Cheap Eats - Poor Man's Parmesan

Poor Man's Parmesan with olive oil, lemon and edamame beans

Cheap Eats 
Poor Man's Parmesan (Pangritata)

I can't remember where I saw this idea but its been one on my list of things to do for a while. I love Parmesan cheese but as a weekly ingredient with all the other expenses these days (nappies and baby stuff) its not a regular feature. This recipe gives pasta texture and crunch and a lovely garlic flavour.

All you need for the basic mix some bread - any will do fresh, frozen or even stale and some garlic, Olive oil and salt.  To bump up the poor man's Parmesan you can add herbs such as parsley, chives, basil, oregano, rosemary or chili

Other ideas with poor man's Parmesan

 with grilled asparagus, capsicum (peppers) or aubergine
 with a fried egg
 with crispy ham, bacon, shredded corned beef
 with peas or edamame beans
 with garlic sauteed spinach
 with tinned tuna, salmon or sardines
 with rocket or baby spinach topped with walnuts
 with fresh or grilled cherry tomatoes
 with a marmite sauce (Nigella)
 with vegetable ribbons (carrots and courgettes)
 with lemon, chili, olives and anchovies
 with crumbled feta or blue cheese
 With steamed mussels
 with flaked smoked fish or a firm white fish

How to make 'EASY'
Toast 4 slices of bread (or similar)
In a food processor blitz the bread with 4 cloves of fresh garlic, salt to taste and I added a handful of parsley from my garden.
Toast in a pan with olive oil until lightly browned.
Stir through steaming hot pasta with a good splash of olive oil. I added lemon and edamame beans to the photo above.
Simple, cheap and delicious
Vanessa X

Cheap Eats: Mexi Macaroni

Can you feed four for under $5?

When Sweet Living Magazine, gave us a challenge to come up with a meal to feed four for under $5, we have to admit, we didn't know what we were going to end up with. Easy enough to throw together a packet of pasta and a can of tomatoes, but making something tasty, flavorsome and appealing is quite hard on a budget. Whilst walking up and down the isles of the supermarket many protein and meat options were off limits as they blew out the budget. However beans and pulses fill you up, are cost effective and versatile. I know you are probably thinking that these ingredients are more suited to vegetarians or people who don't have a huge appetites but believe us, both the men and the kids in our lives were impressed. The beans were the star of the show, they thicken the sauce without needing to add more expensive ingredients such as tomato paste. They came from the "Delmaine" range and were large butter beans in a rich sauce and even better they were on special. 

Top tips for budget shopping

• You need to get products on special, our butter beans were 69c, reduced from $2.35. Quite often tins of tomatoes are on special, so buy up in bulk as they are useful in all sorts of budget dishes (pastas, stews, soups, slow cooked meals). Also seek out the largest tin as they are often cheaper and the excess can be frozen.
• When checking out the food on the shelves ALWAYS look to the bottom of the shelf - that is where you will find the cheapest options, generic brands or less common and reasonable products.
• It's hard to make a cheap meal that contains meat, but if you can get some cheap sausages, they would be great chopped up and mixed in with this meal. 
• Make more than you need, so it can be frozen and used for another family meal at a later date.
• Dried herbs and spices might seem expensive to buy at the time, however they can go a long way for many meals if you choose right. We added a teaspoon of smoked paprika, that gave this meal a real gutsy kick. Other good spices to buy are chili powder, great for bean or meaty dishes and if you like your meals to have a kick. I often use premixed Moroccan seasoning which contains garlic, turmeric, paprika, chicken extract to name a few, I shake it over chicken, potatoes, or roast vege, or even to season rice or couscous.

Toasted breadcrumbs and garlic sprinkled on top (poor mans parmesan), 
would work brilliantly with this dish.

