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What are your easiest, tastiest meals - quick to prepare when you can't think of anything!!
Hi guys
I have a few 'standard' easy meals that I always have the ingredients handy, in case I seriously can't be bothered cooking a 'fancy' meal ....... feel free to add your own 'Favs'! ;)
Last night, we had our winter favourite 'comfort food' - Lamb Shanks!! I cheat, and buy the Aldi FROZEN Lamb Shanks (2 for $12 already cooked - they usually cost that 'RAW'!!) - that way you can always have a couple in the freezer. I often take them with me when I am camping too - SO easy to just cook in the microwave with some sweet potato 'on the trot'!
Take them out of the box and they are even easier to store in the Freezer. If you decide to cook them up later in the day - just pop them in the sink (or big container) with cold/lukewarm water & they'll thaw out pretty quickly. Change the water if you want them to defrost quicker. They come in 'individual Vac Pacs' - and because they are already Pre Cooked - when you open them, the 'cooked fat' is already 'in solid form' and you just pull it out - so they are healthier for you too!!
There are 2 flavours - one with Mint in the gravy & the other one based on a red wine gravy. Both are LOVELY! This is how I prepare them for 2 people .......
In a BIG casserole pot, add 1 tin of diced tomato & 1 drained tin of Chickpeas. Add 1 x Cubed Potato, 1 x cubed small Sweet Potato, 1 x chopped/cubed Carrot. Mix them into the tomato/chickpeas sauce. Remove any 'solid fat' from both of the Shanks and add them to the casserole pot along with all the gravy in each pack. Mix the gravy well with the tomato mix. Cover the pot & cook at 180 degrees Celsius oven for 2-3hrs ..... stir every hour. The meat will just fall off the bone and I bet you enjoy them!
BONUS: After serving up with the gravy and veggies (and cabbage or your choice of greens...) whilst the remaining gravy & veg are still hot - use a Bamix (or similar) to pulverise it all ..... this will make a wonderful soup for the next day or so! I usually water it down a bit as it can be quite thick. Lovely with some toast for lunch.
One of my other favs is the 'Vac Pac'd' 'FLAT CHICKEN' .... once again, Aldi do a lovely one - with yoghurt & garlic with NO BONES - so you just cut up the chicken in slices when cooked. Just do a BIG ROAST - I do it in 2 dishes - the chicken in one (with alfoil under the chicken on a cake rack to reduce the cleaning!) and all the potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot & onion in another tray, all into the oven at the same time as the chicken - and it takes a bit less than 1hr to cook at 170 degrees Celsius. Turn the chicken & veg around after 1/2 hr. Cook greens in the microwave 5 mins before serving time. This gives us 2 full sized meals for 2 for 2 nights. Once again - keep one of the chickens in the freezer - as they are 'flat' they store really easily & don't take long to defrost in the sink in cold/lukewarm water - great for when unexpected guests turn up, too.
When my Grandmother first went into secure living (with her own kitchen) I suggested that she cut up a whole chicken (for numerous meals) and put it into a casserole dish with a packet of Chicken Noodle Soup & the required amount of liquid, as well as a chopped onion & sliced red capsicum ..... cook it for about an hour - and it was YUMMY - and gives lots of meals too - served with salad. (Whole frozen chickens are VERY reasonably priced ......)
Here's the 'after pic' of my lamb shanks last night ....... just as well we don't have a dog .... nothing much left! ;)
I have a few 'standard' easy meals that I always have the ingredients handy, in case I seriously can't be bothered cooking a 'fancy' meal ....... feel free to add your own 'Favs'! ;)
Last night, we had our winter favourite 'comfort food' - Lamb Shanks!! I cheat, and buy the Aldi FROZEN Lamb Shanks (2 for $12 already cooked - they usually cost that 'RAW'!!) - that way you can always have a couple in the freezer. I often take them with me when I am camping too - SO easy to just cook in the microwave with some sweet potato 'on the trot'!
Take them out of the box and they are even easier to store in the Freezer. If you decide to cook them up later in the day - just pop them in the sink (or big container) with cold/lukewarm water & they'll thaw out pretty quickly. Change the water if you want them to defrost quicker. They come in 'individual Vac Pacs' - and because they are already Pre Cooked - when you open them, the 'cooked fat' is already 'in solid form' and you just pull it out - so they are healthier for you too!!
