Slow Cooker

I am loving having a slow cooker. I honestly can't believe I didn't buy one years ago. Everything tastes so much nicer.

Here is my first meal made in my SC. Beef Stroganoff & Rice.


Chicken Curry made a few nights later. Didn't even have to add rice too it, just had some bread on the side.
Can anyone say YUMMY?

2 weeks in a Row

Now this is a bonus. My mum has invited us for dinner the last two Saturdays. What a score! Last week was Roast Beef (on my menu) and tonight is Roast Pork (also on my menu).

The extra bonus is now I have 2 roasts still in my freezer so I don't have to spend the extra on them for the next two weeks.

Isn't that exciting?

Yeah, glad you agree.

This is approximately $25-30 saving for me already this fortnight and I haven't even stepped outside the door to shop this week.

Kaching!!!!!

Five Food Groups Series - Number 3

Fruit

Savour the taste of summer with a dessert platter of mangoes, cherries, nectarines, peaches and grapes. Keep sugar-cravings at bay by snacking on fresh berries and natural yoghurt Or top off a roast dinner with a warm, hot baked apple stuffed with prunes and walnuts.

With so many different shapes and sizes, in almost every colour of the rainbow, fruit is one of nature's true delights. Packed with vitamins, minerals and natural sugar, it's also a delicious and healthier alternative to the lolly jar.

Make the most of fruit by learning what's in season. Summer brings a smorgasbord of delicious fruits - including grapes, melons, mangoes, peaches, nectarines, pineapple, strawberries and cherries. In cooler months, you can't go past crisp apples, pears, or juicy sweet oranges, mandarins and tangelos.

Fresh, poached, squeezed, baked or fried, fruit offers an enormous variety of delectable flavours and textures. It also works wonders for our digestion, teeth, gums, immunity and overall well being. As the old saying goes, 'an apple a day….'

Why is this group good for me?

Fruit is an excellent natural source of fibre - which helps our digestive systems to process food efficiently.

Fruit is also a great alternative to refined sugar snacks - packed with a wonderful combination of vitamins and minerals essential for our day-to-day wellbeing and far fewer kilojoules.

All fruits are good sources of vitamin C, but oranges, mandarins, kiwifruit, berries, grapefruit, melons and pawpaw are especially good sources of this essential vitamin, which can boost your immune system.

How many serves a day do I need?

Try to enjoy at least 2 serves of fruit every day. An example of a serve could be:

• 1 medium sized fruit eg. apple, orange, banana, etc
• 2 small sized fruit eg. figs, plums, nectarines, etc
• 4 dried apricots or 1 ½ tablespoons of sultanas
• 1 handful of fresh raspberries
• 8 strawberries
• 1 cup of diced fruit
• ¼ medium melon
• ½ cup of fruit juice

Fresh food tips

One of the few savoury fruits, avocado is a delicious and healthy alternative to butter or margarine, with only a quarter of the fat content of yellow spreads. Avocado is also a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant which is great for good health. For a quick and delicious breakfast, smooth ripe avocado on wholemeal toast with slices of vine-ripened tomato, thinly sliced mozzarella cheese, basil and some cracked pepper.

When summer heats up, start sipping on a fruity cocktail made with 300g pureed watermelon, the juice from one orange and ¼ cup of pureed strawberries. Just one fresh fruit cocktail will provide your total daily fruit intake!

For a fun barbeque dessert, try fresh fruit kebabs with banana, strawberry, kiwifruit, grapes and rockmelon. Serve on a platter with a yoghurt dip.

Slices of ripe stone fruit - such as peaches, plums and nectarines - make great additions to salads. They're also delicious cooked on the barbeque and served on a cheese platter alongside a creamy slice of camembert.

Yummy!

I've so enjoyed my meals for the last two nights.

Last night was a huge success for the first time use of a slow cooker. I'm so glad Bonnie introduced us :D

A slight change to the menu this week -

Tonight (Wednesday) will be homemade pizzas
Thursday will be curry chicken - slow cooker

Already looking forward to Thursday :D

Menu Plan Monday - Toni - 9 March 2009

Monday - Devilled Sausages & Rice

Tuesday - Beef Stroganoff

Wednesday - Sweet & Sour Chicken

Thursday - Homemade Pizza

Friday - Left-Overs

Saturday - Roast Pork & Vegies

Sunday - Scrambled Eggs on Toast

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs/ 0.7 kg boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tbsp tomato sauce/ ketchup
1 cup water
½ cup white vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp water

Method:
Combine sauce, cup water, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in slow cooker. Stir.
Add chicken. Stir and cover. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours.
Combine cornflour and second amount of water in small bowl. Stir into slow cooker. Cook on High, stirring often for 15 – 20 minutes until thickened. Serve with rice.

