Bolognaise Sauce (thermomix style)

2tbs sun dried tomato
2 med onions (quartered)
herbs to taste (This time I used sage, rosemary, chilli, garlic and thyme) 
30g olive oil
1kg mince
2 cans diced tomato
1 can water 1 tbs beef stock concentrate (RECIPE HERE)

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With thermomix already running on speed 5 drop in your chosen herbs.  blend 5 seconds, stop and scrape the herbs down.  If they are still not to your desired consistency repeat. 
Add sun dried tomato the onopns.  Chop on speed 5 for 5 seconds.  Add the olive oil and sauté for 4 minutes. 

Break up the mince and add to the jug with the diced tomato, 1 can water (add 1/2 first, if the sauce still needs more liquid add the rest of the water) and beef stock concentrate.  Cook on varoma for 10 minutes, speed 2 on reverse. 

Makes approximately 2 litres of bolognaise sauce suitable for lasagne or spaghetti Bol etc...

**You can use fresh tomatoes instead of tinned.  Substitute 3 tomatoes for each tin suggested in the recipe. 

**Mince other vegetables before starting (such as carrots, zucchini, pumpkin) to add in the last minute of the saute step for nutritious hidden veggies.

Paulene's Lamb Chop Obsession

This is taken from the Slow Cooker Recipes 4 Families page.  Unfortunatly it's a closed page so if something happens and I leave the page or it's moved etc etc etc I wont be able to find the recipe so am popping it in here with credit :)  Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/SlowCookerRecipes4Families

Ingredients:
Lamb chops (the cut of your choice) or a lamb roast
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 pkt dry french onion soup mix
2 tbsp worcestireshire sauce
2 tbsp mint sauce
1 small diced onion

Method:
Place lamb in slow cooker bowl
Add onion
Combine all other ingredients and pour over chops
Cook on low for 6hrs approx or up to 8hrs for roast

THE BEST Banana Bread EVER!!!!!

Yup, seriously yummy, seriously easy and a big winner in our house :)  Best thing is it is suitable for freezing.  We slice and butter it, wrap in baking paper and then freeze in individual portions.  The kids take it straight from the freezer and it is defrosted beautifully in time for morning tea!  And toasted, spread whilst warm with real butter which melts on contact... and if you're feeling like you need a little bit more temptation add a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top of the melted butter - OMG D.I.V.I.N.E!!!!!!!

3 med Bananas (or 2 large bananas)
2tb Golden Syrup
1/4c Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1c SR Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder

Cinnamon Sugar for Sprinkling on top of bread.

1.  Break bananas into 4-5 pieces.  Place lid on TM and process on speed 4 for 2 seconds or until the bananas are slightly broken down. Add golden syrup, sugar and egg to Thermomix.  4 seconds speed 5, then scrape down and process a further 4 seconds.

2. Add flour and baking powder.  Mix for 5 seconds on reverse sp 4, scrape down and blend a further 4-5 seconds or until combined. 

3. Pour into a greased and lined loaf tin, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake in moderate oven for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Corned Beef in Ginger Beer

Super simple, very tasty!  Slightly sweet tangy meat that is scrumptiously tender!

• Cut of Corned Beef/Silverside
• 1.25 ltr Ginger Beer
• 1 Onion quartered
• 3 cloves Garlic minced

Place beef in slow cooker. Cover with ginger beer. Add in onion and garlic. Cook on Med for 7-8 hours.

Potato Bake

Ingredients

• Melted butter to grease
• 300 ml cream
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
• 2 tbs plain flour can use 1 single serve pack of dutch rice curry or cream of chicken soup if wanting more flavour
• 1.25 kg potatoes peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 large brown onions halved, thinly sliced
• 2 slices middle bacon diced
• 3/4 cup grated cheese

Preheat oven to 180°C.

1. Brush a 2.5L (10-cup) capacity ovenproof dish with melted butter to lightly grease. Combine the cream and milk with flour, whisk to remove any lumps.

2. Arrange half the potato slices over the base of the prepared dish. Sprinkle with half the onion and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over half the cream mixture. Continue layering with the remaining potato slices, onion, bacon, salt and pepper and cream mixture.

3. Cover with foil and place on a baking tray. Bake in oven for 1 hour or until potato is tender. Scatter prosciutto over the potato bake and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for a further 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and the potato is very tender.

Set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Serve.

Curried Cauliflower

Easy Microwave recipe.  Can be  done on the stove if preferred.  Perfect side to corned beef, you can double the sauce easily ;)

Ingredients

• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1 pkt cream of chicken soup 4 ltr packet
• 1.5 Cup water
• 1.5 tbs curry powder
• 1 cup grated cheese

1. Cut cauliflower into florets, place in microwaveable container (I use a pyrex casserole bowl) and cook 8 mins on high

2. Drain liquid - it can be reserved to use in the sauce. Return cauliflower to the casserole bowl.

3. Combine remaining ingredients except cheese in a microwaveable jug. Cook on high 3 minutes and stir. Return to microwave, cook further 2 mins.. it should be thickening now. If not thickened cook at 1 min intervals and continue to stir and check.