Mexi macaroni 
Serves 4 adults
What you need:
1 onion (16c)
1/2 can of 800g homebrand tomatoes (80c) 
1 can of corn ($0.95)
2 cans of Butter Beans (69c x 2)
1 x packet of Macaroni (95c)
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika 
2 teaspoons of Moroccan seasoning (or similar, or even just a whole chili simmering in the sauce) 
2 teaspoons of oil ( we used olive because thats what we had, but any cooking oil will do) 

= $4.24 (+ spices and oil would make this up to $5) (NZ Dollars)

How to make
1. Chop and sauté the onions until soft and add the smoked paprika and Moroccan seasoning. 
2. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes on low.
3. Add the beans and simmer for another 10 mins on low. 
4. Add the corn and warm through. 
5. Don't over cook the sauce as the beans will go mushy.
6. Boil the water and add salt and cook the macaroni according to the packet. 
7. Stir the sauce through the pasta and serve. 
8. Garnish options - grated cheese (if you are feeling flush), chopped green herbs such as parsley, chives or coriander or toasted breadcrumbs and garlic which is actually called poor mans parmesan.

Inspire me with asparagus

These are our lastest recipes from our Sister vs Sister cook off in New World supermarket's REAL Magazine, and the photos in their full glory. We had so much fun coming up with the recipes using Asparagus, styling and photographing them, and best of all taste testing them...over and over just to make sure they worked.....(what a job!) we really wanted to share them with you...so here they are...

VOTE FOR VANESSA'S DISH TO BE IN TO WIN

Asparagus and eggs are a match made in heaven – they just work. My pasta dish is a take on the traditional carbonara. Once again, it’s a dish I have never made before because I generally don’t cook with cream, however I often order it when out. I decided to use evaporated milk as it’s not as rich as a restaurant dish and has less fat, so it could be served often as part of your family meals. However, if you prefer cream, use it by all means. The asparagus gives the dish a healthy shot of colour and a break from the creaminess of the sauce. Buon appetito!

Vanessa's Spicy Sausage and Asparagus Cabonara
What you need

4 garlic cloves, chopped or sliced

6 good-quality spicy sausages

1 bunch fresh asparagus

2 eggs, beaten

375 ml-can evaporated milk or cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

500 grams penne pasta

Fresh parsley 

How to make
1. Pan-fry the garlic in a little oil over a medium heat.

2. Grill or pan-fry the sausages and then slice diagonally.

3. Remove woody ends from the asparagus and microwave (2-4 minutes), boil or steam. If microwaving, add 3 tablespoons of water. Check the asparagus so you don't overcook it – it should still be firm to the bite.

4. In a bowl mix the cooked garlic, eggs, evaporated milk and half the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling salted water until al dente (firm but not hard to bite) for about 14 minutes.

6. Drain and return pasta to the pot (don't put the pot back on the element as the heat will cook the eggy carbonara sauce). Stir through the egg mixture.

7. Serve sprinkled with remaining Parmesan and top with the sausages and asparagus.Garnish with ground black pepper and chopped parsley.

TIP...I made the mistake of putting the pan with the sauce and pasta back on the element with it turned off as I like my food really hot. My recommendation is not to do this as it's a fine line between ending up with scrambled eggs or having a silky smooth sauce!



Ingrid's Spring Asparagus Farinata

I love making pizza and bread and in memory of our Nonna Maria, who passed away recently at the grand age of 91, and who cooked with such passion, hands waving all over the place, flour flying through the air, I’m attempting a farinata.

This is an Italian flatbread made with chickpea flour. No kneading required in this dish, so it’s much simpler than bread making and similar to a crispy savoury pancake. Asparagus goes well with the nutty flavour of the chickpeas and the shavings crisp up nicely under the grill. It’s known as street food in Italy and made in large copper pans in wood-burning ovens. Vendors tear off pieces and serve it on wax paper to eat on the spot, however I think it’s a nice change for lunch served with a crisp green salad.

VOTE FOR INGRID'S DISH TO BE IN TO WIN

What you need

I used a 30cm pizza pan but you could use a large oven-proof frying pan. Do it in batches if your frying pan is small. The batter only needs to line the pan, much the same as a pancake.

Batter
1 cup chickpea flour 
1 cup lukewarm water
½ teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons oil

Topping
1 bunch fresh asparagus, shaved (see tip)
1 tablespoon fresh herbs (oregano or thyme)
1 tablespoon oil


How to make

1. Preheat oven to 230°C or 210°C fan bake.
2. In a bowl sift the chickpea flour and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Slowly add the lukewarm water, whisking continuously until smooth. Stir in the oil. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
4. Place the shaved asparagus in a separate bowl. Add a splash of olive oil; mix to coat.
5. Drizzle olive oil into pizza pan. Place pan in the preheated oven for 5 minutes until oil is hot.
6. Pour in the batter. Scatter with the shaved asparagus and fresh herbs.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until batter is set. Turn the oven grill to highand grill the top for 5-10 minutes until golden and crispy.

