Breakfast Burrito Ingredients

sliced green capsicum
onion
mushrooms
cumin
salt
garlic
eggs
tortillas
salsa
cheese
chopped tomato
sliced green onion
sour cream
coriander
jalapenos
Nandos peri peri sauce

Quinoa Salad

2 cups quinoa
6 cups water
Handful baby spinach
Handful baby rocket
Mint, shredded (to taste)
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
1 jar of char-grilled vegetables (or grill your own), diced
4 cubes of marinated goat’s cheese
Drizzle of olive oil from goat’s cheese jar

Prepare quinoa via absorption method. I use my Thermomix, you could use a rice cooker or saucepan (bring water to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes).
In large salad bowl toss baby spinach, rocket, mint, lemon zest, char-grilled vegetables or antipasto vegetables.

Add warm or cool quinoa (I like warm as I like how it melts the goat’s cheese). Crumble in the goat’s cheese, pour on lemon juice and drizzle oil to taste and desired consistency.


Toss in bowl and serve.


Serves 8 as a side dish; 6 as a meal.

Photo and recipe from here

Warm cauliflower and quinoa salad

1/2 lg cauliflower
1/2 cup quinoa
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped
lg handful bocconcini, in bite size pieces

1. Preheat oven to 200 C. Cut cauliflower into bite size pieces, place on baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season. Bake until golden.

2. Rinse quinoa well. Place in saucepan with 1 cup water and tomato paste. Simmer 10-15 min until water has been absorbed.

3. Divide cauliflower over two plates, top with quinoa, cheese and chives.

Recipe and photo from here

Mexican Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup corn, thawed
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, slivered
2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño, diced
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 – 1 chipotle chilie in adobo sauce (The dish will be HOT if you use 1)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 avocado, diced

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, corn, tomato, red onion and pickled jalapeño.

3. In a blender or food processor, combine lime juice, chipotle Chile, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, honey or agave nectar, cumin and sea salt. Process until mixture is smooth. Toss with quinoa mixture.

5.Plate quinoa and top with avocado and tortilla strips.

Recipe from here

Lasagna Soup

This recipe and photo is from Paula Dean on the food network. Sounds delicious!

1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broken lasagna noodles
1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
red chili flakes
dollop of ricotta, add directly before serving

Garlic Crostini:
1 thin French baguette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic

Directions
In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well.

Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately. Top with dollop of ricotta.


For the garlic crostini:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves.

Marinades

Lucy from Diminishing Lucy posted these easy marinade recipes. She suggests chicken but I think some (if not all) would work with beef as well. Go check out her blog to read more!

Lemon and Herb: juice and zest of fresh lemons, Olive oil, fresh thyme and oregano, and black pepper

Teriyaki: juice and zest of fresh oranges, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce

Chinese: White vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, ground five-spice, garlic, soy sauce, and ground pimento

Mexican: juice and zest of fresh limes, canola oil, garlic, chilli, and Cajun seasoning

BBQ: White vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, tomato ketchup, mustard, salt and paprika

Indian: natural yogurt, vegetable oil, tandoori curry paste, tomato puree

Thai fish

2 fillets coral trout (or other white fish)

Chili paste
Lime juice from half a lime
Fish sauce
ginger
garlic
corriander

Combine all ingredients and spoon over the washed and dried fish fillets. Cover dish with aluminium foil and bake at 180 C for 25 minutes.

Chicken Tikka

• Lots of hot chili paste
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Squeeze of ginger paste (little less than the chili)
• a pinch of paprika
• ½ tablespoon garam masala
• 4 tbps diced tomatoes
• 3 sprigs of fresh coriander

• Chicken breast cut into medium size chunks
• 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 green capsican, cut into chunks
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• couple scoops of plain yoghurt
• fresh corriander, chopped, for topping

1. Combine first list of ingredients in the blender. Add more tomatoes if required.

2. Place chicken in bowl and add the blended mixture and yogurt. Mix thoroughly and marinate overnight if possible. Soak wooden skewers in water.

3. Heat the webber for 30 minutes. Thread meat onto the skewers, saving the mixture. Cook 10-15 each side over the open flame.

4. In a pan combine the onions, capsican and tomatoes with remaining blended mixture. Cook until soft and top with corriander. Serve on the side.

Vanilla Pound Cake for Nordic Ware Classic Car Cake

My toddler's birthday is coming up and in preparation I bough the nordic ware classic car cake pan, you can see it here.

It appears only a 'firm' cake will produce the fine detail of the cars so I went searching for the recommended recipe and found this one from here It has great detailed directions for a baking novice like me.

I will be making a practice round shortly and posting pictures. I will make the recipe exactly as it appears below however I believe the car cake tin only requires 5 cups, not 10.

