Beef and Bean Stir-fry

Ingredients

·         250 g quick-cooking noodles

·         2 tsp. sesame oil

·         2 cloves garlic; crushed

·         3 tsp. grated fresh ginger

·         500 g rump steak; cut into thin strips

·         500 g green beans; trimmed and cut into 10 cm pieces

·         2 tbsp. sweet chilli sauce

·         2 tbsp. sweet soy sauce

·         1 tbsp. oyster sauce

Preparation

1.       Prepare noodles according to packaging directions.

2.       Heat oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3.       Add beef and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until well browned.

4.       Add beans, chilli sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes longer.

5.       Drain noodles and divide between serving plate. Top with beef mixture and serve immediately.

Serves 4

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Engela

Leek and Prawn Risotto

Ingredients

·         15 g butter

·         4 leeks;  thoroughly washed and sliced

·         500 g uncooked prawns; shelled and deveined

·         500 g risotto rice

·         4 cups hot fish or vegetable stock

·         1 cup dry white wine

·         1 tbsp. canned green peppercorns; drained

Preparation

1.       Melt butter in a saucepan over a low heat; add leeks and cook for 8 minutes or until leeks are soft, golden and caramelised; stirring occasionally.

2.       Add prawns and cook for 3 minutes or until they change colour; stirring constantly. Remove prawn mixture from pan and set aside.

3.       Add rice to pan and cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes; stirring occasionally. Stir in a ¾ cup of the stock and a ¼ cup of wine and cook over medium heat; stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed.

4.       Continue adding the remaining of the stock as described above; stirring constantly and allowing the mixture to be absorbed before adding more.

5.       Return prawn mixture to the pan, add green peppercorns and mix gently; cook for 3 minutes longer or until heated through.

Serves 4

Looking for a Light Meal? Why Not Try Grilled Chicken and Asparagus

Ingredients

·         2 tsp. crushed peppercorns

·         1 tbsp. grated lemon rind

·         1 tbsp. lemon juice

·         4 boneless chicken breasts fillets

·         2 tsp. vegetable oil

·         500 g asparagus spears; trimmed

·         250 g cherry tomatoes

Preparation

1.       Combine black peppercorns, lemon rind and lemon juice and rub over chicken pieces; set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

2.       Heat oil in frying pan over a high heat, add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

3.       Remove chicken from pan, set aside and keep warm.

4.       Add asparagus and tomatoes to pan and cook for 4-5 minutes or until asparagus are tender, but still crisp.

5.       Serve chicken with asparagus and tomatoes.

Serves 4.

Engela

Hearty Red Bean Chilli Dish

Ingredients

·         2 tbsp. olive oil

·         2 onions; chopped

·         2 cloves garlic; crushed

·         2 fresh red chillies; chopped

·         ½ tsp. ground cumin

·         1 tsp. ground coriander

·         1 tsp. dried oregano

·         2 x 440 g canned tomatoes; un-drained and mashed

·         500 g canned red kidney beans; rinsed and drained

·         315 g canned sweet corn kernels; drained

·         4 tbsp. fresh parsley; chopped

·         6 tbsp. natural yoghurt

·         6 tbsp. grated cheese

Preparation

1.       Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add onions and garlic; reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes or until onions are soft and golden. Stir occasionally. Add chillies, cumin, coriander and oregano and cook for 2-3 minutes longer – stir frequently.

2.       Stir in tomatoes and beans and bring to the boil over a medium heat and stir occasionally. Stir in sweet corn and half of the parsley and cook for 3-4 minutes.

3.       To serve, ladle into deep bowls; top each serving with a spoonful of yoghurt and sprinkle with cheese and remaining parsley.