To serve: Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt then, when slightly cooled, cut into wedges and serve with a green salad.

TIP...

To shave asparagus, hold the woody ends like a handle and peel with a vegetable peeler; set aside the tough ends. Slice any leftovers into thin strips. Use the woody ends to flavour soups or stocks.

What's in season: Yams, sprouts and cabbages

HOW TO COOK WITH YAMS: Most of us stick to the usual veges in our winter roasts. We often comment "I wonder how you would cook those? or they look interesting". Yams look pretty weird, they are small and knobby but have an appealing yellow/pink colour. They are super simple to cook and cook quite fast because they are so small. I decided to throw them in with a roast dinner, but jazz them up a bit with a honey and spice coating. Don't be scared and give them ago. If your kids like potato, they are sure to like the sweet sticky cute yams! 
How to eat yams

LEARN HOW TO LOVE SPROUTS: A big favorite of mine is brussel sprouts, which seems to disturb most people. In winter, I'm always throwing them into the roasting dish with other winter veg, drizzle some olive oil, add some rosemary or thyme, salt/ pepper and you have an easy throw together side to any meat. Just the other night, I threw in cut yams and sprouts, olive oil, a sprinkling of seasoning (cumin, ground coriander and cayenne pepper) and roasted them for around 30 mins, it was a perfect match for my roasted chicken legs. Check out some other easy ideas for sprouts below. 
How to love brussel sprouts

TWO WAYS WITH CABBAGE: My memories of cabbage are of coleslaw's at summer barbies or Dad eating his German sausages with sauerkraut. As an adult I have discovered the Asian influence adding cabbage and it many varieties to stir fries. It really makes a meal go further, is low fat and very very tasty! Try two very different takes on making a meal out of cabbage.
Cooking with cabbage

Easy Italian seafood dishes for the family

Sadly a few days ago our Nonna passed away. She was the quintessential Italian Nonna, she always wore an apron, had a strong Italian accent and was often emotional. Our memories of her are surrounded by food. Thankfully she passed on her recipes to our dad who bought us up on lots of Italian inspired meals. This blog post is dedicated to our Nonna Maria...

Vanessa's dish: Classic and easy tomato sauce 

What you need 

Olive oil

Salt 2 teaspoons but if you are like me, you will want to add more.

2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes 

1 punnet or tube of tomato paste (you can use a tin of tomato puree instead)

2 onions

4 cloves of garlic

Secret ingredient - a teaspoon sugar (optional but it does sweeten the tomatoes)

Add enough oil to a pot to cover the bottom and saute the chopped onions, when soft add the garlic and soften. (be careful not to burn the garlic)

Add the tins of chopped tomatoes, tomato paste or puree and then add 1 tin of water. 

Add salt and sugar to taste 

All you need to do now is simmer the sauce uncovered until it starts to reduce. its a bit of a balancing act where you will need to add more water if it becomes too thick and more puree/paste if its not thick enough. The paste/puree adds extra depth to the tomato taste and help thicken along with the simmering. 

I usually simmer it for at least 30 minutes however 20-30 minutes still results in a good sauce. Often its even nicer the following day.

Steamed mussels

Add clean and de-bearded mussels to a pot with a lid with a couple of tablespoons of water or wine. Turn up the heat to high and wait a few minutes. Don't be tempted to open the lid to often as it lets the steam out and reduces the temperature. You need it to be HOT to open the shells. When I check the mussels I take the open ones out straight away and quickly put the lid back on and steam the rest. 

If after about 10 minutes some shells haven't opened - throw them away. 

I find the quicker you get the mussels out once they have opened, the better - they don't need to cook any longer. Set them aside until you are ready to plate up. 

Grilled tomatoes and lemons

Cut both the tomatoes and lemons on half. Place in an oven proof dish and drizzle with olive oil. (don't bother using oil on the lemons)

Grill until the tomatoes are soft and starting to caramelize.  

Set them aside until you are ready to plate up.

How to assemble 

1. Cook your spaghetti in lots of salted rapidly boiling water. It is said the water needs to be salty like the sea and  use a large pot. 