**Updated** Pictures are now here! This was a success although not exactly a kid cake. The loved how it looked but not many ate the actual cake.

I separated the cake mixture into three bowls and added blue, red and green food colouring. Enough drops to make the mixture fairly bright (although slightly less on the red since I think it makes kids go crazy). I think this really added to the appeal of the cars and let me get away with less candy decorations.

Ingredients

A cake recipe from Nordic Ware that is suitable for most Nordic Ware standard 10 cup cake tins. Look underneath the rim to check the capacity of your tin.

Ingredients

•370g / 13oz butter, softened
•370g / 13oz caster sugar
•370g / 13oz plain flour
•2 tsp vanilla extract
•6 medium eggs (at room temperature)
•4fl oz / 110ml milk or plain yogurt (at room temperature)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C / fan 130º / gas 3. Oven temperatures vary, so you'll need to experiment to get the perfect temperature. Don't be afraid to bring the cake out of the oven halfway through baking to check its progress.

2. Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter (not margarine) all over the interior. Make sure you butter all the corners and grooves of the pan. You can use a spray oil as an alternative too, and dust with flour if you wish depending on what type of cake you are making, but Nordicware says the best results are achieved with just butter.

3. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk or in a food processor, until pale and creamy. Add the vanilla extract

4. Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour, beating until just combined after each addition.

5. Add the flour in two or three batches until well combined.

6. Add in the milk or yogurt while the electric whisk is in motion. The mixture should look like a fairly wet batter and easily drop off a spoon in folds.

7. To prevent air bubbles in the cake, slowly pour the cake mix into one corner of the pan and allow the mixture to ‘flow’ in and around the cake tin. Gently tap the filled cake tin on the work top for a while; this will make the air bubbles/pockets rise up and away from the outside of the cake, and allow the cake mix to settle into all the details - the mixture should fill the tin to about ¾ full.

8. Use a spatula to push the mixture up the sides of the pan, pushing up the walls to the top; this will help the cake ‘climb’ up the sides during cooking, giving you greater detail on the outside of the cake.

9. Tap the tin on the worktop to release as many air bubbles as possible. The longer you tap for the more air bubbles you’ll get out, and the better the detail you’ll achieve.

10. Place the pan on the centre shelf of the oven and bake for 40 – 50 mins or until a skewer poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

11. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes (no less, no longer). This will allow a moisture barrier to build up between the pan and the cake. Use oven gloves to pick up the cake pan and gently shake the pan from side to side listening for a ‘thud’. (This indicates the cake is loose and ready to invert.) If sticking persists around the edges a plastic knife may be used to carefully loosen the cake - NEVER use metal utensils in any non-stick cake tin or it will scratch!

12. Turn the cake out on to a plate or cooling rack and leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar using a sifter, drizzle your favourite sauce on top or use icing pens to highlight the detail and add decorations.

I decorated the cars with the following candy:

Fruit rolls ups
Licorice all sorts (cut in half width wise)
Jelly beans (just the tip cut off the end for head lights)
Mini oreos as wheels
Licorice straps as the road

I "glued" the candy on using gel icing pens in pink. (the lightest colour I could find)

I outlined the windows and license plates in gel black icing.

Other candy would work but some things were too heavy, like M&Ms kept falling off.

Beef Kebabs

You will need 8 skewers
1 packet Diced lamb
50ml (2fl oz) low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cider vinegar
A little thyme
Dash of vegetable oil
50ml (2fl oz) fresh lemon juice.

Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the beef for 2 to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Discard the marinade. place the chunks of beef on the skewers (if using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water first to prevent burning).

Grill until cooked to your liking.
During the cruise phase you may add tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini and onions.


Photo and original recipe from here

Hot Spinach Dip

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup milk
6 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Baguette slices, breadsticks, or crackers, for serving

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

2.Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.

3.In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

4.Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

Photo and recipe from Martha Stewart here

Onion Rings

Ingredients:


½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 large egg, at room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
30 saltine crackers
4 cups kettle-cooked potato chips
2 large yellow onions, sliced into 24 rings (½-inch thick rounds)
6 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

Adjust oven racks to lower- and upper-middle positions. Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Place ¼ cup of the flour in a shallow baking dish. Beat the egg and buttermilk together in a bowl. Whisk the remaining flour, cayenne, salt and pepper into the buttermilk mixture. Combine the saltines and potato chips together in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Place half of the crumb mixture in a second shallow baking dish; reserve the other half.

Working one at a time, dredge each onion ring in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the onion rings in the buttermilk mixture, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl, and then dredging in the crumb coating, turning to coat evenly. When the crumb mixture is low, add the reserved crumb mixture to the dish for dredging the remaining onion rings. Transfer the coated rings to a large plate or platter.