Saturday Roast

Don't you love a nice roast dinner with all the trimmings?

I do. Whether its beef, pork or chicken, I love it!

We went to my parents' for dinner tonight and my mum cooked a roast beef. It was so yummy. Everyone enjoyed it but I don't think anyone did as much as Connor. The meal he had was as big as mine and he ate every bite.

Saturdays are the only days we have a nighttime meal as a family so I always try to have a roast so it was a good thing that mum made one :D

Five Food Groups Series - Number 2

Breads & Cereals

Prepare for a busy day with a hearty breakfast of homemade muesli and wholegrain toast. Fill up at lunchtime with a toasted pita pocket stuffed with tandoori chicken, bean sprouts and avocado. Or relax in the evening with a welcoming bowl of prawn, saffron and snow pea fettuccini.

Flavoursome, versatile and convenient, breads, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles are the basis of most our meals. Wholemeal grains have, on average more than twice the fibre of white bread -and wholegrains take longer to digest and keep you satisfied for longer. They provide long-lasting energy, are satisfying, and help us keep up with the demands of a busy lifestyle.

Best of all, there's no limit to the range of flavours, varieties and textures on offer. From creamy risotto to crumbly rye bread, you'll find something to suit every occasion.

Why is this group good for me?

Bread, cereal, rice, pasta & noodles are rich in carbohydrates. Wholegrain breads and cereals and all types of pasta provide slow release glucose that keeps us satisfied for longer. Whether you're a new mum, a growing child, or a busy office worker, all of us need carbohydrates for energy supply, to help our bodies function effectively.

Wholegrain and wholemeal breads and cereals are also good sources of fibre - which keeps our digestive system functioning as it should. Wholemeal and wholegrain varieties have a low glycaemic index, which means their carbohydrate is broken down slowly to form glucose and the slow-release of energy from this process helps keep us feeling full for longer.

How many serves a day do I need?

Try to have at least 4 serves every day. An example of a serve could be:

• 1 cup of cooked pasta, noodles or porridge
• 1 cup of cooked rice
• 2 slices of bread or 1 medium bread roll
• 1/2 cup of natural muesli
• 1 cup of breakfast cereal

Fresh food tips

There's nothing like an appetising bowl of Italian-style pasta. Lightly fry some button mushrooms in a pan with onion and garlic. Add a dash of white wine, some fresh snipped oregano or thyme or finely chopped rosemary and some tomato puree and pour over freshly boiled veal tortellini. Top with a sprinkle of finely grated parmesan.

Take your tastebuds on an exotic journey with a Vietnamese beef noodle soup. Boil beef stock with lemon juice, star anise, ginger and lemon grass. Place uncooked rice noodles and strips of raw beef into bowls and cover with steaming broth. Top with fresh basil, coriander, lime, chopped chilli and bean sprouts.

Start the day with fruity French toast. Dip a thick slice of raisin bread into a bowl of whisked egg, and lightly fry it on both sides until the egg is cooked. Serve with poached peaches and ricotta cheese.

For a healthy kick-start to the day, make your own homemade muesli with rolled oats, wheatgerm, a little toasted flaked coconut, dried apricots, cashews and linseeds. Serve with slices of banana and fresh yoghurt.

Need a quick and easy dinner for two? Try this simple baked risotto. Throw 1 cup of Arborio rice into a baking dish, and add 1 ½ cups of salt-reduced vegetable stock, a small knob of butter or 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 350g of diced pumpkin. Bake for 30 minutes at 190°C until the rice is soft. Top with grated parmesan and serve.

Savoury Steak

OMG! This was tonight's dinner and it was fantastic.

I mean it!!

You really have to try this recipe.

If you do and you increase the amount of meat, make sure you increase the liquid as well.

Instead of our usual rice as a base, tonight I made mashed potato and it just rounded the meal out to perfect.

Recipe Here

Menu Plan Monday - Toni - 2 March 2009

Okay, let's go. Here's to #1 of many Menu Plan Mondays :D

Monday

Individual Pizzas

Tuesday

Chicken and Rice

Wednesday

Savoury Steak

Thursday

Quiche

Friday

Prawn Laksa

Saturday

Roast Beef and Vegetables

Sunday

Scrambled Egg / Toasted Sandwiches