Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce

Ingredients
1 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced
1 tbs tomato paste
2 x 400g cans chopped peeled tomatoes
salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened but not browned.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute (this 'cooks off' the paste, giving it a richer more intense flavour).  Add the peeled tomatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until thickened.  Stir through the salt and pepper, sugar, basil and parsley, adjusting the seasoning as required.

Notes
Use this tomato sauce as a base for other flavoured sauces. Add red or white wine and some sprigs of rosemary to serve as a sauce with lamb shanks. Create a rich minestrone soup by adding beef stock and vegetables. Or simply add mince for spaghetti bolognaise.
Source:www.taste.com.au

Deb's Muesli Bars

I can't recall where I came across this recipe, but as it has my name in it, I thought I would try it. It holds together really well, and is great for the lunchboxes.

4 cups Muesli
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup dried apples or apricots
1/2 cup self raising flour
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs

Combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine condensed milk and eggs, and stir dry ingredients into this mix and stir well. Spoon into a greased and lined slice pan, press down firmly. Bake 25 mins at 160 deg or until nicely golden. Cut while hot and leave in tin to cool.

Coconut Loaf

This recipe is from the Simple Savings website. I have made it a few times now, really easy, and yummy.
Coconut Loaf



1 cup dessicated coconut

1 cup SR flour

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

Mix altogether and put in greased loaf tin, bake at 180 for around 45 mins.

Apricot Chicken Curry

One word for this - yum!!

500g chicken breast, sliced
1 large tin apricots
2 onions sliced
1 dessert spoon curry powder
1 pkt spring vegetable or french onion soup - either is very nice.

Put all ingredients in slow cooker, and cook on low for 6 hours or so.

Cherry Jam Recipe

I bought a large tub of cherries at the markets yesterday, so I have decided I will make some jam with them.  I wish I had thought of it while I was at the markets, as they were selling out whole boxes for $5!! Ah welll, doesn't matter, I certainly am not short of jam in my pantry! This is the recipe I am using, which originally comes from the taste.com.au website.

Cherry jam

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Cherry jam

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Makes

4 cups

Ingredients

• 1kg fresh cherries, pitted, halved
• 1/2 cup (125ml) lemon juice
• 1kg CSR jam sugar

Method

1. Thoroughly wash preserving jars and lids in hot, soapy water and rinse. Alternatively, sterilise by running through the dishwasher. Drain on a drying rack.
2. Place the cherries in a large saucepan. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to crush cherries to release their juices. Add the lemon juice and place over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the cherries are tender. Add the sugar and cook, stirring, for 10-15 minutes or until sugar dissolves.
3. Increase heat to high and bring to a rolling boil. Cook for 4 minutes or until mixture is at setting point. (To test when jam is at setting point, place a small saucer in the freezer to chill. Spoon a little jam onto the saucer and return to the freezer for 2 minutes or until jam is cold. Touch with your finger to see if it is set and gel-like.) Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Ladle hot jam into jars, seal and turn upside down for 2 minutes. Turn upright and set aside until cooled. Label, date and store in a cool, dark place.

Waffles

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 1/2 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, separated

Method:
Sift flour, and baking powder together, add salt and sugar and stir together.
In a separate bowl, whisk milk, oil and egg yolks, then add flour mix and whisk until smooth.

In another separate bowl, beat eggwhites until peaks form, and then fold gently through flour and milk mix.  Cook in waffler maker as instructed.

Creamy Thai Curry

I made up a new recipe tonight.  I was at a loss to what to make for dinner, I had some home grown potatoes, beans, carrots and cabbage, and not much meat in the freezer, so I just started with the chicken and made it up as I went along.  It was really yummy, and I will definitely make it again.

Creamy Thai Curry

Indgredients:

2 chicken breast fillets sliced
1 onion chopped
2 tspns crushed garlic
3 tbpns thai curry paste
1 cups beans chopped
1/2 cup cream

Method:

Fry chicken until slightly seared, add onion and garlic, and fry for a few minutes. Add thai curry paste and beans and fry for a further 5 minuites or so.  Add cream (you can add more cream for more sauce, I only had 1/2 cup left tonight)  and stir, reheat but don't boil. Serve with boiled potatoes, cabbage, carrots and peas, with a dob of butter on vegies, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves 4