4. Pour sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle with cheese. Microwave on high 4 mins or until the cheese is melted.


***** Cream and water measurements are rough estimates - I now do this by feel rather than exact science...

Ham Hock Soup

Old fashioned soup my grandmother and parents always used to make in winter. Even better 2nd day in :) Easily converted to a casserole with thickening using gravy ;)

Ingredients

• 1 pack soup mix beans
• 1 ham hock or 2 bacon bones
• 250 g bacon chopped
• 4 stalks celery rough diced
• 2 large carrots rough diced
• 1 large onion rough dice
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2-3 cups diced veggies of choice (Parsnip, leek, corn, swede, cabbage etc)
• 1.5 ltr water or stock - enough to cover all ingredients and to top up whilst simmering
• salt to season
• pepper to season

1.  Rinse bean mix well according to packet. Ensure any little stones or twigs are removed.

2. Add all vegetables, beans and garlic to stock pot. Lay on top the ham hock or bacon bones and sprinkle over bacon pieces ensure there are no lumps on the bacon...
Cover with water or stock and ensure all ingredients are covered.

3. Simmer on low-med for 2-3 hours or until veggies and beans are cooked through. Remove hock and cut meat from the bones. Dice this meat evenly and return to the pot. Discard bones. Continue to simmer for a further 30 minutes, tasting and seasoning well.

4. Serve with crusty bread.

**Suitable for slow cooker.

Lasagne

This is my mongrel dish, totally not traditional but  a hearty combination of things my family enjoy....
(just don't tell them there's veggies hidden in there!!!

• 1 kg minced beef
• 3 tins chopped Tomato
• 3 tbs sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 3 med carrots grated
• 1 small zucchini chopped
• 1/2 packet pumpkin soup mix can be substitued with tomato soup mix or tomato paste
• 2 tbs italian herbs
• 1 qty bechamel sauce check this link for recipe
• 1 pkt lasagne sheets
• 2 cups cheese grated
• 1/4 red capsicum finely chopped

1. Fry off onion and capsicum. Add carrot and zucchini and cook further 2 minutes.
Sprinkle over herbs and paprika and cook another minute.
2. Break up minced beef and add to frypan. Cook until meat is browned, breaking up lumps as it cooks.
3. Add tomato's, sauce and soup mix. allow to cook down until it's nice and thick with no runny juices separating from the mix. Taste to see if it requires any further seasonings as you go.
4. Make Bechamel Sauce
5. In large lasagna tray spread a layer of meat sauce. Top with a layer of lasagna sheets. you may need to break some to make them fit. Top then with a layer of bechamel sauce. and then another layer of lasagna sheets - I find this the best way to keep the sauce layers seperate.
Continue until you reach the top of your container... finish with a layer of bechamel sauce and then sprinkle over the grated cheese.
6. Place on a tray and bake for 25 min with a loose foil lid - remove lid and cook a further 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Bechemal Sauce

Great to add parsley to to make parsley sauce, or a traditional white sauce - very yummy and not hard to make at all!!!

Ingredients

• 60 g butter
• 1/3 c plain flour
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 ltr milk
• 70 gram parmesan cheese grated

This is really easy to make!

In a large saucepan combine butter and flour. The butter will melt and create a 'dough' with the flour...
When the dough starts to form continue to stir and gradually add in milk, whisking constantly. Do this in stages and allow to thicken before adding more milk - you may find depending on the consistancy you require that you will not need all the milk.

Once the thickness you desire has been reached stir through the nutmeg and grated cheese.
Voila - the perfect bechamel sauce, and because you were stirring and whisking all the way through there's no lumps either!!!
and you thought that would be hard ;)

Honey Baked Sausages

So simple yet SOOOOO YUM!!!!

1kg Sausages
1/4 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
2tsp Mustard

1. Preheat oven to 190*C.
2. Pierce sausages, place in a shallow baking dish.
3. Mix together remaining ingredients, brush over sausages.
4. Bake in preheated oven turning once, for approximately 25 mins.

Chicken Parmigiana

8 Chicken Fillets (breasts or thighs)
200g Flour
Salt and Pepper
2 eggs
400g Breadcrumbs
Herbs
60g Parmesan Cheese
Bolognaise Sauce (store brought or homemade)
250g Grated Cheese
oil (for shallow frying)


1. Flatten out the chicken fillets
2. Combine flour and salt and pepper in one bowl.  Break eggs in another container and beat until combined.  In another bowl combine selected herbs, parmesan cheese and herbs.
3. Cover fillets first in flour, dust off, then in egg, drip off then into the bread crumb mixture. 
4. Shallow Fry schnitzels in frypan until golden brown. 
5. Transfer Schitzels to a baking tray.  Ensure they are only 1 layer.  Spoon over 1-2 tbs of chosen bolognaise sauce or pasatta and then cover liberally with grated cheese. 
6. Bake 20-25 minutes at 180*C or until cheese has melted and turning golden and schnitzels are fully cooked through.

Reviving the dinosaur...

Yup, coming back here for our recipe storage :)