There are 2 flavours - one with Mint in the gravy & the other one based on a red wine gravy. Both are LOVELY! This is how I prepare them for 2 people .......
In a BIG casserole pot, add 1 tin of diced tomato & 1 drained tin of Chickpeas. Add 1 x Cubed Potato, 1 x cubed small Sweet Potato, 1 x chopped/cubed Carrot. Mix them into the tomato/chickpeas sauce. Remove any 'solid fat' from both of the Shanks and add them to the casserole pot along with all the gravy in each pack. Mix the gravy well with the tomato mix. Cover the pot & cook at 180 degrees Celsius oven for 2-3hrs ..... stir every hour. The meat will just fall off the bone and I bet you enjoy them!
BONUS: After serving up with the gravy and veggies (and cabbage or your choice of greens...) whilst the remaining gravy & veg are still hot - use a Bamix (or similar) to pulverise it all ..... this will make a wonderful soup for the next day or so! I usually water it down a bit as it can be quite thick. Lovely with some toast for lunch.
One of my other favs is the 'Vac Pac'd' 'FLAT CHICKEN' .... once again, Aldi do a lovely one - with yoghurt & garlic with NO BONES - so you just cut up the chicken in slices when cooked. Just do a BIG ROAST - I do it in 2 dishes - the chicken in one (with alfoil under the chicken on a cake rack to reduce the cleaning!) and all the potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrot & onion in another tray, all into the oven at the same time as the chicken - and it takes a bit less than 1hr to cook at 170 degrees Celsius. Turn the chicken & veg around after 1/2 hr. Cook greens in the microwave 5 mins before serving time. This gives us 2 full sized meals for 2 for 2 nights. Once again - keep one of the chickens in the freezer - as they are 'flat' they store really easily & don't take long to defrost in the sink in cold/lukewarm water - great for when unexpected guests turn up, too.
When my Grandmother first went into secure living (with her own kitchen) I suggested that she cut up a whole chicken (for numerous meals) and put it into a casserole dish with a packet of Chicken Noodle Soup & the required amount of liquid, as well as a chopped onion & sliced red capsicum ..... cook it for about an hour - and it was YUMMY - and gives lots of meals too - served with salad. (Whole frozen chickens are VERY reasonably priced ......)
Here's the 'after pic' of my lamb shanks last night ....... just as well we don't have a dog .... nothing much left! ;)
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- Can anyone help ? In this cold hubby and I are trying to master scones and have made several attempts with varying success but not like we rememer .We are complete novices and any suggestions abouthow to make light fluffy and high scones grateful accepted. It’s the method I think we are missing.
- Forgot this gem and it’s even better than shop bought so my kids say .Found by my son couple of years ago online on a website called ricardocuisine.com to make for homework. However ,don’t use Woolies homebrand soup it’s dreadful for this , I use Coles or better. The website is free and well worth a look.
Quick and Easy Butter Chicken- 1 1/2 lbs (675 g) chicken breast cut into pieces
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic powder
- 1 can 10 oz (284 ml) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
- 10 oz (284 ml) milk (measured in the soup can)
- Pepper
PREPARATION
- In a large non-stick skillet over high heat, brown chicken breast in butter with curry and garlic powder. Add tomato soup and milk.
- Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add pepper to taste. Serve with rice and naan bread.
- WOW! I go out for a few hours ..... and there are 2 pages of comments! LOL (yes, fishing again! LOL Someone forgot to tell the fish tho! But it was a glorious day, so I didn't mind!)
haha @Eastmum @Sister @kmakm
Thanks for the lovely compliments, ladies ..... I just try to do SOMETHING that I love every day. It doesn't have to be a long time - just a good time! ;)
WOW! Some great recipes coming thru too!! I'll be trying them too! :) You can't beat Savoury Mince - you can cook a whole potato in the microwave & cut a cross in it & 'push it up' to open the flesh of the potato and put the reheated mince on it with cheese on top - a really easy & tasty 'left overs' lunch!
@j9k
Re hooks ..... luckily, I only had the 3 nodes removed and am not likely to get cellulitis from infection - but try to be careful ( .... tho I got one barb stuck in my other arm's thumb yesterday - up to the hilt!!) I managed to get it out with the pliers - It is still a bit tender today - so will keep my eye on it! ;) Yes, if you've had a LOT of nodes removed - you'd have to be very careful. Assuming I needed to - I bought some bottles of Benadryl to have at home, on the kayak & in our camper in case of cuts & nicks ..... so far haven't had to use it!! You CAN always wear gloves too - just with the fingertips exposed (like Cycling gloves) and that lessens the chances of getting jabbed!
