Spinach & Mushroom Gravy January 4, 2009

In a very lightly oiled frying pan (or you can use a little water instead) fry 2 large mushrooms (sliced), and 2 cloves chopped garlic, about 1tb dried basil, a cube of frozen (defrosted) spinach (or about 1/2 cup fresh)… then add about 1/2c water to about 1b gravy powder add that into the pan. Stir until thick and serve.

If making gravy to go with steaks, try this…. Fry the steak in a tiny bit of oil in a frypan, then once each side is browned, remove the steaks and put them on a plate to “rest” and add about 1/4 cup water and the mushrooms etc. to the pan, stirring to allow the baked on meat juices to form a gravy. Once that water has almost gone, add the gravy powder mix, and when that has thickened add the steaks back in (with any juices), and let them simmer in there for a minute or so, stirring the gravy around so it doesn’t burn, then flip them over for another minute or so to finish cooking the other side. (I find simmering the steaks in the gravy makes a really nice moist steak with delicious gravy)

Cheesy Mushroom gravy December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
Gravy powder (Gravox)
Corn flour
2 cheese slices or 1/2 cup grated cheese
milk powder
spring onions
mushrooms
garlic

 
Method:
Chop mushrooms, garlic and onion. Fry these until softened (don’t let the garlic burn). Mix about a tablespoon gravy powder with about a tablespoon of milk powder and 1-2 cups water. Add herbs and spices and bring to the boil. If your gravy isn’t thick enough, add about 1-2 tablespoons corn flour to a dash of water and then add that in, that should thicken it up. Add the cheese, stir until mixed.

 
Serve over a nice piece of steak, or chicken, or a veal schnitzel or dip some wedges into it…. yum

Chilli Plum Sauce December 13, 2008

A bit like sweet chilli sauce but different. It is lovely for dipping wedges/chips in.

 
Ingredients:
Jar of plum jam/conserve
Bottle of chilli sauce

 
Method:
1). Spoon out some of the jam into a microwave safe bowl and microwave it until its liquid (not bubbling, just liquid)
2). Mix that with the chilli sauce to taste (about half and half is good)

 
You can pour it into jars to keep in the fridge

Spicy Tomato Sauce December 13, 2008

(makes 2 cups worth)

 
Ingredients:
1 onion (chopped)
2 ts chilli (chopped)
1 clove garlic (chopped finely or crushed)
1 red capsicum (seeded & chopped)
8 large tomatoes (peeled, & chopped)
(or use 2×425g cans of tomatoes)
Seasonings (to taste)

 
Method:
Lightly fry onion, chilli, capsicum and garlic until soft. Add tomato and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the sauce has thickened remove from the heat and store in airtight container.

 
(From Super Food Ideas magazine)

BBQ Sauce December 13, 2008

(Makes 1 cup)

 
Ingredients:
1 onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped or crushed)
3/4 beef stock
1/4cup tomato sauce
1tb Worcestershire sauce
1tb brown sugar
1ts chilli sauce
1ts mustard powder
black pepper to taste

 
Method:
Lightly fry the onion and garlic until the onion is soft. Add all other ingredients and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 mins until sauce thickens slightly.

 

(From Super Food Ideas magazine)

Citrus Salsa December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
juice of 1 lime
1 orange (peeled, segmented & chopped)
1 small cucumber (seeded & chopped)
2 red onion (finely chopped)
1 yellow capsicum (seeded and chopped)

 
Method:
Finely chop all ingredients if you want a chunky salad like salsa, or blend 1/2 to 1/3 of the mix until smooth and then add the remaining for a semi chunky salsa.

Lower fat white sauce December 13, 2008

I never see the need for butter in white sauce. (usually a white sauce calls for butter and flour to be mixed together then add milk) Simply put a few tb flour into the saucepan, add a little milk and blend until smooth, then add more milk to make enough sauce. Add cheese or seasonings and you don’t notice the lack of butter.

 
With Cream based sauces (such as for pasta), often evaporated milk will give a similar taste, with less fat.

Corn Relish Dip December 13, 2008

Corn Relish Dip (a favourite of mine)
1 jar corn relish mixed with 1 small bottle light thickened cream. Mix together.

 
Corn Relish Dip #2
1 jar corn relish mixed with 1 container of sour light cream. Mix together.

Avocado dip December 13, 2008

Avocado dip #1
Mash 2 avocados with 1 tub of light cream cheese, add a dash of lemon juice and blend until smooth.

 
Spicy Avocado dip
Mash 2 avocados with a handful of fresh corriander leaves, a dash of lemon or lime juice and a dash of chilli sauce. Blend until smooth.

Tuna Pate/Dip December 13, 2008

Tuna Dip #1
Take a tin of tuna, drain well and blend until a smooth paste with a food processor. Goes really nicely with pretzels or crackers.