2. When al-dente (to the bite) - meaning taste it and it should be firm, not soft like tinned spaghetti!!! 

3. Drain and add the tomato sauce and mix through. 

Some people like to mix the sauce through it first, others like to add the sauce to individual bowls of spaghetti - your choice. 

4. Arrange the mussels, tomatoes and lemons in bowls and top with black pepper. 

Enjoy

Vanessa X 

Nonna Maria with her grandchildren Vanessa and Ingrid picking and eating oranges in Keri keri and Nonna with her first born son Rino (our dad) 

Ingrid's dish: Crispy fried calamari

Whenever I think of Nonna, she's either sitting in her rocking chair, a big mug of coffee in her hands, watching daytime soaps on TV or she is cooking in the kitchen. Nothing was ever too much trouble, if you wanted gnocchi made at ten o'clock at night, the potatoes were boiled up and mashed and a simple tomato sauce was created. The tablecloth came out and we sat up to buttery soft italian dumplings. As a kid, I remember feeling very cherished by my Nonna. 

I also remember fried calamari being thrown together at a moments notice, a few visitors popping over, the playing cards coming out and a raucous night filled with loud laughter and hands slamming down on the table when the last card was played.

When I decided to do fried calamari for this blog post, I could imagine Nonna trotting off down to the local fishmonger, whereas I went to the local asian supermarket - how things have changed! I picked my squid, and regrettably told the fishmonger not to prep it, as I'll do it myself! (um...crazy idea...)

An economical dish, this whole squid cost $4.50 and served four people accompanied with a wintery salad.

So I brought it home and googled - "How to prepare squid, which I have to say, totally grossed me out. I couldn't do it without gloves on, I was a total wimp! When I accidentally pressed the eye a little too hard and it squirted 'eye juice' all over my kitchen window, I could hear my Nonna laughing out loud in the background thinking what a ridiculous situation I had got myself in. So please, what ever you do, get it prepped at the asian supermarket, fish monger, or risk being turned off calamari for life!

However, it was all worth it in the end. It's a great dish to share, its rustic, economical and it really does transport you to al fresco dining on a cobblestone street on the Mediterranean seafront.

Make a simple tartare dip, by mixing 3 tablespoons of store - bought mayonnaise, a handful of capers, a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped gherkins.

Crispy fried calamari

Serves 4

What you need 

1 fresh squid (cut into strips)

1/2 to 1 cup of standard flour

vegetable oil, fill frypan up to 1cm

salt and pepper to taste

lemon wedges

How to prepare

First, get the fish monger to prep the squid! (i.e.: remove all the yukky bits!!!) Once home, pull the tentacles out and cut the tentacles away from its body. Slice open the body, lie it flat and lightly score the surface to tenderize it. Cut into even strips same width as tentacles. Pat dry with a paper towel.

In a plastic bag, mix flour and salt and pepper. Add squid strips to the bag and give it a shake until squid is evenly coated.

Heat oil in a frypan on high heat. When sizzling, add calamari in batches until crispy and golden. They should only take about 2 mins. Drain on a paper towel. Serve piled high with lemon wedges. 

ALSO TRY: Sprinkled with fresh Italian parsley or parmesan.
HAVE WITH: Thinly sliced boiled potatoes garnished with olive oil, salt and cracked pepper.

Enjoy

Ingrid X 

Pork: Dinner party recipes

With both of us on maternity leave this year we have more time on our hands to be domestic goddesses LOL ... well that was the plan! The reality is somewhat different. Being on one income and becoming 'stay at home' mums has meant we now want easy, quick dishes and economical meals. 

Both of us buy and eat quite a bit of chicken, its so versatile, but not the cheapest. Pork seems to be overtaking chicken by being an economical meat and like chicken, can be used in so many ways. It also ticks the boxes for the lads too. 

Each week our Mum arrives at our homes with food parcels - sometimes the parcel contains only one leek, two onions, three carrots and one roll of toilet paper, and I always ring Ingrid to see if she received the rest of the bag! However I have noticed in the last year or so pork has been a regular feature. She buys a variety of cuts and hunts out the specials, it has certainly made me more aware of pork and its flexibility.   


So we both thought, lets give pork a go, have a casual family dinner party, which really means no dressing up, no fuss and using fingers and this is what we came up with. Enjoy! 