For a real 'treat' - Coles often does a Veal Eye Fillet steak in Vac Pac at $38/kg (this is WAY cheaper than Beef Eye Fillet @ $45/kg or thereabouts) and is WAY more tender!! There is basically NO wastage - and served with mushrooms or onions - is absolutely delicious! Our Coles doesn't stock it - but when we go to Port Mac - I grab 4-5 packs!!
Keep those ideas coming ladies!! Some yummy stuff!!To be honest, I reckon that we must have about 10 meals that we just keep rotating over 2 weeks in no given order, then specific winter & summer bits that swap over with the seasons ..... my easiest EVER meal is a Tues night after Ukulele (which finishes at 6pm) ..... hubby & I stay on at Club Forster and have our dinner there! :) - Ah yes, we have Mexican night at least once a week! Another favourite!
One big frypan full of mince cooked with mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato paste and cumin - another filled with red kidney beans, black beans and tinned chopped tomatoes - put out corn chips and tortillas, bottled salsa, grated cheese, sour cream and quacamole and everyone makes whatever they feel like for themselves - nachos, quesadillas in the sandwich press or burritos - or just wrapped up in lettuce leaves for the non-carb eaters in my house :) - Fried rice is also a favourite around here and Stuffed Tomato Tortillas take a bit longer (about 35 mins) but you can do something else while they're in the oven. In a frying pan add a bit of oil and saute chopped onions and garlic. Add a tin of diced tomatoes and a little water plus a bit of black pepper and a squirt of lime juice. While that's simmering, drain and rinse a tin of 4 beans, a tin of corn kernels an add to a large mixing bowl, add some chilli and chopped coriander, 1/2 to a cup of grated cheese and a squirt of lime juice. Oil a large baking dish and swirl a little of the sauce across the bottom. Add approx 2 tblsp of bean mix to each tortilla, fill up and place in dish. Keep doing with the rest - makes approx 10 but can be stretched a bit further. Top with the rest of the sauce making sure it covers all tortillas. Sprinkle with more grated cheese and any left over bean mix. Can put dollops of sour crwam on top if you like. Stick it in the oven for about 20 minutes. Nice to have a bowl of guacamole on the side.
- @romla There's a great cookbook called "Pasta"by Eric Treuille and Anna del Conte. I love it.
- Good one @Sister my kids are big pesto fans so will give thei one a go
- Pasta is my go to - not very carb friendly but quick filling and tasty. Chopped cherry tomatoes, oi, garlic, black olives cooked until the tomatoes soften. Wilt some baby spinach if you want. Serve over fettucine, dollop on some basil pesto and sprinkle on some parmesan.
Also chopped tomatoes and black oli es cooked in oil, add some balsamic vinegar and grated parmesan cheese. Serve over fettucine. Or you can make a red pesto with sun-dried tomatoes, oil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and a little basil. Yummy mixed with olives snow peas and whatever else over your favourite pasta.
My daughter does one with oil and garlic heated in one pan. Chopped broccolini, green beans and spinach sauted in another. Served over pasta with parmesan. - Well I have standby I'm exhausted and don't want cook meals.
Family meat pie with mash and veg.
Crumbed oven baked fish and chips and veg.
Jar marinade sauce...on chicken pieces...oven baked and served with steamed rice and veg.
Not creative but requires very little thought. - Ooh, another one that I'll do @Eastmum.
Here's mine. It's ridiculously easy and everyone loves it. It's from the 1970's; my mum used to make it for me and my sisters.
Savoury Mince
I tblspn olive oil in a frying pan.
Add 2 cloves of garlic, minced and just a little dried chilli for some warmth.
Add 1 onion, diced and cook gently until translucent.
Add 500g lean beef mince. Stir, breaking up mince, cook until brown.
Pour in one 400g tin of Heinz Big Red Tomato Soup, condensed. Bring to a simmer.
Add 1 - 2 cups of mixed frozen vegetables. I use the peas, corn and capsicum mix but you can go with whatever you fancy. Season with black pepper and simmer for five minutes. Doesn't need salt as there's plenty in the soup.
Serve with mashed potato or brown rice. If you're feeling fancy you can put it in a crêpe!
I've never tried it with the vegetarian mince but it'd be worth a go if you're not a meat eater.