Pour 3 tablespoons of the oil onto each of 2 rimmed baking sheets. Place the baking sheets in the oven and heat just until smoking, about 8 minutes. Tilt the heated sheets to coat evenly with the oil. Lay the onion rings out in a single layer on the oiled baking sheets. Bake, flipping the onion rings and rotating the pans halfway through baking, until golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined rack briefly before serving.

Recipe from here: http://annies-eats.net/

I'm going to try something new - making the recipe exactly as directed! This one looks so good I don't think I want to change a thing.

Spicy asian salmon

2 pieces fresh salmon
2 Tbp olive oil
1 Tbp minced garlic
2 Tbp ginger paste
2 Tbp soy sauce
1 Tbp hot chili paste

1. Mix the olive oil, garlic, ginger, soy and chili in a small bowl. Stir thoroughly.

2. Wash and pat dry the salmon. Place in a baking dish.

3. Pour sauce onto salmon, coating well.

4. Cover with al-foil and bake at 180 C for 25 minutes.

Serve with cheesey broccoli and baked potato or rice.

Chinese minced pork in lettuce cups

1 tbsp sesame oil
ginger paste
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp hot chili paste
500g minced pork
1/2 onion finely diced
1/2 celery stalk finely diced
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
iceberg lettuce
ramen noodles

1. Wash and cut lettuce leaves into cup shapes. Use leaves from the centre if possible. Chill in fridge while preparing the rest of the meal.

2. Cook one packet of ramen noodles, without the seasoning. Place aside when done.

3. Fry ginger, garlic and chilis in the sesame oil for 1 minute. Add in the minced pork, breaking up into fine pieces. Add the onion and celery, cook until tender.

4. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and cook for 5 minutes.

5. Place some of the noodles into each lettuce cup and spoon pork mixture on top. Roll up and enjoy!

Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1.Preheat oven to 450°F.


2.Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more
 
recipe from here

Salmon Cakes

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 ounces canned salmon, drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked salmon
2 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 3/4 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (or finely chop bread crusts)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Creamy Dill Sauce:
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, or parsley
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.


2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsley; remove from the heat.

3. Place salmon in a medium bowl. Flake apart with a fork; remove any bones and skin. Add egg and mustard; mix well. Add the onion mixture, breadcrumbs and pepper; mix well. Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 2 1/2 inches wide.

4. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook until the undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, turn them over onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining patties.

5. Bake the salmon cakes until golden on top and heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare Creamy Dill Sauce by mixing well in a small bowl. Serve salmon cakes with sauce and lemon wedges.

recipe from here

Pork Spring Rolls

1/2 KG ground pork (or one packet or pork sausages with the skins taken off)

1/2 head of cabbage finely shredded
2 carrots finely shredded using peeler
1 onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (corriander)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons ginger paste
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chile sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
12 (7 inch square) spring roll wrappers
4 teaspoons vegetable oil

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).


2.Place pork in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove from heat and drain.

3., oyster sauce, ginger, garlic and chile sauce. Cook cabbage, carrot, and onion in sesame oil over low heat for 5 minutes until veggies are soft.

4. Combine pork and veggies with ginger, garlic, chili, oyster sauce and cilantro in a large bowl. Mix well.

4.Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl.

5.Place approximately 1 tablespoon of the pork mixture in the center of spring roll wrappers. Roll wrappers around the mixture, folding edges inward to close. Moisten fingers in the cornstarch and water mixture, and brush wrapper seams to seal.

6.Arrange spring rolls in a single layer on a medium baking sheet. Brush with vegetable oil. Bake in the preheated oven 20 minutes, until hot and lightly browned. For crispier spring rolls, turn after 10 minutes,

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

2 chicken breasts
2 tsp oil
1 medium size onion, in chunks
1/2 green pepper, in chunks
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes
garam masala
salt to taste
1 cup double cream
1 cup plain yogurt
1. Marinade overnight cubed chicken breasts in 1 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 jar tikka masala paste.
 
2. Place marindated chicken pieces on baking tray and bake at 180 C for 30 minutes.
 
3. Saute onions, pepper, garlic and ginger in pan until soft. Place in slow cooker.
 
4. Add diced tomatoes, 1/2 tikka masala paste, chili paste, and add cooked chicken.
 
5. Cook on low for 6- 8 hours. Before serving, stir in the cream, 1/2 tsp garam masala, salt and 1/2 tsp cumin.
 
6. Serve over rice.
 
Inspriation and original recipe from Meal Planning 101 here. Changed to suit cooking time/preparation time restrictions due to the toddler not liking when I cook.

Ravioli with Sautéed Asparagus & Pinenuts Recipe

1 14- to 16-oz pkg cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pinenuts, roughly chopped
8 oz asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 oz)
Recipe Preparation

1. Cook the ravioli according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and pinenuts and cook, stirring often, until the nuts are lightly toasted and fragrant and the garlic is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add the asparagus and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Serve over the ravioli and sprinkle with the cheese.