Pork Belly Bites with Dipping Sauce - addictive

VANESSA Pork belly bites with ginger and chili dipping sauce + spiced red wine vinegar sauce

I love pork belly, I know its hardly the "healthy cut" but all the juicy fat running through it makes it tender and hard to resist. I have ordered it occasionally at restaurants but more frequently at Canton Cafe  in Kingsland - their crispy pork is a regular feature whenever the family gathers for a no frills feast. Like many restaurant and cafe meals I put pork belly in the 'too hard' basket deeming it difficult to get right and easier to buy.  


Pork belly in fact couldn't be easier - the prep is simple, the time factor is pretty much throw it in a low heat oven and leave and the sauces can even be straight out of a jar if you are pushed for time.  


As I have only made it once, the pork I used was supplied by the lovely folk at Harmony, it was organic and the result was melt in your mouth. My advice, buy the best pork you can afford and always seek NZ born and bred piggies...

Perfect bite sized snack for parties - the lads LOVE them!!!

Pork belly bites 
What you need
Pork belly - we were supplied with 800g 
Olive oil
Salt
2 onions sliced into thick circular disks
Tinfoil
How to make
Preheat oven to 160 degrees
Dry the pork belly with paper towels, especially the skin.
In an oven proof dish line with tin foil so the pork belly can be covered loosely on the sides but keeping the top/fat side free to crisp up.
Layer the onions on the bottom of the tin foil so the belly can be placed on them. (Apparently you can also use apples)
Score the skin - the point of this is so the skin crisps up well and its easy to cut up when its cooked. I scored the skin in even squares about 2cmx2cm.
It was difficult to cut through mainly because my knives weren't sharp enough. I re-scored it half way through the cooking process which helped. I haven't tried it but assume a heavy craft knife would do the job well!
Rub the pork belly with oil and salt and place on top of the onions skin side up.
Bake in the oven for 3 hours - DO NOT BASTE
After 3 hours turn the heat up to 200 degrees and bake for a further 20 Min's, checking regularly to ensure the skin isn't burning.
I ended up also grilling the skin to ensure it was crispy all over. I covered the bits that had crisped up nicely with tin foil so they didn't burn.
Cut into cubes and save the juices for the spiced red wine vinegar dipping sauce or make a traditional gravy.


Ginger and chili dipping sauce  
What you need
A palm sized chunk of fresh ginger
1 large chili (Add more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp fish sauce (from Asian supermarkets or Asian section of the supermarket)
How to make
Blitz everything in the food processor
In a saucepan bring to the boil and simmer until it reduces to a sauce like consistency.


Spiced red wine vinegar dipping sauce
What you need
Juices from the pork belly pan
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
How to make
Bring to the boil and simmer until it reduces to a sauce like consistency


Tip - When making the sauces above, taste taste taste and don't be afraid to add more or other ingredients to suit your taste buds. If its not thickening up it hasn't had enough time to reduce or you need to add more sugar. 
Enjoy
Vanessa X




INGRID Honey glazed pork fillet with bacon and pear + prunes wrapped in bacon
It has been over twenty years since I last tasted pork or bacon. I became a 'flexitarian' when I was 15, worked in a bakery and had to fill pie casings with gristly meat. It turned me off beef mince, then other meats soon followed. This was before Ponsonby Pies or The Fridge Pies in Kingsland, your pie choices were Big Ben, Georgie Pie, or your local bakery. Funny that chicken never got the heave ho, probably had more to do with my best mate at the time who also adopted a semi vegetarian lifestyle and also a love of my mum's chicken schnitzel that I wasn't prepared to give up.

I tried different sized pear wedges - small wedges worked and looked best!

I came back to meat via a medium rare eye fillet steak that Vanessa ordered at Sausalito Cafe in Northcote Point. I was 7 months pregnant with my first born, Rhys and whether I was iron deficient or something chemical had changed, I didn't just eye up Vanessa's steak, I stuck my fork in and ate it!

Two and a half years later and I'm rediscovering all different types of meat. I can't believe it took me so long to return. I've always loved the smell of bacon frying, but being a flexitarian (don't you just love that word!), I ate chicken bacon, Vanessa always said " why don't you just eat the real deal?" and I have to agree, its seems quite ridiculous now.

Did you know? Pork Fillet has less fat than chicken breast but twice the iron.