 
Tuna Dip #2
As above but add some mayonnaise or cream…

 
Tuna Dip #3
1 tin of tuna, 1 tub light philly cheese, and a dash of lemon juice all blended together

Crab dip in cobb loaf December 13, 2008

dip and bowl in one!

 
Ingredients:
1 cup cream cheese
2-3tb milk
2 spring onions
1-2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2-3 dashes chilli sauce
1 tablespoon chopped dill or parsley (or both)
1c crab meat (or that “seafood highlighter” stuff), shredded or finely chopped
salt to taste
1 medium cobb loaf

 
Method:
1. Cut the top off the loaf and carefully scoop out the insides – but don’t break the crust. You can form the bread into sticks to use with the dip.
2. mix the ingredients together and spoon into the cobb loaf bowl you made.
3. Bake in a 120c oven for 1 1/2 hours.

 
If you don’t want the dip heated up, bake the empty cobb until crunchy and then spoon the dip in.

 
Serve with cut up vegetables, crackers and the bread fingers.

Mild Hummus December 13, 2008

Good for the more fussy person. Is also nice on sandwiches instead of butter/margarine or mayo….

 
Ingredients:
1 tin chick peas (your 375g or whatever it is size)
Juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon cardamon powder
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Splash of water
sprinkle of salt and pepper

 
Method:
Crush or very finely chop the garlic. Add all ingredients together and blend until its a puree (I use a stab blender).

Steak with mushroom gravy December 13, 2008

Ingredients:
Steaks
Mushrooms
Spring Onions
Capsicum (optional – use red, it looks nicer)
Cracked pepper
1 small clove of Garlic
Gravy powder (“gravox” etc.)
Corn flour
Optional – fresh herbs such as chives, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary.

 
whatever vegetables you want to serve this with.

 

Method:
1). In a frying pan, place a little oil and then put the pan on to get hot. Place the steak into this hot pan and cook for about a minute on each side – just until they have browned. You aren’t cooking them, just sealing the sides.
2). Take the steaks out and place on a plate to “rest”
3). Chop the onion, capsicum, mushrooms and garlic. Place all but the garlic into the pan and fry until just starting to brown, add the garlic and fry until everything browns.
4). Add about a teaspoon of gravy powder to a coffee mug and add some water (about half a cup) and mix well. Pour this (plus 1 extra cup of water) into the frying pan. Add any of the fresh herbs you like (chopped)
5). Place the steaks back into the pan of gravy, and simmer these for your desired amount of time. If you like your steaks “medium”, this will be quicker than if you like them “well done” for example. I think steaks are best when they are just slightly pinkish in the centre, but some people prefer them totally cooked through and some people prefer them still bleeding. It is up to you.

 
have your vegies on cooking

 
6). When your steaks are done to your personal tastes, take them out and place them on the plate, with any vegetables you made, and add about a teaspoon of corn flour to a few tablespoons of water – mix well and then add this to the gravy. Mix it through. bring to the boil and it should thicken. Pour this over your steak and vegetables if you desire. You can add a little cheese to this gravy to make a cheesy mushroom gravy

Dipping Sauce November 16, 2008

Useful for spring rolls and other Asian foods.

 
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons sugar
50ml soy sauce
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornflour
50ml extra water
1 clove garlic crushed with a little salt

 
Method:
In a saucepan, bring to the boil the water, soy sauce and sugar. Mix the cornflour with the extra water, and add to the saucepan, stirring well until it thickens. Add the crushed garlic, and cool before serving.

Dipping Sauces for Kids November 15, 2008

Some kids like spicy, some don’t… but most like to dip food in something! Chips, nuggets or whatnot. Dips can be a way to entice kids to eat vegies! Here are some Savoury dipping sauce ideas.

 
Tomato Salsa – Puree tomato, red and green capsicum and a little onion and chilli if your child likes it – leaving some larger pieces. Mix in some lemon or lime juice and some fresh chopped herbs.
 
Sweet Chilli Cream – Mix about half and half sweet chilli sauce and sour cream. Add less chilli for milder sauce.
 
Chilli Plum – mix about half and half sweet chilli sauce and plum jam. Add less chilli for milder sauce.
 
Honey Mustard – Mix ¼ cup sour cream with 1 tb mustard (dijon) and 1tb honey.
 
Thousand Island – Mix about half and half tomato sauce and mayonnaise.
 
Hummus – Puree a drained and rinsed tin of chick peas with a few tb lemon juice, a few tb water, a clove of garlic (if your child likes it, leave it out if not), and about a teaspoon of a mixture of cardamon, nutmeg and cumin. You can add more water to make it a little runnier.
 
Tzatziki – Take a tub of natural greek yoghurt and allow this to drain on some cheesecloth/muslin to let the excess liquid drain away. Peel and chop a cucumber to remove all the seeded pieces. Finely shop half of this and grate the other half. Add 1tb lemon juice, 1 clove crushed garlic if you wish and a little fresh mint and/or chives. Mix together