Serves 4 

Tips for On-the-go Exercising

http://freelancer-daniel.blogspot.com/

Seafood Barbeque

Ingredients

·         ¼ cup soy sauce

·         2 tbsp. honey

·         2 tbsp. tomato sauce

·         2 tbsp. sesame seeds

·         1 tbsp. grated lemon rind

·         375 g uncooked large prawns; shelled and deveined but tails left intact

·         250 g calamari (squid) rings

·         250 g boneless fish fillets; cut into thick strips

·         4 potatoes; thinly sliced

·         4 small tomatoes; halved

·         2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         Lemon wedges

Preparation

1.       Place soy sauce, honey, tomato sauce, sesame seeds and lemon rind in a shallow glass dish; add prawns, calamari and fish; toss to coat and set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

2.       Sprinkle potatoes and tomatoes with thyme and black pepper to taste.

3.       Cook potatoes and tomatoes on a well-greased pre-heated hot Barbeque plate (griddle) for 10 minutes or until potatoes are crisp and tomatoes soft. Push vegetables to the side of the barbeque to keep warm.

4.       Add seafood mixture to barbeque and cook, turning frequently for 5 minutes or until cooked. As seafood cooks push it to the side to keep warm.

5.       To serve divide potatoes, tomatoes and seafood between serving plates and accompany with wedges of lemon.

Serves 4

Engela

http://freelancer-daniel.blogspot.com/

Lamb Herb and Onion Braise

Ingredients

·         1 tbsp. vegetable oil

·         4 onions; sliced

·         2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

·         750 g lean lamb; cut into 2 cm cubes

·         1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

·         250 ml red wine

·         250 ml beef stock

·         8 small potatoes

·         2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

·         1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

Preparation

1.       Heat half the oil in a saucepan over a low heat, add onions and vinegar and cook for 6-8 minutes whilst stirring or until onions are golden or caramelised. Remove from pan and set aside.

2.       Heat remaining oil in pan over a medium heat; add lamb and cook, stirring until brown on all sides. Return onions to pan, stir in Worcestershire sauce, wine and stock, cover and bring to simmering. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 35 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes longer or until lamb and potatoes are tender. Stir in thyme and oregano and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Engela

Spring Lamb

Ingredients

·         1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

·         2 tsp. wholegrain mustard

·         60 ml dry white wine

·         2 tsp. lemon rind, grated

·         4 lamb leg chops

·         2 tsp. olive oil

·         85 ml beef stock

·         12 small carrots, peeled

·         4 small courgettes, trimmed

·         185 g sugar snap peas

·         2 tsp. corn flour blended with 1 tbsp. water

Preparation

1.       Place rosemary, mustard, wine and lemon rind in a plastic food bag and shake well. Add lamb chops and shake to coat with mixture.

2.       Set aside for 15 minutes to marinate. Drain lamb and reserve marinade.

3.       Heat oil in a frying pan; add lamb and cook for 1-2 minutes over high heat on each side or until cooked to your liking.

4.       Stir stock and reserved marinade into pan and bring to boil. Add carrots, courgettes and peas and boil for 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables from pan, set aside and keep warm.

5.       Stir corn flour mixture into the mixture still in the pan and cook, stirring constantly until sauce boils and thickens.

6.       Serve with vegetables and sauce.

Serves 4

The Origin of Irish Coffee

Engela

Basic Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients

·         750 g lean ground beef

·         3 slices bread

·         1 large egg

·         1 c. milk

·         ¼ c. onion, chopped

·         1 tsp. salt

·         ½ tsp. dry mustard

·         ¼ tsp. pepper

·         ¼ tsp. sage

·         ⅛ tsp. garlic powder

·         ½ c. sweet chilli sauce

·         1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

1.       Heat the oven to 180⁰C.

2.       Mix all the ingredients except the sweet chilli sauce together.

3.       Spread the meat mixture into an ungreased loaf pan, or shape into a loaf in an ungreased baking pan.

4.       Spoon sweet chilli sauce onto the loaf and bake, uncovered, for 1 to 1¼ hours or until done.

5.       Drain off the excess fat and serve sliced on a heated platter.

Engela

How to be a Working Mom and Housewife.