When we decided to do a food fight using pork, it was a big challenge for me, as I mentioned I'm a pork cooking virgin, so I needed to create a dish that was simple to prepare (within my 'first timers' capabilities), used seasonal ingredients (pears), was quick to cook and had a bit of a wow factor (to prove my skills).


I checked out the extraordinary kitchen website which has great tips for cooking pork, recipes, ideas etc and Simon Gault videos on how to cook with pork. I even found out that you can eat pork quite pink too, in fact whatever you do don't overcook it (unless your cooking pork belly that is, cook it slow and low). Enjoy, Ingrid

Honey glazed pork fillet with bacon and pear 

enough for 2 

What you need:

Olive oil

Salt/ pepper

1 fillet of nz pork (per 2 persons) We used Harmony free range pork

1 pear (Any type will do, but I used Packham) cut into six to eight wedges (any leftover pear cut it into chucks and chuck in the roasting dish.

6 to 8 rashers of streaky bacon (I used Harmony free range bacon) 

4 tbsp of manuka honey (although you could use any type of honey also)

How to make:

Set oven temp to 180C. Rub pork fillet in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and in a pan sear each side of the fillet for 3 mins. Place fillet in a roasting dish. Wrap each rasher of bacon around a wedge of pear. Cut 6 to 8 slices down the fillet away from the grain, and shove a bacon wrapped pear into the slice. 

Roast for 25-30mins until bacon is cooked (this really depends on your oven, the best way to check the fillet is to make sure the outside is cooked but the inside of the pork is cooked but a pink color.  Remove from oven and drizzle with honey. Finish it off by grilling for a few mins in oven until the bacon crisps.

Roast prunes wrapped in bacon
What you need:

Prunes

bacon

toothpicks

How to make:

Simply wrap bacon around a prune and stick a toothpick through, the middle holding the bacon in place. Roast for 25- 30 mins alongside your pork fillet. 

A BIG THANKS to Harmony for supplying us with our free range pork. It got the thumbs up from all our taste testers, the kids, a handful of friends, and especially the blokes.

Easy pizza dough

A play on words for our two boys who got stuck in rolling the dough,
however the name also means maori dumplings.

Making your own pizza dough REALLY is easy! Too often we perceive making things by scratch to be difficult and end up spending way too much money to buy a sub-standard product. Time is also an issue, even more so now, as Ingrid and I have just added a baby each to the mix. However pizza dough  really is easy and so much more delicious than anything you can buy. All it takes is a little organisation and a hot water cupboard!

Jake was methodical in placing the toppings, Rhys was more concerned with eating the toppings.

The first stage involves the yeast sitting in your hot water cupboard or a warm place for about 15 mins, the second stage is where for give yourself an arm workout for about 10 mins and the third stage is when it proves in your hot water cupboard again until it doubles in size.  The time for this varies but I have experienced success every time I have made it even though I have left it for different amounts of time!

Thin and crispy, perfect for little hands.

Easy Pizza Dough

You will need

2 tsp yeast (instant dried)

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups of plain flour

1/2 cup warm water

How to make

• In a bowl add the warm water, yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil. Leave for about 10 minutes until its activated and a bit bubbly. 
• Add the yeast mixture to the flour by making a well in the centre and mixing it with your hands to form a dough ball. 
• Knead it until its smooth - this takes about 10 mins - using the heel of your hand works well and you get in to a rhythm. Great exercise!
• Put into a bowl coated in a bit of olive oil and place some where warm to let it prove (rise) to double its original size. I leave it for an hour or so. (I used the hot water cupboard)
• When ready, punch the dough as its quite light and re-work it into a ball. 
• Its now ready to use. 
• Roll it out to the desired thinness/thickness - I always go thin.
• Place on to a floured pan or pizza stone and add toppings. TIP: Uncooked pizza dough can be frozen in balls or flat between baking paper.
• Bake at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. 

...the best bit is always the tasting at the end.
Ham, cheese and pineapple was the toppings of choice for these kids.

Interesting toppings and hints.
Use a base of tomato sauce or pesto, you can even use store bought pasta sauce.


TIP: Be careful with ingredients that have a high water content such as fresh tomato, mushrooms, pineapple or frozen spinach - this can make the pizza soggy if you add too much.

