as it will spread during cooking.
Cover with lid, or vented plastic film, or I used baking paper...

Place in microwave on rack, or upturned plate.
Cook on Medium/High (70%) for 10-12 minutes until mixture closest to central cone is cooked.

Leave to stand for two to three minutes, then turn onto flat plate. Serve with icecream, or plain...