Salmon and Raspberry Salad

Ingredients

·         1 small lettuce; leaves separated

·         125 g rocket (see below)

·         250 g asparagus spears, halved and blanched

·         375 g smoked salmon slices

·         1 cucumber sliced

·         250 g fresh raspberries

Balsamic Dressing

·         2 tbsp. balsamic or red wine vinegar

·         2 tsp. sugar

·         1 tbsp. olive oil

·         Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1.       Arrange lettuce leaves, rocket, asparagus, smoked salmon, cucumber and raspberries in a salad bowl or on a large serving platter.

2.       To make the dressing: Place vinegar, sugar, oil and black pepper to taste in a screw top jar and shake well to mix.

3.       Spoon dressing or salad and serve immediately

Serves 4

What is rocket?

Rocket is an old fashioned salad herb which has a peppery taste. If not available use watercress.

Engela

What is an eclipse?

Chicken Tandoori

Ingredients

·         2 Chicken breasts

·         1 small tub Greek yogurt

·         1 tsp. ground cumin

·         1 tsp. ground coriander

·         ½ tsp. ground turmeric

·         ½ tsp. ginger powder

·         ½ tsp. chilli powder (or to taste)

·         1 small clove garlic, crushed

·         Salt to taste

·         1 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation

1.       Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

2.       Mix the spice powders and garlic into the yogurt. You can use low fat yogurt if you prefer. You can also use fresh ginger or ginger paste from a jar rather than ginger powder but go easy on the quantity as it can be quite overpowering.

3.       At this point you can also mix in the salt and lemon juice but if you do so, don't leave the chicken to marinade for more than about 20 minutes or it will become very dry when cooked. If you want to marinade it for a longer time, add the salt and lemon juice just before you cook the dish or sprinkle on to serve.

4.       Thread the chicken onto skewers and either barbeque or cook under a grill using medium heat until the chicken is slightly browned and cooked through.

5.       For a light meal, serve with salad, pitta or naan bread and lemon wedges or for something more substantial with rice and Dahl.

Serves 2

Engela

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Chicken and Nectarine Salad

Ingredients

·         1 lettuce; leaves separated

·         1 bunch of watercress, broken into sprigs

·         500 g cooked chicken, chopped into pieces

·         1 red pepper, sliced

·         4 nectarines, sliced

·         2 stalks celery, sliced

Black Pepper Dressing

·         3 tsp. crushed black peppercorns

·         1 tbsp. olive oil

·         2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Preparation

1.       Arrange lettuce leaves, watercress, chicken, red pepper, nectarines and celery in a salad bowl or on a large serving platter

2.       To make dressing, place black peppercorns, and vinegar in a screw top jar and shake well to mix.

3.       Spoon dressing over salad and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Here is a nice recipe for Irish coffee

Engela

Graduation Day for Budgies

Beetroot Pasta salad

Ingredients

·         8 small beetroot, peeled and halved

·         375 g fettuccine

·         250 g assorted lettuce leaves

·         2 carrots cut into thin strips

·         2 courgettes, chopped

·         1 red pepper, sliced

·         Ingredients for Sesame Dressing

·         1 tbsp. sesame seeds

·         2 tsp. sesame oil

·         2 tbsp. sweet soy sauce

·         2 tbsp. sweet chilli sauce

Preparation

1.       Cook beetroot in boiling water for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. (For a quicker version of this dish you can use baby beetroot). Ten Amazing Facts About Beetroot

2.       Cook pasta in fresh boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside to cool.

3.       Arrange lettuce leaves in a salad bowl, top with pasta, beetroot, carrots, courgettes and red pepper.

4.       To make dressing, place sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce and chilli sauce in a screw top jar and shake well until mixed.

5.       Spoon dressing over salad, cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Serves 4

Eat for your heart

Engela