Polenta

This is the soft version - the one that hasn't been fried. At the end of this recipe, I'll give you instructions on how to make friend polenta - which is super yummy topped with fried off tomatoes, onions and olives for breakfast.

I'm a firm believer in cheese making everything taste better - and in this case, it's true. Plain polenta is very boring and bland.

• 1 litre boiling water or stock
• 1 cup polenta
• butter
• cheese
• cream (optional for a looser polenta. If you want to be able to slice it up and fry it later, don't add the cream)

1. Bring water or stock up to boil.
2. Add 1 cup polenta
3. Simmer for 8-10 minutes
4. Stir in butter
5. Stir in cheese to taste
6. OPTIONAL stir in cream to make around the consistency of mashed potatoes

If you're going to be frying it up later, spread it out into a square dish or tin now. Allow to set. When it has set, slice into squares, triangles, diamonds, rectangles or circles. Gently shallow fry in butter and oil until crispy and golden brown.

If you're not frying it up, you can use it in place of mashed potatoes.

If you would like it sweeter, make it with half water, and half milk. Omit the butter and cheese, but add the milk. Serve with fruit coulis or rehydrated dried fruit.

Lamb casserole

It's getting a little cooler down here in AU (and especially in Sydney), so I figured a warm winter meal was in order.
I also wanted something that was cheap, but delicious, so lamb casserole it is.
I'm doing it in the slow cooker tonight, but I'd normally do it in a casserole dish, in the oven, for around 2 hours, total.

• Garlic (I'm using around 4 cloves), crushed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
• 1 teaspoon hot chili (seeds in)
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1 large (2 medium) cans tomatoes
• 1 kilogram lamb chops (the cheaper the better, in my opinion)
• 2 large onions, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Layer the meat and onions.
2. Combine the mint, garlic, chili, rosemary and tomato paste.
3. Place the tomato paste mix and the tinned tomatoes on top of the lamb in the slow cooker.
4. Cook on high for approximately 3 hours, then turn down to low. Allow to cook for as long as you want - the longer the better.

Serve with steamed green vegies and either polenta or mashed potatoes.

ChoreWars

This is not a cooking post!

I'm always looking for a way to get everyone to pull their fair weight around the house - with cooking, cleaning, and everything else.

Imagine how happy I was when I came across this...

Russian friendship tea

You may not know this, but Bast and I are sisters. Twins, in fact. Lucky Bast, right? ;)

Anyways, Bast is getting married soonish (okay, more like in around 12 months). This means thinking about Stuffs, like Wedding Favours, and food ideas.

The other day, we were discussing tea cup and saucer style favours with teas in them, like my Chai tea recipe.

And we came across this - Russian Friendship Tea.

We haven't tried it yet (at around 1200km apart, we don't exactly get together for a cup of coffee or tea, yanno?), but I suspect some of my friends will be getting gifts soon. I just need to buy the ingredients and actually make it. I'm sure I can find a jar for it.

So, how to make it:

Russian Friendship Tea Mix Recipe

2-1/2 cups Instant Orange Drink Mix
(like Tang)
1-1/2 cups Instant Lemonade Mix
(like Country Time)
1-1/2 cups Instant Unsweetened Tea
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
(all spices are the dried, ground kind- not whole!)

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until thoroughly combined. (That’s pretty much it, folks!)

I'm not so sure you can buy dried lemonade mix here, but I have a feeling it's a dried sugar lemon flavoured powder.

I asked an online associate today, and she informs me that the instant lemonade mix is indeed sugar, lemon flavour, and nasty-sounding-chemical. I wonder if I can make up some lemon sugar and make it that way...

To serve, add 1 tablespoon to a cup, add boiling water, and enjoy

Pantry Tomato Soup

OK, the soup thing for me at the moment is two fold.
Firstly it's beginning to get a little cooler down here in the southern hemisphere, and secondly, I'm pregnant, and consequently can't keep anything heavier than soup down.
This soup recipe has to be one of the easiest ones I make, and most of the ingredients are in the average kitchen pantry.

Ingredients:
4 tins of chopped peeled tomatoes
2 tins of water (by this i mean after the tomato tins are empty, use them as measures)
1 onion, chopped finely
1 teaspoon chilli paste (optional)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (optional)
4 teaspoons of powdered stock, flavour of your choice
Mixed herbs to taste.

Method:
Fry off the onion, garlic and chilli in a small amount of olive oil or butter.
Add the tins of tomatoes, and water, bring to the boil.
Once boiling add the stock powder and herbs.
Mix well, and then drop heat to a simmer for 30 minutes minimum. The longer you leave it, the more the flavours will develop.
Serve either as is for a rustic style soup, or liquidise.

Serves 4 to 5 people.

Chicken in pyjamas

Tonight was lazy-cook night, so I made my version of chicken parmigiana.

Since it isn't the traditional meal, I don't call it chicken parmigiana. That, and the kids love the sound of "chicken in pyjamas". It sounds much more fun, food wise.

So, as I said, its my version, so I cheat a little.

• 2 chicken burger patties per person, or one chicken breast schnitzel per person
• 1 large jar of taco sauce per 10 patties (5 schnitzels), or a jar of pre made tomato salsa.
• 1 slice of cheese, or a generous pinch of grated cheese, per patty

1. Precook the chicken. You can shallow fry it, or deep fry it. Either way, make sure it is cooked.
2. Place each piece of chicken on a tray (as many on there as you can fit. You can generally fit 9-ish chicken patties on a biscuit tray)
3. Place a few tablespoons of the sauce/salsa in the middle of the chicken.
4. Put enough cheese on the chicken to make sure it's covered.
5. Cook in pre-heated oven, on moderate heat (180C or 150F) for around 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown

I served this with blanched mange tout for the kids, and got told yet again that I'm the best cook in the world.

*grin*

I know they're fibbing, but I love them for it anyways.

Chai tea

This is one of my favourite ways to drink tea, and my girls love it, too. I acquired this recipe from a Sikh family I once worked with. They did catering, I did bar, waitressing, food service, staffing, and dishes for them. This recipe was a bonus one night, and only because I asked for it.
I use sugar because I prefer the taste to that of honey, or any other sweetened syrup.
This recipe is made per person, so you need to multiply it out for more.
Do not boil this, as it will make the tea bitter.

• 1 teaspoon loose leaf tea and one extra
• 2 cloves
• 2 cm cinnamon scroll
• 3 cardamom pods, cracked open
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander (round)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Add all ingredients except milk to saucepan, and bring to boil.
2. Reduce heat, and simmer while stirring for 3 minutes.
3. Add milk, and bring back to boil, simmering for a further 3 minutes.

Strain into cups and enjoy