Photo and recipe (slightly altered) from Women's Day from here

Spicy Chicken Pizza

1 chicken breast, cubed
2 whole wheat flatbreads
your favorite pasta sauce (we use Leggos Napolitana sauce)
artichokes, diced
jalapenos
mushrooms, sliced
kalamata olives, sliced
asparagus, chopped
broccoli, chopped
shredded cheese
oregano
Kewpie mayo
Nandos extra hot peri peri sauce

1. Salt and pepper the chicken. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the chicken 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Set aside.

2. Place the flatbread on pizza trays and coat with minimal pasta sauce. (too much will make the pizza soggy).

3.) Top with all mushrooms, olives, artichokes, asparagus and jalapenos. The broccoli will need to be cooked in the microwave first for 2 minutes. Add the cooked chicken.

4.) Top with shredded cheese (I like to mix cheddar and Parm) and sprinkle oregano over top.

5.) Bake at 180 for 10 minutes.

6.) Meanwhile, mix 3 Tbp of the myo with 2 Tbp of the hot sauce. (to taste).

7.) When pizzas are done, remove from the oven and drizzle with the mayo mixture and serve.

Mexican Rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbp corriander paste
2 Tbp chili powder
juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup diced tinned tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth

1. Thoroughly rinse rice for 2 minutes. Shake well to rid excess water.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice and onions. Cook, stirring constantly until golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin and chili powder and lime juice.


3. Stir in tomatos (including liquid),chicken broth and corriander paste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Squeeze lime juice over rice and serve.

I like to add this to our burritos and enchiladas.

Original recipe from here but altered by me.

Marinated Chicken with Cumin, Coriander & White Wine

2 chicken breasts
A bunch of mint
A bunch of flat leaf parsley
A bunch of coriander
3 cloves of garlic
Juice and the zest of one lemon
2-3tsp ground cumin
100ml olive oil
150ml of white wine
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the herbs, garlic, olive oil, cumin, wine, salt and pepper and lemon juice and zest in the food processor and process until you have a smooth marinade. Put the chicken pieces in a non-metallic container and pour the marinade over it. Massage the marinade into the meat and then cover and place in the fridge overnight to marinade.


2. Preheat the oven to 220C. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place in a roasting pan. Cook for 30-45 minutes until the chicken is done.

3. Meanwhile place the remaining marinade in a saucepan and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes until it has reduced by about half. Season to taste.

4. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve with the warm sauce.
 
Photo and recipe from here until I can take my own photo.

French Onion Soup with Beef

5 large brown onions, sliced
2 Tbp butter
1 Tbp brown sugar
2 Tbp plain flour
150ml of dry sherry (or half a beer in a bottle)
1.5 litres of beef stock
handful thyme
A crusty baguette, sliced and toasted with Parm cheese on top
1 lg piece of beef chuck, diced

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle generously with sea salt and cover the saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.


2. Uncover and stir in the sugar and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the onions have turned a deep, golden brown colour, stirring occasionally. Then add the flour and stir for 3 - 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the beer and then the beef stock and bring back to the boil.

4. Place beef and onion soup mixture into a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

5. Directly before serving bake the bread topped with cheese at 180 C for 7 minutes or until melted.

6. Butter the toasted baguette slices and top with the grated cheese. Place them under the grill until the cheese is bubbling hot and melted. Pour the soup into individual bowls and float the rounds of toast on top of the soup. Serve immediately.

Ideas for Lunches

• Roast beef, spinach, purple onion, roasted red peppers, garlic mayo on foccacia
• corned beef, swiss cheese, saurkraut on pumpernickle
• cucumber feta sandwiches with mayo on toasted wheat bread
• tuna with mayo, kewpie mayo, seeded mustard and relish
• egg salad with curry powder on baked dinner rolls
• taco salad with tortilla chips
• salads in a spinach wrap

Tzatziki Lamb Burgers

Ingredients:


1 lb ground lamb
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, grated
zest of one lemon
salt
freshly ground black pepper

tzatziki:

3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup finely diced, seeded cucumber
1 tablespoon minced dill
freshly ground black pepper

toppings:

1 large red onion, thickly sliced
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices
4 buns

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the burger ingredients until evenly distributed. Form into 4 equal patties.

for the sauce:

Stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare your grill to medium heat. Meanwhile, brush the onion, burgers and eggplant slices with olive oil. Place on the grill next to the burgers. Cook until everything is cooked through, flipping once. Cover as needed.

Place a slice of eggplant on each bun. Top with a burger then onion slices and drizzle with sauce.

Recipe and photo from here