• Prawns, capers and anchovies
• Spinach, Parmesan and Cracked egg
• Jalapeño and spicy salami
• bacon, blue cheese and leek

Quick and easy lasagna

What a great feeling to have healthy and delicious meals waiting in your freezer

After 7 wet days camping with a super organised friend, my mission for 2012 is to attempt to have nutritious and delicious meals in my freezer for my son. We are both working mums and find the 5pm kids dinner hour a bit of a challenge. Over the holiday break there has been a lot of snacking going on, chips and dips, fish and chips, easy camp meals and of course ice creams and ice blocks. The kids have loved it, such a change from their regular healthy daycare lunches and snacks.

Both Ingrid and I are due to have second babies and be on maternity leave in about 10 weeks so the thought of life with two kids is quite daunting. An even better reason to get organised!

I have been reading a book called “Economy Gastonomy” by Allegra McEvedy and Paul Merret. I bought it cheap somewhere and about a year later saw their show on TV. It’s a great read and a fabulous introduction in to being organised and stretching your dollar. It motivated me to start with basics like mince and tinned fish. My first creation was Lasagna, kids love pasta and adults can spice it up with a bit of Tabasco and crisp salad. A few things I discovered along the way…

• Add a tin of beans (baked beans, chili beans, butter beans) , it makes the mince go further.
• Ensure the lasagna has a far bit of liquid/wetness in the sauces, the pasta really does soak it up.
• Add vegetables such as carrots, aubergines, courgettes, mushrooms, peas even a puree of vegetables – the kids will never know.  

Make it fun for the kids! 

The recipe I am giving you is not exact, its very forgiving and with a bit of planning is pretty easy to create an impressive dish.

What you need

Meat sauce

Mince 500g-1kg

Tinned chopped tomatoes x2

1 tub/tube tomato puree/concentrate/paste

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

1 onion

6 cloves of garlic (its really mild cooked)

1 tin beans

Vegetables – anything goes really

Cheese sauce

Butter

Milk

Flour

Tasty cheese or what ever leftovers you have in the fridge

Lasagna sheets OR any other pasta you have in your cupboard

Add cherry tomatoes for a splash of colour and vitamin hit

Firstly make the meat sauce.

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, add the mince and brown it. Then add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper and about a tin of water. Simmer uncovered for a while and you should notice the water evaporating and the sauce thickening. Add the vegetables and paste and simmer until they are soft. Finally add the beans. You will have to monitor the sauce by adding more water if needed or simmering for longer if not thick enough. Also watch the meat doesn’t catch the bottom of the pot. (keep tasting it and adding more salt if needed, you can even add a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten the tomatoes)

Whilst the sauce is simmering get stuck in and make the cheese sauce.

Now you need to make a roux, this is a mixture of flour and butter that acts a thickening agent. Melt about 2 large tablespoons of butter in a pot, add a similar amount of flour and mix to a paste. You may have to take off the heat if its cooking a bit fast. Add milk ½ cup at a time, only adding more when its thick. When you have the sauce to the consistency you need add the cheese – grated, cubes, chunks or leftover pieces. Set aside.  

In an oven proof deep dish add a layer of lasagna sheets or dried pasta shapes. Add a thick layer of meat sauce, cheese sauce and more pasta. Keep repeating the process until you have nothing left. Basically you need to make sure the pasta has moisture to cook in from either sauces. It doesn’t really matter what you finish with as long as the pasta is covered with meat or cheese sauce. I also added some tomato slices on top at the end for a bit of colour.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes at about 200 degrees, you can usually tell if its cooked by putting a knife into it and it should pierce the pasta easily.  

Let it cool down before you slice it and portion it up and put in to freezer suitable containers or tin foil. I used tin foil and the only disadvantage is you can’t defrost in the microwave if the tin foil sticks to the frozen lasagna.

Sit back, relax and enjoy knowing you have family dinner or kids portions waiting to impress. 

Vanessa 

Extras

I also made a fish pie, check out previous post, add a mash and cheese top, cool and chuck it in the freezer. 

http://foodopera.blogspot.com/2011/02/smoked-fish-ans-greens-pie.html

Rice - yes you can freeze it, cook it and cool it fast by laying it our on to a baking tray. when cool bag it or put into containers and place in the coldest part of your freezer. Not the door or by the front. 

Heat in the microwave ensuring its HOT!